A long post...take some time and read!!

So this is my chance to write a fairly long entry. I am still in Germany although Dan and Ben have left for their final conference in Amsterdam and then are heading to the United States for good. We had some scheduling conflicts so I am here hanging out in Germany for two days by myself.

It is nice and odd to be in a town where absolutely no body knows me and where I have no responsibilities! I was able to fill the day with a nice run, a trip to the supermarket for some groceries, an hour bike ride, a trip to a coffee shop (where I had a hard time but was able to order an ice coffee), a lot of reading (a lot of reading), some cleaning up, some writing, and took considerable time making my meals (egg tortilla=good, homemade banana pancakes=not so good!)

Tomorrow I am heading to Wittenberg to see the stomping grounds of Luther. It is a quick 30 minute train journey and since I have the time I’ll be able to engross myself in the all the fanfare the museum and town proclaims about the reformer.

The following day I fly back to Edinburgh and attempt to get back on my schedule. It has been very strange to be in countries the past 2 weeks where no body speaks English as a first language. I miss being able to understand simple conversations or being able to read newspapers and signs.

I was going to save the details of my travel for later since I hadn’t told my family about my travels yet. However, I can’t get the phones to work here and I have the time to write.

On July 10th, Dan, Ben and I set out for our trip. To summarize we would go to a city or an attraction and then at night find a campground to sleep at. There are a lot of campgrounds and each night it only cost us around an average of 7-8 Euros. That included a bathroom and a shower at most places. Since I am on the subject of the campgrounds it should be mentioned that it was always fun looking for places to stay. Some of the campgrounds were quite typical, some RV’s, a lake rope off for swimming, a little shop to get some food. But the best were the campgrounds that were isolated. We found one in Germany that was pretty much a guys backyard that lead to a dock with a spectacular view of the German Alps. The following night was at a campground in Austria that was pretty much a football field that smelled of waste!

Ok so where did we go and what did we see and what did we do? Everywhere, a lot, and travelled! I don’t want to list places and countries in an effort to impress people. However, that being said, I will mention our rough circle to give you an idea.

We headed from Germany through Holland to Belgium. We hit France briefly, just for one town and spent a significant amount of time in Switzerland, Southern Germany, and Austria. We went through the Czech Republic on our way back just to make a quick stop in Prague.

We did visit a lot of big cities, but as we predicted before the trip, a city is a city. There are only so many churches, statues, and waterfronts you can look at. Sometimes we would have a purpose when going into a city, (like Munich to visit the main site of Oktoberfest or Luxembourg City to see the walls ) which made it meaningful. However, other cities, like Prague and Vienna we didn’t have anything in particular to do, so we left in a hurry.

The best part was the scenery and of course the company. I would mess up the names of places but we were able to go swimming in some great lakes, hiked some nice trails, we explored small castles, big castles, and became experts at going to bed around 10 and up before 7!

There are a lot of little events I could share but will keep it down to just two. First, while in Belgium I sliced my finger in the car with a knife. We wrapped it up and decided to just press on into Luxembourg. When we got to the campsite the lady told us to definitely go to a hospital. So from the time I cut my finger to getting to the hospital it had been about 6 hours! Let me say this, the hospital in Ettlebruck, Luxembourg is great! I forgot my insurance card but they didn’t care. Within an hour I had 7 stitches in my left index finger and was out of there! They weren’t sure about making me pay but I would have felt guilty dodging it and it will give me a chance to use my insurance at least once this year!

Second event, we were rear ended in Austria by a man who claimed to be a musician and was happy that Dan and Ben were working for a Christian organization. He was on the phone and we were stopped in traffic when he rear ended us. The trailer hitch save our car, expect for a little crack, but his car took the brunt of the damage. We exchanged info but nothing else happened. Although the half empty bottle of beer in the car made us suspicious!

Ok this is a lot and I will write more tomorrow since I will have the time. Until then, chow

back

I am back from my trek with Dan and Ben around Europe. I would say more but I haven't spoken to my family yet and I suppose they deserve to know some of the details first. I have two more days left here in Berlin and then I am flying back to Edinburgh. Some family visits and then I fly back to the United States....


Hmmm... I feel some deep reflection coming on but I will wait until tomorrow to write more and share about my ventures in Europe.

Stay tuned

quick post

I have wanted to write more but just have not had the chance. Everytime I get online I have been doing research for trying to find tickets back home and preparing my travels.

Tonight I leave from Glasgow and fly to Berlin. So I will be gone from July 9th-July 27th! Dan, myself, and another volunteer working with Dan are going to do some exploring. We don't have any hostels booked and we don't have an exact route to follow. We are just packing a station wagon, a tent, some belongings and hitting the road. It sounds like one of those soul-searching-deep-meaningful explorations. However, it is more of a chance to see the world and spend time together.

The best way to get a hold of me will be via e-mail. I'm sure there will be internet cafe's that we can use. We will be visiting Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Belgium, and some other places!

When I come back I only have 4 days of work before I start to wind things up here. I hope to write more in detail when I return. Until then, take care

Mike

time is coming to an end...

what's new?

Well I am posting less and less, it's not because I'm getting lazy, rather I am just busy. This past weekend I went to the Isle of Skye with Lauren, Amanda, and Danny. The weather was amazing and Skye is an outdoor paradise. We went hiking, seal watching, and rented a little paddle boat. All in all a really good weekend. I've had a chance to do some new things here in Edinburgh. I went to a church service and gave my testimony which went rather well. Because the World Cup has been on I have had a lot of opportunities to watch matches, not only at work, but with friends. On Saturday I am going to a friends wedding and my first formal Scottish Cehdhli. July 9th is fast approaching, (when I leave for Germany again) and then I come back on the 25th. I'll have some family visit and then I fly back home in Mid-August. The reality of my time here is becoming more real but still appears quite distant. Another flatmate left to go home so it is down to 2! Four more volunteers will be gone at the end of this week! That's all for now.

hi

Well I have a lot to tell, too much to tell on this blog. I'm back from Germany, which was great. The best part was just hanging with Dan and the other volunteer Ben. I loved being able to relax, grill out every night, try some German beer and bratwurst. We went into the city a couple of times to watch the games and to do some typical tourist type things (see the gate, the memorials, parliament building) Berlin is a crazy city since the World Cup is in the country. I loved just walking around and seeing people from different countries supporting their team.

The weather was perfect and I can't wait to go back in July when us three are going to drive around Europe for about 2.5 weeks.

Unfortunately the U.S. wasn't able to have any success in their game. I waited 4 years for that game and they decided to play terrible and got thrashed 3-0! Oh well, they can still advance but they need a big wins against Italy!

My trip back was eventful because the plane was delayed due to a stewardess getting sick. My train stopped on the tracks because a guy committed suicide by jumping off a bridge onto the rail.

I love the fact that everyday there are 3 football games on! We have a television at work so I ended up seeing all the games yesterday, whereas on my days off I don't feel like sitting and watching that much T.V. (although some of the games are so good i can't pass them up!)

No longer am I here then I am away again. Next weekend I am heading up to the Isle of Skye with some of the volunteers. If the U.S. advances in the World Cup I'll be spending the one day searching for a place to watch to football matches! Then the following week I leave for the Europe trek.

That's all for now

I don't have much to say, other than it is warm and beautiful here in Edinburgh. That's right, I said warm!

More than anything I am looking forward to leaving for Germany on Sunday. I'll be gone for about 10 days visiting Dan and of course there is a little tournament there known as the World Cup.

I realize I should of scheduled my flights to cover more days that the games are going to be played. Initially when I booked the flights they were sky high in prices so I had to take what I could get. For some reason the prices came down but it was too late! (Actually my flights got cancelled and I got money back, but because I had already booked train tickets down to Newcastle I rescheduled for the same days.)

Also, I don't know if I mentioned this yet. I might have. But I am planning on going to Northern Seminary in the fall. I have heard back from all the schools and sent my confirmation in to Northern. So that's me!

Mike

...

A busy and exciting week-weekend. On Tuesday Danny and I did some pitch n putt before going out to eat with some friends and bible study. On Wednesday we had the great idea of going for a long bike ride, unfortunately this was by the sea. Although it provided for some great scenery it started to rain and rain hard! We had to stop at a little port side hotel and wait out the weather.

Here in the UK they have a 2 for 1 deal at the cinemas if you have an Orange phone. (Orange is the service, (like Verizon) not the color of your phone!) So a bunch of us went to see the movie Brick. I really don't want to bother with the Da Vinci Code since everyone says it's rubbish.

On Thursday I had a short day of work and that night Danny and I, along with two other workmates went to an award dinner for Adult Learners in Scotland. It was pretty posh, the food was great and the Four Tops performed. I love how they introduced the Four Tops, "Ladies and gentlemen, hailing from the United States..." As if they were so exotic!

On Friday everyone from our flat headed over to the Isle of Arran. We had to drive 3 hours, jump on a ferry, and do the return journey all in the same day. We traveled a lot but it was nice to finally get to one of the Isle. The bus service wasn't as good as expected so after we visited the main town we hitchhiked up to the next village that was miles away! It was great that an old man in a truck was willing to give four strangers a lift!

