Filming went very well today, as I captured several great interviews. The first was a female pastor from California who brought a team of college kids to share life stories with students in Dublin. She was amazed to hear about the other mission and church groups that have also come to town this week.

The fact that several groups have all come from across the globe because they sensed God sending them is remarkable to say the least. It’s also amazing for me to be in the position of learning about all these groups and sharing with each about the others. One gentleman suggested there was only one who could have orchestrated such amazing timing from numerous groups that didn’t know about each other — He called it a God moment.

One of the missionaries shared with me that he had been a part of 127 short term mission projects with numerous volunteers like the one I’m capturing on film. During that tenure, he has only seen two injuries and counts the ministry blessed. This conversation happened shortly after one man in the rafters slipped and landed across several beams rather than falling through the ceiling. He was safe and continued working with no additional incidents.

Several interviews today included numerous comments about the work God seems to be doing in the hearts of those attending St. Marks Church. The church has grown significantly from an all Irish church to one that includes 30 nationalities. The entire congregation loves this change, as most feel it is more like heaven where various cultures all come together in unity under Christ.

Not only did I have wonderful opportunities to capture great footage, but I’ve also continued to chip in and work on real projects. Today included carpentry, moving large shelving units, washing dishes, and helping some with logistics. The experience has been rich and filled with more stories of how the volunteers’ lives have been change through their participation in just the first two days.

For two nights in a row, I’ve heard incredible stories from teens who have been touched by God and they can’t wait to see how the mission trip ends, since they know that we’ve just gotten started. The anticipation in seeing more lives changed is high.

Kim, the music minister at the church shared with me about other changes the church has experienced. Early in the year a devastating circumstance took the lives of several dads from their families. She said that worship time has risen to such another level due to the entire church coming along side of each family to help them work through their personal burdens.

That close knit bonding within the church is quickly spreading to those who came to help with the projects. I’ve personally seen numerous friendships develop and people already talking about activities together when they get back home. This spiritual bonding is greatly impacting the way each person is viewing the events unfolding before our eyes. Unfortunately, I’m not confident the documentary will be able to capture all of these experiences, especially since many of them happen while the camera is off.

Tomorrow I’ll be taking a break and venturing off to other parts of Ireland to see recommended sights from those I’ve encountered during our first couple days. It will be an adventure all of it’s own. As for now, it’s time to hit the sack.