Hi everyone! I just wanted to drop a small note to say that I've put my pictures on facebook. If you don't have a facebook, I'm slowly putting the pictures on picasa but it takes a while to download them. They will be up soon!
Leanne
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Homeward Bound!
Monday morning around 9 I'll be hopping onto a plane bound for New York! I'm very excited to be coming home for Christmas break, but I'll miss Ireland and will be looking forward to picking up our ministry in January!
Please pray that I have a safe flight home!
Blessings,
Leanne
Please pray that I have a safe flight home!
Blessings,
Leanne
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
"For in Him we live, move, and exist..."
"One of your assignments; start a youth group." That was the only piece of information we were given by our pastor on this assignment. It was a brand new ministry he wanted to start in his church and we were the ones to do it! It's an exciting thought; to start something brand new and brainstorm about it.
Many of the youth here in Ireland attend the Catholic church but only out of obedience or culture. They don't understand the true meaning of the church or a relationship with Christ. So, for our youth group, we wanted to provide an opportunity to meet and talk with the teenagers of Tullamore. At first, we thought of a Battle of the Bands night because there are many bands around the town. But we thought this would defeat the purpose and become too big of an event. So instead, we had the idea of hosting an open mic night on Saturdays with a cafe feel. After deciding on what we were to do, we had to think of a name. We decided on the name of the youth group to be "Exist" based off Acts 17:28 "For in Him we live, move, and exist..." We thought this was a fitting title because of the suicide rates of the teens here and how they feel under appreciated and invisible. We want to show that our identity is found in Christ and in Him, we exist. Our first meeting of Exist is this Saturday and we're really excited! So far, we've told quite a few people and many are interested!
One thing we have already done to reach out to the youth here was a "Girl's Night" at the church. Last Saturday, 20 preteen girls came to Tullamore Presbyterian Church to enjoy games, makeup, chocolate, nails, and music. It was a fantastic experience and we've decided to have a "Girl's Night" monthly! We began to establish a lot of new relationships and hope to grow them as we continue working here.
As I mentioned before, we are working with Mountmellick's refugee asylum to run a parent/toddler daycare. The first day was last Monday and it has become one of my favorite things we do in Tullamore. For two hours we get to play with some of the sweetest 3 and 4-year-olds I have met! It's such an eye-opening experience to see people who have escaped their country in search of refuge and trying to get by. It humbles me when I think about my life in comparison to theirs. But still, these people smile and play with thier children as though nothing is wrong. It's incredible! I can tell we're making an impact there and hope to soon speak with many of the parents about the spiritual refuge found only Christ.
Another of the most recent things happening with the church is their "Alpha" course now being taught at the local high school [or "college"]. I and Jinhee [a Korean girl on the team] go with our pastor on Tuesday mornings to Tullamore College to help teach a course for their Religion studies. It's another great way to get to know some people my age and talk about Christ. It's awesome to see the teachings of Christianity and Jesus in the schools and I pray that the teens actually listen to what the teachers are saying. The numbers this week for Alpha were less than they were last week due to the fact it's an optional class. Pray that the numbers grow and the students who have stayed will continue to come.
I am very excited about the things happening here in Tullamore and can't wait to come home to tell you about them! To tell the truth, I am excited about coming home for Christmas, but am looking forward to next semester to see what God will do further in Tullamore!
For those who have sent support and continued to pray for the Immersion team, "thanks a million" as they would say here!
Blessings,
Leanne
Many of the youth here in Ireland attend the Catholic church but only out of obedience or culture. They don't understand the true meaning of the church or a relationship with Christ. So, for our youth group, we wanted to provide an opportunity to meet and talk with the teenagers of Tullamore. At first, we thought of a Battle of the Bands night because there are many bands around the town. But we thought this would defeat the purpose and become too big of an event. So instead, we had the idea of hosting an open mic night on Saturdays with a cafe feel. After deciding on what we were to do, we had to think of a name. We decided on the name of the youth group to be "Exist" based off Acts 17:28 "For in Him we live, move, and exist..." We thought this was a fitting title because of the suicide rates of the teens here and how they feel under appreciated and invisible. We want to show that our identity is found in Christ and in Him, we exist. Our first meeting of Exist is this Saturday and we're really excited! So far, we've told quite a few people and many are interested!
One thing we have already done to reach out to the youth here was a "Girl's Night" at the church. Last Saturday, 20 preteen girls came to Tullamore Presbyterian Church to enjoy games, makeup, chocolate, nails, and music. It was a fantastic experience and we've decided to have a "Girl's Night" monthly! We began to establish a lot of new relationships and hope to grow them as we continue working here.
