Days of Encouragement

This past weekend I was able to make a trip to the town of Tralee. If you look at a map, it is about 40 minute drive north of Killarney. I thought I would take a minute to share some of the many great things that happened over the weekend.

There is a man, Frank, who is a part of the church in Tralee and works at a shoe shop in Killarney. I was arranged to meet with him Saturday evening when he closed up his shop at 6pm and ride with him up to Shaun and Tania Abrahams who are the missionaries in Tralee. Even the ride up to Tralee proved wonderful as he and I were able to talk about many of the difficulties with reaching the Irish people with the Gospel.


Shaun & Tania Abrahams

After arriving I had dinner with the Abrahams family and spent some time chatting with them. The next morning was Sunday worship. They meet in a small school, and we have to arrive early to set up chairs among other things. Attendance there is significantly larger than Killarney, but they have had a focused ministry there for a longer period as well. Aside from my preaching, they also had 5 people join the membership of this still smaller than most American church congregations. The excitement of the church was overwhelming.

Even after the service, more great things were to come. I got to have lunch with Shaun and Frank while the girls participated in a “boot sale.” The boot sale is much like a garage sale but smaller as people are gathered in a car park (parking lot) and sell things in their boots (trunks of the cars). The money raised is going towards a building fund which Shaun, Frank and I were on assignment regarding. After lunch we went to look at a field which they are considering purchasing to build a church on. The site is ideal for the church, situated just on the outside of town where there can be ample parking and room for growth. We took time to pray over the land that God would provide it and the funds needed.

Then for the evening I had dinner with the Abrahams and another family from the church, having a fantastic meal and conversation. On Monday morning Shaun, Tania and I went to another couple’s house for a prayer meeting. The four of them meet every Monday and so they freely invited me to join them. From there Shaun and Tania brought me back to Killarney feeling very refreshed.

The things happening in Tralee are exciting. God is working and that work is becoming more and more evident. What an encouragement to see.