It is absolutely lashing rain here today!  My umbrella got broken by the wind on my way to work today.  The sea is storming so hard that it is throwing water up over the cliff into the roads.  It's crazy!  I braved the storm to go get lunch at the local grocery store around 2 p.m. because I kept hoping it would let up, but it never has.  

Also, I'm sending out all the Autumn edition of the Assembly of God Ireland newsletter that I have created.  This edition I decided to double the size of the magazine, so it was a lot more work.  However, they turned out great and I'm really excited to get them out.

Hope everyone is doing well.  Love you!

Bethany

Hi Friends and Family!

I'm finally getting settled back into Ireland after being in the States for a couple weeks for my cousin's wedding.  It was great to catch-up with each of you and am so glad you are all doing well. 

This may sound funny, but the biggest difference since I have been on vacation is that it is getting darker earlier here in Ireland.  The daylight over here determines so much.  During the winter it gets dark at around 4:30 in the afternoon; however, during the summer it stays light until 11!  I've also moved into a new house in the Dublin suburb of Bray.  It's a great house.  I'm rooming with four other girls and so far, so good!

Again, it was great to see everyone.  Enjoy the heat in Oklahoma because its in the 50s/60s here!  Love you all :)

Bethany

Hi!

I got a wonderful care package in the mail yesterday!  It was so great.  I was so excited.  Thank you so much Lacy and everyone who drew cards and contributed....it was SO wonderful!  Also, I want everyone to take Lacy and Jeff and extra meal or gift for me.  They are such a wonderful couple and I'm so happy to hear about the new addition.  

Things are extremely busy here.  We are getting ready for Youth Camp.  I just finished a 16-page booklet for camp that we will use at camp.  It is the first time anything of professional grade will be used at camp, so it is very exciting.  It is mostly a devotional that the kids can take home after came as a follow-up tool.  

I'm coming home from August 10-26 for my cousin's wedding.  I'm looking forward to the visit and to see everyone.

Love and miss you all,

Bethany

Hi Friends and Family!

It's been a busy last few weeks.  I've been working on the administration for a project called Urban Soul.  It was the first year that we did Urban Soul in Dublin, so LOTS of kinks and little things had to be worked out.  Urban Soul is an outreach covering the city of Dublin geared toward teenagers.  We had teenagers from all over the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, from three different denominations (which is a HUGE accomplishment!!).  It was a week long project were the kids would meet in the morning for worship and a short Bible study, eat lunch, then go out and perform service projects all over the city.  They were painting elementary schools, performing in elderly homes, working in the "flats," which is the rough area of town.  It was a wonderful week!

We have a choir coming in this Friday from Muskogee, Oklahoma.  They're going to perform in a lot of our churches.  I've been organizing their accommodation, etc.  Such a small world!

Hope everyone is doing great and enjoying the heat ;)  It's in the 50's here today!

Love you all,

Bethany

Hello All!

Such exciting stuff going on over here!  I had a meeting in Limerick yesterday, which is on the other side of the island.  I was meeting with Brent and Lori Engent who are leading up Student For Christ, the European version of Chi Alpha in Limerick.  It was so wonderful to talk to them and get on board.  My heart has been with university students for so long and it is looking like I'm finally getting to be working with them...PTL!  

I'll be going to Limerick every Thursday, which is a three and a half hour bus ride!  Then I'll turn around and ride the bus back to Dublin back the next morning, but it'll be sooo worth it.  I can't wait!

Hope all is well back home,

Bethany

Hi Friends and Family, 

I've been thinking about home a lot today and missing Oklahoma.  I hope everyone there is doing great and enjoying the heat!  It is cloudy and overcast here (like always!).  For my Pawnee people, I've been missing Clicks.  Haha!  So whoever reads this - go eat the Clicks' salad bar you lucky dogs!  You'll have to tell me how it is after the new owner has taken over :)  I've also been missing my Jeep, although I hear gas (or petrol as it's called over here) prices are going crazy back home, so I probably won't be driving it too much when I get home anyway!  

