SOULS

'Welcome to Texas' I heard as I walked sheepishly through the 3rd point of security. Having just completed a 'pond jump' from London to Dallas, lasting 11 hours, with our total travel time lasting nearly 23 hours, it was safe to say, I didn't know whether I was 'blown up or stuffed'! (Belfast definition for: 'I was confused, exhausted and hungry.')

Jonathan's sister picked us up from the airport, greeting us with a huge welcoming, "Yeeooooo!!" (Which for us Belfast folk, can mean a plethora of things, depending on stance, tone and context... But in this case it meant "Hey! I see you! Welcome! I'm so glad you've finally arrived!". (I know, us Northerners can be extremely vague sometimes haha.)

The first thing I noticed were the massive American flags which floated proudly in the warm Dallas wind as we drove out of the airport. Our next stop was Chick-fill-A which tasted like a slice of heaven after such a long journey, before crashing on the sofa.

Everything is SO big here, from cars to coke cans...I don't think I've eaten so many chips or drank so much diet coke in my life, as I have during this trip. Waitresses just keep giving me FREE refills and more chips, how can you say no? I've also never been around so many Christians before. In Ireland there are 0.6% born-again Christians, so (if my math is correct) for every group of 471 people, there are about 2 Christians. I've been overwhelmed with the amount of Christian resources that exist here in Texas, not to mention the plethora of churches which pop up around nearly every corner. Back in Ireland, our nearest Christian book centre is in Dublin, about 2 hours from Waterford, and shipping isn't great to the South of Ireland. It's difficult to get our youth a Bible, or a devotional book in Ireland. It's safe to say I've been stocking up on books and Bibles!

God has richly blessed Texas with church family, I hope we never take that for granted. Back home, our students and young people struggle to find another person their age who believes the same as they do, but by the power of Holy Spirit, in Jesus name, we are claiming back the city and people for Christ, one person at a time.

Every . soul . counts. Jonathan and I got to take part in Heavens Gates and Hells flames, a production that Cornerstone Amarillo put on recently. The leader of the production kept us focused throughout the three nights by shouting, "What are we here for?" and we would reply, "souls!". That's one of the many things I'll take back with me to Ireland.

Why are we in Ireland?

SOULS.

Our trip has been an absolute blessing. Apart from spending time with family during thanksgiving, I've been able to meet and connect with so many friends from Amarillo, Dumas, Borger and Wheeler. To say that I feel blessed would be an understatement. Before meeting Jonathan, I would have never dreamt of travelling the whole way to Texas, never mind being able to chat, pray and serve with you all, or shoot a gun!

Praise God for the fun times, and the tough times. Praise God for healing his children. Praise Holy Spirit for moving radically through the souls of those who heard the Gospel. Praise Jesus for dying on the cross so that we didn't have to. Praise God for constant provision, blessing and faithfulness. Praise God for family. Praise God for transforming lives through the power of His Word. Praise God that He uses us for building His Kingdom.