Election Thoughts

There is no doubt that we just went through one of the historic moments of our lifetimes with the election of Barack Obama to President of the United States. As a believer, I am conflicted about my feelings on this. On the one hand, it is a great testament to our country - that anyone, from any background, race, etc. can achieve their dreams. It is a tremendous exclamation point on the civil rights movement that started not so long ago. And he is certainly a motivational and inspirational juggernaut.

However...who is he and what does he stand for? Below is a transcript from a commentator I heard on Fox News last night during the election coverage. It helps capture some of my thoughts:

KRAUTHAMMER: Obama, the Charismatic New American Leader
As seen on FOX News on November 4:CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST/FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR:
He’s almost entirely a self-made man. Here’s a man that nobody had heard of a few years ago, with no special resources or with “machines” or background or history. And who created himself. He beat the Clinton machine entirely on his own — with the force of his intelligence and charisma, of a kind I don’t think anybody has seen since Pierre Elliot Trudeau did it in Canada 50 years ago. It’s absolutely remarkable. And he carried himself all the way to the presidency. I think it’s that force of personality which is so interesting and so important about him. But it’s also what makes him opaque and unknown. Which way will he go as president, nobody knows. Because we really don’t still know who he is and we’ll discover that after he occupies the Oval Office. We don’t really know who he is and what he believes but we know of his intelligence and ambition. And I think that will probably lead him to be a president who is pragmatic, not ideological. And who may act as a restraint on the ideologues who will now be running the House and the Senate.
What’s so interesting is that all of this is speculation. And the reason is that he has so little history. I don’t think we’ve ever had a president as unknown, as new, as untested as him. And we will see.

My concern is will he be the man and President that he says he will be? Or will he be the man that he has shown himself to be in the short time we have known about him? A man who has stood with his party, leans very far to the left, who is able to drop life-long relationships and beliefs to suit his needs (Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, primary campaign remarks)?

Thanks be to our God that only He is in control. As for the rest, indeed, we shall see.

What I do know is that is our duty to support our President when we can and to look for solutions when we don't. I am praying for God's will to be done and for his hand to guide our great country.

Time Coming to an End

How quickly our time here in the Emerald Isle has gone by! We feel that we have accomplished a lot and are excited to get back home to share our vision for ministry here with everyone. We have had a couple of free days that we have used to explore a bit more of the country.

Yesterday we drove to the west coast to a town called Galway and then up to a smaller town called Cong. Cong is famous as the town where the movie "The Quiet Man" was filmed. A great movie, or so I am told by Pastor John. I will definitely have to watch it now. There are also some ruins of a 12th century abbey and some nature paths that wind through the surrounding woods that the boys really enjoyed. Just down the road is Ashford Castle, which is truly a sight to behold. It is very well maintained, sitting right on a lake and is quite upscale. Ronald Reagan stayed here when he visited Ireland and Pierce Brosnan had his wedding here as well.

Today we drove up the road to a small town called Boyle and visited the Lough Key Recreation Area. There were a lot of areas for the boys to explore here, including some tunnels that had led to the basement of a mansion that has since burnt down, a tower to climb that allowed us to overlook the lake and grounds, and a "tree-walk" that wound through the forest about 10 meters off the ground. We had lunch there, and then drove back to Lacken House.

Tomorrow we are leaving to spend the day in Dublin and stay with some American missionaries that I met when I was there in July. Then the next day we are off to the airport early for the long plane ride home. So this afternoon we will be doing laundry, packing, and trying to keep Liam & Finn occupied!

We thank everyone who has been praying for us and can't wait to see you!

God is in the details!

The last couple of days have been a real blessing as God has been revealing more of how we would be serving in Ireland when we arrive. We have had some very good conversations with a few of the team members here about how our vision for ministry fits in with the goals of the organization. We also realized a few nights back that whatever our best-laid plans are, we need to yield to how God would best use us. This lead to a discovery of a need that the team here has for someone who can help recruit, interview, and mobilize Irish people to serve in missions. My experience as a manager in the business world fits very well with this need - and having just gone through the process myself, I'm aware of the particular needs of how this process should look from a missions perspective.

