Back to the Emerald Isle

Last year I fell in love with Ireland, I loved the people I was working with, the city, my church there. Heck I even in some ways loved the sometimes gross or grueling tasks I was asked to do because I knew that I was contributing to something I believed in. Nothing has changed in the months that I have been home, I still believe in what Dublin Christian Mission (DCM) does with the youth in Dublin.

Coolest playground ever  that we have on camp.

The staff  have an incredible love for the communities that they work in, they pour their lives into what they do and I learned so much from them last year. DCM is a privately funded organization,which means that they rely and need volunteers in order to run many of the amazing programs that they offer for the people they work with.This is most especially true in the summer when they run 8 different camps for a week straight in the Wicklow Mountains. With this in mind I am going back to Ireland for the summer, I will be participating in likely participating in 5 different camps over the course of the summer. 

Everything the volunteers need for camp

I am going back for a thousand different reasons, everything from the knowledge that they need help to the fact that I want to continue my connection to many of the youth that I worked with last year. I want to continue to be a cheerleader to the many of girls that will pass through the camps this summer. I want to get to get to know the girls better because they are incredible and I love getting to be a hopefully positive person in their lives. I want to go back so that I can learn more from the incredible youth workers who have spent all year with them encouraging them, teaching them, and at dealing with the messy parts of life with them. Like I said a thousand different reasons. 

Our homes for the summer. This also falls into
the heavy lifting category

I am going back but the reality is that I can't do it alone. I need help, I need support. I need people praying for me because the realities of the camps are that they are really hard (think 2-4 hrs sleep a night), its emotionally draining, and its at times physically demanding. Last year it was only by the grace of God that I made it through and this summer will be the same. Now for the unpleasant part I will also need financial help, I will not be paid for being there. I will have to pay for rent, food, some transportation and camp. I will in another blog do a basic break down of costs.

Thank you all for your support on previous trips, I truly could not do what I do if it weren't for the love and support that I get from so many people. I cannot wait for us to face this next adventure together.

This is long enough for today, please be watching for more information over the coming weeks and days.