New Beginnings

My new digs! 

Today saw my first Soup Run in the Town. Wait, what is that? Walking around the city center of Dublin with coffee and tea, sandwiches, chocolate, fruit, sometimes even toiletries to give to the homeless people of Dublin. 

They said it was a slow night tonight. So, maybe it was a false first impression? But really, it was brilliant! 

In just normal life, I would actually walk past most of the homeless people we were able to give tea or coffee to tonight. There are quite a lot of homeless people in Dublin. As I walk past them, I can't give money to them, you just have to keep walking. It's heart breaking, but after a time, you almost don't see them any more. (I'm not sure which is more sad; the fact that they're there, or not seeing them any more). 

So tonight was about being able to actually do something practical for them. Being hands and feet of Jesus. It just felt so right! 

I feel like I've spent the past couple of months talking about ministry, but haven't actually done "ministry" in what has been far too long. This past Saturday I participated in a day of training for Street Pastors Dublin. (More about what that's about later!) It was 9 nine hours of training! But it was the closest I'd been to practical ministry in "so long", I actually really enjoyed it! 

Then this past Monday, I went to a planning meeting for the youth group at Grace (the church I'm going to be part of here in Dublin for the next year). Getting to meet the team of youth leaders and junior leaders, and feeling like I might have something to offer. But it felt like it would also be a safe place to learn how to do youth ministry. (Which is ironic, because they found out I'm from the States and was part of youth ministry there, they're expecting great things from me! Yeah, about that.....)

I think part of what makes this so exciting is a a desire I've had for a long time to lead (facilitate) a small group/ Bible study. But it keeps not working out, or not being the right timing, or I simply have no idea what I'm doing. Even just last week I went to a meeting with a Bible Study Fellowship group trying to start a Bible study here in Dublin called Word in the City, geared toward 20-40 years old. I went to a Word in the City Bible Study in Belfast, loved it! So I was excited that they're trying to start one here. And even going to the meeting about it was exciting. But the reality of it is it wont be truly up and running till next Autumn. And I'll be back in the States by then. So, I'm excited to help get it off the ground. But the idea of having to walk away is hard. So I had just started praying about this desire I have to lead (facilitate) a small group/ Bible study, when I met the youth leaders at Grace and chatted about the possibility of leading a small group and mentoring secondary school age girls. (Prayer for this?) We even talked about the possibility of my leading a Bible study for the youth on Sundays. (Again, prayer!)

Honestly though, we'll just have see what all actually happens! Don't be surprised if the next time I write I'm doing something totally different!