We feel so blessed because as I sat down to put some concrete ideas on paper about sports ministry, I realized that it will most likely take more time than I thought to build the relationships and trust that it takes to get something like that moved forward in this country. It certainly would not be enough to keep me busy full-time at first. So we are extremely grateful that God presented this need and that we will be able to help fill it. We also learned a little about how Sarah can use some of her background with bookkeeping and office work to contribute to the work here. It has just been a fantastic revelation to us and we are so excited.

Furthermore, we were able to nail down some more specific numbers for our financial needs - which are separated in to ongoing monthly support and one-time "start-up costs", which are things like airfare, training, getting a car, etc. It is a great feeling to be equipped with this information as we look to start raising support shortly after our arrival back in the States.

And finally, we learned more about when our arrival time might be - or rather, the flexibility that is allowed. With our organization, they typically send new missionaries at 2 times during the year so as to coincide with international training conferences. In our case, the field here would be willing to accept us before those traditional dates so that we could begin working here and then travel to the conference when it was going.

It has truly been great to move along and get some firm answers to questions we have had and to see how God continues to provide for our needs and light our path. Looking forward to sharing more details with everyone when we return.

Rainy Days - Bearing Much Fruit

We really feel like our time here is flying by, yet we have accomplished quite a bit already. We are feeling a little more confident with driving around the countryside on roads so narrow that when you pass a car going the other way you both have to put your outside wheels off the edge of the road. We've visited a couple of little towns around the area where we would be living and are getting a feel for what the housing situation would be like. The boys are just now getting adjusted to the time difference and schedule, so that is making things a bit easier on us as well.

We were able to find a park in the town closest to us that the boys really enjoyed and they were also able to explore some castle ruins nearby, that date to the late 1200's. They are also having fun with the new flavors of food that are here (one type of chips is flavored "bacon rasher" and looks - and smells - like shriveled up bacon pieces).

Last night, I had the opportunity to drive in to Dublin with the Director OM Ireland to help manage a booth at a Keith & Kristyn Getty Concert. OM was one of of the sponsors of the event, along with Focus on the Family and Compassion International. We also had the privilege of attending the concert and it was incredible to hear some of the hymns that were sung. There was a full orchestra and choir to accompany the singing as well. "In Christ Alone" sounded very powerful, and it was neat to see so many evangelicals gathered in one place in Ireland (there were over 500 in attendance).

Over the next few days I expect to be meeting more with the leadership team here and talking about more specific details in regards to how we may best help serve here, budget details, etc. We appreciate your continued prayers and are comforted to know that there are many who are interested in how God is moving in our lives.

Catching the Vision

Our family has been in Ireland for 3 days now, at a place called Lacken House - which is the Irish headquarters for the mission group we will be working with. The intention of this trip is to meet the people we would be working with, make sure that our vision for ministry fits within the larger purposes of the work they are doing, get more detailed information about budget needs, and experience some day-to-day living in the country.

We arrived in the Dublin airport after a very long day of travel with the kids. We rented a car and loaded up (minus one missing suitcase with the kid's clothes in it - which finally showed up yesterday). We had an exciting start to our drive, as it was the beginning of rush hour as we pulled on to the motorway in Dublin. Our destination was the Irish countryside, near the town of Roscommon - which is almost exactly in the geographical center of the island. It is about a 2 hour drive from Dublin, and actually went pretty well, considering that I had never driven on the left hand side of the road before!

We arrived at Lacken House around 7pm, just as it was starting to get dark. One of the families that works here had prepared us a meal that we were able to warm up in the stove and enjoy before we crashed and went to bed. We are staying in a little chalet on the property that has a main room, a bedroom, and a loft. The next day we headed in to town (bundled up to keep the chilliness in the air at bay) and went grocery shopping.

