céad míle fáilte One hundred thousand welcomes from YWAM Ireland

Transcription

1 céad míle fáilte One hundred thousand welcomes from YWAM Ireland

2 AN CUAN AND ROSTREVOR LIFE You can expect to be fairly busy while staffing at An Cuan, between morning prayer, worship, local ministry, community life and some light coursework. We make a point to allot at least one day of rest within the week, but you should be prepared to have full days. To get the most out of this time it will require your own initiative to use everything that you will learn and experience in your initial 3 months to bring personal benefit and further expand the Kingdom of God. We are here to walk this journey alongside you. You will be living at An Cuan in Rostrevor, Northern Ireland. Rostrevor is a picturesque village located on the Northern Irish and Irish border. It is a predominately Catholic, Nationalist area. Situated below the Mourne Mountains near Kilbroney Forest Park on the eastern side of Carlingford Lough (the Irish Sea), it offers postcard views and ample recreational activity. Our facility is the former Christian Renewal Centre that used to be run by Catholics and Protestants alike. The centre was known for its prayer, spiritual renewal and reconciliation work during some of the darkest periods of conflict in Northern Ireland. We see the foundation that has been laid since 1974 and are privileged to carry on the legacy under YWAM Ireland s vision. An Cuan was pioneered just over 3 years ago, and we are excited to welcome you into our community! Since we are still in early days, we feel it s valuable that you know our roots, and where YWAM Ireland has been in the past. lived in a working-class neighborhood in West Belfast known as the Shankill. Our ministry was pioneered by Jonny Clark with a vision for reconciliation. Considered a Protestant, unionist or loyalist area, the Shankill is separated by peace lines (huge segments of cement wall and fence) from the Catholic, nationalist, Falls Road neighborhood. Both of these areas would have suffered during the Troubles in Northern Ireland that lasted from the late 1960 s until the mid 1990 s, and continue to exist in some isolation from the rest of the city, largely because of their reputations and socio-economic problems. For 10 years, we worked with different parts of the community on both sides of the wall. We would recommend that you read a little bit about the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and to familiarise yourself with terms such as unionist, nationalist, loyalist, and republican - which can easily be done on Wikipedia. The BBC also has a good history on the Troubles. It s important to note that our work in Belfast has not ended; it is only paused until An Cuan is well established as our National Training Centre and we have a committed team ready to move back to the city. YWAM Ireland is also partnered with Fire & Fragrance Ireland, YWAM Sligo, Voice of Peace Radio, YWAM Associates, Kerygma Teams, Mustard Tree Project and Family Life Resources all of which can be read about on our website. Our vision is to train, equip and send out new teams to pioneer bases around Northern Ireland and the Republic and to continue the work that was started in Belfast. The core team of YWAM Belfast moved to establish our YWAM ministry in Rostrevor when it was handed over by the Christian Renewal Centre. Prior to that, our community

3 HOUSING & COMMUNITY LIVING YWAM Rostrevor currently operates out of the centre that we have named An Cuan ( on-koo-in ) which means "Harbour" in the Irish language. Hospitality and Community living is a large aspect of our ministry here! We have visitors on a regular basis throughout the year. Most staff, visitors, volunteers and trainees stay within An Cuan and share the common spaces including the kitchen. Other staff have their own private flats within the centre. There are just a few families, young couples and single staff living in rented houses around the village. You will probably be sharing a bedroom - so be prepared for close fellowship! In addition, basic sheets, a blanket, and a pillow will be provided, but many find it more comfortable to sleep with a sleeping bag as well because it can be very cold in the winter! (You should bring one for outings and outreach opportunities, anyway). You will be given responsibilities that will include daily tasks in the cooking, maintenance, housekeeping and/or hospitality departments. Everyone takes ownership of stewarding An Cuan! Please take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with the ministries at An Cuan. We look forward to the role you will play in existing and new endeavours!

