A busy day and a new place to stay.

I'm writing this time from Dundrum. Richie returned from the US and is giving me a bed and roof for the final days of this trip. Yesterday's time with both Murlough Staff and the Kairos Leadership Board went well. At Murlough we talked about being connected with God, how to communicate well, Biblical community, and calling. The first part of the day went particularly well. We had some great time together, learning, listening, and praying. At the Karios Centre, we shared a meal and talked through the 7 Practices of Effective Ministry. It was a day that included about six hours of facilitating discussions on each topic.

The early part of today was spent with a couple who are being used by God to influence much that's happening behind the scenes here. I can see the way God has been moving things forward through their passion and vision for the work in this community. I took in a football (soccer) match at Donard Park - Tollymore v. Rathfriland. Richie was playing forward for Tollymore, but they lost due to a goalkeeper's error. Sad times. Tonight I am teaching at the weekend's Fused event. I get to talk about Zacchaeus. It's always tough to teach about a guy who i best known for a cute, catchy little kid's song written about him... If you read this on Saturday, pray for me around 3:30 EDT while I'm teaching.

Also, tomorrow morning I'll be leading worship at the Baptist Church. Please lift that up as well. Then, travel on Monday... Thanks for all of your prayers and support for this trip. I thank God for all of you.

Prayer. Planning. Purpose.

There's not a lot of time for today's post - a busy day ahead. Yesterday I spent time in Lisburn, Moira, Kilkinnamurry Lane, and Warrenspoint. I drove over about half of Northern Ireland, I'd say. A few high points: got things lined up for today's time with two different parachurch teams. Please pray for the time I get to have facilitating group learning, worship, and prayer with Murlough and Kairos. I met up with two men in school for ministry at Moira College. One was from Northern Ireland and the other was from India. It was a time of challenging and encouraging one another in a big way. It was very challenging for me to learn about Biblical community within a culture of severe persecution. Our prayer time was a time of worship and wonder for me. Later I was able to sit with one of the Baptist leaders and his wife over dinner to talk about ministry, marriage, and more. It was right on purpose for this trip. There have been a few times where I could fully see the work happening, and this was one of them. Still, I know God is at work constantly even when I can't see the results right away. I stopped in at the drop-in for people dealing with addictions and met three men who had been on the drink for quite some time. One of them suggested that he would meet me at the Baptist Church this weekend without my prompting. Not sure if he'll remember it today, but you never know. Pray for S. to follow through on his state-dependent promise. Also, please pray for T. and K. as well. They were in pretty bad shape and will certainly be feeling it this morning.

Painting and prayer.

I finally made it out to Murlough House for the first time yesterday. There I was able to connect briefly with a few old friends and make a couple of new acqaintances. I sorted out the details for the six hours of facilitating group learning and prayer time on Friday. I made my way from Murlough to the Oasis, the old pub that has been purchased and is being renovated for ministry purposes. I was able to pick up a paint brush for a bit there while sharing about Biblical community with one of the local ministry staff and her friend, a ministry volunteer and assisted living staff person. They kept asking about my ministry at home, so they unwittingly learned all the ins and outs of Acts 2:38-47.

The Baptist prayer meeting I mentioned in my last post went well. The point that was driven home: Elijah was a regular, average, ordinary person just like us - and God answered his prayers. An ancient truth, but it was a fresh word for them. The people gathered were mostly the older crowd, but, in an apparently unusual occurrence, a few of the younger people I've connected with throughout the week showed up as well.

Today I will be meeting with a ministry leader in Lisburn. Its about a 45 minute drive through the countryside. Afterward I am scheduled to have a meal with a local leader and his wife. Then, this evening, I am heading over to the recovery program drop-in. Please pray for safe travel, for God to continue to fill me and pour me out as I share time with so many people, for God to work in the hearts of the people coming to the recovery program.

One of the local leaders marvelled today at the fact that I have been welcomed into so many diverse circles. It never occurred to me that it might not be so, but apparently it's really easy to be excluded from a circle if you've entered another. I'm thankful for God paving the way for that welcome. It's all according to His Spirit's work ahead of me. Please continue to pray for me to have favor in the eyes of all people. Thank you for praying.