There were some definite differences in the shopping experience, but not as great as I had pictured. Of course there were different products and brands, most things were packaged smaller, and we had to "rent" the trolley (read, shopping cart) to use. We also picked some "wellies" (read, rubber boots) for the boys since we quickly learned that their tennis shoes would not hold up long in the wet grass and mud.

And so we have been spending some time just getting to know the people who are working here, exploring the area a bit, and just doing some daily living. We are excited to see how God leads us as we start discussing more specifics around what our work here will look like. It is encouraging to see God working in this place and to talk with other believers about their journeys.

I will continue to post throughout our time here to keep everyone informed. We are scheduled to fly back to the States on the 28th.

We would certainly appreciate your prayers for our family as we look to make some major life changes in the near future! Please feel free to email us or facebook us, as we'll be able to check these regularly.

Catching Up

This poor little blog has been severely neglected!

Many things have happened since my last post back in (ahem) August. Since then, we have continued our application process with the mission agency we will serve with. In fact, in September, the whole family went to a week-long training session with the mission agency near Atlanta, GA.

It was an incredible experience to be there and gather information about the organization and to meet people and hear stories about how God is working around the world. Incredibly, our pastor's wife, Angela , volunteered to come with us for the week and watch the kids. That was a tremendous blessing and allowed Sarah and I to experience everything together instead of having to skip sessions to take care of the kids.

We found out the following week that we were officially accepted by the mission on the USA side! That was fantastic news and our next step was then to schedule a vision trip to Ireland with the entire family.

See the next post for details on that trip.

Mission Trip Follow-Up

I've been back from Ireland now for a couple of weeks and have had time to process my experience. And what a great experience it was! I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to go on this trip. I gained some valuable insights and experiences from missionaries already serving in Ireland, learned a lot about myself, and hopefully impacted some of the kid's that I got to know while I was there.

I was able to share a little about my trip last Sunday at SRC and I was surprised at the emotions that were triggered while I recounted some of the stories and photos. As I struggled to hold it together, it really hit me that this experience was so satisfying and rewarding. I have no doubt that this is the kind of work that I need to be doing. I feel so fortunate that God has revealed a path for me that allows me to combine so many things I am passionate about and to be able to use those passions for His glory!

Sarah & I are finishing the application process with a mission agency for long-term service in Ireland. We had our phone interviews this week and yesterday we were given the official invitation to attend a training conference at their HQ near Atlanta, GA. We will be flying with the kids on Sept. 14th and returning on Sept. 20th. It should be a great time to get training, loads of information, and network with people. The final part of the process will be a face-to-face interview for Sarah & I together. Then the following week we will be notified if we have been accepted.

We are both so excited and feel like things are moving quickly ahead. Of course we have questions about some things - for example, my lack of a job at the moment - but we are so ready to see God at work in our lives! Please be praying for us that our time would go well at the conference and that God would continue to provide for our needs.

I will continue to add updates as I get more information.

Last Day of 2nd J.A.M. Camp

We just finished up the 2nd J.A.M. camp this afternoon and I have to say that it went very well. It is really neat to see how the kids progress throughout the week and to watch the seeds being planted. This was a good group of kids and I had a lot of fun interacting with them. On the last day we hand out awards to the campers for different categories, but the best one is the "JAMVP" which goes to the camper who most exemplifies what the camp is all about. This is a great moment because the award does not go to someone who is necessarily the best basketball player - but it's the award that we make the biggest deal about and comes with the best prizes.

I am so thankful for the opportunity I've had over the last couple of weeks to come to Ireland, participate in sports ministry, and hang out with people who are serving on the mission field. I have learned a lot and I will leave feeling encouraged to pursue the vision that I have for using sports as a Christian outreach. I have met some outstanding people and am honored to be able to call some of them friends now.

