The Interns Have Arrived!

  

Today (Saturday, May 31, 2008) we picked up the MTW Interns at the Dublin Airport.  Their flight had left Atlanta about 6:00 PM the evening before; and after a layover at London/Gatwick they arrived in Dublin about 12:30 PM.  While they were still suffering from 'jet lag,' we took them to Harvey's B&B, dragged them around the center of Dublin for a couple of hours before dinner at Abbey.  At dinner most of the interns met members of their 'adoptive' families from Abbey Church.  Afterward, they returned to the B&B and (I imagine) crashed until morning. 

At the end of the day, Kathy and I each commented that this team of interns seems well-prepared, respectful and cooperative.  This is the fourth team of interns to come to Abbey Church for the summer program of ministry.  And it is the largest so far.  Please pray that our ministry will bear fruit for the sake of Christ's kingdom.

Here are some photos from the day:  Upper photo:  Stephanie White (foreground), Paige Larson (left) and Luke Whipple (right).

 

Left to right:  Katie Manley, Wes Lyle, Robert Poynton (Abbey), David Colvin (Abbey), Paige Larson.

Left to right in front of the famous Temple Bar pub:  Jacqueline Lamb, Luke Whipple, Wes Lyle, Lizi Guthmann, Stephanie White, Katie Manley, and Paige Larson.

The interns in the "sweet room," where they can take breaks from ministry without going back to the B&B:

 

A Day in Bray / Bre'

The sun was shining on Thursday so Kathy and I decided that it was a good day to get out.  Lindsay had recommended that sometime we take the train from Connolly Station in Dublin out to the countryside and a little town called Bray (Bre' is the Celtic).  So we decided that this was the day for it.  Who knows when we'd see another day like this?  Once you get off the train in Bray it's about a five mile hike along the coastal cliff to the town of Greystones.   We had packed a lunch and ate it on the way.  Just before we entered Greystones we met an 80 year old man walking the opposite direction.  His name was Herbie Doyle.  He told us his life’s history.  Among other things, he said that ‘Doyle’ is derived from a Norse word meaning “dark stranger.”  We talked about his life in Ireland, his brother’s / cousin’s life in America, the EU, the Lisbon Treaty and a few other things thrown in for good measure.  We'll probably be taking the interns to Bray soon after they arrive.  Learning to use the train, convert currency and the hike itself may be good team-building exercises. 

After returning to Dublin, we decided to return to the Temple Bar area for dinner.  We ate at the Gallagher’s Boxty House.  They have family style seating.  We had an interesting conversation with a retired couple from Tucson, AZ (Ben and Rosie) who travel a great deal.  We even talked about religion.  I tried to give a brief explanation of the gospel as part of our conversation; and I asked what he thought was the greatest objection most people had to Christianity.  He told me his objection to Christianity. It was its lack of scientific proof.  (He would like to see more miracles. But perhaps he should read Psalm 19 and Romans 1.)  On the other side of us was a family from Wales here for a few days on holiday.  We talked about the state of the church in Wales and Europe in general and the revivals that once occurred among the coal miners there .  They attend a church that is part of a circuit of seven churches!  (The preacher is at one of the seven each Sunday, then moves to the next church on the list the next week.)  After the couple from Tucson left, a younger couple sat down in their place.  We had an opportunity to talk to them about the summer Arts Ministry at Abbey Church.  They live in Dublin and said they might show up.  It was invigorating to engage people in conversation about things that matter. 

We saw several Buskers (street performers) in the Temple Bar area of the city.   I got some video, but I can't seem to insert it in the blog. 

A Wandering Wednesday

Today we had our first "staff meeting" with Alan Boal, the pastor of Abbey Church.  He's pictured here standing in front of the church building.  We spent the morning reviewing the schedule for the next several weeks, and clarifying some expectations.  Alan has to be away at the Presbyterian Church of Ireland (PCI) General Assembly (GA) during the orientation week, which is the week immediately after the MTW interns arrive, so I will be leading some devotionals and orientation sessions with them. During the latter half of that week, we'll be taking the entire team up to a place called Rostrevor Renewal Centre in Northern Ireland to finish out our week of orientation and team building. 

