Please . . . No More Settling

I think (and hope) that we’re near the end of the initial phase of settling in to life in Ireland. Actually, every time I think we’re almost there, more “settling” type things need to happen. Just the word itself is starting to rub me wrong. I’ve never assembled so many household items in such a short amount of time – from office desk and chair to vacuum cleaner and lawn mower. And speaking of lawn mowers, the grass in our garden (Americans, read “yard”) was so high by the time our landlords got the mower to us, I’ve filled about 9 large garden bags just this week. (And the landlords actually got the mower to us sooner than they originally said they would.) The mower that we were given is really nice . . . but I digress.

Kristy and I went to our local health club to inquire about a membership. It’s a nice club, decked out with a café, a pool and spa area, free weights, more cardio machines than I’ve seen in one place, and a hair salon. It’s a little spendy, but I’m not sure there are too many other options close to us.

This next Monday, I meet up with Irish church leader and theologian, Fergus Ryan. He’s done a tonne of research into the history of the Catholic church in Ireland, as well as other historical and cultural issues. He’ll be a great source of knowledge and understanding of the current spiritual environment here.

I’m also looking forward to visiting our local Catholic church to get an idea of what Irish Catholicism looks like and what 46% of Irish people are experiencing in that facet of Irish culture. (That percentage is much lower in the Dublin area, I’ve been told.)

Things that have been on my mind lately, in the midst of the "settling" (*shiver* - there it is again):

• The profound responsibility that the church has to serve the poor and the marginalized in society.
• The potential for "church" to be redefined at it's core as a network of relationships, void of the oftentimes distracting elements of church buildings and stage-centred Sunday services.
• The tension that American ex-pats (particularly in ministry) live with regarding their home country. Many grow embittered about the U.S. and still others grow more obnoxiously patriotic and defensive of their home country. Just wondering if the balance is found in allowing one's identity to be more defined by eternal things than by earthly nationalistic paradigms. Our eternal citizenship elsewhere gives us plenty of reason for critique of any and every nation and culture on the earth, including those claiming to be a "Christian nation." Much more to be said on that. For another time.

A Little Coincidence

Came across this remix of a scene from "Garden State" today. Coincidentally came across this picture on Flickr. See the connection? (HT: my lovely wife, who came across the YouTube clip while reading this article.)

Another small coincidence happened today. Kristy and I found ourselves broken down by the side of the road. Near a MacDonalds. Just a few short months after breaking down in my father-in-law's Crown Vic in Monument, CO. Near a MacDonalds.

So we called a tow truck and they took us to the dealership where we got the car less than a month ago. They'll have it fixed tomorrow afternoon. Never really occured to me that I might have a problem with a car that came off the assembly line two years ago.

Big shout out to Matt Kingsley for driving out to give us a lift back home.

Up for Air

Back in the game with internet access . . . at least for today. Kristy and I are watching the Covell's kids while they're at the Ryder Cup practice day with Rod & Dawn Taylor, so we're borrowing their broadband connection while we're here. Hope to have internet access hooked up at the new house on Friday.

Things are coming along nicely. We've got most of the boxes unpacked and 85% of our stuff put away. Yesterday, we were in the city trying to get a vehicle tax disk and trading my UK driver's licence in for an Irish one (neither of which we were successful at, for various reasons).

When I got home and read a newspaper, I realized that the Dublin Fringe Festival has been going for a few days. One of the most brilliant things they're doing is a series of live "geurilla style" art installations whereby artists perform various eye-catching artistic feats randomly throughout the city. Yesterday, shortly after Kristy and I were headed out of the city centre, someone dumped pink dye (eco-safe) into the River Liffey. I'm telling you - Dublin is one artistic place!

I'll try to write more and post some pictures this weekend.

Off to the New House Today

Today, we move into our new rental home, so it's a good day! It may take a while to get broadband service, so there may be some "web silence" from us until then. I'm sure we'll be able to find some free Wi-Fi somewhere in the meantime.