With that said, I am anxious to get back home - even though the heat will be a shock to my system. I have missed Sarah & the boys, so it will be great when I pick them up from the airport and get to hang out with them. I'm also looking forward to seeing my Summit Ridge family on Sunday and sharing some of my experiences with you. I need to say thank you again to those of you who supported me financially and/or in prayer, which helped make this trip a success.

God Bless & hope to see or hear from you soon!

2nd J.A.M. Camp - Day 1

Well, after a long weekend in which I finally had a free day to do some sight-seeing, we are back in camp. This time we are in a community north of Dublin called Portmarnock. The camp is run by Jerome Westbrooks, who Todd helped lead to Christ. Jerome & his family are originally from Chicago, but moved here 25 years ago. Jerome is recognized as one of the best basketball coaches in Ireland and his kids are among the best players in the country as well.

Portmarnock is a different community than the place our last camp was held. This is outside the city and has more of a small town feel to it. We had nearly 40 kids today and this time I am in charge of the boys & girls that are 11-12 years old. We had a good first day and this group of kids is not nearly as rowdy as the group I had last week. Our first "Coach's Corner" went well today as I spoke a little about courage.

I am also in a different location for lodging this week. Randall Fudge is a missionary from the States who is helping at the camp and lives a lot closer than Todd does. So I have moved in with Randall & his wife Carolyn for the remainder of my time here. Talk about a small world...the Fudge's are from Berne, Indiana and remember Paul & Jean Biggers leaving several years ago to start a church plant in Las Vegas!

On my sightseeing tour I was able to visit some very interesting places that were loaded with Irish history. I visited Trinity College, where I saw the Book of Kells - which is a illuminated copy of the 4 gospels that dates from around 800 A.D. I also went to the Chester Beatty Library where I was able to see some of the oldest Christian manuscripts that are known, including some Pauline letters that date to 180 A.D. I also visited the Guinness Storehouse and the Kilmainham Jail, where many of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Uprising that led to Irish Indepence were held and later executed.

That's all for now - please continue to keep me in your prayers and to pray for the kids that are at the J.A.M. Camp!

My New Irish Vocabulary

I just got back from church and thought I would post some of the new terminology I've learned during my first week here. There are 2 main languages in Ireland - English, of course and Gaelic (or Irish as they call it here). The Irish language is one of the last surviving Celtic languages and is mostly spoken in the western counties, however all Irish school children must learn the native tongue and all signs are in both Irish and English.

The name of the church that Todd started here is called Ca'irde Christian Fellowship. Ca'irde is pronounced "kord-ja", and is an Irish word meaning "friends". Some Irish words are easy enough to figure out when you see them on the signs, but are pretty difficult to pronounce correctly unless you hear someone say it. For example the word Caislean (pronounced cash-LOIN) means "castle" and Oifig an Phoist (pronounced UFF-ig un fwisht) means "post office". A common Irish girls name at the camp I helped at last week was Niamh, which is pronounced "Neeve".

So I'm obviously much better off speaking English, but as some of you may know there is an entirely different terminology here - so some things mean something totally different than what I'm thinking it does and some words I've never heard before. A few of my favorites are below - the word used in Ireland is in bold and what it would mean in the States is on the right:

chips = french fries
crisps = potato chips
biscuits = cookies
chipper = fish & chips shop
cuppa = cup of tea (which is taken 3-5 times a day)
deadly = cool (this was a frequent word at camp with the kids, as in "that shot was deadly")
slag = make fun of (another camp word, as in "relax, I'm only slaggin ya")
messer = trouble-maker (keep an eye on that kid, he's a real messer")
minerals = soda
garden = backyard

Gotta run - I've been roped into playing in a softball game this afternoon! Looking forward to camp next week and will post again in a few days.

End of 1st Camp

We just wrapped up the first camp this afternoon and I think it was very successful. Every day the kids started to open up a little more and share things about their lives. They also seemed to be willing to listen about my experiences. It was really a remarkable progression from the first day when I didn't know any of their names until today when I was able to share my testimony and encourage them to take the next steps in their faith journey. Hopefully some of them will take me up on the invitation I gave them to come to church on Sunday.