After our "staff meeting," Kathy and I were able to see see a few more famous places in Dublin.  First, we visited Trinity College where the Book of Kells is housed.  The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels that dates from about 800 AD.  Next, we visited The Chester Beatty Library where we saw fragments of the four gospels and Paul's letters dating from the second and third centuries.  After that, we stopped in to see Christ Church (c. 1030 AD), the original cathedral of Norse Dublin .  (Dublin was settled perhaps as far back as the 1st century BC, but it was established as a town by the Vikings about 840 AD.)  Finally, we visited St. Paul's Cathedral, which is he National Cathedral for the Church of Ireland (Anglican).  Jonathan Swift, the famous author of Gullivers Travels was once dean of St. Patrick's; and he is buried inside the cathedral. 

Despite the all the evidence demonstrating the long history of Christianity's influence in Ireland, it is also evident that Christendom (the privileged position of Christianity in the West) is now dead.  For instance, on the way back to our apartment ("number 5") we passed an old church named "St. Mary's" that had been turned into a pub and restaurant.   This is not the only church building like this.  Others are being used as museums and shops. 

Every day the need for the gospel of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is evident in Dublin. 

Rainy Days and Tuesdays

Well, today was supposed to be our free day to get oriented to the city.  We had planned to take the Dublin City Bus Tour.  But it rained 'cats and dogs' until about the middle of the afternoon.  After that, it didn't stop raining; it just lightened up a bit.  So, Kathy and I spent the early part of the day preparing some materials for our orientation meetings with the MTW Interns, who arrive on May 31.  Finally, at about 2:30 PM we joined a group of four other tourists on the bus who had braved the elements to see the sights.  (The photo above is the view out the rain-dotted window of the Guinness Brewery lounge that looks out over the entire city of Dublin.)  Then it was back to "number 5" for dinner and more preparations. 

By the way, the forecast for tomorrow is for (you guessed it)...rain. 

Safe and Sound in Dublin

Well, we made it.  Kathy and I left Shippensburg about 2:30 PM on Sunday, May 25th for Dulles Airport.  Our British Airways flight took us to London's Heathrow Airport.  Then we caught an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin.  Everything was delayed due to weather.  Then we were delayed due to the queue (line) at the immigration checkpoint.  But everything turned out well in the end.  It was a sunny day in Dublin.  We met Alan and Ruth Boal (Alan is the pastor at Abbey Church) and they took us out for lunch at a nice little tea room that was part of the Botanic Gardens, which reminded us of Longwood Gardens near Philadelphia.  We had a nice long walk and chatted about the ministry at Abbey and the plans for the summer.  We talked about the Boal's visit to the United States during the month of August.  I hope they can visit Hope Church so that you all can meet them personally. 

Later we got ourselves installed at "number 5," the apartment in which Scott and Lindsay spent eleven months, and in which Katherine Manning and Christy Rodrigues (MTW interns) have been living.  They welcomed us very warmly.  And after a little chat we headed out to walk around the city with Christy's mom who is visiting for a few days. 

The interns arrive on Saturday, May 31.  Between now and then, Kathy and I have an opportunity to recover from jet lag and prepare for our part in their orientation to the ministry in Dublin. 

Please remember to pray "Thy kingdom come" in Dublin.  Pray that men and women will be brought into the kingdom of grace, and that God will use our team as his instruments to that end.

Launching the Dublin Project

As many of you know, Kathy and I have been invited by Mission to the World and Abbey Church in Dublin, Ireland to serve as mentors for a team of interns during a special outreach during June and July. Our job will be to assist in the spiritual formation of the team as they work to extend Christ's kingdom in Dublin's artistic community. We will also be assisting with conflict resolution and cultural adaptation.

Please pray that the kingdom of Christ would be extended through this project. Please pray that our team would be united in a way that demonstrates the love of God in Christ. Some of you have been asking "When do you actually leave?" and "Where do you stand with your support?" Well, we leave on the evening of May 25th and (as of May 14th) we have raised $8577 of the $13,000 MTW estimates it will cost to send us.