Week Seven and Eight: Dublin and St. Patrick

Wow. It's been a good few weeks. The week before last our team was in Dublin to serve at a small YWAM missions conference where leaders from east Europe came together to discuss a vision for Europe and to find out what God is doing in other places. It was great to see so many different people and languages get together in the same room for the same purpose. There were discussions about helping the poor ( a program in York, England, I think, called Street Angels) and discussions about ministering to prostitutes in Amsterdam and Berlin. There were leaders using the Arts to reach people and it seems that there are cafes in every country that a YWAM leader helps at....The gospel and coffee always seem to go together :) What ever the task, there is a YWAM base somewhere doing something to try to heal the nations, and it's excellent to be a part of it.
While I was there it was fun to be in the Dublin. There were all kinds of things to see but they all cost money...Book of Kells, St. Patrick's Cathedral...it's a bit of a tourist trap. The cool part was being able to talk to the manager of O'Shea's Pub. I was able to tell him who I was and Why I was there and some of our vision for this beautiful Island! In the end though it was only a conversation but there was something good about a protestant having a kindly chat with a protestant...a small example of what we're working towards.
Last week we had two great opportunities. The first was a prayer walk of sorts. We started by praying for the Shankill and we walked down to City Centre praying for businesses as we went. We walked past to Docks where the titanic was built right up the other side of the city to Stormont, the local parliamentary building. We prayed for the politics here, not for one side or the other but that they would be instruments of peace, rather than conflict.
On st. Patrick's day we had a weird but great outreach. Our job was to go to a place in town where there were drunken riots last year and work with a church there. we Handed out flyers for free burgers and coffee and tea and then we walked around several blocks with a big trash can and pick ed up bottles. It was fun to talk with the folks there. They asked us what we were doing and why. The overall attitude was better and there were no riots! I haven't heard yet but I'm sure the city was appreciative...hopeful we can do it next year.

A personal note: When I had initially told you all about the YWAM trip here, I told you that at the end on the time we were going to South Africa to "Practicse" What we were learning. But for some of us in the group our plans have been changed. I am one of 11 students that will be taking the message of reconciliation to Israel and Palestine. For several weeks our team will be in the Middle east crossing the lines back and forth to work with orphanages and youth groups, meeting people and building community. It will be an exciting time.