Hello Friends!

I have been in Ireland for two weeks now, although it seems like an eternity! We have endured a whole week of orientation and the school begins classes tomorrow. I have had the opportunity to travel to Dublin and stay there a night as well as explore all over the city of Belfast. The people here in Northern Ireland are so welcoming and friendly! I have met some great people. The people that live on the campus are mainly international students, which I think is awesome! I have made friends from Ghana, Slovenia, Canada, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, Ireland, Rwanda, England, Germany, Taiwan, and Tanzania! Its truly an international setting!

Hello from Northern Ireland!

I have arrived safely in Ireland and absolutely love it! We all arrived on Monday into Dublin about 5:30 am and we then took a bus to Belfast. We got settled into our rooms and took a tour around campus. The landscaping is beautiful and the campus is small and quaint. I don't have much time to write, but I wanted to drop a note. I'm not really sure if anyone reads this... but Ill get it out there just in case.... For some reason my computer won't download pictures onto the internet right now, but Ill try and get them working sometime...

<>< Monica

Finally

Im FINALLY leaving! I have been in Chicago visiting some Moody friends before I leave. Im so thankful to have been able to spend time with these people before I go to Ireland! I leave in a couple of hours to fly to Dublin (overnight) and then take a bus to Belfast. Please pray for safe travels and that my luggage will meet the weight requirements! I will update soon with pictures!

<><

Bon Voyage!

I will soon be embarking on the journey of a lifetime. I hope to see things I have never seen before, taste things I have never tasted, and experience things I have never experienced. My hope is that God molds me more than ever before, more into the woman He wants me to be. I desire to be more like him and in the coming months, regardless of the fact that I will be in a different country, I want to yearn more for Him.

I learned many things this past summer that I thought i would never have learned. I learned what it truly meant to need Christ. Every day was a struggle. A struggle to get up, a struggle to get to work, a struggle to meet people where they were at. I learned more of what it means to have a servants heart and to have a positive attitude both inside and out. God stretched me so much this summer and although it was the hardest summer I have yet experienced, I know it was for the best.

I am excited to start this new chapter of my life, spending 4 months in a foreign country with my best friend; meeting new people and seeing new things, God has truly blessed me with this opportunity. I pray that this journey will open my eyes to the world and give me a wider perspective on life.

Bon Voyage,

MTP

PS: I will updating this blog as I travel and study in Ireland. Ill try hard to get pictures up as well!