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.