Great Weekend!!!

This weekend was crazy, but it was fantastic! As you may recall, this past weekend we had a retreat with the youth at the church. We had a smaller group than we hoped for, but it was a weekend of fun, memories, and quality teaching. The theme of the weekend was "It's a Wonderful Life." We talked about how God desires us to live 'wonderful' lives for Him filled with risk taking and Spirit led living. Over the course of the weekend, we gave many examples of heroes of the Christian faith, both from the Bible and from modern times (from Abraham, to the apostles, to St. Patrick, to Hudson Taylor, to Billy Graham). As for fun, we did everything from an 'Amazing Race,' to a midnight Christmas party, to a zip line, and of course the obligatory bonfire.

Yesterday afternoon, we had signups and evaluations for our basketball leagues forming in Janurary for 4th-7th graders up in Ballymun. We had a turnout of 26 guys and 16 girls, which is about the normal size for both our guys' and girls' leagues. We will try to recruit a few more in the next couple weeks, especially a few more girls to allow us to have 4 girls' teams. The kids are almost all new to the game and they loved the drills that we had them do yesterday.

Finally, last night, we had the second carol service and winter wonderland at the church. The kids were much more behaved for the Winter Wonderland and for the short skit that the youth put on for them. I got a chance to close at the end and talked a little bit about making Jesus the Lord of your life and how to ask Jesus into your heart. The kids seemed to all really enjoy everything we did and went away with some great Christmas candy.

Erin went right back at it today as she had her last day of student teaching at St. Andrews. We are still waiting to hear if she will get a paid position there after the new year, but it sounds promising.

Tomorrow, we have the chance to get away for a few days. We came upon some great deals on flights to Paris, so we are taking the opportunity to spend 3 some time there. Both of us are extremely excited as you might expect and it will be a fun way to celebrate Erin being done with school and also taking in all of the Christmas lights in Paris.

Hope you are all having a great month and we will be thinking of many of you over the Christmas holiday. Thank you so much for your continued prayers.

Merry Christmas!

Tyler and Erin

Getting in the Christmas Spirit!

The Christmas season is in full swing here. Erin and I are proud to say that we have a tree up, the stockings are hung, and the smell of baking is in the air. Our place is decorated as well as possible and looks very festive thanks to Erin’s imagination. It will undoubtedly be a different Christmas this year, but it will surely be a memorable first Christmas for the both of us. We are hosting a Christmas dinner for the adult volunteers of our youth ministry tomorrow evening and are looking forward to the fun to be had together, which includes the all-important “white elephant gift exchange.”

The last two Fridays of youth meetings at St. Mark’s have gone very well as we did a video scavenger hunt and then had a normal meeting this past Friday. The scavenger hunt had them singing Irish folk songs in front of statues and interviewing police officers, just to name a few. The students loved it! After we returned to the church, I had the chance to share my testimony and then we had snacks while we watched the videos of each group’s antics.

This past Sunday, the youth were given the responsibility of putting on a short kids’ program after the traditional carol service. One room was decorated beautifully as a winter wonderland type of scene and the kids were led from there into another room where we had a stable scene set up. Several of our youth were dressed up as characters in the Christmas story and put on a short play. About half of the audience was from a rough area right next to the church here so it was quite an experience! But, the Christmas story was told and I got a chance to say a few words to the kids afterwards, so the night was beneficial.

Erin’s student teaching experience is winding down this week as her students have Christmas exams. She has been kept very busy this past week as she is sending back her final projects and papers to Taylor. There is a possibility that she may be able to stay on at St. Andrew’s in a paid position for the duration of our stay. This would be ideal and we are praying hard that it will come to fruition!

Happy Holidays!!!

Tyler and Erin


Prayer Requests:
- Erin: that she would get a paid position at the school for the duration of our stay
- Sportslife: for a great turnout at the signups for our basketball leagues
- St. Mark’s Youth Group: for a wonderful retreat this weekend

Greetings friends! It has been quite a rainy week here in Dublin. It seems like every day we have had downpours and enormous waves crashing up against the rocks on the coast.

Erin had another good week at school. Last night, some her sophomore students had an art exhibition at the school. Their works were sold off and the money was donated to humanitarian works in Uganda. The night went very well and was a lot of fun for parents and kids alike.

This week, the basketball team I help coach had our first game since I have been here. I am sad to say we lost, but it was still a good time with the kids. I’m not going to lie; it was an awful lot of fun to be on the sidelines again of a high school athletic contest. I wanted to jump out on the court myself!

On Sunday, we were given tickets to see a big rugby match between the Irish national team and a team from the Pacific Islands. Ireland won big and being there in the crowd was a delight.

Tonight at youth group, we will be doing the video scavenger hunt around Dublin that we intended to do last month. Rain cancelled our plans then, so we are praying that the same will not happen again tonight.

God bless you all and have a fantastic weekend!