As I mentioned before, we are working with Mountmellick's refugee asylum to run a parent/toddler daycare. The first day was last Monday and it has become one of my favorite things we do in Tullamore. For two hours we get to play with some of the sweetest 3 and 4-year-olds I have met! It's such an eye-opening experience to see people who have escaped their country in search of refuge and trying to get by. It humbles me when I think about my life in comparison to theirs. But still, these people smile and play with thier children as though nothing is wrong. It's incredible! I can tell we're making an impact there and hope to soon speak with many of the parents about the spiritual refuge found only Christ.
Another of the most recent things happening with the church is their "Alpha" course now being taught at the local high school [or "college"]. I and Jinhee [a Korean girl on the team] go with our pastor on Tuesday mornings to Tullamore College to help teach a course for their Religion studies. It's another great way to get to know some people my age and talk about Christ. It's awesome to see the teachings of Christianity and Jesus in the schools and I pray that the teens actually listen to what the teachers are saying. The numbers this week for Alpha were less than they were last week due to the fact it's an optional class. Pray that the numbers grow and the students who have stayed will continue to come.
I am very excited about the things happening here in Tullamore and can't wait to come home to tell you about them! To tell the truth, I am excited about coming home for Christmas, but am looking forward to next semester to see what God will do further in Tullamore!
For those who have sent support and continued to pray for the Immersion team, "thanks a million" as they would say here!
Blessings,
Leanne
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tullamore
Wow! It's been a crazy month. My apologies for not updating this more frequently.
After 1 month of training at Lacken House, the group was divided into three teams to go assist with outreach at churches across the country. Three other girls and I were sent to Tullamore Presbyterian Church. It's been a great and crazy experience to move into a new town. I feel like an Irish native as I walk the streets to shop at the local grocery stores, go to church on Sunday, or even attend a movie. We have all gotten situated very well and are enjoying our new home. Here's a schedule of the things we do at the church:
Sunday: Attend the Tullamore Presbyterian Church [and usually shop for much needed food afterwards!]
Monday: [we do a few things depending on people's needs] Clean houses for people who need the help, visit Mountmelick Presbyterian church and help there in any way, do a prayer walk through the town and get to know the people.
Tuesday: Busy Bee's - This is a parent/child day-care at the church from 10:30-noon. We have crafts, music, games, story time, snack, etc. that children and parents both enjoy!
Wednesday: The church is open all day for Tea and Coffee where we also sell some new books. We only get a handful of people for this, so our time at the church is often spent doing our monthly homework for OM. Pray for us in this area of service to Tullamore - that more people will come to the church Wednesdays to talk with us.
Thursday: Alpha Course! This is a worldviews discussion course with a Biblical basis. It talks about big issues and shows the Biblical answer for them. The adult course is just now ending and there is a young-adult course starting at the local College [high school] that we will be assisting in/leading group discussions for. I'm VERY excited about this!
Friday: Day off. We get to enjoy the city, see the sights, and even take the train into Dublin if we would like. :)
Saturday: Book store open most of the afternoon. We have many new books on worldviews/Deveotion Books/Bibles/etc. for sale at the church. This has brought in a few people, but again, pray that more will come!
Thank you all again for the support you gave to help me come here. I can really feel God working in this country that understands Religion, but doesn't have a Relationship. I only have $1,000 more dollars to pay SCORE and any money is VERY much appreciated. You can mail checks to my home address or you can donate online! http://scoreinternational.org/give/ and scroll to the donation for the GAP program. At check out, you can specify the student you are sponsoring. Please put: GAP Ireland Leanne Livingston.
I'm having such a fabulous time, but can't wait to come home in December to see all of you!
"Thanks a million" as they would say in Ireland!
Leanne
After 1 month of training at Lacken House, the group was divided into three teams to go assist with outreach at churches across the country. Three other girls and I were sent to Tullamore Presbyterian Church. It's been a great and crazy experience to move into a new town. I feel like an Irish native as I walk the streets to shop at the local grocery stores, go to church on Sunday, or even attend a movie. We have all gotten situated very well and are enjoying our new home. Here's a schedule of the things we do at the church:
Sunday: Attend the Tullamore Presbyterian Church [and usually shop for much needed food afterwards!]
Monday: [we do a few things depending on people's needs] Clean houses for people who need the help, visit Mountmelick Presbyterian church and help there in any way, do a prayer walk through the town and get to know the people.
