It's totally amazing. Being able to work with people who are of the same mind, working to spread the Gospel to people who have never heard it is an amazing privilege. One of the great things about being on a team is that if you don't necessarily like a certain aspect of outreach, someone else does and you can catch their fire for it. They share their experiences with you to help you. It's really cool working together as a team.

Not only do you have the opportunity to share the Gospel, but also to encourage other believers in their own walk with God. They are the ones who will carry on the work that we've started, so they need a lot of encouragement. This is one of the big reasons I really liked this, cause our work is continuing. We were able to help them, build up their church and hopefully they will see growth. I loved being able to contribute in the building up of a church.

It was an amazing experience I would recommend to anyone interested in missions. You learn so much about yourself, God, sharing the Gospel, and working with others as a team. If you've never gone on a missions trip before, this is great because they speak the same language as you and it's not so much of a culture shock.

Working with the local assembly in Kilkenny was an excellent time of encouraging a solid work of God's people. Both my wife and I are not what one would call "spring chickens", but we realized how much impact people working in accordance with God's word and in the power of His Holy Spirit can put "go" in the Gospel whatever age. There were lots of challenges, but God is able. We met the Irish people in their homes and experienced some of the old prejudices and hatred for anything that wasn't from the church of Rome. At the same time we met people who had sorrows and burdens; we prayed with them and continued to tell them of a wonderful Saviour.

It was so encouraging to work beside the believers there and to catch their enthusiasm and joy in serving the Lord. Many of the younger generation in Ireland have begun to search openly for something to satisfy the void in their hearts that has been created by an empty religion. What an absolute joy it was to have been able to share with some of those searching souls, the answer to fill their every need through the Person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I heard from many how the Lord would bless us for our time of service there but being in Ireland and doing the work was such a joy filled experience that for me, having the opportunity to serve has been the biggest blessing yet.

How about an inside perspective! The impact of their ministry was something that I couldn’t emphasize enough to the team when they were here. They could never fully realize how appreciated the yearly visit of Ron and the team is and how it fired people up for Christ. The effect is unbelievable, such an encouragement. I know as I’m one of the encouraged! The arrival of the TnT crew is anticipated months before & remembered years after. Ireland provides a country were its main language is the most spoken language on the planet. TnT Teams provides the chance to be hands on and effective in evangelism not to mention an immeasurable encouragement to the local believers and to the future life long friends you will meet.

Before I went to Ireland, I was really shy about telling people about my faith. If they asked me a question, I'd answer them but I'd never go into detail because I was afraid of offending people. Now if someone asks me something, I'll tell them everything. Telling people about the Lord has become so important to me since I got back. The TnT experience helped expose the children at church to missions because before I went a lot of them didn't know anyone who was a missionary or even what a missionary was. Also I think it encouraged the assembly because no one from my church has done anything like that before. I had such an awesome time, and I didn't even want to leave! The Irish believers at Shanganagh just encouraged me so much and they all had a massive impact on me. All of them just seem so on fire for God and they are all so joyful and friendly. I thought it was amazing how they would invite nine almost strangers into their homes for dinner every night! I also made a lot of new friends and learned so much about myself and God. Some of the things we did I never would have even imagined I could do! I thought that I would be too afraid or I would mess up or something doing door to door or open air. But it just goes to prove that verse: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). I'm still in awe over the whole thing and everything God did. I'd go back in a second.

Once again it was our great joy and privilege to welcome a TnT team to work with SBC (Shanganagh Bible Church) in our area and in the centre of Dublin city. All concerned, young and not so young worked extremely hard not sparing themselves in seeking by all means to share the good news of the gospel with as many as possible during their all too brief visit.

They were profitably engaged in door-to-door visitation distributing VIA magazines, tracts, (MacDonald's book!) and New Testaments as appropriate and of course sharing the gospel one on one where possible. Open-air meetings were held in the city 2ce and 3 times a week when people from all walks of life and many different countries were presented with the gospel (as a result of contact made, an Indian couple have been out to the assembly morning meeting and also to the PM and have brought along two friends with them). Children's meeting were held on the greens in front of their houses with up to 20 children attending and listening very well.

We are praying for all the contacts made, some of whom indicated that they would be interested in a further visit, amongst them: Danny, Amy, Yvonne, Patrick, Johnny, Sharon, Donald, Tony and Karen.

The team also involved a number of the young people from the assembly, one as team leader. As those concerned for the spiritual welfare for the assembly we greatly appreciate the opportunity and valuable experience given to our young men and women. Already we have seen signs of maturing in the things of God as a result. We are praying that this will prove to be a truly life changing experience for each concerned.

Several of the men on the team ably ministered the Word in the assembly on a number of occasions, this was a blessing to all.

We look forward, God willing, to welcoming an even larger team next year should the Lord not return before then.

We had a great time on the doors with the team. They were a very serving group. All the focus seemed to be on the Lord and serving Him in whatever ways. I think this year’s team was great in that way.

I gained a fresh vision for evangelism, a new passion for seeing people saved, and a better understanding of how to witness to people. I learned about prayer dependence and personal devotion to Christ. I was also able to meet like-minded believers from all over North America. And lastly, I got to travel, not as a tourist but as a friend of the people who live there. At times it was hard to determine who was ministering to whom, the team to the Irish or the Irish to the team. The Irish believers were amazing, hosting the team members for supper each night and offering their homes in the evening for fellowship after the prayer or Bible studies. They were a great example in hospitality, kindness, encouragement, and godliness.

If I could make one recommendation to young people who read this it would be to prayerfully consider this trip for themselves. It can be used as an opportunity to consider full time mission work or simply to gain evangelism skills that can be brought home and put into practice in your home assembly. It is hard work, sometimes physically and often mentally, but you will be stretched and encouraged.

Oh yes, short term workers are vital! They are a great encouragement to us resident missionaries, as they bring their zeal and youthful enthusiasm, and also sometimes a different perspective on things that we might not see. It is also wonderful to be able to cover areas in a more intense way, such as doing 10,000 or 15,000 tracts in a few weeks, with a large group of folks. I think these teams are really beneficial to those who come as they get a taste of what to pray for in another country, and also perhaps a greater burden for missions. In fact, short term missions are a big part of what fueled my call to full-time missions.

What stands out to me most is how friendly the Irish believers are and how much respect they have for the word of God. Also, working with the missionaries has given me a better perspective on missionary work and what it entails. This experience has definitely given me a better idea of the prayer needs in Dublin as well as in the rest of Ireland.

Apart from the practical help in bringing the Gospel directly to our neighbourhood, which was very much appreciated, those who participated on the TnT Team were an immense encouragement and example to all of us but especially to our own young people. The eagerness of those on the team to participate in all aspects of the life of the assembly had a marked effect. The legacy of this has lived on with us and we are so thankful to God for the ‘growing up in the things of God’ that we have seen amongst them.

Most people that go on short-term mission trips say that it changes your life. Well, believe me; it does! You learn so much about the Lord, the Bible, and yourself. Ireland is an awesome way to begin a lifestyle of evangelism. I now have a huge memory bank of different ways/methods to present the gospel, new songs to sing with kids, ideas how I can be effective here at home, small ways to encourage other saints, different ways to help and be a servant, new friends to encourage me, people to contact if I have questions, and a fire from watching other people share the gospel. In preparing for the trip, I prayed that the Lord would supply all my financial needs. He FULLY supplied.