pics

here's some of my choose life kids..

prayer requests

hey all.. specifically be praying for me this week.. this week is super busy and i have alot of responsibilities.. pray for the whole week in general, but in particular..

*wednesday, i have to lead a game nite for jr. high aged kids, pray God's favour over that, these kids aren't the kind you're use to back home.. just pray they go well.

*thursday, i have to give a talk and relate Christians to a Christmas tree.. its kind of a stretch, and it wasn't my idea, it was given me to talk on, so pray God speaks thru me in that somehow..

*friday-sunday, we're taking the older teens up north. you have to understand, the estate we're going to up north, i have worked in before. they are notorious for hating irish people, and hating catholics(which down here has nothing to do with religion, its all politics, if you're "catholic", it just means your loyalty is with ireland), you've probably heard of the conflicts in northern ireland, ya.. well, the kids we work with are the reason why.. and then our kids are exactly the same, just the opposite.. they hate the north, and they hate prodestants (again, not a religion thing, being from the north and being "prodestant", just means your loyalties are to britain and the queen, irish ppl hate the queen and the british). its hard to explain, but having worked up north before and now being down south, they are actually 2 separate worlds, both full of hate for one another.. we're working with kids who would have gang/paramilitary ties with the i.r.a.. and then we're going up to be with kids who are in paramilitaries with links to the u.d.a. for those of you that aren't following, basically.. its potentially a very dangerous situation. unless God works. but, it should be a good weekend, and we're all really looking foward to it.. but the other thing you could be praying for is our guys that we're bringing. it's no secret they all do some sort of drug, whether it be hash, or cocaine, or heroine, or ecstacy.. now, a couple of them are so dependant on these drugs, that going on just a weekend away even, could cause them to have withdrawls. they have signed a contract to us that they will not bring any drugs or alcohol with them on the trip.. and if we find any on even one, we have to take all the guys home immediatly. it's a rough crowd we are workin' with.. but the Spirit of God is moving.. and is doing amazing stuff.. such as.. 6 of them accepting Christ last week!! God is absoluetly amazing.. yet, it's even more crucial to pray for their spiritual protection, the evil one wants to destroy them, and their gang and drug ties will make it very difficult.. so lots to pray for....

pray for me as well.. its rough here. rough on my little heart.. like, just rough in every way you can imagine.. so remember.. pray for me.. pray for wednesday's games, thursday's talk.. and the weekend.. cheers and God bless.

core

the new church i have found that has been a huge blessing to me.

praise God for providing some much needed fellowship for me.. its great.. people my age.. who love God.. its pretty rare here..

its really nice to have found a place that is such an encouragement while im here.. heres some photos.. its good fun.

by the way

i love all my family. and all of my friends.. you know who you are.. just had to tell ya.. i love you guys!!!

more than enough?

17"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. 18"Bring them here to me," he said. 19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

this passage is out of a story in matthew 14. yesterday i got to experience my own version of this story, and i left the place truley amazed that God is still the same. still compassionately cares for people, and i just was in awe.. so im at the ligthouse, the homeless ministry i do, that gives out food and clothes the the poor, and drug and alcohol addicted ppl of this city. ive been there every week now for almost 4 months, and love it! and last nitei was given a different responsibility... serving the hot food. now, every nite we have a couple hundred come thru our door, in a matter of only 2 hours.. before we start, we always pray, a volunteer was praying and asked God that if the numbers were unusually large that nite, that He would provide more than enough food, and stretch whatever we had, so that it would be more than enough, even that we would have enough left so we could give some away. we all said amen, let them come in.. and, what do you know? we had an unusually large group that nite.. as i was looking at the 3 tiny pans of shepherds pie and one pot of beans and sausage, and the hundreds of ppl there, and i was like, oh no.. this is gonna be gone in about 10 minutes!!

so i start serving the food.. gave more than ample portions to each one that came up.. we usually use small plates.. all we had that nite were large plates.. as i talked with each one, and as i served each plate, the food just kept being enough.. literally, i was so close to laughing everytime i served a plate, becuz each time, it just kept serving, kept being enough.. 2 hours go by.. i had served hundreds of men and woman and even some teens that nite, and still had some left, that we were able to give away! honestly, it was the wierdest thing i have ever seen. i have worked in a resturant, i know how people eat.. i know how much food we had, and i know how much i was giving away. we did not have that much.. and somehow, it kept being enough.. i cant even describe it to you.. it was the coolest thing i have ever seen! and i was telling the ladies and other volunteers and they were just laughing, and were like, oh honey, that happens every week. hallelujah, God is good isnt He?.. and just walked away knowing what i was feeling, seeing it for themselves every week as well. i just.. wow.. i know i sound crazy.. but it was so cool.. modern day miracle in a little old soup kitchen.. how amazing.. literally.. just so cool. wish you could have been there to see it for yourself.. but just had to share.. we serve a very amazing God.