Tuesday: Busy Bee's - This is a parent/child day-care at the church from 10:30-noon. We have crafts, music, games, story time, snack, etc. that children and parents both enjoy!
Wednesday: The church is open all day for Tea and Coffee where we also sell some new books. We only get a handful of people for this, so our time at the church is often spent doing our monthly homework for OM. Pray for us in this area of service to Tullamore - that more people will come to the church Wednesdays to talk with us.
Thursday: Alpha Course! This is a worldviews discussion course with a Biblical basis. It talks about big issues and shows the Biblical answer for them. The adult course is just now ending and there is a young-adult course starting at the local College [high school] that we will be assisting in/leading group discussions for. I'm VERY excited about this!
Friday: Day off. We get to enjoy the city, see the sights, and even take the train into Dublin if we would like. :)
Saturday: Book store open most of the afternoon. We have many new books on worldviews/Deveotion Books/Bibles/etc. for sale at the church. This has brought in a few people, but again, pray that more will come!
Thank you all again for the support you gave to help me come here. I can really feel God working in this country that understands Religion, but doesn't have a Relationship. I only have $1,000 more dollars to pay SCORE and any money is VERY much appreciated. You can mail checks to my home address or you can donate online! http://scoreinternational.org/give/ and scroll to the donation for the GAP program. At check out, you can specify the student you are sponsoring. Please put: GAP Ireland Leanne Livingston.
I'm having such a fabulous time, but can't wait to come home in December to see all of you!
"Thanks a million" as they would say in Ireland!
Leanne
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Open Eyes
"Hey, here's a million euro for you!"
"What? Why are you giving me a million euro?"
"Because it has the million euro question on the back: Will you go to heaven when you die?"
That is how most of our conversations went yesterday evening in Roscommon. But, the later it got, the more we had to add, "Read this when you're sober tomorrow" at the end of our sentences. Yesterday at 4:30 we left Lacken House with the Cross. Yes. A literal 12 foot Cross. We walked it from Rahara to Roscommon - an eight mile trek [we cheated because we had a wheel at the end of the cross]. On the way, people waved at us, looked at us funny, or sat on their horn to show disgust. When we got near to town we passed a house where two men where outside working. They asked where we were going with the cross and we told them we were going to church. [We were going to a Brazilian church that night where Mike, our OM director, would be speaking.] When we said we were going to church the man replied, "Oh! You're going to Mass!" We clarified that we weren't but I asked if he had a history in the Catholic church. He answered yes, and my stomach did a flop. For the past two weeks we had been training for evangelism through "Way of the Master" - a technique to show people the seriousness of God's judgement and mercy. We had practiced and studied the Bible and now, it was time to plant seeds for God's harvest. After the man told me he attended Mass on Sundays, I asked what the Catholic church said it took to get to heaven. He said they had to follow the Holy Sacraments and the Ten Commandments and try to live a faithful life. I asked if he had followed the Ten Commandments, God's law. He said yes...we then ventured into a twenty minute conversation talking about God's justice and judgement and mercy through the cross - how we all deserve Hell, but God sent His son as a sacrifice. It was the first time I'd ever truly and intently witnessed to a stranger. And there was a peace. God opened the eyes of those men and you could see the transformation from haughty laughter to conviction. It was an exciting experience and we continued to witness after church in the town of Roscommon. We talked to many people ranging from 18-year-old teenage boys to 20-something men and women outside of pubs. Not many conversations were easy, though, and many of us were ridiculed [especially because our audience had a few too many drinks that night] but we pressed on, still carrying the cross. God not only opened the eyes of the people of Roscommon, but He opened our eyes. No matter if the person disagreed with us or was willing to hear, 99% of the people we talked to wanted to listen and responded to what we were saying. It was a neat experience.
Today three team members and myself visited the church we will be a part of the rest of the time we're in Ireland. The team is being split up to help different churches in parts of Ireland. We are going to Tullamore to help a Presbyterian church, specifically in their young adult ministry. We're excited about the opportunity and move in Saturday. Pray that God can use us to draw the Youth of Tullamore to God through this church.
Thank you for all of your prayers and your support! I still have $1,000 to earn for my trip and any additional funding would be appreciated. :)
Blessings,
Leanne
"What? Why are you giving me a million euro?"
"Because it has the million euro question on the back: Will you go to heaven when you die?"
