A Teaching Ministry . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,
Let me now go to the field, 
and glean ears of corn after him
in whose sight I shall find grace.
And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

Why are you going on the Pilgrimage to Ireland?

Right now this question remains to be answered. I can’t count how many times over the last seven months that I’ve been asked why I was going on the Pilgrimage to Ireland. What was it that was calling me to go? I still don't know why the idea of this pilgrimage called to me so strongly in February; or continued calling to me during the months leading up to it; or during the Pilgrimage; or now, nearly four weeks after returning home. And I was told that it's OK, give it time. But, maybe this post will help, at least in part, begin to answer that question . . .

To be quite honest, I haven’t really thought about this question the last few weeks. That is until yesterday afternoon when this question just happened to come into my mind as I was driving. As I drove over to town, a whole conversation went on in my head and I thought I really needed to jot this stuff down, you know . . . journal it. Now I so wish I had one of those little tape recorders so I could have just had this conversation out loud and recorded it – would have made writing it down so much easier! Something to put on my list of ‘must haves.’ Well, I finally got to a place where I could start writing my thoughts down and the more I wrote the more it was beginning to sound like something I should post on my blog, but then again, maybe not. Well, here’s what came out of my conversation with myself . . .

So, WHY did I go on this Pilgrimage? What was it that God wanted me to see? Experience? Be a part of? or Do? Has God already revealed the answer to me and I just haven't seen it, or heard it, yet? Is the answer right in front of my face? It could be any one of these possibilities!

However, my thoughts yesterday afternoon turned to include a recent comment made by a Friend about at least some of my Blog posts.

This Friend wrote to me: “And I think your posts have had a component of teaching ministry in them, too.” Teaching ministry, really? Hummmm, if that’s so, it certainly was unintentional on my part. But, yesterday afternoon her comment came into my head, very loud and clear. Not screaming, but loud and clear none the less.

OK, so if I DID any ‘teaching ministry’ in my Blog posts, as this Friend has pointed out or suggested to me, maybe it's something that's written between the lines. I’ve had a habit for way too many years of reading between the lines, so maybe I also have the ability to write between the lines, to put a suggestion within my writing without using words. That is to say that the stories I’ve written, about some of the experiences I had in Ireland and Northern Ireland, have some sort of hidden message within them, but I was not intentionally writing them to teach any lesson or lessons. I wrote each of my posts to share with you about the different ‘ministries' I saw and felt in each of those experiences. There may very well be a 'lesson' or ‘lessons’ within those stories, a kinda bonus! Lessons I've been called by God to teach? But lessons for whom?

OR is it that God has called or is calling me into some kind of 'teaching ministry' or 'writing ministry?' If so, teaching or writing what? And for whom? I've already told you that I'm not a story writer and that I don't like to write. So, if this is what God wants of me . . . what direction is this going?

Taking a look back on my blog posts, these ideas came to mind and I’d like to share them with all of you . . .

First of all: Is there a lesson in the name I chose for my blog? OR Is the lesson in the meaning of 'grace?' Is it not enough for me to find out 'what it is that God is calling me to do?' Is that piece that I pulled out, as I felt it calling to me, actually meant for other F/friends or family members around me? Is God just using me to call attention to that little piece for others? Is He using me and the ramblings in my blog to get others to just stop and think about what it is they are doing, or not doing in their own lives; their own family; their own Meeting/Church; their own community? I do know that God uses us to do His work here on earth.

OR is the lesson just within the whole of my blog? I did state 'what I will share in this Blog will be spiritual in nature and will tell of the ministries I find myself in along the journey.' I’ve made it known that I don't accept it well when others tell me that I'm doing is 'ministry.' As I don't/haven’t thought OR viewed what I do as ministry. Over the last several months however, I have become a bit more accepting of this, but it's still difficult for me to see. I will say that it has become easier for me to see and accept some of what I do as ministry, others it's not. I’m still a work in progress; be patient with me . . . God isn’t finished with me just yet!