norn iron so it is

I STILL LOVE NORTHERN IRELAND
WITH ALL I GOT

i got me wee norn irsh accent back.. whoo hoo.. it was a flippin' genius weekend up in belfast like. had an amazin' time!! here's some pics.. the whole weekend was just so soul blessin'... its so my 2nd home there, and i pulled into belfast and cud just breathe. even after 4 years, it's still my heart. won't bore you all with details of my time there, but i will say, it's still my favourite place in the whole wide world (still).. and i had such a great time.. and the bus ride home.. genius.. it was 11pm.. got onto the bus, thought it'd be a nice, quiet journey home.. till 54 lads in full norn irish soccer suits came on.. and they were headed to dublin airport for a match in spain.. haha.. the whole way to dublin it was me.. the only girl on the bus... with 54 lads, who were drinkin' the whole way.. it was... amusing.. and actually so much fun... ah rite, well, must go to bed.. just had to say. I LOVE NORTHERN IRELAND!! enjoy the pics, while i enjoy sleepin'. cheers for now.

belfast..

3 years. pieces of my heart still there.. i am going this weekend. and cried when i found out today i was so happy. oh my goodness.. i remember last month when i pulled up into enniskillen and the joy i felt i couldnt describle. i know this will be one of those weekends. wow.. i am wanting this week to get over, fast!! i am indescribably happy. like, you have no idea..

just a praise

had our first official choose life leaders mtg. last nite.. and the couple that i am leading it with are out of town, so i got to lead a mtg. for all our volunteers for close to 2 hours.. and God totally lead the mtg. and it was just a huge encouragement to me, and to the volunteers, and they are excited to come, and it was just exactly what we needed.. and i just am so thrilled that God had His way last nite.. and it was just really encouraging.. so thanks for your prayers.. i can tell when ppl are prayin, and its really just.. good.. so thank you! God is amazing

live camera views of where i live!!

now, i can only paint a picture with my words.. but theres an actual website that has live camera feed of the city! theres like at least 20 pictures that are streaming live of where i live!! now, ill post the link and have it on the side of my page as well, that way you can click on it anytime and it will bring you that much closer to me.. remember, its live.. how cool is that?

so just to give you an idea as well.. when you look at them... the

*the first one dorset street\fredericks street is a bit down from me, im not there much
*o'connell street\parnell street view, the second one down, is about a 4 minute walk from me
*the gardiner street\summerhill is about a 12 minute walk.. some of my friends live up there
*the dawson street\st. stephens green one is about a 15 minute walk
*o'connel bridge picture is rite where my church is, im on this road daily, its like a 8 minute walk
*the college green is about a 10 minute walk, im always there. its a fun part of town
*pearse street\o'dolier street view is where the litehouse is, im there alot, like a 10 min walk
*the quays from liberty hall is across the water from me, i live on the quays, about 7 mins away
*Christ church is rite across the water from me.. like a 2 minute walk
*stephans greens west\south is the about a 20 minute walk, its a nice area.. nothing really there
*wolfe tone quay.. no idea where that is
*the next important picture is the north quays from civic offices, thats like 2 minutes behind me
*scroll down to jervis street.. we do all our shopping there, its like 5 minute walk, my hood
*then parliment street and capel street is like a 4 minute walk, all part of where i live

all the rest are surrounding parts of dublin that i would go to alot, but wanted you to see the places i live.. all the ones i mentioned are places i am at multiple times daily.. so go check it out.. ill have the link off to the side so you can just click on it anytime.. maybe youll see me walking or something.. how cool, huh? so there ya goo...

http://www.dublincity.ie/living_in_the_city/getting_around/traffic_cameras/

*u*n*i*t*y*

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
please pray this for the leaders of my choose life club. inasmuch as i know i am here for a reason, and am able to lead, and love, and have been given responsibilities.. there are personalities that i am working with that have polar opposite ideas and viewpoints.. and i am in the middle.. its like, both "sides" looking to me to sort it all out, which i have to, and to create balance and combine things is a bit tricky, esp. when it comes to dealing with ppl.. but unity is what we need. its not my club. its not theirs. all the technicalities, and ideas come secondary to what God wants. its His will.. and i need us all to be united with one heart and one purpose.. and then in the meantime as God does that.. for wisdom on how to go forth, and what changes to bring about.. and how to do that.. lots of things.. continue to pray for my relationship with the teens as well.. that God would just let me "click" with them.. and continue to be working there.

