We have been working with inner city kids a lot this week. I would be lying if I said it was easy, it's one of the hardest things I have done. These children aren't as easy to get to know, they've built up walls of aggression and toughness. They don't seem to trust anybody and like to test you. I think I have been called every name under the sun this week from kids as young as four years old! The first days were hard but as we continued to get to know these kids, they slowly began to warm up. No one ever gives them the time of day and they just

 need to know that we are going to be there, we aren't going to leave them. They're out for the summer and most of them are left to roam the streets and do as they please. At one of the community centers we volunteer with we started out with about 12 kids. At theses centers the children can  come and go as they please so they aren't forced to stay anywhere. By the third day we had been working with them thirty children showed up and most of them stayed the entire time we were there! This was amazing and inspiring to see. They may put up fronts and may challenge you but these children want to be loved like any other. The kids were even staying to help us clean up and requesting us to come back as soon as possible. 

We went for a picnic yesterday with some friends for the fourth of July at Phoenix Park. We were just enjoying the day and next thing you know a group of kids come up to us, first they tried to grab a friend's camera and then they just stood looming over us. They asked the guys who were with us to fight and had a very tough exterior. They proceeded to steal our ball and run off with it. At one point one of the boys, David, had stolen our mini American flag we had with us. He then came back and returned the flag and proceeded to spit on the flag. We did not give them any negative attention and tried to act like none of their actions were really effecting us. After he spit on the flag he realized what he had done and turned back around smoothed the flag on our blanket and said he was sorry. Throughout the afternoon they continued to come up to us and some even stayed and began to ask about America. By the end of the afternoon we had gotten to know two of the boys, they brought our ball back and even wanted to play volleyball with us! This may seem simple but to me it speaks volumes. It's amazing how children respond when you give them respect they are looking for, acknowledgment. It may be hard at first but patience is the key. 

God has really been working in my heart and I have really grown to love the inner city kids of Dublin. I am not sure where God is leading me.. Possibly teaching... Possibly more ministry but I am soooo thankful to have a God who displays his Love for me daily, who shows me where he wants me to walk, who cares for my heart with deep affection. He is like no other. 

Also, I may have the opportunity to stay in Dublin for a year under the Presbyterian Church of Ireland. I would be able to continue to work with Abbey Presbyterian and continue the ministry that has already begun! I will update when I know exactly is going to happen, but I am pretty high spirits that it will probably work out!

Pictures from the fourth: