| Miscellaneous Ireland Pix |
| Miscellaneous Ireland Pix 2 |
| Pix of Day in Dublin |
| 4th of July in Ireland |
| My Birthday |
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It's been 7 weeks...where does the time go? I feel like on one hand that I've been back from Ireland for...well...forever! And on the other hand I can't believe I've only been back 7 weeks. Crazy how we perceive time...or maybe it's just me :) I'm happy to report that the Mac's had a great church 10th anniversary service this past Sunday and that one of the young ladies in the church got the Holy Ghost this past Wednesday! God is SO GOOD! Hallelujah! So, where am I right now in this whole inner battle between Ireland and here? Well, Bro. Alex (our youth pastor here in Gville) spoke about signs and signals last Wednesday. What signs/signals are we getting from God and what kind are we sending to Him? Exactly a week before he taught on this I finally decided to ACTUALLY let God direct my steps. So as of this moment I think God has me in the town of Waitingville and has me at a intersection that says "Proceed with Caution" and right now I'm okay with that. I would MUCH rather proceed with caution than rush on ahead and get run over by a drunk driver ----- you know what I mean!! :) As always, my heart is longing to be in Ireland but God has told me that He knows exactly where I am and He has given me these desires and burdens and will not forget me. That is a promise I'm happy to hold on to. Shawna |
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It's been 4 weeks now. I just want to say "Thank You" for all the wonderful emails I've received from people who have read my blog. Words of encouragement are so cool - they just keep playing in my head over and over sometimes - and that's much better than some of the stuff that rolls around in my head! I've been pretty ill the last week - but getting better now. I'm also finally getting back into the groove here in Florida. But really - I DON'T WANT TO :) Yep, that's me pitching a fit! Oh, well, guess I'll just keep praying and trying to be open to God's will. Yet, I'm still restless... I am so happy to report that the March's are finally heading to Ireland. You can read their blog too here. I'm so very very very very very excited for them! and of course a little bit jealous - but Tara understands! Sis. Mac and Shawna McFarland are back in Ireland! How wonderful is the Lord. The whole family is together again after three long years of bumping around here and there and everywhere. It will be good for them all and the church too. Okay - see you in another couple weeks. I don't want to overwhelm you with my day to day - just my heart every once in a while - because it is always beating for Ireland :) Shawna |
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It's been 15 days! Last night I reflected on the fact that I've been "home" for two weeks. I then emailed Farrah - crying on her shoulder :) As much as I simply adore my family and church family - there is no denying the fact that God has called me to the mission field - the foreign mission field - the foreign mission field in Ireland. Each time I return from a summer in Ireland I have a different experience. The first summer - utter shock. The second summer - realized how much God had healed my heart over the summer. The third summer - inpatient to return. This, the fourth summer...VERY different. My heart literally aches to be in Ireland. I don't care how I get there - as long as God ordains it. I've been looking at immigration policies, job listings, rental listings - I am completely restless. My church family is so dear. They are smiling faces happy to see me. But every question they ask me about Ireland leads me to tears. I love that they are asking me about the summer - but it can get a little overwhelming - because emotionally I'm having a VERY tough time. On the other hand...God has me right here right now...and obviously there is a reason. So, as much as I would love to wallow in my despair...I can't. It's not good for me and it's definitely not good for those around me. So, with my head held as high as I can get it, I will press on... Shawna |
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I Cried A Wee Bit - Farrah Did Too! Farrah took me to the airport today. It was ever so sweet of her to do so - and I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to take me. She even picked up some crispy rice treats - but I hadn't had enough sleep - so I couldn't eat a thing. I was fine - talk talk talk talk talk - all the way to the airport...and then we actually arrived at the airport and I could no longer keep my ostrich head in the sand. Tears rebelliously poured out of my eyes no matter how much of a brave face I was trying to put on. Farrah teared up too - and that was a huge help. Just knowing someone is hurting for you is very wonderful in times of deep sorrow. Then, as much for my sake as for hers, Farrah started scouting out a husband for me :) LOL! Thank you Lord for such a great friend. I just read an email from my friend Karissa. She is a fellow AIMer from my church and is in South Africa. For several years Karissa and I have been each others shoulder to cry on when our burden for missions becomes so great we just can't bear it alone. Thank you Karissa for crying with me as well. Only those who know the pain of leaving a place where you know you belong can understand the pain you go through when you have to leave the place of your burden and don't know when you'll return. On the upside - I'm home with all my family and friends and church family who love me and support me every missions trip. I don't think anyone could possibly have a warmer reception or more people that love them than I do when I come home. Blessed but burdened, P.S. SEND ME BACK SOON JESUS - please :) |
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Can't Breathe 3 days left and I'm not the least bit pleased about it :) Why can't we all be ostriches?! We have plans this evening to spend some time in fellowship at Susan's home (Lynne's BFF) and eat Chinese. I'm looking forward to that. Yesterday was our day off and I painted a few canvases - still need to take some sandpaper and bleach to the canvases. Once that is done the artwork for the flat should be finished :) It is also therapeutic to paint - especially right now. I'm able to take out my frustration on the canvas :) I'm in a bit of a mood - not sure how to descibe it - maybe on edge; grrrrrr; anxious; determined - but at the same time romantic and optimistic. That should cover it. It is true - women are complicated :) Back to work. 'Til Tomorrow, |