Things here are going good.  I'm starting the fall (or autumn as it's called here) edition of the Assembly of God Ireland magazine today.  We are doubling the size, but I have to have it finished in half the time -- so please pray for me to get it finished!!  

Hope everyone is well.  I miss you all so much!  Love you!

Bethany

Hello!

Today I was busy working on a Child Protection Policy for all the Assembly of God Ireland churches.  I'm making a policy to make sure the correct procedures are taken when taking care of children and teenagers.  It is very interesting and necessary.  

Hope everyone is well.  Love you all!

Bethany

Hi friends and family!

Busy, busy, busy here in Ireland!  Last week I moved into a new house.  I'm housesitting for another missionary couple who is home itinerating for the summer.  It's been so great because I'm watching their dog, Rugby, and rooming with an Northern Irish girl, Sarah.  

This week I'm getting the second edition of the AGI magazine in from the printer.  Very exciting!  

Great weather this week here in Ireland.  The sun is shining, its reached up into the 60s - 70s.  

Hope everyone is happy and healthy!

Bethany

Hi friends and family!

Hope this finds each of you having a great day.  It is a little cold and cloudy here in Ireland today, but still a good day.  I'm trying to finish up work on the summer edition of the Assemblies of God Ireland magazine.  My goal is to have it finished and sent off to the printers by the end of the week, so I can be sending them all off to all the churches by the beginning of June.  I'm only waiting on information for one more story and we will be well on our way.  Yeah!!

Miss everyone!

Bethany

Hi Everyone!!

I went to the doctor's office this morning.  Let me tell you...such a different experience to anything I'm used to.  It was a complete madhouse.  Someone asked me to pass the receptionist her urine sample...ewwww!!  Haha!  It was so packed with people and then my American Visa wouldn't work because they only accept "chip" card....it was just a long crazy experience.  

Anyway, hope everyone is doing great!!  Love you all!

Bethany

Hi friends and family!

Well, I have just returned from the Netherlands today (actually tonight because I'm writing this at 1:30 in the morning!) from a wonderful conference and a time of relaxation.  This last month has been a rough month and over the past few days in the Netherlands I was really able to refocus my purpose and vision for being in Ireland.  

An important statistic I learned while at this conference:

• 30,000 people a day come to know Christ in Latin America.
• 20,000 people a day come to know Christ in China.
• 15,000 people a day come to know Christ in Africa.
• 7,000 people a day walk out of church in Northern Europe.
  

This broke my heart when I heard this.  People in this area of the world have been hurt so deeply by the Church establishment, that many of them view it as such a deep wound that will never heal.  

Also, the statistics for this study came from a BBC program, which gives me confidence in the numbers.  These statistics came from someone who has no ulterior motive to say different numbers (not saying anything, you just have to be aware of where you are getting your information!).

This brief statistic changed my whole mindset this weekend.  Please keep these 7,000 a day in your prayers.

Hope everyone is doing great!  Miss you all and love you lots!

Bethany

Hello All!

I'm back in Ireland and back at work!  It's so great to be back.  Yesterday was a beautiful day...the sun was shining and after church three other girls and I went to the beach to eat our lunch.  It was wonderful!  I'm busy working on the next edition of the Assemblies of God Ireland magazine.  I feel extremely behind since I was gone for so long, but I'm sure I'll get it all done.  

I'm leaving again on Thursday for a conference in Amsterdam for four days!  My life is pretty busy and exciting right now and I'm loving every moment of it!  

Hope everyone back home is doing wonderful.  Love you all!

Bethany

Hello All,

Everything has gone well back home in Oklahoma.  It has been great getting to see so many of you.  I'll be heading back to Ireland on Thursday.  I'm looking forward to getting back to work and back in the swing of things.  

Hope this find everyone happy and healthy.

Bethany

Hello All!