'I Shall Find Grace,' 'The Meaning of Grace,' 'Wonder,' 'I Don't Know Why She Does This,' 'Being a Servant of God,' 'Colored Napkins,' 'A Bible for Ireland,' 'An Irish Rainbow,' 'Circle of Friends,' 'Epilogue by Candlelight,' 'Bat Ministry,' 'Cups of Tea,' 'Ministry of a Sugar Cream Pie,' 'Ministry in Story and Song,' 'A Visit to See the Quaker Tapestry,' 'A Black Taxi Tour,' 'Music Ministries,' 'Family Reunion,' 'Grace Revisited,' and 'Ministry of the Chocolate Ginger Cake,' the names of all my posts, so far . . . Has God called me to minister through these posts? If so, minister to whom? And minister about what?

As you've read them: Have you really thought about the words you’ve read? Have they spoken to you? How have they spoken to you? Have they tugged at your heart? Have they made you a bit 'misty' eyed? Have they brought back special memories from your childhood, or adult life? What have my words, inspired by God, said to you? Have any of these posts made you think a bit differently about yourself? About others? About your family? About a F/friend? About a neighbor? Something you've done? Should have done? About your Meeting/Church? About your Yearly Meeting? About ministry? About missions? About mission work? About your faith? About your personal walk with God?

What are you doing differently as a result of something that you've read in one of my posts? As a result of something you felt after reading one of my posts? Are my posts, and the 'teaching ministry,' that this Friend sees within them, written to teach Friends who are reading them how to be better Friends? To be more 'Quakerly?' To learn and/or see how to better work together? To show them how to listen, and I mean really listen to each other? To listen to God?

Seems the questions continue.

Ministry of the Chocolate Ginger Cake . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field, 

and glean ears of corn after him

in whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

 

 

Here I go again, another blog post dealing with food . . . this time a cake. Do I feel bad about this? No. This is just another one of the experiences from my journey that I'm feeling led to share about. And there really is a ministry involved here . . .

Coleraine Meeting House

For this one we have to go back to Friday, August 2^nd, when our Pilgrimage group visited Coleraine Meeting in Northern Ireland. We enjoyed their warm Friendly hospitality, wonderful conversation and fellowship, saw their Meetinghouse and shared tea and a light meal together. This is a nice little Meeting, I don’t know exactly how many members they have, but I believe there were about five or six members that we were able to visit with. They meet in what was the home of one of their former members who had left it to them. It had been his home, so it’s in a row of flats - or what we might call townhouses. Interesting side note is that it’s across the street from an Orange Lodge, home to one the local Protestant fraternal organization in Northern Ireland.

Meetingroom

 

We had a bit of conversation and then went back to see their Meetingroom which was very nice. I especially liked the large skylight and the pictures on the wall of a couple of the panels from the Quaker Tapestry that we had seen on Sunday. We then gathered for a bit in the kitchen – and what could be better than good Quaker conversation in the kitchen? After a bit we went in to the front room where we found a wonderful table full of all sorts of interesting dishes. A bit of prayer and then more conversation as we sipped tea and had a bit of nourishment. I really enjoyed learning about what these Irish Friends were involved in and of course we shared with them.



A couple of dessert options were available, but I enjoyed only one of those . . . a chocolate ginger cake. This was really delicious! I asked the Friend who made it if she'd share the recipe and the next morning I received the recipe in an email from her. I have shared the recipe with the other Friends on the Pilgrimage with me, as a couple of them had expressed an interest in it as well. I knew that I would find myself making many chocolate ginger cakes and sharing them with Friends at Mooresville Friends Meeting, other Friends gatherings, with some of my other friends and with my family.



Front room set-up
for tea

Now, before I could make this cake there were a couple of things that I had to do first. I had to make a few changes to the recipe - that is I had to covert the cooking temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit, the pan size from centimeters to inches, and one of the ingredients from grams to ounces. That was the easy part! The hard part was finding some of the ingredients or their equivalents! This was a bit tricky, but with a few Internet searches I was able to figure out what I needed. Luckily, I didn't have to make one substitution for this one, unlike the Sugar Cream Pie we made at Moyallon Centre. I wasn’t able to find the ‘glace ginger’ for the top – so this time I left those off, but I will be looking for these OR will make my own! 



This last week I thought that our August Monthly Meeting seemed like a great time to start sharing this treat with members of Mooresville Friends. So after a bit of shopping to gather the necessary ingredients I was ready to bake. I knew that the small 23 cm cake wasn’t going to be big enough to take to Monthly Meeting, so I doubled the recipe, and used a 9x13 inch baking dish and added a few prayers that this would work out.



