Happy Christmas!

We are officially off for our Christmas break. Wishing everyone a happy Christmas and blessed New Year! May the peace of Christmas be present in your hearts as you welcome the infant Jesus.

Exciting news!

Hello! We've been having great craic as a team - we even played laser tag for Gannon's unbirthday. That's not to say that we don't have fun other times. Each day is a fun day for the road team.

Let's be updated on some statistics: the road team has ministered to 2744 Irish youth since we've gone on the road. And not only do we do that from encounter days, but we've also been busy with a parish mission this past week - something new and exciting for our team.

Our parish mission took place at St. Mary's parish in Convoy, Co. Donegal. We had about 10 youth coming out each night to prepare themselves for the Christmas season. The nights were filled with talks, sharing from some team members, games, dramas and sketches, and times for prayer and reflection. They thought it was brilliant and thoroughly enjoyed it; they also got a lot out of it, which was class (read: fantastic)!

We've also got some bittersweet news. Sheila, will be leaving us to go back to Canada this weekend. While she's usually known as 'the driver', she's a lot more than that to our team. As part of the road team, she truly has been a blessing to each of us - the road team would not have been the same without her. Please keep her in your prayers. Who's going to drive the team around now, you ask? Well, Christophe, of course! Yes, the good news is that Christophe has finally gotten his license and is now able to drive the van :) God really provides for all our needs - and never a second too late.

But the new and exciting doesn't end there for this team. This weekend, we are holding a retreat for those between the ages of 8 and 17. We are super excited - please keep us in your prayers. Some of our team members are also not feeling well, so if you could please pray that we all get better, that'd be much appreciated.

- Road Team Jesus

Thanksgiving celebration

Hello Everyone!!! These two weeks have been full of blessings and experiences! We had more amazing retreats, stayed with some class Irish families and even skated on some ice. In addition, all of NET got together for a lovely Thanksgiving celebration last weekend. 

During our stay in Trim, we got to see the Castle where Braveheart was filmed. It was quite a surreal experience to realize we got to be at the set of a major blockbuster! We also got to have a couple retreats at a very ritzy hotel, it was probably one of the nicest retreat venues ever (thus far).  We stayed with some beautiful families and it was all around great craic.

One of the experiences we had while in Dublin was that of ice skating! In a shopping center decked out in Christmas lights they had a little skating rink to top off the Winter Wonderland experience. I, Mary, had never been ice skating in my life so it was definitely an experience to be had. With the help of the sisterhood and a plastic penguin meant to help balance on the ice, I managed to make it around the rink with maybe only 3 or 4 falls.

Ice skating was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done. Not having any control over where my feet are taking me, was quite a difficult thing to get used to; I wasn’t even able to stand on my own without help on that ice.  I was grateful for the help of my team to help me get across the ice. It made me think a lot about life in retrospect. Sometimes life is really difficult and we just can’t stand on our own, much less make it anywhere or move on with our lives. Sometimes we literally have to lean on others and rely on their support to make it through those difficult times.

 

In many ways that is what we do here on NET. We not only help thousands of young people across the ice of their own lives but we help each other as a team through the rough spots. We push each other to reach our potential and we never let go. We surround each other with love so we can see how much fun it is to glide through the spots where, just seconds earlier, it seemed as if we could not even stand. I realized this especially when all of the NET teams came together for an epic Thanksgiving dinner. All the teams contributed a dish or two, or three, and all our gifts put together equaled a tremendous feast with more than plenty of food for all of NET and more.

 

It just goes to show that when you give all that you have and all that you are, others are more than willing to do the same, and all our gifts put together can have a tremendous impact on the world. So, this Thanksgiving, let us be grateful for all the gifts that we’ve received and  let us not be afraid to lean on others (and maybe even a penguin) to get across the icy parts of life.

God Bless! Always remember to Stay Classy.

- Road Team Jesus

Back to work

         The leaves are changing, the temperature is getting nippier, and we're back on the road!  We left Donegal on Sunday with smiling waves and a full schedule of retreats for the week.  Upon rolling into Dublin we commenced with a couple of retreats for a class of third year boys.  Our past experience with third year boys was limited and undoubtedly marred by a rough group. However, after 10 minutes with these guys, it was plain to see that they were going to be some “great craic” (Irish for a good time).

            Our stay in Dublin, unlike the last time, was only for a couple of days and we didn't really have much time to sight-see, and after a couple of days we were off to County Wicklow and the large town of Bray. There, we had the pleasure of putting on two retreats for a lovely group of 4^th year girls.  This group was full of so much life and energy it was impossible for us not to have a great time.  Even though it was the end of a full week (5 retreats in a row), this group kept our energy and spirits up with their inexhaustible  enthusiasm.

            Our stay in Wicklow has also been incredibly blessed by the absolutely wonderful family we've gotten to stay with.  Uncharacteristically, just about all of us are staying together, and we've been spoiled rotten.  In addition to the tons of ice-cream we've been fed, we've also been able to attend mass every day we've been here - a huge, unexpected, and wonderful privilege.

            We'll be moving on from Wicklow tomorrow and heading back to Dublin for another week full of retreats.  Our newly decorated van is getting quite a work-out and so are we!  It's crazy to think that it's already November and we've been out on the road for close to two months!  A week that began with the lingering question of whether we'd be ministry rusty after 10 days without a retreat has been answered with a resounding NO. The Lord has gifted us, yet again, with the fortitude and spirit to get out into the field for another week of ministry.  As always we thank you so so much for your continued prayers and support, we definitely wouldn't be anywhere without them.