On Saturday our flat again took off for a day trip down to Berwick Upon Tweed, which is right on the England border. It is a picturesque English town and when we arrived there was, of all things, a motorcycle show! The girls weren't too enthusiastic, but Danny and I spent a good time there while they shopped. The contrast of the show and the environment was too funny. By the shore there were a couple of old guys with their fiddles and pints, just playing some traditional music. Their efforts were drowned out by the punk rock band, roaring engines, and buzz of the tattoo laden diehards!

That night about 10 friends came over for another poker night. I ended up 3rd again, which doesn't count for anything. Actually if you win it doesn't count for anything, since we play for the banter and whatever pride one can put into playing a card game!

Yesterday I covered a shift at work after church and so far today it has been pretty relaxing. I was suppose to go golfing with Jp and Danny but just didn't feel up to it. If the weather holds we might get a quick BBQ in at Nicks flat.

I leave for Germany on Sunday, so I'm getting excited! Although I have quite a few things to wrap up before I head off.

It is a bank holiday in England today, but that is a close to any holiday I am feeling, as people state-side are celebrating Memorial Day. Eat a hamburger for me!

Mike

A post

Well it hasn't been a long time since I last wrote but long enough. A lot has happened and I am straining my brain to try to remember all the stuff I've done. So I'll just write some one liners that describe what I've done lately

-Went to South Queensferry (which doesn't mean much to you but it's a nice village and is famous for being the home to the Forth Rail Bridges)

-Went to Falkirk with some friends to buy a car (there is nothing in Falkirk, they have a Division 1 football team but other than that, nothing)

-Went to this little pub right on the Sea that is about 10 minute walk from our flat. (I don't know why we never went there before, my flatmate has a friend here so we took him to this pub and the place is perfect, you can sit over the water)

-Helped Danny move all his things into his new flat (this took a long time!)

-The previous weekend, (before this last one) I watched a lot of football with friends.

-This past weekend I worked. It was a good three days and because we had so many staff members working I organized some outings for the residents. We played Snooker (that was a first for me) and took the guys to the cinema!

-Church was good on Sunday, I worked an early shift and then went to the evening service. It was nice to go to church without the responsibility of having to play the guitar.

-One random funny thing, I went to the gym and a guy sat on a swiss ball and bounced up and down on it for about 10 minutes. I had to leave the weight room because I was laughing so hard. Imagine a short guy, with a shirt that doesn't quite cover his hairy belly, bouncing on a swiss ball....well I thought it was funny.

-Tonight I have house group and I am really desperate to be a tourist today. I have spent too much time in the flat or around Leith instead of going into the city centre. Sometimes you just want to walk around the Royal Mile and the Meadows and be a tourist!

On Thursday I am going to this fancy awards show because Danny received an award and was allowed to take one guest. I guess the tickets cost 50 pounds but we are getting in free!

On Friday me and some friends are going to the Isle of Arran and then on Saturday heading out for another day trip.

How are things otherwise? Well the weather lately has been awful and I'm looking forward to going to Germany come June 4th. I have heard back from 2 of the 3 seminaries but will wait to make my decision until I hear back from all of them. That's all for now

Mike

-Played 18 holes of golf at our church golf outing (didn't do well!)

what's the good word?

So my trip to the Leisure Centre was a little nicer than I thought. It was hands down the best gym I have ever been to. It is situated in the Carlton Hotel just off the Royal Mile. The equipment was nice and so were the machines but the best part was the pool, sauna, tropacarium, steam room, and free food they give you after working out.

On Wednesday Danny and I played boules in the afternoon. Boules is an old persons game but we like it because it's cheap and relaxing. It was quite funny because there was a tournament going on at the same time which included women all over the age of 60. They kept asking us if we wanted any tea and if we understood the rules. What was even better is there was one old chap sitting on a bench watching Danny and I play. Let me tell you he was getting into our game. He would stand up, clap, or do a fist pump whenever we had a good boule! It was great!

Instead of watching the UEFA cup final I actually played football that evening. The game with the residents was cancelled so I played with the City Mission. Afterwards we caught up with the member of staff at his going away party.

Work the past two days has been eventful. Yesterday was especially fun because we were finally able to take the residents to play football on a proper pitch. Then when we came back Danny and I took a couple of guys to a church for a dinner/storytelling/music ministry. It's hard to explain but one of the performers would tell a story and then the other would play his guitar right after. It was a really unique and powerful event.

I have this weekend off which is nice because the following weekends I am either working or busy. Today there are a couple of football matches I am going to watch with friends. Then later on tonight we have a birthday party to go to. Sunday I'll be spending my time at church and doing worship. I think there will be a round of golf sometime before Tuesday comes!

That's all for now, enjoy the weather wherever you are.

I don't have much of anything to write. I just wanted to put some sort of update in here for this week. Nothing out of the norm or exciting has happened this week. Last Friday was the first of many "going" away parties for my co-workers. There is one tomorrow night and another on Saturday. I worked Sat-Mon and I am pretty tired from the long hours. One of the guys I work with has free passes to probably the nicest leisure centre in Edinburgh so I am heading over to his flat pretty soon and we are going there for the afterternoon. Tonight I have house group and tomorrow before the going away party friends are coming to my flat to watch the UEFA final.

Nothing more I can think to tell...!

Mike

nice weather

It is a great day outside, the kind that makes me glad I'm not working inside!

Saturday ended up being as good as predicted and Sunday was really enjoyable. Danny and I went to the improv again but it wasn't near as good as previous times. Because the guys on stage act off the audiences suggestions there is always the chance for some poor sketches.

Worship went well on Sunday night. It has been a challenge because the congregation is spread out in terms of age. There is a decent amount of young adults, a large gap, and then a decent amount of older folks. We have been introducing new songs every week and sometimes the powerpoint doesn't work or the congregation doesn't pick up on the songs so we end up doing a duet of worship!

Last night Danny, J.P. and I went to the Celtic match. The season is over and they already won the league so the atmosphere wasn't electric. However, it was still great to go to a professional club match and they won 2-0.

Today J.P. and I went out for some golf. Golfing here is so cheap and when we are able to do 9 holes in 90 minutes then I can't pass it up. I shot a 41 which is good but disappointing because I was at 30 going into the 8th hole.

My flat is getting empty since flatmates have been moving out/ going back home. There are only 3 of us left and another flatmate is leaving in mid-June.

This month is busy in terms of my time here but the coming months I'll hardly be in Scotland. In June I head over to Germany to hang out with Dan for about a week and then I'm back to Germany for 3 weeks in July to drive all over Eastern Europe!

I don't have too many pressing issues here at the moment. I'm just playing the waiting game to hear back from the different schools I was accepted to. I should probably take a look at my bike and fix it. It has been a blessing to have the bike because I would much rather ride it than take the bus. I went out for an hour bike ride before work on Wednesday morning and was having problems with the gears. Edinburgh is quite hilly, so the bike gets abused, especially when I take it onto any trails.

That's all for now, I have a rare free evening so I'm going to get together with 2 friends and go out and listen to some live music! Take care and drop me a line.

Mike

Good day

I have a good day planned so I'm going to tell you about it. I was able to snag a computer here at the library, early in the morning, but that makes it nice so I can try to connect with some people.

When I go back to the flat Danny and I are going over to friends house and out to a pub to watch the Chelsea v Man United football match. Then we are going back to "The Manse" (one of the volunteer flats) to play some table tennis and games. Then, this excites me more than it should, we are going to grill out. The weather is finally nice enough and I'm always in the mood for some burgers and hot dogs, (even though I don't like hot dogs and don't eat a lot of burgers I think it is just the familiarity/memories/atmosphere of grilling food) Then we are heading back to our flat where loads of people are coming over to celebrate...? Well we don't really have anything to celebrate, Danny is moving out so we were thinking about calling it a "leaving party" but he's still staying in the area. We don't need an excuse to have people over we just want to socialize, so it will be a good time!

What am I up to

I had a good work weekend. It was nice to get back working with my team but those 3 days in a row really tired me out. Yesterday I was able to relax and Danny and I both had work off so we were able to hang out. On Friday there is a Bethany talent show and we had to go out and track down some costumes. I won't tell you what it is because if I can get some pictures on Friday night it will tell the story much better!

We had house group again last night and we are still going through the book The Pilgrims Progress. It's a good book and if you really sit down to digest the metaphors then a page can take easily an hour to get through.

I'm getting better at swimming! I remember ages ago I wrote about these old ladies passing me when I went to the pool, but I went to the gym yesterday and felt much better about my ability to keep up with the old ladies!

The weather here is really warming up which is definite bonus. It made it so much easier to get up this morning and go out for a run. It's nice that I live so close to the sea and I'm able to run along the waterside. Months ago I would never venture that way because it was so cold.

When Josh was here he was able to figure out how to use our VCR. Danny and I are forever grateful because we were able to tape the Champions League Match last night while at House Group. We came back and made some incredible oven chips and then watch the match.

This morning we went into work to get interviewed by the city's Care commission. They just asked us some questions about the type of work we do and our procedures/standards/practices.

This afternoon we are going to get 9 holes of golf in with J.P. and then we were invited to Lauren's for some food tonight! I can't pass up some free food especially after a short round of golf!

