Seeing Progress in Little Ways

This week marks the 7 week mark, which doesn't seem like a long time but in the eyes of a toddler it can be a very long time. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday I spend time with toddlers and parents either at the toddler group or at the drop in session with Bridging the Gap. 

The first week, some of the toddlers wouldn't even look at me and they clung to their mums. But since I have been a steady face every week, they are starting to get more comfortable with me. This week was a milestone when multiple toddlers played with me and wanted to sing next to me at the different sessions. I can see their growth in just 7 weeks and it gives me hope that just as they are getting comfortable with me over time, I too will become more and more comfortable with my life here in Glasgow and my place in the different work I do. 

On Tuesday one of my favorite kids, and yes I do have a few favorites, who is really quiet even said goodbye to me and was laughing and screaming with happiness during the running around time of toddlers group. Another one of my favorites is a little baby and the first week she wouldn't leave her mom and over the last few weeks she has been crawling on her own and playing on her own. Last week she still wanted her mum in view while playing but this week she was completely on her own crawling around playing near me, not even looking at her mum. It was a proud moment and I can't wait for moments like these even if they seem small. A lot of these kids are foreign and don't speak much English but to see them playing with each other and laughing is a wonderful sight!

Blessings, 

Julie

A Little Bit of Awkwardness....

I have shared a passage from d365 which is a daily devotional website. I read it the other day and thought it related very well to my situation so far: 

"We have all felt like the outsider at some point in our lives. When we feel lonely or isolated, we want so badly for someone on the inside to come close and draw us in.  This scenario that Mark tells us about is a reality that many of us live everyday; and it becomes most real at lunchtime. Whether you are 15 or 55 years old, there is always a debate about where to sit and who to sit with at lunch. It is easy to sit with our friends, but look around — is anyone isolated? Jesus teaches us that to love one another is to be in relationship, no matter what. We may disagree, we may think that we have nothing in common with someone, but Jesus tells us to look past that. See beyond the differences and seek one another out. Follow the example of Christ, risk a little awkwardness or ridicule, and see how you connect to your fellow human beings, your brothers and sisters in Christ."

Ashley Lytle

Since I have only been here a month I have felt isolated and have wondered who to sit next to at lunch or who to converse with during the drop-in or mum and tots group. I have had to tell myself to just jump in and sit next to someone even if it is a little awkward at first. I have met a lot of people at the drop-in that do not speak English fluently and it has been difficult to have a conversation. I have had to go out of my comfort zone to build relationships. But I always remind myself that this what my year is all about. I am here to build relationships, to help others feel comfortable at lunch, to see beyond our language differences or cultural differences and to learn from one another. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have had thus far and I am learning each day from the community around me.

Blessings,
Julie

A Normal Work Week

I am sure many of you are wondering other than hiking and visiting beautiful places what have I been spending all my time doing. Here is a look into the life of Julie as a YAV each week!

On Mondays all the YAVs and our Scottish volunteer Iona meet with our site coordinator Lynn. We talk about highs and lows of the week, what we have been doing over the weekend and we check in with her to make sure that everything is going well. On some Mondays we meet separately, one on one, and other Mondays we meet as a group and usually get to listen to another person or speaker come in and tell us about their organization. Last week we had the pleasure of visiting Eleanor at Wevolution. Wevolution is an amazing organization that helps groups of women become self reliant and allows them the space and training to become a group, think of an income generating idea to do each week, and give them the skills to make that creation happen. These women are then able to have a social circle, somewhere and something specific to do one day each week, and they learn to save money and be accountable. Wevolution took their model from self-help groups from India and are trying to spread the model across Glasgow. It was really great to hear from Eleanor and to see their work space and how they were inspired. Here is a link to check out if you are interested: WEvolution

On Tuesdays I spend my morning with a mum and tots group. Each week we set out toys for them to play with, we do an arts and crafts time, a run around time with hulahoops and balls, and a singing time. It is amazing how many little kids songs I have learned in the last 4 weeks. I wasn't aware there were so many, but Little Green Frog is probably my favorite. Maybe if everyone is lucky I will do a video blog of me singing it! In the afternoon on Tuesdays I have a meeting with my supervisor John to talk about my work placement and how things are going and then at 3pm I help out with the children's choir. The Children's choir is run through a program called Givin' It Laldie, which comes from "Gie it Laldie", which means to do something with gusto in the context of music. The organization has 8 different musical groups all designed to give people music to build confidence. The children's choir helps bridge the sectarianism between two of the primary schools in the Gorbals area. For the first half of the school year they practice at the non-denominational primary school and the other half the year they practice at the catholic primary school. The kids are encouraged to make friends with people from the other school. Here is a link for more information about the choir: Gorbals children's choir

On Wednesdays I get to work in the community cafe that is located in the church. We serve soup, tea, coffee, sandwiches, and treats. It is a great time to talk with the customers sitting in the cafe and learn about their lives. There are a lot of regulars and it is a great time to learn about the community.

