Is This Real Life? (Ireland)

I’ve begun to realize that even though many events and happenings have become normal for myself and my team while on this crazy journey, these things are still far from normal for the majority of people who are reading our blogs… So, in an attempt to keep you as included on this journey as possible, I’m going to start writing these “Is This Real Life?” blogs for each country and try to capture the insignificantly monumental moments that have made our World Race memorable along the way.
 
1. Our first few weeks in Ireland were definitely not always the easiest. We were seven women chosen to be placed together by God (and the AIM staff), and we quickly realized that we actually did not have much in common. We lived, worked, and did everything in between together, which meant that sooner or later things were bound to come to the surface. One of the girls on our team was very open about the fact that she did not like any of us very much. She missed home and the friends that she had made there, and was having a hard time adjusting to our new community. In about our 2^nd week, things got a little heated during team time and this particular girl ended up walking out. While it was tense in the moment, we worked together that night to repair the situation. Instead of talking about her as soon as she left the room, our team leader immediately suggested that we pray for her. Once we had prayed and gotten our hearts in the right place, we were able to meet her where she needed to be met in this issue. That night was a turning point in our relationship as a team, as well as our relationships with this girl. She began expressing each day how much she liked us more and more. We count winning her trust and affections as our greatest victory on the Race so far.
 
2. On our first day off in Ireland, we decided to find our own way into Galway city. We found a train to take us there and spent the day shopping, eating, and enjoying being in this new place together. We decided to head back to the train station at around 6:30 P.M. to head home for the night. When we got there, we realized that we had missed the last train by about 15 minutes, and that the next one would not be running for another THREE HOURS! So, we stuck around the city and ended up having our team time in a true Irish pub. No complaints here!
 
3.  While driving in the car to our ministry site one day, Ashley prompted each of us to name the first animal to come to our minds. Out of fear of someone else naming the animal that came to my mind, I quickly (and far too enthusiastically) yelled “Unicorn! Unicorn! Please, unicorn!”. No one else had even spoken, which made it all the more ridiculous that I had been so eager. After everyone had named their animal, Ashley told us that these would be our spirit animals and that they represented our spiritual walks… Which doesn’t bode well for me since that would mean that my spiritual walk is non-existent and covered in glitter. On top of that, as if I hadn’t made a big enough fool of myself with my new team, I also proceeded to say: “I would be a unicorn and my husband would be a centaur, and together we would rule the enchanted forest!” My team still hasn’t let that one die. J
4. In our first week in Ireland, we lived in the home of a lovely woman named Fran. Well, technically, we lived in the building behind her home that was originally a one-room schoolhouse, but she preferred to refer to it as “the studio”. The studio was one large room where we slept on mattresses on the floor, with a small room for a toilet attached. One night, Ashley decided to make a video of our new home. She started inside Fran’s house and then headed out the back door and into the studio. All was well until she began to open the door to the toilet. All of the sudden, someone frantically screams: “SOMEONE’S IN HERE!!!!!”. Our dear Mary was trying to enjoy some privacy in the bathroom, but was almost rudely interrupted. Good thing the whole experience was documented on the camera to keep us laughing time and time again.
 
5. One night, our team was invited to a going away party for a girl whom we had never met. Normal. While we were there, the topic of fishing came up. I proceeded to tell everyone that I don’t enjoy fishing because of a traumatic event that occurred during my childhood. I told them that I had been “forced” to go to a concentration camp when I was a child, where we did all kinds of outdoor activities like archery, gun-shooting, and fishing. I continued on with my story until someone finally stopped me and said, “Wait… You went to a concentration camp??” It was then that I realized that I’d meant to say that I’d gone to a conservation camp. Touchy subject in Europe.  In a not-completely-successful attempt to lighten the mood, I finished the story by saying, “And then Hitler showed up.” Oops!
 
6. We learned very quickly that the Irish do not partake in the same types of entertainment as Americans do. While we were all so excited to be in Ireland during the Olympics, we were surprised to learn that almost no one in Ireland enjoys watching the Olympics at all! We ended up sadly missing the majority of the events because we couldn’t find anywhere to watch them! We found that instead of watching the Olympics, people in Ireland enjoy juggling rocks and pine cones, watching the Justin Beiber movie, and drinking excessive amounts of tea. Good to know.
 
7. Out of sheer boredom one evening, Ashley, Julia, and I decided to participate in “The Cinnamon Challenge” (Sorry, Mom!). In this challenge, you put a spoonful of cinnamon in your mouth and try to swallow it… Or something like that. Anyway, Ashley and Julia tried to swallow their cinnamon right away, which caused them to cough up the cinnamon into our sink full of dishes. I, on the other hand, decided to keep mine on my tongue to moisten it before I tried to swallow it. Brilliant logic, if I do say so myself. But unfortunately, it started to burn my tongue, so I spit it out. I still won. And I didn’t cheat. I’m just the logical one. 🙂
 
8. We learned that passing out flyers and doing street evangelism can be very exciting! Who knew that you could play with puppets, hang out with a giant pink gorilla, get picked up and spun around in a stranger’s drunken embrace, and watch your friend get clobbered with bird poop (Sorry, Han!) all in a day’s work??
 
 
9. Ireland taught us a lot about how most Europeans view “working”. Coming from America where many people live in a state of busyness and rushing from one place to the next, this was an interesting transition for us. The people we worked with stressed the importance of doing good work, no matter how long it takes. Most days, we would arrive at a ministry site at around 10 A.M. to begin painting. Typically, within the first 30 minutes, we would be offered a cup of tea, which would usually be accompanied by a plate full of biscuits (which are cookies, remember?). These tea times would happen a minimum of 3 times within our work days. While we found it humorous the amount of sitting and talking we would do, it turned out that those were the moments of our greatest ministry in this month. We were able to establish relationships with the people whom we were serving, and through that, play a role in more than just the upkeep of their homes.
 
Well, those are the biggest moments of Ireland that may not have been documented up to this point. I hope that you enjoyed this opportunity for somewhat deeper insight into the little moments of our month in this beautiful country. Maybe it will help you to understand why we love each other and Ireland so much more intensely after the month we had there.