Company
Last week we had 15 people at the house and next week we'll have some more - plus we'll be going to some other folks houses as well. We love it!
We'll also have several visitors from the States in April (a friend and some family) so we're going to take the opportunity to act like tourists for a little while and get to know the area we're in. I'm sure we'll be posting pictures before too long!
Labels: Ireland, our ministry
Being American
We may be able to blend into an Irish crowd without too much trouble, but once we open our mouths there's no doubt about where we're from!
One lady heard me (Seth) talk and said: "where did you come from?" When I answered "America", she said "I knew that - what state?"
I also recently met some teens who'd been drinking and it wasn't long before they said "hey - you're from America!" which was quickly followed by: "are you a gangster?"
Usually, it's hard to tell exactly what people are thinking when they see (or hear) that we are American. Most folks are curious and tell us about relatives they have there or times they have visited. Others seem wary of us. The danger is that people could think that the message we present is American - something new and foreign - when in reality it came to Ireland first! Please pray for wisdom for us to be able to clearly communicate the good news without cultural differences becoming a barrier.
Labels: Ireland, our ministry
Birthday / Retreat
Jessica's birthday was Thursday, and we had some time in the morning to celebrate as a family. In the afternoon, we went to a birthday party for a girl a couple houses down from us who turned six. We had met them a couple of times before and she liked Daniel, plus her mom wanted us to be able to meet the other families in the neighborhood! It was great! We got to have some great conversations with several folks we hadn't met before, and got to know some others better.
After the party we drove to a beautiful little coastal town on the other side of Cork for a CrossWorld retreat. Our supervisor from headquarters came and all the missionaries with CrossWorld in Ireland were there as well. It was wonderful to spend time with all our teammates! The setting was fabulous, too! Check the gallery for photos!
Labels: family, our ministry
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Here's a few photos from the Saint Patrick's Day Parade today here in Youghal:
The "Tweenies Club" is a mom and tot group Jessica and Daniel just joined to get to know people.
This may look like a normal truck to you, but in Ireland this truck is HUGE! (it came from America, and is featured in the parade every year)
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Labels: Ireland
Troubles
The Irish refer to the historic violence in Northern Ireland as simply, "The Troubles". Some folks in America think they were all about the Catholic/Protestant divide, but there were actually strong political tensions as well - Northern Ireland is under British rule, and there were those who were willing to kill to end that rule. In fact, they are still willing to kill, as today's Irish Times reports:
click here for the story.
Labels: Ireland
Sick
Daniel has had a cold for a while and is just starting to feel better, but before he got over it he made sure to pass along the love to Mom and Dad. Dad also got a 24 virus (starting on his birthday!) that he doesn't seem to have passed along, and that's very good! In other words, we've been a regular sick ward this week, but praise the Lord everyone seems to be on the mend!
While Seth was recovering, Jessica went to youth group on Saturday and had a great time getting to know the youth! We also got to help out with creche (nursery) and powerpoint for church this morning, among other things. Thank you for your prayers!
Labels: family, our ministry
The First Place David Will See
We went to Cork University Maternity Hospital today for Jessica's "booking" visit. Other than a long wait, the whole experience was extremely positive and we left very encouraged about having our baby there. The hospital is brand new, and quite nice! We had an ultrasound while we were there and saw David kicking like crazy! He's growing just like he should be!
Labels: family
Youth Club
On Saturday, Seth got to lead games for the youth club at the church in Midleton (the one that's planting the church in Youghal, where we are). It went well! The youth group is actually going to stay together even after the church in Youghal is planted, at least for most things. There are about 25 youth involved, so splitting the group at this point would mean small groups in both places. We're just glad to be able to help any way we can!
Labels: our ministry
