Guysmere Youth Weekend

This past weekend was our youth retreat with The Point. We headed up to Castle Rock on the north coast about 6.30 Friday night for a weekend of craziness. I am just now catching up on sleep and finding the energy to blog about it. Friday night we had dinner, got settled and did our opening devotion introducing our theme for the weekend. The verses came from Matthew 7, Where God calls us to build our houses on the rock not on the sand. Because Guysmere, the Presbyterian Church of Ireland conference centre, is located just off the beach and close to a castle, I decided this verse would be a good choice. Friday night we hung out and tried to start the weekend off with enough sleep.

Saturday morning we had devotions on the beach, freezing in the wind. We talked about the sand and why we shouldn't 'build our house' on sand and how we go about doing that. Then we had a sand castle building competition. They were pretty impressive- one even had dinosaur. We continued with the Guysmere Olympics. The blue and red teams faced off in a series of events, winning points with each relay. I stole most of the ideas from my time at Camp Illahee, but it was really fun. Our events included:

The Ice Lolli (Popsicle) Eating Relay- you can not eat yours until the person ahead of you in the line does. First team to all finish wins. This was actually really humorous to watch because the Popsicles were super hard!


The Straw Javelin Throw- Which team can throw the straw the farthest

Blow Ball- which team can blow the ball off the table. Second round, each member had to eat a cracker before they could defend their side of the table.


Spongefull Relay- Each member had one turn to fill the sponge and empty it into the pitcher at the other end. The team with the most deposited water won.

Bobsled Plastic Race- Teams formed partners, had to push/slide on plastic sheet. (didn't quite work out as well as I thought it would, but it was funny)

Chubby Bunny- which team volunteer can put the most marshmallows into their mouth and still articulate the words 'chubby bunny?' The most marshmallows wins!

Chubby Chihuahua- Same idea as above, cept with jalapeno peppers and the phrase 'chubby Chihuahua.' Chris was struggling big time, turning red and drooling. Sam sat cool, calm, and collected. It was hysterical!


Overall it was a great morning. The games were hysterical and the teams ended up tying, which was good and they all got the extra Popsicles for their prize. We had a wonderful lunch prepared by our great cooks, Michelle McGrath and Siobhan Caldwell, whom I couldn't have survived without. Then we had a bit of chill time after lunch and set up the water slide. This water slide is a Guysmere tradition, a huge sheet of plastic and fairy dish soap. Much like we do at Illahee : )
It was super windy, but we made it work. I have never been so cold in my life, honestly. But it was brilliant! The smiles and screams were worth the loss of feeling in my feet and fingers.

In true Guysmere fashion, we all ran to the sea to rinse off after the water slide. Man, I thought the slide was cold... the sea felt like thousands of knives stabbing into you. The waves were intense and the undertow awful. The stormy weather didn't help. The youth went so far out where the waves were crashing and were making me super nervous, so I only got about thigh deep and watched. My cold shower was the end of the road of my tolerance. It took me about 2 hours to warm up, 2 cups of hot chocolate didn't even do it. We had a BBQ for dinner, cooked inside because of the wind and rain. After dinner, we bundled up and headed to get ice cream and to explore the castle.

The castle was really cool. And the Mussenden Temple was part of the castle. I have been wanting to see the Temple, so that was pretty sweet. The kids were funny running around and taking pictures. It was great to spend the time with them exploring the castle and spooking the sheep.


That night once we had returned to Guysmere we had a great time playing silly games like never have I ever, where each person says something they have never done and if the others playing have done it they put a finger up- the first person to have done 10 things loses. We watched the new TV show Joseph, much like American idol, but the winner will be cast in the fall London production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicoloured Dream Coat. Pretty fun. We then played word games, like telephone and writing a story with each person giving one word. The result was really very funny and kept everyone entertained for over an hour! We ended the night with a new game for my youth and an old classic for my youth group days at UPC: Baby, if you love me. The point of the game is to make someone else smile, while the target is trying not to and trying to say 'baby, i love you but i just cant smile.' The target must respond to all questions and do anything they are asked. It is a pretty funny game and we really had a good time with it haha. I think it will be a new Guysmere tradition- at least I hope so!