Love,
Tyler and Erin

Greetings on a rainy day in Greystones, Ireland. Though Thanksgiving is not a national holiday here, Erin and I were thankfully still able to get our turkey dinner yesterday. We spent the evening with Scott and Jenn from the Taylor group around the corner as well as with a few Irish friends. We had an incredible feast and a good bit of fun.

This week has been a good week for both Erin and I. We had a great party on Saturday with the Taylor group of students watching the Ohio State-Michigan game. (Unfortunately the better team lost.) Work and ministry have gone well this week. Youth group went well on Friday evening and basketball practices have gone on very well in Ballymun.

God has been so good to us here and we are so grateful for how God has put this experience together. Erin and I are very happy in what we are doing at the school, with the St. Mark’s youth, and in Ballymun with Sportslife. One bit of news, for which we are particularly grateful, is that we will be getting a free place to live from the middle of December to the middle of January. This will save us a considerable amount of money and will afford us a more comfortable setting over the holidays. Thanks be to God!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Tyler and Erin

A few things to be praying for:
- St. Mark’s youth retreat - which will be taking place now from December 15-17. Complications came about with the original dates in November, but it has all be worked out and rescheduled. Pray for God’s leading and blessing on the weekend.
- Dan and Amy Tabb – co-workers of ours’ over here who have been in quite a bit of physical pain lately. Dan is having severe neck and back pain, while Amy is pregnant, and often feels very sick.
- Job for Erin – She is currently looking for temporary job opportunities for after her student teaching experience ends in mid-December. A permit has come through for her, so now it is just a matter of finding a place to work from here on out that would hopefully employ some of her talents and likings.

Tyler and I are having another good week here in Ireland. We both miss our moms and dads– well, at least I do.

I love school, nothing beats having a tea, coffee, and scones break. Did I mention that teachers get complementary lunches here? I think that is typical in Ireland, but don’t quote me on that. I have actually been able to eat lunch the past two days with two girls from the Taylor University Irish Studies Program group – Lauren and Amanda. They have been observing different teachers in the primary school for a few days. It has been fun comparing notes with them on school systems in the US and in Ireland.

I am working with a wonderful teacher named Mary West. She has been so helpful with showing me the ropes of teaching secondary students. My students are great! There have been a few particular classes that I have been able to really get to know because I see them three or four times a week.

One of my students I see a lot of happened to be good friends with my brother Ryan when he attended St. Andrews for the 03’-04’ school year. Her name is Saskia, and she is from Holland. She is amazing when it comes to painting, and she also has a good eye for design and composition. I also have many other students that have just been a joy to get to know. The more I am in this school, and no matter how preppy or international it is, highschoolers are highschoolers no matter where in the world they come from. They all have the same hopes, fears, dreams, struggles, desires, wants, needs, and the list goes on.

Tyler is doing well and continues to enjoy his work with both the sports ministry and the youth group. He’s been fighting a bad cold all week, but he thinks he is finally breaking it. Saturday’s have become our day off together, which has provided for loads of fun. Last weekend, we hiked a mountain called Sugarloaf. It was so windy - blowing up the mountain - it nearly blew us off our feet at the top. Then it took three tries to get back down going against the wind. It was worth it. We had a great view of the towns of Bray and Greystones. We warmed up, thereafter, at Powerscourt Mansion, sipping coffee and enjoying the views that you may remember from the party scene in the movie, “Count of Monte Cristo.” There’s your recommendation for a movie to watch this weekend… after you cheer on Ohio State to their victory on Saturday – GO BUCKS!!!

Okay, I think it is time for bed. Good night.

Erin Whitney

P.S. If you are in Upland area, you must see my good friend Becky Beeh’s senior art exhibit at the Metcalf Art Building. I had a sneak peek of it before I came here – I am sad to be missing her opening on Friday night the 17th from 7-9pm. It should be up for at least two weeks.

Now We’re Going Full Speed Ahead

This week we got to experience what a normal week will be like. Erin is back to teaching at the school. She is really enjoying her students and the teacher that she is working beside. It has been interesting to see how independent they allow their students to be, especially the older ones. Most of the classes allow the students to just work on projects they have going at for a while. Because of this, Erin has really been able to converse and get to know her students, which is great.

Work in Ballymun with Sportslife is going well. Dan coaches a school team of freshman boys and I am now his assistant coach. The boys on the team are great and we have a fun time with them during practices. Beyond that, I have started to do some administrative work for the ministry as well.

Both Erin and I attended our first youth group meeting at St. Mark’s this past Friday. The students are much different from the kids that Dan and I work with in Ballymun for obvious social reasons, since many of them have been in church their whole lives. But just as in any other youth ministry, there is still a lot of room for growth in depth of commitment and in numbers. On Sunday morning, one of the other volunteers in the youth ministries told us how one of the girls, in particular, really clicked with Erin and couldn’t wait to see her again. Outside of Friday night meetings and Wednesday night leaders’ meetings, I will be putting many hours in at the office at the church working on youth group matters.