Of course, we managed to have a lot of fun at the camp this week as well! One of the highlights for me was a game we played called "Knock-Out". Everyone lines up at the free throw line and the first two people in line have a ball. The object is to knock the person out who is in front of you by making a basket before they do. Each age group would have the top two finishers compete against the coaches in front of the whole camp.

Yesterday there was a little guy named Michael, who is around 8 years old, very quiet & shy, and quite Irish looking with red-hair and the whole bit. Well, it was pretty amazing that he finished in the top two in his age group. But then he actually went on to win the whole competition, beating all of the coaches! He was so excited and all the other kids were cheering and clapping for him. He was the hero of the camp because his victory guaranteed sweets and candy for everyone that day! I just knew it was one of those moments that he will remember for a long time.

In one sense, I feel like a lot was accomplished this week - but in a way I feel like the work was just beginning and it would be nice to see it through, build relationships, and get more involved. Obviously, that's not possible when I'll only interact with those kids for a week. I have to trust God that somehow a seed was planted that Todd and others can follow up on to see these kids come to a relationship with Jesus. For a lot of them, the foundation is already there thanks to a strong Catholic tradition. It's just not personal for them and there's a big disconnect about how salvation is not something that is earned, but rather a free gift by God's grace.

And so, it was through a little bit of teary eyes that I said goodbye to the kids for now - praying for them and the family situations they are walking into. My prayer is that it will not be a final goodbye and that I will see them again in God's Kingdom.

I'll have a couple of days to rest up before the next camp starts on Monday. I'll try to post again Sunday afternoon after church. I hope all is well for everyone back home and thank you for keeping me in your prayers!

J.A.M. Camp - Day 3

We've been running the basketball camp now for 3 days in an area of Dublin known as Ringsend, which is a poorer section of town down by the harbor and docks. There are about 30 kids who have been coming and most all are from the neighborhood. I'm in charge of the oldest boys, of which there are 8. I've been told that Irish boys are more physical and rowdy by nature and this group definitely lives up to that reputation. I think they are good kids, but just come from some tough family and economic situations. There was one boy the first day that I know did not have a lunch to bring, but he wouldn't admit it and wouldn't take food from me either. Another boy's mother throws away the bible verse magnets that we send home with them to memorize each day.

Anyhow, either I was very lucky that first day or the Holy Spirit was with me because I actually made some amazing shots that really got the kid's attention. The reason it was so cool is because from that point on they started listening more closely to what I had to say. Every day we spend about 30 minutes in "Coaches Corner" and we are able to share a bit about the theme for the day. So far we have covered courage, character, and commitment. Tomorrow we will cover the topic of conviction and the last day we present the gospel.

The camp has been so much fun and there are opportunities to interact with the kids 1-on-1 as well. At the end of each day though I end up feeling pretty exhausted. You basically have to keep them moving and busy every minute or things break down pretty fast. But there is no doubt that all the work is worth it as I am starting to see some of the kids ask more questions and show an interest in this whole Jesus thing.

Yesterday I was able to meet with some of the leadership team from the mission agency we are applying with. They just purchased a new property to serve as their headquarters and it is located in the geographical center of the country. It was about a 2.5 hour drive from Dublin and is very rural - exactly like you would picture Ireland to be with rolling green hills, stone fences, sheep, etc. We had a nice visit and I got a lot of good insight in to the ministry they are doing here. I left feeling very encouraged and excited to continue the application process with them.

Well, that's the update for now. I thank everyone for their continued prayer support. Please be praying specifically for the kids I am working with. That God uses this camp to somehow touch them and give them the hope that we share in Christ.