Sunday morning we all sleepily woke up, had a short worship service where we talked again about sand and stone, with Jonny reading a story about writing the bad things people do to you in the sand and the good things in stone. We attempted to sing a few songs which was not too successful without words. And we closed with affirmation sheets for the members of the point. We had our final lunch and took a walk on the beach. After one last group picture we headed home to sleep- or in my case to stay up til 1am unable to fall asleep despite how exhausted I felt.

It was a brilliant weekend, probably one of my best in Belfast. I had a great time just chattin with my youth, joking with the girls late at night when we should have been sleeping and tucking them in like my campers. I have been a wee bit camp sick recently with everyone getting ready to head up to Brevard. So it was good to be in a retreat type setting with some of my favorite youth!

This week has been slow, planning a wee bit for the Christian Aid youth service to come on Sunday, and trying to catch up on sleep. Our friend Mark, a Lutheran volunteer (who had orientation with all the PC(USA) YAVs) is coming to visit this weekend from Edinburgh which should be fun.

Until later, hope you are well. Send some warm to Belfast, puhlease, it is May- seriously.

At the Car Wash...

Last weekend my youth had a car wash to raise money for our retreat this coming weekend. We had a brilliant time and made over 100 pounds! BRILL. Here are some pictures:

A Swiss Fantasy...

I am writing this post while trying to stay awake. If I fail to be coherent, I apologize! I just returned home from Lucerne, Switzerland and have been awake and traveling for 10 hours. Sadly, it is only 4 in the afternoon and not a suitable bed time! My trip to Lucerne was amazing. I think it now ranks as the #1 city I have ever visited (Sorry to Molly I know you wont like this... and to Edinburgh, you are a close second...). My gram and Ralph were/are traveling around southern Europe and asked me to join them along their trip. I chose to meet them in Switzerland partly because it was the dates that worked out for me and also it is the one country they were traveling to that I will not be going to in August on the Hunter's Do Europe Tour. Now, after being there, I am sad that I won't be going back in August. Lucerne was a beautiful city, on the lake and the river, with its horizon decorated by the Swiss Alps. What more could you want in a city?

I flew into Zurich on Tuesday afternoon and hopped the train to Lucern. The train was about an hour, and fairly uneventful- minus the scenery. The houses all look so Swiss, which I know is very lacking in description, but that's OK. The shutters are actually used, they close them, and the houses are all fun colours with good coloured shutters. Here is a picture to help your imagination:


I arrived in Lucerne about 10 to 7. Gram and Ralph met me at the station and it was great to see them. It has been about a year since I had seen them last at our graduation party. We headed back to the hotel and had a before dinner drink. We headed out in the rain to The Old Swiss House, my first ever meal in a 5-star restaurant! The restaurant was so typical Switzerland on the outside, I loved it. I had an Iceberg shrimp salad for my starter, veal with a creamy mushroom sauce (shock- i like mushrooms!), and lemon sherbet in champagne for dessert. We had an amazing Swiss white wine with our meal, and it was the best wine I have ever had. I have the label, so one day when I am rich or am up for a huge splurge I can try to find a bottle. It was one of the most amazing meals I have ever had. So a Big thank you to Gram and Ralph!

The next morning we had a nice breakfast of fresh bread, cheeses, dried fruit which Gram and I identified as peaches and apricots, and tea, and then got our sight seeing started. Our first stop was the Chapel Bridge, built in the early 14th century. We had walked across it on our way home from dinner the night before, but it was cool to see it in daylight. The river and the lake were both so blue/green it was amazing. I felt like I should not be in the middle of the Alps but in the Caribbean somewhere! The water was the coldest water I have ever dipped my hand into, rightfully so since it is all melting snow from the Alps.

