"As long as I fight, I am moved by hope; and if I fight with hope, then I can wait."- Paulo Freire

Dear Friends,

Deepest apologies for the tardiness of my posts as of late. I guess that I am not sure how many of you still check in, so I am reluctant to write as often I suppose. That and I would be remiss if I did not also take the blame of being busy and lazy with my writing! 

With the latest violence that has swept N. Ireland I find myself feeling my heart ache to be back there and to be doing something about it. The problem is, what could I/ would I do? What can anyone do? I suppose that part of me will always remain in Belfast, my heart that is, and I will always be in a constant stream of prayer for those whom I love that have to face this as their only known reality. I struggle with guilt as I sit on the other side of the ocean, in this "peaceful" nation without constant threat of terrorism and violence. I admire the men, women and children that are holding fast to the peaceful times that have no doubt fallen upon N. Ireland in the last few years. My heart is with you, my prayers are always yours. 

I am now in the thick in my Graduate degree here in St. Louis. I feel as though sometimes I am learning so much in such a short amount of time, my head just might explode. But, that is my only complaint. I am finding that my life is leading me in yet another direction. I have been asked to work on a grant this summer that seeks to finds victims and survivors of human trafficking here in the US. Yes, human trafficking is still a very large problem in the US. Shocking and nauseating, but true. Researches of this call it the "new slavery" because of the total and utter disregard of human life. Hopefully I can, with hard work and dedication, make a dent in this problem in MO at least. 

I am hopeful that this finds all of you busy in the thick of life. I very much hope that like with me, this finds you both happy and healthy. 

All the best, 

Melissa