14^th September 2006

Dear All,

How’s it going? Hope this letter finds you well!

I’ve had too much coffee to drink and as a result I find myself in a constant state of awakeness at the moment! I don’t know how long it’s going to last for but while it does I thought Id write a prayer letter! Not really sure how these things are meant to go but I’m just gonna write and as I do I might slip in a few points for prayer so keep your eyes peeled and underline all items for prayer in red biro!!

As it says on the back of the postcard (its all about the postcards at the moment- more later) ‘Dun Laoghaire is a vibrant exciting place; a melange of the old and new.’ and it sure is that! Every day I walk into town to hang out @my office (usually a coffee shop) and there is buzz about the town.  There are buskers almost everyday playing quality music, last week saw native Americans in town doing last of the Mohican style music and on Sunday, by the harbour, Punch and Judy were beating each other up! There is plenty to do and see here! I’m also 15minutes away on the Dart from Dublin City centre and I’m looking forward to going to hear my first gig in Dublin next Saturday (Duke Special is in town!).  Apparently Michael Jackson is renting in Dun Laoghaire and has had made a few appearances at the local book store.  Bono, the Edge and Sinead O’Connor live round the corner but my celebrity spotting hasn’t been successful!  Bono is recording his new album at the moment but assures me when he gets home he’ll have me over for dinner!

At the moment it may sound like I’m having a bit of a holiday down here but I assure you that I am actually working!!

Started work on Sunday the 3^rd September in Dun Laogharie Presbyterian Church.  I will be primarily involved in youth work but may be asked to contribute to other areas of church life!  At the moment I’m just meeting and greeting hence the heavy coffee drinking!  I was out for coffee with the children’s worker in a neighbouring church today and I was giving out about my coffee hang over.  She told me that it was ok to drink tea and it wouldn’t appear wimpy if I didn’t drink coffee like the others, but when in Dun Laoghaire do as the Dun Laoghairians!!

I am meeting loads of new people and hopefully next week ill be meeting with a few of the other youth workers in the town to see what they have been up to and also to steal their well thought out ideas!!

As I’m working with the youth I’ll tell you a bit about them.  I have about six ‘regular attenders’ ranging from the age of 11 to 16 so compared to what I’m used to its quite small.  Although its small its great because I can get to know them better and if I can work closely with this small group caring and discipling them then they can then go and tell others about Jesus and that’s how I envisage the growth of our group!  They are a lively and enthusiastic bunch and I would love you to pray that God would continue to bless our relationship with each other at this early stage.

There is also a large number of young people who, for one reason or the other aren’t attending church or youth stuff any more.  So my job for the next we while is to go and visit them and their parents and try and get them involved! I was right up for this task until I phoned a few parents and now I’m quite scared.  So please pray for me as I go from house to house that ill be able to strike up a chord with these families and get the opportunity to tell them about my faith.

One of my biggest frustrations at the moment is driving! For those of you who know me and have driven with me you will know that this is quite an experience but driving in Dublin is a whole different ball game! I’m constantly getting lost and beeped at for stopping at the end of junctions for too long to study a map! I have added an extra addition of scrapes to my car as I drove into some scaffolding that was supporting the church (don’t tell my dad!)  But yeah driving at the mo is a concern of mine so please pray for safety and patience for other road ragers!!

Most of the young people associated with the church live out side Dun Laoghaire but I’m a quite excited about the opportunity that lies with the young people in Dun Laoghaire itself! As I walk to town everyday I walk through a council housing area and there are generally loads of young people hanging out there at night! So far I have only managed to say Hi to a group of young guys playing football to which I got the response ‘weirdo’.  I think we are going to hit it off just fine lol! I would appreciate your prayers in this because it’s hard to know how to go about getting to know these young people in a non weirdo way!

There have been a few changes in the life of the church over the past couple of weeks when Dun Laoghaire Presbyterian saw its first church plant with the launch of Saturday@5.  Saturday@5 seeks to reach those in the local community by exploring the big questions about life and faith over a great cup of coffee and to invite people to be a part of a community in which they feel welcome.  This is a big step for the church and I would love you to pray for Andrew Smith (our minister) as he leads in this venture!  Our prayer as a core group is that 1. People will come 2. People will feel welcome but most importantly 3. People in the area will come to faith in God whether through this venture or by other means.

Although I miss home loads I am really beginning to feel part of this little town! I have also learnt loads from Andrew Smith through his teaching on a Saturday and as he seeks to train me in my work!  I am also growing in other ways- mainly my waist as I’m constantly going out for lunch and coffee and Tara (Andrew’s wife) keeps leaving me pancakes and muffins on my window still!  I’m am also becoming a DIY queen, battling with fuse boxes and broken taps! And I think I have also over come my fear of spiders.  My house is leaping with them, which makes sense because mid September is mating season (I haven’t had a TV for three weeks now, so I read the paper and can now recite random useless facts!) Did you know that only 6 species of spiders in Ireland can break human skin by biting and only 2 species do this on a regular basis! Now isn’t that reassuring! But any way, me and the spiders are learning to live in harmony, I just get a little bit peeved when they find there way into my bed!

Sorry I didn’t mean to babble on for so long but my mind is being controlled by the effects of caffeine and it’s on overdrive!  If I didn’t lose you on the first paragraph I would love you to do one more thing for me.  This is for no particular reason but for my own amusement!  …….

…… Last night I couldn’t get to sleep (coffee induced awakness!) so I decided I would get up and create a mosaic on my hall wall of all the postcards that I owned. It turned out to take quite a while and it really is shaping up to be a bit of a master piece.  I went to the World Café today were they have loads of free funky looking postcards which I gathered up and added to my collection but there is still some wall space.  So this is where you guys come in… If you want to add your personal touch to my master piece just send me a postcard.  The funkier, the artier the better and if anyone can get me a postcard of Lurgan they get a special prize!  You can get free promotional postcards in some pubs and clothes shops so be on the lookout and join me in the creation of this master piece!  They say if you smile you will receive a smile back so if you send me a postcard and put your address on it you will receive one back!!  Also just be careful what you say in these post cards because postmen always reads them and all my post goes to the manse because the post man couldn’t be bothered walking a few extra feet to get to my house!!

Thanks for your continued support and prayers I miss you all and look forward to hearing from you! 

Lots of Love Rachel xxxx

My address : The Coach House, Dun Laoghaire Presbyterian Church, York Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.

PS.  Rhoda Moore (formally of Lurgan) is now working in Malahide Presbyterian Church so please remember her to! Ill maybe get her to write to you guys too!