Custard for Ireland

Mark your calendars! On April 14, the Cascade Culver's (28th St) will donate 10% of the night's sales, from 5:30p-8:30p, to support the Impact Ireland trip. Come out and enjoy some great food for a great cause.

I've had a few friends host a night at Culver's with great success and I'm hoping for the same. What makes this fund raiser extra fun is that myself and some specially chosen friends will be bringing the food out and busing tables. A good time will be had by all!

Help me spread the word. No flyers are needed for this event, but sometime soon I'll have one up. Feel free to print it out and hang it up at work or on your refridgerator at home.

Picture From the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Ireland

This trip brought to you by St. Patrick

Celebrating is one of my favorite things. Give me a holiday and I'm ready to party. Not only is today another reason to go Irish, it's also a holiday close to my heart. Until a couple years ago, today's holiday just meant shamrocks, wearing green, and saying phrased like "Pot o' gold" or "There magically delicious (Lucky Charms Style)." Then freshman year, trying to find a topic for a informative speech, I chose St. Patrick's Day and more importantly St. Patrick. Ready for your history lesson?

Patrick, Missionary to Ireland

As Attila the Hun prepared his first attack on Roman provinces and Augustine secluded himself in his study writing The City of God, Patrick's parents worried about their son. At almost 16 years old, he hadn't professed faith in Christ, even though his father Calpornius was a deacon and his grandfather Potitus was a pastor in the church. Something of a rebel, Patrick had already committed a serious sin that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

One night shortly before his 16th birthday, Patrick stayed at his father's country estate in Britain with the household servants while his parents traveled to a nearby town on business. While everyone slept, a party of Irish slave traders surrounded the estate. All the able-bodied members of the household were kidnapped, bound with chains and loaded into boats to be transported to Ireland. Those who resisted were killed outright.

After a two-day journey in an open boat, chained to the other captives, Patrick was sold to a farmer and given the menial task of watching the sheep. Three days before he had been a nobleman's son commanding slaves, now he was a slave. Patrick wrote about this time in his Confession:

But it was here in Ireland that God first opened my heart, so that—even though it was a late start—I became aware of my failings and began to turn with my whole heart to the Lord my God. For He looked down on my miserable condition and had compassion for me, young and foolish as I was. He cared for me even before I knew who He was, before I could tell the difference between right and wrong. He protected me and loved me even as a father does his own child.¹

Patrick prayed constantly during these years, alone with the sheep, and remembered the Godly teaching of his parents and his pastor. Patrick also learned to speak the language of the Irish people, gradually learning their customs and about the gods they worshipped. In learning to protect and care for the sheep, Patrick was for the first time forced to think of something other than his own selfish desires. Patrick said:

God used the time to shape and mold me into something better. He made me into what I am now—someone very different from what I once was, someone who can care about others and work to help them.

After serving as a slave for six years, Patrick twice had a dream in which he heard a voice say, "Your ship is ready." Taking this as a sign from God, Patrick ran away from his owner and traveled "maybe 200 miles" on foot as a fugitive. Patrick was utterly alone for weeks and yet said he was never afraid until he came to the port city. There, he summoned up his courage and asked a ship's captain if he might sail with them to Britain as a member of the crew. The Captain initially refused his request, but as Patrick breathed a prayer for guidance, the officer changed his mind. Patrick was going home.

Can you imagine the celebration as Patrick walked into the courtyard of his home in Britain? The son they had thought twice lost, both to this world and the next, was twice found. Patrick said, "They took me in—their long-lost son—and begged me earnestly that after all I had been through I would never leave them again."

We know little about the next few years of Patrick's life—how long he stayed at home or what plans his parents had for his future. We do know that as a result of a series of dreams, Patrick was convinced that God wanted him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick's parents would lose him yet again.

