-Ireland-September-Month 3-
Ireland was one of the countries on our route for the Race that I was most excited to visit selfishly. I was excited to get to see the beauty of the country. I was excited to have a month experiencing the luxuries of the first world. I was excited for a break from the heat. I was excited to learn different types of ministries that I could hopefully carry home. I was excited for the ease of getting around and building relationships with locals that speaking the language would bring. I was excited to experience the Ireland I had heard only great things about.
But going into my third month on the Race, I was very aware of the fact that I did not want to lose this month to sightseeing and the hype of being in Ireland. I came on the Race to serve; I came to Ireland to serve, and I wanted that to be my focus. And we had the opportunity to take part in some amazing ministries!
Our squad was partnered with Causeway Coast Vineyard Church, a church that is more focused on impacting their community, living out God’s love, and reaching people where they are at than any other church I have experienced. I had the chance to partake in just a few of this church’s many ministries including:
-Food Bank/”Grow”: A place where people in need in the community can feel welcome to come, grab a cup of tea or coffee and hang out, while they receive bags of balanced food the individual actually likes (some fresh produce comes from the church’s garden and greenhouse).
-Compassion Shed: We were able to help sort and organize the large amounts of clothing donations to be distributed to members of the community.
-Hope & Gloria Emporium: A vintage secondhand shop that also offers sewing classes, language lessons, and counseling, empowering people to express themselves and explore their creativity.
-Car Boot Sale: The churches largest outreach, where once a month the church parking lot and shed are full of people buying and selling different items.
-Office Work & Cleaning: We helped input information and organize life groups for the church, prepared invitations to be sent for church programs, and did various cleaning around the church.
-Healing on the Street– A ministry focused on bold faith in God’s healing power. Each Saturday a group set up in the town center offering prayer and healing for any who want it.
-Sunday School: My team helped in the 3-5 year olds’ room for the month, where we got to play games, sing songs, and help with a Bible lesson with about 30 kids.
-Volunteer Celebration Event: An annual event put on for all of the selfless volunteers in the church, who help with their various ministries. It was a night where our squad could take over and serve, allowing the volunteers to have the evening to relax and be recognized for all the hard work they perform all year rather than running around doing the serving.
But as we went through the month, trying to help serve in this community in any way we could, one thing stuck out to me more than the impact we were having there. It was the impact that Northern Ireland was having on me. It was the immense amount generosity and kindness that overflowed from so many of the people I came into contact with. It was the love and encouragement I received from complete strangers. It was the hospitality from people I had only known for minutes, who I would probably never see again, and who were to gain absolutely nothing in return. It was members of the church continually blessing us with encouragement, rides out of the rain, and the most incredible food time and time again. It was a real and honest conversation with a bus driver who was willing to share some of his life with us and openly listen to our thoughts and beliefs. It was a man on a train eager to share his knowledge and passion with us as well as selflessly giving to three people he’d just met. It was a pub owner going out of her way to serve over 50 Americans an incredible homemade Irish dinner. It was the warm smiles and interactions of people just passing on the street or in a shop.
It was a type of daily selfless giving and joy that I am striving to live out in my life, that through my time in Ireland, God allowed me experience. I was able to see so many examples of how I can better serve and love each person I come into contact with.
Month 3 was a month of rejuvenation and preparation, where I was able to see so much of God’s beauty in the land and even more so in all the people I encountered.
