Back to the Cross – Impact Ireland 2009

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

“Back to the cross” was more than a theme for the 50 people who took part in OM Ireland’s “Impact Ireland” outreach this summer.   The message of the cross made an impact in the lives of participants from 11 different nations as well as the dozens of children, young people and adults they met in Ireland.

Four days of teaching and preparation on board Logos Hope in Cork launched the two-week outreach.  Bible studies with Peter Mead helped participants gain a deeper understanding of what the cross of Jesus means to each one of us.  And opportunities for prayer, team building and outreach in Cork city centre set the tone for the rest of the programme.

Six teams left the ship on Saturday 11 July; travelling to Athlone, Athenry, Tullamore, Sligo and Navan to work alongside local churches.  The seventh team, led by OM Ireland director Mike Mullins stayed on board the ship until Monday 13 July when they set off on foot to walk from Cork to Rahara (home of OM Ireland’s headquarters Lacken House) carrying a 12 foot wooden cross.

Running children’s clubs and youth programmes, cleaning up litter and painting walls, handing out gospel tracts and sharing their faith on the streets, through laughter and tears, enduring sickness and blisters, the teams took every opportunity to demonstrate and share the message of the cross.

OM Ireland’s Big Red Bus travelled to four of the towns, joining the teams to reach out in shopping centres, parks and housing estates.

At the end of the outreach, reunited at Lacken House, the teams shared and celebrated all that God had done in and through their lives – it was more than anyone could have thought or even imagined!!

This is the story of our journey ‘back to the cross’…

In Tullamore, County Offaly the team worked alongside the local Presbyterian Church to run a children’s holiday club.  Over 40 children crowded eagerly into the church hall for a ‘pirate’ adventure with lessons from the book of Philippians. 

We are family!
When I first met my team… well to be honest, I was dreading it.  Yet God showed me every single day that Christians truly are brothers and sisters in Christ; the fighting, bickering and unpleasantness that would be normal from non Christians never materialised.  God showed me that He expects me to be a loving example of Jesus, just as my team mates were to me (even though I did not deserve it).  

Thankful
While leading the 4 – 6 year olds, Ann asked the children if they knew who Jesus was.  One little girl said she did not. “While they were colouring a picture of Jesus and the disciples I explained who Jesus is and why I love him,” Ann shared. 

The little girl, who had been difficult to handle all week, listened for the first time.  After Ann finished she asked if anyone wanted to pray and say thank you to Jesus for anything.  The little girl was the first and only volunteer.   She made a whole list of things she was grateful for and thanked Jesus for her life, family and for the cross!

Helpful!
Team leader, Kimmy from America struck up a friendship with one helpful eight-year-old.  The boy was quick to hand out supplies.  When he brought in a pirate book to show the team, Kimmy was so impressed with his reading skills that she challenged him to read the Bible.  At the end of the week, the church presented him with his own Bible.  “He absolutely loved it!” Kimmy said.  “He showed up to church on Sunday with his mum and had read all of Philippians and was anxious to read more.”

***
The team in Athlone ran three children’s clubs each day in three different locations around the town.   They were amazed how just one week could make a dramatic difference in the lives of over 80 children!!

The only one…
One team member shared, “One of the simple but amazing things I saw this week was with one of the boys who was a troublemaker.  This boy swore and threw stones at us but on the second day when we asked who knew the Bible verse he was the only one who could say it! God promised that His word will not return to Him void and I’m holding on to this promise for this boy.” 

Scared
One little boy was always at the club but often did not want to participate in the things we were doing.  He even was scared of entering the Big Red Bus at first.  On Friday when Sigi was walking home from the park, the boy stood there beside the fence and was looking sad.  Sigi raised her hand to say, “Give me five,” and he did. 

Then he came over the fence and hugged her.  Sigi invited him to come to the family party that evening.  He thought his mum wouldn’t let him go but he and one other boy were the only ones who showed up for the party!

Transformed
The team was running a children’s club on a playground next to a housing estate.  The playground was littered with empty beer cans, broken glass and rubbish.  After the second club, the team worked together with the children to clean up the playground.  In a short while, it was transformed from a rubbish dump into an attractive and safe play area! 

***
The small town of Athenry in County Galway was home to an enthusiastic and creative international team.  Using their skills in dance, music and skateboarding, the team members built relationships with local children and young people.  But they were all amazed when picking up litter made the greatest impact of all!!

Preaching without words
“When I read the schedule for the week and found out that we have to tidy up the town, I really felt like: ‘No!!! This is exactly what I don’t want to do!!’” said Karen from Germany. 

She was not the only one.  Mikko from Finland shared, “First I thought, ‘Is this really how we preach the gospel?’  As I picked those beer cans and bottles (and there were plenty of them) I was thinking – ‘what am I doing here?’”

“Before we did it I thought it would not make any difference at all because our main aim is to share the gospel,” Karen said.  “But God taught me that sometimes the weirdest works leave the biggest impression.  Because when we walked through the town later everybody was impressed that we tidied up a part nobody cares about.  Especially because we did it for free.  And this gave us many opportunities to share the gospel.”

