I just got back from going to Northern Ireland for my third summer and I have to say this was probably the best trip I've had. God worked in so many amazing ways and our team worked with so many wonderful people. From the people on my team to the people we worked with, there is something just so unique and special about the people there.

The church that we worked with in Belfast, Northern Ireland is called Newtownbreda Baptist Church and they truly are such an amazing church. We worked with them on a week long sports camp and it was such a beautiful thing. They had such a heart and a passion for the people in their community and it was a great example to be a part of. This camp was able to impact over 400 kids and working with the kids and getting to know them was amazing. We were even able to lead 15 kids to Christ. Just being able to connect with these local families through sports was a really unique thing to be able to do.

We even spent some of our time down in Dublin doing homeless ministry with the Dublin Christian Mission and just being able to sit and talk with people and hear their story was such a wonderful experience. The fact that people there want to just sit and have a full on conversation with you and they want to list and be listened to is something that is so beautiful.

I have spent a couple summer there now doing ministry and I have come to the same conclusion every time, especially when it comes to evangelizing. First off, their culture is a very face to face, storytelling culture, so there is a lot of conversations that go on. Secondly, when it comes to evangelizing, for the most part, people know who God is. Especially with how much of a religious background that Ireland/Northern Ireland has. But it is not so much the fact that people know God, it is more the fact that people don't want God. They have been hurt by the church or other Christians and it is something that they just don't want to deal with. This is the unfortunate thing because yes Christians and the Church can suck, but at the beginning of it all, it's about you and your relationship with God. So let's start there with how amazing God is and then get you connected into the right community.

Over the years, these people have captured my heart and I absolutely love that fact that they are so open and welcoming. Northern Ireland is a place that truly holds a piece of my heart and I wouldn't want it any other way. I love being able to go over and serve and get to know the people there. There is always something that can be learnt from any kind of experience like this, but for me, the people are the most important part.