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...