That is how most of our conversations went yesterday evening in Roscommon. But, the later it got, the more we had to add, "Read this when you're sober tomorrow" at the end of our sentences. Yesterday at 4:30 we left Lacken House with the Cross. Yes. A literal 12 foot Cross. We walked it from Rahara to Roscommon - an eight mile trek [we cheated because we had a wheel at the end of the cross]. On the way, people waved at us, looked at us funny, or sat on their horn to show disgust. When we got near to town we passed a house where two men where outside working. They asked where we were going with the cross and we told them we were going to church. [We were going to a Brazilian church that night where Mike, our OM director, would be speaking.] When we said we were going to church the man replied, "Oh! You're going to Mass!" We clarified that we weren't but I asked if he had a history in the Catholic church. He answered yes, and my stomach did a flop. For the past two weeks we had been training for evangelism through "Way of the Master" - a technique to show people the seriousness of God's judgement and mercy. We had practiced and studied the Bible and now, it was time to plant seeds for God's harvest. After the man told me he attended Mass on Sundays, I asked what the Catholic church said it took to get to heaven. He said they had to follow the Holy Sacraments and the Ten Commandments and try to live a faithful life. I asked if he had followed the Ten Commandments, God's law. He said yes...we then ventured into a twenty minute conversation talking about God's justice and judgement and mercy through the cross - how we all deserve Hell, but God sent His son as a sacrifice. It was the first time I'd ever truly and intently witnessed to a stranger. And there was a peace. God opened the eyes of those men and you could see the transformation from haughty laughter to conviction. It was an exciting experience and we continued to witness after church in the town of Roscommon. We talked to many people ranging from 18-year-old teenage boys to 20-something men and women outside of pubs. Not many conversations were easy, though, and many of us were ridiculed [especially because our audience had a few too many drinks that night] but we pressed on, still carrying the cross. God not only opened the eyes of the people of Roscommon, but He opened our eyes. No matter if the person disagreed with us or was willing to hear, 99% of the people we talked to wanted to listen and responded to what we were saying. It was a neat experience.
Today three team members and myself visited the church we will be a part of the rest of the time we're in Ireland. The team is being split up to help different churches in parts of Ireland. We are going to Tullamore to help a Presbyterian church, specifically in their young adult ministry. We're excited about the opportunity and move in Saturday. Pray that God can use us to draw the Youth of Tullamore to God through this church.
Thank you for all of your prayers and your support! I still have $1,000 to earn for my trip and any additional funding would be appreciated. :)
Blessings,
Leanne
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Activities and thoughts...
While being in Ireland with OM, it's such a great experience to immerse yourself in the culture of all nations. We have people here from the Middle East, Asia, South America, and Europe. One of the other girls pointed out that "this is kind of what heaven will be like." All believers from all nations coming together for one purpose - to serve and worship God.
Our group was assigned to put together this month's "prayer emphasis day." On this day, you chose a main theme and pray for that. We chose to do "The Youth of Nations." Today we started the morning session and it went well. We had praise songs and talked about the nonbelieving youth in Ireland who drink away their depression or commit suicide and we had a time of prayer for them. We also prayed for the believing youth who are severely outnumbered here - and we prayed for their strength. Our theme verse is: 1 Timothy 4:12, "Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech in life in love in faith and in purity." I had the opportunity to talk about Rachel Joy Scott, a girl I did a speech on once who was shot at Columbine High School in 1999. I talked about how she lived a 1 Tim. 4:12 life and how we need to pray for youth to be as bold for Christ as she was. It was such a great experience.
The evening program starts tonight and all of the Immersion members are going to give specific prayer requests for their home nations. It should be a neat time. I love how the entire team only found out we were putting this on three days ago and have worked together so well!
New pictures are up on picasa: www.picasaweb.google.com/ozgrl16/ireland
Blessings,
Leanne
Our group was assigned to put together this month's "prayer emphasis day." On this day, you chose a main theme and pray for that. We chose to do "The Youth of Nations." Today we started the morning session and it went well. We had praise songs and talked about the nonbelieving youth in Ireland who drink away their depression or commit suicide and we had a time of prayer for them. We also prayed for the believing youth who are severely outnumbered here - and we prayed for their strength. Our theme verse is: 1 Timothy 4:12, "Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech in life in love in faith and in purity." I had the opportunity to talk about Rachel Joy Scott, a girl I did a speech on once who was shot at Columbine High School in 1999. I talked about how she lived a 1 Tim. 4:12 life and how we need to pray for youth to be as bold for Christ as she was. It was such a great experience.
The evening program starts tonight and all of the Immersion members are going to give specific prayer requests for their home nations. It should be a neat time. I love how the entire team only found out we were putting this on three days ago and have worked together so well!