- wisdom- unity- patience- relationships- clarity- vision- perserverance- love- boldness

i would love you to pray for these things. thanks all.

i am here for drimnagh

this was confirmed to me today so well.. wednesdays are our visiting days.. i get to go out to the estates and hang out with kids and teens!! this is what i am made for.. today, i realised, and got such an overwhelming sense of peace, that this estate is why i am here.. my heart..

its the irish ghetto.. graffitti everywhere.. beer bottles everywhere.. barred gates.. and little irish gangstas everywhere.. and i felt so.. at home.. and new that this particular housing estate is exactly where i fit rite now, for such a time as this, i am rite where i was made for.. an estate is a community of brick flats, and barred parks with green grassways in the middle of them, with a couple chippers and a couple pubs, mixed with some schools.. the drimnagh estate would be around 30,ooo ppl or so.. im guessing.. and it was just soo cool.. i would walk from street to street and the teens and kids are everywhere.. i got stopped everywhere i went, cuz i am new.. and american.. and spent a good 3 hours hanging out with these ppl.. it was amazing.. its what i am built for! as i walked thru this park to get to another part of the estate, i was looking around and realised it was the most ghetto park ive seen in awhile.. and i just felt the presence of God going with me, and such a feeling of peace and joy.. and a feeling of home.. and a feeling of knowing that God created me for this.. for these ppl.. for this place.. rite now. it was the coolest feeling. realising that the love from my heart, the joy from my heart, for this dirty, drug and gang infested area, was from God.. and i was overwhelmed with joy.. its a feeling i have not had in such a long time.. God with me.. Emmanuel. God with us. God bringing Himself to this place and to these ppl by my very presence.. full of joy. full of God..

the irish ghetto.. to most, a lost place that looks daunting... to me, my heart. i praise God that i am here.. its such a blessing.. and to me.. so beautiful.. by the looks of it most would turn and walk the other way.. yet, to me, it is so beautiful, and fills my heart with so much joy.. pray for the ppl of drimnagh, and my time there.. what a beautiful God.

i love it here!!

i already know this.. but everyday i wake up and am soo thrilled to be here.. i just love it! for this stage of my life.. im just, exactly where i should be.. and so blessed!!! ah, its such a cool city... accents everywhere.. ppl from every place in europe, everywhere... just such cool places to look at no matter where i go.. its just so freakin' cool! i love.. praise God.. and even tho this world is not my home, that i can enjoy it.. and Him in it no matter where i am.. but dude.. i love dublin.

choose life

will be my club in just a few short weeks.. its the friday teens one that i have been writing about. the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. pray God would raise up workers! He is the Lord of the harvest.
i need more volunteers for this club, volunteers that love them. and we need fresh vision and the Spirit of God to move among these teens. the world has given up on them. and the ppl here find it hard to work with them, bcuz of the types of kids they are. fortunately, they are my heart.. pray God would raise up other ppl to come help me that are passionate to show them hope as well. the world has told them there is nothing left for them. that they are hopeless and that they are too far gone for any sort of help. that is false. pray God uses me, us, this club to show them differently. these kids, in particular, are very clearly why i am here. pray God would give me wisdom to lead and disciple them.

its simple. we need the Holy Spirit to invade our friday nites. period. He alone is the only one that can bring about much needed change. pray that in my weakness and in ability to do anything apart from Christ.. that His power would be perfected, and His grace made perfect. i have no clue how to help these kids. but God does. pray He moves, He works. He goes before me and shows me. that He makes it happen. pray for His kingdom to be done on earth.. His kingdom of life and truth and hope and joy and love.. to be manifested in this club. in these kids. for His glory alone.

this is what i ask. from Him, from you, to pray. we need a fresh touch from the spirit of God. thanks! here are some of my kids.. that you are praying for!

everything changes in a moment

i was going to write about last nite and everything good that happened, and as i go to sit down, we get news.. news that completly changed the way today is going to go.. so i will write the good.. the bad.. and everything in between.. in sequential order.. God is good.