Chocolate Ginger Cake

So, today, I shared my Chocolate Ginger Cake with the members of Mooresville Friends during our Monthly Meeting pitch-in. I did get up and share about half-way through lunch the story behind the cake, which prompted a few Friends to get up and try a piece. I can report that the Young Friends who tried it said it was very good! I still had quite a bit left over, so I took it with me to a worship group that I attend on Sunday evenings - with Friends from several local, and not so local, Meetings. I still have a few pieces left, but I can now handle what is left.

 

There is an upcoming event, the end of September, with a wider circle of Friends attending that I have been told I will need to provide a dessert for . . . and I believe a Chocolate Ginger Cake will be shared with those Friends! I had a Friend try to talk me out of baking the one I was making last night, saying I should wait two weeks to make it . . . so she could have a piece. When she realized that I was making it she asked if this one was practice for making one in two weeks. Hummmm, not sure about that, but if I were to make one in two weeks . . . I might make her help!



So, the ministry of the Chocolate Ginger Cake, that’s easy . . . it all began with the Friend from Coleraine Meeting who made it to share with this group of Quaker Pilgrims visiting from the United States and England. It continued when I asked her if she would share the recipe with us and her sharing the recipe with us. And now, with my baking it, I have begun the sharing here - first with the members of Mooresville Friends Meeting and then with Friends at a local worship group I attend. And the sharing will continue as I know I will be making it again and again . . . and some of my fellow Pilgrims may as well.



Quilted wall-hanging -
inside the front door

The ministry is in the sharing and willingness to share with one another – not just our words OR His Words, but also with those things that we make. Sometimes it's food - when we have potlucks or shared meals of some sort or sharing of our bountiful harvest. Other times it's the sharing of some of our other God given gifts and talents, whatever those might be. This cake has not only provided nourishment to/for our bodies but it has also provided some comfort. And for me, it provides fond memories of the time, conversations and a meal shared together with some of my Irish Friends and fellow Pilgrims!

 

Thank you Coleraine Friends for opening up your Meeting to us, you warm hospitality and for taking the time to share with us on our journey. God Bless you all! 

 

And the ministry of the Chocolate Ginger Cake goes on . . .

 

 







'Grace' Revisited . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

 



Gate leading into garden at
Chester Beatty Library -
Dublin, Ireland

Now that I've returned from the Pilgrimage to Ireland and Northern Ireland and I've written quite a few posts here, the other night my mind went back to the name I chose for my blog 'I Shall Find Grace.' The thought was that maybe I should revisit that name, to answer the question, if I can . . . Did I, OR Have I 'found grace?'

First, I needed to go back and look at the definition of 'grace' that I found:

 

“Grace is the empowering Presence of God

enabling you to be who He created you to be, and

to do what He has called you to do."





St Kevin's Kitchen -
Glendalough,
Co. Wicklow, Ireland

I'd like to believe that those around me are able to 'see' who it is that God has created me to be. And my hope is that I am living my life in a way that enables others to see that, without having to look too hard. That being said, I know that I have several Friends/friends and some family members who see this so much clearer than I can or do. So, I'm not going to dwell on this piece of the definition.



My focus has really been on the last part 'to do what He has called me to do.'  So, Did I OR Have l 'found grace?' Did I OR Have I found what God is calling me to do? I don't think I'm there quite yet . . . but, I honestly believe I'm on the right path and that I'm getting a bit closer every day. And I'm OK with that. I'm going to continue to do what I do, what I enjoy doing, what I feel called to do . . . and I'm going to continue to enjoy it all.


Tree along the way
to Lower Lake -
Glendalough,
Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Take this last year, so much has happened to and around me. Some of that has been great and some of it not so great. Some things have meant a lot more work for me and other things have meant less work. Many have been enjoyable, pleasant, fun, well worth doing and others, well, not so much. It's been a year of ups and downs but I can honestly say that it's been an amazing year for me - full of several firsts!'

View of the mountains
from the Lower Lake -
Glendalough,
Co. Wicklow, Ireland

In December I became a Grandma and no, I'm not THAT old, but I just figured it out I became a grandma about 5 1/2 years later than my mom did. In February I took a giant leap of faith and signed up to go on a two week Pilgrimage to Ireland and Northern Ireland. I also applied for and received a passport, so I could go to Ireland. In May became a Great-Aunt, and that made me feel even older than becoming a Grandma! In late June, I began this blog as a way to keep in touch while on the Pilgrimage to Ireland. July 4th through 7th I helped with the United Society of Friends Women International/Quaker Men International Triennial (USFWI/QMI) and meet and became friends with several Kenyan Friends who were here. July 21st through August 5th, I went overseas to Ireland and Northern Ireland for two weeks - with and among Friends and fell in love with Irish Friends as well as Friends from England, Sweden and the Netherlands. 



