Ireland - Weeks Three & Four:
(This update was written about a week ago… sorry for the delay. I didn’t have internet access)
I can hardly believe that it has only been three and a half weeks since our arrival in Ireland. With each new day I develop fonder affection for this country, for the ministry opportunities here, and for the people we meet along the way. I can already tell that leaving Ireland will be a very difficult thing to do. The first week back in Dublin has been absolutely amazing! All week our group, of five people, has been working at Dublin Christian Mission (DCM). DCM is an amazing place; located in the inner city of Dublin it reaches out to the children and youth of the working class in Dublin. Throughout the week DCM hosts Christian clubs for different age groups of young people; from young children up through youth. The building itself has a gym where they can play games and have sessions (or lessons), there is a lounge, a game room, a computer room, an art room, a snack bar, and a kitchen. The staff that work there are dearly loved by every young person involved in the clubs, and by their families. The sense of community and family that is found at DCM is very special. Once you experience it, it draws you in; being able to work long term in that ministry would be a precious blessing. In serving DCM this week we were able to work with a number of clubs, and we were also able to bless the leadership of DCM by thoroughly cleaning the entire building. In all, we took four days to clean the three story building. The leadership is very busy with the ministry itself, they have no one on staff to clean, and with dozens of kids coming in and out of the building every day the building was in dire need of some spring cleaning. So we were able to bless and better equip the leadership of DCM, to carry out their ministry, by dedicating some time to just serving them through cleaning.
After the cleaning was done, one of the leaders of the clubs took us around to the flats where a number of the kids, who attend club, live. We were able to see kids who had been in and out of the DCM during the days we were cleaning; we met their parents, got to experience the tight nit community they are a part of, and we learned a lot about the history and heritage of the people. We learned about things I had never heard before, things you won’t read in your history books. We were told about oppression, abuse, and corruption that many of the Irish people experienced in the, not so distant, past. We heard some personal stories, and as for myself, it gave me a greater passion and love for the people of Ireland; an even greater appreciation for who they are, their way of life, and their culture.
By the end of the first week back in Dublin I had worked with the Sunshine club (4-8 year olds), the Unity Girls club (10-12 year old girls), with a boys club (about 10-12), and with the Teen club. It was a great week! The kids where absolutely amazing; so much fun! During the Teen club I actually met and played soccer with a young man who has been recruited to the Liberty University men’s soccer team. He will be going there in the fall. Because we had soccer as a common interest I was able to engage in conversation with him; I continue to find that soccer is indeed a universal language unlike anything else. On Sunday we attended a church where many kids and staff from DCM go. We met up with the young man who will be going to Liberty and with two other guys who are apart of DCM. And since then, we have been able to meet up with them and spend some time with them on a number of occasions. It has been so good being able to form connections and build friendships through the work we’ve been able to do here. I am really excited, in particular, about having met the young man who will be going to Liberty in the fall. It has been great being able to continue building a friendship with him; I don’t believe it was just a coincidence. I was able to offer him my family’s home as a place for him to stay during school breaks, since he will not be able to come home to Ireland. Being able to form these relationships has been more encouraging than I can say. On Monday, May 2nd, we will be leaving Dublin and heading to Cork for a month. Though I am excited about going to Cork, I am really going to miss all of the people we have met during our time here in Dublin.
This week, the second week of our return to Dublin, we have been working at the Light House, feeding the homeless. We have sorted clothes, organized the clothes closet, made a lot of sandwiches, and served a lot of hot food. On average, there about 150 people who come through the soup kitchen, on any given night. So during our two weeks in Dublin we have worked with kids, teens, homeless, and we have also been able to bless a couple of local ministries that are doing an incredible job of bringing the light and hope of Jesus Christ to the people of Dublin. It has been such a blessing to join with these amazing people; to witness their faith in action, and to see a glimpse of their great love for the Irish people. It has been an incredible two weeks of ministry. God is moving mightily in Ireland and the work of His kingdom is very evident in Dublin; we have been so blessed to be able to be a part of it. Please pray for Dublin Christian Mission, that the good work they are doing will continue, that it will be blessed, and that they would continue to see the fruit of their labor.