so.. yesterday, starting early in the morning, we took some kids to the zoo.. the weather was nice and mild.. was a gorgeous day.. and we had so much fun walking around seeing the animals.. the girls we took were so lovely.. so hilarious and kept us on our toes all afternoon.. made it to drimnagh eventually and we went around and visited all our teens.. they were all gettin ready for parties.. the the kids were runnin around in costumes... in all the grassy areas in the middle of the estates, you just saw kid after kid with shopping carts full of mattresses, wood, crates, sinks, tires.. more wood, of every shape and form, stacking this all into as high of a pile as you coule imagine, some were like 30 feet high and like 20 feet in width, all ready to be burned.. and as i looked around, all you could see were billows of black smoke rising hundreds of feet in the air.. all around, in every part of town.. you smelled burning rubber and burning plastic, and wood.. and... i walked back into dcm around 6pm, just after it had gotten dark, to grab a quick bit to eat and then join in the town stuff we did with our kids..

we took about 60 kids all in these monster inc. costumes all the way across town to meet up with about 140 other ppl. met at city hall.. and got in our groups, and marched thru the town.. we were the parade.. little did i know what i was getting into!! this was the towns highlite of the nite, and here i was rite in the middle of it!! it was awesome! so, here i am in the middle of 200 ppl in very fancy costumes.. and there were drummers that lead us thru town, as the streets were packed with onlookers, and every apartment and restuarant had ppl looking at us.. for 2 miles we marched to the drum beat.. and were seen by the entire town of dublin.. it was soo cool! we got on the news and everything.. front page of the irish times this morning.. so all my pictures you see below are me from the "inside view" of what the rest of dublin was seeing.. eventually.. (like 2 hours later) we made it to our destination, it was a long march! but we got inside this huge production called pans labyrinth, thats put on by the actual city council of dublin.. and here we are, in the middle of acrobats, and music louder than i have ever heard.. fire breathing dragon creations.. spinning fire dancers, fireworks... an entire huge production.. with hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of ppl looking at us.. and here we are rite in the middle of it.. it was amazing!!! then when it was all over.. we went to the fish markets and there was a marquee, full of catered food.. a disco.. tables.. and a bonfire that was built at least 50 feet high, and when once was lit.. oh my goodness!!! it was the biggest fire i have ever seen.. plus fireworks.. it was amazing acutally!.. a few squabbles here and there.. but for the most part.. it was safe.. and with little drama.. and was amazing.. so praise God for an amazing nite...

so thats what i was going to write.. and say, wow, how cool.. and had just gotten to the office to do so.. when... paul comes in.. and goes.. "so, rita was found dead on the street last nite." and that was all he said.. immediatly, all of us in the room were like.. "what?!" rita works at the pub next door.. is in her early 40's and is always outside smokin and hangin out.. and you have to remember that the communities over here are so tightly knit together.. ppl have lived in these flats for hundreds of years.. well.. their moms, and grandmas and greatgrandmas.. they are all related and the community you live in here, is actually the only world you know. ppl would die for each other here.. basically, you mess with one person, you mess with the entire community. so he said that, and we just sat here stunned.. no one knew the details of what happened, other than.. her son, who is 18... he is sooo sweet.. found her dead in the road!

so.. we have this play called the cross and the switchblade that we were planning on taking 70 ppl to tonite.. its a huge performance in dublin.. and its will be so good for our kids and ppl to see.. basically.. were not sure how its gonna go now.. becuz the community is in shock.. and apparently, when someone dies.. the community all bans together and buys tons and tons of alcohol for the family members who have had a loss and bring it to their house and there are ppl in the house for 24 hours a day, drinking with them.. and bringing lines of cocaine for the mourners to have. so.... its just shocking really.. we recognise it as satan. and him trying to destroy and discourage our community.. but we also know God is good.. He is sovreingn, and that He loves these ppl and has plans for good in all of this...

soooo.. if you could be praying for her family.. her sons name is anthony.. he would have made a decision a couple years ago to follow Christ.. but in all of this, ya never kno.. pray for her daughter.. pray for the ppl in the community who know her.. pray for our involvement in their lives in all of this.. pray for the play tonite, we are taking 20 kids from choose life to it.. im so excited!! one of my girls, kerri, who i know from the lighthouse, who made a decision a couple weeks ago.. who wouldnt have any Christians in her life has said she will come.. so pray God uses this in their lives in a huge way tonite.. pray she comes, even.. pray for these ppl.. i have never been around so much sickness and death.. just pray for these ppl.. God is so good.. and has such great plans.. please just pray for us in this next while.. thanks guys... talk soon.

www....

check it out.. today only..
www.ireland.com
that first story there with the parade ppl and the pookas labyrinth thing was us! well, not put on by us, but we were in it! ill write more later.. but we made front page here!! cool!