Yesterday, I got a call from our man who's been working with Irish customs to get our container to us. Surprisingly, he said that there had been no problems and that they could deliver the containter on Friday morning! This came as a huge relief to us since we had heard that Irish customs may require proof of our residence in the U.S. for more than 6 months, like utility bills. Of course, all of those kinds of records are on the container. It wouldn't have been impossible to work through, just a headache and a delay.

So after being in our new place for one night, our belongings will arrive on our front doorstep the next morning. As you can see, we are being taken care of! From our house search to our temporary housing to the container arriving in good time, God's hand has been in it all. Big shout out to those of you who've been faithfully praying for us. Keep it up! We've only begun to get settled in to life and service in Ireland.

It's Just Temporary

Temporary Housing

We've really appreciated the temporary place that we've been staying in, however lacking it may be in modern day conveniences. What's not in the video is a shot of our "refrigerator," which actually just a cooler that we try to keep filled with ice. Also, we were able to replace the light bulbs in the loo. So we got that goin' for us. Which is nice.

Thursday is moving day.

Ireland Tour Pics

I've posted some pics from our road trip last week. (click here) Lots to share about it, but haven't had time nor reliable internet connection to blog much. Once we get moved in to our rental home this Thursday and have had a chance to get broadband sorted out, things will get a little more consistent.

This week, our goal is to persuade a bank to let us open an account without having to prove our address with a utility bill, since we don't have one yet (and won't for a good three months after we've been living there). We've got pressure on us by the estate agent and the landlord to set up a bank account with a dirct debit to pay our monthly rent, as stipulated in the lease. Of course, they know we can't get a bank account without proof of address in a utility bill, but have essentially said, "Figure it out." Hmmmm . . . . somebody's gotta give.

The New Wellcome Bungalow

At long last, Kristy and I have a rental home! We put a security deposit down and met the landlords on Wednesday.

We were pretty confident about the house (a one-story, three bedroom bungalow), but wanted to drop by on Wednesday to see the garage which had been locked up the first day we saw it. The only way that it was going to work was if we could use the garage to store two of the beds that come with the house, as well as our big couch.

We had already scheduled one other appointment to see another property, so before we went over to the bungalow, we visited this other unfurnished house. Our hope was that it would be awful, so as to make it easy to choose the bungalow. Unfortunately, it was pretty sweet.

When we climbed the steep staircase to the converted loft (attic area converted to a room), I said to Kristy, “This is really nice.”

Through clenched teeth, Kristy said, “I know.”

She was thinking the same thing I was and she was a bit frustrated. After 2 weeks of looking at 20 places that didn’t work for one reason or another, here we were with two houses, the both of which would be great! As we discussed the two options and prayed about it, I told Kristy that our God seemed to be providing us with two really good options. All we needed to do was choose one. Its times like these that God’s goodness and abundance become so tangible.

After wrestling with our options and discussing things further with Sheryl Kingsley, who’s been a huge help throughout the process, we decided to go with the bungalow. The only problem now is that the place isn’t available until the 14th of September. So until then, we’ll be staying with some friends of friends in a large house in Foxrock. Early next week, we’ll probably take off to the countryside for a few days to get a feel for the rest of the country.

Big shout out to those of you who’ve been praying for our housing and all the other settling issues! Once we're able to get into the place on the 14th, I'll be sure to post pictures.

Greenbelt Talks & Shane Claiborne

Really looking forward to downloading some of this year's talks from the Greenbelt Festival.

I noticed that Shane Claiborne was also there this year. I'm currently reading through his book Irresistable Revolution at the moment (in between house hunting and all the other craziness). It's the kind of book that dares you to step out of your comfort zone and live like Jesus in ways that are foreign to the status quo of modern day Christianity. I can't read this book and just say that I liked it or that it was great book without also saying something about how my life needs to change to some degree - lest I be guilty of profound hypocrisy.