New pictures are up on picasa: www.picasaweb.google.com/ozgrl16/ireland
Blessings,
Leanne
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
A week at Lacken House
Well! It has been a busy week here at Lacken House! I'll begin with just the basics of what we're doing!
Tuesday - Friday we have classes from 10:30-4:00. In these classes we study chapters in the Bible, Irish culture, Church history, etc. These classes have been really enlightening and fun! This past week we studied the entire old testament. That part of the Bible has so many stories that we can learn from! We acted out some of the stories, or got into groups and did mini-reports.
On Friday afternoon, we went on a field trip to Clonmacnoise. It is one of Ireland's first monastic sites and dates back to 545 AD. It was BEAUTIFUL! I am putting pictures up soon. [And for those of you who don't know - facebook isn't uploading my pictures so I've had to use my picasa page. You can find the album at: www.picasaweb.google.com/ozgrl16/ireland ] After the fieldtrip, we went to our weekend outing. We were going to help a church on the East side of Irealnd [nearer to Dublin]. The church was having a prayer event and needed help with childcare, so our group entertained children from the ages of 5-15 all day Saturday and taught Sunday School in the morning. We had around 30 - 40 children at once, for only 4 or 5 teachers because some of the other Immersion members had other jobs during the conference. It was tiring - but fun! During the weekend our team grew and we realized how much we already had grown within just the first week as we were missing Lacken House as "home" while away for the weekend. We are happy to be back.
When we got back to the house, we decided that we needed some structure. We were running out of food and funds quickly. :) So one of our super-organized girls [that we all love!] got us together and we made a grocery list, chore list, and teamed up to schedule who would make dinner each night. In fact, last night, I and Whitney made dinner for the house. It was an impromptu recipe of pasta and chicken. And might I say - it was amazing. ;)
Just some fun Irish facts for you too, that I've learned while here:
Lunch is called dinner and dinner is called Tea.
And Irish man will usually never tell you "no" to something directly. Trust me. I've experienced this by offering some food. If the Irishman doesn't want it, they'll simply say "I think I'm good now." They NEVER tell you "No."
The trunk of a car is the "boot."
My favorite: They never say "thirty" like in the states we would say: it's five-thirty. They say it's "half of five."
That's it for now! More pictures to come when I can find the time to upload them on Picasa - just keep checking that link.
Blessings,
Leanne
ps: for those of you wondering, yes - I and the other girls are picking up a slight Irish accent ;) and I've become addicted to tea. :)
Tuesday - Friday we have classes from 10:30-4:00. In these classes we study chapters in the Bible, Irish culture, Church history, etc. These classes have been really enlightening and fun! This past week we studied the entire old testament. That part of the Bible has so many stories that we can learn from! We acted out some of the stories, or got into groups and did mini-reports.
On Friday afternoon, we went on a field trip to Clonmacnoise. It is one of Ireland's first monastic sites and dates back to 545 AD. It was BEAUTIFUL! I am putting pictures up soon. [And for those of you who don't know - facebook isn't uploading my pictures so I've had to use my picasa page. You can find the album at: www.picasaweb.google.com/ozgrl16/ireland ] After the fieldtrip, we went to our weekend outing. We were going to help a church on the East side of Irealnd [nearer to Dublin]. The church was having a prayer event and needed help with childcare, so our group entertained children from the ages of 5-15 all day Saturday and taught Sunday School in the morning. We had around 30 - 40 children at once, for only 4 or 5 teachers because some of the other Immersion members had other jobs during the conference. It was tiring - but fun! During the weekend our team grew and we realized how much we already had grown within just the first week as we were missing Lacken House as "home" while away for the weekend. We are happy to be back.
When we got back to the house, we decided that we needed some structure. We were running out of food and funds quickly. :) So one of our super-organized girls [that we all love!] got us together and we made a grocery list, chore list, and teamed up to schedule who would make dinner each night. In fact, last night, I and Whitney made dinner for the house. It was an impromptu recipe of pasta and chicken. And might I say - it was amazing. ;)
Just some fun Irish facts for you too, that I've learned while here:
Lunch is called dinner and dinner is called Tea.
And Irish man will usually never tell you "no" to something directly. Trust me. I've experienced this by offering some food. If the Irishman doesn't want it, they'll simply say "I think I'm good now." They NEVER tell you "No."
The trunk of a car is the "boot."
My favorite: They never say "thirty" like in the states we would say: it's five-thirty. They say it's "half of five."
That's it for now! More pictures to come when I can find the time to upload them on Picasa - just keep checking that link.
