We spent the day building risers in the new balcony section of the church for additional seating to handle the growth in attendance. During lunch a few guys from Teen Challenge came by to share their stories. These men were all victorious overcomes who walked away from a life of drug or alcohol addictions. Each story was amazing to hear and filled with such hope, it was hard not to be taken aback by the miracles shared.

The city inspector came by to assess our work today and everything passed, but set us back an hour or so. The main part of the attic was completed and the balcony started. It seemed that the amount of food served was in direct correlation with the amount of hard work that was done today.

Since several people worked last night until 1 or 2 am, there were numerous opportunities for people to lose their tempers, but everyone shared grace instead. It was wonderful to watch so many people translate their end of week frustrations and tiredness into generous gifts of grace and kindness. And, of course, there were a few jokesters making sure we didn’t forget how fun it can be away from home.

I went out shopping with a couple guys after dinner and came across a taped off police scene with blood all over the street. Police were working their way quickly through the crowds trying to find key suspects. The cleaning team arrived and worked to return the street to it’s normal status. As best as we could surmise from the comments, the scene was based on a gang fight.

I plan to shoot more film tomorrow including interviews and hope to see the Irish play “Translations” tomorrow night if possible. There are a couple friends also interested, so we’ll see if we can make it happen. But if not, there is always plenty of other activities to do in town.

Today was touring day and the weather was perfect. Carolyn (my daughter), Evan (my sound guy), and I hopped the Dart and rode the rails to the end of the green line where we saw beautiful hill country. Our goal was to enjoy the town and then head back with stops at a handful of other towns to see various sites.

By late morning my stomach suggested that lunch would be appropriate, so I asked a lady when the restaurant would open. She replied, “Half eleven and the kitchen at 12.” Once again the cultural differences became clear.

In Ireland, it is common for the stores to open around 9 am and restaurants 12pm. Most stores close by 6 pm except on Thursdays, which is the big shopping day during the week. Dinner is typically eaten at 9 pm.

I was hoping to shoot some B-roll footage during our tour, but something went wrong with the equipment and the camera was only good for a minute, at which time the battery crashed. Evan and I brainstormed a solution and the camera is now good to go for tomorrow’s shooting.

While the camera was down, I used my daughter’s Flip camera to film the castle we visited. It had endured a battle of some type and was no longer inhabitable. Other sights included a marina, numerous shops, a fair, a couple beaches and beautiful country.

We met up later this evening with some interns who knew the area well and took us to an inexpensive place to eat with great fish and chips. Shopping was next on the list with large discounts that dropped the prices well below the exchange rate. I bought an imitation leather jacket for $26.

Every evening has been filled with great conversation and I’ve learned a tremendous amount about the quality people who surround me. It is always humbling to realize that my life is so insignificant compared to the wonderful people I’ve met. Some day I’d love to write a book called “Living Miracles: My Amazing Friends.”

I wish It was my place to tell you the wonderful stories, testimonies and shared events that have made and molded each of the people I’ve met this week. I am so honored to be in their presence and I’m in awe of who each has become and what they are doing to share their wisdom, good fortune, and compassion with others.

This is an amazing trip!

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.