Hello again :)

The past few days have absolutely flown by! I can't believe that it has almost been a full week since I've been here!!

You might be wondering what I've been up to, and now I've finally got some time to sit down and tell you :) Here goes nothing!

We arrived around 2:00 PM local time on Tuesday (that's about 8:00 AM Tuesday morning back home). In order to try to minimize the effects of jet lag, we set a goal to stay awake as long as possible. We were met outside the airport by our friends Abby and Jared, along with several new faces, Ernie and Seth. They took our bags (all arrived safely and fully in tact!) and we walked to the cars. Yes, the steering wheel was on the right hand side of the car. We were quickly informed that they didn't drive on the "wrong" side of the road, it was simply "different." I think that's about the only thing that sunk in because I was so out of it from not sleeping for over 24 hours....

I soon came to find out that Irish driving is quite different than driving here in America... Almost all of the cars are standard. They are rather small, we haven't seen any "trucks." The roads are all very skinny and windy. The roads are lined by hedges that are about 7 feet tall. Also.....to Haley's extreme fear.....the Irish judge distance between each other in inches, and Americans judge in feet....let me just say that we came within a few inches of a lot of things this week!!!! The mirrors even fold in because they drive so closely to each other! EEK! No worries mom, we're perfectly safe, they know what they're doing ;)

After an hour of driving, we arrived to the house we will be staying for the next month of our time. It's a large, 3 story yellow house. I'm in the "basement" which is really just like a floor. There are about 6 rooms on our floor. Haley and I share a room that is really comfortable, nothing excess, but it meets our every need :) I really like it. The middle floor is the living room kitchen area. They feed us AMAZINGLY!! Also--the coffee is THE BEST! Hot tea and coffee are fresh and ready wherever you go. Back to the story... ;)

When we arrived, we were met my a hot delicious dinner: soup and scones with jam. It was so great. We sat and got to know our hosts, Nancy and Ernie. We were still in disbelief that we were halfway across the world...in IRELAND! The rolling hills around us were calling our name...somebody suggested walking to the town and we all thought it was a great idea! We ended walking a little over 5 miles! I got to observe the beautiful country and talk with my new friends, it was great! We came back to the house and watched the British version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. It was really fun! We headed to bed around 11:00 and then next thing I knew it was 10:00 the next morning! Thankfully, we really got to skip the side effects of jet lag. :) YAY! What a great way to begin our trip!

WEDNESDAY (From now on I'm going to start making lists, if you want more details, just email with questions and I'll answer as soon as I can!)

• Like I said, we woke up around 10:00.
  
• We ate scones and had some delicious coffee.
  
• Abby, Jared and I got ready to head to town with Ernie and Nancy to pick up supplies while Haley got ready to hang outwith 2 local teens, and Patrick and Chris started to tackle the tedious job of copying letters.
• Town=Cork=San Francisco of Ireland (I totally called it!! They were very impressed :) )
• We bought stuff for the Texas night (themed night of camp we will be running) We are going to have several different station like line dancing and pinatas so we started to prepare for that and buy food for the campers
• Nancy and Ernie left Abby, Jared and me in Cork to wait for our bus to Bandon. We had a team prayer and planning meeting for the intermediate camp ages 12-15 at a friends house (Bandon is about 45 minutes from Cork and an hour and a half from Youghal) The camp will start up a week from Sunday. I made several new local friends and began to learn a lot about Irish culture. We ate and I made 2 special friends, Erica and Stephen who are 8 and 11 years old! The kids in Ireland are just as great as the one in America!!!! :) We played with legos and checked out all of the new toys Stephen had received for his birthday.
• we left around 10 (Ernie and Nancy met up with us) and we got home a little after 11:30....I was exhausted!
• Haley and I talked for a while and we finally fell asleep :)

THURSDAY

• Morning Devotions
• Abby and I made pinatas
  
• We went to "camp" which is a large stone barn and farm that one of the local Christian family owns. At first, it really didn't look like a camp could ever take place here, especially because there weren't any cabins or indoor facilities like there are here in America. Abby said, "trust me, you'll start to see it by the end of the day."
  
• We started cleaning and emptying cupboards that hadn't been opened in a year. We cleaned EVERYTHING! Dishes, chairs with mud and bird poop, tables, cabinets, floors....the whole place!
  
• I made several new friends. There were about 20 people helping out. 2 of them were young kids, Aaron and Emma (verrrryyy cute! and even cuter because they absolutely adored us!! ;) )
• We met another team from Canada
• At the end of the day we walked over to a cottage that the family lived in. It is over 200 years old and absolutely beautiful! There was a HHHUUUUGGGGGEEEEE garden, about the size of a pasture that had trails and ponds and all kinds of stunning and exotic plants. The owner told us she has women's groups from all over the country who travel to be able to dine in her garden. It's AMAZING!! I'll be sure to take tons of pictures when I get back!