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Heart Palpitations I leave in 5 days. Everytime I think about it my heart goes into convulsions. You know the whole "ostrich burying his head in the sand" thing - yeah that's what I would like to do! Lynne and Kyle had a celebration at their home yesterday. Their son Glen returned from Afghanistan where he has been serving in the army for many months. I helped him put together a slideshow of pictures he had taken. I was honored to do whatever I could. I shared with him that my own brother had served in Iraq for a year and there is something about that that brings an immediate kinship in people. His photos were heart-breaking. He lost several of his buddies - and I told him about a memorial I helped my brother make in rememberance of his own army buddies who died. Glen said he intended to make a memorial as well. I had a fantastic time talking with Lynne's oldest son Christopher. He is a tattoo artist and a graffiti artist. Okay, so for those of you who do not know me personally, I thoroughly enjoy the artwork of tattoos and graffiti. If it wasn't for Jesus saving my soul I would be one very tattoo-ed and very pierced goth chick. May be hard for you to believe - but believe me - any of my friends could testify to this fact! So in the midst of our discussions about art and contrast and subculture and colors and such I hope he also saw that you don't have to be "boring" to be a Christian. He could hardly believe that I was truly interested in what he had to say. I was plumb excited to have another creative individual to talk to who actually understood what I was saying! We had a great conversation and more importantly I hope he saw the love and acceptance of Jesus through me. Thankfully Jesus doesn't care what we've done before we walk with Him - it all get's wiped away when we repent and are baptized in His name. Today is my last Sunday here. I had a hard time at one point during the song service. Nathanael, Ashley and I are the praise team every service. When Bro. Larry started to pray over the offering (and you don't know prayer over offering until you've heard Bro. Larry! It is powerful!) I could not stop the tears from flowing down my face. Then we started singing one of my favorite songs that we've been singing here - Came To My Rescue - and I had a very hard time making it through the song. All the memories of how God has orchestrated my life to this point of me standing here in Ireland came flooding over me and all I wanted to do was cry. Cry out of thankfulness, out of humbleness, out of sadness, out of joy, out of heartsickness. There is a line in the song that states "my whole life I place in Your hands" and I truly do want to continually place my whole life in the hands of Jesus. And because I have tried to do so is the very reason I was at that moment standing on the platform of a missions church in Ireland singing praises to my Savior. Once song service was over, David said some very kind and sincere things about me to the congregation. Then he called me up to testify. Now I had known since about 11PM last night that I was suppose to testify. So with sleeping, song practice, preparing for service, etc. I had not had a lot of time to talk to Jesus about this particular item. So I finally got to kneel in prayer - and with pen in hand - paper beside me - Bible before me - I started to pray hoping that Jesus would give me a word to share and being prepared to write it down :) All I got was a reminder of my favorite scripture. Yep - that was it! But the more I dwelt on it the more I realized the significance of this scripture. Not just for what it says and ministers to me - but for how it came to be in my life. I "found" this scripture while laying on my face before the Lord the first summer I was here. It has resonated with me ever since. Psalms 73:25 & 26 So I shared the verses and shared my testimony of how God called me to missions and to Ireland. It is very interesting to look back over the last 10+ years of your life and see how God has directed you toward something well before you could have ever dreamed or imagined it. Short story: God has been preparing me for missions work in Ireland my ENTIRE life - literally. It is so clear and obvious from this point of view as I look back that it actually astounds me that He cares that much for me. Which means He also cares that much for you :) Okay, so forgive the long blog entry - again! But with only 5 days left I have a lot in my heart and spirit right now and of course it comes out when I'm writing. You get a glimpse into my heart that is rarely seen by others. That's the power and beauty of the written word. Quick notes: We had a fantastic service today. Almost 30 people here. Several visitors! Many of our regular church members were out today so you can see how great it is that we still had almost 30 people even without our regular attendees. God is so good and so very faithful (I sound like my mother!) ;) You'll probably hear from me tomorrow too - I have found a heavy heart yields immense volumes of writing. Here, |
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Busy Busy Busy...Fun Fun Fun Short blog today (since the last one was long enough for five entries!) and I'm tired. We had a church work day on Saturday and the object of the day was to (1) remove trash and debris from the property and (2) get the Sunday School room in working order for Farrah's class. Check. Check. We accomplished both thanks to all the church members who came out and helped. Eamon, the Bunch's, the Mac's, Nathanael, myself, the Harvey's, Gillaine and Kirsty. Ash and I fed them all very well and we had a really great time of fellowship over BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, mac-n-cheese and veggies. I've uploaded a few pix to the Misc. Ireland Pix 2 album - but as usual - we are so busy doing that we forget to photograph it for posterity :) Yesterday we celebrated my birthday (which is today) and it was ever-so-much-fun! My only requests were to have yellow cake with chocolate frosting and lots of FUN! And they delivered. Ash made a delectable cake and Farrah, Ash, Lynne, 'Than and Gillaine made the day full of fun. We went to Pizza Hut in Belfast and then bowling followed by a little Dance Revolution - my absolutely fav game! Then we came back to the house and they had decorated the living area with pirate balloons and green streamers and happy birthday decor. It was so much fun! And to my absolute amazement they had gotten one of the guys to bring over his Guitar Hero game and set it up! That is SO COOL! I've received some great gifts - a ton of ecards from home - Farrah put a slideshow on their blog today for me (thanks Farrah!) and opened the cards from home that I received in the post. Pix are online :) Happy 33rd year to me ;) It looks like a