I have just returned from a great week-long conference.  This is the Dream 2008 conference I have been telling everyone that we have been working so hard to get ready for.  Everything was great.  The speakers and services were phenomenal.  We had close to 300 kids in the children's programs alone.  Overall, it was a wonderful week and many people were blessed.

On a more personal note, my grandpa is extremely ill.  He was diagnosed with lung cancer right before I left for Ireland.  Although it looked for a while like he was getting better and making progress, this last week he has taken a fatal dive for the worst.  I am planning on going home for a few weeks to be with my family.  I'll leave Ireland on Tuesday.

I would so much appreciate your prayers for 1) My grandfather 2) My family, especially my grandma and my mom 3) for traveling mercies as I will be going back and forth over the next month 4) That the work here in Ireland does not fall too far behind while I'm away.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support.  Love you all.

Bethany

Hello All!

Sorry it's been a while since my last blog.  I've been so swamped with getting ready for this island-wide conference at the end of March  called Dream 2008.  It's going to be a great conference with all the church people of Ireland getting a change to come together and listen to great speakers and have a time to relax.  

I got my first magazine back last week.  It is called "Link" because its purpose is to connect all the churches of Ireland to be united (North and South). So I have officially finished my first publication for the National Assemblies of God Ireland.  It was very exciting.  We did a big mail shot and sent out tons of magazines to each of the churches.  It was great to see something that I worked so hard on in print and all finished.

I hear the weather is much better at home than it is here!  It has been storming, cold and dark all week.  Enjoy the sunshine!

Love you all and miss you very much!

Beth

Hello!

Hope every back home is happy and healthy.  

Yesterday I went to a church in Mullingar, a town more toward the center of Ireland.  It was a great congregation.  They have recently grown from ten people to 100!  They are made up by a large number of Nigerian and Romanian members.  It was a wonderful experience.

Love you all!

Bethany

Hello friends and family!

I hear that you have freezing rain and ice back in good ole Oklahoma.  Bummer!  We had a great day here in Ireland.  It hasn't rained in over a week and today I didn't even have to wear a jacket!  However, this is not normal weather.  I guess it is supposed to get back to its normal frigid weather soon.  

Anyway, just want to say that I hope everyone is staying warm and that I'm thinking of you all.

Love and miss you!

Bethany

DREAM 2008

Hello again!

We are having a national conference with all the churches in March called DREAM 2008.  It is going to be a wonderful conference and I've been so busy getting ready for it.  Right now I'm making the program, which is twelve pages long!  I'm also going to be making invitations to different events throughout the week, badges, information card...basically anything to do with publications - I'm doing it!  It's going so well though because I love staying busy like this.  

I hope everyone is doing great in Oklahoma (and the surrounding states, cousin).  

Love you and have a wonderful Valentines Day!!

Bethany

Hi friends and family!

Today has been a great/challenging day.  I met with our printer again today.  I was with him for over four hours!!  I was fading fast!  

We are leaving this weekend to go on an office retreat.  I'm very excited to spend some extra time with the girls in the office (Sarah, Mags and Claire).  In the office I work in, they also have a Youth Alive internship program, which Sarah and Claire are a part of.  I work alongside Mags here doing National AG projects.  It's great to work with a variety of personality, ages and gifts.

I miss you all and love you tons!!

B

Hello All,

Feeling much better today!  It is a beautiful day here in Ireland.  The sun is shining and the waves are crashing against the shore next to my office.  Right now I'm babysitting a little girl named Molly.  She is a little over one and I am so excited to get to watch her.  I babysat two wonderful girls back home and have been missing them so much.  So, when Molly's mom asked me to watch her, I was delighted!  

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!  Love you all!

Hi friends and family!

I'm sooo sick today...yuck!  I'm a bit whinny and not really feeling like doing much.  However, I have tons of work to do for an upcoming conference, so I'm still at work.  I'm going to the chemist (pharmacy) during my lunch break.  I just thought I would complain a little!  Love you all!

