So it officially feels real…I’m really doing this thing. Ok yeah so I’ve been gone for a few days, but we are currently on a bus on our way to Northern Ireland to work with Causeway Coastal Vineyard Church. I wish I had more to share with you, but we won’t know till we get there what we are doing
I want to reflect on the past 4 days. They have been full of lots of highs and lows. When we arrived in Ireland at 5:15am on August 12, it was still 11:45pm on August 11 at home. So what happened when we got here…we had to wait for the arrival of J squad. The 2 hours we spent sitting around the airport were exhausting. When J squad finally arrived we filled up two busses and headed to where we were camping. We set up our tents and then we were off to Dublin. The goal for the day was to stay up as long as possible. It was our first race day. As many of you know I’m a very competitive person, but when your exhausted competition isn’t much fun. We were given a list of tasks to complete. Basically they sent us out sight-seeing in Dublin. I wish I could say it was fun and I enjoyed my time, but that would be a bold face lie. At the beginning it was fun, but as the day went on and my body began to shut down it became NO FUN! Let me tell you community living isn’t always fun! There came a point where after walking 300miles (ok a little over the top…but a good 30) my body was shutting down. I had been up for over 24 hours and was OVER walking. Competition was no longer on my mind and sight-seeing was no longer enjoyable. I wanted to sit and relax or better yet just go to bed! So that was Day 1 for me…not what I call fun!
The past few days have been filled with worship and learning. Learning how to be a team, a family, and me. Change has begun and life now hasn’t always been pretty. There has been a lot of frustration; questioning what I believe and why I’m here…and we haven’t even started ministry. I’ve had great times with my team and times where I feel like I can’t be with them, but it’s a learning process. Relationships take time and with each of us so different and unique there is bound to be times where we aren’t all happy. God has opened doors in my heart and closed others. He’s spoken love, peace, encouragement, and grace to me through others.
I’m excited to see what is in store for me this next year, but I know that it’s not going to be easy. Change is going to happen and it’s not going to be a fun process. I want to grow and develop into a woman on fire for God and, well, fire hurts and burns, but I’m ready for God to begin. Isaiah 64:8 And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand.