dandy already! P.S. So much for a short blog - I just can't help myself! |
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A Mind Consumed. So many things on my mind these last few days. This blog may end up sounding disconnected - but you'll get a small glimpse into my ever-thinking-and-processing brain. A certain sadness has settled on me because my days here in Ireland are drawing to a close. It's not a depression, just a real awareness that I will soon be leaving the land I love. Before I came here this summer I experienced a tug-of-war in my heart for the first time. My desire to be in two places was a new conflict for me. I want to be on the field - and I know God has definitely called me to missions - He had been preparing me for missions in Ireland since I was a child - I just didn't know it until I was 25 - but I also want to be home with my familly and at my home church with my class of teens/college kids whom I love like they were my own. I thoroughly savor the time I spend with them and love them so much it hurts/aches. I want to be there to counsel them through their inevitable crisis, to pray with them at the altar, to watch them minister to each other, to laugh with them, to encourage them, you get the idea. At the SAME TIME I want to be here in Ireland committing my energy and efforts to reaching a land that sincerely needs a move of the Lord in their land. I guess God is growing me into something I can't see right now that will marry these areas of my life together. I'll just simply put it in His hands and wait ;) Easier said than done! I'm watching my pastor preach right now. My mother sent me a couple DVD's from home - and for those who know who my pastor is (Jeff Arnold) you know how good it is to hear him :) He is preaching "Perception is the Issue" and I'm seeing my wonderful brother stand and praise the Lord and cannot tell you how thankful I am to the Lord. I love my home church and my pastor. They have supported me without fail over the years. THANK YOU! On Sunday we had 28 people in church - do you know how exciting that is!?! We have been hovering around 30 for three weeks now. God is so very good! The absolute best part of the service for me was watching several individuals stand on their own in worship - raising their hands - freely expressing their love to God. You have no idea how significant that is - but believe me it is truly! Sis. McFarland is doing well. The doctor released her from the hospital last night - that's about two days earlier than expected. Praise the Lord! Keep praying for her and her healing. She is thankful to have Bro. Mac with her and needs strength and a miraculous healing in order to return to Ireland in good working order. (love you Sis. Mac!) My birthday is in about one week - August 6 - and I'll be turning 33. Wow. That's a big number. Jesus was 33 when He died for me and you. I don't plan on dying for you - but I do plan on continuing to die to my flesh daily so God can use me. I pray that my 33rd year on this earth is beyond my wildest dreams. I want God to direct me and I want His best for me. Maybe this 33rd year is the year I'll get married. Maybe this is the year my business will be my sole income. Maybe this year God will call me to a deeper level in Him. Maybe this year I'll learn more about myself than I've ever known before. Maybe this year I'll laugh more and experience more than I can imagine. And definitely this year I will dream big! 33. Hmmm...we'll see what happens. Thanks to myspace.com I think about my "mood" or "state of mind" a bit more often. I know, crazy huh! But oh-so-true. How often do you just go through your day without thinking about how you feel? Or taking a moment to reflect on your state of mind or peruse the day you've had. I often find that myspace doesn't have enough "moods" to fit in with how I feel. But for today I won't need their list, here's my own :) I feel...open...creative...tired...optimistic How do you feel today? |
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The Pastor is needed in Florida. Sis. McFarland is in the hospital and Bro. McFarland is leaving in the morning to be by her side. She has a blood clot in her lungs and the next few days are crucial. We are sad to see him go - but of course would not want him to be anywhere else but by his wife's side. I know he will be a comfort to her. Keep them in prayer - please! We have a list of all the stuff Bro. Mac wants us to do while he is back in the States. The plans to the new sanctuary are in the beginning stages and I will be conveying all the particulars to the architect. We have a slew of stuff on the property that has to be hauled away. I've put the caravan online to sell and I hope it sells fast. I have a list of design needs for the church to start work on. Bro. Bunch is going to start a New Beginnings class in one of the church members home. In addition we will maintain our daily strive to keep the place together ;) and our brains within our heads ;) Some days it is just a struggle to keep your brain in the right place. I don't think I've given an update on my father in a while - he is doing FANTASTIC! That's about all the update you need, right? Tonight we are going to a birthday party and will get to fellowship with a new family as well. I pray that they see Jesus in us :) Shawna |
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The Pastor is Back! My, oh, my...what a difference it makes when the pastor of a church is present. The Lord moved beautifully in the service and so many people were touched. It was simply wonderful. These kind of things are hard to express in words - words seem so hollow - but the entire day was blessed for sure. After the service we had a Potluck Dinner (as we American's would say) also known as Tea by the locals :) Everyone brought a portion of the meal and we had an absolutely brilliant time of fellowship. We had to set up four tables just for the dinner and an extra table for the food. I can't explain how exciting it was to have such an enjoyable time of fellowship with so many. When I consider that the first Sunday I was here there were a total of 7 people in the service and compare it to the 31 we had this past Sunday - all I can say is THANK YOU JESUS! I've uploaded a slew of pictures and I'm working on uploading a few videos. Check out the links on the left to view pictures and videos from my Facebook. We spent our day off (Monday) visiting the north shore - specifically Dunluce Castle and Carrick-a-rede. The funny thing about days off here - if you go anywhere you get a work out just because you have to walk a lot :) So happy to be here :) |
