Sipping my Irish coffee..about to collect myself into a bundle of blankets and find neverland. Long day. But a splendid one. Being here in this breathtaking land is a dream really. I have dreamed of it time and time again and to be here feels surreal at times. Yet here I am. The house I am staying in overlooks wilderness and lush green farmland...stoney houses and stone road rails and a gorgeous cliff hugs the sea a few miles from the house I am residing. The place is Ballycastle, County Mayo. Beautiful is a word that barely compares to it yet the lands are singing a song...and its a melancholy one. This is a homeland of great beauty yet great loss...great sadness. The suicide rates are higher here and Finland than in any other countries in Europe to give you a little perspective. A lot of it lies in history, false religiosity, and darkness. Not to be a debbie downer but I think its good for us to be educated on the reality of whats happening in our world and how we can pray more accurately.  
The loving Irish couple I am staying with, Bert & Val, have a prayer ministry and have been spending a lot of their time sharing the love of Christ and hospitality with the people here. They have people come stay with them, they visit the few churches that there are, which is few and small in congregation with youth being very few. They support the local pastors, and work to build relationships with the Western Irish locals and pray on behalf of Ireland's deep need for change. I am learning so much from them and being stretched in ways the Lord longs to grow me. This first week has been all about settling in, learning history and meeting people, getting to know Bert and Val, getting to know more about myself and getting plugged into a daily routine.
This past week, I have met some very broken people. To name a few... Cormac, an Irish young man rolling his cigarette at the local coffeeshop, previously heavy into drugs; Luke, an enduring and kind handicapped man who was interested in the prayer table we, my two friends and I, had set up today at the college, and the family down the road from me...especially the children...going through a difficult time, parents are separated. Looking at the Gospel of Matthew 25..The Lord is teaching me and stretching me...that how I treat the least of these is how I am treating Him...and what I don't do for them, I am not doing for him. Wow, what a lesson. It can be challenging for me. This means the ones who aren't always easy to love as well. Sure, we meet people of all walks of life, everyday. They may even be someone we think we know well. Do we really see them? Hear their voice? They have a voice...they have a story...we all have a story.
So why am I here? Because I just want to follow...whether its its Grand Rapids, Ireland, Russia or a friend in need...I want to be there where God leads me to show them a glimpse of what He looks like, the best I know how. God's heart bleeds for those who are broken and He longs for them to truly know His heart.
So please pray for Ireland...for an awakening to happen and for people to find the healing they are truly seeking. In Grand Rapids and Hastings we have churches on every corner almost but here, in county Mayo anyway, there's not much especially for youth.  Also, pray for me, my friend Laraye and Val & Bert. We need strength, compassion and rest.
Proverbs 31:8-9 says "Speak up for those who can't speak for themselves...speak up for the poor and helpless and see that they get justice.." Let us hear the lands singing a battle cry...let us awaken to the sound of the need wherever we are today...I pray you are blessed my friends. Thank you for your prayers...