I'm working on a quarterly magazine for all the AG churches in Ireland.  It is supposed to go to print on Monday.  I met with the printer yesterday and now I have to redo almost everything I've been working on for the last two weeks and have it done by Monday.  They use a different printer over here, so I made the entire document in one color scheme and the machine only prints in the other color scheme.  Ahhh!  

Aliens Office; Part II

Hello!

Just got back from the Alien's Office and I FINALLY got my visa!  Wow...what an ordeal!  It still took a while, but it is done.  

I have a meeting with other leaders to organize a conference we are calling Dream 2008.  It is a retreat for all the AG churches over Ireland.  We are expecting 1,000 people to come!  So, the meetings tonight and I'm excited to work on everything for the conference.  

The first edition of the quarterly magazine that I'm making for all the AG churches goes to the printers next week.  I'm nervous since this is the first time everyone will see what I've put together.  

Things are going good and I'm starting to get settled in.  Love you all!

This is my office :)  The ocean is to the left and the village is to the right.

Alien's Office = Ahhh!!!

Hello All!

Well, today was a lovely day spent in the Irish Alien's Office.  I waited for FIVE HOURS!!!  After I finally got up to the counter, my visa got rejected!  It was a nightmare.  I had all the papers I was instructed to bring, but the lady processing my information wanted to know more about my health insurance.  Since I was completely at her mercy, I have no other choice but to be there at 7 o'clock in the morning and wait for hours again to see if I can get my visa tomorrow.  Ahhhhh!!  

On a funny note, this guy sat down next to me in the waiting room and kept asking me for my number.  He wouldn't give up....it was kinda funny!  Until he asked if he could give me money to ride to his office so he could take me out!!  I was extremely uncomfortable with that scenario (and overall he was just freaking me out) so I just got up and left..haha!  What an experience at the alien's office!  

I miss home a lot and hope everyone is doing well.  

Love you all!

It's so strange getting used to a new culture.  I had my first experience with the "Dart" yesterday.  The Dart is the train that takes me from Greystones into Dublin.  On my way home from Dublin the train just stopped at the stop right before Greystones and said it wouldn't be continuing.  I was like, "Ummmm.....well, what do I do now."  Since it was Sunday no one was around, so I had no idea what I was doing.  I just waited 45 minutes and finally another train came and thankfully it took me to Greystones. 

Also, I have to take one minute showers because the hot water tanks are so small and if you don't get out in time ice water shoots out....learned that the hard way!  The girl I live with, Efa, and I tried to make brownies last night.  They were horrible.  She thought they were great.  So I guess brownies over here are just not that great.  

Love you all!

Hi friends and family,

I'm getting settled in.  It's raining!  We have a big leadership conference going this weekend so I've been swamped doing things for it.  My computer broke down the first day I was in the office.  It was horrible!  

The people are great here.  So funny!  It's been raining all week or I would get out and take pictures.  I'll post some soon.

Love you all.

My 1st 24 hours in Ireland.

Hi friends and family,

Well, I survived the plane ride. My boss' wife, Wilma, picked me up from the airport. She was sitting a couple of gates down talking to someone she knew, so I couldn't find her for a few minutes, but it all worked out. I was the last one to leave customs because this old man was asking me if I was working for a cult...haha...I wanted so badly to mess with him, but I figured I should wait until I'm actually in the country to start any jokes. He let me go by saying sarcastically, "I hope you win lots of converts." Then, he helped me carry my bags! He was really funny.

Wilma took me to the office I'll be working at as soon as I got off the plane. I looked awful and was exhausted. Those people probably thought there was something wrong with me! They all seemed very nice, but it was awkward with the forced introductions.

The lady I'm staying with, Maureen, is really nice. Nothing like I expected, but that's usually how it is. My room used to be her grandson's room and has Winnie the Pooh all over it. Kinda funny. Maureen's daughter is living here as well. She is 24, very pretty and as the Irish say, "We get on quite nicely."

Well, you have to pay by the minute for Internet over here so I better get off. Miss and love you all SO much.
-B