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A Productive Day :) Whew! What a wonderfully productive day. The yard looks fantastic, the church and house are all in order, we've practiced the songs for church tomorrow, I've printed out the schedule, finagled the projector situation we are having right now, we are having a pot-luck dinner tomorrow with all the church family and boy do I feel accomplished ;) I still have to bake a cake - and would love to let my sister do it for me - but since she's in Florida I guess I'll have to bake it myself. It's not because I can't make a cake - believe me I can make a tasty cake - it's just that she enjoys baking so much more than I do - and I can usually pawn it off on her ;) Anyway, back to Ireland. I have some great photos from today that I'm adding to my Miscellaneous Ireland Pix album - so go check it out (for Sis. Mac specifically!) We are really looking forward to the service tomorrow - Pastor McFarland is back! He's planning on hitting the ground running tomorrow and I'm excited to see the impact he has on the people who haven't even met him yet. I believe God is going to move and lives WILL be touched. Please keep Nathanael's family in your prayers - his great grandmother is not doing well. We are so thankful to have Nathanael here (he's like a little brother to me already) and do not want to see him leave but I also understand what it is like to have a sick family member so far away from you. Hasta la vista! (oops, sorry, wrong language!) Beannacht Dé ort (God Bless) |
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A Constant Reminder... Thursday finally came - our day off! Most of the photos we take are of those days off. We're too busy on the other days to take pictures. We went to Dublin on Thursday, and had a really wonderful time. At the end of the day we were driving out of town and went through a not-so-nice-looking kind of neighborhood. On a wall was written in spray paint "No Loyalists; C.I.R.A. March" - this brief bit of graffitti reminded me again of why I am called to this country. To a tourist this writing would mean little. But to those of us who have a burden for Ireland (north and south) it has immense meaning. The conflict here in Ireland, though mostly seen in the north, affects the people throughout the island. It's Protestants against Catholics; British versus Irish; family against family. It reminds me of our own Civil War in America - gone bad (well, worse) The spiritual repercussions for this kind of anger and hate are significant. The need for peace - not on paper but in reality - the need for love - no matter what your background - the need for God - who cares for our needs...that is why we are here...that is indeed why I am here. Much of my time this summer has been spent working on the church property...and rightly so in this instance. But above all else I want to impact the people of this country - just one person at a time - one relationship at a time - one cup of tea at a time. We have had wonderful opportunities given us by God to make new friends here. God has added new faces to the congregation and to our lives in general. His work is being done and it feels incredible. Today we had a wonderful reunion here. Bro. McFarland is back and the church here will be back under the leader God has given them. We are very excited. Though Sis. McFarland could not be here yet due to her health issues (please keep praying for her) she is here in our minds :) Sadly, I won't be here once she does get to come home. For more information about the Irish/British Conflict go to the History page of my site. Shawna |
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Hi Ho Hi Ho It's Off To Work We Go! We have been working very hard these last few days. Ordinarily we take our day off on Mondays but this week it will be taken on Thursday instead - so needless to say we are really looking forward to Thursday! At the top of our list is getting things in proper order for Bro. and Sis. McFarland's arrival. Nathanael and David have been working on the exterior and all of us girls have been working on the interior - while Caleb continues to work on his schoolwork. Everything is coming together wonderfully, and I've run more errands in two days than I would ever care to do normally (just ask my sister!) And when you are trying to get things, find things and go get things here it takes 10 times longer than in the States. There isn't a Wal-mart here - or a Best Buy - or a Circuit City - so it can be very difficult and much more expensive. I had an experience this week with a small machine breaking and we have to send it back to the manufacturer in the Netherlands and THEN they'll send us the replacement. Guess what the time frame is for this transaction......2 WEEKS! I told the customer service person (and I use that title loosely) that if I was in the States I could get the replacement from California to Florida in 24-48 hours. The Netherlands is only an hour by plane from Ireland - hello people! I think Europe needs to embrace Fedex :) Okay - enough with the rantings. On the brightside: We had a fantastic service on Sunday. Worship service went extremely well followed by a wonderful sermon by Bro. Bunch. Farrah had a great Sunday School class - the children proudly showed off their sheep drawings complete with fuzzy cotton balls glued on them. Everyone is so excited about the McFarland's approaching arrival. Later Gator! |
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Happy Birthday America! We had a wonderful 4th of July here. It was Nathanael's and the Bunch's first 4th of July away from home and as always we did it up right. Fantastic American food (by myself and Ashley) beautiful decorations (by Gillaine and Kristen) dynamic dishwashing and cleanup (by Farrah) a grand bonfire and marshmallow roasting (by 'Than and Caleb and David) wonderful friends to share it with (Ash, Caleb, 'Than, Eamon & Pauline, the Bunch's and Gillaine). We also had American flag stickers and a little temporary body art with red and blue waterbased markers and a lot of red, white and blue clothing :) I also dowloaded a lot of "proud American yet fun American" kind of songs - you know - like James Brown "Living in America" and The Beach Boys "Surfin' USA" and Lynyrd Skynyrd "Sweet Home Alabama" and Lee Greenwood "God Bless the USA" along with the most important songs like "America the Beautiful" by Frank Sinatra and "God Bless America" by Céline Dion (I know - a Canadian singing God Bless America seems kinda crazy but it sounds beautiful) and our National Anthem "Star Spangled Banner" and the classics "You're a Grand Old Flag;" "Over There;" "Yankee Doodle Dandy;" and John Phillip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" - whew! I personally love celebrating the 4th of July here in Ireland. Simply because it means that I'm in Ireland for the summer. The past two 4th of July's I was at home in Florida and yearning to be here in Ireland. After all, according to our Declaration of Independence I have been endowed by my "Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Life I have because my Savior died for me. Liberty I have because I was born in the USA and saved by Jesus Christ. And happy I am, almost anywhere, but even more so in Ireland. All in all, a fantastic 232nd birthday party and an incredible thankfulness to all those who have served and fought to protect "the land I love, the home of the free and the brave" - especially my brother Matthew Mansfield and my grandfather George McNutt Mansfield. I cherish the freedom given me by my forefathers