If I've captured your curiosity about the book, I dare you to read it.

Wellcome Immigrants in Dublin

The days continue to be full! Yesterday, we went into the city to get our immigration cards. We were warned that it usually takes 3+ hours of waiting in the immigration office, so we took the train in, reading material in hand. Five minutes after we took our numbers, they were called. Thirty minutes later, we walked out with our immigration cards – officially legal residents of the Republic of Ireland!

It gave us extra time to get out and see some of the city. The night before, we had seen the film Michael Collins with Jon and Stacey (highly recommended for anyone wanting to understand Irish history and culture) and the film starts with the Easter Rising incident at the General Post Office on O’Connell Street. With the film still fresh in our minds, we walked down O’Connell to the GPO, imagining what it was like 90 years ago.

After stopping by for lunch at the Bad Ass Café in the Temple Bar district (always a novelty, but certainly not the best food in Dublin), we headed over to Dublin Castle for a look around. The courtyard of the castle offered a special treat from Duthain Dealbh. They were sand sculptures created around a theme of the five senses. (Click on the picture below to see a bigger version. I'll try to post more pics on Flickr later on.)



Today, we look at a house for a second time to decide if it's the one for us. The more we think about this place, the more excited we get. And this particular estate agent has been great to work with. Stay tuned . . .

Weekend Break

On Saturday, we took a break from the house hunting and drove out to the ruins of an ancient Irish monastery called Clonmacnoise. You can view some pictures of our time here.

Sunday morning, we joined the Covell family (whom we're staying with) at their small church start-up called Ballycullen Community Church. In every church we've visited so far, we've been really blessed by the conversation with Irish Christ-followers who are keen to answer questions about their country and eager to help us get settled into life in Dublin. One book in particular that has come up several times in those conversations (Sunday included) has been The Pope's Children.

Sunday evening, we visited Core, a Church of Ireland congregation in the heart of Dublin. Historically a Protestant church with Anglo-Irish roots, the service we attended on Sunday evening was very creative, sincere, and worshipful. It's another resource that we hope to go back to at some point to get a feel for what God is doing in the country. It'll also be good to discover a Catholic congregation that is alive, vibrant, and active in the community. The perspective will likely be different and will give us a more holistic picture of the spiritual environment in contemporary Irish society.

Today we looked at another house that we really liked. And we may just be able to do work around the furniture issues, since it comes fully furnished. If it still doesn't work out, we've got several other places that we'll take a look at throughout the rest of the week.

Just when you thought Starbucks was overpriced . . .

Kristy and I dropped by the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in our sporty Seat 1.2 rental car today to purchase a mobile phone. On the way out we stopped by the world's most ubiquitous coffee shop. When the barista told me that my total for the tall drip coffee was €2.30, my jaw dropped wide open and I considered reminding her that I'd only asked for ONE. At the current exchange rate, that means I'm paying $2.94 here for something that costs a buck fifty in the States. Yer killing me.

Time to open some more Bewleys.

Car, Good to Go (house, not so much)

Today, we started out the day at Hertz to hire (“rent” in American English) a car, so it’s been good to feel a little extra freedom to get out on our own. Jon and Stacey Covell have been extremely hospitable and gracious in letting us stay with them while we look for a place of our own. (More on that below.) It’s been fun hanging out with them as well.

We also put a down payment on a car today. It’s a 2004 Opel Astra. Pretty much the same car I had in England, only 2 years newer, black, and a Saloon model (vs. a hatchback). Brought back good memories when I gave it a test drive. We also tried a 2002 Volkswagen Bora (which is a Jetta in the States), but it had some minor body damage and a few other small things on the negative end.

Finding a place to live is proving to be much more difficult. Aside from how expensive rent can be here, very few places are unfurnished and workable with the furniture we have on the way from Colorado. We’re also needing to limit ourselves to places that are within 10-15 minutes walk from the Luas or Dart tram lines into the city centre. So it feels like we’ve got a lot stacked against us, but there have been a few places that have come really close to meeting all the above criteria. And they say that landlords in Dublin will be coming home from their holidays in the next few days and posting their rental properties, so that’s something to be optimistic about.

