Six Months and Going Strong

Thursday September 16 was another day in the office. Micah met with Alison at Open Door. He showed her around the kitchen for Root Soup since she is going to help get the soup aspect off the ground by volunteering her expertise in cooking with people with learning difficulties. Lucy met with a potential local volunteer who has recently graduated from university.

Friday, Micah headed to the allotment with Scott and Emily for the morning. They cleaned out the shed and weeded (of course). In the afternoon, Scott, Micah and Matthew built a new raised bed for the front and back of the Ark and one for the allotment. Micah also convinced Scott that we should have chickens in the back of the Ark so hopefully in the next couple months this will happen! Lucy spent the morning relaxing and the afternoon at the Ember.

Saturday, we were present in the Ember. We went out to lunch at a cafe with the whole crew. Micah and Neil were coming up with tag lines for Root Soup (both serious and completely ridiculous). In the afternoon Lucy helped Larry and Jillian clean their rooms. Micah headed up to Forestside, a shopping centre with Larry. Larry makes a weekly trip to buy a DVD on Saturdays. It was quite rainy and Micah felt like the whole town was trying to park at this store! Micah and Neil made dinner...delicious Fajitas!! Then we all watched some episodes of Father Ted, an old Irish sitcom till it was time for evening routines.

Sunday we went to church and then a “Garden Party” in the botanic gardens. We didn’t really know what to expect, but it ended up being a TON of booths with a TON of free samples. We had a delicious lunch off the samples!!

Monday we had our team meeting followed by a ton of resting.

Tuesday we were in the office after morning meetings. Lucy went to team formation and Micah had training on Social Media. He learned all about how to use Facebook and Twitter to further Root Soup. If you aren’t a fan of Root Soup on Facebook yet (and have Facebook), become a fan! Micah continued to get ready for the Soup Shanty (the kick off of Root Soup, which is October 1!!). Lucy spent the day preparing for Thomas’ Person Centred Plan (PCP) meeting and trying to get a note from Jillian’s doctor saying she needs a carer with her at aqua aerobics. The heath system here is not as user friendly as the States, but it is free! It took quite a few phone calls with no answer (during business hours) and a trip down to the office before finally getting through on the phone to the doctor who was less than helpful! Thomas came over for dinner as usual on Tuesday. He was pumped up after going to college and because a meeting was all about him later that night and because we went to the chippie for fish and chips. He was so excited. The early evening was spent at Thomas’ PCP meeting. Each of the core members has this plan about them that tells their hopes and dreams, how to keep them safe, and their routines (among many other things). The plan has to be updated each year and it was time for Thomas’ update. After the meeting, we headed to Freedom in Christ, a little late but still worthwhile.

Wednesday was a rest day. We didn’t make our weekly trip to Ian’s because it was rainy, but supplemented it was French toast. Lucy went to a meeting for Thomas at his day centre to talk about what he has been doing and what he wants to do in the future. The meeting showed that when he says he does nothing at day centre he is fibbing. He is busy there!

Thursday, it was back to work in the office for Lucy. Lucy spent the morning updating Thomas’ PCP so the hard copy is all up to date. Then, she got back to work on volunteer coordinating in the afternoon by responding to emails and scheduling meetings with potential and current volunteers. Micah spent the morning in the office and the rainy and cold afternoon at the allotment. They painted and weeded.

Friday, Micah worked in the office (since he went up to the allotment on Thursday). Maria and Micah met to continue hashing out the details of the Soup Shanty. There are a lot of pieces to get in place for this event!! Lucy went to the doctor’s office in the morning to continue pursuing an answer to the migraines and headaches. The doctor again was less than helpful and really didn’t listen to well. One needs to be forceful here to get through it seems and that is not Lucy’s way! In the afternoon Micah met with Sharon, an evaluator before a business gets a grant that Micah applied for. It was both a good and bad meeting. She was really impressed with the idea of Root Soup, but started off by saying that there were many applicants and little money for this type of business since a lot of their funding is designated for athletic events. Maria and Micah then went to Starbucks to ask for free stirrers for the Soup Shanty. They were told to come back when the manager is in, but Micah was happy because he got coffee out of the deal, even if it was from an American chain. Lucy spent the afternoon in the Ember. She went to Jill’s doctor’s office with Jill to pick up the note from the doctor, which had a few typos, hopefully it works! Then she and Jill headed up to Forestside to get ingredients for tray bakes and bread that are needed for the Soup Shanty. In the evening we went out with our cell group from church to Pizza Express. It was an evening filled with too much food, a lot of chatting and all around good craic.

