1st Week in Ireland

We have been here in Co. Roscommon for just over a week now and thought we would provide a little update on what has been happening. It has mainly been a process of adjusting to the time zone difference (8 hours ahead of US Pacific Time) and getting a bearing on our surroundings. We have also spent a considerable amount of time trying to find a suitable house for us to rent. There has not been a lot of luck in that area so far, but we do have 3 appointments this evening, so we are praying that one of them will work. At the moment we are staying in a 2 room chalet at the HQ, which we are grateful for but also anxious to find our own place. We also need a permanent address in order to find a doctor for Sarah and the baby and find a school for Liam.

Beyond that, I have been attending morning devotions with the team and just getting to know everyone a bit. I feel that once we get our house situation settled, I'll be able to get in to a routine and hammer out some details of what my ministry here will look like.

I attended a community meeting last week regarding a site called Clanmacnoise being submitted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The history of Clanmacnoise is pretty amazing and we were there to support the notion that the Christian heritage needed to be preserved and that it should be a place of living faith and pilgrimage. Their were other representatives from the community there as well, mostly farmers who fear that their land will be subject to severe restrictions. It was a very heated open forum meeting that climaxed in a "walk-out" after many speeches, cheering, and jeering.

Sarah and the boys are adjusting to everything pretty well. A lot of sleep and rest seems to be what they are needing and getting for the most part. Of course, they will be able to get in to a routine as well once we get the housing situation resolved. Sarah is enjoying the company of the 3 other pregnant women on the team and this fall promises to be very eventful as we welcome 5 new babies between mid-August and mid-October!

That's all for now...thank you for your prayers, support, and interest! We'll update again soon (hopefullly from our house!)