4 MEDICATION If you require special medication, please bring a sufficient supply. It is advisable for those who wear glasses or contact lenses or take any form of medication to have their prescription on paper with them should they need to refill it while in the UK. INSURANCE It is advised that you obtain medical insurance and/or travel insurance to cover you for the entire period of your staff commitment. It is important that your insurance includes - medical coverage, in/out patient hospital costs, reparation to home country in case of serious injury or illness, reparation of remains in case of death. It is also advisable to take out personal property protection as well. If you have no idea where to start, we can recommend the short-term missionary coverage offered by Banner Group ( You will be able to register with the local GP Practice upon arriving in Rostrevor. The cost of doctor visits and some prescriptions may be covered by the NHS, but you cannot rely 100% on this service as a foreign national. PACKING HINTS Needed items: Bible Personal Medication Torch (Flash Light) Pens & notebooks Waterproof shoes Sleeping bag Washcloth & towel Umbrella Alarm Clock Note: the climate in Northern Ireland can be much colder (and wetter) than many people are acclimated to. Therefore we advise packing warm, layer-able clothing, a durable/waterproof coat and scarves, hats, etc. Optional items to consider: Camera Batteries Hair dryer Mirror Small sewing kit Musical instruments Laptop Stationary Sleeping mat The above list is not necessarily exhaustive, and will vary according to individual needs. CLOTHING Bring clothing appropriate to the weather conditions you will be exposed to: In Northern Ireland it will be damp and cold, and frequently rainy and windy. Also for church and social gatherings, nice skirts/dresses for ladies and trousers/ slacks for men are needed. It is important to note as well that you will be visiting and residing in areas with a history of conflict, where care should be taken to avoid representing a symbol which may cause offense or hinder our work as YWAM. Irish or British paraphernalia, such as flags, shamrocks, national colours, etc., should be avoided. We also ask that you not wear any military related clothing or symbols representing any nation. LUGGAGE Please limit your luggage to what you can comfortably carry at one time by yourself. You will find that you can get by on very little, and extra luggage will be a hindrance. We suggest you roll your clothes to provide more room when packing. Remember that total luggage includes your sleeping bag & mat. We recommend one suitcase or hiking backpack plus one small piece of hand baggage. Most airlines limit your luggage allowance to 20kgs. for check-in and 5kgs. for hand baggage. A backpack is preferable to a suitcase, especially for travel and outreach opportunities. **Please note that storage space is very limited and you will inconvenience yourself and your roommates if you bring more than we recommend! LAUNDRY You may find it helpful to mark your clothes with your name using a permanent laundry marker or sew on labels. Your laundry will be your own responsibility. There is a coin-operated washing machine and dryer on the base. The washing machine & dryer costs 2 per use and you will need your own detergent.

5 TRAVELING TO ROSTREVOR When you arrive in Northern Ireland we try our best to arrange transportation for you from the airport! We will send you details closer to your arrival date. If for some reason we are unable to pick you up, then you will need to take a bus from the airport to NEWRY BUS CENTRE. Buses travel from Belfast City Airport (BHD), Belfast International Airport (BFS) or Dublin Airport (DUB) on regular intervals. From Newry Bus Centre we can collect you by car, or you can take bus 39 to Rostrevor. MONEY Your Staff fees are in British Pounds Sterling (GBP). Please pay them using cash, bank drafts, wire transfers, or personal cheque - it is not possible to make a payment using a credit or debit card (unless you use PayPal but please contact us first). We accept British Pounds, Euros, American and Canadian Dollars. Any bank or exchange charges on this end will be deducted from the total credited against your fee balance (these amounts are usually pretty small). If you have trouble with this, please contact a member of the Personnel Dept. and we can help you. Note: You need to keep the YWAM Rostrevor phone number and address with you while you travel especially when you fill out a Landing Card for Immigration officials. If you are traveling on a Visa (non-eu or UK national): We stress again that you should not book a flight until your passport is in your hands with a valid visa. Once you are ready to book a flight, make sure you arrive via a UK point of entry, not a Republic of Ireland airport. If you do not enter via a UK (England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland) airport, your visa will not be properly validated. You should fly into one of the Belfast airports directly or into Dublin via another airport in Great Britain (such as London, Manchester, etc.). If you are an EEA national and do not need a visa: Many budget airlines fly directly to one of the two Belfast airports every day. Alternately, you are able to fly to Dublin as well. ABSENTEE AND CONTACT DETAILS POLICY Because you are coming here as an overseas migrant on a UK visa, we as your sponsor, are required to know where you are at all times. If you are unwell, and are unable to show up for staff activity or to one of our YWAM meetings, you are required to let us know before 9am, and notify the Personnel Department or your one-to-one Staff member. Also we need to know of any changes to your contact details while you are here.

6 POWER SUPPLY The power supply in Northern Ireland is 220/240v AC. Appliances in Northern Ireland must be fitted with 3-pin 13 amp plugs, or have suitable adapters. & PHONE An Cuan has wireless internet access in designated areas. Phone cards are available for purchase in town, and phones are available to use with a prepaid card. We always recommend those with laptops to download Skype, a free phone/video chat service online. Gmail accounts also allow you to make phone calls from your computer. Mobile phones can be purchased and SIM cards are available from a few different networks. Pay-as-you-go plans are available for as little as 10 per month. Contracts are also an option. MAILING ADDRESS You can have any mail sent to: [Your Name] c/o YWAM Ireland 44 Shore Road, Co. Down Rostrevor BT34 3ET Northern Ireland QUESTIONS?? Feel free to contact us: Phone: +44 (0) personnel.ywamrostrevor@gmail.com