And Mikko added, “When we’d done our work we got amazing feedback from the people living in the town.  I think that we really preached the gospel when we were cleaning up – I saw that “actions speak louder”!!”

Chance encounter?
Heather and Kerstin met an older man named James as he was walking his dog.  Although struggling to understand his accent they invited him to their concert.  He explained he was unable to attend because he needed to care for his sick mother so Heather and Kerstin offered to pray for him. 

“I found out later that he comes regularly into the bookshop the church runs in the town,” Heather said.

***

A small team of four people worked alongside the Baptist church in Sligo running a children’s club that attracted up to 40 youngsters each day.   Their hard work was rewarded when 10 children turned up to church on the final Sunday of the outreach!

Unexpected
After the Sligo team gave out copies of the ‘wordless book’ to children who attended their club they were amazed to see two of the youngsters sharing the story with a man in a local shop.

“I thought we were here to bless others, and yet we were blessed; I thought we were doing the work for the Lord and yet He included the kids in His salvation plan,” commented Gavin from Hong Kong. 

Short time – lasting impression
Hadassah from Australia got chatting with a 15-year-old girl who came to the Big Red Bus in Sligo and shared quite deeply about God and the message of the cross.  Saying goodbye on the final night, the girl became ‘teary’.  She told Hadassah she had cystic fibrosis and only got out of hospital for a short period each day.  She had spent that time with the team!

“I was able to leave her with a Jesus DVD and a flyer,” Hadassah said.  “She prayed with me on the last night – her first time ever to pray.”

***

The team based in Navan, County Meath quickly coined the nickname “Impaint Ireland” when they discovered they would be spending most of the week with a paintbrush or roller in hand.  The team helped the church to paint a local crèche, old people’s home and rehabilitation centre as well as the brand new church building (one a car repair workshop).

Impaint Ireland
At times some of the team members struggled to understand how their practical service could be of value but unknown to them, their actions were leaving a more lasting impression than a coat of paint.

“You are a real God-send,” one man told the church pastor as the team worked away.  “You are right,” the pastor answered, “God did send us to help you!”

Another man was overwhelmed, trying to thank the team and the church for their work.  On that occasion, the pastor explained, “You don’t need to thank us.  We just want to show God’s love!”

United
 “I felt really blessed that I got to be on a team that got to impact Ireland in a different way,” said Jana from the USA.  “By painting everyday and gardening we all came closer together and I believe God taught us all unity.  We were all from different places but united in spirit.”

When the town said, “No!”
The team had spent the whole week looking forward to the visit of the Big Red Bus and the chance to share the gospel with children in a local park.  But minutes before the programme was due to start the park-keeper refused permission for the bus to come in.  A visit to the town council in search of another venue also failed.

In desperation, the team drove the bus into a housing estate where it was welcomed with open arms by the local community.  Over 40 children joined in the games and crafts and crowded onto the bus for a puppet show.

One parent, who was visiting the estate, invited the team to visit her neighbourhood the following day.  “We can’t come tomorrow but we can come tonight if you would like us to,” explained Junior de Larina who leads OM Ireland’s Big Red Bus ministry.

The woman was delighted, even after Junior emphasised that the team would share Bible stories.  And when the bus arrived (a few minutes late) for the evening programme, a whole crowd of children was waiting!!

***
A dream became a reality for OM Ireland Director Mike Mullins when he led a small team of five people from the Logos Hope in Cork to Lacken House in County Roscommon carrying a 12 foot wooden cross.  Along the way, the Cross Team stopped to talk with dozens of people – praying for them and sharing the reason for their long walk and blistered feet!

God went ahead of us
“I was amazed to see daily how God was going ahead of us and preparing towns,” said Kyla.  “It seemed that in each town we were in just the right place at the right time.  There were times when it seemed we were really off our planned course or schedule but discovered we were exactly where God wanted us to be.  He had the plan and it was an amazing plan.”

Worth it!
After a long day the team eventually made it to Limerick and sat down to rest their feet, enjoy a lovely meal and prepare for a good night’s sleep.  Then around 10.30 Mike Mullins received a call from a Brazilian pastor friend asking him to come to the city centre and meet some friends. 

“When I got there we all chatted on the street outside Supermac’s,” Mike explained.  “After some time, a young man approached me and asked for some money. We got talking and I asked his age.  He had just turned 20 the previous Thursday and on that day actually stood on a bridge in Limerick and contemplated suicide.  He felt that no one would miss him, that no one loved him.  He had been beaten up many times and was struggling with addiction.

Mike told him, “I walked all the way from Cork to tell you God loves you and sent His son to die for you.”  The young man gave his heart to the Lord.  “We celebrated by having a meal together in Supermac’s,” Mike said.

The power of the cross
“It was amazing to see God move so powerfully during the walk,” shared Tim.  “I’ve seen His heart for Ireland.  The cross – not the wooden thing we carried but the sacrifice Christ made for us - is so powerful and life changing.  It is beautiful to see the lost become chosen.”