Tollymore, Ulster Fry, and Goujons.

Yesterday was a morning without a specific agenda, so I took a run at one of the most beautiful places on this earth, Tollymore Forest. It wasn't as beautiful when I was ging through the pain of running, though... Later, I met up with one of the few full-time pastors in Newcastle. We talked about the church over a cholesterol-laden Ulster Fry. He has such an amazing heart for God, his people, and even those he doesn't know. When he parked his vehicle on the side of the road, for example, he refused to pull onto the curb as most people do to keep their cars from being hit. He was concerned about anyone coming through in a wheelchair being able to pass through. His vision for ministry is much the same - for those people he does not know and who will come to Christ through the people in the body he's pastoring long after he's gone. We had a great conversation, then returned to the church and prayed for one another.

The afternoon was spent reviewing a message I'm to give tonight at the Baptist prayer meeting. Please pray for me as I share God's words from James 5:16-18 and 1 Kings 17... I'm talking about the fact that God answers the prayers of ordinary people like us.

In the evening met up with a group of eight local youth leaders. I had Chicken Goujons with chips and a sweet chili sauce. It was a generally relational conversation for the most part, but when people started to leave, the few remaining had a great conversation about reaching out to meet the physical and spiritual needs of people in this community. During this gathering I was blessed to meet a guy that leads a ministry that combines the Alpha Course with a recovery ministry. His recovery "program" is relational first, for as long as it takes, then goes deeper as trust is built. He is a person I hope to connect with further. I am supposed to join him on Thursday evening to be a part of the work he's doing.

Thank you all for your continued prayers. I have a strong sense of your support.

The plans I make. The plans God makes.

Yesterday I had figured out that I was going to have breakfast with two guys who are active in ministry - one vocationally, one voluntarily. We were to meet at "half nine" (9:30) at the cafe where the locals go - the one across the street is, according to an unspoken rule, generally agreed to be reserved for tourists.

I woke to a pouring rain. I got ready and then realized that I had left my rain jacket in Jamie's car which was on it's way to his workplace in another town. In my first three days in the country it rained, oh, seven times. So I figured it would die down eventually. It didn't. I waited a while but then finally had to strike out into the soaking atmosphere anyway. I had called ahead to let them know I'd be late, but only got a voicemail system. So, I arrived a bit late at the Cafe. I poked my head in the door and looked around. Not seeing the guys I was to meet, I thought - did they say the other cafe? I started out the door and a woman came after me, calling me by name. I was a bit perplexed for a moment, then realized that I had met her at the church briefly the day before. She offered to text the guys I was trying to connect with, so I grabbed an Americano and sat down with her for a moment.

CULTURAL NOTE: An Americano is a double shot of espresso with hot water added. It's kind of like a strong cup of regular, black coffee. In Northern Ireland, when you order an Americano, they always ask if you want milk in it. I said, "No," which apparently means, "Yes," here when spoken with the proper inflection. Sad times, a ruined Americano...

I didn't notice this problem with my beverage until a few minutes after I started talking with M. By this time, I would have been interrupting God's idea for the morning if I had gotten up to correct my Barista's error. M shared about coming to Christ six years ago after two unfaithful husbands and two kids from each of them. A single mom with four little ones finding Christ and, five years after being destroyed, new love again. It was an amazing story of hurt and redemption. Please pray along with me for M and her family.

I never did catch up with the guys. I walked to the place where one of them keeps his office and ended up connecting with another leader, with whom I would end up spending the next five hours. Due to some errands that needed running, we ended up driving together to Belfast for the afternoon. We had a great talk along the way there, as we walked in the city, as we ate, as we drove back. We covered things like calling, the nature of his local ministry, dreams for the future of his ministry, and problems that he deals with. One thing amazed me about this particular leader - he was absolutely convinced of God's role in putting authority over him. So many miss that point. Instead of allowing God to shape character by submitting to the influence God places over them, people tend to run away from these things and end up being in another situation later - not realizing that their struggle comes from the state of their own heart, and not so much from the things they don't like about the leader over them.

