The Story So Far...

Well, the whole thing started on the 12th of September! That was a friday, and that was the day that my parents and my sister drove me down to Dublin, where I met for the first time Fiona Orr, who is also a part of this adventure!

What is that adventure? IMT, International Mission Team! Basically, what that is, is a team of young people from wherever spending a year doing mission work in Europe, our team being in Chemnitz, Germany! The team is me, from Northern Ireland, Fiona Orr from the Republic of Ireland, Steff Gerisch from Germany, and Lukas Fritsch, also from Germany!

Fiona and I left her house in the wee hours of the morning of Saturday 13th September, and flew to Berlin, then trained it from there to Chemnitz, where we were met by Gillian, wife of Pastor Barry Sloan, who's from Northern Ireland but has been a missionary here for 10 years!

We soon went to the building in which we'd be living in for the next year, which, for those of us from outside Germany, is a bit random! It basically is like an apartment block but ya share rooms, and there's one kitchen, and one bathroom, and one living room! Its there for people who are doing voluntary internship year things in the hospital beside us, and one of the people responsible for IMT got us in there! But, luckily, we all have our own individual rooms, and are actually able to have a separate kitchen and big meeting/living room!

It's funny to think back to that time, when I had just met Fiona, considering how well we know each other now! I'm very glad Fiona is here! It can get quite tiring talking German all day, and sometimes ya just need to escape from it, and get some English back into ya! Thats why it's great to have Fi, just simply having a chat in English is nice! Thats not to say that that's all she's good for! She's a great girl, I get on well with her, she's quite ditsy (eg. I asked her, "What's your mums name again?" and she replied, "Mum!") and its amusing! But she also is there as an ear to listen if I need to vent about anything, and, most importantly, we're on the same wavelength as to what we wamt IMT to be doing! But, I think one of the ways God has used me most so far is for her! I think I've been a big support for her, and that she's leaned on me quite a bit! I don't mean that as blowing my own trumpet, but I think it's important to know in what ways God uses you! And people have told me so, as well, so I think I'm doing ok! I can honestly say I'd probably have been driven nuts by now, were she not here, so I'm very thankful of her!

On that day we also met Lukas for the first time! He wasn't what I had expected, think he was closer to Fiona's expectations though! He came out of the door to us, and didn't say anything, just handed us our keys! Twas a funny introduction, but it does fit with the person I now know Lukas to be! I get on well enough with him most of the time, he's a bit quiet, and contemplative, but he has a bit of a similar sense of humour to me! Sometimes!

We later on met Steff as well! And my first impression escapes me, now, but I have, of course, gotten to know her much better now! She's typically german, says exactly what she thinks, can be quite serious, and is a bit controlling!

Which brings me to what the reason we're here is! IMT was designed to come in and to develop our own ideas as to what we can do here in Chemnitz to show Gods love, build His Kingdom, and to basically be a positive, helpful presence and example of faith! We attend a couple of Kidsclubs every week: one, called Kirchenclub, which is every Wednesday, is in an estate in a nearby town which is always interesting, as the kids don't have great home lives, and are a bit rougher! But, they're brilliant, I have a great time playing table-football, board-games, and simply just talking to them! It warms the heart that kids who can be quite aggressive and closed off run to the door to give me a hug when I arrive! We are also in charge of another kidsclub, which takes place in the church and is more church-based, and we take one youth group every week, and take two others once a month respectively! There's also a few other things we help out at, eg. bible study, kids church, Wesley Scouts!

The work itself I've found to be good! I'm really enjoying building up relationships with the kids, the young people, and the church-members! And I think I've already been of blessing to some of them, which is, ya know, the whole reason God has me here, ya know?

The development of our ideas is beginning to really pick up steam too! Thanks to not a small amount of prayer, and input from Barry Sloan, (for whom I'm very thankful, for his wisdom and his friendship) we've come up with ideas for projects which should be really good here, and a real blessing, and what God wants for Chemnitz!

God answers prayer! He was listening when we were crying out to Him in frustration, in need of comfort, in need of His help! And He gave us those things! He was also listening when we prayed for IMT, that we can put a lot in, that we can sacrifice things, that we always put His work first! I don't think He's done there yet, not by a long shot, I mean, I think He's going to keep on affecting us and teaching us, and bringing us closer to who He wants us to be, perhaps for the rest of this year! I think He will use those people around us a lot to do that as well, our leaders, and perhaps people we meet in the work!

What has God been doing in me so far? He has definitely been bringing me closer to Him! My bible reading has gotten to the point where it's not a struggle to do it everyday, and that I don't need to have a specific time where I read it everyday! I simply want to! Can't put it down sometimes! He has been teaching me something everytime I've read it as well! I find I always have one of those moments where it seems like it was written for me and only me! Whether its something I didn't know, or its a reminder of something I'd forgotten, or its a kick up the ass, there's always something that speaks to me! I also am improving in my prayer life, learning just how much God really does listen and does answer prayer! I'm learning as well just how near us God really is! I sometimes get homesick, naturally, but I really think I haven't gotten as homesick as I would have because God is here giving me a hug, being an old friend giving me some company! I really have never relied on Him as much as I have since I came here, and I'm overwhelmed by the fact that He's always there for me!

That's the Story so far, so to speak! I plan now to continue writing once a week! It'll normally be a lot shorter, and hopefully a bit funnier! But I had to squeeze in, like, 9 or 10 weeks there! But I hope you all weren't too bored! And please come back and read every week!

Thank you for your prayers and support already this year! And please continue to pray for me, for the team, for the work, and for the people in Chemnitz! The bible says that when two or more people agree on something, God will do it! So if just two of you, my lovely readers, pray about the things you've read here and will continue to read, I hope, then God will answer that prayer!

My love to you whoever you are, wherever you are! God Bless! :o)