On Saturday we were present in the Ember. It was an odd day because Jillian was away with a friend/past assistant so it was just the guys and May. It is amazing how much energy on Saturdays goes into keeping Jillian occupied and happy (or at least trying). It was a pretty busy day even with her absence. Micah went to a bag pack (bagging people’s groceries) with Thomas which benefited Special Olympics. Lucy spent the morning cleaning the Ember and mowing the grass. O boy it was long! Then it was time for lunch and to prepare to head up to the allotment for a wee bit of work and a barbeque. At the allotment, we dug up potatoes, planted daffodils, and hopefully decreased the amount of weeding poor Micah and Scott have to do, by putting plastic and mulch on the paths. Larry as usual did little to no work, while Thomas just wanted to get his jeans and hands dirty. Octavia even caught Larry dancing with Lucy on camera! Classic! We topped the evening off with a barbeque. The roaring fire felt great since it was a bit chilly by dinner time.

Today was a day of rest. We headed to church this morning then spent the afternoon baking and drawing (Lucy baking and Micah drawing). Before dinner we had a farewell prayer for Manuela who leaves on Tuesday after her month here. She is headed back to Austria to continue her studies at med school...only 4 more years to go!! The prayer was followed by her meal of choice...pizza and ice cream! Yummy! This evening we are finally heading out to a volunteer night out.

A brief update on what is happening in the world of Root Soup. It has been amazing to see God working in the beginnings of Root Soup. Ask and it shall be granted has been the case with these last few months for Micah. First, at a meeting, Scott was told of the industrial kitchen that Open Door Housing was looking to find use for. Then, Micah and Maria needed guidance and expertise and Valerie their mentor came and has helped them with nitty gritty of starting Root Soup. Next, placements for the garden and kitchen were made easier by contacts in the Orchardville Society. Their work is to find placements for people with learning difficulties. Then, Micah got accepted into the Social Entrepreneur Programme, which allowed Valerie to continue her mentoring and provided more training for Micah. After that, Alison contacted Maria to express interest in helping in the kitchen. She has years of experience and knowledge in working with people with learning difficulties in the kitchen. Not only is she planning to do this but also offered to buy all the ingredients for and make potato and leek soup for the Soup Shanty. She also has friend who has offered to make half the carrot and coriander soup. Another big step was Eileen coming onto the L’Arche board brining her experience from catering at Queen’s University. Finally, as we are working on PR and branding, we have been offered assistance from an advertising and marketing firm. It has been amazing to see everything unfold right in front of us and be able to see God’s hand in it all. Please pray that the Soup Shanty goes well on Friday. It is a big event for the beginning of Root Soup!

Life is getting busier in Belfast for us as we get involved in more activities both inside and outside the community. Our six month mark has come and gone and time just keeps flying by. In the past six months, Lucy has become the volunteer coordinator, Micah has set the base for Root Soup, we have travelled to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cork and around the island with the Loucks’ family, we have found a church community, lived through a house fire, had more cups of tea then in the previous 24 years, become most experienced volunteers in L’Arche therefore seeing 4 (almost 5) volunteers leave, Lucy has become Thomas’ reference person, and endless memories and stories from living in community. We are so thankful to be where we are and feel that God is working in and through us.

Thomas at allotment (check out the new picnic table that was "donated")


Larry tending the fire.

Change in Seasons

Monday, August 30 was a rest day for the two of us. We had our weekly breakfast at Ian’s bakery, which included delicious doughnuts! Then we went on a walk, went grocery shopping and relaxed around the house.

