I have a confession to make…I’ve had a bit of writer’s block. There are so many different things I’ve been wanting to share with you that I’m not quite sure where to start. I enjoy descriptive writing, and I just don’t know how long I could captivate you with the details of the what God has been doing with us here.
Do I share how great my team has been doing since coming out of Haiti? Leaving a land of oppression carrying our personal burdens and fresh scars added by our own differences don’t make for good team time. We find ourselves in Ireland with new freedom, we broke down barriers and can now see the deep love we harbour for each other, even if we still don’t quite make it on the same level every day. We are family. We are the only family we can hug and cry on and yell at and annoy and laugh til we cry with for the next 8 and 1/2 months, and we are growing. Together. Praise God.
Do I try to describe to you the people we serve Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings at the shelter? Younger than we expected, the majority foreigners to Ireland. Most drunk, high and reeking of Jameson and stale body odor. Missing teeth, slurred speech, rough. Grateful when you call them by name, squeeze their hand, pretend to understand the joke they may be telling you or they could just be cussing you out in Galic, Polish or a language we haven’t pinned down yet.
Or do I tell you about the Mustard Seed Team? A ministry we connected with through one of the girls we met serving meals Thursday, they venture into the inner city of Dublin on Monday nights. Decked out in red jumpers (we’ve been in Ireland for 18 days and I’m stumbling into their wordage, jumper = jacket in American) so the homeless can identify them they move to various spots throughout the city from 9 – 11p.m. with suitcases stocked with coffee, tea, soup, sandwiches and biscuits to meet the homeless where they know they’ll find them. The Mustard Seed Team not only brings physical nourishment to the streets and corner lots of the less fortunate, they bring a message from Jesus Christ that proclaims no one is better than another. They bring love and equality in a form we were all blessed to be a part of. Likely more to come about this group soon!
I could go on about how much we have all been enjoying this city. Like any major city, Dublin is a hub of culture and nationalities. It holds its own charm through the dated architecture and quaint cafes, pubs, and bookstores that dot the alleys and avenues. We are in a nation with a strong presence of depression. Drinking is a boast of this nation and drug use is not far behind. We see lots of this dotting the city also, but God has placed us here for a time such as this. We pray. We ask to see its people through His eyes, not our own. We ask for divine appointments. We encourage, we listen and we love. We show our imperfections and the scars we have and hope for trust to build relationships that will serve as a doorway for the Truth to be accepted.
The storage room below the shelter we have been
sorting and organizing. Winter has already arrived
in Dublin and warm clothes are in high demand.
Preparing dinner for 100+!
Irish rainbow right outside our front door!
sorting and organizing. Winter has already arrived
in Dublin and warm clothes are in high demand.
Preparing dinner for 100+!
Irish rainbow right outside our front door!
