We woke up ridiculously early on Thursday so we could grab a
cab to the train station and make our way to Dublin for our return flight. Wait,
did I mention we were taking the train to Dublin. Oh yeah. We’re taking the
train (big smile).
I’ve never ridden on a train before, and it was quite an
experience. Looking out our window we had a great view of a beautiful Irish
countryside, the sun shining through the clouds, glimpses of the ocean… The
majestic beauty of God’s earth was there for the viewing as it wizzed past us
on our two hour ride. I slept most of the way. Yeah, I’d like to say I was
riveted by the beautiful scenery, but really I was just sleepy. Move over
rain-on-a-tin-roof, the peaceful rocking of a fast moving train is now the
absolute best sleeping environment I know of. Of course, Sam saw my baby-like
sleeping state as a real Polaroid moment, and made sure to get several shots of
me as I was dead to the world. What are friends for?
Another cab ride later we acquainted ourselves with our
hotel room for the night. This place was just a bit more swanky than the
hostels we were used to, but, we kept in mind that we were only here for one
night and tried not to get too attached. That afternoon we were faced with one
soul mission: deliver the information we had gathered during our two and a half
week occupation of Belfast to our employers. Since we were without phones in
the foreign land, we went to meet our contact at the Dublin airport after only
sending few Facebook messages. This was not our usual contact that we had met with
earlier in the trip, but another worker in the organization. We had never seen
him, and he had never met us. So, with only a brief description and a general
meeting place picked out, we headed to make the drop off.
We got to the airport and did the only thing we knew that
would guarantee us finding our man: we started randomly walking around looking
for an American looking guy wearing khaki shorts. Full-proof. And, thankfully,
it actually worked. As we reached the end of a particular sidewalk, we passed a
big guy who kinda pointed at us and said “you fellas looking for me?” Indeed,
it was our man. We made the drop, made quick friends with a good-natured guy
originally from Arizona, and ended up bumming a ride back to the hotel.
I tell ya, it was so good to talk to somebody who sounded
like me. Well, remotely like me. It quickly came up in the conversation that I
have the most country accent on this particular continent. Even when I try to
fake a European accent it comes out country. I can’t escape it. And, I’m
perfectly find with that.
We enjoyed talking with our new buddy, and the short hang
out time turned into going to eat together. We started this trip by eating at a
wonderful Portuguese style restaurant called Nando’s with the our main contact,
and guess where we ended it? At Nando’s, getting to know yet another friend in
the ministry. Coincidence? Me thinks not. Endings and beginnings my friends,
endings and beginnings.
This trip has been great in a lot of ways. There were some really
tough times that I had to deal with. Sam has his moments, but those are for him
to muse over. I know that I learned a few things about God, a lot of things
about myself, and a whole lot of things about a wonderful culture that I never
knew anything about before. I don’t dare decide how I actually feel about this
trip yet. I’ll have to wait till I’ve been back a few days, and then take some
time to process everything that’s happened. Reading back over my own blogs will
help a good bit I think.
I do know for sure that God has blessed me and Sam both
tremendously. We had a great opportunity, and good will come from it. We
started this trip with great expectations, and now we are both ending it with expectations
even greater. The work that we’ve done will make the way for the Kingdom of God
to spread. That’s intense. For the time being, that’s how I feel about this
trip right there: I feel like I’ve been used by God. I’m so excited to be going
back home, and to see my family. I’m very excited to get back to work Dry Creek
camp for the summer, because that’s another adventure for both me and Sam get
to start as soon as we get back. But, I can leave this country knowing that God
used me. He just finished using me in Ireland, and now He’s going to begin
using me again. I’m cool with that.
-Ethan Bossier
Houston, TX. Almost home.
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