What else is happening...? Well I work the next two days (9-9 of course) then this weekend we are having a bash on Saturday at our flat, on Sunday we are going to this great improv comedy downtown, then worship on Sunday night, and we'll see what Monday brings.

I'm back

Well the parents are back in America and I'm back in Scotland. We had a great time together and it allowed me to do some things I wouldn't have been able to do by myself. We went up to the Highlands, which was amazing, spent a couple days in London, and saw everything from a Broadway musical (very good) to eating grilled salmon (also very good) and just enjoying quality time together (also very very good!).

Life has been non stop this past month. Josh was over here during the first week and then I was on night shift and then Mom and Dad came over to visit. I realize I have not worked a "normal" day shift at the House in over one month. So tomorrow I am going to get back into a standard work routine.

It looks like May is also going to be pretty busy. Some of my friends and I scored tickets to the Celtic vs. Kilmarnock football match on May 3rd! I can't wait, it is near impossible to get Celtic tickets but we lucked out. Also on May 7th I am going to see the Blues Brothers as part of a late Birthday gift. My flatmate and very good friend moves out at the end of this month. It's a bummer because we are quite close and our flat is getting really empty. After he leaves it will just be myself and the two girls.

But we are going to have a moving out party sometime next week. It's more of a celebration because he was able to get a permanent position working at the House. We still do church and work together so not too much is changing.

I'm sure there is a lot more I could write on but nothing is coming to mind. It will be good to connect with some friends here I haven't seen in awhile. We are planning on some more "poker nights" and "watching football on a big screen via a projector" nights just so we have an excuse to socialize.

That's all from me for now

My new skill

Well it is the last night of night shift and I bet you are wondering what my new skill is. Prepare yourself but I think I have developed an...Acute sense of smell. Yep, it is my superhero power.

I went out running before my night shift just like a couple times earlier this week. But this run was different! Immediately out of the door I could smell that the grass was cut by our neighbors. Ok, no big deal, but as I jogged through the stairwell I could definitely tell that our other neighbors were having curry for dinner.

Immediately outside I could smell tar, and when I rounded the corner one block later there was a truck laying some tar down. I then passed a girl and I bet if I asked her if she shampooed and conditioned she would have said yes. I could definitely smell some kind of raspberry hair product.

Before I turned that corner I could smell smoke and of course there were a couple of blokes puffing away outside the pub. And of course the worse was when I could smell the puke from the little five year old who let it loose right in front of me on the sidewalk!

What does this amount to? Probably nothing at all but I thought it would be nice to have a funny post about my new superhero power.

Another random note is that we watched "Supersize Me" tonight on night shift and it just reinforced the reasons why I haven't ate a hamburger at any fastfood place for 10+ months.

The joys of technology...again!

I wrote another long post, and again it disappeared. So I will try to remember what I wrote but it just won't be the same!

It has been a hard night of night shift. Not only did I not sleep much but the residents have been very unsettled. I can't divulge too much info but I have been too busy feeling like a babysitter.

What's new? Nothing much, I have had a couple of interviews over the phone with seminaries and felt they went well. I've been accepted to Asbury, Northern, and Denver and I am just waiting to hear back about some scholarships and seeking God's will in the decision.

My mind has been on my return to the States. A combination of seeing my brother and the fact that my parents are coming soon is making my return feel close. I have four months until I return and I remember what I felt like 4 months before coming to Scotland, anxious and excited. Also since the family is moving around a bit I'm curious as to how much life will have changed when I return. I suppose that it is to be expected as I embark upon the next step of life.

I realize that every stage in my life has always had a defined timeline. For instance, in school you move from year to another. After high school I went to college for four years. Then I came here for a year of voluntary work. I know seminary will take me 2-3 years. I just wonder what life is like without a timeline since I have always had a schedule to follow! Oh well, I'm in no hurry to grow up :)

That's all folks

Pictures and more...

I just read my post from yesterday and for some reason the text gets jumbled in some places. I'm not sure why but I do sincerly apologize. I slept better today but it is still hard to sleep with the sun out. When I went for my run before work I felt a twinge of spring coming on. The school next door to our flat had just finished getting the grass cut. So there was a weird mixture of cold mild Scotland air and fresh crisp grass smell.

Here are some pics of me and the bro in London, Edinburgh and Dublin.

The joys of technology...

My post yesterday would have been much longer but I lost half of it due to some computer malfunctions. So I should add on to what I posted earlier but I don't have too much in terms of what is going on here in Edinburgh.

Instead I am going to use this space to just aimlessly reflect. I never intended to use this blog as a way to give bits of wisdom. One thing I don't like is when I come across blogs where the author is smugly using 50 dollar words and clever phrases. Sometimes it appears that people are trying so hard to be "deep," or "post-modern" or "relevant" that it can be a real turnoff. So the following musing aren't any attempt to verify truth or how funny I am, it's just what I'm thinking about at 4:04 am!

Some things we could all do without...

The fees charged to go inside Cathedrals. Josh and I didn't bother going into Westminster Abbey or St. Patrick's cathedral because they were charging £5 a head. Just imagine the people who first worshiped in the churches. They would think itabsolutelyy absurd that anyone would have to pay money to enter thebuildingg. Moreover, why should there be a price to pay if visitors want to go into asanctuaryy that was built to glorify God?

Another thing we could do without...

Some reality television shows. I'm sure this show has already hit the States but I just saw itadvertisedd a couple days ago. It is called "Beauty and the Geek." The show is setup where a "geeky" guy has a date with a "beautiful" girl. I'm not sure of the rules and format but somehow it is worthy of being televised. Theecommerciallportrayedd this poor guy asincrediblyy awkward and how he really isn't qualified to be in the presence of all these woman. It made me sick to my stomach. Some producers are sitting in a room deciding that this guy isn't worthy to date these girls. In the first place whatmakess the guy so unqualified? Because he acts different then other people? And secondly what makes these girls so elite? Because they are good looking by some worldly standards? I thoughtaboutt writing to the network but I think this rant will do, I'm sure they'll get back to me after reading my blog :)

Some things we could do with more of in the world...

Michael J Fox, I miss his shows/movies. I was never a big fan ofspinn City, that being said I don't think I ever bothered to watch an episode. However, I love Back to the Future, Teen Wolf, and that show he was in where he was named Alex (see I'm a big fan)

G Rated Movies by Pixar.

Remote control cars and ska music. That is purely childhood memories right there. I loved my remote control cars and ska music needs to make a comeback because I miss it.

Ok, that's enough of nothing. Hope you enjoyed.

Mike

Back in Edinburgh

Today I was pretty much a zombie because I am once again on night shift. I actually went out of my way to ask for a week on night shift so I can have the entire next week off when my parents come to town. The only problem is getting in a routine. Yesterday evening I arrived back from Dublin in the evening, went to church, and then attempted to stay up late in order to get on a night schedule. It went pretty well but it just leaves for a lot of free time during the day walking around in pj's and waiting to get tired so you can take another nap.

Other than that this past week was awesome. Josh came over and we conquered the United Kingdom in great fashion. We met up in London, chilled there for a couple of days, came up to Edinburgh, and eventually went over to Dublin. We made some great memories from hot dogs and macaroni, sleeping in airports, walking all over creation, playing football in hurricane weather, and just catching up with each other. His flight back was delayed but from what I heard the airline put him up in a Hilton and gave him $ for food, so I don't have too much pity :)

My time here is flying now. Soon my parents will be over to visit and after I am done enjoying their company I am down to 3.5 months left. It is hard to believe that I have been here for so long and yet at the same time my mind is constantly occupied with my future. This week, actually tomorrow and Thursday I have some interviews via the phone for potential scholarships. That means I have to wake up before I go on night shift and answer questions for about 90 minutes! So any prayer would be greatly appreciated.

I don't like to mention too many people by name so I'll just say "congratulations" to a friend of mine who got engaged this past week. That makes me feel old when friends from 15 years are getting married.

Quick update

I realize my post are getting less frequent but I've been busy. I fly out tonight to London to meet my bro for some good ol quality time together. I can't remember what I have been up to lately but off the top of my head I know that I have played some football, starting running more as I get ready for this half-marathon, been working, and same old same old. I'll try to update again next week but Josh and I are going from London to Edinburgh to Dublin so we are going to be busy!

I'm waiting for spring

A lot has happened. I don't know how it happens, but I look at the date and realize I haven't updated this in a long time. My time in the Highlands with my flatmates was great. However, I was really battling to stay healthy and when we came back to Edinburgh it set in. That Monday I was able to catch up with normal life (not working night shift and being back home) but on Tues. and Wed. I had to leave work early to go home because I was too sick.

I took advantage of a laptop we had at our flat, and the fact that I was stuck inside, to write up a lot of scholarship applications. On Friday I played tourist guide to one of the volunteer's friend and then worked over the weekend, which wasn't too bad. Saturday was chilled but Sunday was absolutely busy as could be. Our team has been short of staff and at times I feel quite strectched. Monday was good because one of the guys on my team got promoted, so we went out after work, as is our custom, to relax and socialize.

A lot of reason to celebrate this week, two of my friends have birthdays (today and tommorrow). This afternoon we are going to the driving range and then out to a movie to celebrate. On Saturday after my morning football match we celebrate the other guy's B-Day by going to a traditional Scottish dance, where guys wear kilts and there is a band with bagpipes! Fun fun!

