PICTURE PAGE
Ireland Videos
Pastor Daniel welcomes us. 9:56
Mark and Steve update us. 12:39
The Ireland mission video. 24:49
Friday, August 3, 2007
What a last day we had at camp, the kids had a BLAST!!!!! Your LWC Ireland team paid for Astro
jumps so we could have ourselves a "wee bit of a fair". Aside from the 2 Astro jumps, we had
puppet shows, we had worship teams, we had balloon tiers, we had face painters and most exciting
of all we were able to make Salvation Bracelets and tell them the salvation story!!! These
bracelets have gold, black, red, white and green beads each representing a part of the salvation
story. Gold represents God, black our sin, red the blood of Jesus, white how Jesus washes away
our sin and green for continued growth. Several kids wanted extra bracelets, so to make another
one, they would have to tell back the salvation story. One kid, Dylan who was really a PAIN,
asked to make another bracelet for his mom, because he wanted to make sure she was saved, WOW!!!
Tralee is a town of around 27 to 30 thousand people, so our camp was big news, big enough news
that the newspaper was going to come out to take a pictures and do a story. So the Rose House
people were all "a buzz". The atmosphere is very hostile towards Christians and we had to be
very careful all week. But since the media was coming, we had to take "extra" measures, to
the point that we even had to turn our T-Shirts inside out so that they wouldn't see our
"Going after the One" logo, because it might be interpreted as "a cultish thing; that we
were going after their children". We had restrictions on us like this all week long, but
in the end God's love and saving power got preached! As Jake quoted someone last night during
his testimony "Preach the gospel and when necessary use words"!!! The kids responded, they knew
they were touched by God, they felt his presence through our team. One mother, Shane's, who also
took her niece and nephew Lia and Matthew, came to the Friday night prayer service. She's not
a Christian, she was very brave to come. She heard several testimonies from our team as well as
Rose House members, when she spoke up and told us of her kid's experience. She broke down
crying, telling us it wasn't like her to cry and she didn't understand why she was crying, but
she had to come and thank us for, sharing our love and providing the experience for the children.
WOW!!!
We had a chance to share last night at their Friday night prayer meeting. Mark Blum, Roxanna,
Chuck, Lori, Jeff, Courtney, Joy, Jake and Steve gave testimonies and exhortations, they were
all AWESOME. We heard from Emily a 15 year old English girl who just got saved 3 weeks ago,
because of another 15 year old Rose House girl from Killarny, Sarah, had invited her to a camp.
She had us in tears as she told us of a mentally ill mother, an atheist grandfather and an
agnostic father, and yet with all that her heart softened to accept the Lord. She came and
saw the team love on the kids and it touched her and made her want more and more of Jesus.
Saturday we got a free day and went to Kenmare to go shopping. We also got to go to Killarny
and got to see an old castle and do some more shopping. Pray for our Sunday morning service.
Lori, Christi and Joy are going to run their Sunday school, pray that it go well and that they're
able to pass on their anointing to the Rose House people.
We love and miss you all. Thanks for your prayers and please don't stop until you see the
whites of our eyes.
Going after the ONE!
The Ireland Team
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Hello everyone...
Tomorrow is a BIG day for the team... we have our last day of camp. it will be like the Harvest
festival we put on at Living Way, with Astro Jumps, craft tables, puppets, etc... we are going to
share the gospel with the kids through Salvation Bracelets, so PLEASE pray for God's Wisdom as we
present the Gospel to these Children. The team has been AMAZING to say the least! moving 24
people everyday is NOT easy... but God has been so faithful! the Weather has been Great, but
Please please pray for great weather tomorrow... all the events are going to be outside! Cathy A.
and Debbie B. have been Incredible cooks on this trip... Greek food, Mexican food, pasta, and thai food!
We have NOT been suffering in that dept. at all... its been great to feed about 30 of their people every
day for lunch... I think they can't believe the love we have shown them!
Thank you sooo much for all of your prayers!!! You have been such a Major part of this teams success!
We Love you all...
Going after the ONE!!!
