Day 14-16: Days go by Quickly

Thursday

I slept til about 12:15 and called the recruiter we had a great conversation. I let him know tha I as in Ireland for a ministry and he asked what religion and I told him Jehovah's Witness.  He expressed that he'd just placed a CEO that returned from western Ireland from a ministry. Needless to say we had a great conversation about Ireland afterwards he said that he would send me information on a potential position. Who knows maybe this will work out in our favor either here or elsewhere. We continue to keep it in our prayers!

We later went to Peter and Lea's house so Preben can work out. I watched a few episodes of "Big Bang" and "How I met Your Mother". These shows I must say are relatively funny!

Friday

Was a day spent in the ministry and an interesting one at that. The area we were in was Baldoyle and it seemed to be mostly men at home. However almost everyone that came to the door said the something: they were no longer interested in religion I asked it they were still interested in the Bible and they said yes. They read their Bible but they have lost their faith in religion. One man said it was because of pee-dee-phile priests.

We later found out that the church in the area had a priest that tended to be very friendly with men and was homosexual and it was a big scandal with other activities he was engaging in.

The young sister I was with, Keira, spoke to a lady at the door that was very interested in suffering and why people happen to suffer. It turns out her daughter has been suffering from depression for over a year. Keira asked me for one of the tracts "Comfort for the Depressed" and we gave it to the lady she than started to cry. She asked that we go see her daughter and we expressed the only thing we could do was offer her encouragement and hope from the scriptures which is the only thing that most of us have in this world.

Now before I go on let me say that at the previous door I offered a man the tract "Comfort for the Depressed" as that was the only thing I had at he time if they did not want the magazines while Keira had been offering the "Truth" tract. After we left his door I said "I don't know why I offered him those tracts or why I even have these with me".  Needless to say now I know why!

We went to visit the daughter and she was home but very cautious at first barely opening the door to talk. After we introduced ourselves she opened the door all the way and I expressed we wanted to share a few scriptures with her regarding the hop for the future. She kept saying throughout the conversation that "Now wasn't a good time" but she kept talking to us. So I didn't get to read the scripture but gave her the tract "Comfort for the Depressed". I asked if we could come back but said "Now wasn't a good time" I took that to mean that now in life wasn't a good time.

Her mother said that she was in her 30s but she looked to be more in her 40s  we felt so bad for her. She did perk up a little when she asked if I was from America and I told her yes Orlando, FL. She said my accent was lovely.

Later that night we went to a Watchtower study with a few young ones in the congregation to the Beeston's house (coordinator and wife).  We had a great time discussion various aspects of oaths and the "placing on the hand under the thigh" in ancient times when giving and oath and what that means. (If you don't know look it up :3)

Saturday

We did primarily "not at homes", now what is interesting in that the congregation does not put a tract in the door the first time they come and they aren't home but when they "do not at homes" that is when they will place a tract as they only do those once.

Anyway myself and John (the brother I was working with) had a great time we were able to speak with various people at the door and share a scripture or to with them. 

One lady that I spoke I initially thought was going to just say she was busy and just gotten out of the bed as she still had a robe on (an earlier lady said this to us). As I had just dropped my magazines (I seem to always drop something when someone comes to the door it is crazy) and they were all bent up I offered the next best thing I had in my hand "What Hope for the Dead". Now why did I have this in my hand.

Once again at a previous door the person wasn't interested in the magazines so I gave them the "What Hope for the Dead" tract as I only had one"Comfort for the Depressed" tract left. As we left the door I said to John "I don't know why I offered that tract I need more of the comfort for the depressed tracts". And once again now I know why...

The lady looked at the tract and said that she'd just come from the cemetery and was thinking about her mom and friend and if they were together. She then invited us in out of the cold and offered us tea multiple times which we declined as we had people waiting for us. She proceeded to tell us about her best friend that was killed by a drunk driver right next to her.

Both she and her friend were walking come from eating out with their husbands and they were walking arm and arm when a guy ran off the road and hit the both of them she went into one garden and her best friend went into another killing her friend.

She said she still hasn't gotten over it even though it has been 3 years. 

I was able to share with her the scriptures at Ecc 9:5,10 as to what the state of the dead was and Rev 21:4 which gives us a hope for the future. I hadn't gotten a chance to read the scripture about the dead being raised as her husband came in and didn't look to be in a very good mood.

I let her know I would come back with the brochure "What Hope for Dead Loved Ones". 

After her door John got a man that said he didn't have much time but spoke to Jehovah's Witnesses in the past and would like him to come back. It was a really good day.

After service we took a tea and cookie break and John and Zaha let everyone know that was out that they would be moving back to Germany and would start pioneering together. This was wonderful but sad news as we would miss them but we now have someone to visit in Germany!

Later that night we went to eat at a friends house in Tallaght, Michelle, and played a game that I just forgot the name of but was fun. Oh wait Rummikub is the name. Brandon, the brother from Port Charlotte FL was back and another sister which I can't believe I just forgot her name was there as well.

Coming down from upstairs the ceiling was a bit low

Brandon

Jo and  Brandon

Michelle did an awesome job on the salmon - no salt added at all

I loved the sink a lot of character

Food and company was great and Michelle lives on the top of a hill in a bit of the country but that has a great view of the city. My cheap little camera doesn't do the view justice as you could see a good portion of Dublin from where she lives.

Great view of city that this picture can not begin to communicate