Of course Friday is St. Patricks day so I have to be extra vigilant at work! The guys at the House like to be clever and sneak in alcohol so I'll be on the lookout.

A week until my brother comes so I'm getting mightily excited. We are going to see London and Dublin but most importantly we get to see each other.

Other random notes, my legs really hurt. I ran about 8-9 miles yesterday and am feeling it. I had to go around town this morning to pick up some gifts and decided to use my bike, the only problem is that makes my legs hurt even more!

Oh yeah, if all goes as planned when I go to Germany to visit Dan I'm going to run in this half-marathon http://www.geocities.com/schoenmaeker/marathon_0606.html. It will be excellent!

!

Ok so I'm not being too productive with all this spare time but I figured I would give you a picture of where I am typing from.

In the past 4 days I have slept 12.5 hours. I haven't been sleeping well as I adjust to this night shift pattern.

tomorrow at 2 pm, (it is 2:48 am now) I am heading up to the Highlnds with my flatmates. It is going to be lots of fun but we are also being cautious because it has been snowing a lot up north. I'm excited to finally see some munrows (mountains) and do a little bit of hiking.

unfortunately I have not accomplished all I set out on Monday. I have a lot of essays to write for different scholarships and I am no further along then I was last week at this time. It feels like I'm procrastinating on a paper, which brings me back to college (not that I ever procrastinated, just the feeling brings me back :) ) But I have deadlines and have made outlines so I am aiming to finish it within a week, which is ahead of schedule.

Probably my favorite website is relevantmagazine.com. In terms of music, approach to Christianity, articles, advice, (etc), it takes the cake for me. The poll they just put up on their website could be the greatest use of the Internet ever. Take a look
Poll

What Christian pop-culture icon would you rather see in a reality TV show?
Carmen
Sandi Patty
The Power Team
Gerbert
The guy from McGee and Me


That is my childhood! I don't know what the Power Team is, but Gerbert, McGee and Me were fixtures on our television. Sandi Patty reminds me of our tape deck in one of our DustBuster vans, and Carmen, well Carmen is just too cool! Think about it, he was a Christian singer and he didn't even sing, he just talked into the microphone with music in the background! My vote is with Carmen

Here are some more photos. Two are views from my flat, the others are from Stonehenge (obviously!), the Roman Baths in Bath, and a church in Wiltshire, England.

Take a picture, it will last longer

Here are some more photos. I would include the photos I have with my friends but I think it's probably best not to. (They aren't paranoid, it's just that I want to respect their privacy) By the way, the picture of me in Brussels, I'm holding a jacket behind my back which is why my shirt is bulging out to the side, I'm not pregnant. :)

Random Photos

Again, because I am at work and even though this computer is ancient I was able to upload some random photos. Some of these are over 5 months old and the ones I'll include this week will be really random, but enjoy nonetheless!

I am working right now...

on Night shift. We now have broadband at work and because it is 2:30 in the morning and everyone is asleep, (except me and my co-worker) I am just sitting in the office being a vigilant keeper of the gate! It sounds easy and I suppose it really is. Since 9 pm I have kept busy with various tasks but most of them have been completed so now I am just watching the time go by.

It is a good chance to read, relax, pray, and think. Since I am doing 3 nights in a row I have 5 days off immediately after. My flatmates, all four of us, are heading to the Highlands this weekend. It is suppose to be incredibly cold but I don't care. I can't wait to get up in the mountains and take in some of God's original creation. One of the members of staff has a cabin up North that she is so kindly allowing us to use for free. It will be a good time to bond and see some more of Scotland.

The weekend went well but this past day was strange. On Sunday I slept in and then went to my Manager's church at 4 in the afternoon. They were having "Homelessness Sunday," so staff and ex-residents from Bethany were to lead the worship service. I was able to play the bass and was blessed to hear some testimonies of people who have undergone incredible conversions.

Because I was preparing for Night shift I stayed up until 7 in the morning. I would have been happy with staying up until 4 but I was a real trooper! However when I finally went to bed I only slept until 1 pm. Not good! I went for a run to try to tire myslef out but that didn't work too well. The rest of the day I felt either really tired or really awake. So I spent my afternoon leading up to work just trying to figure out if I wanted to be in bed or not. It doesn't help that I'm feeling a little under the weather, which I can blame on Danny because he has been sick of late. So I have about 6 hours to go and I'm feeling pretty groggy.

Better get some coffee!

The exciting conclusion

I read my last blog and boy am I glad! I would have forgot to tell you about the exciting conclusion of my night...

I went to Bible Study. That's about it!

The last 3 days I have worked and am pretty tired. 2 twelve hours shifts don't seem too bad, but the third one in a row really exhuasted me. Right now I am feeling pretty tired because I had to get up early to fiddle around with our gas in the flat. It was leaking last night and I got up early to mess with the main valve thingy watchamacallit. I am no Bob Veila but it's fixed now.

Also I'm feeling a little groggy because I just ate so much food. I went out to do some grocery shopping, which is always a hassle for me. I pick grocery stores on far ends of the city so I can get the excersise on the bike in between. But it takes me forever to shop becaues I am so tight with my money! I try to squeeze out every penny. Anyhow after biking around and doing some shopping I came back to the flat with the plan to eat! Since Bluffton I have lost some weight, actually a decent amount, and since here I have just stayed the same. So I am trying to make an effort to put at least some of it back on but it is going to be a battle :)

Tonight is Mexican Movie night!!!! Chips, salsa, beans, tortillas, rice....Really just an excuse to eat, talk, and maybe watch a little bit of a movie! Tomorrow is....Poker Night!!! Again an excuse to talk and socialize around a table of cards.

Last night we had to re-match of staff versus residents. If you remember before the score was 3-3. Well this time we played on a smaller pitch, with 6 players a side. Let's just say we were a little more motivated this time, the scoreboard read 18-2, staff.

Well I need to do laundry, get a shower, meet up with some volunteers to say "hi," and then maybe get a nap in this afternoon.

Also I worked myself into a starting role on our football team, so I am the starting right back for Edinburgh City Mission. (This is big time you know!! :)

Mike

Going places

I went to Glasgow today with Lauren. It was a fun, cheap trip, until we were coming back on the rail. She forgot her Young Person's Rail card so they charged her full price for a return ticket on top of the ticket she already bought. I had my Young Person's Railcard but when they issued it to me they only gave me one part of the card. So I too had to pay the extra 10£ on top of the first ticket I bought. What makes it worse is that thepublicc transportation here hasn't figured out how to use things like computers. So there is no database (although each railcard is assigned a unique number) that records your purchase and what not. So for Lauren she couldn't get a refund because you have to have your card with you. For me, well, it is even worse. Because they didn't give me part of my railcard at the time of purchase it is invalid. So now I have to buy another railcard on top of paying the extra money for the ticket to Glasgow.

This isn't the first time this week that I have had problems with travel plans. We were complementingabouts on the way back about how well we did to go to Glasgow and back, get some food, visit Museums and Cathedrals for 8£ total, and then that happened. Oh well, that's the way it goes I suppose!

So what has happened as of late? I had the weekend off, which was relaxing. Saturday I played football in the morning and then went to a friends house to watch football and eat pizza. That night was really boring, which I really enjoyed. It was the first night in a long time where I didn't havanythingng to do, and I enjoyed jusreadinggn and watching the Olympics. On Sunday I went into work to work on seminary applications, that evening Danny and I led worship again. It is quite commitmentnt to lead worship because it takes up half the day. We are leaving the flat around 4 and returning around 9, but it is well worth it.

I have Bible Study at church here in a bit but don't know if I'm going to bother. I left the flat at 10 this morning and haven't been back yet. I'm still quite happy with work here. I thought my schedule would make for exhausting days and long shifts, but I have actually enjoyed it a lot. I have still managed to find time to exercise everyday. This morning I went for a good long run, yesterday I lifted, the day before played football, etc... I was getting really bored with just running everyday so I have been happy to have some variety as of late. My chances to play football are picking up and since I can use to gym for free now it adds a change of pace. I actually find it easier to get up and exercise at 7:30 in the morning when I am about to work a 12 hour shift.

So I might go to Bible Studay but I might not...If you can't tell right now I am trying to make up my mind and weigh the pro's and con's via writing this blog. There are obviously very view con's, but it is a very basic Bible study. It is very introductory and shares stuff like, "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the 4 Gospels, they each give an account of Jesus's life and ministry." But it is still good for getting discussions going...

I have 3 days of work in a row because I am doing 3 days of night shift next week. The shift patterns are difficult to understand sometimes but the way it goes is I work 3 days, off 3 days, then I work night 3 days, and then I'm off 4 days. That's not the norm. But it works out well because in two weekends everyone from my flat is heading up to the Highlands. It will be a good time for us to bond and relax.

Well tune in next time I write to find out the dramatic conclusion to whether or not I went to Bible Study!

P.S. I apologize for the poor spelling, grammar, and punctuation

Things happen

I like to do things. Moreover I like to busy, and when working a 2 day on 2 day off schedule that means for big chunks of free time. I always seem to worry about getting things planned for my days off so I'm not bored. However, I have no reason to worry because things just seem to happen!