and my generation. |
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I love my life! Just this week we've had (1) a Sweet 16 birthday party (Happy Bday Kristen) (2) worked on the church property here (3) I received my luggage (4) we baptized someone in tonight's service - PRAISE THE LORD! But wait our week is not over yet! (5) tomorrow we will work on the property and we will also have lunch with Bro. Kelley at the Bunch's home. Bro. Kelley and his wife have been missionaries to Scotland for many years and oversee the works in Scotland and Ireland. (6) Friday we will have a grand 4th of July celebration hopefully with fireworks (7) and Saturday we will work on the property some more! I love this life. It is hard work but I feel like I was made to handle it :) Juggling all the parts and pieces is challenging and enticing to me. Besides all the things we are trying to work on around here there is also the daily chores - you know - laundry, dishes, meals, vacuuming, dusting, bill paying, bank visits, grocery shopping and so forth. And we will also be working on outreach. A lovely couple in our church have suggested a few ideas that they know work around our area and we are excited to try them out! After all, the locals would know the best way to reach the locals :) God has been so good to us. The first week I was here we had 6 people in service (including us) and now we are averaging 20 or more each Sunday. Wednesday have been better attended as well. Thank You Jesus! He is so good! I would say the most challenging part for me is trying to live in 3 places at one time. (1) running my business in Gainesville (2) keeping up with my dad in the hospital in Jacksonville and (3) fulfilling my call here in Ireland. I'm getting better at that juggling act but boy it takes some work :) But I'm not complaining! Re: My Dad Obviously I'm feeling talkative - this is a LONG entry :) If you know me well, then you know I can talk quite a bit - especially when I'm excited. I'll let you go ;) |
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I have luggage! An amazing thing happened today...my suitcases arrived :) 6 days after me and my one outfit. After spending a couple days un-jet-lagging and then having a fantastic service on Sunday - even if my voice wasn't quite up to full fledged singing - and a day at The Outlet - with a stop at Starbucks (see pic of me and Ash) - I'm happy to say we are back to our work schedule ;) Nathanael told Gillaine (daughter of the new family that is attending) now that I'm back our household won't be able to sleep in until noon anymore ;) LOL! That's true. I wake them up and an hour later we start our work day. But I'm not a meany - they get to sleep until 9AM! It feels so good to be back and making a difference here. Nathanael is cleaning out the baptistry today to prepare for a man name Gary who wants to be baptized on Wednesday night. He met a Pentecostal girl through a website - she taught him a Bible study via email - he has been seeking God for 20 years and was so excited about what he felt in the service Sunday. He said he could hardly contain himself he was so happy. David and Farrah have been vital to the continuation of the ministry here. Bro. and Sis. McFarland are going to be so happy with the work that is going on here. We can't wait to see them! Two more weeks and they'll be back here - Praise the Lord! Lunchtime is over - talk to everyone later, P.S. If you are part of Facebook or MySpace check out my Facebook or MySpace pages |
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Jet lag should be illegal! I slept very late - ugh! I do not like to sleep late but I like jetlag even less :) So, um, today I was suppose to get my luggage and I won't get it until TUESDAY! Would you like to wear the same outfit for 6 days? Yeah, me either. My dad is doing SO GREAT! Thank you Jesus! He walked down the hall a little bit AND back to his room. WOW! He is so excited to be somewhat mobilized. I drove to the grocery store today - and I was a bit concerned - but I drove like I've never been gone. Things are good :) P.S. Hello to Sis. Bunch (David's mom) - Thanks for praying for my dad ;) |
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I'm in Ireland and my luggage will get here later! So, I had the most interesting journey to Ireland this time. The afternoon thunderstorms caused the flight from Gainesville and flights in Atlanta to be delayed - so much so that I arrived in Atlanta the moment my flight to Dublin was to fly out. Since all the flights had been delayed I was hoping the Dublin flight had too. I looked at the flights screens - and saw the dreaded word DEPARTED next to the Dublin flight! Ugh! I would have to wait in the Atlanta airport for 24 hours to catch the next flight to Dublin. So I took the 10PM flight to Shannon, Ireland instead. My luggage did not follow. I got paged at the airport (felt like a celebrity!) Delta is delivering my luggage to me tomorrow - Thank you Jesus! Shannon is HOURS further south than Dublin. I took a bus to Dublin (six hour ride) was able to sleep some on the bus and got picked up by the Bunch's et al and headed back to Northern Ireland. Then we headed straight over to Kyle and Lynn's home for a cookout. They are a new family that has been coming to the church for the last three weeks. So I got to meet them and their entourage. It was a lot of fun - minus the stepping in dog poop with flip flops on - yuck! I'm ready for the jetlag :) |
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Plane ticket has been bought! After talking with my dad and my pastor I had the greenlight to go ahead and buy my plane ticket and head back to Ireland this week - Praise the Lord! My dad is getting better and better each day and no longer needs me to be here every moment of every day. I thank the Lord for His healing power! God is so good. Now all I'm doing is preparing to leave and trying to get all the things on Ash's shopping list she emailed me today ;) Some American foods are just necessary for sustaining you :) It's a good day! |