Blessings,
Leanne
ps: for those of you wondering, yes - I and the other girls are picking up a slight Irish accent ;) and I've become addicted to tea. :)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Our arrival
This is the first time I have been able to sit down at my blog since Saturday night. On Sunday morning, I woke up and got ready for the 9:30 service where my GAP Immersion team was to be commissioned by Dr. Johnny Hunt. After the service had completed, my team met at the world impact center to change and load luggage, and the families drove to lunch for one last meal together before we left. After lunch the team went to the airport. We boarded our plane at 4:00, and with delay, landed in New York, and boarded our Dublin flight at 7:30. From there, we flew to Ireland and arrived 8:00 am Dublin time this morning. The time now is 10:00. This means the team has been up for about 32 hours. Please excuse this blog of any spelling or grammar, for I'm very tired AND lost my glasses on a flight so the screen is blurry. But! In light of all this: I'm having a FANTASTIC time! Ireland really is a beautiful country and it REALLY is extremely green!
When we arrived at the Lacken House, we had a tour of the grounds and were impressed with the work OM is doing all over Ireland, not just with the GAP year but many other ministry events as well that our team will be able to help with. Today we unpacked and rested. I am rooming with two girls from the states: Ashlyn Chambers from Georgia and Whitney Ratcliff from Louisiana. We're having a blast and have met so many wonderful, kind, and God-honoring people here. Tomorrow, we will have our orientation and then get acquainted with the local town while doing some much needed shopping. (We realized how high the voltage is here, when I almost blew my hair dryer up while turning it on LOW and another girl fried her straightener after turning it on for four seconds) So, we decided to spend some money on appliances that are accustomed to Ireland's electricity.
Pictures are coming soon! If you're friends with me on facebook, they should be uploaded by tonight!
Blessings,
Leanne [and the Immersion team]
When we arrived at the Lacken House, we had a tour of the grounds and were impressed with the work OM is doing all over Ireland, not just with the GAP year but many other ministry events as well that our team will be able to help with. Today we unpacked and rested. I am rooming with two girls from the states: Ashlyn Chambers from Georgia and Whitney Ratcliff from Louisiana. We're having a blast and have met so many wonderful, kind, and God-honoring people here. Tomorrow, we will have our orientation and then get acquainted with the local town while doing some much needed shopping. (We realized how high the voltage is here, when I almost blew my hair dryer up while turning it on LOW and another girl fried her straightener after turning it on for four seconds) So, we decided to spend some money on appliances that are accustomed to Ireland's electricity.
Pictures are coming soon! If you're friends with me on facebook, they should be uploaded by tonight!
Blessings,
Leanne [and the Immersion team]
Saturday, August 29, 2009
One day more...
What a terrific weekend I've had- and am going to have! Yesterday was my going away party and so many people were able to come! I am blessed to have so many friends that my home doesn't have enough room for them! It's neat to see how God used each person to impact my life in different ways. Whether it was from speech and debate, our local theater, school, or church - all of those people have helped me at some time in my life and I am thankful for that. Now, it's my turn to help the people of Ireland! Tomorrow, 3 other girls and myself will fly out at 3:30 from Atlanta. We fly to New York and then to Dublin, where we will arrive around 8:00am Monday, Ireland's time. I'm looking forward to the flights because I've always been a fan of overseas trips.
There's one neat thing I'd like to share with you before I end this note and go pack! As you know, I had to raise $6,000.00 before the trip. Well, I was only $520 dollars away from that goal yesterday. Last night, many of my friends brought me gifts! I was overwhelmed by their generosity. After counting the donations, I found that I had been given exactly $522.20. God does bless those who are faithful to Him - even at the last second!
So, here I go to start a new adventure in Ireland! I'll be updating this as frequently as I can while I am away!
Blessings,
Leanne
There's one neat thing I'd like to share with you before I end this note and go pack! As you know, I had to raise $6,000.00 before the trip. Well, I was only $520 dollars away from that goal yesterday. Last night, many of my friends brought me gifts! I was overwhelmed by their generosity. After counting the donations, I found that I had been given exactly $522.20. God does bless those who are faithful to Him - even at the last second!
So, here I go to start a new adventure in Ireland! I'll be updating this as frequently as I can while I am away!
Blessings,
Leanne
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Less than 90 hours!
In less than 90 hours, I step onto a plane that will fly me to a country I have never been to! I'm thrilled! Many people ask me if I'm ready, and I can honestly say "yes!" I have all of my clothes, accessories, and appliances ready to go! My most recent statement from SCORE said I only had $2,720 more to collect. I only need $720 of that before Sunday. YES! Sunday! I know that God will provide, though!