After taking pictures of the bridge, we headed up through old town towards the classic Luzern Lion. The monument is called 'The Dying Lion of Lucerne' and it stands carved into a rock wall in memory of the Swiss mercenaries who died at the Tuileries in 1792. Mark Twain called this monument the 'saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world.' While we were there the pool that sits at the base of the lion was being cleaned, so we didn't get the full effect, but it was still pretty neat.


From the Lion we continued around the outside of old town, along the Musegg Wall. The wall was built in 1386 and is still pretty much fully intact today. The wall includes 7 towers, 3 of which you can climb up. The views from along the wall over the city were beautiful! The oldest clock in on one of the towers. We were in the neighboring tower when it rang. This clock is set to ring one minute early, before all the other bells go off around the city. Switzerland is known for their bells, and every hour, it was very obvious why no matter where you were in the city. Part of the walls are up for restoration currently, with a wee path leading behind them. This detour was much welcomed as we walked past a group of highland cows! A momma and baby were so close to the fence and another was close enough I could have petted it if I wanted to. Pretty sweet! The shagginess is so cool! The electric fence that wasn't marked as being electric wasn't quite as cool, although I have a sweet scar from my shock.



We came back into the middle of the city and walked down the River. We stopped and had a wee drink at a cute little sidewalk cafe. Gram ordered a Campari with soda and not knowing what anything else on the menu said, I said I'd have one as well. Gram explained that it was an Italian aperitif that was kinda bitter but good. When it came, bright red and with an orange, I thought it would be good. My first sip was much to my dismay and Gram laughed hysterically at my face, professing her wish to have had a camera! Campari looks much better than it is. But, I drank it, and it got a wee bit better with each sip, though I still don't know that I will ever order it again. An experience none the less.

Next we checked out Korn-Market square where city hall and lots of fresco painted buildings form a quad. City hall's tower was visible from most of the city and was one of my favorite peaks. The building has a farmhouse type roof for weather protection, which is just cool.


Just outside of Kornmarket square was a wee little tourist shop. Gram got a Swiss flag for her safari vest and I took a picture with a silly statue outside. (see Webshots). Our last stop of the day was down on the lakes edge to see the boats. We ended up getting a different view, as the Swiss Air Force gave a bit of an airshow. The red planes were easy to spot, and they did all kinds of swoops and drops around Lucerne. It was fun to keep watching for them and see where they would go and what formation they would make next. Very cool and my first 'air show' if you can count it, which I do! We had dinner that night at a cute little restaurant near our hotel. I had a wonderful pasta dish with broccoli and parma ham. yum.

The next morning, we headed on a day long adventure up the top of Pilatus Mountain, the one visible in all my pictures from the Musegg Wall. We first took a boat ride through Lake Lucerne to end up at the base of the mountain and take a cogwheel railway up the 7,000 feet to the top. The railway was amazingly steep, with our grade of accent ranging from 35-47! And the views were brilliant. Once at the top, we saw the Alps at eye level! It was amazing! We also heard and saw a man play the alphorn, which was so cool. As we headed down after a brilliant lunch outside overlooking the Alps, Gram yodelled for me in the cableway and gondolas. Now that I had seen aplhorn blowing, the Swiss Alps, and heard some yodeling, my trip to Switzerland was complete! Haha.


We had dinner at the same place we had the night before, I got a super huge pizza with bacon and peperoni. It was wonderful. And I drank my first full glass of red wine, Chianti is okay while the rest are just so bitter and musky. Friday morning I left Lucerne on the 7.10 train with Gram and Ralph. Overall it was a wonderful trip and I really do like that place. I would love to go back and I could even live there, minus my lack of German speaking ability. And by lack I mean that I speak more Arabic than German haha.