FRIDAY

• The local "teens" came over to our house and hung out and helped us with magazines. We Will be handing out "4you magazines" (about 7,000 copies) and each one has to have a printed letter and a sticker with contact information. Needless to say we worked all day and only got about halfway through....oh boy!! :)
• made pinatas with the teens
• played whiffle ball with the teens, a completely new game to them! it was a blast!!!
  
• BBQ in Bandon, I had some great conversations with some new friends! Irish BBQ is sooo good!!
  
• Headed home, very worn out! However...as soon as we got home, we unexpectedly caught a second wind....we decided to make a kettle of tea and go lay out blankets while Jared and Haley played their guitars. We watched the sun go down (it goes down between 10 and 11). We had a blast and we all bonded really well!! :) What a great day!
  

SATURDAY

• Got up early to do last minute cleaning for camp
• Set up tents in the field
• Played with Aaron and Emma
• Cleaned the toilets......
  
• Washed chairs
  
• Put away TONS of food
  
• The boys headed out to watch Transformers!!!
• The girls stayed and helped with chores and left around 2
• Nancy, Haley and I headed back to the house...absolutely EXHAUSTED! Nancy told us we needed to rest and so we watched 2 movies, ate dinner on the couch, and got ready for bed before the boys got back. We headed to bed early, I read outside on the porch swing (it was a beautiful sunset!!!)
  

SUNDAY

• went to the new church
• helped set up the chairs
• the service began at 11. It was very small, only about 30 people. Ernie gave a sermon about worrying
• we had tea and biscuits (cookies) and cleaned up the church
• we said goodbye to Haley, Patrick, Chris, Nancy and Ernie as they headed to camp (the first week is for ages 15-19)
  
• Abby, Jared and I went to Mervyn's house (one of the leaders at camp) and we hung out with his family. they fed us (very well as usual!!) and we got to play with their 4 kids.
  
• Mervyn then pulled us aside and got us ready for our radio interviews...yes we were going to be on the radio!!!
• After discussing our testimonies and life stories, we headed up to the radio station to give it live... WOW!! boy was I nervous!
• Abby and Jared went first, they did awesome and even performed "On Christ Alone" live! It was great :)
• I was next, and although I was pretty nervous, I think it went okay! It will air next Sunday around 6:00PM (noon your time!) The program is called reflections and my part comes in about half way through. The radio station is called Community Radio Youghal. Its FM 104, www. youghalradio.com. Check it out!!!!
• We recorded for about 3 hours and headed back to Nancy and Ernie's house. We watched millionaire, made our own scrambled eggs with ham, and are now blogging and skyping with all our friends!! I'm getting ready to head to bed really soon!!!! :)

Big picture...
Just in case you are a little lost (I know I didn't explain everything clearly!)

The main things we are doing is:

1. Running MCC camps, which are Christian camps for teens in the area. Around 60 students are allowed to come to the camp. These are mostly kids who have decided to become Christians, but who are lacking strong leadership or Christian friends in their lives. Believe it or not, a Christian is scarce to come by here in Ireland. I talked to a new friend Kate, and she said while living in Cork, she didn't make one friend who was a Christian. The people here are friendly, but they have lost hope in Christianity, seeing it as boring, useless and unfufilling in their lives. Time and time again, God has been the last person they have wanted to turn to. This camp is meant to be a place of refuge (like in America) where these kids can share their lives with other kids who will understand them.
   
2. The past few days, we have really begun to get a feel for the culture, we have gotten to know our team members very well as well as several locals that we will be serving with at camp.
   
3. We are passing out 4you magazines that are several Christain articles and a great presentation of the gospel. Abby, Jared and I will begin passing them out tomorrow morning.
4. Living with people, loving, learning patience, watching God work! :)

There will be two weeks of camp, one started today and goes until next Saturday, and the next starts next Sunday and goes until the following Saturday (that's the one Abby and Jared and I are working)



Common phrases/interesting things in Ireland!

• That's class! (When something is really cool)
• Brilliant! (When you really like something)
• You're a leg (like legend, its when you think someone is really cool--huge compliment)
• Savage! (Like sick or awesome)
• Tea and coffee are served EVERYWHERE, it's polite to have it ready when anyone comes over
• Don't ask for a ride.....ask for a lift
• "chunking the duece" is like giving someone the middle finger...very bad manners...
• ye=y'all
• cookie=chocolate chip American cookie
• biscuit=any other cookie
• biscuit savory=American biscuit
• slagging=being sarcastic or making fun of you, the Irish will only do this if they like you or know you enough to tease
• football=soccer
• fringe=bangs
• toilet/lou=restroom
• no dryers! everyone uses a clothesline to save energy
• the plugs are really different!