Mark and Steve
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
The weather has been GREAT, plenty of sunshine and in the 60's, what a day!!!! The 2nd day of
kid's camp went so much better than the first, it was so awesome! After a wild Day 1, a few
adjustments were made and we laid down a few ground rules, then everything just clicked and ran
like clockwork. The kids have really started to warm up to us and they had fun, fun, fun. Pray
for open hearts and open doors. Most of the kids didn't want to go home by the end of the day
and some asked why camp couldn't be 2 weeks long! Both teams have bonded with their kids and are
now going to be able to share their Jesus. Pray that they are open to receive from the team
members.
We've really bonded with the church here. They were SOOO amazed that we adjusted so readily to
their suggestions on how to run the VBS program and because we did so, we gained their trust.
They're been blown away by the team's humility and servant's attitude. They can't believe that
Cathy and Debbie are cooking for everyone!! We fed 55 on the first day and there's only 24 of us!
We're working side by side and that is really bringing us together. We had an AWESOME prayer
service last night, with some old worship songs and then an exhortation from Pastor John Murphy.
They're SOOO happy with the team and with what's happening here in Tralee. They know seed is
being sown and they're excited to see what God's going to bring. As we said yesterday we're
building a foundation here, deep and wide. Pray that we continue to have team unity and that
we continue to bond with the Tralee Church.
We're planning a big finish on Friday!! We're going to rent some air jumps and Samurai suits,
combine the 2 groups and have a carnival like Halloween Harvest!!!!! They've never done anything
like this before, but WE HAVE so watch out Tralee, they're in for a treat!!! People still can't
believe that this is all being done for practically free (5 euros for the week). They think
there's a catch, that we're going to shove the Bible down their throat, that they need to sign
on the dotted line!! But we're just telling them that we're just Christians running a camp and
that we're showing our love by traveling all this way to be with them!! THEY CAN'T BELIEVE IT and
want to know more.
Pray that we continue to have good weather so we can play with the kids. They had 54 straight days of
rain until the day we got here!!! Keep on praying for us as we go after the One!
Love Mark and Steve
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Top O da mornin to ya everyone!
You've GOT to Love the accents here!!! The one of many things I love about missions trips, is
the flexibility rule you HAVE to have to survive...l Starting with arriving at the San Diego
Airport 2 hours early to find out our "Perfect" flight schedule is cancelled... so instead
of flying from San Diego, to Philly, with a 1 hour layover, then directly to Shannon.... we
stood IN LINE at San Diego for 3 hours, almost missed our flight to Phoenix, then a 5 1/2 hour
layover, to catch a flight to London, where we had a 3 hour layover, which took 3 hours just to
get through customs, and 2 security checks, where they Literally held the plane doors open for
us, and then on to Shannon, where we then lost 14 peoples luggage, and 5 action packers, and 2
puppet stages! Blessed are the Flexible! What an adventure we had just to get here.... about
30 hours later, we pulled up to where we are staying... Very nice conditions, and very comfortable.
This morning we assembled with the Local Church here, Rose house Christian Center, where we had
breakfast, and went over some interesting rules and details.... We started our VBS with 120 kids
at one site, and 60 kids at another site. The site with 120 kids, was like the movie Daddy Day
Care x 10!!! We had to Tone down the "Christianize" and play more games with them. The older
kids were a little out of control to say the least... but God still did amazing things at that
site... All the kids said they really enjoyed it and can't wait to come back tomorrow... many
of the parents did NOT want to send them to a camp, where Jesus was shoved down their throat.
So while we were talking to Keith - our missionary contact here - and the youth pastor, I felt
like the Lord was saying that we are the foundation builders to a skyscraper building... it
takes one BIG hole, and ALOT of cement to go underground to hold up the big building, and what
this team is doing, is laying a foundation, that might not be seen for many years to come, but
what is going on here is TRULY amazing.... Please Pray for our continued Favor for this team!
God is forming a REAL Unity with our team and the local church here.... we have asked them to
join us for our Lunch/dinner meal every day... which speaks volumes to them.... the Church here
is on the brink of a Real Breakthrough, and God is moving among them.... This is turning into an
Amazing Trip, as I knew it would.
Thanks again for all your prayers... We Love you all, and just receive 13 peoples luggage just
an hour ago... PS... Sorry Staci... the only one who didn't get hers... but SHE is a Real Trooper!
We are Going after the ONE, and you are all part of it!
Love Mark and Steve