Wow! It has been a busy few months! I apologize for not writing you all sooner! I left Ireland at the end of November for Christmas holiday and the time has flown by. I had a wonderful Christmas home visiting with family and friends and continuing the Christmas traditions of making cookies and acting in our live nativity. But soon, January came around again and I came back to Ireland after the New Year! Let me tell you about some of what’s been happening:
The team and I arrived at Lacken House and stayed for two weeks for classes and “team time.” We were surprised and thrilled when it snowed about three inches one night. Spontaneously we decided to throw on some jackets [in our pajamas, mind you] and play in the snow for thirty minutes. Oh...did I mention it was one in the morning? That was just one of the great adventures we had at Lacken House next to painting rooms, baking American chocolate chip cookies, and finishing up our studies with a look at postmodernism. After that, we packed up and headed for our individual cities. The teams are meeting up, however, each month to do ministry work in our different towns. The Tullamore Team [me] is planning a “sports day” in our park during the month of March. Pray that it works and we have GOOD WEATHER in rainy Ireland! We’re excited about this new addition to the second semester agenda and can’t wait to see the team each month to do ministry work!
Here in Tullamore, our team is getting excited about projects we’re starting. Girls Night is going well! We’ve invited a lot of girls to our second “Girl’s Night” next Saturday where they can do nails, hair, play games, eat chocolate, and more. It’s one of my favorite events and I hope more girls come. We’re also starting a weekly Bible Study for teens. This is a bit of a blind leap – we don’t have any youth who regularly attend the church so we’re asking two friends we’ve met here, who sometimes attend, to come. They’ve both agreed! Pray that they’ll be faithful in coming to the meetings and doing the Bible reading so that we can minister to them – and pray that more students become interested!
All of our regular events are going well. I’m still enjoying the Montague playgroup with the African Refugees. When we arrived for the first time after break this Monday, the kids gave us big hugs the minute they walked into the room! Busy Bees daycare at the church is going well and a few of the adults are starting to ask questions about Christianity. Pray that we can be good witnesses and examples to them!
I can’t wait to keep you updated about what God has in store for us this New Year of 2010!
Blessings,
Leanne