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Bye Bye Karissa! Sunday night was Karissa's last service before leaving to AIM in South Africa for a year. I'm so proud of her, happy for her, beside myself with joy for her, slightly jealous (in a good way) but mostly just flat out ecstatic for her! She is bravely following God's will for her life right now - and there is nothing better than that! So, besides being here to see her off, there is another really great upside to being home right now...Bro. Billy Cole is coming to our church tonight! I can't wait to hear what the Lord has given him for our church. My dad is doing very well, so it looks like I'll be going back to Ireland VERY soon :D (picture me jumping up and down for joy right here!) See you from the other side of the pond soon, |
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Seriously! I have been back in Florida way too long. PLEASE pray for my father - specifically pray for his mobility. He needs to be able to walk at least enough to manage going from the bed to the bathroom, before he can leave the hospital. I am about to go bezerk waiting on the Lord to help me figure out why I am still on this side of the pond. Okay, so maybe I should rephrase that. I'm going bezerk trying to shut up long enough to hear God tell me why I'm over here instead of over there. I realize that I am here to help take care of my father - but there has got to be something else I'm just not getting yet! Pretend you're me - or not - and then you'll
know just how frustrated I am and can pray more effectively :) |
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I love technology! Today I added a couple live blog stats so I can see who has visited my site :) Yep, I'm nosy like that :) My dad is doing so well that I have started looking for plane tickets to go back to Ireland. The McFarland MK's (including 'Than) and the Bunch's have been very busy working on the property and running the services. I want to be there helping as soon as I can. On the up side: While home I was able to attend a fundraising dinner for my friend Karissa who will be AIMing in South Africa for 10-12 months. It was very yummy food but the best part was just getting to see my friend following God's plan for her life. Karissa and I have spoken together many times about our burdens for missions. No one else really understands that unless you have such a burden. It is really wonderful to have her there to share that part of my heart with. Love ya Krunch! Back to my dad: He got a little peeved today but I would say that after 27 days in the hospital he is allowed to get a bit upset for just one day :) He is resting really well right now - and believe me he needs to. Physical Therapy will be here later and they are going to work him over! He has such a drive to get out of here that he doesn't mind them pushing him as far as he can handle. The repetitive counting would drive me insane though if I was a PT! God bless my friend Carly and her husband Matt who have been letting me sleep on their sofa here in Jacksonville so I don't have to drive back and forth to Gainesville everyday (I've been here in Jax everyday except two since I arrived) - the trip is almost 2 hours depending on traffic. I pay room and board by buying ice cream :) All talked out! |
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So much has happened in the last 5 days! My dad was taken out of ICU last week and moved to a "normal" room. His nurse Sharon has been fantastic! He is eating really well - and it's real food too :) His physical therapy is going better than they could have predicted. Today he actually stood for a millisecond - with a little help from his PT friends ;) He will be moved to a Physical Therapy Rehab place sometime this week - and he told me once he is set up there that I can go back to Ireland! Woo hoo! Yesterday was Father's Day (happy father's day to all you dads out there) and all three of us (me, my brother Matthew and my sister Melinda) came up to see my dad together last night. I always enjoy spending time with my sibs - they're cool people just like me ;) Today has been a great day and I have got to get some client work done now - it's nice to be able to finally focus on that instead of worrying about my dad. Oh so happy, |
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Yummmmmmmy! You should have seen the look on his face when the speech therapist came in with applesauce in her hands! You would have thought he was seeing a full course meal :) They just took him down for a swallow x-ray and he passed with flying colors! God is so good! The most amazing thing...he has seen the face of the devil at his door (in his hospital) and has fought him off by turning his face to Jesus and by the support of ALL who have been praying for him. THANK YOU JESUS! Grateful, |
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The ventilator AND the tube to his stomach both came out yesterday! The doctor came by yesterday afternoon and said "how about we take out that other tube?" I got so excited! I took another photo of him yesterday - he was so happy to have no more tubes going down his throat. He was also "happy" on the morphine they gave him today. Or maybe I should say "loopy" - he totally forgets what has happened but he's happy nonetheless - wouldn't you be too? :) Waiting on the speech doctor and his main doctor this morning to see how his vocal cords/muscles are doing and to see if he gets his own room. Thanking Jesus continually! |
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THE VENTILATOR CAME OUT TODAY!!!! So now daddy can talk! He still has a tube down his throat that is draining his stomach. He has several more tubes coming out of his abdomen that are draining bad fluids. And he is coughing up a bunch of fluid from his lungs - that's very good though! If he didn't cough it up he would get pneumonia. His temp is below 100 still. Praise the Lord God Almighty for His wonderful works! Daddy even asked me to take his picture today - so I took one of him and then one of both of us :) He does look a bit like a mad scientist with that crazy hair of his :) The most beautiful thing is how much glory he is giving God for his healing and recovery. Today I told him his abdomen was starting to look like a fountain because it has so many tubes in it. He started crying and tried singing "There is a Fountain that flows from deep within, there is a fountain that cleanses from all sin..." Now that is something to be thankful
for! |
