So lets be real. I've been ruminating on a blog for the past several weeks, and was planning on publishing that one this week until my brilliant wife reminded me that you guys have no idea how this past month has gone for us! So here is a brand new piece of work detailing the joy that has been the month of April. Rest assured the other simmering blog will reach a boil in my head soon enough and I will publish it. So here we are. We have slept in this morning, I have now had two cups of coffee, I kindled a fire in the hearth, and our dinner is now in the slow cooker. Happy Saturday everyone. Let's get down to business (to defeat the Huns).

Easter Sunday at Alive Church

Travel backwards through time with me to April 5, 2015. This was a day that I had been looking forward to, honestly, for a whole year. It was around Easter last year that Molly and I confirmed that we would indeed be moving to Ireland for two years to be a part of Alive Church, and we began corresponding with Enda and Angela Long (the head pastors). Needless to say this Easter Sunday was a healthy dose of reflecting back on the past year and looking forward to the vision of growth that God is calling Alive Church towards.

This Sunday our church was packed! We had over 70 people in our sanctuary and had to add two additional rows for seating. The worship band was loud and the worship of the Body of Christ was even louder. Children went to Sunday school class to find all of the burdens they had laid on the cross the previous week covered in gold glitter as Christ bore and conquered sin and death. The gospel was proclaimed through teaching and community; it was a day of heartfelt celebration.

Even more encouraging are the subtle changes within the people of the church. Though over 70 people in attendance is awesome, it is even more incredible that we usually have 50-60 people on any given week. It might not seem huge to you, but in stark contrast to last year, people are beginning to take ownership of Alive Church; people are beginning to pour their lives regularly into what God is doing here. Everyone can feel the shift in the atmosphere. Once the Church fosters a culture of family, the family cannot help but grow. It is what we all long for, and it is why the Church is so vital for believers and unbelievers alike. So get ready Enniscorthy, change is coming.

The Dream Conference

The next day we jumped into an Ireland-wide conference put on by the AGI (Assemblies of God in Ireland). Now, though Molly was raised for several years in the Assemblies of God, I grew up in a Methodist church and up until college had never attended another denominational tradition. All this to say I was, and am, impressed by the AGI specifically because they may be the best organized, most united, most expansive and the most spiritually alive group of churches in all of Ireland. And if that is not enough, the conference was open to any and all denominations who want to see the gospel spread in Ireland. So basically all of the major churches and pastors in the Republic of Ireland were worshipping God together, rubbing elbows, meeting up for coffee, encouraging one another, and building up the Body of Christ in Ireland up in love under one roof. All of the pastors knew each other, and the brotherly love was contagious. And our church was the only one from Enniscorthy, or even Wexford Co. for all I know. My mind was blown that I got to be apart of this. Here was the global church at the largest scale I had ever seen.

To be honest, I'm still reeling.

We spent time with other youth pastors, songwriters, and worship pastors during the week and though it was exhausting we left each day refreshed. Probably the coolest thing during the conference for Molly and I was that we started to understand the Irish culture in a new way. Have you ever had a moment, during coffee with a friend perhaps, where they said something and all of a sudden you realized how they thought, their real motivations, and you felt like you actually saw them for the first time? That was how it felt for us. The people we met and the preaching we heard helped the identity and potential of the Irish people to click in our minds. All in all we had an amazing time and I hope we get to go next year.

Ps. The Youth Pulse events each night were unbelievable to say the least. Imagine the Energizer bunny drinking Redbull singing "Uptown Funk".

Don't believe me? Just watch.

The Bass B&B (Welcome, Expected and Unexpected Guests)

As many of you know, April was the inaugural month of a season lasting till August, where we will have a continuous stream of guests staying with us in our home. Molly and I have both been excited and anxious to make our apartment as hospitable as possible while maintaining a level of sanity. So last week our first guest, Drew Dixon, arrived in Dublin. I could say so much about this amazing man, but I'll sum it up in this way: anytime I spend with Drew is a time that I will leave feeling refreshed. Honestly, he was probably the best first guest we could ever hope for in Ireland because he is so patient, relaxed, kind, and easy-going in his nature. We had a blast having him here and took time to explore Ireland with him: Glendalough, Hook's Head, Dublin, Vinegar Hill, and a few other places.

However, later in the week, Molly and I were both surprised in the best way possible. On Friday night, getting home from G-Force around 10pm, we parked the car and went upstairs. We had run all the games and Drew had been the guest speaker that night, so we were all on the verge of exhaustion. I had just hung up my coat when the doorbell rings. To be fair, Molly had her suspicions, but I was completely unaware and thought it was one of our neighbors at the door. I trudged down the stairs and opened the door to find Logan and Johanna Cole! WHAT?!?! I was at a loss for words and Molly unleashed a banshee scream that would cause a T-Rex to poop his pants (Logan recorded it and it's on Facebook, you're welcome).

For those of you who don't know, Logan and Johanna Cole are the first missionaries to be sent out by Beltway Park Baptist Church (Molly and I being the second). We were all in Beltway College Park together (including Drew), and we had been skyping the Coles regularly as a kind of missionary accountability. Logan and Johanna have an incredible anointing on their lives to plant, establish, disciple, and grow churches. So, it turns out that Logan and Johanna finished their year in Uganda to celebrate their anniversary by travelling Europe, including stopping by in Ireland. Literally Drew, Enda and Angela, and the whole Beltway staff knew they were coming to surprise us, but we had no idea.

So what can I say in the face of such incredible blessing? Thank you guys. It means so much to be running alongside each of you, seeing the kingdom of God come to earth.

To tie all of this in, Molly has a verse that we both feel best describes April for us.

"Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered." - Proverbs 11:25

After months of pouring out, April was an awesome month of being refreshed and revived. Really, thank you for praying, partnering with us financially, and taking time to love on us.