As the day to leave is coming up, I've been getting a lot of emails from the other girls in the group and I have a feeling we're all going to get along well. I've already met two of the girls and Saturday night, it seems that all five girls will be able to meet over dinner! I'm looking forward to getting to know new people and experience new things! Once I'm over there, I'll be able to tell you more specifically what exactly we're doing. But, for now, I know that the first, I believe six, weeks are devoted to our study time. Part of the GAP program is a learning-abroad Bible credit. I'll also be taking courses in Gaelic! This will all be done at the Lacken House, outside of Dublin in the country. After that, I believe our field work begins!
I'm looking forward to filling you all in with more detail in the coming weeks!
God Bless,
Leanne
As the day to leave is coming up, I've been getting a lot of emails from the other girls in the group and I have a feeling we're all going to get along well. I've already met two of the girls and Saturday night, it seems that all five girls will be able to meet over dinner! I'm looking forward to getting to know new people and experience new things! Once I'm over there, I'll be able to tell you more specifically what exactly we're doing. But, for now, I know that the first, I believe six, weeks are devoted to our study time. Part of the GAP program is a learning-abroad Bible credit. I'll also be taking courses in Gaelic! This will all be done at the Lacken House, outside of Dublin in the country. After that, I believe our field work begins!
I'm looking forward to filling you all in with more detail in the coming weeks!
God Bless,
Leanne
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Closer to our goals!
Sitting down at my computer today, I found another statement from SCORE! I only have $2,980.00 left out of the entire $8,000! So many friends have been generous in their donations! THANK YOU! I have also started something new! My grandmother had a great idea to sell our home-made fudge! I have gotten around $150 dollars from that and I made $85 from a garage sale! It's such a blessing!
Mary Wallace from FBCW, who is already in Ireland, tells us that the temperature will be 60 degrees going down to 30 degrees in October. Cold and rainy! That is actually my favorite kind of weather! I even got adorable polka-dot rain boots for the occasion.
I am also visiting my mother's 9th grade Sunday School class this coming Sunday to meet the girls so that we may all become pen-pals during my mission trip!
In other news: I am proud to announce the OM Ireland Team! Please pray for each of these individuals.
I hope to keep you further updated more frequently!
God Bless!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Trust
Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
I have one more month before the flight to Ireland! It's an exciting thought, but quite an emotional one. I'm not usually an emotional person, but recently I've thought about how my life is literally changing now. What I've known for the past six years: my speech league, my school, my friends - it's all changing. But just because it's changing doesn't mean I'm sad. And just because it's emotional doesn't make it depressing. It's an exciting and new time for me, and I am simply hesitant. The verses above, Proverbs 3:5-6, remind me that when I am hesitant in anything, I can trust in the Lord. When I do so with all of my heart and lean on HIS understanding and not my own, my path will be made straight.
Right now, I'm having to put complete trust in God because I am still in desperate need of funds. I currently have $4,498.98 toward the trip. Now, that may seem like a lot, but I still need $3,501.02. Please remember that you can donate online! Go to:
http://scoreinternational.org/give/ and scroll to the donation for the GAP program. At check out, you can specify the student you are sponsoring. Please put: GAP Ireland Leanne Livingston.
During the 4th of July weekend, I was asked to present my American Legion speech at a couple of Tea Parties where I was also able to mention my Ireland trip. At one event on the 4th, I collected $100 in cash! What an experience to see people willing to help further God's Kingdom!
We're a little more than half-way there! I'm sure we can make it with your help! Thank you and God bless!
Leanne
I have one more month before the flight to Ireland! It's an exciting thought, but quite an emotional one. I'm not usually an emotional person, but recently I've thought about how my life is literally changing now. What I've known for the past six years: my speech league, my school, my friends - it's all changing. But just because it's changing doesn't mean I'm sad. And just because it's emotional doesn't make it depressing. It's an exciting and new time for me, and I am simply hesitant. The verses above, Proverbs 3:5-6, remind me that when I am hesitant in anything, I can trust in the Lord. When I do so with all of my heart and lean on HIS understanding and not my own, my path will be made straight.
Right now, I'm having to put complete trust in God because I am still in desperate need of funds. I currently have $4,498.98 toward the trip. Now, that may seem like a lot, but I still need $3,501.02. Please remember that you can donate online! Go to:
http://scoreinternational.org/give/ and scroll to the donation for the GAP program. At check out, you can specify the student you are sponsoring. Please put: GAP Ireland Leanne Livingston.
