Email: Jessica Samoy

Dear Friends,

I hope this update finds you all well! January often seems to be a difficult month. The Christmas excitement has passed, New Year’s resolutions fade, and the days are still cold and wet. I have heard references to the “January Blues” here in Belfast, and I hope that you all are finding the music in the blues instead. I thought January was going to be quite difficult, but, honestly, January has been fantastic.

January has brought new challenges. My newest adventure and biggest challenge is some serious cross-community work, although it’s probably not the kind of cross-community work that you think of when in the context of Northern Ireland.

Since the beginning of January, I have become the lead drama teacher at Ballygolan Primary School. Ballygolan Primary is a small Protestant school in the middle of a Catholic neighborhood. In order to get to school, some of the students literally cross through a peace line, that is, a huge metal fence with a small door in the middle of it. It’s only open right before and immediately after school, and it has a security camera overlooking the gate. In all honesty, the kids at Ballygolan are a little bit rougher than some of the other students I work with, but there seem to be several reasons behind it—and they really are wonderful! It’s at Ballygolan that I have been engaging in a different kind of cross-community work.

Drama is an integrated class. The school also has a speech and hearing department. On Friday afternoons, children from the speech and hearing department come to participate in the drama class. Before Christmas, I was helping the drama teacher. I wrote before about the Harvest play we put on, but after that play the class didn’t really meet, as the school was preparing for the Christmas play. Now, the class is back on and I am the teacher.

Some weeks are better than others, but overall the class is really coming together as a community, and the students are beginning to accept me as a part of them. It’s amazing to see the people in the class helping and encouraging each other. We play a lot of visual games—passing a piece of fabric around, for example, and using our imaginations and a sound to make it anything from a toothbrush to a horse. Or we begin with a space like a kitchen, and once the space is established, others add to it to create an entire place. We’ve also been playing a lot with emotions. By using games like these in which everyone can play and not seem “different,” the class is really coming together. I hope that the students’ trust, commitment, and confidence continue to grow. We are learning that we’re not as different as we seem, and I hope this lesson will affect the young people in many aspects of life.

Last week was the centenary for the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.” There were several services around the city where people from different denominations met together to pray. On Sunday Liz preached on the need for the church to reflect the love of Jesus and for everyone to get out of their comfort zones, no matter their political affiliation, and go and pray with others who love Jesus at the Catholic church down the road that Sunday evening. (I heard that it was really well attended, but I couldn’t go because I was running a youth group.) I am learning a lot from Liz. She is not afraid to push boundaries and move people to action even though some Presbyterian churches here in Northern Ireland are still not accepting of women in the pulpit.

During the week, Mo and I went to the service at St. Anne’s Cathedral. The church and service were really beautiful. It’s amazing to think of how many times we’ve walked past the cathedral without ever looking in. The service and the week are really important for all of us. It’s not that all Christians need to agree, but remembering that we all share a love for Jesus and should treat each other as Christ could change a lot of conflict. We’re all a part of the same love. The theme of the week was “pray without ceasing,” from 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18:

But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters… Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always see to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

So much is easier said than done, but this is something I will strive to do.

Sometimes I can’t believe that it’s “my job” this year to simply go where I need to be at a particular time, smile, listen, help where I can, and just be present. Life is incredible, and God is even more amazing.

It’s starting to snow as I write this. I hope that you all are having a wonderful day! I do miss everyone at home, but I know I am where I need to be. Thanks for your continued love and support.

Peace and love always,

Jessica Murphy Samoy