Greetings from Dublin

After a long day of travel on Friday, I arrived here in Dublin around 10:30 on Saturday morning. A special thank you to Paul Biggers and Joe & Linda Bessenbacher for a trip to the airport and breakfast to boot - It made for a great start to my trip!

The first thing I noticed when stepping off the plane was that it is cold!! The temperature was 51 degrees which was quite chilly compared with the 113 degree day I had just come from. My Oregon friends would think I've gotten soft from living in the desert. Hopefully I will toughen up since I only packed one pair of long pants and a light jacket.

Anyway, I met up with Todd at the airport and we went to his house where I will be staying this week. I have my own little room and everything has really been quite nice. He had some errands to run in the city center, so I tagged along to see some sights and get a feeling of the lay of the land. I was making every effort to stay awake as late as possible to fight off the jet lag, and ended up crashing around 8:30pm.

Today we went to the church that Todd planted, which turned out to be a wonderful experience. They are a small church of about 30 people that meet in a community center in a poor area of the city. When we arrived early to set-up we found that the building was still locked. As the time passed and people began showing up for church it became apparent that no one was coming to unlock it! Undeterred, everyone loaded in to their cars and drove to the house of a family in the church who lived nearby.

About once a month, the teens in the church lead the service. Today was one of those days and about 6 of them had just returned from a short term mission trip to Hungary and they were going to do a presentation on that. So while they got prepared in the kitchen/sitting room, the adults and younger kids hung out in the living room. Once they were ready, we all gathered together and sang worship songs, listened to the stories about the mission trip, watched a slide show, prayed, and then enjoyed some Hungarian tea that they brought back - which tasted a lot like hot apple juice.

I was so impressed with this group of people who showed tremendous flexibility and determination to make church happen despite the obstacle of a closed building. The teens did a brilliant job at articulating how the mission trip impacted their lives, the worship time was great, and of course it was very enjoyable for me to meet and talk with the Irish people that I met there.

Later this afternoon I met with the other coaches who will be helping to run the basketball camp that starts tomorrow. Todd has done a tremendous job organizing what will be a very fun and meaningful experience for the kids who attend. I feel very encouraged and am ready for the camp to get underway!

That's the update for now - I will plan on posting again around mid-week after a couple of days of camp and my visit with the folks at the mission agency we are applying with.

God Bless!

Final Preparations

Well, this is it. Tomorrow morning I will be on a flight to Dublin and ready to start the mission trip! The last 2 days I have been making lists, checking them twice and scurrying around to make sure that I have everything I need. Sarah usually helps me make sure that I don't forget anything, but since she & the boys are with her folks in Oregon, it's all on me this time :) One of the most important things I am packing is a picture of them to take along, since will be the longest we have ever been apart. It will be nice to have that when any homesickness starts to creep in.

I want to thank everyone again for their continued support of our family and this mission trip. It has been a real blessing for us to see our church raise the financial amount needed to make this trip a reality and to send me off with prayer. In fact, it is our church family who is even dropping off/picking up me at the airport (thanks Joe, Linda, & Bill). I would be honored if you would continue to keep the Bryants in your prayers. If you are looking for some specific things to pray about, here are a few that come to mind:

• Pray for God to open my heart and mind to follow the plan He has laid out for me. That this time in Ireland would be used to get a sense for the future direction of our lives.
• Pray that God might somehow use me to impact the kids and families in Dublin for His glory.
• Pray for Sarah & the boys as they stay with her parents in Oregon - it's going to take a lot of patience and perseverance with those little rascals!
• Pray that the Lord keeps us safe as we travel.
• Pray that above all, God's will be done.

The next post will be from Dublin - I am so excited for this opportunity to share Christ and maybe bring a little of Summit Ridge across the Atlantic too. God Bless!

