Just Bouncing Around

I have literally been bouncing around all week!
In the last week I have been to Fermanagh, Ballintoy, Belfast, County Antrim, Liverpool, Leicester, Birmingham and London!
It has been fun and I am exhausted!
I have been priveledged to see a bunch of the UK in the last few days, Giants Causeway, Buckingham Palace, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, London Eye, Liverpool & Everton's Stadiums, The Liverpool Cathedral (5th largest in the WORLD), Big Ben, London Bridge,Wembley Stadium (ON GAME DAY)...it has been really amazing!
& Paul and Ros has a little baby girl!!!!!
All my experiences the last few days have been too sweet to put into words so here are some pictures and soccer writeups :)
LOTS OF LOVE...dont forget about me !

http://twu.ca/athletics/spartan/spartan-of-the-week/2010-2011/2011-04-27-holly-strom2.html

http://niwfa.org/games/info/907

LOVE NAT

This week has been soccer filled to say the least.
Wednesday I ended up getting cleared for the first team's match and we won 2-1! I scored a goal :)
http://niwfa.org/games/info/898
 I also got to play with the reserves on Thursday. I scored a hatrick to make it 3-2. On Friday AIA put on a 12-12 hour cycle to raise funds for Malawi and Moldova that I took part in.

The also night involved an interactive quiz night fundraiser (kind of like a big game show with teams).The night was thoroughly enjoyed and was a great success!

I am also going to China in August as I made the World University Games Team for Canada.
http://www.twu.ca/athletics/womens-soccer/news-release/2011-2012/2011-04-20-fisu-games.html

I return home from Ireland July 20th, and start FISU training camp July 27th in Vancouver,
before we head to Shenzhen, China. I am feeling very blessed since I have been given so many oppurtunites to travel, meet amazing people and of course play soccer.

AIA went to Dublin yesterday with a 7 aside team and we played in a tournament against S.Ireland teams. At the end of the tournament I got to speak on my experience in Paraguay and what it was like to go on tour with my favourite Spartans, play against their National team and what the mission of our trip was.

Here is an amazing youtube link below if you want to check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Uie3F9svOU

I am also leaving Thursday for Liverpool and return Sunday.
I am visiting my friend in Leicester and I also get to go on a tour through London as well!
Keep me in your thoughts and prayers, as you are all in mine.
LOVE Natalie
`Sport is one language that knows no boundaries and sees no distinctions. It unites cultures, transcends borders and defies logic when words fail, sport speaks.`

Too Sweet

Hey Friends!
It has been quite a busy last few days and I have been having such an amazing time.
My team won last week 1-0 and have another match Wednesday !
Also.. in training on Sunday I recieved an elbow to the face and chipped my bottom tooth and have a big fat lip... all in the love of soccer right?
I recieved my international clearance yesterday after they announced this week's roster, so I will be playing with the reserves on Thursday, which is SUPER exciting to start playing matches...below is me super excited (before the elbow in the face)...

The training here has been different but I am learning a lot and being challenged. My teammates here are very sweet and they have a great attitude about competition and team unity which is something we are focusing on as a squad. I also visited our home pitch this week and it is a beautiful turf stadium, probably one of the nicest in N.Ireland. It is a great atmosphere because the 4G pitch is both the Men and Women Crusaders home field.

My teammate Sarah, also works for the IFA (Irish Football Association) so I was priveledged to be able to help  her run an all girls school district soccer 7 aside tournament. School soccer here is how you get scouted for county excellence teams and national teams..  a little different than BC's school soccer system.

We started our bible study yesterday at Ros' house and are working through the Moldova pretrip studies. We had some very interesting discussion on the holy spirit and how reliance on the holy spirit can give comfort, empowerment, wisdom and direction. While this topic is huge it was good to scratch the surface.

I also kept in touch with a lady named Rosi who I met on my London flight and she took me sightseeing and to her farm to meet her horses and family. She was very sweet and generous in showing me her country taking me along the coast, seeing gigantic castles, taking me over on a ferry and to some of her relatives houses. I also saw Scottland in the distance !

Everything is wonderful here and I hope everyone reading this deciedes that this summer they stop putting off something they've always wanted to do and just do it.

LOVE
Natalie

Week One

Hey friends :)
I am here: Belfast, Northern Ireland.
I am very happy to be here and in very high spirits.
I had my first training session yesterday and I am playing for the Crusaders FC.
If you would like to follow us, their website is below!
http://www.crusaders-strikers.com/

Belfast is a very gorgeous city and has a lot of history. Above is the parliament building!
It is soo green here and soo pretty. Very similar to BC.
I stayed with Ros the first couple days and had a really good time with her. She is due in 4 weeks!

I was with Gail, the national teams assistant coach and we were driving and I kept on taking pictures and she was like what are you doing? I said it's soo pretty here!! She told me to stop taking photos because what we were driving past wasn't even that nice and she would take me to nicer scenery.. haha...
It is actually the Titanic's 99th anniversary here as well.
I have been checking out a couple different churches and have officially moved into
my teammate Elaines house. The people here are wonderful !!
People that I have met in church and on my flights have even offered to show me their country..... nice hey :)
Lastly my skype is natboyd4
LOVE nat