Getting into a home is particularly significant because it's only when we have a utility bill that proves our address that we can also get such things as a bank account and mobile phones. Of course, it's also nice to have a place to live. =)

I'm also really eager to get into a place where we can start meeting our neighbours and discovering ways we can serve the community around us. One of the houses we looked at today had a single mother still living in it and Kristy and I both had the thought later that she looked like someone who could use some genuine friendship and attention.

First Sunday in Dublin

Had a great day yesterday, meeting lots of people and getting familiar with the areas of Dublin we’re looking in for a home. We started out the morning attending the Trinity Church service in the centre of Dublin. It was a lively modern/contemporary service of about 150+ people and the Trinity Church network is doing some great things in the Dublin area. (Click here to check them out on their website.)

After the service, I had a chance to meet Fergus Ryan (whom I blogged about a few weeks back. He had written a brilliant article on how European Catholicism hijacked Irish Christianity in a struggle for power.) I really hope to be able to connect with Fergus again to learn from him about Irish culture and what God is doing in the Irish church. He’s well-connected and a profound thinker regarding issues facing the Body of Christ. He seemed keen on getting together for lunch or coffee once we’ve had a chance to settle in.

We dropped by the Irish National Gallery for lunch (brilliant food, though a little on the spendy side) and on the way in, I spoke with an artist who was selling his paintings across the street from the gallery. He had some beautiful work leaning up against a park fence and I asked him if he’d had opportunity to show his work in any galleries in Dublin. He told me that it was just too expensive to show his stuff in a gallery and that he seemed to have great success just showing his work on the streets. I shared with him part of my dream of opening up an art house to showcase local artists and linking it to cyberspace and he seemed quite interested. People had experienced trouble finding him since he isn’t really based anywhere and doesn’t have a web site.

After lunch, we drove south out of the town centre and looked at various estate areas along the Luas tram line. In the evening, we dropped by Alan and Sheryl McElwee’s home who work with Christian Associates International and have developed the Serve the City project in Dublin. It was such a blessing to hear stories of what God is doing through their efforts and we’re really looking forward to collaborating with them in the future.

Today, it’s off to have a look at a 2002 Volkswagen Passat and then to view a rental home this evening.

Categories: life, Ireland

Back from Hungary

Yesterday we arrived back from the GEM Annual Conference, very ready to get settled in to life in Ireland. (Click here for pics of our time in Hungary and Austria.)

At the conference, it became quite clear that while the leadership and members of the organization have been straining to get onto the same page regarding it's mission and focus, they have clearly not been on the same page regarding it's ecclesiological foundation. In some ways it feels like the same ol' traditional mistake of parachurch organizations - "it's all about evangelism and the local church is merely one way of many ways to do it." This is a problem when many of us in the organization are saying, "It's all about the forming of disciples and the church is the mission." In this way, I think GEM is a microcosm of the issues facing the North American church. Much more on this later. But for now, it's time to find a home in Dublin.

Phil Kingsley (our friend and supervisor here) really wants us to find a place that is close to a train line for easy access into Dublin town centre, but also close enough to the M50 (orbital motorway around Dublin) to have easy access to other colleagues. So we're thinking that Rathfarnham or Dundrum are going to have to be it. We've found several places online in Rathfarnham that are within our budget and have 3 bedrooms.

On the car side of things, I'm just waiting to get some proof of insurance from the UK company that I was using when I lived there. We'll probably try to get a 2 or 3 year old Opel Astra (pretty much the same car I had in England) or a Volkswagen Passat or Jetta. If it takes too long to actually get the proof of insurance from England, we may need to look into renting a car for a few days.

Once we get all of that in order, we're really looking forward to learning Irish culture and even doing some traveling around the island.