Miscellaneous Updates

There has definitely been a lot going on in the last couple of weeks for us. I can't believe how quickly July 11th is approaching! Here are some updates on some of the major happenings around our lives and the mission trip:

• Job(less) update - My last official day of employment is 7/15 & we have resolved to not worry about the hunt for a new job until I get back from Ireland. This has been a good time for Sarah & I to prayerfully consider what God wants us to do with our lives. We still have a lot of questions and (dare I say) doubts, but we sincerely desire to learn and grow from this experience.
• Support Raising update - As of today, 88% of the support for the mission trip has been given. There is only about a $300 gap between the goal and what has been given so far. God has truly blessed us with a supportive and generous church family and it is such an encouragement to have people partner with me in this trip. I am so excited to see what God does with all of this in the coming weeks.
• Wristband update - I ordered and received the wristbands that I will be taking along to give to the kids at the basketball camp. They turned out really well and there will be enough to last several years for Todd (the missionary I'm going to help) to use.
• Long term missions update - We are in the 2nd phase of the application process with a mission agency for consideration of becoming full-time missionaries to Ireland. This is a very exciting opportunity, but it is also a little scary because of the huge change it would mean to our lives. Please pray for us as we continue to trust God to lead us.

Wow - this post is really full of random thoughts! Honestly, there has been so much swirling around in my head that it just feels good to get a few things out there. By the way, please feel free to leave any comments or questions that you may have and I'll do my best to respond.

I haven't even left for Ireland yet and I am already amazed at what God has done so far. It is such a blessing to see His hand at work and to be able to share the ups & downs along the way. Thank you for keeping the Bryant family in your prayers!

OK God...now you have my attention

On Tuesday of this week, I found out that the department I work in was getting shut down - meaning that I am losing my job effective July 15th. Even with all of the problems in the mortgage industry, this still came quite unexpectedly and was pretty shocking to us.

Interestingly, I had been saying to Sarah over the last couple of weeks, "What would we do if I lost my job?" We both decided that if for some reason that happened, it would be a pretty clear signal that God was nudging us in to the next stage of our lives on the mission field.

We have many decisions to make in light of this situation. First of all, I am sure that I am still going to Ireland this summer as planned. If anything, this experience has strengthened my conviction that I need to make changes in my life and continue down the path that God is leading me.

I also wanted to share a couple of things God is teaching me so far through this:

Humility - This is a big one that I'm learning. I have been very blessed with a successful career. I always thought that if you worked hard, did the right things, and "played the game" in the business world that you would continue to move up the ladder and enjoy success. But just like in our Christian walk - you cannot earn your salvation by how hard you work at being a Christian or by doing the right things. Playing the game of going to church means nothing unless your heart has been changed by the grace of God. Anything you have is not because of your own merits, but because it is gift from Him. A gift that He can give and also take away.

Trust - I know that if we are going to be serving in the mission field, we need to know how to trust God completely. This experience will be a good opportunity for us to walk the talk and learn that God is in control. Last night I was praying that God would help me to trust Him. This morning in my devotion I was reading Psalm 56 and was comforted by these words: v. 3-4: "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, In God I trust; I shall not be afraid." (ESV).

Please pray for us as we go through this challenging time. Pray that God would use this situation to build us up, to teach us, and to help us learn more about what He has in store for our lives.

One Month to Go!

In just one short month I will be touching down in Dublin to begin working with kids and their families to share the love of Christ! I thought I would share a quick update on some of the details of the trip and how God is pulling everything together.

• God is faithfully working through His people to raise up the support needed for this trip to be successful. $2500 is the amount necessary to cover the costs of the trip. So far 44% of this amount has been received - praise God & thank you to those of you have contributed already!
• Todd James, the missionary I will be working with, is graciously allowing me to spend the first week at his house. Not only will this help keep the cost of lodging down, but it will provide an opportunity for me to spend some quality time with Todd and get a real feel for the work he is doing and a sense for the mission field in Ireland.
• I am ordering 1000 silicone wristbands (similar to the "Livestrong" bracelets we've all seen) to take for the kids. They will read "J.A.M - Phil 4:13". J.A.M. is the name of the basketball camps that we will be running and stands for "Jesus And Me". I am also looking for some cheap, used basketball trading cards that I could take to hand out to the kids.

