Streets of Dublin

Me, Krystel, & Alison

Team Reckless travel day, in the rain, at a bus stop, heading to downtown Dublin.(me, Alison, Krystel,William, Sara, & Blake)

Beautiful rainbow outside our porch, to remind us of God’s promises.

Dublin Castle

St Patrick’s Park….i love this park!

Our ministry location for the month! Lighthouse homeless shelter.

 

     Now you have seen some of the pictures of beautiful Dublin, Ireland. This month has been such a blessing to my team & i. God has come through & provided for us in so many ways, it overwhelms us! Not only only do we have hot showers,comfy beds, fridge,flushable toilet,roof over our head,but He also has provided us daily with our needs…..specifically what we asked Him for.(this may be the last month on our World Race where we get beds,showers, flushable toilets, etc haha) One morning i woke up & asked God silently “God, i really need sweatpants for this cold  weather, but i cant afford them.” Not even 5 minutes later, one of my team mates finds a nice pair of sweat pants in a box of donated clothes .. that fit me perfectly.. & throws them on my bed! She didnt know that i had asked God for them minutes before. Coming from 2 hot months in DR & Haiti, i didnt have warm clothes. Thank  you Lord! He also provided me a free sweat shirt a few days before, which is another item i really needed & wanted.I know these are little things, but God cares about us so much that our little needs are important to Him also. Dublin is one of the most expensive cities in the world, so buying food has been very  pricey. God has provided us some donated food for free here & there…and has faithfully supplied for us!! When we are in His will, He will always have our backs! We will never lack anything we need.  Can you think of somethings that God has faithfully provided for you lately?

      We have had fun exploring the sites of Dublin & learning more about the Irish people & culture.But as you know, we are not here to only sight see. We are here to love on the peope of Ireland. We have been building many friendships throughout the city, especially with the homeless community. My heart breaks for them & i have come to know many of them. They are outcasts in society & many look down on them, as if they have less value & worth.  They have opened up to me & shared their personal stories, which means a lot to me. Showing you care & spending time with someone is worth more value than any dollar/euro amount. As we are serving at the Lighthouse shelter during the evenings, we are able to connect with them as they eat & share a message with them about the hope & love of God, & pray with them. I love hearing their stories, although many are painful ones.  As we walk about the city, we have been remembering their names & faces & connecting with them on deeper levels.We have been doing some pub ministry also, which has been fun.Probably one of the best places to sit down &  get to know the locals in a relaxed environment. (Catching  some live Irish music is a plus)  Many are addicted to drugs & have been abused. Many have eating disorders & are searching for love & acceptance. I have seen many young men & women on the streets, & the things they do in desperation to survive. One person CAN make a difference. One smile & one hug CAN encourage someone. One prayer CAN give someone hope. One warm meal & a friendly conversation CAN lift someone’s spirits.

     The spirit of Depression runs rampant in Ireland. It has been said that it is the curse of Ireland. Many suicides are committed due to hopelessness, loneliness & depression here. I have struggled with depression since i was a young teen. At times, in my twenties, i used to numb it with alcohol, boys, music or just different ways of escaping. I would isolate myself from social situations which would cause me to be even more depressed & lonely. The enemy, Satan, WANTED me to stay depressed. He wanted me to give up & end my life. He wanted me to destroy my life. But there is always hope in God. Now if i feel depressed, for whatever reason, i turn to Him. I get prayer from my friends & family. I read His word for encouragement & truth. I reach out & refuse to let it consume me. I’m actually thankful for on & off struggle with depression, because it has brought me to my knees before the Lord more times than i can count. In my weakness He is my strength.It has made my walk with God stronger, making me become more dependent on Him. I refuse to let the LIES of Satan get to me & destroy me & bring me down. Please pray for Ireland as a nation. It’s interesting that many of the World Racers experienced loneliness & depression immediately entering Ireland. It hit us like a brick wall. Coincidence? I think not. Depression affects people globally.In many families it  is a generational curse. A vicious, destructive cycle. How do we deal with it when it hits us? Do we attempt to numb ourselves with temporary fixes or do we reach out to the One who created us & knows us better than we know ourselves? The One who promises He will never leave us nor forsake us.The One who is close to the broken hearted & saves those who are crushed in spirit. The One who sees every tear that falls & knows how many hairs are on our head. The God of comfort, peace, joy & strength. I thank You Lord that You deliver me from depression & You comfort my soul.

    I pray right now for those who suffer from depression or loneliness. Those who are suffering right now & feel alone. Sometimes with depression, you dont even need a reason for it, it just hits you like a grey cloud floating over your head. Sometimes you dont even realize you are depressed, but you just dont feel like getting out bed somedays or feel burdened from life’s cares & troubles. I want to lift up a prayer for those people, whoever they are.Know that there IS a God who loves you & is there to talk to. You can depend on Him & His love heals & restores.He is never too busy for you. God is there, He is present, even if you dont feel His presence. Reach out to Him, & He will not let you down. (i didnt plan on writing about depression in this blog, but apparently God put this on my heart to share mid-way through  my blog…so, i did) There is power in the name of Jesus. We have victory in Him. For those who are in Christ, we are more than conquerors!

     “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. …For You are the God of my strength…” Psalm 

 

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-7