If you would have told me a year ago:
“a year from now you will be sitting on a bus with drunk people in
Ireland”, I would have laughed…out loud.
absolutely love it here (minus the inappropriate vulgar drunk people
on the bus last night). We are tenting it right on the Atlantic
Ocean in Galway, Ireland. I can’t describe how happy that makes me.
Because we are right on the ocean- it rains all the time and it is
pretty windy especially at night when your tent is rattling pretty
hard core and you wonder if it will stay staked in through the night.
The first few days we were here, Jimmy
(our amazing contact person) and some others gave us a culture lesson
day. He told us all about Ireland and it’s people. Told us that they
put the “ish” in Irish, meaning when they say it starts at 10
they mean 10ish. Told us the status of where they are at Christianity
wise. Told us things to say and things NOT to say. For instance
certain cuss words in America are not cuss words here…hard to
adjust to when a little child says them. It still catches me off
guard and I ask the child (Samuel, he’s 8 and staying at our campsite
and is my best friend)…What did you just say to me? Haha. There are
words that mean nothing in America that are pretty offensive
here…funny but offensive.
We were doing some community service in
the park the other day and as I was picking up trash, some girl ran
up to me and said, “Are you just doing this for the crack?”, I
had to think about it for a few seconds and then remembered…yes yes
I am doing this for the crack. In Irish talk that means I’m doin it
for the laughs, just for the heck of it.
Ireland is a Post Christian land,
meaning that organized religion has played a very very negative role
on the people here and thus they have turned the other way. In
America when people hit rock bottom they know that a church is one
safe place they can go and turn to. Not the case here. The people
here turn to alcoholism and suicide because to them…the church is
the last place they want to go. Organized religion was once very
strong here obviously but now…there may be one Christian kid in his
whole school. The average drinking age here is 10.
church here. I love their heart behind things. I love the Pastor. I
love our contacts. I love how they do things. We are doing lots of
different ministries varying from street evangelism, street prayer
and healing, community service like scrubbing graffiti off walls and
picking up trash, face painting in the square, ect… Yes the church
is big on evangelism and street prayer and healing but their
intentions are never ever on recruiting people to the church or
money or reputation…they are so humble and genuinely compassionate
for the people here and care about their salvation. In the end, they
don’t really care if the person is actually healed from our prayers,
but whether they come to know who God is through it.
Prayer Request: that I continue to die
to myself and live up to who God has created me to be. And for
Micheal from the park…that we would continue to run into each other
and that we would be able to have some meaningful convos by the end
of the month. 🙂 He rocks out in the park and plays Sweet Home
Alabama for us Americans.
Grandpa- you would be so proud of me
right now. I learned the art of Hobnobbing in Ireland. I know that
you are a pro at dunking things in your coffee or tea…I’m
practicing. 🙂 Miss you tons.