Tuesday, we had a team meeting and then were at work in the office. Lucy worked on putting together final touches for the new volunteers coming such as their welcome packs, phone cards and recruiting other team members to set up the rooms. Micah spent most of the day restoring our computer since it decided to have issues! Luckily, it is back up and working again and it motivated us to back up our pictures we have taken so far here! In the evening, we had Cami’s farewell prayer. Cami arrived a few weeks before us and returned to France to continue her studies in translation. For her prayer we had an assortment of breads, cheese and meat, all things she loves and missed while here!

Wednesday was a rest day again. We went to Common Grounds Cafe with Cami and Rachel for lunch. In the afternoon, Lucy had a doctor’s appointment because her migraines have been REAL bad lately. The doctor was a bit less than helpful, but hopefully soon they will be getting better! In the evening we went to cell group and continued to look at prayer.

Thursday, we worked in the office. We had a meeting with Scott and Maria in the morning to look at our job descriptions before they are put into our files. Then Lucy went out to lunch with Maria while Micah had a meeting with Open Door Housing Association (a collaborator in Root Soup) Then Lucy met with Cami to do her closing check-in. It is a way to make sure people feel ready to transition out of L’Arche and feel positive about their time in L’Arche. Micah had a meeting with his business mentor, Valerie. In the afternoon, a new one month volunteer arrived from Austria, Manuela. Micah went with a few from the community to the pub to celebrate Cami’s time in L’Arche. Lucy stayed home with a migraine.

On Friday, we said goodbye to Cami which was hard to do. She was a central part of the Ember life because she was so welcoming, but the other volunteers that live in the Ember will do a great job at creating the home it needs to be!! Afterwards, Micah headed to the garden to pull weeds, mowed, and picked a bit of veg. Lucy spent the morning relaxing, went for a walk and read. In the afternoon, Lucy was in the Ember.

Saturday we headed out to pick blackberries. Blackberries grow in random places here so we headed to the Annadale Embankment, which had a lot, but was quite noisy from the traffic. We were able to pick enough blackberries to make two blackberry and rhubarb (from allotment) pies! Yummy! Emily, a new 8 month volunteer from Seattle, arrived! Now all the transitions for this month are made! In the evening we went to a couple from our cell group’s house for dinner. They (or more truthfully she) made enchiladas! So nice! We do not get enough Mexican food here! It was a really nice evening since we were outside the community. We love the community, but it is nice to break outside once in awhile.

On Sunday we were in the Ember. The day was pretty low key since the new volunteers were settling in. We worked on puzzle together and had evening prayer. Other than that it was a lot of tea and chats.

On Monday we had a rest day after our team meeting. The day was pretty calm. We rested a lot and played a bit of “greedy”.

On Tuesday, we had a community life meeting in the morning. We looked at what we want to be as a community and the gifts each one of us brings. In the afternoon, Lucy had meetings with Emily and Manuela to make sure they are settled in and finish their file for employment. Micah did something, but he doesn’t remember what...After work we had a birthday prayer for Makiko. It was great to go around and say all the good things Makiko brings to the community!

On Wednesday, we made our weekly trip to Ian’s Bakery for delicious and cheap doughnuts! Then after our walk, we pulled a TON of weeds. Our back “garden” aka rock pit was full of them. This is why we are proposing getting a few chickens. Two benefits are that one we get eggs and two they do the weeding for us when we move the cage around! Sounds perfect to me! In the evening Lucy covered the Ember for Makiko so she accompanied Thomas to Common Grounds. It was great to see Thomas in his element working and serving people food and taking orders. It was really fun to see him at one of his favourite points during the week. After getting done, the two of us used some free tickets to a gig that Neil had but wasn’t using. The singer/band was called Lisse and she grew up in Illinois!! It was good fun and a nice change of pace.

