Adjusted Again

Hey Everyone,

I guess it's time for an update again. Sorry for those of you who haven't heard from me in a while, I hope to get writing soon enough.

So I've been back a couple weeks now and still no prospect of employment in sight. I'm doing my last round of job hunting tomorrow, so if you could pray that I'd get something that will challenge me, cause me to learn and also earn a bit of money, I' d appreciate it.

It's been good being back. I'm sort of fully here now. That doesn't mean I'm not missing people cause I am, but I'm slowly finding my feet here again. The challenge is to learn how to live here with all the changes that have happened in my life and my world view over the past 4 years. Probably the hardest part of it is realizing that I'm very insulated by where I live. The immigrant communities and traditionally "poorer" areas are on the complete other side of the city. That doesn't mean there isn't brokenness in my own area but that it just won't be as visible and is harder to find. Pray that I'll come into relationships where I can serve and be served, where I can be challenged to walk deeper in my faith. Most of all please pray that I'll be following Christ were he's leading me this summer.

About a week ago, I was fortunate enough to have a visit from two friends from Wheaton. David Michael, and Jon Knoche (strangely enough both are half European, David half Swedish and Jon half German....didn't know that till they came), anyway they're both over in Oxford studying for the summer under Dr. David Cook who teaches the rest of the year at Wheaton. They wanted a break from the Oxford life for a few days (can you blame them?) and so they came over to visit me in Dublin. We spent the time seeing the sights (many of which I'd never been to before). We stopped by the James Joyce Museum, a tower where he lived and which inspired the opening scene of his book Ulysses. Then we went off to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College (thanks Aprile for getting us in for free!). This is an ancient Celtic illustrated manuscript of the Bible. It's amazing because of the detail in the artwork, some of the detail is only visible at a micro-scopic level. Next we went to the Chester Beaty Library, which is a museum set up by this rich American, who got his money in pretty atrocious ways (i.e. diamond mining in Sierra Leone), and then spent it all attaining some amazing historical artifacts, including some of the earliest copies of new testament manuscripts.

We ended that day with a trip to the Guinness Factory. they only let you in the old part, and so don't see it actually getting made, but the tour ends with a free pint and incredible 360 degree views of the city from a pub in a giant tower. It was great having the two of them over. My parents really liked them too.... which is always a bonus.



Here's one of us at the Guinness Brewery at St. James's Gate (my first time here).