On the way back from Belfast, I finally got ahold of a vehicle. Richie had loaned me his car while he's in the states, but someone had picked it up to do some work on it and hadn't returned it. So, we swung through Seaforde on the way back from Belfast. Our first stop was at the wrong house. A very tall ginger-haired lady came out of the house with a huge scowl on her face. I might just be willing to testify that she was ten feet tall and very scary. Very scary. We were quickly away from there and finally found the right house.

The evening was resevred for dinner in Annalong with Sara Ferris' mum. She had arranged a wonderful meal of chicken curry - perfectly spicy - and for two of the deacons and their wives from the Baptist church to be there. Along with conversation about Nat King Cole, American politics, and the sad state of our health-care system, we had a great conversation about what it looks like when we can focus in ministry. This seemed to grab their attention unlike anything else we discussed. They have been searching for a pastor for almost two years now. They feel scattered and aimless. Without vision. Pray for the leadership at the Baptist church to follow God in selecting their next pastor. Pray against division witin their small body. Pray for a Godly leader to be installed there, not just the one who will keep things the way they've always been.

A personal prayer request - continue to pray for me. I had a very different sort of spiritual attack last night at bedtime. It was an attack of fear. Not an anxiety attack. Not a hold me, I'm scared thing. It was unusual. It reminded me of a time in India while I was on a mission trip a few years ago. It was distinct. Clear. Not a run away now sort of feeling, but a simple, chilling awareness of the numinous - that which is present but unseen. An awareness of opposition. I prayed and spoke the Word out loud and finally was fine. I asked God to lift up people to pray for me. Thanks if that was you praying at 7:00 EDT last night!

Well, I'm off to meet with several people soon. Thank you for checking in. Thank you for praying for me. Thank you for praying for my family as I'm away.

The peak. Saturday evening. And Sunday.

THE PEAK:
On the way to the summit, we stopped many times to catch our breath. During one such stop I caught a glimpse of a most amazing sight: clouds being born. We were right at the height where vapor was quickly turning into fluffy white at a rapid pace. The wind was coming right up the mountain behind us at a good 30-40 mph, so it was quite a show watching clouds suddenly form and blow right up and over us. At the top we ate a small sandwich, then opened our Bibles to read about Moses' encounter with God on the mountain (Exodus 19:1-20:21), Elijah's experience of the same (1 Kings 19:7-18), and the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain (Luke 9:28-36). We were to think of the journey we'd made so far, take a look at the view and imagine what they might have seen, experience the frigid fingers and consider the physical discomfort of a mountaintop experience. After reading and thinking for a moment, we descended to the saddle on the opposite side of Donard. There we sat and processed together. I won't divulge our conversation, except to share the questions we worked through:

Why did people have to climb a mountain to encounter God?
What is it about the heights that make us feel so small?
How can we experience a mountaintop experience with God like this in a normal day?
Moses was asked to bring Aaron with him to the mountain. Jesus brought James, John, and Peter. How can we bring others into an encounter with God like this?

The descent was a long and laborious one. It always amazes me how difficult it is to walk down a mountain. A whole other set of muscles is being used. I can still feel it in my ankles two days later.


SATURDAY EVENING:
That evening was spent with the board and the workers for the local youth-outreach. I facilitated a discussion on the urgency of staying connected to Jesus as we do ministry. It was quite a lively discussion. Some of you may have had the discussion with me before: Using a power strip, a scented candle, and a watering can - we talked about how each one is like living out life as a Christ follower. Then we talked about what they all have in common - they need something else to be used for their full potential. They had some great ideas, some excellent metaphor in response to the prompting. We shared pizza after a prayer time. It was a great time to continue to connect with people in a fairly relaxed setting. I was finally able to catch up with one of the local pastors at this meeting. We're planning to sit together several times this week. Pray for my time with Ivan if you would.


