Writen by: Pastor Scott Frerking
WOW! has to be the first
thought that
comes to mind when I think about the Fresh Start Ireland trip that Rob
Bynum, DJ DesJardin, & I took recently. Our team of
three
simply said, "We want to partner with You, Father", and He went for
it. We started off our time with Calvary Christian Centre in
Dublin, Ireland, where Rob and Starr had close ties and had worked a
few years ago. After one week there, we went to Northern
Ireland
to minister with another Calvary Christian Centre in
Belfast.
Each
week had a totally different feel and format, but had the
same resul
ts
- hearts healed, many issues from the past resolved, many
stepping into
a lifestyle of forgiveness, and much, much hope given by the
Father. It was interesting to watch how the Father did it,
too. The first week in Dublin went almost exactly as we had
planned and expected, which is so the way I like God to do things for
my sake! For the second week in Belfast, we knew the plans
for
meetings, but did not know the direction God wanted us to go - so we
just waited to hear His plans and then went for it. Although
a
little out of my desired comfort zone, you just can't go wrong when God
runs the show and asks you to work with Him.
We were able
to share the heart and vision of Fresh Start, stories of changed lives,
how to make forgiveness a lifestyle, how everyone can be free and how
that freedom can grow into more every day! It was so cool to
watch the countenance of people change as the meetings went on and as
the days went on - they began to participate with God, resolve their
past, and forgive. Over and over, we heard testimonies like,
"I
can't believe how free I feel...", "Decades of hatred and
anger seem to
be gone...", a
nd "Can
I have as many of those green books as I need
because the Father is showing me so much?" One person took
home 5
books the first night and asked me if she could have 5 more
because she
"didn't want to stop the momentum of freedom going on..." The
Irish
(and their fast growing international population) are ready to move
beyond the past to see it resolved so they can truly thrive in the
present and live a hope-filled future. DJ said that he
believes
the word from the Lord for 2008 is "more" - and I know this is true of
Ireland.
Rob procured two nicknames while there: DJ
and I called him "Uncle Rob", while the pastor in Belfast called him
"White Tips" (because of his highlights) from the pulpit and we just
loved that one. Let Uncle Rob loose in his favorite nation of
Ireland and you will have altar calls where more than half the church
comes forward. He was on a two-week roll and the people there
loved Ol' White Tips. We had such special times of ministry
at
both churches and with the numerous divine appointments around town
each day.
One of our great surprises while doing a
training time with the pastors 
in
Dublin was that plans for Fresh Start
Singapore were birthed. I see Fresh Start growing globally
through relationships made with leaders and churches, as opposed to
picking a place and going there. When an opportunity
comes, it's
about seeking the Father's heart and timing and, again, partnering with
Him.
What a privilege it is to be sent out by
the best church in the world (I allow myself to be biased!) to
do the
thing I love the most. It's exciting to do life with those
around
the world and to fall in love with Ireland and its
people. Please
continue to pray for our Fresh Start Team, as we minister here and as
we plan for Uganda, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and a couple of other places
in the states. Also, please pray for the leadership
teams in
Dublin and Belfast - and for so many to be set free in Ireland
that
they have space and seating problems when Fresh Start Ireland meets!
Cheers (or as they say in Gaelic, "Sla`inte"),
Pastor Scott
