Lahinch (A Beach Town)

Monday July 6th
Today I have really missed our community. I feel that it’s being revealed that even in the most beautiful of sceneries, it can be lonely. Don’t get me wrong, Craig has been awesome. It’s just that I feel that seeing all of this country without there being a larger purpose (serving people, building a house, something that your typical 2 week mission trip has included) seems futile, or empty. We do have a purpose, but we haven’t yet fallen into that groove. So, there is something to pray for. Pray that we would be lead to places that need our giftedness, or just another pair of arms and legs to help with more practical things like cleaning, babysitting, cooking…anything really we just want to serve. Ok, so today we had our first heartbreak. As we drove onto the ferry to get us from Tarbert to Killimer, Craig asked me to get the camera out and snap a shot. I got the camera out and to our surprise slash heartbreak it wasn’t working. I was super bummed and we started imagining what it might be like to do this incredible trip without photos, would you all still be so inclined to read post after post with any visual stimulation?... Well, we continued driving, or Craig did as I slept, and I woke up in Lehinch, sometimes spelled Lahinch. We met up with some awesome people and heard about some great things that God is doing here, we were super encouraged and I was glad to have experienced, no matter how short, a little time in community-it really is what feeds me, being around people.
Just the other day Craig had the nerve to say that I just “wasn’t as adventurous” as he is, well I quickly corrected him and explained the simple differences between him and me. He believes adventure must be tied to extreme physical exertion and must come to some climactic moment, be it a mountain peak or completing a task so as to check off the box. I, on the other hand, can feel completely adventurous sitting at a coffee shop by myself waiting to meet someone new, driving for hours on end rocking out to music, managing to spend an entire day sitting at the beach enjoying the sounds of people and waves and people. I guess my adventure is centered around other human beings and Craig is in nature. I love nature too I just don’t need to get a bird’s eye view to appreciate it, Craig does. Those of you who have spent any amount of time with me in public know that I thrive on talking to strangers, it appears my mom never instilled in me that rule about “not” talking to them. Now back to the camera and our day.
We went to the Cliffs of Moher, as people here exclaim “brilliant”. I loved it, it was super windy and Craig and I had a pretty good time trying to get some good air off the wind-unsuccessfully. The cliffs were amazing, Craig brought the camera just in case it magically started working again, it didn’t. I somewhat jokingly, but seriously prayed to God that He would make it work not to test Him but kind of to see His power. I remember doing that as a child; “God, if you really exist, strike lightning onto a little patch of grass in the lawn so that I might KNOW.” Well, it was sort of that kind of thing-it still didn’t work. So, we enjoyed the cliffs and talked about downloading images online and juxtaposing ourselves into those images for your enjoyment, perhaps some things just need to be enjoyed at the moment and treasured only as memories. We returned to the car found a place to park and eat (Craig: peanut butter and bread for the 4th day in a row, and I ordered a little basmati rice and nan bread at the local Indian restaurant-delicious and full of carbs, yes I shared it). Craig took the camera out to try again and PRAISE GOD, it works again, at least for now. Tomorrow we celebrate our two-year anniversary-hooray, maybe tomorrow we can stay at a B&B instead of sleeping in the car…again…for the fourth day. No, really we are having a great time and enjoying those funny moments of uncomfortable-ness (not a word is it Larissa). Thankful to be safe and healthy and having a wonderful time. Wish you could be here to watch the sun set over the ocean with us. It is 8:00pm and it is still bright out, kids are coming down to the shore for just a little more surf before the daylight ends.