So what
have we been doing here in Northern Ireland, besides drinking LOTS & LOTS
of tea and swinging in trees?
(free time)
Well,
many things actually. Although we are living at Fisherwick Presybterian Church,
we are partnering with a variety of churches in Northern Ireland (which is
separate from Ireland…if you didn’t know.) Here is a taste of a few from last
week.
Summer
Club AKA Vacation Bible School with Fisherwick. In the mornings from
9am-Noon, we spent time singing, dancing, coloring, having tea & biscuits,
and making crafts while we loved on some kids. We learned about some Bible
stories and played with the kids. It truly was a delight for me. I have missed
being around wee little kids with their purity & gentleness. So I enjoyed
them all…even though I was seriously tired.
(taken by Logan Kaynes)
Mission Week in Ballynahinch.
This is probably my favorite part of ministry in N. Ireland because it was so
real. Basically 4 churches in the little town work together & rally their
youth to outreach to the community. This week was such. Months before the youth
applied to lead this week with the supervision of their leaders. They sought
the Lord about what He wanted to do, what the theme should be, & how to
share the gospel. And then they did it. (Yes, we are talking about 13-19 year olds.
They are plum brilliant!) So this year’s theme was “HUNGRY� They were talking
each night, at this local community center, on a specific thing youth are
hungry for like acceptance, love, happiness, etc. Then we got the privilege to come join the fun. The FIRST
night we ended up staying in their prayer room the entire night praying and
interceding. Which I firmly believe set the tone for the rest of the nights.
Tues-Friday night we’d “walk about the town,� as they say, talking to street
kids & inviting them to the community center. Many powerful encounters came
out of this.
(the decor that the youth made)
(the prayer room)
While four of us
were walking about the town one night, we ran into some street kids trying to
break open a stolen keg. Naturally we
approached them & just started to talk with them while they waited for
their supply to arrive. One guy stood out above them all, so we ended up
praying with him, Trev, before we left. Trev had seen hardship after hardship
largely due to drugs and alcohol. But we refused to let his walls deter us from
sharing the truth with him. While we prayed we just declared God’s love over
him & told him that God hadn’t forgotten him. By the end, he was trying to
hold back tears. He was the prime example of hungry.
We watched their
trade, but beckoned them to come hang out with us back at the community center.
They wouldn’t come in but hung out right outside the doors. But the following
evenings Trev & his friends came back…and eventually came inside to hear
more truth about Jesus! We played play station with Trev & the guys and
just loved on them. Trev is definitely someone to keep praying for…that He
will surrender to Jesus!
Healing Ministry with Belfast Vineyard Church.
(Come Lord Jesus Come!!)
Each Saturday this church sets up a massive “HEALING� banner in the main square of
Belfast. Here they bow down & invite god to come fill them. Then they ask
people walking by if thy can pray for them. Its great. Most people pass by, but
some stop to talk. And then we get to pray for them…whether its about a
physical healing or just something else.
The first
Saturday was absolutely fabulous!! I got to talk with 2 guys about Jesus. One
was a rough looking guy who had down time for bombings back in the troubled
times of N. Ireland. He was great to talk with. Tony & I shared the gospel
with him and just talked to him about Jesus. He didn’t “pray a prayer� or
anything, but I’m confident that his heart was engaged in thought about his
eternal salvation after our convo.
Another guy, was
maybe 15, and though his friends didn’t stop to talk, he did. He was sensitive,
yet yearning. It was an honor to talk with him about Heaven & hell and
Jesus.
This particular
ministry was also in my top 3, because it was more relational in the things
that really matter.
So that
is ONLY SOME of what Northern Ireland has held for us in the way of ministries.
We still have a week left of action packed unknowns. Oh this journey with The
Lord is great!!!! Thanks for coming with me in blog form!!!
“A Heart Breaking Forth”
(some child-like masterpiece I painted last week…hehe!)
p.s. Tifanee is deeply loved by me.