After receiving the proper training and the blessing of the church, Patrick obeyed God and returned to the land of his captivity, preaching among the people there for the next 40 years. Thousands of people came to know Christ and the church in Ireland was established. In Confession, a letter Patrick wrote late in his life, he said:

My final prayer is that all of you who believe in God and respect Him—whoever you may be who read this letter that Patrick the unlearned sinner wrote from Ireland—that none of you will ever say that I in my ignorance did anything for God. You must understand—because it is the truth—that it was all the gift of God.

____________

¹ Quotes from Patrick's Confession were taken from the translation of Philip Freeman, St. Patrick of Ireland (Simon and Schuster, 2004), pages 176-193.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick)

St. Patrick's influence is still felt in Ireland. It is this history that I will be stepping into as well. There is no doubt that religion plays a part in Ireland's tumultuous history. Today the majority of Irish are in name or practice Catholic. Our hope on this trip is to expose people to the vibrant message of Jesus, that views and lifestyles might be transformed into living the fullest kind of life; the life Jesus showed us. So, thank you St. Patrick for paving the way, but there is still work to be done.

February Report

40% Support Raised

I am again overwhelmed by the provision God is showing me and the people he is doing this through. There have been multiple time this month, where my mouth is left hanging open in awe. Thank you!

February, was a quite month. Apart from the fundraiser, planning this month was minimal. It was a nice change of pace from January.

Looking forward, March will be a pretty quite month as well. I plan to organize another fundraiser night toward the end of the month and I will need to by my airline tickets soon for Edinburgh. I also need to decide where to stay while in the city. Toward the end of July Edinburgh hostels, hotels, and guest houses fills up fast, due to the Fringe Festival in August. I emailed the YWAM (Youth With a Mission) base in Edinburgh to see if someone on their team might be able to host me while in the city, but they were unsure because it is three month away. Please pray that I might find inexpensive, safe accommodations.

My prayers in February were way layed by some other spiritual issues I've been contemplating. One of these topics, is how to spread the gospel message without sounding like a sales pitch. I've been reading Brian McLaren's More Ready Than You Realize: The Power of Everyday Conversation. Though I am on the fence about the author, he makes some very powerful points in his book about disciple-making as conversation and friendship as opposed to argument and conquest. It is my deepest desire that everyone would know the freedom Jesus brings, but I do not think you can sell freedom, freedom is a choice. Just some thoughts. There is certainly lots more on this topic and I plan on reading up. Any words of advice would be appreciated. Remember, you can leave comments.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. ~1 Peter 3:15

Thank you!

Thanks to everyone that braved the weather to come out to Moe's tonight! It was much appreciated. It was nice to visit with everyone and great to feel the support. If you couldn't make it out for this one, stay tuned for another fundraising night in the Spring! Thanks again.

Burritos for Ireland Fundraiser

IMPORTANT: You must bring this flyer to the restaurant and present it when you pay.

The Moe's fundraiser is a go! Here are the specifics! It's February 29th @ Moe's Southwestern Grill (28th Street and I-96, by Target). Come anytime between 5p-8p, buy a drink with your meal and present the above flyer. It's that easy. Moe's will donate a portion of the night's proceeds.

Please help me spread the word. Everyone is invited, so tell your friends, family, co-workers, and strangers. Print the flyer off and hand it out. If you would like to help, but cannot make it to Moe's, consider donating the price of what you would have paid for a meal ($5-$8). Donations can be made by clicking the Support Amanda Online Tab to the right.

Moe's Southwest Grill
5070 28th St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Snag

While on OM's website this weekend, I saw the Impact Ireland trip price listed as $585, rather than $505. After emailing my contact, she reveled that the trip had indeed gone up, due to the current dollar/euro exchange rate. Currently 1 Euro = ~$1.50. This means I need two more "day" sponsors. $85 is not a significant difference, thankfully, but I still need to raise it.

January Report

I had my first check-in with Nancy (my OM contact) this week and have recieved about 10% of the support I need. What a great start! I have also received replies and notes for prayer support, which I am very thankful for. Some days I think, "Amanda, what are you doing? You are going to another country... for three weeks...by your self." Then other days I am content to trust in the plans God is making for our team in Ireland. So, please keep your prayers coming.

