3 Weeks in Ireland

Swords Baptist Church Service

Ní féidir liom chreideann ive curtha in Éirinn seachtaine cheana féin. It’s hard to believe that I have now been in Ireland this long. Even a year ago when I was first talking with TEAM and my mission coach and various professors and friends, I never thought I would be sitting here in Swords Ireland writing back home to let them know how things are going here.

Swords Baptist Church Entrence

These past few weeks, God has given me a great opportunity to build some great relationships and see how god is working here in Ireland. This is a beautiful country full of a deep and a rich history. The history is amazing and their heritage of the Church is fascinating. These people over the years have lived under a theology that put a lot of rules in place and placed a heavy burden on the people. This burden has left the people with no desire to learn about Christ for they expect the church to have a lot of rules.

Bill (Left) Clem (Right)

In the past week, I have had the opportunity to build some good relationships with the people hear, adult and youth. For example yesterday I went to Dublin with an American I met here who lives here with his German wife. He is a believer and I spent the day walking around Dublin with him getting to know him. We went to the Jameson Distillery museum (don’t worry I didn’t drink) and then headed into the heart of Dublin after towards the Dublin spire. We talked about many things, and I hope I had the opportunity to share a bit of the truth with Him while we spent time together. He is a believer so I hope I can encourage him while I am here.  We also walked around 4 courts, Temple Bar, O’Connell Street, the General Post Office (Sight of the 1916 Easter Rising), a replica of a Irish Famine Ship and Henry street. Dublin is a beautiful city with many people who are in my prayers.

Ivy

Also, last Friday I started to build relationships with some of the youth here. I was given the task of making sure the kids sign in when they enter the church building. So while I was waiting, 3 kids come out, Cian, Luke and Stephen with a futbol. They asked if I wanted to join so I went with them out to the car park. We started kicking around the ball and played pig in the middle and then we played curbs and ended with a big game of hide and go seek with the kids. I’m excited that I have the opportunity to get to build relationships with the kids here. They are all great kids but all need a wee bit of Jesus. For example, after the hide and Go seek we started playing pool in the youth room. A kid who was probably 14 maybe 15 stated that he had money on the England World Cup match. It broke my heart that kids at this age are gambling which is a huge problem in Ireland in general not just the kids.

I’m excited to see where God is going to take me these next few weeks. Were busy planning kids club for the local kids. The theme this year is an inventor who builds a time machine. The professor named Professor Ian Ventor is written off the idea of Doc from Back to the future. I’m honored to be here serving the Irish any way I can.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for the Following people I have been building relationships here with:

Jesse, Nathan, Jonny, Clem, Tim, Bill, Ray, Sylvia, Linda, Graham, James, Shay, Donna, Eric, Cian, Luke, Stephen, Robyn and Ireland in General.

Also, please pray for God to allow me to be sensitive to the way He is working here in Ireland.

In the Hope we have in Jesus,

Jacob