It’s the first weekend in April and I am happy to report the sun is finally making a guest appearance here in Dundalk. About time, too. Right now I am sitting at home waiting for the first guests to arrive. It’s Family Night tonight. Although I have to say this one kinda took on a life of its own.
Anyways, the whole idea of the Family Nights started a couple of weeks ago.
Inspiration struck while talking to my room-mate, about how through the massive hiring happening at the company I work for, the town was filling up pretty quickly with young people from all over Europe. All of whom have been uprooted, separated from their home, friends and family and in most cases are out here on their own. Somehow this struck a chord with me, I mean, if there is one thing I do know a little about its being alone in a foreign city, country, with a foreign language. This is when I realized that I can actually do something about this. After all I have a place of my own that I am slowly turning into a home for me and for whoever else needs a place to belong – even if only for a little while. Obviously I can’t replace their friends & family, but I can make them feel welcome, wanted and accepted with an open home and a warm embrace, not to forget the occasional home cooked meal.
I can offer them a place where they can come as they are, no questions asked.
And so about 3 weeks ago without much further ado I invited the first few people over.
Even though only two guys, Marco and Jerome, from my first mentoring-group could actually make it, we still had lots of fun together – despite the fact that the pasta was a bit too al dente and that I forgot to set the timer on the garlic bread (apparently that’s the price you have to pay for charming company ).
Seriously though, halfway through the preparations I got so excited that for a moment there I was honestly doubting my ability to cook at all, that is, until I remembered that once upon a time I used to run a kitchen for 50+ people.
Funny thing though, at the end of the night after they had left, I realized I needed this just as much as they did. Isn’t it amazing how God can sometimes provide you with the things you need, even if (or maybe especially if) you never even knew you needed them to begin with?… AMAZING!!
I’m also beginning to understand why God created me with so much love in my heart. It may sound silly or seem trivial to some, but fact of the matter is that I simply love people. The more multi-and-cross-cultural the better. I love getting to know people, both as representatives of their families, cities, countries, cultures and customs, but also as individuals. To figure out what makes them tick, laugh, smile, sad, thoughtful…, to learn how they communicate and relate to me, to others…
Time to get a-cooking… I’ll continue this later or possibly tomorrow… 2 days later… sorry, never got back around to finishing this post, on Saturday night it was simply too late and last night I was busy getting the place cleaned up again – on 2 hours of sleep and after a 10-hour-shift at work.
All in all Saturday night was great fun. The number of guests had tripled since the first dinner and I found out that for a dinner party 8 people, possibly 1 or 2 more, is about as much as my little 2-bedroom-apartment can handle. But as we say in my family “There is always room for one more”, so if I ever do end up with more than 8-10 people, I will simply have to stick to making/serving finger food. :)
Did I mention that Saturdays dinner was simultaneously the end-of-probation-celebration for Andrei, Markus, Anika, Olga and me? Yep, as of April 1st we are officially out of probation and thus now full-time-open-ended employees of the Company. So weird. And so cool at the same time.
Since we wanted to celebrate this occasion and I had sorta planned my next family night for that weekend anyways, we figured why not simply combine the two. So we started with dinner at my place and then headed into town for some celebratory drinks at “the garden”. good times. (despite the lack of sleep, followed by and early start for work the next morning).
Seems like I’m doing this post in reverse chronological order. Easter weekend was my first visit in Germany for this year, I hadn’t been back since before Christmas. Even though it was a very short stay (Maundy Thursday til Tuesday after Easter), at least it was a wee bit longer than my last stay in Mainz.
It was so good to see my family again, especially since I managed to see every one of them this time. I also got to spent some time with my dear friend Anna, see my old church “Der Fels” again and do some shopping, stocking up on some of my favorite foods and hair/skin care products, etc… and just like that before I knew it I was back ‘home’ in Ireland.
Yes, it may still be a little bit weird at times, you know, having a home again after such a long time on the road, but it is nonetheless true, that I really have ‘arrived’ and am starting to grow some roots again, in this place, but even more so in and with the people around me. so good.
With Easter still on my mind I want to leave you with words from a song that remind me of what this holiday means to me.
“When I see You I see scars that are matching
When I see You I see scars that are matching
I know what I'm feeling
You are feeling scars remaining through
When I see You I see scars!”