But, along with all the 'firsts' I do know that so much more has happened to and within me this last year.





Path leading to
the Lower Lake -
Glendalough,
Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Take this blog for instance. One of the new Friends I met last month asked me in an email just last week if I was a 'story writer.' My answer was NO! I don't like to write now and I didn't like to write when I was in school. So I really struggled with writing this blog. I went on to tell this Friend: 'For the most part, my blog posts seem to write themselves - which really leads me to believe that God is with me and leading my words.' And then wondered if there was a blog post within those words. The encouragement and support shown to me by this Friend, a few other Friends, friends and family members has been a great blessing to me this year. So, for now the blog posts continue . . . I've still got stories to tell of ministries in Ireland and Northern Ireland to share as well as elsewhere in my life.

Path in the woods behind
Moyallon Centre,
Portadown, Northern Ireland

I've also been spending a lot more time listening this last year. Listening to what's going on around me, to what others are saying and to what's not being said. I've been spending a lot more time listening to and for 'that still small voice' inside of me. And there have been a couple of times that that voice hasn't been so still or so small! A couple of times that voice has screamed at me! Yes, and believe me I stopped and listened!

 

So, in a nut shell, I have found a bit of grace, but . . . I also know there's a whole lot more grace out there waiting for me.

 

 

Family Reunion Ministry . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV



 

Sunday I attended the 54th Annual Rummel Family Reunion, up in Nappanee, Indiana. This is my mom's mothers' side of the family, and I can't tell you how many of them I've been to because I have no idea, but I've been to most of them. I've always loved going to the Rummel reunions, even if I don't know everybody's names and exactly who they're related to OR is that how they're related to me. Doesn't matter . . . we're family!

The Rummel family reunions have always been one of the highlights of summer for me. Whether we were at a park and we got to visit the zoo OR play games OR at a cousins house OR on the farm where we got to see the farm animals OR go up in the crop duster plane for a ride over the farm OR a ride in a wagon pulled by horses around the field OR a pony ride . . . Rummel family reunions have always been so much fun and a place where memories were made!

This year I drove up by myself, as the rest of my family chose not to go, again - so it was a long drive, about 190 miles one-way. I left at 6am to get there for lunch at 1pm. I know it doesn't take seven hours to drive up to Nappanee from Mooresville, but I do plan on a good four hours. I left extra early this year so I could stop by Quaker Haven Camp and worship with Friends there on my way up, since I wouldn't be able to worship at Mooresville Friends and get to Nappanee by 1pm. What a great start to the day!

I see family reunions as so much fun! But why?

Well, I think a lot of it is getting together with E-X-T-E-N-D-E-D family. For me this is the only time I get a chance to see many of them and I certainly enjoy the HUGS, food and conversation!


My 'Aunt' and 'Uncle'

OK, hugs from cousins? YES! I love 'em, they're great . . . even though there are some of those cousins that I was brought up to address as 'Aunt' and 'Uncle' - it was part of that 'respect your elders' that was taught in our house when I was a kid. I do know the difference. I know they are my mom's cousins but to call adults by their first name, when I was growing up just wasn't done in my family . . . and that went beyond just family - my brothers and I also called several of our parents good friends 'Aunt' and 'Uncle.' Even now, as an adult, I address them as 'Aunt' and 'Uncle.' I really enjoy giving and receiving hugs equally. Hugs are always welcome upon arrive but you've gotta give and receive them before you leave as well . . . a year in between hugs is a long time - and sometimes it's even longer!


Cousins - one and all!

Food now, what more needs to be said here? Seriously? OK, for all my Quaker Friends out there food at a family reunion, especially when it's the Rummel's or the Jena's, is right up there with any Quaker pitch-in or shared meal that I've ever attended, including the ones we attended and hosted in Ireland and Northern Ireland. And yes, we occasional have the same issue with food . . . heavy on the desserts, or salads, or vegies! Last year we had a table overflowing with desserts! And when that happens it seems to even itself out the next year.

