until next time

OM Ireland, thanks a million.

Sitting here in Green Bay, Wisconsin

It’s hard to believe that it’s all over

There’s still a part of me that thinks

That in a few days 

I’ll be taking a plane back to Ireland

And continue life there

But the longer I stay here

The more it's slowly sinking in

That I’m not going back

At least for a while

The time has come and gone 

A year that involved so much

Planning and waiting

Emails and embassy visits

Visa issues and placement changes

Thinking back to when I thought I would be in Austria

“God, I’ll walk through this door until you close it”

Then a week before I was supposed to go

He closed that door

A dream crushed

Facing confusion

Grief

Uncertainty

Time was running out

Needing to remember that my life is not my own

All the while 

He had a different door

For a place that never crossed my mind

Ireland

And here we are

8 months later

And how it's gripped my heart

Last Sunday at church.

Looking back it's crazy to see how God provided and worked

In a place I had no idea what to expect

Learning things like how office life is still essential for ministry

At first having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact 

That my main role would be the administrative assistant in OM Ireland’s office

That normally wouldn’t be a job that I would sign up for 

But seeing as that’s the position they needed filled

I tried filling in that role the best I could

Aware that I would need a lot of help and a lot of grace

In doing something I wasn’t strong in or passionate about 

It sounds lame but I struggled

Sitting at a desk all day 

Answering emails, transferring calls

Paying motor taxes, scheduling devotions

Getting wrapped up into the office routine

Feeling discouraged because of not

Being out there where the people are

But as time went on and my perspective grew

I began to see how all this is necessary

In order for the ministry to keep going

The fine details if overlooked

Can cause issues that will hinder 

Instead of helping people thrive

A stretch in abilities

A change in perspective

A call to be faithful

Even in the little things

It’s all for Him anyway

A favorite view from my desk at the office.

But also realizing that no matter what job we have

The call is still there to make disciples

Convicted that even if my ministry for this internship is to do office work, 

I still need to be intentional about 

Being in the community and building relationships

Can be harder than it sounds

But as the year went on

I was amazed and humbled at how 

There were so many times

So many days

When I didn’t know what would happen

But the challenge was there to just show up and be available

Praying that God would provide opportunities 

To meet and talk with people 

Most of the time when we went to 

Ballaghaderreen to visit refugees

We had no clue who we’d meet or 

What would happen

But God always provided people

Always

It was so crazy

In this Syrian world in the middle of Ireland

Seeing relationships strengthen and conversations deepen

Conversations about life

Leading to conversations about the Gospel 

Leaving the hotel in awe 

Of how only God could have orchestrated that time

After dinner with some of the Syrian guys

I wish I could put into words all that happened

but even in just 8 months

I think life has changed

I never would have thought I'd end up there

but God has a much bigger picture in mind

"You can make plans but God directs your steps"

Needing to trust with open hands

Persevere in the midst of fear

God does provide

And God is faithful

One thing I still can't get over is meeting the Irish woman 

Who also lost her dad

The journey it's been with her

The spiritual battle it's been with her

But in this

Seeing how

God uses your story

There were times when I was struggling this year 

With the loss of my own dad

Questioning the pain

Then I'd get a phone call from her and she'd say,

"I know I can talk to you because you understand."

Wow

Seeing God use this loss for His glory

Across the world

It doesn't minimize the pain

But it somehow gives a purpose to the pain 

It's hard for me to understand

But it brings me to tears

Because it's literally and personally

Watching God make beauty from ashes

I'm thankful I was able to meet her with before I left

And praise God, she's willing to get connected with other Christians in Dublin

But please keep praying for her

One last thing before I sign off

But this picture above

Is one that I hope to never forget

Before I left for this internship 

And was in the middle of all the chaos

Of not knowing where I'd end up or what I'd do

A verse kept popping up 

Time after time

In the bitterness of all the changes, 

I wanted to believe what the verse promised

But I had a hard time letting it sink in

Dramatic as it sounds

But when I flew across the ocean

Into what I only knew as the unknown

I walked into my room for the first time 

And there hanging on the wall all by itself

Was a cross with that same verse on it:

"The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me, 

Your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.

Do not forsake the work of your hands."

Psalm 138:8

My heart sunk to my gut

I still don't know why plans happened they way they did

But I don't need to know

What I do need to know 

Is that God is good

And I belong to Him

It's about Him

Always has been

Always will be

In the next few weeks
I'll be heading back to British Columbia
For my last year at Columbia Bible College

The adventure continues as
I'll be a Resident Leader
For group of college ladies in my dorm

If you could be praying
For the wisdom and grace to lead in a Christ-like way
And the love and strength to build relationships and community
As well as for the transition back to life in this part of the world

That would be amazing

I can't thank you enough for journeying along with me in this
All a part of something bigger
But from the bottom to my heart

Thank you

May we keep trusting in Him

Until next time,

Ell ♡

⇿⇿⇿

Impact Ireland - short-term outreach with so much enthusiasm. 

