You can check out photos from our recent outreach to South Africa here.

We’ve also added some thumbnail links to other videos we’ve created in the video section.

‘Redemption & Reconciliation: Heart of Christian Worldview’ Peter Adams from YWAM Ireland on Vimeo.

We were about twenty five people that week, meeting in a couple different locations on the Shankill in Belfast. Usually, this annual conference is held in the summer, so our group was perhaps not as diverse as normal, since most people would be busy during the weekdays in November. However, we were a nice combination of YWAM Belfast staff and volunteers, YWAM Harpenden School of Humanities, and Sword of the Sprit gap-year volunteers. In all, we represented the nations of England, New Zealand, USA, Rwanda, Cameroon, Turkmenistan, Norway, Central African Republic, Lebanon, the Netherlands, and Ireland. A good mix, anyways.

Jonny Clark (Director, YWAM Ireland & YWAM Belfast) led us through a brief but meaningful examination of Irish history to set a practical context for our surroundings and the teaching we would have. Our primary guest speaker was Peter Adams (http://www.reconciliationtalk.com), who is involved in reconciliation work in England and overseas. He spoke at length about peacemaking as part of the Christian mission, as well as God’s plan for the reconciliation of all things, and how we participate in that – in relating to people and in speaking about Jesus. He used many stories about his work in Luton (England) with the Muslim community and his work in places like China and the Middle East.

In the afternoons, there were field-trips to community projects around Belfast to see how various groups engaged with the needs of this city. The purpose of these outings were to inspire and spark ideas, as well as connect the teaching with practical application.

[The video at the top was taken at the conference, and I pieced it together from a 75-min talk Peter Adams presented on God's plan of ultimate redemption for all of creation and our call to participate in it (Vimeo - about 30 min.).]

Peter’s blog: reconciliationtalk.com

Creideamh (pronounced something like kray-jiff, the Irish word for faith) was dubbed the Festival of Faith and hosted a couple hundred people from around Ireland and the world for an outreach in Galway for fifteen days this July. We came along with several other people representing YWAM Ireland to help with the facilitation of the festival and its events – our members doing everything from planning and administration, to electrical work for setting up the festival gazebo on Eyre square, to hosting the various artists who came to perform for the festival.

Renee and I primarily took over the management of festival operations at a local restaurant after its normal closing time, feeding all the festival teams each evening and helping run the festival’s public entertainment venue there, where we hosted musicians, magicians, mimes, and testimony-tellers every night.

Creideamh seemed to have largely been a success. The volunteers got on well and feedback from the community was positive. Teams met in the morning for services, followed by lunch and training, and then would spread out across Galway according to their ministry – ranging from engaging people in discussions about faith to kid’s ministry in local parishes. The artists would perform around town, sometimes on the street, and sometimes in a handful of festival venues.

Well, I could go on, but I suggest you just check out the photos I’ve uploaded to this site (which were also put on the YWAM Ireland Facebook Page, I think), as well as the YouTube video of a member of YWAM England escaping from a straight jacket during Creideamh.

Also check out some of the artists who worked the festival:

• L’Angelus – cajun roots band from Louisiana
• Flip Francis and Sammy Blaze – hip-hop artists from Dallas, TX.
• Crossing the Jordan (CTJ) – band of musicians from four continents, based with YWAM in Harpenden, England.
• Yan Nicholls (E-team) – magician, escape artist, and evangelist based with YWAM in England.
• Collin and Halie (E-team) – acoustic music duo based with YWAM in England.
• Steve Murray – mime artist.

More info at Creideamh website.

Anyways, check it out:

YWAM Ireland now has it’s own YouTube channel. Check it out.

More recently, Vusi is known in his community as an entrepreneur, community activist, and strong man of faith, and was even featured last year in a documentary by MTV Australia. In the last few years, Vusi has also been a friend and a resource to DTS outreach teams from Belfast. As well, Renee and I were hoping to bring a team of locals this August for a couple weeks to Durban and work with him and some of his partners (as some of you may know), but that is looking somewhat unlikely at this point.

Anyways, here are some videos you might find interesting:

How you can help: Consider partnering with Light Providers financially to foster empowerment in KwaNyuswa (bank transfer info is available on the Light Providers blog). As well, Vusi has expressed much interest in having someone design a website for the project. If you’re a skilled designer or even have some server space you’d like to donate, check out the links below and get in contact with Vusi.

Related Links

• Light Providers blog | YouTube page
• World Changers Academy site | on Wikipedia
• Newspaper article excerpt from South African newspaper on the WCA website about Vusi
• VukAfrica Tours – a community owned and run tour company started by Vusi.

Cultural Snapshot
YWAM Closkelt is situated in a rural farm community, and this is the time of year when the farmers fertilize the fields. In other words, tractors are criss-crossing the landscape with tanks filled with various animal feces in tow, replenishing the earth with its natural goodness. Today, the odour is particularly pungent, as the field across from our facilities is being repeatedly serviced (I think our friend is on his ninth trip), and the resulting mist is permeating the base choking the inhabitants (us). To make matters worse, farmers here generally don’t plow, so the matter will remain fresh and above ground. Fascinating!

An early spring?
We’ve been blessed with a gorgeous past week or so, with about two-thirds of the days clad in sunshine and decently temperate weather. In addition, the days are quickly getting longer; whereas a few weeks ago it was dark around 4:30 in the afternoon, the sun stays out until nearly seven these days. As a result, I’m thinking a lot about how much I love spring and summer in Ireland lately.

In any case, I’m amazed at how much weather affects the human creature. Morale always seems better when the weather pleasantly surprises. I think I probably hear laughter more often.
Or perhaps I’m imagining things.