AND SUNDAY:
I was blessed to worship with Newcastle Baptist in the morning. They had a minister visiting from Ballynahinch. He taught on Psalm 84. While I was there I reconnected with Timmy and Ashley among others. We are going to grab time later this week to have dinner and talk. Timy is a deacon in the Baptist Church and his wife Ashley, an American, is preparing to lead the small group movement. Imagine me possibly having something to share there...

After church, it was off to Jane's house for down-time with six friends, leaders, fellow Christ-followers. We were planning to walk to the prayer hut after lunch, but the food was too good, too plentiful. We will be making a trek to the hut on Saturday next, Lord willing.

The evening service was at the Presbyterian church. The youth service is shared between the Baptist and the Presby. It's a pretty cool cooperative effort. Jamie led worship along with Jane, Jonny Crory, Jackie, and several students. This time of connecting with God was very special for me and the rest of the people. I invaded the "minister's room" at the back of the church before the service and prayed for Ivan as he prepared to bring God's words. He reminded us of our status as aliens. He challenged us to move forward with living as reflections of Christ in the world - not just at church but in the community. We had tea in the fellowship hall afterward. During that time I was able to arrange several more meetings and was asked to bring a message for the Wednesday evening Baptist prayer meeting. Later in the evening I had a conversation with four influencers in the local ministries. I learned some difficult things about the goings on behind the scenes here. It's possible that I will be having some difficult conversations with people in the next week. Please pray for wisdom for me in these conversations. Please also pray for the people I'll get to talk with, all of whom I love very much.

More of Margaret and the beginnings of ministry...

So, do you want to hear about Marg' or ministry first? I thought so. I'll finish my story... when I left off last Margaret was staring for long stretches of time at the movie screen while hacking uncontrollably from time to time. I had this momentary thought that she was to be loved well, that she was Jesus with skin on. (See Matthew 25) After we received our inflight meals, I bowed my head and said a quick prayer of thanks. Margaret said,`"Are you a Christian or what?" I replied, "Absolutely." She quickly fired back, "Born again?" I said, "Yes." Then she became suddenly fully lucid for a few minutes. It was eerie. She said, "What do you mean when you say 'born again'?" I gave her the short version. She nodded her head in agreement seeming somewhat sage in her silence. She then said, "I'm a baby Christian," then, "There are so many people who want to witness. No one wants to disciple. And that's what the body needs." I nodded and felt as though God were affirming my mission yet again - to pour into the Christ-followers who are impacting the people in the communities of County Down. After the meal, Margaret went right back to her eccentricities. She fell asleep on my shoulder, she laughed loudly a few times at the movie that was playing. After we deplaned, I caught my last glimpse of her in the passport line. She looked back with a strange, knowing look. I had trouble meeting her gaze. She was unlovely in apprearance and in so many actions, but she had stretched my ability to love while being used by God to reaffirm the work ahead of me. Thank God for Margaret.

The beginnings of ministry... I landed in Dublin to a driving rain. But never fear, you will always have another season within a few minutes. I grabbed a ticket for the UlsterBus/Eireann line to Newry where Jonny and Ben picked me up. After being awake for 30 hours or so, I looked forward to sleep but also knew that staying up would be the best thing. I got to talk with two leaders over coffee, then one in his living room, then I was whisked away to a "murder mystery party" where a number of local church and parachurch ministry leaders were gathering. The mystery and the ensuing viewing of the Ireland rugby match were great opportunities to plug back in to the people here. (Both the murder mystery and the rugby match were under duress of over 40 hours without sleeping...)

When I slept, I slept. 10 Hours. I guess I had earned it? During my sleep-deprived state, I had made plans to climb Slieve Donard the next day with three young leaders. So I was up, dressed, fed and off to the bottom of the highest peak in Northern Ireland. We stopped off at the Barbican to grab some food for our trek and, with our Bibles in our packs, we started up the mountain by Bloody Bridge. More soon...

The adventure begins...