The hotel in Ballaghaderreen where the refugees live as they wait for housing. 

Syrian coffee.
Probably the strongest cups of coffee I've ever had.
But I'd take it any day.  

Last time with the whole gang.

Haima lived in the hotel for about 1.5 years.
But she finally got a place and it was so cool being able to visit her in her new home. 

Being responsible for the post was always a party.
Thanks for all always asking me about my day, Mike the postman.

Colm helping out with worship with his Irish bodhrán. 

Stopped in Washington & British Columbia on the way home

So incredibly thankful I was able to be in BC for Bek's wedding.
Love you! 

Also so thankful for his family. 
First met them Ireland but they are originally from the same city where I go to school in Canada. 
Crazy how small this world is. 

And now back home in Green Bay. 

I've had plans / shattered and broken / things I have hoped in / fall through my hands /
You have plans / to redeem and restore me / You're behind and before me / oh, help me believe

God, You don't need me / but somehow You want me / oh, how You love me /
Somehow that frees me / to take my hands off of my life / and the way it should go

...To open my hands up / and give You control

Tenth Avenue North - "Control"

two weeks

I had missed Jimmy John's so much

As well as the beauty of Target

And the wide roads 

Where you don't really have to have fear of

Having a head-on collision when you're driving

America, thank you

About two weeks ago, 

I had the privilege of being able to 

Fly back to the states for 5 days 

For my dear friend’s wedding

Amazing to see her again

And to be with her family 

During this incredible time in their lives

Then even to see some of you at the wedding as well

Ah, so good to see you all

Thank you for a chance to be there

But I wasn’t prepared for the glimpse of 

The culture shock that would happen

When I stepped foot into my home country again

Weird stuff like finding myself looking at Americans in a different way

Noticing the difference in ways of communicating

Not used to the food anymore

This is my home 

But seeing how things have changed

And feeling out of place

Only after 8 months?

How?

But now back in Ireland

Then with one month left

But two weeks have come and gone

And now only two weeks left

Before I officially leave this place

Two weeks

How is it that it’s almost over

Soon to be taking a plane back 

To the life in North America

Face to face with leaving here

Having to process

Needing to move forward

But in all honesty,

I'm not feeling ready

Not ready to say goodbye

Or to transition 

Or to adjust 

From a place that has somehow 

Become like home

“One of the hardest things about missions is having to say goodbye”

But here we are 

Time will continue 

So needing to face this reality

That this is the time God has given

And to be thankful for it

So how to finish strong here

And look forward to what’s ahead

And trust God in the transition

But with this time left here

I want to ask for you to be praying

For strength to finish strong

With admin work in the office

With homework that’s due

For opportunities to connect with refugees

And the Irish woman I’ve been talking with 

To have conversations that point to Christ

That these people will come to know Him personally

And that my heart would be in the right place

Eyes fixed on Him

As I need to process and transition 

To a life back home

And back at college in BC

To be available and open for what God has

In these last two weeks

In the next two months

In the next year at school

A few days back I was talking with my housemate

About how crazy it all feels to be leaving so soon

But then she said something that struck me,

“Look how you’re not wanting to leave a place 

that you didn’t want to come to in the first place.”

Taking a moment to let that sink in

I said not really looking for an answer, "How did that happen?”

But she replied, “God answered your prayers.”

Wow. 

It’s hard to find words to all that’s happened this year

So I’ll try to find them and share them with you 

When I’m writing to you when the internship is over

But for now 

I know I can say that 

I’m just incredibly thankful

So with that being said

Thank you for everything

Looking forward to seeing you

If you're up for some Jimmy's or a cup of Joe, I'll totally be down :)

All my love,

Ell

⇿⇿⇿

Oh hey there America.

Reunited. 

Liv, I am so stinkin' happy for you.
Thank you for everything. 

Back to morning devotions with the team. 

 749 years old.

Guess who came to visit? :) 

And these lovely gems too! 

A dream about to come true.

AND WE SURVIVED.

Well there were supposed to be cliffs. 

But when we hiked down...

...it was still so worth it.   

Jaesun's first time in a hammock 🙌
So cool to see how this hammock as become a conversation starter with strangers in town.
The other day an older gentleman asked if I could take a picture in the hammock
and proceeded to sing a folk song while swinging away.
Day made. 

