Lyd's Life!
Hey ya'll!
I am so glad that I am able to take some time to share everything that has been going on in my life out here in Athlone, Ireland. Cherith Athlone Baptist Church is where my team and I have been serving for the past couple months. Their mission statement is: Preach the Word, Reach the Lost, Teach the Disciple, so that together, we can Worship the Lord. That statement is most definitely put into practice and lived out by the people in the church! It has been such a such an encouragement to get to know these men and women who are so passionate about serving the Lord. In my last post, I shared that we were finding out our roles/responsibilities as we work with our church and alongside the people here. And so, I would like to just give you some insight on what exactly I have been doing!
Some of the ministries that we have had the opportunity to join and serve in are discipleship, devotions, prayer meetings, Kids Club, Street Evangelism, Ladies' Ministry, and worship. Through these different programs, we have been able to form relationships with people in and outside of the church. The community and friendships made have been such a blessing and even though I have been here for a short time, these folks have made such an impact.
This Christmas season, there have been several projects and gatherings that I have been a part of- from helping kids make Christmas cards to doing a puppet show about the true meaning of Christmas. I haven't ever worked with puppets before but I will say that while it took a lot of practice, it was incredible to engage kids and adults alike with the gospel story!
I would love to share a bit about the street evangelism and outreach that we have been doing. So, on Tuesdays and Fridays, we have a team go out with the Big Red Bus to serve free tea and coffee and to also share the Gospel with anyone who is willing to listen. We also just decorated the bus for Christmas!
These are a couple of the photos I snapped of some of the decorations we put up. Two of my teammates snuck their way into the pictures- Sage (right) and Jasmin (below)!
For several weeks, we were having a difficult time speaking to people and there weren't many people coming onto the bus. We were praying that God would bring people and open their hearts to hear what He has to say through us. Last Friday, we went out and it was a wee bit slow at first; however, it didn't stay that way for long. One of my teammates, Sage, looked out the window and nudged me telling me to look- there was a literal pack of kids running to the bus!
I know the phrase might be sort of cliche, but it was without a doubt a God thing. And while some of the lads were a bit crazy, there were a couple who were very engaged and asking a lot of good questions. It was such an encouragement after several slow weeks. The Lords hears and answers prayers- are you willing to faithfully wait on His timing? It would've been so easy to give up, to be discouraged, to doubt that He will answer but what I was holding onto was a couple verses in the first chapter of James (1:6-7) that say, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord..." When waiting on God to answer prayers, we must believe God will answer. And He always answers and it is so cool to see how He works all things together for HIS glory!
We are actually going out tomorrow night for a Big Red Bus Christmas Party to reach people and try to share the real meaning of Christmas! If you would, pray that people with have softened hearts and open ears!
This week, we have been able to go to a Nursing home and will be going to another tomorrow. While there, we have been able to share the Christmas story through Scripture reading, carols, a really awesome Mime dance, a puppet show, and, most importantly, through chatting with the residents!
I am so glad that I am able to take some time to share everything that has been going on in my life out here in Athlone, Ireland. Cherith Athlone Baptist Church is where my team and I have been serving for the past couple months. Their mission statement is: Preach the Word, Reach the Lost, Teach the Disciple, so that together, we can Worship the Lord. That statement is most definitely put into practice and lived out by the people in the church! It has been such a such an encouragement to get to know these men and women who are so passionate about serving the Lord. In my last post, I shared that we were finding out our roles/responsibilities as we work with our church and alongside the people here. And so, I would like to just give you some insight on what exactly I have been doing!
Some of the ministries that we have had the opportunity to join and serve in are discipleship, devotions, prayer meetings, Kids Club, Street Evangelism, Ladies' Ministry, and worship. Through these different programs, we have been able to form relationships with people in and outside of the church. The community and friendships made have been such a blessing and even though I have been here for a short time, these folks have made such an impact.
This Christmas season, there have been several projects and gatherings that I have been a part of- from helping kids make Christmas cards to doing a puppet show about the true meaning of Christmas. I haven't ever worked with puppets before but I will say that while it took a lot of practice, it was incredible to engage kids and adults alike with the gospel story!
These are a couple of the photos I snapped of some of the decorations we put up. Two of my teammates snuck their way into the pictures- Sage (right) and Jasmin (below)!
For several weeks, we were having a difficult time speaking to people and there weren't many people coming onto the bus. We were praying that God would bring people and open their hearts to hear what He has to say through us. Last Friday, we went out and it was a wee bit slow at first; however, it didn't stay that way for long. One of my teammates, Sage, looked out the window and nudged me telling me to look- there was a literal pack of kids running to the bus!
I know the phrase might be sort of cliche, but it was without a doubt a God thing. And while some of the lads were a bit crazy, there were a couple who were very engaged and asking a lot of good questions. It was such an encouragement after several slow weeks. The Lords hears and answers prayers- are you willing to faithfully wait on His timing? It would've been so easy to give up, to be discouraged, to doubt that He will answer but what I was holding onto was a couple verses in the first chapter of James (1:6-7) that say, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord..." When waiting on God to answer prayers, we must believe God will answer. And He always answers and it is so cool to see how He works all things together for HIS glory!
We are actually going out tomorrow night for a Big Red Bus Christmas Party to reach people and try to share the real meaning of Christmas! If you would, pray that people with have softened hearts and open ears!
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| Sage, Elton, and Sarah doing a Mime dance! |
This week, we have been able to go to a Nursing home and will be going to another tomorrow. While there, we have been able to share the Christmas story through Scripture reading, carols, a really awesome Mime dance, a puppet show, and, most importantly, through chatting with the residents!
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| Singing some Christmas Carols |
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| Reading a passage in Luke |
There are so many ways to share the gospel with others! That is something that I have really come to understand during my time being here. We, as believers, have endless opportunities before us and, on top of that, we have the responsibility to GO and to TELL! People in our communities, our towns need to hear the Good News of Jesus.
Will you tell them?
These are just a couple things that have been going on in Lyd's life since I arrived at my church placement. I know that I say thank you in all my posts to those who have and who continue to support me and my ministry here; however, I want to say it again because of you, I have such amazing opportunities to invest in those I meet and to be invested in by those around me. So, thank you so very much!
In my posts, I like to mention some prayer requests and I would just like to say thank you to those who have been faithful to pray for these things. It is very much appreciated. If you would like to support me and my team, here are somethings you can pray for:
- For Friday, the 21st, as we go out on the Big Red Bus for some evangelism
- For my teammates (Jasmin, Sarah, and Sage) and me as we work and grow closer together
- Pray that more people- especially Europeans- see the need here in Ireland and answer the call to serve!
Merry Christmas!
Lydia
Also, here is my address if you would like to send anything!
Cherith Baptist Church
Battery Road
Athlone
Co. Westmeath
N37 FF80
IRELAND
Battery Road
Athlone
Co. Westmeath
N37 FF80
IRELAND
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