Noel and Rachel's Big Adventure: Week 14...

Happy New Year to you all! We hope you are enjoying 2013 so far!

A great Christmas was had by all down here, made extra special and festive with my mum’s visit! We made as much traditional Irish food as we could find and enjoyed celebrating with other club friends in the city. It was lovely to wander the city as a tourist with mum and to generally be encouraged by her presence.

Encouragements:
We got warm clothes from Ireland! This week the temperature at night is the same as Ireland’s so we’re a bit chilly as it is also that temperature indoors for us!

School is going well. Noel’s work at the centre is also going well. THANK YOU all for your prayers!

We are visiting a new school in the mountains next week to do crafts with the 45 children who attend. We love getting to bring joy to these kids!

Noel: I’ve managed to blag my way into training at the stadium with the local football team. Its not the Aviva stadium or anything but it is a full size pitch that “ ACTUALLY” has grass. Training with this team allows me meet and mix with a full squad of 28 players plus staff / mentors / supporters etc.

My (Rachel's) “youth group” took me for a tour of the city this week! They’re great girls. Please pray that with the lack of language I will have an opportunity to share the good new with them.

I got a new iPhone. This seems trivial but I have been so lost without it for contacting people at home and for school work. I am so, so delighted and so, so, so grateful for those who gifted me with this huge blessing. You are amazing.

Points for your thought:
I am struggling with the hassle I get in the streets. Please pray that I will not let it get to me and that it will get less and less with time.

Language learning is going so-so at the moment as we get back into it after the Christmas break. Please pray for motivation!

General exasperation! We’ve had several “bad luck” situations with our house, from the water to the boiler to the electricity to the noise pollution. And getting assistance is hard because time and appointments mean very little here. Pray that we won’t let the little things get to us!

No January blues please! With the many frustrations and generally missing all of you, please pray that we won’t get down :)