My Time in N. Ireland

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The month I spent in Belfast, N. Ireland came and went so quickly! So much was jam-packed into one month - I'm still trying to process everything! 
Quick Overview of the CELTA course:
I PASSED!!!! That's the best part of the whole trip :-) I spent 4 weeks at the International House in Belfast, N. Ireland working on a certification through Cambridge to be able to teach English as a second (foreign) language. TEFL, TESL, ESL, ELL, TOEFL...whatever you would like to call it.
The month was extremely intense. It was like taking a 4000 level semester class in one month. We spent mornings going to classes to learn different methods of teaching, the International Phonetic Alphabet, grammar techniques, CCQ's (concept checking questions), preparing lesson plans...etc. The afternoons were spent either teaching a class or observing classes. The evenings were spent preparing lessons plans, studying for exams, or writing essays (and all three would often happen every night!). Yes - sleep wasn't too much of an option with this course but it's all over with and now that I am back home...I will S.L.E.E.P! 
The Lord has provided a job for me at the English Language Center in Edmond, OK where I will be able to teach international students (mainly college level). I've been working there since December but I will be working a bit more there...especially since my time in the CELTA program showed me how much I love teaching and working with people from all over the world. I'm excited to see how the Lord will use this :-) 
Of course - I will still be working at Vintage Timeless Coffee! 
Coffee + People + Conversation = Ingredients that you just can't go wrong with :-) 


Pictures:
After reading all of that, I'm sure you're ready for some pictures - right? I am! 
My lovely camera decided to die the day I arrived in N. Ireland. Sooo...I wasn't able to take any pictures the first 3 weeks of my stay but one of the couples (Stevie and Judith!) from Apsley Gospel Hall let me borrow their camera for a weekend - so I took LOTS of pictures and then the weekend before I left a man (Ithaii) from the same place let me borrow his camera up until my last evening in Ireland. A big "thank you" for letting me borrow the cameras!
Here are pictures of St. George's Market in Belfast - it's a market opened on the weekends where most of the farmers in N. Ireland came to sell fruit/vegetables. All of the fishermen come as well and sell fish. Painting, pottery, hand-woven items are also sold here. Rosie (my flatmate) bought a bunch of mussels - and that is a whole other story I'll have to tell you about; "my first experience with mussels." 



St. George's Market, built in 1890


Cheese! Glorious Cheese!
Fresh Fish :-) Makes me want to visit Pikes Place in Seattle, WA!
Lil ole' me :-) Cappuccino in tow with a lot of fresh fruit 
that will be put into pies and breads in a few hours!


delicious+fresh+bread=my ultimate weakness
Quick Thoughts on Him with more to come...
Putting aside the CELTA aspect of the trip and the sight-seeing part...the encouragement the Lord gave me throughout my time in Ireland completely floors me! There were lesson after lesson, verse after verse, prayer after prayer ... and truly,  Who else can really satisfy my soul? Who else in this entire would can truly say the right thing that my heart needs? Who else knows every part of my heart and desires to keep knowing it and in return asks me to know His heart? Who else "gave Himself a ransom for all?" Only my Savior Jesus Christ has been able to do such things. Those are question I've always known. But to actually SEE them in motion is another thing. This blog isn't big enough for me to share all that I have come to find in the Lord Jesus Christ - but I can sum up most of my thoughts in His name El-Roi. The God-Who-Sees. Yes - and my God DOES see everything. He brought me to my knees several times (if not daily!) throughout the trip to remind me that I have no clue what the future holds in regards to many areas of my life...but He DOES know and that is such a comfort. 
I'd like to spend some more blog-posts just sharing about why El-Roi has come to mean so much to me...and not just that name of His, but many many others! Including Jehovah-Shalom, Jehovah-Raah, and Jehovah-Nissi (The Lord is Peace, the Lord my Shepherd, and The Lord My Banner). 

"And those who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee; for Thou, O LORD, hast not forsaken those who seek Thee." Psalm 9:10


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