I write from a new corner of Newcastle for me... Tullybranningan Road. A huge thanks to Sara and Jamie for their hospitality. So, maybe I'll start with the trip into Dublin. I was wondering, after an hour's delay in Lexington and a five hour layover in Atlanta exactly when the adventure would begin. Then, into the story enters... let's call her "Margaret". That would be good since that's her name. She managed to sigle-handedly make the trip in to Dublin an uproarious comedy. She was in her late 50's, extremely diseveled, a resident of Dublin and native of Cork I was oon to discover. Soon after plopping her bag into the seat next to me she began to rifle through her bag furiously. As I held her complimentary pillow and blanket, she finally panted, "I've got to find me inhaler..." then coughed three hacking coughs. These coughs would be a part of the theme for the next seven hours. Soon after administering the life-saving mist, she explained her malady. Apparently she had gotten ahold of a bad batch of potpourri in Myrtle Beach. Yes, that was the culprit. In her own words, she took one whiff and "me trote clue stup" (my throat closed up). She was really interested in talking, yet every few minutes the video screen would distract her and she'd stare at it for fifteen minutes or so... There's a ton more to the story but I'm heading to a meeting with the leaders of the local youth ministry. I'll get back to this soon. And I know you're dying to know more about Margaret.

Providence.

So, with a final gift arriving today, all of the funds seem to finally be in place for the trip. It's usually good to have what you need before you travel. You know? So, with 48 hours to go, it's covered. A huge thank you to all who have prayed and those who shared resources. In an interesting twist on fund-raising for missions, I received gifts in three different currencies this time. Pounds, Euros, and Dollars. God provides.

If you haven't seen it yet, please check out the post entitled Prayer. Thank you all for your faithfulness on behalf of myself and the people I'll be with for the next few weeks.

Bullseye.

It's as though there's a target on my back. I've been a part of many mission trips, each group experiencing a sort of spiritual warfare spread out among the many team members. This one, travelling alone, I should have been prepared to wear the bullseye. Please continue to pray for me and my family - from relationships to home repairs to car repairs to sudden health issues to checks lost in the mail... it's been weird. I appreciate your time in prayer on our behalf!

Prayer.

Well, all, I'm travelling to Northern Ireland in a week. I wanted to post my itenerary for those who are planning to pray (and those who stumble upon this and are prompted to pray):

Pre-, During-, and Post-trip: Pray for me and my family. Pray for my wife as she cares for our two kids. Pray for health, strength, rest. Pray for the appointments that God is orchestrating during the travel-time and the ten days in County Down. Pray for the necessary finances to be provided.

Thursday, September 20: Travelling. Pray for safety, pray for the person I'll sit next to on the flight, and all other travel related needs.

Friday, September 21: Landing in Dublin, making my way to County Down. I will be travelling by planes, trains, and automobiles by this time. Pray for smooth connections with the trains and buses along the route. Pray God's blessings upon Jamie and Sara for their hospitality in housing me.

Saturday, September 22: Phone-calls, visits to connect with people to establish a general plan for the meetings over the next week.

Sunday, September 23: Potentially speaking in a local church gathering morning and evening. Pray for God's words to find ears that are ready to hear Him speak to them.

Monday, September 24 thru Thursday, September 27: Pray for a multitude of one-on-one meetings. Pray for my discernment as I learn about the successes and challenges of individuals who are engaged in various types and levels of ministry in Northern Ireland. Ask for God to move powerfully in our times of conversational worship. One of these evenings will be spent teaching a group of worship leaders.

Friday, September 28: Pray for me as I spend this entire day with the staff of Project Evangelism. Pray for God's blessings on Richie for his hospitality in allowing me to stay with him for the final days of my trip.

Saturday, September 29: Pray for the group that God reveals through the course of the week who will climb Slieve Donard together for a time of reflection and worship.

Sunday, September 30: Potentially speaking in a local church gathering morning and evening. Pray for God's words to find ears that are ready to hear Him speak to them.

Monday, October 1: Travelling. Pray for safety, pray for the person I'll sit next to on the flight, and all other travel related needs.

I look forward to updating all of you from time to time on this blog. Check back every once in a while to hear what God is up to during the trip!