(song: “Scars Remain” from the album “Scars Remain” by disciple – Galatians 6:17, Hebrews 4:14-15)
in His abounding love,
hanna
Anyways, the whole idea of the Family Nights started a couple of weeks ago.
Inspiration struck while talking to my room-mate, about how through the massive hiring happening at the company I work for, the town was filling up pretty quickly with young people from all over Europe. All of whom have been uprooted, separated from their home, friends and family and in most cases are out here on their own. Somehow this struck a chord with me, I mean, if there is one thing I do know a little about its being alone in a foreign city, country, with a foreign language. This is when I realized that I can actually do something about this. After all I have a place of my own that I am slowly turning into a home for me and for whoever else needs a place to belong – even if only for a little while. Obviously I can’t replace their friends & family, but I can make them feel welcome, wanted and accepted with an open home and a warm embrace, not to forget the occasional home cooked meal.
I can offer them a place where they can come as they are, no questions asked.
And so about 3 weeks ago without much further ado I invited the first few people over.
Even though only two guys, Marco and Jerome, from my first mentoring-group could actually make it, we still had lots of fun together – despite the fact that the pasta was a bit too al dente and that I forgot to set the timer on the garlic bread (apparently that’s the price you have to pay for charming company ).
Seriously though, halfway through the preparations I got so excited that for a moment there I was honestly doubting my ability to cook at all, that is, until I remembered that once upon a time I used to run a kitchen for 50+ people.
Funny thing though, at the end of the night after they had left, I realized I needed this just as much as they did. Isn’t it amazing how God can sometimes provide you with the things you need, even if (or maybe especially if) you never even knew you needed them to begin with?… AMAZING!!
I’m also beginning to understand why God created me with so much love in my heart. It may sound silly or seem trivial to some, but fact of the matter is that I simply love people. The more multi-and-cross-cultural the better. I love getting to know people, both as representatives of their families, cities, countries, cultures and customs, but also as individuals. To figure out what makes them tick, laugh, smile, sad, thoughtful…, to learn how they communicate and relate to me, to others…
Time to get a-cooking… I’ll continue this later or possibly tomorrow… 2 days later… sorry, never got back around to finishing this post, on Saturday night it was simply too late and last night I was busy getting the place cleaned up again – on 2 hours of sleep and after a 10-hour-shift at work.
All in all Saturday night was great fun. The number of guests had tripled since the first dinner and I found out that for a dinner party 8 people, possibly 1 or 2 more, is about as much as my little 2-bedroom-apartment can handle. But as we say in my family “There is always room for one more”, so if I ever do end up with more than 8-10 people, I will simply have to stick to making/serving finger food. :)
Did I mention that Saturdays dinner was simultaneously the end-of-probation-celebration for Andrei, Markus, Anika, Olga and me? Yep, as of April 1st we are officially out of probation and thus now full-time-open-ended employees of the Company. So weird. And so cool at the same time.
Since we wanted to celebrate this occasion and I had sorta planned my next family night for that weekend anyways, we figured why not simply combine the two. So we started with dinner at my place and then headed into town for some celebratory drinks at “the garden”. good times. (despite the lack of sleep, followed by and early start for work the next morning).
Seems like I’m doing this post in reverse chronological order. Easter weekend was my first visit in Germany for this year, I hadn’t been back since before Christmas. Even though it was a very short stay (Maundy Thursday til Tuesday after Easter), at least it was a wee bit longer than my last stay in Mainz.
It was so good to see my family again, especially since I managed to see every one of them this time. I also got to spent some time with my dear friend Anna, see my old church “Der Fels” again and do some shopping, stocking up on some of my favorite foods and hair/skin care products, etc… and just like that before I knew it I was back ‘home’ in Ireland.
Yes, it may still be a little bit weird at times, you know, having a home again after such a long time on the road, but it is nonetheless true, that I really have ‘arrived’ and am starting to grow some roots again, in this place, but even more so in and with the people around me. so good.
With Easter still on my mind I want to leave you with words from a song that remind me of what this holiday means to me.
“When I see You I see scars that are matching
When I see You I see scars that are matching
I know what I'm feeling
You are feeling scars remaining through
When I see You I see scars!”
(song: “Scars Remain” from the album “Scars Remain” by disciple – Galatians 6:17, Hebrews 4:14-15)
in His abounding love,
hanna
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