The thing about food at Rummel family reunions is that a lot of it is home grown, which everyone knows makes it that much better! Most of this side of my family are or have been farmers and the rest of us at one time or another have had our little garden plots in the backyard. The little slice of the Rummel family that I'm a part of has been known to get together before hand and figure out what each family was bringing so that if no one else showed up (which never happened) we'd have a meal between us! I remember my Grandma Meller taking cubes of Colby cheese for years . . . for us grandkids. That thought came to my mind as I was trying to decide what I would take for lunch, so Saturday night I picked up a pound of Colby Jack cheese to take with me - but I cut it into slices instead of cubes. Large bowls of fresh picked blueberries and fresh sweet corn have also been seen on the table at our reunions.


Updating family records . . .

There's also something to be said about the conversations that happen at family reunions . . . for some it's catching up on the last year. Hearing all about the family - the kids, the grandkids, the great-grandkids, work, school, vacations and the like. The new babies, the graduations, the engagements, the weddings, illnesses and accidents and also sometimes hearing about the deaths of family members.


Record keeping . . .

After lunch, we had our usual business meeting. Reading the minutes from last year, catching up on all the statistics and such. This year, for the extended Rummel family, there was a bumper crop of new life - so many that I lost track! I was excited to announce the birth of what would have been my parents first two great-grandchildren - Miss Isabelle Ann in December and Master Austin Douglas in May. My first grandchild and my first great-nephew!


Sharing family history . . .

Cousin Meryl gave us some updates to the Rummel family history. This is always so interesting! I won't bother you with all the details of  my family history, but if you're ever in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - take note of the 'Rummel Farm!' Yes, that Rummel farm in Gettysburg is part of my family history and part of the history of the Civil War. History is fun, isn't it?


Sharing about my recent Pilgrimage
to Ireland and Northern Ireland

Before and during lunch I had been sharing with several of my cousins (multiple generations) about the Pilgrimage to Ireland and Northern Ireland that I had just returned from. During the business meeting one of my cousins asked if I'd like to share a bit about it with the rest of the family, so I did.

It's never quick or easy to leave a family reunion . . . first, you've gotta say good-bye to everyone. Second, it's giving and receiving that second round of hugs - and sometimes these are longer and harder than the ones given and received when you arrived. And third, it's just hard to say good-bye - you never know when OR where you'll see each other again.

So, where's the ministry in a family reunion? The ministry is in the hugs, the food and the conversations. The ministry is within the generations. The ministry is among the generations. The ministry is in the sharing and the gathering together. The ministry is in our shared heritage. The ministry is in the stories that are shared. The ministry is in the updating of the family statistics. The ministry is in the love that is shared among the members of the family. The whole of the gathering is . . . a ministry. OK, we have at least one minister or pastor if you will in the family, but we don't need that for our family reunions to be a ministry or to minister to each other.

Ministry in a family reunion? You bet . . . at least in my families. God bless the Rummel, Jena, Meller, Christman and the Hagee families.



Note: I didn't take any pictures this year, unusual, so I'd like to thank 'Auntie C' for sharing the ones that she took with me . . . that's why you see me in so many of these pictures!

 

 

Music Ministry . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV



Music ministries seemed to turn up in some very unexpected locations . . . sometimes it turned up just around the corner out on the street and sometimes in more expected places. I'd like to share some of the music ministries I saw and heard while in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Accordion player
in Dublin

The first music I recall was while on the bus tour we took around Dublin, on Tuesday, July 23rd. I looked out the window of the bus and saw a man sitting on the sidewalk playing his accordion for donations, as people walked past him. I wondered what his story was. Why he was out on the street playing? It didn't appear that he was playing just to entertain those passing by. Was he homeless? In need of money to pay his bills? Did he have a family to support? Was he hungry? I'll never know the answer . . . the bus drove on.

Music during Ireland Yearly Meeting sessions in Cork was a bit of fun. The first music I recall was on Thursday, during the 'Singing' workshop that I attended along with two of my travel companions and several other Friends from England and Ireland. We sang several well known hymns/songs during the workshop in both English and Irish! Yes, we learned to sing at least part of each hymn/song in Irish. When I went into the workshop I was not expecting that I would be learning any Irish let alone find myself singing in Irish! I admit it was not easy, at least not for me to learn. That being said a few words were much easier to learn and pronounce than others. Before the workshop was over, we had agreed to sing a couple of songs, in a combination of English and Irish during the talent show on Saturday night. Yah, we were gonna sing in the talent show! We ended up singing three songs in English and Irish.

