Week One: WOW...this is INSANE but completely AMAZING!

wow...unreal...i can't believe that i am here! Guys you would love this place! So much passion and so much prayer goes on here!
So i arrived on monday at 9:30 to Belfast northern Ireland! and Sharon Kelly was there to pick me up! Sharon works at the Washbasin and is in charge of the Heartbeat team (a group of 4 young adults who volunteer at the washbasin for a year). So from the airport i was ready to go(inside i was extremely tired...but that didn't matter i have been waiting for 6 months to be in ireland) so we headed off to meet the team and i knew once we opened in "african" style prayers (the kind of prayer where everyone prays at the same time) that i knew that i was going to LOVE this place!!!!!!!!1! There is a core of about 10 people who work at the Washbasin which is located in the heart of the village of Ahoghill (which is pronounce a-hock-ll--the guy at the airport made fun of me hard core when i said it A HOG HILL =) it happens! But the washbasin is an amazing thing...they are in the heart of the community...their idea is that is we can't get these poele to come to church..then we need to bring the church to them! They are all about building relationships--because if you dont have a relationship with someone then sure as heck they are not going to listen to what you have to say! So on monday night i attended a "Kids Club" meeting to prepare for Sonshine week! Sonshine week is a week devoted to outreach and community involvement, this year the theme is EXTREME MAKEOVER and the verse is 1 Cor 15:7--In Christ we are a New Creation!!!!! It is like a VBS but for EVERYONE each age group and people group has an activity...but you are know my love for the "wee" ones (they say wee before everything--and I LOVE IT) so i am doing the kids club during sonshine week!
So on tuesday i meet the heartbeat team-Helen, Adam, Ricky, and Rebekah-we talked about sonshine week AND their upcoming missions trip to Mozambique(which is right above south africa)
sharon's husband melvin was an OMS missionary for 3 years in Mozambique so their house is filled with africa stuff so i feel right at home! On tuesday we prepared for packing night which was a time to pack up 3000 gifts for the ahoghill, gracehill, and galgorm villages(which are the three villages surrounding the washbasin)--and yes i said THREE THOUSAND! these gifts consisted of a book introducing Christianity, a tape measure(becuase it is extreme makeover), and an invitation to participate in Sonshine week! So day two and i was already in charge of an invent! Rebekah and Ricky and I got everything ready and the night went great! Also on tuesday we went into the high school and did a lunch fun club...they have been doing this since the beginning of the school year...and this time at the school isn't a bible study it is just a hang out time...we brought every kind of video game you could think of...crisps(chips) and snacks and nail polish for the girls....the point of this time is to BUILD RELATIONSHIPS! beaus then once they love and trust you, you can start talking about Jesus and they will respect you!
On wednesday we left the washbasin and went off site to a little cottage to go through a bible study called Freedom in Christ...it was a great time to reflect and to look at my life and deal with the sins i needed to repent off and focus on the things that Christ has set me free from! Then once we returned we set up for an event called Cosi--which again is a time for all the kids to come after school and hang out! play video games, pool, and watch tv...having the open door makes kids want to come!
Then wednesday night i went to a prayer service at Green Pastures Church with is run by the same people as the Washbasin...and O MAN WAS IT AMAZING! guys this church is only a year old and it is growing like CRAZY! as soon as you walk in you feel welcome! There are sofa's and tables and benches everywhere it is so homey. So the weekly prayer service consists worship(and oman some of the most passionate worshippers i have seen---and the best part of it was that they dont have a worhsip band, they use CD's but that doesn't matter ya know they just come to worship God-AND there had to have been at least a 100 people at the prayer meeting! Then Pastor Jeff Wright spoke a wee bit and then after Jeff gave us some specific things to be praying for we moved ot a time of prayer..and the way that it worked was that one person would stand up and prayer whatever was on their heart! it was phenomenal! i loved it! Also, they are doing a 24/7 prayer time for Sonshine week! guys...their church is small and there are people spending the night at the church praying for their community...it has been so challenging to see all of the things that these people are doing to impact and reach out to their community. There were people praying in tongues---and there were people interpreting those tongues...it was AMAZING and you could TOTALLY feel the presence of God there! and how awesome is this....next week they are having a HEALING SERVICE...they have put it in the newspaper...so be praying that this step of faith will be rewarded! I cant wait to tell you the stories!
Then...last night we had to opportunity to go to a crusade by Angus Buckin ---the guy who wrote Faith like Potatoes---which is the movie that Blommie had us watch when we were in South Africa! It was amazing to be in a room full of at least a THOUSAND Northern Irish people singing hymns and getting fired up out what God was going to do in their country! He talked about dying to self because nothing will happen when we are full of pride! (funny how God gets me on my pride EVERY time!)
It has been truly and honor to see God working here! He is alive my friends! I am so blessed and humbled that i am even here right now! I can't thank you enough for your prayers! Because it is by the grace of God that i am even awake right now! but busy is my middle name so this is nothing out of the ordinary!
Sorry this was very very messy and scrambled but i only had a wee bit of time before we are off to the next activity!
Thanks Again! Thanks for the encouragement! I love you all and miss you like crazy!
IN HIS GRIP,
megan


Praises:
~That i arrived safely and fit in with the Washbasin!
~That God is working through the washbasin and green pastures church to be the hands and feet of Jesus!
~That i have already had so many wonderful experiences with God and with these beautiful Irish people!

Prayer:
~For the Washbasin in preparation for Sonshine week! that God will work out all the details and that the gifts we pass out on Tuesday night and Thursday night will prompt people to ask questions about where they stand with the Lord
~For Green Pastures Church that the events and services that they are putting on this next week will help Christians and non Christians alike draw closer to the Lord!
~For strength and no sickness...i have busy schedule and i want to do as much as i can in the small amount of time i have here!

know that you all are in my prayers as well! Thank you! =) God is faithful!

Theme Verse for the Week
Matthew 6:1
"1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.