Like last Thursday, I had nothing planned. The night before my pastor phoned to say he wanted to meet for lunch. Then I saw there was a cool exhibit at the museum that took up my afternoon and at night Danny ended up coming home from the conference early so we caught a movie.

On Friday I found out that now my work gym card gets us into the gym for free! So I used that in the morning and came back to find some of my co-workers got the day off. So we went for a drive/walk (sounds kinda of corny, but it was fun) to Crammond (imagine a fishing village), then watched a football match, made some awesome dinner, and then Danny and I headed to friends flat to say, "hi." We actually did more then say "hi," we played Jenga! (I lost once)

And then we had work. I wonder how numb I am becoming sometimes. When I first came here I was far more affected by situations. We had a resident refuse to leave the building and I was the only male there so I had to calm him down. The only problem was he was completely wasted and the police had to come. Of course the police then let him out of their custody and he returned 1 hour later so we could re-live the excitement.

What I find humorous at the House is how the residents try to pull the wool over my eyes. I walked into one flat and a guy was sitting on the couch but probably thought he was sitting on Pluto. I knew he had been smoking grass not only by the way he looked but by the fact I could smell it. It didn't help that he started the conversation and talked for 20 minutes straight about how Mark McGwire (baseball player) was the guy that his dad said he knew.

Even when I was leaving work the next day, Sunday, I ran into a lady on the street, drunk and carrying her child. The kid had a 6 inch slice in her head and was bleeding everywhere. So I walked her up to the closest drop in center.

Monday was a nice day at work but I was just reminded how blessed I am by my co-workers. We went out after work and just spent a good time chatting away. Yesterday, I was pretty lazy. Well I say lazy but I did a 1.5 hr bike ride then hiked on the crags for a little by myself. In the afternoon I went to Bethany Hall and worked on the computers so I could set up my FASFA.

Today, I went for a swim. I'm getting better, the old ladies aren't passing me by anymore! Danny is around today as well so we just chilled in the flat for a couple of hours. I'm heading back now to go to a friends flat for some food and then we are catching a movie.

It's a nice day out and I'm looking forward to the coming weeks. March 1st I head up to the highlands with my flatmates. Late March Josh is coming over and all of our travel is finally finalized! And just yesterday I booked my flights to Germany for the World Cup and to visit Dan.

Alright, that's life on this side of the ocean. Hope you had a good valentines, I spent mine with my house group reading the Bible, so I spent it in the presence of Jesus! Beat that :)

This was hard...

Well I have been meaning to write for about one week. A lot has happened, like always, yet I just can't seem to get around to writing. I have had the last 4 days off and I haven't touched the new Donald Miller book I have and haven't even scratched in my journal.

So here are the highlights of my past week and a half

-Learning to drive stick/ learning this on the left side of the road
-Playing football
-Celebrating my birthday with the volunteers
-Going golfing on my b-day
-House group, leading worship
-Big screen, movie night, at our flat
-Keeping the projector last night so I could watch the Steelers win a Super Bowl!
-Eating Bannana pudding! (yum) Eating Birthday Cake (yum!)
-Playing 9 games of pool for really cheap at a pool hall that made me feel like I was in some low budget film!
-Losing all 9 games of pool and therefore relinquishing any bragging rights I had beforehand

I have spent the pass two days mostly filling out applications and forms for Seminary. It takes a lot of work and coordination to mail stuff all over the world for references, transcripts, and what not!

My birthday was cool, the volunteers came over and we went out and listened to some music. It was a guy on the guitar and his mate on the drums. He was pretty good and I started to predict the songs he was going to play and actually got two right in a row! A Beach Boys and Beatles tune!

There is so much to write and so many things I could share but I just don't know where to begin. It seems like I'm just getting comfrotable here in Scotland and realize that I have to start preparing for moving on. I think that is one thing that makes this year difficult. I have known all along that it is temporary, so it is hard to commit fully to anything. That being said, I was don't regret my choice at all. I have made some incredible friends and had some great experiences!

I am excited for my upcoming travels, my bro is coming in late March. In June I'm going to visit Dan in Germany. Late July will bring more travels with Dan. June and August my parents and sis/bro-in law are going to cross the pond!

Work has been going well and my 4 days off have been nice. I am actually writing this at work, we now have broadband here and I decided to come in on my day off to use the computer. I have actually been writing seminary essays for the past 2 hours and decided this would be a good break.

Until next time...cheers!

Just a little tired..

I woke up this morning pretty exhausted. I haven't had much time to catch up since I returned on Monday. After two days of working I had to go to an all day training session yesterday. I was out late visiting friends and making new ones on Wednesday and last night. It's good to spend time with people but I realized that this is my first day back in Edinburgh for about 2.5 weeks. I'm going to try to take today easy but I have a lot of things to catch up on. Shopping, mail, random errands, updating a bus pass, printing photos, buying a gift....

Tonight we are having "poker night" at our flat, which of course isn't for real money, so it's a Christian version of poker night. :)

I was suppose to work on Saturday but Danny and some of my co-workers want to take me out to see a play during the afternoon. Some of my co-workers are going to be gone next weekend so I'll celebrate my birthday tomorrow with them. It will nice early b-day gift and the play is suppose to be incredible. It's actually a stage production of Trainspotting, which is a Scottish film with Euan McGregor. I watched the film with Danny yesterday after our training and the whole movie takes place in Edinburgh.

Sunday I'm helping lead worship again so I could use prayer for that. My visit to Trowbridge, again, was incredible. The Steelers also won which was awesome! It seems that I picked the wrong year to leave the country, maybe the Pirates will win the World Series by the time I come back :)

Speaking of coming back....I bet you are wondering (maybe your not) what I will do when I return. Well I am looking at Seminary and three Seminaries have caught my attention. Right now I am in the process of filling out application for Northern, Denver, and Asbury. The problem is it is such a pain to do these applications overseas. It means a lot of mailing and although I can do them online and save the applications, only a bit gets done at a time. I just need to set out a day and hammer them away.

Take care, enjoy the weekend and the rest of January!

Blessed!

It has been a long time since I updated last. Actually it has only been about 1.5 weeks but so much has happened! Wow I don't know where to begin. How about this...I'm sitting in the living room of people who were complete strangers until two days ago. Right now I am watching the San Antonio Spurs beat the Miami Heat while typing on a laptop via a wireless connection! Yeah, I feel like I am at home. Not to mention I am eating some awesome turkey soup and have a room upstairs with a huge bed and all of this is available to me at the cost of....0!

Let me backtrack a little bit here. Last week after my night shift I went up to Stirling Scotland. When you here Stirling think of William Wallace, Braveheart, yada yada. One of the volunteers is placed there and his host family completely welcomed me into their home. They gave me my own room, pizza, tuna pasta, drove me to the train station, pretty much put their complete home at my disposal! They have two little children and I enjoyed the time we spent together, we were able to stay up late into the night twice talking about everything from Christianity to music and Mighty Python!

When I came back to Edinburgh I worked over the weekend after seeing the Wallace Monument and the Stirling Castle. On Monday I jumped on a train with Nick to go to the Time For God conference in London. The theme was "New Begginings" and we explored the theme via the grueling task of watching movies! We would watch a film and then discuss the themes and how it relates to our expriences. It was great to get together with the other volunteers and we were given a lot of free time to talk, play games, and wander the city.

Now you might wonder where am i? Well the family I stayed with in Stirling has family in Wiltshire England, which is where I am. Since I was down in England for the conference I wanted to use the location to my advantage. The family from Stirling called their family here in Wiltshire and asked if I could stay with them. They didn't hesitate! So after the confernece I jumped a train over here and they too picked me up from the train station.

And man do I feel spoiled. Wiltshire is home to two important landmarks, Bath, and Stonehenge. So after picking me up on Thursday they brought me to their home, their kids have since moved out, so they have a lot of space. On Thur she cooked me a traditional English meal and then we went out to a community play. Yesterday I took a bus to Stonehenge and of course they wouldn't let me leave without a packed lunch. When I came back in the evening I went out with Mr. (I should leave some anonymity) for curry night with the guys from the church. I had my first curry experience and the six of us enjoyed enough food for twelve and talked late into the night at the restauraunt.

Today I went to Bath and I just got back a couple hours ago. They had a birthday party to go to so they gave me a key and left the house at my disposal! Wow, I am so blessed. They have opened their house to a complete stranger and before they left they told me to make the homhe my own. She has been trying to do my laundry and won't let me go a minute without food or warm tea!

Oh yeah, it gets better! Not only do I have the luxury of internet and television (this is television on steroids, american channels!) but tommorow they want to drive me around some more of Wiltshire and show me some more sights. Now I already convicned them to let me make them breakfast, which will be pancakes and french toast, but in the evening we have churcfh at 4 pm. Then after church is the church potluck!

The only thing I was worrying about was, how am I going to watch the Steeler game on Sunday. Well, guess what? Their son who is my age and lives here in town is a big American Football fan, just like his roomate. Guess who they follow? That's right, the Steelers. And of course there are two AMericans in the congergation who are from where else? Pittsburgh! So when they heard about me being a fan they said I had "no choice" but to go to their flat and watch the game. I said, "but...but..well... if I have to." Ha ha. Wow, sometimes you just know God is watching over you.