A huge thank you to my Grandparents (since I know you are avid readers!) It was so wonderful to see you both, to learn about the Hardgrove family history, your travels this trip and all the many before, and to talk through Peace Corp and my future with you. I look forward to spending more time with you both in Charlotte after I am home! LOVE YOU -Lilabit

Now I am back in Belfast and done with my traveling until my family comes in June. I am looking forward to being back here and starting a new placement at The Vine Centre afterschools this week and looking forward to my youth residential next weekend!

what do you call a French man in sandals? Phillipe Flop HAHA

As you can see, I have been yet again awful at posting. So to my avid readers, I apologize. Since my adventures to Egypt and Scotland I have had a bit of a hard time readjusting to Belfast. My program, The Partnership in Community Transformation, ended during my travels in Egypt. My friends and officemates are no longer officemates, and my boss is no longer my boss. It has been great to keep up with them, but the church is a wee bit lonely. So I have been doing my work from home and working on getting some additional placements. I will be starting to work at another community centre on the Crumlin Road called the Vine Centre in a week or so with the afterschool program. This centre has a lot of things going on and I am excited to be a part of the work it is doing and to add a new set of kids to my plate, yet still miss the craic of the office.

One of my main bits of work right now is planning our youth residential which will take place in Castlerock on 18-20 May. I am so looking forward to the weekend with some of my most fun youth. We are staying at a retreat centre that is on a beautiful beach. I am working on the activities but will be using a lot of Camp Illahee ideas! It will take me back to my summer home. We are having a car wash next Saturday to help raise money for the retreat, which should be good fun at least and hopefully very lucrative! haha. And hopefully we will get nice weather. Today is the first day of bad weather I have seen in the past fortnight. It has been beautiful; clear, dry, and WARM!

Last Wednesday Lindsey Mitchell, one of my dearest college friends and her friend Elizabeth arrived. They had been traveling the UK with their graduate program studying student development in the UK. It was so wonderful to have Lindsey here and to get to know Elizabeth. We spent Thursday hiking up cave hill to have a picnic and see the view. We had perfect weather! It was fun to just catch up with Lindz and chat about old friends. She was able to update me on lots of people, stilling being in Boone- she knows whats going on with lots of people. After our hike, we called into the McCormick house to see two of my youth head off to their formal! Rachel and Chris are two of my youth from Fortwilliam and Macrory and they were going to Rachel's schools spring formal. It was fun to see them all dressed up, Rachel looked beautiful! Chris, well he just makes me laugh. I still haven't heard all the details but I know they had a wonderful time. Takes me back to my prom days haha.

On our way home we called into the church for a bit, so I could do some work and they could see where I work. The church still freaks me out a wee bit in that late afternoon light. Friday we just hung out and enjoyed being lazy and catching up. Lindsey and I joke that this is what we do best together. They helped me plan my children's sermon for Sunday and work it all out. This week was the story of Naaman the Leper. Not the easiest story to make entertaining. This morning only one child was there, so I called the whole bible class down with him. haha. Good times. Friday afternoon we took the city bus tour, which I have surprisingly never done. It was pretty good, a good overview of lots of things Belfast. Although, if you really had no clue of what the troubles were, it would be a wee bit confusing. Plus, it was fun because I could point out all the things he didn't say- like the old red light district. haha.

Saturday we got up early to go to the bank to recover Elizabeth's bank card that had been withheld by the ATM because she took too long to tell it how much money she wanted. The bank told her it was automatically destroyed. Pretty ridiculous. I can see why it would suck it up and hold it, in case you get like beaten up at the ATM then they clear you out. BUT to destroy it, come on. We walked on to St. Georges Market to cheer her up, and had Nutella and banana crepes. That afternoon we headed up the North Coast on an adventure with Jonny McCormick. Jonny and I had planned to go up to Guysmere so I could see it before we went with the youth, and so it worked out that we made lots of stops on the way. We drove up the coastal road, stopped at some waterfalls I had never seen before, then made our way to the Giant's Causeway and Guysmere. We had a great time in the car, laughing and making fun of each other. For all of your information, Jonny, in his wee little car, can not make a 3 point turn. haha. Nor can he follow road signs unless someone else is telling him where to go. It made for a fun drive! The falls were really nice, and we laughed that he was taking three Boone girls who are very used to mountains and waterfalls, to see a waterfall that was minute compared to Elk River Falls, 45 minutes from Boone. BUT they were very pretty and I hadn't seen a waterfall yet during my time in Ireland.

Here are some pictures from Lindsey and Elizabeth's trip: