3rd Team meeting

We had our third prep/training meeting today after church. Kim Garrity, the project supervisor of our team, was there which was super cool. He was able to tell us a little more about Ireland, and specifically Dublin. We talked about stereotypes and what we kind of expected over there. If you've seen the movie Waking Ned Devine, then you kinda can see what my preconceptions of Ireland might be! If you haven't seen that movie, well, then watch it because it rocks. So yeah, my preconceptions:

1. Old (not really the people physically, but the surroundings.. houses, buildings, roads, etc)
2. Deeply rooted in tradition
3. Funny accents (I totally think this one is valid!)
4. Laid back and slow
5. Very family/friends oriented
6. Quiet, empty streets...dreary almost. No crowds
7. Dirty.... Yes, that sounds bad, but it's true!!
8. Lots of farms and farmers
9. Very religious. Think "high church"
10. I'm almost afraid to say this one, but when I think of Ireland, I think of lots of drunks and pubs on every corner.. Instead of Starbucks they have like O'Toole's Pub or something. Forget morning coffee, go in for your morning shot of whiskey!

Now, keep in mind I've never been overseas so all I really "know" is what I've seen in pictures, movies, and read about in books. Some of these stereotypes I have were shattered after listening to Kim talk this morning. Apparently Dublin somewhat resembles America; meaning that it's modern, bustling, fast-paced and CROWDED! But, definitely not America. Still, this is completely NOT what I was thinking. I'm very interested to see how many of my other stereotypes will be ripped to shreds once we get there and experience the culture for ourselves!

Kim also told us that we will be working with parolees/ex-cons. There is a program there that brings in people who've just gotten out of jail and puts them to work. This helps them come back into society and gain useful working skills in the meantime. It's safe to say that many if not most of these people are non-believers. I'm actually really excited about this part! Having worked with Mission Arlington for years, I know that the roughest, toughest people are sometimes some of the people with the most raw, open and receptive hearts. I can't wait to see how God uses us to interact with these people.

We also spent some time in prayer. For those of you who have committed to praying for us and the team, here are some specific requests:

1. That the Lord will soften and prepare our hearts for what we will encounter there. That He will help us to be open and flexible in everything we do. That He will help us stand strong and not be discouraged when Satan throws things in our way, which he undoubtedly will do.

2. That God will also prepare the hearts of those we will be working with. This would include the church members, the project contractors, the parolees, and the strangers we may meet in our daily interactions

3. The health of our team members as we prep for the trip and especially while we are there. Some of the team members have some health issues as is so please pray that the Lord will protect us all while we are in Ireland

4. Peace for all of us as we've all experienced some nervousness in sending out our support letters. It's much easier to ask for support when you're a broke college student, but being a responsible adult makes it a whole other level. Also, please pray for the recipients of those letters and that the Lord will lead them (you!) to pray for us continually in our mission.

Those are the major ones for now. I'm sure we will be adding to that prayer list as we go!

I'll end with a joke that was told during our meeting today..

Q. What do you call an Irish 7 course meal?


A. A six pack and a potato :)