Thanks again for your prayers and support. We are really enjoying it here and feeling as though God has us in the right place at the right time.

Love,
Tyler and Erin

Prayer Requests:
- The Holy Spirit’s guidance as we plan a retreat for the St. Mark’s youth group at the end of the month.
- The guys on the freshman basketball team in Ballymun – that Dan and I would have opportunities to share and converse with them on an individual basis

Gettin' the Ball Rollin'

This week we began work with both the St. Mark's Church youth group and in Ballymun with Sportslife International. On Tuesday evening, both of us met some of the youth from St. Mark's for the first time at a a Halloween alternative party. With students in Ireland having this week off, Halloween is that much more of a problem over here with drunken bonfires taking place all over. The party was a first-time attempt to provide a fun alternative event for the local youth groups. It went well and was fun for all. I was humbled in the blow-up sumo ring as Andrew, one of the older kids in the group, got the best of me with his size and rugby skills. Erin and I will both be helping out with the normal youth meetings on Friday nights.

Yesterday, I got my first experience with the Sportslife ministry in the Ballymun community. As referenced in our initial letter, Ballymun is a rougher community in northern Dublin that has been ravaged over the years by unemployments, drug usage, and suicide. The event we put on yesterday was a three-on-three basketball tournament for mostly 10-12 year olds. We only had about a dozen kids, but I think they all had a good time. One of the other volunteers presented a short lesson on John 3:16 during a break. It looks as if ministering to these kids will be a tough task, but if God is with us anything can happen.

Erin is in the middle of her midterm break. Pretty rough to work 3 days and then have one week off! On Tuesday, we got to enjoy a long hike on Bray Head, which was a gorgeous walk on a gorgeous day.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support. May God bless you richly.

Love,
Tyler and Erin

Prayer Requests:
Tyler - That good relationships would start to form with the kids at St. Mark's and at Ballymun.
Erin - That Erin would continue to know her students on a deeper level

Erin and I at St. Stephan's Green in Dublin


Carrig Eden - where Erin and I live

In the land of leprechauns

Greetings from Ireland! We have arrived safely and are settling in nicely. It is so good to finally be here. We are living in the town of Greystones, which is about a 50-minute train (DART) ride south of downtown Dublin. Erin and I have a small apartment in a retreat center setting. It is cozy, but it get’s the job done and we are thankful for the great deal we are getting on it. The location of it is amazing as we are right on the Irish Sea! As a bonus, we are basically around the corner from the Irish Studies Program students from Taylor University and their small campus here. We know the professor-leaders (Scott and Jenn Moeschberger) of their group as well as some of the students, so it has been fun to have some familiar faces around as we have transitioned to living here.

Erin has begun her student teaching at St. Andrew’s College in Booterstown, which is a 40-minute DART ride toward downtown. Her first day was yesterday and went very well. The school is in large part, very international, as she has students in her classes from nearly every continent. The school is very prestigious in the area, and we are very thankful for the opportunity that Erin has to train there.

As for me, my work does not begin until the middle of next week as the leader of the two ministries with which I will be apart is gone in the States for a conference. Therefore, I have been able to direct my time to getting things settled for us, as well as resting, reading, exploring, and getting rejuvenated. It has been excellent! Erin and I did get a chance to stop in at St. Mark’s church, where we’ll be helping with the youth ministry. We met a couple other staff members and we are very excited to get going with that.

Many thanks to all of you who are praying for us and financially supporting us here. We hope the kingdom of God will be advanced here in Ireland and that we ourselves would continually experience the presence of God in our lives, as we seek to implement the gifts and abilities that God has given us.

Many blessings on you all,

Tyler and Erin

Prayer Requests,
1) For Erin, that she would really be able to get to know her students and would be able to reflect Christ to them.
2) For Tyler, that God would continue to recharge him in every way.
3) For us, that we would continue to transition well.

The time for us to leave is approaching quickly and we are extremely excited. Our flight is scheduled to take off on Sunday evening out of Chicago. We will fly through the night and arrive in Dublin mid-morning on Monday. Erin will begin right away with student teaching, beginning on Tuesday. As for me, I have a little breather once we arrive, as Dan - the leader of the ministries with which I will be volunteering - will be away at a conference.

This week is full of finishing up duties here as we try to finish out our current jobs, pack up everything, and get around all of the details that are involved with moving overseas for 6 months. This weekend, we were able to enjoy seeing some friends and family down at Upland, and we got to share about what we are about to do and give the lesson for the Upland Community Church senior high youth group - which we have both volunteered with in the past. We had a lot of fun doing so and it gave us even greater enthusiasm for the work we will be doing in Ireland.

Prayer Requests:
-That Erin and I finish well, at the school and at the golf course respectively
-That we get all of our bases covered with documentation, financial support, insurance,and a work permit for Erin that will begin after she is done student teaching
-That God will continue to prepare us in every way for the big transition