Hmmmm…a productive day. Woke up: check. Went to church to sell scones and tea: check. Went to the movies with my host family: check. Came home and had a cup of tea: check. Built a fire and felt like Tom Hanks in Cast Away: check. Good day: check.
I had hoped this blog would be a flog, which I have deemed to be a ‘funny blog,’ but the spirit has moved me to be more reflective, more open in my confessions. I often use humor as a way of covering how I really feel, but it is still a part of who I am –so I hope you find it in necessary doses throughout.
Over these last few weeks, I have had the opportunity to listen and talk with people from so many walks of life. Over the last ten years, Ireland has experienced an influx of people coming from different countries in order to find work or to find a new place to call home. Whether workers or asylum seekers, these individuals have become part of Ireland’s culture. Many of them, however, do not come from Catholic backgrounds and, therefore, find it difficult to find a religious home. As a wonderful and spirit filled result, the Methodist Church, especially in Killarney, has attracted many of these amazing individuals. I live in the melting pot that is America, and yet I have never worshipped with such a diverse group of people. While this saddens me in many ways…I feel so blessed to have the opportunity now in this unconventional and unsuspecting setting.
As I have listened to and helped to lead this congregation over the last few weeks, I have struggled agonizingly over what the next year holds. While I know scripture instructs us to let tomorrow worry about tomorrow…it is hard to be attentive to the next steps the spirit is calling you to take. At this point, I have no idea what God is calling me to—full time ministry in the church, yes eventually. But when, where, and in what capacity I have no idea. All I know is that I am enjoying the role that God has blessed me with here in this place. I have never been entrusted to lead people in studying the Bible, and to be given that opportunity after so much prayer is exciting (and, still, horrifying). I will have many opportunities to preach and share my faith—no one (with the exception of one person) has ever asked me to share my testimony or about my faith journey. And I feel here that people want to know the daily walk. I leave the serious spiritual reflection there for now—more later.
To be sure, however, Ireland is a beautiful and amazing place. I have to say sorry to the south because Irish hospitality is seriously in the running for overtaking your trademark (of course, I do not consider Reeds UMC in this threatened equation). I have had more tea and biscuits in the last few weeks. The scenery is spectacular and there is so much history. As a self-proclaimed history nerd, reared by her parents to be such, I went to explore Muckross House on my Thursday morning. A beautiful, Victorian estate right here in Killarney. Built in the 1840s with grand gardens surrounding, it really is out of a Jane Austen novel. As I walked through the rooms and the ballroom I kept picturing Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett dancing tensely. Then as I walked through the gardens I kept imagining I was walking along with a parasol, waiting to be accompanied Mr. Rochester from Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre (Erin Beall you know why). It was a brilliant scene, and I enjoyed it very much. I often enjoy doing things like that alone—something I picked up from my many summers away from home.
There is one thing that doesn’t change once you cross time zones. Young people still do not darken the doors of the church. Why? Young People? Why? I try to analyze my own mind to figure this out and can’t come up with any practical or reasonable explanation. This will be something I struggle with for the next 10 years…until I am no longer a young adult J
Until then…I am enjoying all of these new experiences. The people I am getting to know and who are becoming so much a part of my journey here are beyond description. It will take me more reflecting to come up with adequate ways of conveying who exactly they all are.
Special shout outs:
Marni Kaitlyn Robins—YOU DID IT!!! Congrats smarty! I love you!
DAD—HAPPY FATHER’S DAY and I love you—you are the greatest dad I have ever had! Thank you for everything!
MOM—come visit me.
Kelsi.
LINDSEY BAYNHAM—o loer gosh.
ERIN BEALL—I wish you had knitted me three thousands sweaters before I came to Ireland—it is freezing.
ELIZABETH MAXWELL—countdown continues.
This is a bit of a mash up for now. It will become clearer what exactly I am trying to document in these entries until then I will let you see it from my point of view—here are some pics I took at from the backyard of a parishioner…breathtaking.
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