Already over halfway through this internship
Feels like it all happened overnight
What an overwhelming thought
That it’ll all be over in less four months
But this month
Learning more of the people
Studying Catholicism
Experiencing Irish Mass
Seeking to understand more about this island
But I want to tell you about
How a few Sundays ago
I ended up meeting a middle-aged Irish woman
That has started something unexpected
Some friends and I decided to check out a
1,500 year old monastery and a massive graveyard
Out in the country on an incredibly cold and wet day
Clonmacnoise
We wandered around looking at the ancient stone
crosses and buildings
But I ended up wandering off to check out one of the chapels
In there was this old stone piece with some crazy Celtic
pattern
I thought my friend was walking towards me
So in amazement I said out loud, “Ah so cool!”
But I realized that person wasn’t who I thought it was
But a random stranger
Who still decided to check out what I was so excited about
As she looked, she began talking about the gloomy weather
(A favourite conversation starter in Ireland)
And how she couldn’t believe that so many people lived
here for so long
“This bloody weather, no wonder there are so many
graves”
She went on to talk about that despite the rain
She still loves coming to these places
Because it gives her a sense of peace
She expressed how she’s into mysticism and “spiritual
stuff” like that
I didn’t know where this conversation was going
But I just listened to her for a while
Eventually my other friends ended up joining the
conversation
She asked if we came to Ireland to see Clonmacnoise
But my friend then told her how she’s been here for
almost three years
And how she always wanted to live in Ireland and share
her heart for Jesus
One thing led to another
Next thing I know we’re talking about Jesus
And this stranger is not fighting back
But asking questions
As if she’s been seeking for a long time
As we kept talking
I began to see more and more of the hurt in her
That she’s struggling
Then she asked us, “What about when you have no hope?”
She brought up how her dad passed away 20 years ago
And that her mom just passed last year
Struggling to find a place to call home right now
So we tried to talk through it and explain
That through all the junk life holds,
There is hope
She didn’t seem to understand
But she said that she’d love to meet up with us again
We gave her our numbers and prayed for her
Talking for what seemed like hours
And our feet frozen from the rain
We decided that we should go
But I didn’t know if I’d see her again
So before we left I wanted to let her to know I could
relate in a way
So last minute I told her that I was so sorry to hear how
she lost her parents
And how I lost my dad two years ago so I know that
pain
I told her that if she’s okay with it I’d love to know
more of her journey with it
She just looked at me with confusion, “Like how I coped
with it?”
Yeah, anything.
She paused and looked away, “Nobody has ever asked me
that before…”
My heart dropped
I couldn’t believe it
20 years and nobody has asked your story?
I’m so sorry
I had to go because everyone else was already in the
car
So I said let’s get together to talk
She said she’d love that
As I began to walk towards the car
She shouted at me,
“I’ve never met
someone else who also lost their dad.”
Lord, I don’t understand
20 years and she’s never met someone else who lost
their dad?
20 years and never talked through it with someone?
20 years and still feeling alone in that pain?
God, that breaks my heart
So later that week
She texted me asking if we can meet in Athlone on
Sunday
We were able to grab some food
And ended up talking for about five hours
“I’ve never talked about this with anyone before”
Seeing more of where she comes from
My heart goes out to her
I don’t know what’s going to happen with her
But we’re making plans to meet up again
And so I’m asking for prayer
Because I’m seeing how she’s looking everywhere for
guidance
For stability
For meaning
For love
Except Jesus
Don’t we all struggle with that
But still trying to explain the truth in what the
Bible says
That God pursues and has already made a way
To freedom, joy, forgiveness,
Love, grace, restoration
Meaning, security, peace,
Life
That’s all found in Christ and because of Christ
“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned
through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant
provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the
one man, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17)
Please pray with me for her
Also please pray for wisdom
Because I know I can’t do this on my own
Through all of this I’m blown away
At how God orchestrates things
The “randomness” of it all
Of going to Clonmacnoise
Of meeting her
Of being able to relate
Of being in Ireland in the first place
I don’t know what you’re doing
But God, thank you
What truth I cling on to during times when nothing
makes sense
That nothing is wasted
And when we can see that happen
It’s one of the craziest things
The month of March
The month of St. Patrick’s Day
The month of spring arriving
Still helping with office administration and learning
the office way of life
Still spending time at the refugee centre and building
unforgettable relationships there
Still working on university studies and fighting to
balance two different worlds
Overtired
And often times over-stressed
But overjoyed at what God is doing
Whether we see it or not
He’s at work
Thank you for praying with me
All my love,
Ell
⇿⇿⇿
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| Stone fences upon stone fences |
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| Some at the office trying to make the most of these rare sunny days |
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| My heart was so full when we found a lake not too far from our home |
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| Felt like I was back in Wisconsin |
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| Some St. Patrick's Day pride in Galway |
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| A little secondhand book shop in Galway |
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| Helped with leading some worship for our Prayer Emphasis Day |
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| Since moving to Europe I've found a new love for Korean food |
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| When you have Bible study at a church member's farm and all your dreams come true |
Thank you for everything ♡