During the 4th of July weekend, I was asked to present my American Legion speech at a couple of Tea Parties where I was also able to mention my Ireland trip. At one event on the 4th, I collected $100 in cash! What an experience to see people willing to help further God's Kingdom!
We're a little more than half-way there! I'm sure we can make it with your help! Thank you and God bless!
Leanne
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Matthew 7:7
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." - Matthew 7:7
Last night, I was worried about funds for my trip. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make the deadline. I was too far behind. Then, God reminded me of Matthew 7:7. "Ask and it will be given to you." I knelt down and prayed. I knew that if God wanted me on this trip, he would provide the funds and if not, then I just wouldn't go. I asked God to grant me patience and to simply provide. I sent an email late last night to the organization I'm with asking for a copy of my statement so far. I then went to sleep.
This morning, I woke up and found that the $660 I've had in that account had almost DOUBLED to $1300 dollars from donations! It's just another way of God reminding me that He is here for me and all I have to do is ask.
After adding up the money I have in my savings accounts with the SCORE account, I have $4353.98. We're almost to that $6,000 mark! THANK YOU to all who have contributed to my trip!! You are all BLESSINGS! Pray that God continues to provide for me and prepare me!
Last night, I was worried about funds for my trip. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make the deadline. I was too far behind. Then, God reminded me of Matthew 7:7. "Ask and it will be given to you." I knelt down and prayed. I knew that if God wanted me on this trip, he would provide the funds and if not, then I just wouldn't go. I asked God to grant me patience and to simply provide. I sent an email late last night to the organization I'm with asking for a copy of my statement so far. I then went to sleep.
This morning, I woke up and found that the $660 I've had in that account had almost DOUBLED to $1300 dollars from donations! It's just another way of God reminding me that He is here for me and all I have to do is ask.
After adding up the money I have in my savings accounts with the SCORE account, I have $4353.98. We're almost to that $6,000 mark! THANK YOU to all who have contributed to my trip!! You are all BLESSINGS! Pray that God continues to provide for me and prepare me!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Funds
With two months until I leave for Ireland, I am still $2,000 short of my $6,000 goal before August 30th and $4,000 short of my entire trip cost of $8,000 dollars. That's the bad news. The good news: God is still going to provide! THANK YOU to those who have contributed to my trip! Also, even better news! I received a link from SCORE International for people to donate online! Go to:
http://scoreinternational.org/give/ and scroll to the donation for the GAP program. At check out, you can specify the student you are sponsoring. Please put: GAP Ireland Leanne Livingston.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
http://scoreinternational.org/give/ and scroll to the donation for the GAP program. At check out, you can specify the student you are sponsoring. Please put: GAP Ireland Leanne Livingston.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The countdown begins!
In exactly 10 weeks I step on a plane and fly to Ireland. I must admit, I'm scared. I'm usually a sociable person who easily adapts to new experiences. But I find, that I am wary of my new surroundings. I will not know any of my team members before the day I fly out, and I will be unaware of what exactly to expect when I arrive. However, God is giving me a peace about my trip and I am excited beyond belief! However! I still need help. Ten weeks is not enough time to gain the rest of the funds for my trip on my own. I need 6,000 dollars before I leave on August 30th. Right now, I am still in need $2,343.40. To those who have contributed to SCORE International already, THANK YOU! If you have yet to make a donation, I would ask you to prayerfully consider doing so. Any amount will help! Remember that these donations are tax deductible. You may write checks to Score International with an attached note to put the amount on account for Leanne Livingston, and send them directly to:
SCORE International
PO Box 9994 Chattanooga, TN
37412
If you would prefer to send checks to me, I would be happy to send them to SCORE on your behalf, and you will still receive your tax deduction.
Leanne Livingston
3251 Eagle Watch Drive
Woodstock, GA
30189
Phone: 404-824-1037
I hope to keep all of you updated through this Blog while I am in Ireland so that you may see all that our wonderful God is doing in the hearts of people across the world.
God Bless,
Leanne Livingston
SCORE International
PO Box 9994 Chattanooga, TN
37412
If you would prefer to send checks to me, I would be happy to send them to SCORE on your behalf, and you will still receive your tax deduction.
Leanne Livingston
3251 Eagle Watch Drive
Woodstock, GA
30189
Phone: 404-824-1037
I hope to keep all of you updated through this Blog while I am in Ireland so that you may see all that our wonderful God is doing in the hearts of people across the world.
God Bless,
Leanne Livingston
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