I continue to be humbled and thankful for the work God is doing and for the strong church family that he has surrounded me with. Just 30 days to go!!

Trusting God

I expect my work in Ireland this summer to be a test of my faith in several different ways. Will I be able to impact the lives of the kids I will interact with? Will my family be alright while I am away for 2 weeks? Will He faithfully raise the financial & prayer support needed for this work?

One thing I struggle with is letting go and instead, "letting God". I have such a bad habit of wanting to figure everything out on my own and being in control of my situation. Even though I should have learned by now that when I do this - nothing happens. Or at least, nothing good happens!

James 4:13-15 comes to mind - "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'---yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.' (ESV)

If I am confident about something as big as God changing the direction of my life to be involved with His work in Ireland, why do I have such a hard time letting Him take care of the details? I have been so worried about support raising, where I will be staying in Ireland, how my family will be while I'm gone, and on & on. My God is the King of the universe - I think He can take care of all that!

Philippians 4:6-7 says: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (ESV)

I am so thankful that I serve a God that listens to my requests and provides for my every need. Please pray for me to remember that this summer!

So...why Ireland?

Isn't Ireland already a "Christian" country? Is there really a mission field there? Sounds like more of a vacation than a "mission".

I have to admit that these were some of my thoughts as God began laying this place and people on my heart. It turns out there is a lot about this country that I did not know! For example...

• Ireland has the lowest percentage of evangelical Christians in all English-speaking countries in the world. Within a country that has over 4 million people and growing, only 30 thousand or so (less than 1%) say that they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In addition, Ireland ranks toward the top of European countries in regards to teenage suicide, teenage pregnancy, drinking, smoking, and unwed mother rates. Cocaine & heroin use is on the rise among all socio-economic levels, and divorce (previously illegal until 1997) is a new difficulty that families are adjusting to.
• Ireland is young, growing, and global. 40% of the population is under the age of 25 and 60% is under the age of 40. Due to the economic boom over the last 12+ years known as the "Celtic Tiger", the Irish are experiencing new high-paying jobs and increased opportunities. Wealth and materialism have contributed to an increasingly secular lifestyle for many. This phenomenon has also created a vacuum for less desirable jobs, attracting immigrants from other nations that bring their various beliefs and faiths with them.
• Revival is beginning to happen! While Catholicism is still an influence on the culture and country, few people have a living relationship with God. As little as 40 years ago, evangelical pastors were persecuted and imprisoned. More than 60% of evangelical churches have started within the last 25 years; 40% have started within the last 10 years. Most of these churches are very small - between 20-50 members and sometimes without trained or paid leadership. Today, there are approximately 400 evangelical congregations in Ireland (an increase from 150 in 1980).

So...why Ireland? The real reason is because that is where I feel that the Lord is leading me. However, in my research, I was amazed at the need that is present there! I just pray that God will use me this summer to draw people closer to Him.

Welcome!!

This is my first go at the whole blogging thing - but I wanted to provide a forum to document and share what God is doing in my family's life - so this is it!

Over the last several months I have felt a calling to share the Good News of Jesus Christ by using the universal language of sports. This summer, God has provided the opportunity for me to live this out as I travel to Ireland to work alongside a church-planting missionary there.

Todd James and his family have lived in Ireland for over 20 years and have started a church in Dublin. Todd has discovered that an effective outreach is running basketball camps for young people in the summer. You can check out the missionary organization that Todd works with at www.friendsmission.com. I will be coming along-side Todd to assist with coaching these camps and sharing the message of love, hope, and salvation with the kids who attend them.

There are still several details to be worked out, but I am so excited to have this chance to see God's plan and provision in action!

I plan on posting updates regularly - up to and through my assignment that begins July 12th and ends July 26th.

Thank you for checking out the blog and for your interest in our lives. God Bless!