It's been record breaking heat these past few days.
Apparently Ireland hasn't had 3 hot days in a row in a hundred years.
The grass is definitely feeling it.  

Irish air-conditioning.

Athlone - it's been a joy. 

"Even there your hand shall lead me,

and your right hand shall hold me."

Psalm 139:10

a chance to go

I feel like I say this in every update 

but I can never believe how fast time goes here

In less than two months I'll head back 

Back to the States, back to Canada

And a whole new adventure will start again

I probably will be saying this every time I transition 

But I don't feel ready to go back 

and readjust

again  

How did this place become a place I don't want to let go of?

A place that will be another hard goodbye?

The relationships built here

In the team, on the streets, 

At church, at coffee shops,

at the refugee centre

How our hearts can grow for something unexpected 

But we still have 2 months 

So I’ll try not to get too sappy yet

It’s crazy to think back and think of all that’s happened since the last time I wrote

But there was a week in between it all that still blows my mind

OM had the suggestion that before I head back to the States, 

I should visit OM Austria and at least see the ministry I originally thought I would be at

So there I went

And stayed at their refugee centre for three days

I couldn't believe that I was there

After all that happened, to be able to live in it for a small time

Face to face with a dream that I needed to let go of and move on from

Having to wrestle with thoughts of what could have been 

But it was worth it 

I am so thankful for the opportunity

Three days of doing life with them

Having me join in on things like 

German classes and Bible studies, 

Women's sowing meetings and kids programs, 

Their International Cafe

It was incredible to see what they do and meet the people involved

Meeting  people from all over- 

Austrians, Germans, Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis

Trying to work through German language barriers

Learning how OM works with the Austrian government to house Christian refugees

Hearing more of how the refugee situation is so complicated and goes so deep

Seeing a different reality in Austria versus what I’ve seen in Ireland

Many refugees in Austria are getting refusals to stay and are struggling with where to go

But seeing how many of them have become Christians

And are trusting God with what’s happening 

Or hearing stories about how they’ve come to faith in Jesus

but how that’s changed everything in their family

I was talking with a woman from Afghanistan and 

she explained that she hasn’t talked with her family 

since she became a Christian 8 years ago 

But she started listing off staff members’ names one by one

And explained, “The people here are my family” 

It was amazing to meet these people who have come to know Jesus 

but I don’t know if I’ll ever grasp how much it has cost them

Seeing how God has worked and is working in Austria 

And then knowing the friends we visit at the refugee centre in Ireland

It’s our prayer that they’ll come to faith in Jesus too 

But to see how God is working here in Ireland

Building relationships and having more conversations

Jesse offered an Arabic Bible to one of our close friends there 
and he said, “Of course, why not?”

Another friend opened up for the first time a couple weeks ago

And we were able to talk about Christianity versus other religions

Which led to sharing the Gospel with him for the first time

Connecting more with a woman who's an atheist 

It’s so cool to see what God’s been doing

And when talking with those at OM Austria about what’s been happening in Ireland, 

There was this realization that Ireland is a place that I want to go back to

Not where I thought I’d be 

but realizing that there’s work to be done in Ireland too 

So, everyone, I was able to go

So incredibly thankful

Please be praying for the work in Austria as well as at the refugee centre here

Also please be praying for Ireland as a nation

This past weekend there was a nationwide vote 

to repeal their 8th amendment which was set in place to protect all life

Which meant abortion was still illegal in this country

Until Saturday

My pastor said at church this Sunday, 

“We may be bruised and battered…

the constitution may have changed, 

but the facts don’t. God still reigns.” 

Also please keep the woman I wrote about last time in your prayers as well

We’ve been able to keep in touch

And we met up again

I offered her a Bible and she said she wanted it

But then I found out this weekend 

that out of superstition

she left the Bible on the side of the road

I don’t know what God is doing

But to trust Him through it

and to thank Him through it

Thank you for all your support and encouragement

Until next time, 

Ell 

⇿⇿⇿

Just when you thought Ireland couldn't get any greener

St Peter and Paul's Cathedral in Athlone

Helping at youth conferences has it's perks

So thankful for this team. OM Ireland, I'm going to miss you.  

Heather came! 

Rend Collective in Ireland...I died. 

We thought it would be a warm day at the beach...

At a pro-life rally in Dublin. This country had been battling for so long. 

Hoping one day more people will own one of these

I'm just gunna say, this whole selfie with a sheep thing has been a lot harder than I thought

"The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice;

 the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.

Mightier than the thunders of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea- 

the Lord on high is mighty."

Psalm 93:3-4