In January, I collected many of the things I will need on the trip. I have purchased an internal frame backpack, for my luggage. This seemed the best option, since rolled suitcases might not be able to go everywhere I need to. I researched and finally bought a pair of good walking shoes. It took some time to decide as my requirement were that they'd be good to my feet and look decent with a skirt. Many sites were having good deals after the holidays, so I got the shoes at a fraction of the price. I also puchased my plane tickets and started a mental list of clothing I will be bringing. I'm hoping to locate an inexpensive raincoat in the next months and a carry-on bag that can also double as a purse.

My prayers in January, countinued to focus on the strengthening of my weaknesses and an ongoing conversation about how I reveal Jesus to the world and ultimatly how I reveal God. Not that I reveal God, but how do I, as Amanda, carry the words of God into the world. It's been a month or growth, as well as a month of setbacks. In my prayers I have identitfied area where I wish to grow in knowledge and courage. I'm excited to see how I can serve God in February.

Finally, Januray has been a month of planning. In a way I feel like that is all I've been doing in Januray. Since, what is happening in Ireland is being planned by OM, my focused planning has been on Scotland. I have researched activites, accomidations, bus schedules, and resturants. And though I have done a months worth of research, I have only narrowed categories down. Toward the end of the month I began to realize just how little I knew about Kilkenny, Ireland and how much I knew about Edinburgh, Scotland. This did not seem right as the the ratio of days did not equal the amount of research I had done on each place. Thus my focus in Feburary will be mainly on Kilkenny, Irleand and those that live there.

Thank you again for countinued prayers and the support you have shown me. One month down five more to go.

I just found this link online. It gives a clearer picture of what Impact Ireland will be doing.

Big News!

I just sent out my first batch of support letters. If you'd like to see a copy scroll down. Now, if you did not receive a letter, it's probably because I don't have your address, so if you'd like a hard copy of the letter email me your address at Gayle84@yahoo.com.

Second big news: I got permission from OM to use their tax ID # for a restaurant fund raiser. This is where you host a restaurant night, invited everyone you know to show up, and receive part of the night's profits. If all goes well, I'll be hosting one at Moe's (yummy Mexican!) in February. Stay Tuned!

Third big news: I added a link to the right to donate online. The link also includes my ID #.

Support Letter

A few months ago, I started praying for an opportunity to impact the world outside of what I knew. I felt a restlessness to travel and see how God is moving in other parts of the world. My prayers focused on long term opportunity like the Peace Corp or full time missions. After two months with little clarity and no certainty, I concluded God wanted me to stay put in Grand Rapids for the time being. This lack of answer confused me. I felt God tugging, but had no place to go. It was only then that I realized he had something a little more short term in mind.

From July 1-15, I will be serving, with others from around the world, on a mission trip through Operation Mobilization. We will partner with churches in Kilkenny (South East Ireland) and surrounding areas, helping with summer outreach programs in a variety of ministry areas from children and youth ministry, to community projects. Though the specific details are still being worked out between OM and the churches, the overarching mission is to minister to the people around us.

I have a desire to see God’s kingdom come to earth and am excited that I have the opportunity to witness it in Ireland. It seems a big step to travel across the world by myself, but I trust where God is leading, and that he will meet my needs. Ultimately, I hope he does so through you. I would be honored if you could partner financially and prayerfully with me for this ministry. I need to raise $1,460 ($505 to cover in country cost and $955 to cover airfare) by May 10, 2008. I truly want this to be an opportunity for blessing, both from you to me, and from me to you. Here are some fun ways of supporting with a twist:

• I’m seeking 15 people to act as Day Sponsors with a gift of $40. Besides financially supporting me, I would ask you to be my prayer partner on a specific day of the trip. In turn my prayers would be lifted up for you on that day and you would receive a fun picture including your name somewhere in Ireland.
• I’m seeking people to sponsor airline miles. I will be flying over 7500 miles. Calculated this is around $.12/miles. Those that choose to support me in this way will receive a picture of their airline miles at work (you’ll just have to wait and see).
• I’m seeking people that will partner with me in prayer, asking God to meet the needs of the team in every way: prayers for safety, good health, and courage in our faith.

