News - 2006 Nov 19

By GRETYL MACALASTER
Staff Writer

A group of teenagers from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, who are staying in the Seacoast during their time in the United States. Pictured, from the left, are Anna-Grace Scullion, Nikki Kernohan, Tamsin Jordan, Jamie Cunningham, Lauren McLaughlin, Garrett Bell, Claire O'Boyle Ciaron Devlin, Darrell Montgomery, and Padraig Kerr

NEW CASTLE — Michelle Lynn and Paul Jenkins came to the United States from Northern Ireland to participate in the Friends Forever program nearly a decade ago.

They returned this fall to lead a group of Catholic and Protestant teenagers on a trip that helped to change their lives.

Friends Forever is a program based in Portsmouth that brings teenagers of different religions from the same community to the United States for two weeks to forge relationships among the students and teach them that outside of religion, they are all just teenagers with similar interests and concerns.

The program celebrated 20 successful years recently with a gala event at the Wentworth by the Sea hotel.

When Bob Raiche founded the program, he had no idea it would impact so many students.

"If we could just take all 14-year old kids and bring them over what would happen?" Raiche said.