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Good reports! Yesterday we spoke with the doctor and he is very pleased with my father's progress on the ventilator and in many other areas. Today they did a CT Scan to see how his lungs look. Lord willing all is well and he can come off the ventilator TODAY!!!! I pray in Jesus' Precious Name that this is the case. He is much more alert and active - though sleeping right now. His temp has been below 100 for two days now - even verging on normal at one point :) He is coughing (poor thing) but has written a couple notes to me - though they are hard to read at times - and he has gotten frustrated that he can't communicate better. All these are actually good signs. His body is wanting to do it's job. Ummmm....he even passed some gas a while ago....and boy was that the best stink I've ever smelled :) He has me making a list of all the nurses and doctors and ACP's who are taking care of him. I'm sure it is so he can send thank you notes/flowers/balloons later. My sister Melinda and I prayed together fervently last night in church for our dad. My brother needs prayer too right now. He is sick and so is his whole family. Since he is ill he can't come up to the hospital. We are all believing that God is going to perform an instantaneous miracle that neither the doctor's nor our dad can ignore. I was jokingly taking credit for his good turnaround - because it coincided with my arrival back to the states. I realized yesterday that in doing so I was taking credit away from God! Not intentionally by any means - because I know that God is truly responsible for taking care of our dad. But I certainly apologized to the Lord about it and will be sure to make it clear to everyone that God is to be glorified in this situation. Head on her shoulders, |
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So today is a better day. I had a bit of an attitude when I left yesterday because I was annoyed and frustrated with the nurse and also because I haven't seen hide nor hair of a doctor during the three days I've been here. I tried to come in with a good attitude this morning - but also with determination to find out what was going on! Praise the Lord we had a different nurse today who is soooo helpful and told me everything the doctors said this morning and has happily answered any of my questions. Basically, he is getting better - slowly - but definitely. He is out of it most of the day because they give him meds to keep him calm and relaxed while he has the tubes down his throat. The ventilator is still in - and I have no idea when it is coming out. The respirator therapist was happy with the results she was seeing today - but I believe they are going to want to keep him on it a while longer. I also know without a doubt that my God can do ANYTHING! I'm expecting to walk in one day soon and see him off the ventilator and tubeless! Afterall, expectation IS the birthplace of the miraculous! The nurse also told me how I can get in touch with the doctors - and believe you me - I'll be talking with them on Monday! Kinda would like to hear it from the horse's
mouth - ya know what I mean? |
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Good news - not so good news - slow day. Not so good news - he needed more help from the venilator today. He also still has a temperature of about 100. His white blood cell count was at 82,000 today. The docs didn't think his reading of 40,000 was accurate yesterday - but I know that God can give him a completely normal count for tomorrow! Good news - they are feeding him through a tube that goes down his thoat into his stomach and he had a bowel movement! I know that's gross but it is fantastic news. It means his stomach and intestines are starting to work like they are suppose to. It's been a slow day and I prayed over him before I left today - but I feel like I need to really get on my knees and talk to my Jesus right now :) Praying for greater results tomorrow! |
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I love balloons. They can take a drab boring hospital ICU room and make it full of sunshine :) My dad is doing better - we have had a good report again today. His white blood cell count is down to 40,000. Yesterday it was 90,000! Once he is down to below 10,000 things will be fantastic. The respiratory doctor came in today and said that it looks like he may be off the ventilator tomorrow or Saturday. That would be wonderful. He would still have a tube down his throat (right now he has two) but he would be off the ventilator. He was very groggy this morning from the morphine they've been giving him - but this afternoon he was much more alert - and demanding :) You know someone is starting to feel better when they are trying to tell you how to make them more comfortable. But now he is wiped out from exerting all that energy. I'll be back in here tomorrow. |
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Thank goodness for calendars! I had no idea what the date was yesterday - I just knew I needed to get on a plane. Driving on the other side of the road...my brain is so confused. I'm at the hospital with my sister and we are sitting in my dad's room. He is so frustrated with the tubes going down his throat. He really wants to pull them out - but that would hurt and they'd have to put them back. I know he would love to talk to us right now - but it's amazing what you can figure out with body language and head nods. He's actually smiling - sort of - right now. Apparently I'm a good source of humor...but that's just the way I am. Thankfully his heartrate is low but much better than being very high like it was before. His blood pressure is looking great and he is controlling the ventilator now instead of it controlling him. So all signs lead to the conclusion that he is getting better. And he's laughing again! Yeah! Keep praying please - I told how many countries and states were involved with his prayerful intervention (?) and I think that seems to calm him. My sister and brother have been angels - and I hope I can relieve some of the pressure of taking care of him - since that's what I'm here for :) And comic relief! On the bright side - literally - we get to wear yellow gowns and green gloves. See the photo on this entry for proof! Keep your eggs sunny side up! |
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I'm sitting in the Dublin airport right now. Thankfully I was able to move my ticket to today and will be able to get a refund for the fee once I get state-side. The Bunch's came over last night to see me off - that was very sweet and I was so happy to see them before I leave. This morning I woke each member of the rest of my "family" up and told them bye. Caleb, in a sleepy stupor, said "Bye Bye - see you soon." It was very sweet. Everyone if praying for my dad and for a quick healing and recovery so he can get better and so I can come back "home" to Ireland. My flight will be called shortly I'll keep you up to date via this blog and the other technology options - myspace - facebook - etc. Gotta love that technology ;) |