On Thursday, we were back in the office. Lucy responded to LOTS of emails and then had a meeting with Maria and Emily to get the newsletter back up and running. For awhile it looked like it was going to be an additional responsibility for Lucy, but luckily Emily has a gift in writing and was keen to take it on as the editor. You can check it out on the L’Arche Belfast website! She did a great job! Micah had a meeting with Maria in the morning then started a grant application.

Friday was garden day again so Micah headed with Scott and several of the volunteers up to the allotment. They painted a new picnic table and gate, weeded and chatting. Lucy had the morning off and spent time walking, finishing pulling the weeds in the back garden and then was on the in afternoon at the Ember. She made some pizza for dinner. Larry was meant to cook alongside her, but he was quite sick with a cold, so no cooking for him!

On Saturday, we were both present at the Ember. Lucy got Thomas up early and they headed into city centre to run some errands. The two got art supplies, toothpaste and renewed Thomas’ bus pass before stopping for lunch. Micah spent the morning buying groceries and then preparing lunch. The afternoon as spent in the Ark for the first of many L’Arche art days! It was a time for the community to paint, draw, hang out and make cards for past assistants. It was great and we will hopefully be doing it monthly! We rounded out the day with a nice barbeque. A good barbeque always is a good way to end the day!

Sunday we finally attended City Church again! Between holidays and working on Sundays we had not attended since Micah’s family was here!! It was so good to be back and reconnect with the congregation again! Afterwards we went out for some Chinese food (yummy!) before a walk. Once back in the Ark, Micah painted while Lucy made some wheaten bread for the Soup Shanty that is coming up quickly. In the evening Micah went to the E.P. launch and gig for Neil’s band. Lucy stayed in because of the series of recent migraines!

Monday was a rest day for Lucy and a “rest day” for Micah. Lucy spent the morning at the team meeting, had an eye appointment (still have good vision) and went for a walk. Micah spent 8 hours in meetings. He met with Valerie, went to the team meeting, went to the Indian centre where the Soup Shanty will be held, met with Alison a potential cook for Root Soup, and gave the board of directors an update on the progress Root Soup has made over the summer holiday! He was a busy boy!

Tuesday we were back in the office after training on report writing. Lucy answered emails, typed minutes for Micah’s meetings and set up meeting with potential local volunteers. Micah made a lot of phone calls and took some time off since the day before was so hectic! In the evening we went to the Freedom in Christ course our church is offering. Session one was great and we will keep you updated as we progress through!

Today we again had breakfast at Ian’s as usual on Wednesdays. Then we went for a walk. Lucy attempted to go to a review meeting for Thomas at his day centre, but found out it was next week so came straight back home. Micah continued to work on his painting...it is so close to being done! After lunch we headed into town to try yet again to set up our new bank. We think we did it! We just need to be approved by the head office since we are not EU citizens! Then we did some window shopping while we were in city centre. When getting ready to walk back to the house, we ran into May and her friends! May practically lives in the city centre...she loves it there! Tonight we had a great dinner at the Ember with the community full of laughs about all the differences between US and British/Northern Irish English. It was great. Just a few of them for your enjoyment: the pronunciation of aluminium, garage and oregano are completely different, tarmac means driveway, pants means underwear, trousers means pants and a courgette is zucchini. These don’t even include all the slang phrases! Yikes it’s crazy here!

The weather has really changed here the last few days. We are intensely moving to autumn/winter. The wind has been blowing like mad and the temperature has dropped dramatically! It is taking some getting used to, but also makes us realize we have almost been here for 6 months, which is quite hard to believe!

One prayer request would be for Lucy’s headaches. They have been real bad over the past few months and she has a doctor’s appointment in about 1.5 weeks again to hopefully get some more help with them, but obviously God can take of it before! She won’t be mad!

We wish you all well this coming week! We think of you often despite the many miles between us!

Cami during her blindfolded cheese tasting challenge.

Rachel and Octavia

Jillian working hard on her painting! Emily (one of the new volunteers) in the background.

May and Jill painting away! Thomas and Larry didn't work on their projects nearly as long as these two dedicated spirits!