MAD 9 has come and gone, but you can relive the memories with some accounts the group have written.
You can also check out Photos from the weekend in the Photo Gallery
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On the 26th October, we all met at church and prepared for our long journey to Coleraine University. We were all really excited! When we arrived, we went to the worship session. There were lots of songs and it was a lot of fun. We were very tired and were looking forward to a nice place to sleep.
When we arrived, we weren’t too impressed. In fact, there was even a bird poo on somebody’s bed!
On Saturday morning, we had our breakfast and set off to Portstewart for a photo treasure hunt. We had lots of fun and we had to do some crazy things like proposing to somebody! After the treasure hunt, we went back to the University and did some fun activities. For the girls, there was a beauty parlour where you could get your hair, make-up and nails done. There was also music-making and singing. Then, we played with inflatable slides and games. After the inflatables, we did some salsa dancing which was great fun! Later on that evening, we had our dinner and another worship service. When it was over, we decided to go to McDonald’s at 11pm! We were exhausted so we went back and went to sleep.
On Sunday, we got up early and had our breakfast. Then, we got ready and had church on the beach.
After church we went to our final worship session and sang songs and got our lunch. We took our lunch in the car to Portstewart. We ate it in the park and then we went to get some ice-cream. It was really nice. After that, we all got in the van and car and made our way back to church.
My favourite thing was the photo treasure hunt because it was really good fun. I really enjoyed the MAD weekend and I would love to go again.
------------ Emily Armstrong
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Leaders' Accounts:
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Our adventure began at a church where already frazzled leaders were greeted by over energetic, exuberant kids. I remember saying to Gill, “This is going to be a long weekend”, but looking back, I wish it had been longer.
Over the course of the weekend, the girls were blessed with warm comfortable bunk-beds, whilst the boys had to sleep on the floor in a nearby church; however, I did hear that they had more than their fair share of fun, including video games late into the night.
It was exciting as a leader to see the kids get so excited about Jesus. Throughout the weekend everyone listened carefully as the speaker spoke about “One Life” and what God wants for our lives. The talks were encouraging for the leaders and youth alike as we explored the type of life that God intends for us: a life lived to the full; a life completely surrendered to God and a life enriched with love. All of us were challenged to live our lives as a blessing to others, which can be so hard when we are naturally so selfish.
Many other activities were arranged over the course of the weekend including a photo treasure hunt, trips to the beach, Morelli’s and McDonalds. On campus there were also arranged activities, including salsa dancing, a pamper room and a firm favourite: a room filled with bouncy castles and inflatable.
It is impossible really to encapsulate ‘The Mad Weekend’ in such a short account; however, some words that help me to sum it up include: hope, fellowship, buzz, worship, singing, early mornings, late nights, sleepy bus journeys, “One Life”.
------------ Samantha McMillan
Click here for MAD info on the PCI Youth website:
Need more info? Email Matt - matt@firstlisburn.org |