Thursdays are a crazy day with Bridging the Gaps Drop In in the morning and first part of the afternoon and then in the afternoon I go to the Bridging the Gap Transition in the Schools and then in the evening I help with a drama group in the church. The Drop In is at a community center in the Gorbals area and it is a place for people to come and meet other people, play games and do different activities, and get a meal. There are activities for both the children and the adults. I work with the kids team and a lot of the parents on Tuesday also come to the Drop in on Thursday.

The school transition works with primary 7s who will enter into secondary school the next fall. The kids will go from a small primary school to the largest catholic secondary school in Europe so it can be very overwhelming. The program that Bridging the Gap runs takes secondary 4s and pairs them with primary 7s to make the transition easier. The drama club at night is just 10 kids and we are working towards a show every 3 weeks. We do mime exercises with them and little scenes each week.

On Fridays I get the morning off and then in the afternoon there is another mum and tots group. I love all the work I am doing and all the new people I am meeting. It is never a dull moment in the Gorbals area!

Blessings,
Julie

Picture Perfect

I don't have an eloquent way of summing up everything that has happened in the last 10 days in words but I have lots of pictures. So in this post I will be telling you my story through pictures! I hope you enjoy.

Blessings,
Julie

 Pictures from the Refugee Vigil held in George Square. We lit candles and held signs for the refugees.
 

At Proms in the Park in Glasgow Green. It wasn't an American Prom but a type of concert with a symphony and some other choral groups and soloists. 

My flatmate Amanda and I are standing next to this Glasgow Green Man on our way to Proms in the Park. 

Visiting St. Andrews and Perth for the weekend with Sam's placement. We went to the beach and got to try out golfing on the putting green. I pretended like I was a famous golfer!

This is Sam and I at the beach. She is working at St. Pauls which has a lot of drop in programs for kids of different ages. There were 8 kids ages 15-17 that came on this trip. 

We got ice cream at this amazing ice cream shop and ate it next to the ruins of this cathedral! It was spectacular and the boys ended up getting two tubs of 24 scoops of ice cream, which we then had to help them finish. 

A view from the path along the water. Absolutely beautiful and the sun was shining all day!

On our drive back from St. Andrews to the cabins we were staying in Perth we crossed over this bridge and saw this view!

A Piece of Home

The last few days of orientation have been less crazy but just as interesting. On Saturday we took a trip with Lynn our site coordinator, her husband Rory, and her colleague, Noel to the Falls of Clyde and New Lanark. New Lanark is a place where Robert Owen had a cotton mill and all the workers lived on the property. It was one of the first factories that cared about its workers well being. We went on a beautiful hike (hill walk) through greenery to the Falls of Clyde. It was so nice to get out of the city for the day and to explore. The hike looked exactly how I’d picture Scotland would be. It had rolling hills with sheep, and there were parts of the walk that were under the trees, next to the river. It made me think of Oregon and reminded me of home, which was really nice.

On Sunday we split up and went to the church services at our respective placement sites. I went to my placement site, which is Gorbals and they were having a Baptism. It was the most well behaved baby I have ever seen. After I went out to lunch with my minister, Ian, and two former American volunteers, Paul and Gail. They had volunteered here in Glasgow for five years and now they’re back in town for a few weeks to visit. It was also nice to be around some other Americans and hear their stories about their time here.

The week continued with meeting more new people and learning more about Scottish culture and how the Church of Scotland works. Then on Monday night we had dinner at Lynn’s.  Noel made Indian curry that was absolutely delicious.

Me eating my first real Scotland scone at the ICafe where we are currently using internet. 

Tuesday I got another feel of home here in Glasgow. I went on a run to find a park near our flat. It was a huge park with tons of different pathways to explore. I wasn’t quite sure where I was going, but I ended up finding this path next to a river. It was covered with trees, and you could hear the water rushing next to the path. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes and could envision myself back in Eugene running next to the Willamette River through the trees. Although I am having the most wonderful time it is nice to know that even being half way around the world I can still find pieces of home in this city.

Fr. Greg Boyle and the roomies. (Left to right: Me, Laura Kate, Fr. Greg Boyle, Sam, Amanda)

Tuesday night we went to a free talk at St. Aloysius’ College. Fr. Greg Boyle SJ was speaking about Homeboy Industries, the largest gang prevention organization in the United States that he founded. They now have 10 social enterprises running in Los Angeles, California.  I read his book, Tattoos on the Heart, a year ago and loved it so much that when I found out he would be speaking here I really wanted to attend it. He exceeded my expectations! He is a phenomenal speaker and a lot of what he said gave me insight on this coming year and the work I will be doing.

One of the things he said that stuck with me most was that “if you think you can save people you will burn out.” He told the audience to just walk alongside the people we are working with when doing service and don’t try to save them. It was also interesting because he said Homeboy Industries doesn’t help people that don’t want their help. He was hilarious but also sincere and at times during the talk I had tears in my eyes. If he ever comes to speak near where you live, I highly suggest attending.