            That's just about all to report this week!  Thanks for reading and God Bless!

- Road Team Jesus

Fully Charged!

            Once upon a time, the NET Road Team had a supervisor visit, and the craic was Mighty! A supervisor visit is when the supervisors visit the team and they have a week or at least a few days, where they just get to hang out with the supes and have fun. We got to know each other better and got to do things like evaluating our team, and just essentially having a great time.

            We started every morning with Mass and ended each day together with team prayer. On the first day, we did a photo scavenger hunt. I feel like we might have caused a little stir in the town with 9 of us running amuck. The scavenger hunt consisted of 28 ridiculous things that we had to take pictures of to prove that we accomplished them. One was to find things that remind you of your country (we had to do 4 different countries). Another was a challenge to fit our team into the smallest space possible. I think that one was the funniest. We were able to single handedly fit 9 people into a phone booth, and have a stranger take a picture. At least we know if the world ends and the only thing left standing is a phone booth we will be okay. Over all this week was a real bonding experience for our team. We were able to get to know each other on a deeper level and it was a great Christ-filled experience.

            The other days of supe visit were spent nurturing the inner life of our team: having adoration, team meetings, brotherhood and sisterhood time, and a lot of chill time. This was a great way to invest in each other both emotionally and spiritually. God has really anointed our team!

Over the past few weeks, not just on supe visit, we have really grown closer together. We have been very blessed by each and every one of the host homes we have been staying in. It’s been a wonder to see how God was working in the lives of each of us, and in those He allows us to touch.

Our team is very blessed with the ability to have fun anywhere, whether we are in a cramped and tiny space or an open field, whether we have an x-box or a cardboard box, this team is never lacking in entertainment. Between Mike coming up with random lists and scenarios (like hypothetically who would be on the all star NET soccer team), Devan telling us about Super Fast Muscles (a superhero he and the brotherhood developed) or Teallia talking about “sheeps and cows” we never fall short of a good time. That’s not to say that those three are the only ones who contribute to our good times, but there are too many jokes to count at this point, and we’ve only been doing this for a couple months!

We will be getting back on the road tomorrow, heading to Dublin. I must say, having this week off has been great and relaxing, but I am anxious to get back to ministry. A quick request before I go, if you remember keep in your prayers Morgan and Juan, our supervisors. They do a lot of work to keep us going and our team wouldn’t get very far with out them. Everything we were able to do this week was because of them, as is everything that we do in the year. They are such a blessing to our team and they always know how to lift us up and encourage us when things get rough. Anyways, here’s to being back on the road again!

Cheers,

Road Team Jesus

Time for intermission

We’ve had some of the busiest weeks yet. Since we last wrote, we’ve had 5 retreats per week. The retreats in general have been great. What we generally found was that these youth are very hungry for the message that we bring them. However, some retreat groups tend to be more challenging than others, especially when it's an energetic group. But of course, there are times when we’ve seen pleasant surprises.

Quite a few times, during or after having listened to the talk, watched a drama, and heard a sharing, one of the lads asked his friends to be quiet: “Come on man, be serious. Let’s be respectful.” It just goes to show how they are very open to personal experiences of the faith – the youth wants to hear what Jesus has to offer. They are interested, it’s just that no one has ever shared their personal experiences with them - especially in a fun an engaging way.

We’ve been warned as the road team that it will be hard to not see the fruits, and that we will mostly be planting seeds. We must pray and trust that God will work in His time. We ask your prayers for all our retreatants: that they may be open to the message that Jesus has for them. We also ask that you pray for us, so that we have the strength to spread His word, especially during the times when we do not see fruits from our labour, realizing that God has His own time.

We are off retreats this week though since the schools are on mid-term break. Expect some videos of our adventures from this week, as well as updates on pictures!

God bless,
Road Team Jesus

On the road we go ...

Greetings from the Road Team! It’s been 2 weeks since the end of training and we’ve been having tons of fun travelling around the country, giving retreats, meeting different people, and visiting beautiful sites. We’ve slept on 7 beds, done 8 retreats, met 523 retreatants, been to 6 counties, and developed 12 inside jokes.

Just a little bit about our team: 1 member is from Trinidad, 1 from Ireland, 2 from Canada, and 6 from the US. We also have an honorary member from Canada who steers us in the right direction and gets us to the correct place at the right time as we wait for one of our team members to take on the steering wheel for the year.

Retreats have been amazing all around, with many laughs and learning experiences. Through it all, we’ve been able to find joy in each experience. One of the retreatants saw us gathered around the school parking lot singing and laughing while we were waiting for the van to come, and she commented, “Wow, you guys have so much energy! Are you like this all the time?” It made us realize how much of an effect our joy can have on others who are simply passing by. We do hope to keep this joy throughout the year!

It’s such a blessing that our team this year consists of many highly energetic people who are enthusiastic in proclaiming the Gospel through words and actions, and committed to having lots of fun while doing so. Long van rides consist of telling jokes and singing fun songs about the Gospel with periods of silence for reading or sleeping – there is a good balance between moments of elated craziness and peaceful silence. Fortunately, everyone is always on the same page with regards to whether or not it’s quiet time (this might be due to the sharing of chocolate and sweets within the van, but that’s beside the point).

The past few days have been very relaxing as we wind down and spend time for ourselves. But we’ll be off for more retreats and travelling tomorrow, so please keep us in your prayers!

In Christ,
Net Ireland Road Team a.k.a Road Team Jesus.

P.S. Look us up on facebook (NetIreland RoadTeam) to get more frequent updates on where we are and what we’re up to.