Happy Christmas from Belfast...

Hello everyone! I hope that this finds you all having a joyous and bright holiday season. Things are great here in Belfast. Although I have found that the homesickness has reached a new level since it is almost Christmas and I am constantly reminded that I am not at home, surrounded by loved ones, my life here has it share of joys as well. These last couple of weeks have been absolutely jam packed with parties. I know, I know...poor me right? Who could ever complain about a schedule of parties. But, all of you teachers and educators and fellow volunteers will sympathize that parties with groups of screaming kids is enough to do your head in. While some of them have been sheer madness, others have given me some of my favorite memories of this place and time of my life thus far.

First of all I "graduated" from WT this last Saturday. While I was excited to be done and ready as always to move on to other things, I found myself quite sad that I was missing my ceremony back in good old Canyon. The whole week last week I yearned to be back at home getting ready for finals and the rush of the end of the semester. On Thursday I had a party where we were serving lunch to 60 some odd senior citizens for their Christmas dinner. I did not know the details, but knew that something was going to happen that day as my coworkers asked me to bring my laptop in and set it up to use skype. I was curious, but did not know what was going to happen really. That day after the lunch was over I was to lead carols with the pensioners, then the director came in and said that my Mom and Dad were going to be there via live video chat and that this week was a special week in my life and we were going to have a "wee graduation ceremony for our American volunteer". I was shocked and very very touched. They did the whole nine yards, they got the cap and made a mock certificate, announced my name and with 60 pensioners and all of my beloved coworkers in Belfast I graduated. It was the most memorable graduation I could think of. What an honor to have people care enough about me to have this all set up so that I could feel special in my achievement on graduating from University.

One of my other favorite glimpses of grace and peace this Advent season came with sitting and watching the kids from all of the groups I work with laugh and scream as a magician that we hired entertained them for an hour. All of the little ones fought over who got to sit by me on the floor as we watched the show, so we took shifts on who got to sit with me. There is nothing in this world as good as watching children laugh and smile. Their innocence and their unabashed sense of joy and happiness is nothing short of incredible to me and so very contagious. I find myself rejuvenated at the end of this week.

This concept of finding grace and peace has shaped my life this year. The idea that it is possible to seek out the pleasure in the moment is life changing. You have to actively seek out grace, love, happiness, peace, and joy out of the craziness that we call life. This Advent season as all of you gather with family and friends, look around, see the joy in your loved ones faces. Take each moment and live it to the fullest. As Christmas time comes nearer I continue to see love and joy, peace and grace in everything here. It's in my coworkers, it's in my friends, it's in the sadness I feel to be so far from home. How lucky I am that I have so much to miss and be sad about. Love is such a huge concept. I send love and peace, grace and unabashed childlike joy to each one of you. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Years to all of you.

All my love and then some-

Melissa