Hello dear friends and loved ones! It’s reached our ears
that you’ve noticed the lack of updates since the new year has started. I have
to say, it was a consolation that so many are interested in what we’re up to
and appreciate the regular updates. So, I hope it’s not too late to make a new
year’s resolution: we’ll definitely try to keep you more updated with our activities.
Since last time, our schedule has definitely been more
varied in terms of the type of ministry we’ve been up to. During the Ash
Wednesday/Valentine’s Day week, we were based at Ardee where we put on a parish
mission week. It was really fun to experience local team ministry – staying in
one house for a whole week, seeing the same youth for the events we put on and
around town, and being able to develop a more lasting relationship with the
people in the community. The youth we had the pleasure of meeting were class;
we had such great craic spending time with them playing games, making music,
and sharing faith experiences.
For an early celebration of Valentine’s Day the ladies in
the team decided to honour the gentlemen by giving them a fun movie night,
where they watched Kill Bill (great movie choice for Valentine’s, don’t you
think?). It seemed that the gentlemen had a similar idea for the ladies’
honouring, but they had to slightly modify their plans. You see, Ash Wednesday
occurred before they carried out their plan, and our team decided on a
media fast for lent. So instead of simply putting on a movie, we (the ladies)
got to watch an original performance: The Valentine’s Miracle, written and
performed by them. It was sweet, hilarious, fun, and it definitely encapsulates
the characteristic of our team. EPIC. That is all.
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| Note the cave in the background that some of us explored! |
After Ardee, we went to Ballybofey for our
supervisor visit. In addition to bettering our team dynamics, we went on a fun
adventure, as we do. Our lovely supervisors, Juan and Morgan, decided to take
us to Ben Bulben: it’s a mountain (hill?) in Sligo with a ruin
at its base and a cave located up top. After we’ve had our fun climbing on the
ruin and taking pictures, some of us decided to go up the mountain and explore
the cave. It was such a fun experience, trying to find our way through darkness
within the cave, surrounded by serene stillness. I think we all marvelled at
the beauty of nature. I can definitely say that I was filled with wonder and
awe at the beauty. The week ended with us traveling to Sligo to chill at the
infamous Sligo house.
At the start of last week, we’ve gone back to our road team
ministry at Bailieborough. But I have to say, God has provided us ample
opportunities to be filled for our ministry these past weeks. Just this weekend
we were able to attend a Youth2000 regional retreat in Galway. I think I can
safely say that the weekend was perfect in giving each of us what we need. Each
of us left the retreat feeling renewed, ready to accept what the last 3 months
of ministry has in store for us. We are always in constant need for your
prayers though, since challenges do come and face us – we need all the grace we
can get!
We have just finished visiting Mitchelstown down in Cork;
the craic was mac. We got to encounter many of the secondary school students,
as well as the students from the primary school, and they were all incredible.
In addition, we got to meet with a retired bishop (Bishop John Magee) who was
secretary to Popes Paul VI, John Paul I, and John Paul II, and who was also
given JPII’s cassock after his death. And as if meeting and talking to Bishop
Magee wasn’t good enough, he let us hold JPII’s cassock! What an end to this
week.
Tomorrow we start our personal retreats in Knockadoon, Cork.
We ask again for your prayers, so that our time off ministry will be fruitful,
allowing us to recharge and grow more Christ-like. Know that you are all in our
prayers.
With lots of love,
Road Team Jesus
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