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The Bunch's are getting settled - church services are going well - I even helped lead worship yesterday - and.... I've been here almost a month now - and it looks like I'll be heading back to the USA this week - about 10 weeks earlier than planned. My dad is in the hospital - and has been for two plus weeks now. He had colon cancer surgery and there have been innumerable complications with the surgery and recovery. He is now in ICU and has been there for several days. Many many people are praying for him and my brother and sister and I could not thank you enough! But based on the circumstances it is needed that I go home for a while. Ministry should always come after family. I guess this is my opportunity to learn that principle first hand. Maybe I should have learned it a week ago - I don't know. But in prayer today I felt that this was the right step to take today - to go home. My siblings are weary in their well-doing and I need to take part in the burden and even, privilege of caring for our father. I know God is going to heal him - spiritually and physically - and I can't wait to see it firsthand. Going BOLDLY before the throne of God, |
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Happy to annouce we have a new AIM (Associate in Missions) family on the Ireland field now...The Bunch's! David, Farrah along with Kristen, Dawson and Elayna are fantastic! They have sweet willing spirits and are looking forward to helping the McFarland's in any way they can. David preached Sunday and taught the first half of Into His Marvelous Light last night for the Wednesday service. We had 18 in church on Sunday! Last night we had a house full of sick people - including our singer and piano player - so without missing a beat, David led song service by playing his guitar. Kristen and Farrah are also practicing the piano to be able to play during song service as well. The cutest thing was Dawson - he has a little guitar and played right along with his dad. He doesn't know how to play yet - but don't tell him :) Our main focus has been getting the Bunch's into their home and now it is also getting all the people who are sick - better. Thankfully I'm not sick - I'm just administering drugs to the rest of them ;) On another note: A weird weird thing here! All the credit cards have chips installed in them - so when I make a purchase I have to tell them that my card is a swipe card. Freaky weird and scary! Lovin' this country as always, |
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There are been many things going on here the last nine days since I last "blogged". Happily, I've been finding my way about N. Ireland very well. I'm actually starting to understand the maps and signs! Church services have been great - though not very populated. It is summer time and many people go on holiday - but I believe several people have just not been coming because the missionairies have been away so long raising funds. It is a sad and unfortunate occurance - but very common among missionary works. The faithful people of the church have been instrumental in keeping the work moving forward - even if with just a few. All of the Phillipino ladies who were nurses have moved away to new jobs in Australia. Eamon, Ashley and I got to see off Maricriss (photo'd here) - she was so happy that we came to pick her up and had lunch and went down to the water before her flight. She will be missed. I did teach the Wednesday night class this past week. We had worship service - led by Ashley and Nathanael - Caleb on drums. And I taught a lesson just like I would have done for my Sunday School class. I believe it went well :) We have developed a daily schedule and have been dividing the responsibilities amongst the four of us. We are determined to have the property and the church services in fantastic shape before the Mac's get here. Sis. McFarland is having surgery soon and will recover in the States for a while. We don't want her to have anything to worry about once she and Bro. Mac arrive - since she will still be recovering from her surgery. BTW: Caleb turned 13 on May 12th. It was a very happy day :) Good night schweetheart, |
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So, we took the scenic route today to B&Q! Ashley and I had to go to B&Q in Craigavon today for some supplies (lightbulbs and such). B&Q is really Home Depot - seriously! Orange letters - identical signage indoors - it is Home Depot. Don't ask me why they call it B&Q instead. I printed a map/directions and we were off. Between the two of us I figured we would be fine. Well, we got there but went the long way around because we didn't go quite the right way. We weren't lost - because at anytime I could have gotten us home - but we were in Lurgen when we should have been in Craigavon. So from then on I decided to just follow signs (which is a risky idea in this country) and we ended up right were we needed to be. And yes, we made it home the right way. We've been working very hard and it was nice to get out of the house. It's a wonderful rainy misty gray day today and that makes me very happy :) 'Til another day :) |
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I drove today! It's a little odd - but oh-so-much-fun! The bleach I poured down the sink yesterday worked - it wasn't clogged any longer and we were able to wash dishes the old fashioned way! We worked hard on the main living space today and then we had a prayer service tonight. It felt so good to be back here in the church praying. Goodnight Moon :) |
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I've arrived - and as usual I did not sleep on the plane :) So once I got to the church I took a couple hour nap and then went straight to work. The property, family living quarter, AIM flat and church all need some TLC. Shawna, Ashley and Caleb McFarland along with their cousin Nathanael and several of Shawna's classmates have been here working hard for a week. Shawna and her friends have left but I'm so thankful that they were here to help get stuff in line. This evening we had to wash the dishes in the bathtub :) because the sink is clogged up. We formed an assembly line and got it done quickly. I told Nathanael that if Jesus can wash away our sins in a bathtub of water - surely we can manage to wash a few germs away! Welcome to the mission field :) Tomorrow Ashley and I will work on making a schedule and list of work that needs to be done around here. Then Bro. and Sis. McFarland let us know which items they feel need to be done first. Continue to pray for Sis. McFarland's health. See you later! Thanks for sending
me :) |