By the way Stonehenge is awesome!

Weird Week

So I had three days off from work and now I have another 3 days off. If I would of known about this I would have planned some sort of traveling. Last night I had to cover an emergency night shift and right now I'm doing quite well considering I have had 4 hours of sleep in the past 36 hours. The nice thing about covering the night shift is that my boss gave me the next couple days off on top of what I already had off.

On Monday I am going to London for a conference and still trying to see if I can find a place to visit/stay while down there. What else? On Sunday I was able to see to Steelers beat the Bungles which was a definite plus. The weekend was pretty mellow, I spent it hanging with other volunteers, watching football, and going to church. This sudden burst of free time is nice but at the same time it gets me feeling unsettled because I want to use my days off wisely.

Last night I played football before my night shift and the residents actually tied the staff. We played pretty horrible and should of won 10-3, not tied 3-3! Well I need to go get some rest and try to get my body back on a normal schedule. Until the next time, enjoy!

Mike

So This is the New Year

Happy New Year! (I have always thought it a strange holiday where people get stressed over trying to find something important to do!) :)

This was definitely a New Year unlink any other. I along with around 20 people or so from different countries (Sweden, England, Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, The States, Ireland...) hung out together at one of the volunteer flats and then we headed down to Princes Street. There were loads of people, music, and a spectacular fireworks show that took place over the Edinburgh Castle.

Now that Hogmany has ended the city is getting back to normal, as is work. I spent my days off this past week traveling to some villages outside of edinburgh, meeting up with friends to watch football, and going out to eat to make some new friends! I have the weekend off and it actually looks to be rather mellow! A nice change in pace.

Last night we put the projector up in our flat and had about 7 friends come over so we could play FIFA 2006 on the X Box. I'm not a big video game fan but it was a good excuse for us to get together and relax.

Work has been hectic as of late. Everything from poice visits and extreme alcohol use to battling mental problems and depression. I know I am quite fortunate to be getting this experience but my hat goes off to the people who do this type of work year in and year out. It does really demand a lot of patience, love, and dedication!

Enjoy the New Year and don't make any resolutions you can't keep!

Mike

So This is the New Year

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

There is a lot to catch up on since I last wrote. It has been a busy 8 days here in Edinburgh. After working last Thursday and Friday I had Christmas Eve off and really enjoyed it. All the volunteers that were in Edinburgh came to our flat and we made some food and then went to the city center for a candlelight service at midnight. It was a really traditional service at one of the old churches. We took communion, sang some songs, and then walked back to our flat into the early part of Christmas Day. On Christmas Day all the volunteers had to work, so in the morning I opened up my packages and cards! Thanks to everyone who sent me something in the mail, it was a blessing and made it feel like Christmas.

Around 2 pm Nick and I headed to work where we ate plenty of turkey, ham, stuffing, cake, potatoes, cranberries, and more! There were only about 7 guys in the House and the mood was fairly melancholy. A lot of the guys got emotional when we went around the flat and handed out the gifts we had bought them. It was even more difficult to turn some guys away from the Hostel when they came back drunk. They struggle at the Holidays because it reminds them of the things they don't have or have lost.

We have tried to make this past week special for the guys by holding an "activities week." I have led trips to the cinema, theatre, and held game nights. Of course another bonus of this job is the free stuff I get to do! I didn't work yesterday but I went along with staff and some of the residents for some go-carting! These go-carts got upwards of 35 mph and the track was pretty intense! I can say I represented my country well by taking first place in the second race! All that Chicago driving is paying dividends.

On Tuesday I went to go see the Edinburgh capitals, which is the professional hockey team here. But it is about equivalent to college hockey in the states, although I'm convinced MSU or Boston College would dominate.

Last night was the torchlight processional through the city center. Loads of people marched through the city with torches up Calton Hill where they shot off fireworks. There are about 4 other volunteers staying up here right now for hogmanay so we watched the procession and then went and listened to some Polish Music at a little coffee house.

Tonight there is a huge Cedhli out in the city center with a parade and dancers. Edinburgh goes to the extreme for the new year so I can't say that I have been bored of late! Here's a good link if you want to see what is going on here....http://www.edinburghshogmanay.org/

Beside that I am looking forward to doing some traveling soon. I am going down to London on Jan 16th for a conference and hopefully I'll get a chance to travel in February. It is starting to ice over here in the city and the snow is now sticking to the ground. Take care.

Mike

What's new?

Nothing much to report since my last post. I worked Sat-Mon and it proved to be a hectic weekend. We were pretty short of staff so I was busy all three days. Yesterday I finally got a chance to relax and went on a nice 1 hour bike ride around Arhurs Seat and the Crags. In the afternoon I went to one of my friends flats, she leads our house group and I showed up early to help make some mince pies for that evening. So now when I go back to the states I can make proper Scottish food! We had a good evening with the group and had some new faces show up.

I also went to a candlelight service on Sunday evening after work. It was nice that my church keeps that tradition that I grew up with. Today I had a nice 4 hour staff meeting, which was a surprise since I forgot about it. AFterwards J.P. Danny and I killed two hours by golfing, yet again! When I'm done here in the library at 6 I have to run out to the central post office to pick up a Xmas package from my Mommy! I should probably also do some shopping for some real food, we have a lot of sweets, chocolate, chips, and cookies in our flat from all the different Xmas parties we have individually gone to. It would be benefical to have some alternatives!

On Wednesdays the Cinema is really cheap here so I might hop on over to Ocean Terminal (think of a big American Mall) with Lauren, Paula and Nick so we can watch Chronicles of Narnia. We'll see...until then, since I might not get a chance to post, Merry Christmas. If you care to know I'll be workign Christmas day which will be nice. We cook up a big meal and it should be a pretty relaxed atmosphere. After work Nick, Danny, and I are heading over to another staff member's flat who is working with us that day. Many blessings

Mike

Mayo and sugar over popcorn??

So not much to tell...I went golfing again yesterday with some friends and then in the afternoons we had a staff vs. Residents football match. It was great because I am able to get all of my "revenge" against the residents by making them look funny on the pitch! There weren't enough residents to play a proper staff vs residents match but it was still a good kick about.

Tonight we have organized a volunteer xmas get together. We'll probably just make some cookies and chat before several of the volunteers head home for Christmas. About half of the volunteers are going back to their respective countries (Germany, Sweden, Czech Republic) but a lot of us are sticking around.

I'm feeling a little sore today from football yesterday and I just went to the gym for a swim. Man let me tell you swimming is not easy! I was fine working out in the gym but when I jump in the water I become a stone. I was doing laps and there were a bunch of 40 year old women passing me in the pool!!!

Lauren and I are getting together this afternoon to knock out some Xmas shopping since the volunteers are doing "secret Santa." So actually I have lucked out because this will be my only real Xmas shopping of the year!

What else....last night when I got into bed I found an ironing board under my sheets. Danny has become the practical joker of the house and I need to get some revenge, so any ideas will be gladly welcomed. As a side note we made popcorn last night and he thought it was disgusting that I put a little bit of salt on my popcorn. He put mayo and sugar on his! Mayo and sugar??? And what is even worse is he went to the shop to get us dinner and came back with 2 "Chicago style deep dish piazzas" I told him he would have to come home with me for the real experience, although I have to respect the Scottish effort put into the pizza.

I have free calls to the states on Sats in December so if you want a call give me an e-mail. Also Danny and I are leading worship again on Sunday so prayer would be great, and we are trying to kick off a coffee house ministry once a month at the church. Enjoy the season!

Mike

Golf, Kung Fu, and Carols

I went out for some golfing on Wednesday, my day off, which makes me even more Scottish. Think about it, December, cold weather, blustery wind, and yet I was playing golf! Some guys from work and myself braved the weather and shot 9 holes. My hands were so cold I couldn't feel my right hand thumb. Which in turn made me alter my grip, which actually was good because I started driving the ball farther!

Friday night was Kung-Fu night! We watched some cheesy Kung Fu movies, order Chinese food, and rented a projector from work. It made for a difficult morning on Saturday when I got up to play some soccer. We tied 3-3 when our opponents scored with 30 seconds left! We are still 3rd in the league, so we are in striking distance of first place.

Saturday night I went with a group of friends to a big Christmas concert at Usher Hall. There was a full choir, orchestra, brass ensemble, and more that performed Christmas Carols, worship songs, contemporary music, along with a brief message.

Yesterday was a realaxing Sunday and once again Danny and I led worship at church. Today was suppose to be my day off but I just finished a training course on anger and conflict mediation! I can't seem to pay attention for too long during those courses but they are beneficial to an extent! Tonight I'm getting together with some of the volunteers for dinner and then going out to listen to some music. Tomorrow I hit the grind again with a couple days of work!

I do feel like Christmas is arriving! Briefly on Saturday I went to Ocean Terminal, which is a three story mall (it looks like it has been plucked from Naperville, or any big city suburbs) and the place was absolutely packed! I was so caught up in the spirit I almost jumped in the line to sit on Santa's lap but I was in a hurry. Tis the season!