Saturday night the talent show was very musical. It was opened by a couple of Friends from the US, now working and living in London, England, who sang a couple of songs. The first was a very fun song about committees and the second one was one that he had written with his father, several years ago. A group of young adult Friends then did a really cute skit with a bit of singing included. The power point that I had put together was played - I used a couple of short recorded pieces of the Mooresville Friends bell choir with pictures of Mooresville Friends Meetinghouse, the Friendship House, Western Yearly Meetinghouse, Quaker Haven Camp along with Friends and activities that go on there. The choir, from Thursday's workshop, then sang three songs - we were able to get many in the audience to sing along with us. The Clerk of Ireland Yearly Meeting sang a song that she had written about clerking and we were encouraged to join in on the chorus. The evening ended with a couple of Friends teaching/trying to teach us several international folk dances. This was quite a bit of fun!

Before our 'shared meal' at Moyallon Conference Center, on Thursday, August 1st, with visiting Ulster Friends, they sang the Moyallon Grace for us, it was lovely! Thanks to the Friend who found the words and sent them to us. Now that I have the words, I need to find the tune, so I can learn to sing it, too! Here are the words:

'He giveth Heavenly measure,

Pressed down and running o're,

Oh what a priceless treasure,

Glory for evermore.

He supplies my every need,

He supplies my every need,

I do believe and His love received,

He supplies my every need.'

I've already posted about the 'International Storytelling' program that I attended with one of my Derry Friends, on Saturday, August 4th, and the singing that took place during that program, check out my post titled "Ministry in Story and Song . . ."

Guitar player on eastern walls
of Derry/Londonderry

On Sunday morning, August 4th, in Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland, we took a walk before we joined Bishop Street Friends for worship. As we walked to the Guildhall, there was a group entertaining the crowd out front. We then walked the eastern side walls, where we were entertained by a man sitting along the way, playing his guitar and singing for donations.

Several sights that we visited during our time in Ireland and Northern Ireland provided us with yet another type of music ministry, that which is found in nature – the waterfall I saw and heard at Blarney Castle, the rippling brooks at several locations, the birds flying and singing around us . . . that special music that God provided to help refresh us along our journey.

Waterfall at
Blarney Castle

It's been said that music soothes the soul. The music ministries that I experience and found myself a part of on this pilgrimage took on many different forms - accordion, guitar, bell choir, singing and the waterfalls and rippling brooks. All were freely shared with anyone who would take the time to open their ears and just listen. What an amazing range of gifts and talents God provided for us. I'm reminded of Psalm 100:

‘Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know ye that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.'

A Black Taxi Tour . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV



 
Our first day in Northern Ireland we drove from Moyallon Centre up to South Belfast. We parked the van at the South Belfast Meeting House, took a bus and then walked a bit to get to the Black Taxi Station for our tour. The tour will take us around West Belfast and give us some local history about the Troubles, the Peace Walls, the murals and memorials.



A section of the Peace Wall.

Now, before I go on about our Black Taxi Tour around West Belfast, let me say just a bit about the Peace Walls, in case someone reading this doesn't know about them - I didn't until I began reading the information sent out to those of us going on the Pilgrimage, and I still wasn't really prepared for what I saw. The Peace Walls are a series of barriers in Northern Ireland that separate the Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods. The purpose of the Peace Walls is to minimize inter-communal violence between the Catholics (who are mostly Irish nationalists and self-identify as Irish) and the Protestants (who are unionists who self-identify as British).



Photos of some of those killed
during The Troubles on a section
of the Peace Wall.

The Peace Walls range in length from a few hundred yards to over three miles. They are made of iron, brick and/or steel and are up to 25 feet high! Some have gates in them and some are staffed by police that allow passage during the day but are closed at night.

The first Peace Walls were built in 1969, following the riots and 'The Troubles.' They were originally built as temporary structures meant only to last about six-months, but are now more permanent. And the number of walls has grown over the years as well. Most of the Peace Walls are located in Belfast. There have been recent talks about taking the Peace Walls down, but a majority of the residents feel there is still a need to keep them up.

