Fruit in my final week

It hasn’t quite hit me yet that I’m gone. But then, I haven’t quite left yet. Right now, I’m sitting on the airplane looking at the green hills of western Ireland out the window to my left. I plan on writing another post after I’ve had more time to reflect (in a few days or a week). For now, I’m not processing the whole of the trip, but just the last week or so.

I know as a minister of the gospel, especially in a place like Ireland, you can labor and labor and not see any fruit. Fortunately, by the grace of God, that has not been the case for me. Now I haven’t seen a mass of converts or new church members, but God has been gracious in allowing me to see progress and fruition, especially this last week. As I’ve said before, it wasn’t what I had expected going in, but Aslan is not a tame lion (and God is not a predictable God).

On Tuesday, ten or twelve of us met in the community center in New Ross to discuss Jesus’ statement, “I am the light of the world” in John 8. I lead the study, looking at what this means in a Biblical context. The discussion was brilliant; every one, regardless of whether they were from Ireland, Africa or America, was on the same page. We all came together and prayed for the power to be reflectors of God’s light to New Ross. A few weeks ago, this Bible study felt like a thorn in my side. It should have started long before it did, but I was having to rely on others to coordinate reserving the room. At one point (and you faithful readers may recall), I was ready to teach and was waiting with Sandra and Patrick, and no one showed up (not until after we left). But these last couple weeks, especially this week, have been so fruitful in unifying the few Christians in New Ross and sharing the gospel.

Friday, I made some rounds to say goodbye. Everyone I met with was very encouraging, especially a man named John Barry, who I’ve mentioned before. John is the husband of an elderly woman at Grace Church, but calls himself non-religious. He’s a self-proclaimed literature intellectual and I’m good at fooling people that I know what I’m talking about, so we get on well. He told me Friday that he admires me, that I make him think more about religion. I told him it’s not religion, but something that I want to do. I have shared the gospel with him in a careful way and he hasn’t accepted it yet, but his words Friday showed the first signs that he’s considering it more.

Saturday, Brian and I went to Pondsfield (the neighborhood where we meet on Sundays) to try to hang out with the children there. We were immediately met by Aaron, one of the twins (see photo below), who told us they were leaving for his hurling match. (I think I talked about hurling before; it’s one of the big sports played here and is kind of like field hockey.) So he invited us to follow his dad to the pitch (field) and we did. It was fun to watch the boys, but also great to talk with his father, who had heard all about us from the boys. His dad was very friendly and more than willing to let us continue to hang out with the boys. He also seemed open to hearing about Grace Church and find with the boys coming. Adam has now been three weeks in a row, and everyone there has handled it great! He is hearing the gospel every week, and we are praying he will understand it and bring it to the rest of his large family (eleven brothers and sisters), or bring them to come and see for themselves.

Tom is doing very well, learning and growing in the Word and as a man. He and Brian will continue to go through Acts chapter by chapter. He has a good web of support to build him up.

The unity within the house I lived has also improved dramatically in the last few weeks. One morning last week, I had to talk and pray with two individuals separately in the hopes they would reconcile with each other. As far as I can tell, they truly did. In John 17, Jesus prayed for his sheep that they would be one as He and the Father are one. We haven’t achieved that, but I could not leave without seeing some of the unity restored.

God has given me several relationships with non-Christians which I have fostered and enjoyed over the last few months. Other than Tom, none of these have lead to an embracing of the gospel (as far as I know). But, God has given me the grace to see progress where it is not easily measurable. I can see individuals who are much more open to the gospel now than they were when we met. This is not my doing, but God’s.

Lastly, my last full day there was amazing. I preached and the Spirit showed up and it went very well. Then the leaders in the church laid hands and prayed for me. Sandra cooked a final Irish meal and they hosted a party for me. Then James and Sandra drove me, along with Brian and Tom, up to Dublin to see me off. I said warm goodbyes to the five of them just hours ago.

For all of these things and more, I don’t take credit. Instead, I just feel privileged that God would include me in His plan to glorify His name. I don’t deserve to see any fruit before leaving Ireland (or ever, really), but God is gracious to show it to me to bless and encourage me before returning to the States.