Dancing with guys in kilts

I danced to a guy with an accordion last night for 3 hours! I went to my first Ceilidh with 3 girls from none other than Bluffton University! They are heading home from studying over in Belfast and it was great to have them stop by! We were able to get together over the weekend and I showed them the city, made some penne pasta (I think in retrospect I got the recipe from eating my mom's version), and listened to some good ol traditional folk music.

I realized I had not made it to the city center for awhile but since last Thursday I was down there 5 nights in a row, excluding Sunday. After work on Sunday, Danny and I led worship at church, it went well. Tonight I have house group and tomorrow I'm going golfing with Danny, a friend from work and our pastor. But the apex of the weekend is going to be on Friday. Danny and I are beginning to plan these movie nights at our flat. We are going to watch two similar movies and make food with the theme. So this Friday we are watching a Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee movie, with some stir fry, instant noodles, and rice! The future holds a Western Night (beans, Mexican food) Mob/Mafia Night (pizza, pasta) and maybe an Ocean night (Seafood)!

Fun fun!

Bagpipes vs. Fiddle

I read through some of my post and realized that they are pretty boring. It reads like a personal calendar. So I hope if I post more often, with smaller posts, it will be more interesting to read.

Yesterday was St. Andrews day which not one person at work knew the purpose behind. All I know is that the castle was open for free. So we organized some guys from the House who wanted to go up to the castle. Of course not all of staff can go on these little trips, since there are things to maintain at the hostel, but since I'm a tourist/volunteer it seems that I always get priority! So myself and another project worker took about 5 guys to the castle. The perks of this job!

Also the night before we had a lot of staff on and somebody suggested taking the guys to a movie. Well the other 4 members of staff had support meetings, interviews, or paperwork to do, so they asked if I would be "willing" to take the guys to the cinema. As you can imagine I decided although it sounded hard and difficult I would have no problem going and watching a movie for free while working.

What I like most about these outings is that it is a great chance to talk with the residents. In the House the environment is always a little restricted. There seems to be a barrier, or an unspoken tension, that always exists between us and the clients. But outside the House we are put on more of a level playing field. Instead of being a "assistant project worker" I am just another guy going to watch a movie with other guys. It's nice.

I got off work early and met up with Nick and Lauren downtown. On the Royal Mile they pulled out a stage for some bands. Dougie MacClean played with his band and a branch of the tattoo marched up and down the mile. Dougie MacClean plays a mixture between folk and rock. I would say he is a guy who made traditional folk music cool and was in his prime back in the 70's-80's. I really knew I was in Scotland when he pulled out a fiddle and his lead guitarist pulled out the bagpipes. With a full band jamming behind them they had a bagpipe-fiddle-sound-off. Kind of like dueling banjo's! Good times!

nothing new!

Not much has happened since I last posted. I had a couple of boring days off before this past week of fun! Tuesday I went to my cell group and really enjoyed myself and then on Wednesday we had a "Thanksgiving" meal at my church. The pastor is American but the food consisted of coleslaw, baked potatoes, and ham! Not quite a traditional meal. After a couple days of work I was able to relax this weekend. On Friday night I went out with some guys from work and Saturday we had a genuine Thanksgiving meal at my flat. All of the volunteers came over and we ate Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, bean casserole, salad, and all kinds of pies! The other 2 American volunteers had friends here so it was a full house! We went arond the table and said what we were thankful for, so it felt somewhat "homey."

All this being said, I need to make a public Happy Birthday wish to my dad. Who turned X years old on Thanksgiving day! I'll let you guess how old he is. :)

Yesterday I went to church as usual and then over to one of my co-workers to watch the Manchester United match. One thing that Edinburgh does really well is celebrate Christmas. Downtown is decked out with a ferris wheel, carousel, trees and tons of lights. There are also a lot of different programs and events going on during this coming month. Tonight there is "begginers-comedy-night" at one of the comedy clubs. It's free so I think we are going to head up and see if we can heckle some future comics! Other than that I think I am going to go see my first movie in a theatre since I've been here. Nick, one of the volunteers, and another fellow I work with want to see a film this afternoon so that's where I'm headed to in a couple of minutes.

This Friday some friends from Bluffton are flying into Edinburgh. THey are studying in Belfast as part of the Bluffton program, so it will be an exciting time of catching up and showing them some of the city. Alright, this has been short but so is my time on the computer. Take care people!

Mike

Greetings

Warning: This post contains several spelling errors that I wasn't able to correct because spell check wasn't working and because I am not the best speller in the world! :)

That's right, two post in about two weeks! I told you I would get better. However, this week has been less exciting then weeks past, no international travels! On Sat. I was able to see the U.S. at least tie Scotland, it would of been nice to see a win but I can't complain. It was a great chance to hang out with the volunteers. On Sunday after church I just lounged around the flat and played a lot of games with my roomates. We all get along really well and each night normally ends with us chatting away in the living room. On Monday, although I didn't work again I had various meetings and went out to eat with my pastor. He has given me the challenge (or mission, goal, ministry, whatever you want to call it) to reach some junior high age kids in the neighborhood. They play football a couple times a week and I am going to play with them and eventually try to introduce them to the church. Hopefully create some relationships and go from there. I am also preparing to help lead worship with my flatmate, Danny, in a couple of weeks. Danny is quite the guitar player and has been blessed with an awesome voice, so I don't feel any pressure since I can just play away in the background!

I worked yesterday, which was pretty normal (which means that it was abnormal by a lot of working enviroments standards). I stayed pretty busy with a lot of various tasks but the day ended well becaues I had the chance to spend a lot of time in the flats visiting the guys. One of our residents moved out into his own flat after a 4 month stay. It is rewarding to see a guy like him move on into supported accomodation. He came in with a hosts of problems and was viewed as a high support resident. He left yesterday as one of our best residents and a guy that had come to know the Lord during his stay.

Today I had food and hygeine training from 9-5 and am currently on my way to the house to finish the shift with the rest of my team (so I'll be working from 5pm-9pm). The weather here is still manageable, I am still finding the energy to run at least 4 times a week, which is encouraging. My new routine now involves a bicycle that I found in our flat! Instead of taking the bus to our training today I biked 20 minutes both ways, it's good transportation, excersise, and gives me a little bit of variety.

One last update....I saw the sun today :) That means two days in a row! I think I am going to start to identify the sun as a U.F.O since it is such a rare sighting! Not a lot sun here but still no complaints, I love what I am doing. Take care

Mike

I'm back!

O.K. I will get better at posting! I promise, think of it as a Thanksgiving resolution (even though I don't celebrate Thanksgiving here!) The reason I haven't been able to post is because I just got back from Paris yesterday morning. The week prior to that I was workign night shift! That meant one week of 12 hour shifts from 9 pm- 9 am! It was pretty uneventful because the guys are in bed around 12 and not up until around 8, so I spent a lot of time cleaning, watching some television, reading, and brushing up on my French. Probably the highlights of that week were when I fire alarm went off and when one of our residents came back so drunk that he forgot to use the bathroom and opted to use his pants! He is a bit of a hassle but our residents struggle with everything from drug addiction to severe mental problems, as is his case!

Hands down the best part of the past week was going to Paris! I was able to stay at the Mennonite Centre just outside of Paris and at the same time able to avoid all of the riots! I can't begin to tell you everything I did, but I'll try. The first weekend of every month all the meuseums and monuments (the monuments that cost money) are free, so I did it all! Eiffel Tower, the Arc, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Musee Rodin, Musee Picasso, Musee D'Orsay, Royal Palis, Petit Palis, Sacre Couer, Markets, Latin Quarter, Bastille, Pierre-Laizze Cemetery, The Catacombs....and some other stuff.

What was the best? Well I can honestly say I was blown away by the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame. These building are absolutely stunning! I also enjoyed the little things like watching 700 people on rollerblades (think of a giant parade) skate throughout the city, the spontaneous jazz concerts on the bridges, the warm weather, and the view from the Arc! Paris is awesome and I defintely encourage anyone to go there! Better yet I did all of that for under....15 Euros! However, the worst part of the week was when I threw away my Metro ticket, which I didn't know you had to hold onto, and the police stopped me to check that I had it! Unfortunately I didn't have it, and I didn't have 25 Euro's on me to pay the ticket. What is even worse is I didn't have my passport (whoops!) and the lady started threatening me that I would have to go to prison! By that time I was getting a little mad because here she was telling a foreigner he "should of known better," when they have thousands of youth rioting around the streets! I think they could have spent their time a little better! However, lucky for me they did take credit card! So the cost of that stupid ticket was double what I spent in one week in Paris. Oh well, live and learn.

This is my day off, I worked yesterday and I am hitting the grind again tommorrow. On Saturday the U.S. is going to beat Scotland here in Glasgow! So I'm heading to watch the match with some people from work and other volunteers. Pray that the U.S. wins or else I'll end up hearing about it until next August! Blessings!

Mike

Long time, no post!

Wow, sorry folks it's been so long. I took a week off from posting, and then the Internet went down here in Edinburgh, then I took off for Brussels and I just returned 3 days ago to find the city still having computer problems! But finally the mess is all sorted out and I can try to give a little insight into what has been going on in my life.