He also challenged us with the question of “how can you help the wounded if you do not welcome your own wounds?” He suggested, “we blur the line between service provider and service receiver.” The last thing I will leave you all with is that we all “stand in awe of what the poor have to carry, not in judgment of how they carry it.”

Blessings,

Julie

My view walking back from work across the River Clyde

The first of many hard days to come....

Disclaimer, this post was written on Friday but I have not had internet until today so I am posting it today and it refers to Friday. 

Today was the first difficult day. When thinking about what it would be like to be here I knew that I would miss my family and friends but I didn’t think that I would have this hard of a day in the first week we were here. We have been with people and around people for 12 days straight due to orientation in New York and now this and we have been learning all this new information, meeting tons of new people and it has been great but it also has been overwhelming and a bit of a people overload, even for an extrovert like me. Today started off learning lots of new information about the Scottish government and politics and it was fascinating. They have multiple different levels of government and this time in their history is very interesting because they had a very close vote between parties of if they were going to leave the UK or not. By the end of the day I was exhausted and cranky and really just wanted some alone time.

I ended up going for a run. I ran down to the River Clyde and ran along it for a while trying to sort out my thoughts. I came across St. Andrews Cathedral. I walked inside right as they were staring adoration. As soon as I sat down and started praying my emotions let go and all my frustrations and worries and homesickness came out of me. As soon as I had had a good cry I started to feel better. I was able to thank God for the opportunities I have had and the many things and people I have experienced just in 4 days of being in Glasgow. I was able to go to confession at 4:30 and I knew that I had not stumbled upon this church at this exact time by myself. Then to make this alone time even better the hymn we sang at the end of adoration was won written by St. Thomas Aquinas who was an important saint at the Newman Center at Oregon. I smiled to myself and it let me know that everything will be ok. The adoration ended and I talked to this lovely elderly man who had grown up in Glasgow and gave me lots of ideas of historical places to go see as soon as he figured out I had moved here. By the time we were done talking 5:15 daily mass was starting so I stayed for mass. It was exactly what I needed today and I realized that I m not alone even if it sometimes feels like it. God loves me and he is always walking with me wherever I go.

I have shared one of my favorite poems with you all and it happened to be hung on the wall at Amanda’s parish when we went to visit on Thursday. It has been a recurring poem in my life so I thought I would share it.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,

other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed

that during the low periods of my life,

when I was suffering from

anguish, sorrow or defeat,

I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,

"You promised me Lord,

that if I followed you,

you would walk with me always.

But I have noticed that during

the most trying periods of my life

there have only been one

set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most,

you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,

"The times when you have

seen only one set of footprints,

is when I carried you."

Mary Stevenson

Blessings,

Julie

Arrival in Glasgow!

When I got on the plane on Monday from New York to Glasgow I was tired from traversing the trains to get tot the airport but I was excited to arrive and meet our new Scottish roommate, to start living in Glasgow, and to begin learning about our work placements. The three other girls I am in Scotland with are Laura Kate from South Carolina, and Sam and Amanda from Ohio. They too were also just as excited and we took pictures in the plane with bright smiles! When we arrived in Glasgow at 7:30am on Tuesday we were greeted by Lynn our site coordinator, Fred a colleague of hers, and Iona our new Scottish roommate. We drove to the flat and breathed a sigh of relief when we unlocked the door to a 5 bedroom flat. We picked our rooms, had tea (the first of the seven cups I had that day), and chatted. We ended up walking around the city trying to keep ourselves awake but we were “flagging”, as they say here, meaning we were exhausted and it was very obvious. We ended up going to dinner at Lynn’s house with her family with food made by John, my work placement supervisor. He is a wonderful cook and dinner was lovely except that by the end of it we were all falling asleep at the table.

The day was finally over and we were going to sleep in our new rooms. The next few days flew by and were just as busy as the first but we weren’t sleep walking this time. On Wednesday we got to go on a scavenger hunt around the city center. We had to ask people walking by what certain things meant and we had to take some pictures with wellies (rain boots), a courgette (zucchini), and a car boot (trunk of a car). It was an exciting day and we also got to sit in a committee meeting and eat lunch and meet some people from the Church of Scotland Priority areas committee.

A Statue outside of the GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art) 
 

Pictures from the Glasgow City Council Building

On Thursday we got to visit work placements. We went to St. Pauls, which is Sam’s parish. We went to Gorbals Parish, which is mine and got to have lunch and then in the afternoon we went to Amanda’s parish, which is called Carnwadric. We met so many people and they were all so hospitable. We are all very excited for our placements. We will be going to the other two placements on Tuesday. Arriving in Glasgow could not have been better and I am learning so much about the priority areas and how the Church of Scotland works.

Blessings,

Julie