OK, so now on to our Black Taxi Tour . . .



Our driver explaining the different
murals on this part of the wall.

Our taxi driver had a very heavy Irish accent and spoke very fast - making it a bit hard to understand everything he was telling us. I had to really concentrate on what he was saying and still only caught and understood about half of it. What this did tell me, was that this was all very personal to him and that he was very passionate about what he was telling us. He did tell us that he was a Catholic and that he had been shot at twice. He also told us about his brother-in-law, also a Black Taxi driver, who had been shot 7 or 8 times. So, what we learned about the Troubles was from someone who had lived through it and mostly the Catholic side of it, but he did try to give us a well rounded view of things. A comment was made in our group later, and we agreed, that we were afraid to ask him to slow down as we might be there all day!



Mural on the end of the
building and the
plaques on the front.

During our tour our driver stopped several times so we could get out and look around and take pictures as he talked to us, I also took pictures as we drove along. I didn't realize how many pictures I had taken during the taxi tour until I divided them up into folders after I got home this week. I was amazed to see that I had taken 243 pictures! He said he'd keep driving us around and talking as long as he knew we were interested - in part we showed him we were interested by asking questions, asking him if he'd stop to take pictures and by the number of pictures we were taking. The taxi tour was to be an hour and a half and I think we were out for more like two hours, but I wasn't keeping track of the time.

There were a couple of times when our driver turned the taxi around in the middle of the street. I thought this was odd, but just figured there was nothing special for us to see further down and that he was turning around to go and show us something else in the other direction. It wasn't until later that day when it was mentioned that someone in the group said no, he turned around as he didn't feel it safe for him to drive any further up that road. I hadn't thought of that.



Our driver pointing out the different
element in this memorial.
A section of the Peace Wall is behind
the brick wall where the photos are.

We saw the murals along the sides of the roads and those painted on the sides of the buildings.  We stopped and saw various memorials that have been erected. Our driver pointed out plaques above doorways and on buildings - all had significance. All of this done to remember and honor those who have been killed during the troubles. And the murals aren't just painted and left - they are ever changing, being painted over and over again.



Our driver pointing out the 'cage'
over the backyard of the flat just on
the other side of the wall of this
memorial - this is there to protect them
from items that are thrown over the
wall - on the left.

We saw part of the Peace Wall and drove through the gates. saw houses on both sides and saw what those families who live along side the walls have to do to protect themselves and their property. Before I saw the Peace Wall in person the only thing I could compare them to was the Berlin Wall in Germany - something that I grew-up with. Now that I've been to West Belfast and seen the Peace Walls for myself I know there's no comparison.

When we had gotten back to the taxi station I asked what time of day was the worst, and our driver told us there is no  'good' time of the day. Shootings can happen at any minute.



Mural on the side of a building.

The Black Taxi Tour was well worth it. I expect that we saw parts of West Belfast that we wouldn't have seen otherwise. I have the feeling that we spent most of our time driving around in the Catholic area of the city, since our driver was Catholic and he would have felt safer there.

It's hard for me to imagine living through the Troubles but harder still to see that there is still so much tension between the faith bodies.



Another mural on the side
of a building, note the red,
white & blue painted curb -
 do you know where you are?

We talked about this later and I commented that they just need to 'get over it' and 'move on' in our group. My words weren't well received. I don't want to sound insensitive because I do understand their need to talk about it and share it as part of the healing process that they need to go through, but how healthy is it to dwell on something like this? Our taxi driver talks about it, it's part of his job, it gives him money to pay his bills and take care of his family. But how long can one dwell on the past, on such violence?

Our Black Taxi Tour came up in conversation with other Friends later on in the week over one of the 'shared meals' we had at Moyallon Centre. One of our guests said nearly the same thing I did about getting over it and needing to move on. We discussed it a bit more.



This mural is dedicated to those
who died of starvation during
the Great Hunger.

So, there are ministries going on here, yes Black Taxi Tours are a ministry. The taxi drivers sharing their stories and those of their fellow drivers - those that are still here and those that have died in the Troubles, are ministering. But those of us that take the Black Taxi Tours and listen to their stories and talk with them minister to the drivers as well. It's a two-way ministry as I believe most ministries are or should be.

I've gotta go back to the Berlin Wall . . . it went up and it came down. There is hope that the Peace Walls that went up will too someday come down. It's only a matter of time.