Can we just talk about Ireland for a second? I’ve been here
4 days, and it’s blowing my mind. I nearly cried with joy today.
Our official ministry for the month fell through until the
18th, so as of yesterday we were without anything to do for two
weeks. We had no place to stay and not really any leads for a ministry to
partner with. I was feeling skeptical and annoyed. Skeptical that we were going
to get our act together and really work hard this month without any kind of
direction. And annoyed that I was skeptical. Well, I believe it’s officially an
understatement to say that the Lord provided.
I’m writing this from inside an incredible old cathedral
that we are staying in for FREE. We arrived here and were ushered into a room
with homemade lasagna, bread, and salad on the table (Emily literally cried she
was so happy). We have days PACKED with all kinds of amazing ministry… working
with something called the SOS Bus that reaches out to it’s community in
radically simple ways,
right now I’m getting ready to head out on the SOS Bus. It’s
a group that hangs out in the downtown area and offers help/conversation/food/drinks/rides/medical
care to ANYONE that needs it. They look out for those that seem like they
aren’t going to make it home. They pick up those who are passed out on the
sidewalk. They share the gospel not with words or cheesy tracts but by loving when
it seems scandalous.
So that’s just one ministry… we’re also serving the
homeless, hanging out with prostitutes, working with kids, and hopefully
serving the church that is blessing us so much.
THANK YOU JESUS.
So I wrote all that about a week ago. I’ve spent the last 7 days taking part in some INSANE ministry. Let me just tell you… the crack has been mighty (I don’t know, it’s some Irish slang that I still don’t really understand. But don’t worry, it’s definitely not a reference to crack cocaine.) So I’m going to attempt to catch up on a lot of blogs and fill you in on what’s been happening. Here’s part one!
The SOS Bus
A man named Jo Highland is the creative/crazy genius behind
what’s called the SOS Bus. I had the incredible opportunity on our second night
here to venture out into the nightlife of Belfast with the SOS Bus. From about
11pm to 4am we parked in the middle of a popular pub area to hand out free
coffee, tea, soup, and biscuits to anyone interested. The bus has a medical bay
in the back with trained medical attendants for anyone that needs care. They
offer rides to anyone that can’t get home safely. And best of all, they offer
open ears and the most genuine, earnest hearts of love to those wandering
through the night. It’s the most unbelievably refreshing thing I’ve seen in a
long time. There are no crosses or words labeling the bus as a Christian
organization, and no one is preaching the gospel with words. But Jesus is
apparent in every single interaction. I had conversations with ex-soldiers,
vagabond travelers, wasted teenagers, and lonely strangers and every single one
of those conversations completely floored me. They would approach me with such
kindness and honest interest and usually a not so hidden ache to hear that
someone cares. It was so beautiful to meet so many different people and have
real, honest conversations about anything and everything. It was so humbling to
see 50-year-old moms out at 3am caring for and speaking with drunken strangers
as if they were their own children. It’s such a simple concept, and it’s
revolutionizing this place.
Another hat that the SOS Bus wears is one of community
development. Last Tuesday we spent the morning/afternoon in Hill Hall- an
impoverished community full of beautiful, hurting people. Jo has been working
in Hill Hall for several weeks now. He started by going door to door to connect
with individuals and communicating his love for them- he spends hours hearing
one person’s story if that’s what they need. So now every Tuesday he sets up
the bus and tables and chairs and invites the whole community to come hang out
and have lunch.
People want to be known and loved… we were created that way,
to be relational and to interact. In a world where poverty isn’t a daily
struggle, we attempt to satisfy these longings with a lot of STUFF. A lot of
CRAP to fill our time and “meet� our desires. When you’re poor and can’t use
this method, the loneliness and lack is a bit easier to see. So many people showed
up that day in Hill Hall because they had caught a glimmer of love and
relationship in the time Jo had spent with them. They came because they are in
a place where they NEED community because they have nothing else.
So Jo’s plan is to cultivate this type of community
interaction and support for one another by getting them together and prodding
them to help each other. He draws out people by showing them their neighbor’s
need and then asking them to help. Then the person helping in turn gets help
because they gain this sense of purpose in their community. Again, simple
concept but it’s spurring a revolution. Right now there are several community
members that cook part of the meal and then help serve it. And there are so
many elderly that turn up and absolutely light up when they hear that people
really want to hear their stories- that they’re not forgotten or unimportant. COMMUNITY!
God is so evidently working here in Northern Ireland… more stories are on the way!
If you want to see some awesome pics, check out Logan’s new blog: http://logankaynes.theworldrace.org/?filename=photo-blog-belfast-ireland-pt-1
