September was spent in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. I had a lot of images of Ireland in my head before going, and I wasn’t let down once. Amazing skies (when it wasn’t raining those four times) the most amazing shades of green grass, cliffs running next to huge waves smashing into rocks. Ireland was everything I had hoped for and more. After getting over the initial shock of seeing all of the beauty, I started thinking about what ministry would be looking like. “Pub Ministry” was a phrase that was thrown around a lot before going to Ireland, but not much else was talked about. Well some of us ended up doing pub ministry later when we had free time, but our main ministry was with a church called Causeway Vineyard.
The Vineyard church is something that I had been praying for the last two months. I had asked God to show me at least one church that was making impact and understood Gods love. This church blew my mind. All they did was geared towards the lost. Everything. Sunday was a little worship and a little preaching. No songs about weird Christian words that normal people don’t understand. The songs that were played talked about love and acceptance. The preacher would preach for a little while and would never get off topic of the gospel. Afterward coffee and donuts were served and everyone went home. But that wasn’t even church. That was just Sunday. Church was all the other days in the week. I’m not even going to try to name and explain all of the ministries that this church is involved with, because I just wouldn’t be able to. I don’t even think that the pastor would be able to. They are so involved in the community that the line of the church and community start looking the same. Their main goal is to reach the lost- so they do. They pray over people in the streets every Saturday and see physical healing before their own eyes. They came to our squad and did the same in front of us. Amazing. Faith building. Huge. They do food ministry. Monthly “Car Boot Sales” (garage sales) that thousands of people attend. Every aspect of the church is pointed outwards. Nothing inwards. The church isn’t to exclude, its meant to accept and help.
You can talk about the church in town and you’ll get two responses: “They really love the community and have done so much to better our lives here!” or “You mean that church of drug addicts and drunks?” Either way, people know about them. In a culture so filled by religion and serving God, it was amazing to see a church go so against the grain and serve others well by doing it. Everyone was so filled with joy and life and love in Ireland. It was an amazing month.
We spent the month in a scout hall. Picture a YMCA without the pool and you’ve got it. The girls huddled together in random rooms the size of walk in closets and the boys slept in the gym on the floor. Food was amazing when it wasn’t sandwiches. I ate more fish and chips than is healthy. It rained almost every day. It was super cold and awesome. I loved the weather that so many other people hated. I went to the movies four times I think? Don’t see Prisoners, it scared me. OHH, ministry… how could if forget that!?!? I worked at a vintage shop called Hope and Gloria for the month refinishing furniture in the back! It was so cool! Well that was about half of my time in Ireland haha I guess if you want to hear the rest you’ll have to ask! I’ll try to put some videos with this blog for you to see some of our off days and normal times. Ireland was amazing. But do you know what is even more amazing? INDIA!
I’m typing this blog sitting on my sleeping pad under a fan while someone is outside plumbing in a shower head for us in INDIA!! India has been amazing and amazing and amazing so far. More on India later, I don’t want to take anything away from Ireland 🙂
I made the deadline of $11,000!!! Thank you everyone who has been helping me with money! Only $4,500 to go and I will be fully funded! If anyone wants to help by prayer I would be so thankful! I would really love to take fund raising off of my daily prayer list haha 🙂
Much love
– Ham