Thanks for keeping updated with me!! Sorry it's been a few days since my last post, but I probably wont be able to post except maybe once or twice a week and I won't be able to use the internet the week I am gone for camp! Thanks for your love and prayers. I am safe, happy, well-fed, and most importantly loved by a fellow group of Christians and learning and growing in the Lord constantly! ;)

Love y'all!!!
Ash

Close call :) Always an adventure!

Hello from Ireland!!!

Just wanted to let y'all know that I have made it safely to the little town of Youghal. We are in the dead center of large, beautiful rolling hills. The people are extremely accepting and loving. Our hosts, Nancy and Ernie, are great! They have taken us under their wing and I feel like one of their own. Big picture, I'm having a BLAST!!!! I'm learning new things every second, it's brilliant! (as everyone says ;) )

So from the beginning......

big picture: Pappadeaux, airport 2 hours early, WRONG AIRPORT, terrible traffic down 45, running through the airport, cutting through security, running to the terminal, barely made it!!!!



In case you're completely lost.... :)

Monday June 15, 2009

The day began great. Slept in, last minute packing, breakfast with Todd, and sweet goodbyes. :) We mosied on down to Houston, ate a delicious dinner at Pappadeaux, and headed to the Houston Airport, arriving at 5:10 PM (seemingly early/on-time for my 7:00 flight). As we tried to pick up my boarding pass, we were told that they were non-existent. As you can imagine, we were shocked. Then, the problem was diagnosed: wrong airport!!!!

A wave of panic hit as we realized that missing my flight was now a very real possibility. We quickly headed to the other airport (who would have thought!) My dad stepped up the driving as we rushed through traffic, passed on the shoulder, and received several loud and angry honks (I was in charge of the thank you waving :)). To make matters worse, the gas tank was completely empty (we drove about 12 miles as the car beeped 0 miles until empty). We prayed desperately that God would allow us to make this flight. I began to wonder what would happen if I missed the plane? Would I be able to go on this trip we had been planning the past 6 months? I was terrified. We prayed desperately that God would allow us to make this flight. I began to wonder what would happen if I missed the plane? Would I be able to go on this trip we had been planning the past 6 months? Needless to say, I was terrified.

Traffic came to a complete stop. I prayed that the Lord would comfort our hearts. I asked that if it was within His will, that he would make 1 gallon of gas like 10 and that he would do anything to help us work past my mistake. We turned off the air conditioner and rolled down the windows (whew! very hot--99 degrees.... ) As the car was rumbling, absorbing every bit of gas left, we received a call from one of the team member's dad who informed us that the plane was running 15 minutes late. Praise the Lord!!!

My dad zoomed through traffic, my mom prayed out loud, and my brother faithfully sat covered in 50.9 pounds (not even joking.... :) ) of luggage.

We pulled into the airport at 6:30, really cutting it close!!! I rushed through check-in and security, and said a very short goodbye to my family. I ran to the terminal where I met up with Haley, Patrick, and Chris (other team members) and we boarded the plane. 14 hours later, I arrived in Cork, Ireland! :)

Needless to say, I've already learned a whooooole lot :)...

I experienced my first trial--it was really cool to see my family join together so strongly to make my flight. It was through our crazy driving, my mom praying and carrying my worry along with me, and my brother sitting contently with a HUGE suitcase in his lap, that I was able to experience and see my family's love for me. As they sacrificed their time, carried my burden along with me, and called out to OUR Father in desperation AND thanksgiving I felt love in an out-of-body kind of way. It was the sweetest goodbye I have ever experienced.

Prayer Requests:

• Thank the Lord for safe travel! Thank Him for guiding us along our journey. Thank Him for using our mistake as a way to bring my family together and closer to Him. What an interesting blessing. Definitely not conventional (but really, the Lord keeps us on our toes, He never goes about things how we think He will, does He? ;) ).
• Pray that we may adapt to the time difference quickly. That we may experience rest and peace in Him.
• Pray that we would adjust to the culture and that my heart would be opened to serve however I can. That I would not let physical exhaustion affect my actions and ability to love.
• Pray for my team members, for our fellowship with each other. That our love would be authentic, deep and a reflection of God's perfect love to us. Let our relationship with each other be our loudest testimony to the people of Ireland.

Thanks y'all!! Much love :)

Ash

Getting Ready!!

Our plane leaves Monday night, June 15th at 7:00 PM. As it gets closer and closer to our departure, I am filled with excitement to see what the Lord has in store for our group. :)

Right now you can be praying for:

--safe travel!

--that the Lord would prepare my heart and the hearts of the people that we will be ministering to


Thanks for your love and support!!
Ash