Commit You Ways to the Lord

Photo Credit: OM Ireland

Impact Ireland ended on Monday and I apologize for not writing sooner. I think I avoided it because I didn’t know where to start. The two weeks cannot be captured in a few words, but thankfully, they don’t have to be. Each of the 40 plus participants along with each OM staff and church member has a story, if not many stories of how they witnessed God working and moving. After being separated into four teams, it was incredible to come back together and share all of the experiences. What I would like to share with you today follows our theme verse for Impact this year Psalm 37:5. “Commit your ways to the Lord; trust in him and he will act.”

Monday July 8. It was day three on the road for the Big Red Bus Team and we were with the Shannon Team. Although early on in the week, we were already feeling tired as we had used a lot of energy training many of the sessions the week prior. It didn’t help that being in the sun made everyone want to sleep and without an air conditioner (yet) the upstairs on the bus was easily 85 deg. There were definitely some spiritual attacks that day and with less kids at the kids club than anticipated, some were feeling discouraged. That evening however, we all met together before the youth rally and since we were waiting on a few people, we decided to pray. For 45 minutes we lifted our petitions to the Lord, read from scripture, and even sang together. There were moments of silence, but never emptiness. The room was filled with the Lord’s presence and He gave us a newfound excitement for the night ahead.

We went out into the square and ran through our program, singing songs of worship, presenting dramas, and sharing testimonies. All the while groups of young people listened and watched or pretended not to, but stayed anyway. Conversations began and soon they were at every turn. Joanna and I spoke with two girls who we thought would only listen for a few minutes, but ended up discussing God, the gospel, and salvation with us for an hour and a half. And we weren’t the only ones who had a story to share when the evening was over. When the team returned at 12, 12:30, everyone was buzzing like a hive of excited bees. There were stories of people opening up for the first time ever after years of rejecting talk of God. People laughed and cried together. The name of Jesus was proclaimed and glorified.

On our own we would be nothing, but when we put our trust in the Lord, He exceeds our expectations. This is only a brief example of how God did amazing things in Ireland this last week and how He is working here. This was just one night in one place from the perspective of one girl. I love what Joanna wrote about on her blog. It's quite well written so it'll be worth your time and it probably captures the experience much more eloquently than I do. 

I would also like to briefly add that I was incredibly honored and privileged to have had all the opportunities I did during these two weeks alone. I loved worshipping with the "Lacken House Band" and I couldn't have asked for a better team on the bus. The Lord brought us together at just the right time and I will always remember this time fondly. 

Photo Credit: OM Ireland

Photo Credit: OM Ireland

Other stories:
Katie : Boom!

OM Ireland Facebook: Video stories!

Taste of Ireland: Sunscreen is known as sun cream and a 99 cone is an ice cream that was, you guessed it! 99 cents!... only now they are usually 1.20... lame.

On The Road Again!

Last week we began our June school tour with the Big Red Bus, which means we are on the road again! We have quite a busy schedule going around to schools, housing estates, and churches to share the gospel through puppets, crafts, songs, and interaction. Our theme is that "God has a plan for you." We use a hand puppet, a magic board, and shadow puppets to talk about Jeremiah 29:11 as well as the message of salvation through Jesus. Please pray for the team as we head out to Co. Cavan this week and have about two schools a day, which could mean anywhere from 2 - 8 rotations of our program each day. You can find our schedule here. Also pray for all of the kids, parents, and teachers we will come into contact with. 

Behind the scenes!

Outside the bus

Taste of Ireland: The Irish word for Welcome is Fáilte and Slán is goodbye.

A Double Decker Through The Countryside

The general first thought that comes to mind when you hear “double decker bus” is a London bus or possibly a large city tour bus. Outside of London, Dublin, or another large city, double decker buses do not typically just pull up in the lane next to you. Imagine seeing what looks like a London bus driving right through the center of your town or even better, in front of your farm in the countryside. The sight would undoubtedly be unexpected if not shocking and definitely out of the ordinary.

This hypothetical scene is all but hypothetical. It is exactly what happens when we go out with the Big Red Bus, but instead of just giving people something to turn their heads to look at, we give them something to think about. The natural question is “why is there a double decker bus?” If we stop in their town, we might have the chance to answer that question and tell them about Jesus. If we don’t, they are at least left with a few other questions provoked by the verse on the sides and back of the bus: Jesus answered “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me” (John 14:6). It is not enough for us to drive around the country and hope that people come to Christ just because we have a verse on the bus, but the verse just might plant a seed that was not there before. It has already opened up doors for conversations with people and reminded us on the team that we are ambassadors for Christ.

Unfortunately, it can be incredibly easy to forget why we are here, even when we are submerged in ministry. Fatigue can set in. The preparations can feel like a chore. The puppet routine can become nothing more than a performance. And a group of rowdy children can feel like just another group to get through. This is spiritual warfare. Each day we go into battle and combat these feelings and thoughts with prayer. We must rely on God and remind each other that we serve the Lord and He is with us. It is so refreshing and encouraging to work with the local church whose members are always excited to have the bus come. They tell us stories after the day of ministry is done about people who came to the bus and interacted with them when they never would have before. They see the kids’ faces as they watch us doing the shadow puppet show (something we cannot do while behind the screen) and tell us how they absorb the story like sponges. They pray with us and for us as we pray for them and once again, I am amazed by the body of Christ.

I don’t often think about how crazy this life is, but I am so glad it is. I get to work with an international team of incredible individuals driving around Ireland in a bright red, double decker bus sharing the gospel through puppetry. Crazy.

Taste of Ireland: If something is cool or really awesome, you might hear local youth say “class” or “savage!”