Report from Hungary

We're having a great time here in Hungary, catching up with some of our colleagues and relaxing a bit before we go back to being homeless in Ireland. =) We realized today that by now, we've actually been in Hungary longer than we've been in Ireland. So while it's been good, we're also looking forward to getting back to Dublin to settle in.

Took a trip into Vienna today, just over an hour from where we are here in Sopron. Here a couple of pics. Plenty more to come. (No, my chin isn't actually in my coffee drink in the first pic.)

Safe Arrival in Ireland

Kristy and I landed safely in Dublin yesterday morning. We were able to get some sleep off and on throughout the flight, usually resulting in a sore neck or back. Yesterday was spent working as hard as we could not to nod off so that we could get a good night's sleep and get onto Dublin time. We’re staying at the Taylors’ home in Leixlip and Stacey Covell, who lives right around the corner, has been helping us out with our meals and providing lifts here and there. Today, we’re scheduled to check out 3 or 4 houses and apartments to rent.

We had a great team of about 14 people helping us out with the moving last Friday. Probably too many people for the job. (Click here for pictures.) I went out at about 9am to get coffee and bottled water for our crew of volunteers and when I got back, a painting crew was taping up our front door and garage to paint! I couldn’t believe the timing. When I objected, they just told that they would get it done in 20 minutes, in time for us to start loading up the moving truck, which was supposed to pull up at around 10.30.

When I went inside, Kristy was livid. After calming her down and reassuring her that it would be just fine, we both stopped in our tracks. Was that a semi-truck outside our door?! Sure enough, the painters started pulling down their paperwork from our front door and motioning to us about the moving truck.

When I went outside to meet the truck driver, I said, “You’re early. Really early. We don’t even have our moving crew here yet.” In my mind, I was thinking, “God, do you have any other surprises waiting for us today?!” The driver assured us that we wouldn’t be charged the $75/hour until after the scheduled time (11am-1pm). Fortunately, this meant that as soon as people started showing up, we could start packing things into the truck.

After getting the truck about a quarter full, someone stuck their head in the back of the truck where I was arranging and packing with Aaron and said, “Umm, Brandon? The automatic sprinkler system just went on. And it’s getting the furniture on the driveway all wet.” Kristy promptly pulled a crew together to wipe down the furniture and cover the sprinkler heads. I'm pretty sure that was the last little surprise for the day.

It took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes to pack up the container and, thankfully, because the driver had it there a little early, we didn’t get charged for the extra time. As we finished, I felt pretty good about how well things were packed. Between Joe King (from the GEM office), my father-in-law, and the truck driver, it seemed like there was plenty of good advice being thrown around about packing to keep things from shifting too much on the open seas.

We'd appreciate your prayers for both finding a place to live here in Dublin, as well as finding people to rent our town home back in Colorado Springs. We're off to Hungary early Saturday morning to the GEM Annual Conference. Pictures to follow!

Categories: life

Off to Ireland

The last several days have been full of moving and spending quality time with Kristy's family. On Friday, we got all of our personal belongings shipped off to Dublin (aside from what we've managed to stuff into a few suitcases).

Lots of stories to tell, but unfortunately not a lot of time at the moment. Click here for a few pics of moving day and a going away party the night before with our neighbours and other friends. Tomorrow, we're off from DIA around noon, stopping off in Chicago to hang out with Kristy's best friends, Kristen and Carrie. ETA in Dublin, 08.40 on Wednesday morning.

(Also, quick shout out to my little bro who turns 28 today! Happy Birthday Ty!)

Contextless Links

• One more reason to love Ireland.
• Finally. Cyber treatment for "Bono Fatigue".
• Attention, all Radiohead fans...
• The music of Levi Ware. Levi is a good friend of my younger brother Jason and is planning on stopping by the Dublin area sometime in mid-September. From what I've heard so far, Levi is a talented musician and a gifted songwriter.
• Pictures from our hike to the top of Mt. Herman this last weekend.