Highlights over the past 3 weeks...I had a chance to climb Aruthur's Seat which is the highest point in Edinburgh, it is absolutely beautiful and gives a great view of the city. Another day I had off I jumped on the wrong bus and ended up by the Craigmillar Castle. Normally vistors are charged 5£ to tour the castle but since they were just getting ready to shut it down the lady there allowed me to do a self guided tour for about 1 hour! It was fantastic! I finally was able to join a soccer team and I played my first game a couple weeks back. We are 5-1 and it's looks like I got lucky and joined the best team in the league! We have a game tommorow that I am gearing up for.

I have started attended a small church of about 100 people. There is a house group that meets every fortnight and I really feel at home in the congergation. I'm meeting with the pastor sometime soon to talk about ministry opportunities and to just connect with his family. They are from Flordia and his wife already offered to cook me a homemade meal!

Work is going just fine although it can be demanding. I just returned from 3, 12 hour shifts in a row and feel quite drained. I have the next 3 days off and then I work 7, 12 hour night shifts in a row! The rewarding part is that I get the entire following week off. The residents are great guys and girls but they demand a lot of attention. At times I find myself getting frustrated with their complete lack of motivation to move on from the House. Other times their complaints and bickering overwhelm the staff. However, I am encouraged when I see guys move into their own flats and even if I have a tough day everything is washed away when a resident asks me about my faith.

What else..? Oh yeah, Belgium! I was able to take 6 days off and go to Belgium to visit my friend Caroline. We studied at Bluffton together and she lives with her family just outside of Hasselt. She met me in Brussels where we spent the night and toured the city. She had friends in every city so lodging was cheap and food was provided! We then headed to a terrific little town called Lueven (spelling?) It is a town of predominately university students and has a great feel to it. We ended the week by going to the diamond city of Antwerp and then spending a couple of days relaxing at her home. All in all it was a fantastic trip and we were lucky to get such great weather!

Here in Scotland it is starting to cool down but I'm staying plenty warm! I'm still learning the city and am starting to feel more settled. Thanks for your prayers and e-mails. God Bless

Mike

Hi

Let's see what has happened this past week since I posted last? Last Friday, Paula and I, one of my flatmates, both had the day off. So we visited Lauriston Castle, just outside of Edinburgh. There were some gardens, a tower built in 331, and some Roman ruins as well. The walk was great becuase we were right by the coast and the town, Crammond, is where a lot of fishing is done. That night about 5 or so of the volunteers came over and we watched a movie/played some games.

On Saturday and Sunday and Monday I worked! Things can go from quietly calm in the house to incredibly insane. On Sunday I worked the late shift and within the first hour one girl had taken an overdose, one guy's clothes had been stolen, and another guy was irrate because devotions were not on time!

One of the greatest things about Edinburgh is the amount of activity in the town. It also helps that I have made a lot of new friends through work. After work, which normally ends around 9, we head to a pub or a coffee shop where we know there is going to be live music. It makes for a cheap and affordable social life.

Yesterday I had the day off as well and headed to Rossilin Chapel/Castle. I just wanted to have a day trip by myself. THe great thing about working here is that my bus pass takes me to all of these places for free. However, upon entering the one road town of Rossilin I soon found out that the castle and chapel were closed. Why? Because Tom Hanks was there shooting film for the Da Vinci Code. I didn't know that is where parts of the Da Vinci Code took place, let alone that Tom Hanks was shooting a movie there.

One of the locals recommended that I take a walk in the nature preserve, which I did. It provided some nice views and waterfalls. Somehow I ended up pretty much on the set of the movie! I came behind the castle and was just walking through the graveyard when a guy came up to me and asked if I knew where the production team was meeting. I then looked to my left and saw all the equipment and what not for a movie production. I could of hung around but I split instead!

Today I walked around downtown Edinburgh. I could seriously spend at least 4 hours there everyday. I just love the streets and historic buildings. It was a good chance to get to know the town more.

Last night I also attended my first cell group with the church I have started to attend. This has also given me a connection to play some soccer. TOnight we were suppose to have practice but it got cancelled due to rain! Oh well, we have a match on Saturday so that is something else to look forward to.

Thanks for all the e-mails I get and I apologize for not responding sooner. I have a list of people I need to get in touch with so I will, I promise! Blessings

Mike

It's been a long time!

I apologize for not putting a post up sooner folks! This is the second time I have had a chance to be online in about 10 days or so! So much has happened in the last two weeks. Lets see.... I have already started working. Today is my day off and the past two days were my first back to back 12 hour shifts. I have been blessed with a great staff to work with. There is about 25 of us and many are young adults like myself.

I spend my time at work doing everything from watching soccer matches with the clients (hard work huh?), playing pool with the clients, or when it gets really stressful I might have to eat meals with the clients! :) A lot of my job here is to create and build relationships with the guys and few girls in the flats. So I try to spend as much time just hanging out with them. However, it is not all fun and games. I spend more time preparing meals, interviewing potential clients, writing paperwork, reviewing files, and dealing with general problems. A lot of the residents come from broken homes and have experience with drug and alcohol abuse. Some have been victims of rape while others have severe mental challenges.

Outside of work I have also been enjoying myself. Bethany Trust (the place I'm working for) has a soccer team. I was able to practice with the team on Monday. I was also able to take a bus out to the Pentland Hills with some of my flatmates to see the rolling hills of Scotland. Recently I have gone to listen to live folk music, had 15 guests over for a game night, attended a soccer game with friends, climbed Calton Hill in Edinburgh, and more.

So far the weather here has been great. Today is unusually warm and clear outside which gives me another good reason to go downtown and soak in more of Edinburgh. The town is incredible and I live in such a perfect location. I am no more than a 5 minute walk from the water and a 7 minute bus ride from the city center.

Thanks for reading and God Bless

Mike

Update time

It is 9 Am here in Edinburgh on Saturday morning. I had a full week of training at the Bethany House, just trying to learn the in and outs of the hostel. Every morning we start off with staff prayer and the night shift crew gives us a review. Our duties through out the day include preparing meals, taking referrals from possible clients, holding flat meetings, and visiting the clients.

We have 3 different levels of clients in the House. Low, medium, and high. We house 7 high clients, 14 medium, and 7 low. All of the clients are divided up into 6 flats, where they share a living room and kitchen. One flat is all women (right now only 4) while the rest are all men. Some of the clients, (the low level) simply lost their job and couldn't pay their rent, while other clients (high) are fighting problems with alcoholism and other addictions.

We do not allow clients in the House if they are intoxicated or if we feel that they are a danger to the House. The clients pay for their stay at the House with the money the government supplies them with for being unemployed. Their stays can last anywhere from a couple days to one year.

There are 26 members on staff, most of them are in their mid 20's early 30's. All have a great heart for the clients and the homeless people in Edinburgh.

Yesterday was my first experience of Edinburgh weather! It was rainy, cold, and windy! This morning (Sat) is much of the same. I was able to reserve a 1 hour slot here at the library which is only about a 2 minute walk from my flat. Last night I went to an African children concert with the rest of the volunteers. Today I am meeting some guys from work at the restaurant to watch a soccer game.

Things are going well with my flate mates. Although the guy I live with, Danny, is seldom around. We both work at the Bethany House but we will be on opposite shifts. So when I work 9-9 he is off that day, and vice a versa. Danny is from Edinburgh originally so he has a lot of connections and friends here and has given me some good advice about the city. Also, Nick, the volunteer from England, is also working at the House, but he too is on an opposite shift. What this boils down to is a lot of time with females! There are only 4 guy volunteers and 12 female volunteers. I think this is God's way of "domesticating" me! All my time in college and high school was spent with a bunch of guys so I figure I had this coming! Nevertheless I have learned that living with 3 girls means simply nodding and listening to what would look "cute" in our living room. :)

Well that is my update, Mon-Wed concludes my training with the rest of the volunteers. Thank you so much for all of your e-mails it means so much. I'm sorry I have not done the best job responding. Also I'm not sure if I put my updated address on here so here it is

Michael Moore
7 (2F2) North Fort
Leith
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
EH7 4EY

Hello From Edinburgh

Me and 7 other volunteers arrived in Edinburgh on Friday night after missing our flight from London. I have a flat downtown in the city and am sharing it with 3 girls and one other guy. They are from Scotland, Minnesota, Germany, and England respectively.

On Saturday we spent the whole day walking around the city, getting our bus passes, and seeing some tourist type sights. The city is amazing and quite beautiful. I am getting familar with the bus system and finding it quite easy to get around the city.

On Sunday we attended church and then had a huge picnic at one of the volunteer flats. Overall there are about 12 volunteers here so the social life is quite good. We are split up at three different locations in Edinburgh and all of us work within Bethany Christian Trust. Some work at charity shops, others in Public Relations, and coincidentally the only two other males work with me at Bethany House.

Scotland is quite differnt then the states! Surprise! Outside of driving on the other side of the road there is a lot slang that I have had to get use to. Pubs outnumber gas stations about 40-1, meat is a requirement at every meal, gas is petrol, rubbish is trash, and more.

Today was my first day at the Bethany House and I continue to have training until the end of the week. Right now my hours are 9-5 for this week and next week we have training the first couple of days. But eventually I will be working 9-9 shifts. Bethany is close to my flat, about a 7 minute walk, so I don't bother using the buses.

Thanks for checking in on me,

Mike