New Year, New Day, New Moment

Well folks, it's been TOO TOO long since i've written on this blog or updated at all for that matter!! 

 I've been in the town of Dundrum in Northern Ireland for a little over three months now, working at a youth centre called RIOT. 

I came here two summers ago for 3 months and loved the youth, the heart of the ministry here, what God is doing, and the country. But being here in the winter is a lot different than the summer!! It does rain A LOT, is very windy, and the sun doesn't get out much :) . 

 If you can remember, i really wanted to come to Northern Ireland right after i graduated from Asbury University in Dec 2014, but God had other plans and i did not have the amount of money i needed to stay here, until September 2015. All of which, God knew exactly what He was doing for me, His child. :) 

What I've been doing:

Well, i am the only intern here right now, so i stay at a huge house by myself (as seen above), but very often spend time with my supervisor, his wife, their two girls (ages 2&3), their wee baby boy, and dog at their house. This interaction helps me get to know the culture a bit more, though the wife is from Canada :) , their lives are an encouragement to those seeking to live for Jesus in REALITY!! The HOUSE i'm staying at is also a HOSTEL, with 4 rooms upstairs and 3 bunk-beds in each, it has quite the accommodation for any visitors, or teams that want to come and help share the love of Jesus with the kids here in Dundrum.  

The house I'm staying at is on the same property as the Youth Centre, which the YOUTH of the town are WELCOME whenever we are open (after school on Tuesdays and Friday 7-midnight) to hang out. We have ping pong, pool, biscuits (cookies), TEA, and a Tuck Shop where kids can get their crisps (chips), soda, and chocolate needs :D . We also frequently watch movies on a Friday night as well, or have outings with the kids like go-carting or to the cinema.

 I prepare for our Girl's Group, which meets on Tuesday evenings, where high school ages ladies gather and have fun cooking, or watching a movie, doing crafts, COLOURING, reading truths from the Bible and MORE!! There are some other leaders that help with that, which i could'nt do without as well! 

Before Christmas i did my first big planning event, which was our Christmas Party!! Learning to lead by experience was QUITE an experience!! :P It was really FUN actually, though scary; bringing people together to help tackle ALL the elements that go into planning a party. And thank the Lord it all worked out ok!! 

I'm also involved in a church's youth programme down the road in Newcastle, where we have an afterschool programme for kids twice a week, attend church there, and meet on Saturday nights with the youth and leaders to learn more about the Bible and growing in our relationship with God. 

A lot of being here is BUILDING relationships, not only with the kids, but with fellow leaders as well, because that's how you build TRUST, and if trust is built, then hopefully the deeper conversations will be had with PEOPLE, and the more can be shared about how JESUS came to RESCUE those who are BROKENHEARTED, LOST, LONELY, and AFRAID. 

So, please pray that God would show us how to be Jesus' HANDS and FEET in this community, and that God would open doors for His Spirit to move. 

Also, there is a team from the US, (a group from C.I.Y.) who is arriving on Friday and will be hanging out with the YOUTH every evening next week. So please PRAY that God will OPEN doors, BUILD friendships, and leave the kids in AWE of the reality of Jesus' love for them!! 

And, please pray that God will provide for the rest of my stay here, (which will be around $4,000 to stay till August.) :) and that i will truly trust God for it.

REALITY is... trusting in God is difficult.