Please prayerfully consider one of these options. If you would like to help, please send your tax-deductible gift, made payable to Operation Mobilization, with the support coupon to me or to OM, or donate online at https://usa.om.org/GiveOnline/. Please include my personal account number, 2257696, on the subject/for line of the check. Also enclosed you will find a quick form letting me know about your financial gift and/or to let me know you will be praying for me.

I would love to keep you updated on my progress and the happenings between now and when I get back. Returning this form makes that easy! Please let me know if you have any questions about this trip or visit my blog at www.mandainireland.blogspot.com. I look forward to partnering with you in this exciting opportunity!

Love,

Amanda Waldron

Kilkenny

Operation Mobilization Ireland is located in Kilkenny. The city proper has a population of 8,661, but including environs is 22,179; it is the Republic of Ireland's smallest city both by area and population. It is the only city in the Republic that is not tidal (Wikipedia).

I've never seen the Atlantic Ocean and it just occurred to me that I will be flying over it!

God has been giving me great opportunities to work on some weaknesses. He's also been putting some very encourage people around me. Thank you for your prayers!

Bring on The Comments

Hi friends and family,

The comments section is up and running and now you're able to leave one even if you don't have a Blogger account. Make sure to sign your name, so I know who you are. Happy Sunday!

Getting ready for work this morning, I spotted some unopened mail addressed to me. I didn't think we got any mail yesterday. When I opened it up, it was such an encouraging card in reference to this trip. What a great way to start out the morning!

Yesterday, I started preparing for my stints of eating alone in Scotland. I figure if I'll be tasting any cuisine inside a restaurant it will be by myself. So with journal in hand I headed to Subway. I didn't journal at all and ended up eating my sandwich with such intensity I didn't even taste it. Right now it makes me anxious to eat by myself. I feel like everyone is staring at me, which probably isn't the case. I tried to imagine conversations starter with wait staff and cracked myself up with, "So you're Scottish...what's that like." Probably with anything, it will just take practice to eat out like this.

Have a wonderful day!

Yay, my airline tickets came! For the past two days UPS has tried to deliver the tickets, but to no avail and had to settle for leaving an "I was here" slip. Well, yesterday, stuck in my door, was a UPS packet. There was a moment of panic when I turned the envelope over and saw the tear strip already torn and replaced with scotch tape. All I could think was, " If someone took my tickets..." But everything was fine. Tickets in hand, it brings this trip even closer.


Today Prayer Request: Please pray for opportunities for weakness to be strengthened.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Impact Ireland

Thanks for stopping by.

Around the end of September 2007, I started praying for an opportunity to impact the world outside of what I knew. I felt a restlessness to travel and see how God is moving in other parts of the world. My prayers focused on long term opportunity like the Peace Corp or full time missions. After two months with little clarity and no certainty, I concluded God wanted me to stay put in Grand Rapids for the time being. I had been getting more involved at church and knew that any commitment would have to wait until the junior high ministry slowed down for the summer. This lack of answer confused me. I felt God tugging, but now had no place to go. It was only then I realized that he had something a little more short term in mind.

From July 1-15, I will be serving, with others from around the world, on a missions trip through, Operation Mobilization. We will partner with churches in Kilkenny (South East Ireland) and surrounding areas, helping with summer outreach programs in a variety of ministry areas from children and youth ministry to community projects.

This will be my first time overseas and my first missions trip. Normally, I like to ease into things, but God's at work here and I trust he know what he's doing. It will also be my first time flying since I was about 5 years old!

After the conclusion of the trip, I have decided to spend three days in Scotland. I consider this a trip apart from Ireland, and have been saving funds to finance it.

I hope to use this blog as information central for this trip. You have been directed to this site, by me, because of your significance in my life. As this trip moves forward, I hope that you might partner with me in prayer.

Thanks friends and family!