Our team assembled at 6:00 am in the Reno Stead airport to rent a van for the first leg of our trip - a four hour drive to San Francisco. Our Ireland mission team consisted of two leaders and nine students from Hilltop Community Church. We took a week and a half long trip to serve students and the homeless in Dublin.
Myself, Melissa, and Amanda smile before starting off on the four hour drive to our flight in San Francisco.
Even the trip in the van to San Francisco was fun. All the students on our team knew one another from Sierra Lutheran High School, as well as Hilltop Community Church.
The view from the plane at the beginning of our eleven hour flight, and our last look at North America for ten days!
Sunrise over the Pacific Ocean.
And our first view of the Emerald Isle - so green.
The Samuel Beckett bridge, one of many that cross the Liffe - the river that flows through the heart of Dublin.
Melissa and Amanda still smiling after a very long trip. We were all pretty bleary-eyed and ready to get to our home away from home.
And here it is! Coolnagreina is a Christian retreat center in Greystones, County Wicklow. They often host mission teams and students on study abroad programs. Their beautiful facilities and friendly staff made our visit a real treat.
Tired, but excited to be in Ireland. Myself and some of the team visited the Irish Sea - just a five minute walk from Coolnagreina!
The Irish Sea runs between Ireland and mainland Britain, as well as Scotland and Wales. It eventually flows into the Atlantic and the Channel.
Everyone was feeling pretty goofy after being freed from the long flight, me included!
Melissa and I display our souvenirs from the shore of the Irish Sea.
Claire, Melissa and I pose at an anchor monument near the edge of the sea. Getting the chance to serve and travel with such an amazing team made my trip extra special.
The lovely common room and cafeteria at Coolnagreina. Trying Irish food was an interesting experience. The stews and soups were divine, but it seemed that every meal came with "chips" - American french fries. Even the pizza came with chips on the side!
Our walk to the train station each day took us past both the quaint and the modern - shopping centers and cobbled streets.
Claire and Zoe goof off during one of our daily hour-long train rides. Staying away from Dublin gave us the chance to see more of the countryside, but also made for a lot of traveling over the course of our stay.
Our team leader, Kurt, and one of the three guys, Quinn, pose next to a field full of tulips on our way to a hike.
A classic and beautiful Irish church stands on the peninsula of Howth. We traveled here one day with the kids we were serving for a hike into the countryside.
Howth Castle was just asking for a photoshoot.
History - both past and present - was just outside our door during the trip.
Another view of the beautiful Howth castle with the green fields of Ireland surrounding it.
A panorama of the scene captures the vibrant green grass and contrasting gray skies of the Emerald Isle.
My favorite picture of myself from the trip. The hike to Howth was also probably my favorite day too - the forest was almost jungle like!
Our leader, Kurt, poses with Howth Castle in the background.
The kids we worked with while we were in Ireland were from a program called JustASK, which provides activities, homework help, and Bible studies for low income kids in the Dublin area. Working with these cuties was an exciting, if sometimes exhausting, experience.
One of the little girls from JustASK looks a little grumpy about having to wait for lunch.
The view from the top of our trail. As someone who grew up in the dust of the Mojave Desert, the amount of green everywhere was mind-boggling.
Some moss catches the afternoon light during our hike.
Waiting for me to catch up - where does all this energy come from?
We made it - hooray!
Amanda, Melissa, and I take a moment front of the amazingly bright facade of a local bar.
Some of the guys on our team mess around while waiting for our fish and chips.
As a lover of British literature, my first authentic taste of fish and chips was an exciting one.
Heading home after a big day - what an amazingly fun adventure!
On one of our "days off" we decided to visit the historic Temple Bar district in Dublin. Built in the previous home of William Temple, the Lord Deputy of Ireland in 1599, the area was first called the "Temple Barr" in the days when 'barr' meant a raised bank. Eventually, it was shortened to 'bar' and opened as one of Ireland's most historic pubs.
Another view of the colorful and cobbled Temple Bar. What a wet day!
The Fuisiler's Arch forms the gateway to St. Stephen's Green. It is dedicated to the officers and enlisted men from Ireland who fought and died in the Second Boer's War.
Beautiful lawn under a pristine sky. No rain for once, what a blessing!
Taking a break to mirror a statue in the St. Stephen's Green park. What goof-balls!
The colorful doors of the block of houses surrounding the park have an interesting story behind them - house owners each had a individual color for their door. Their reasoning was they could more easily remember the color rather than a number if returning home drunk after a night at the pub.
Is any day complete without frozen yogurt from the cutest store ever?
Visiting the Book of Kells at Trinity College was such a cool experience! This hand illuminated Bible was created in 384 AD from the tireless efforts of hundreds of monks.
The Long Room at Trinity College is one of the most famous libraries in Europe - two stories of solid books is my idea of paradise.
This library contains 200,000 books and was built between 1712 and 1732.
This is my idea of heaven - books all around.
The molding and details of the Long Room added so much to its elegance and beauty.
Other treasures in the Long Room include one of the few remaining copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic which was read outside the General Post Office on 24 April 1916 by Patrick Pearse at the start of the Easter Rising.
The Long Room also contains a large number of busts of famous figures in history - from Aristotle to John Locke.
Founded in 1592, Trinity College is still a beautiful and thriving campus with a rich history.
The old trees and brick buildings made me feel as though I had stepped into a Sherlock Holmes novel.
Another view of the Temple Bar area after we returned there for a very American lunch - burgers!
A bridge over the river Liffe - crossing this waterway in Dublin took us from one side of the city to the other.
The backside of Christchurch Cathedral (left). Another covered bridge spans the street and connects the two halves of the church.
Catching my reflection in the window of a street side shop.
Umbrellas were a necessity in Ireland - it rained buckets on this day of our trip.
Emily caught on camera.
Another look at Christchurch cathedral - this time from the front.
Another stop on our day of traveling around the city took us to Dublin Castle - this edifice, built in 1204, is one of many that house the government of Ireland.
The grass lawn and walk before the Dublin museum contrasts with the dark sky above.
On either side of Dublin castle stands a medieval hall (right) and a Victorian building (left) - centuries of history in one photo.
One of my favorite stops in Dublin was St. Patrick's cathedral. Built in 1191, the church is still used for services.
Another beautiful set of government buildings and offices.
A panorama captures the flowers and lawn in front of another of Dublin's beautiful buildings.
This fountain in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral was just asking for a photoshoot!
A detail from one of the many stained glass windows of St. Patrick's.
The cathedral, which is laid out in the traditional shape of a cross, boasts a good view if you look up or down. The intricately laid out floor took my breath away.
The largest cathedral in Ireland, this church is built on the site known as "St. Patrick's Well", where the patron saint of Ireland bapitzed people into Christianity. As a missionary myself on this trip, I was inspired by the story of Patrick, who was kidnapped by pirates from his native England at age 14. He was kept as a slave in Ireland for many years, before escaping and returning to England. Later in his life, once he had become a bishop, he felt God calling him to return to Ireland to save the people there. He returned to the country where he had once been a slave and preached the Gospel until his death. What an amazing story, and a beautiful church along with it.
Smiling after getting to view the beauties of Dublin.
Taking the train home at 10:30 pm - ready to be in bed!
Last day views of bright skies over the Irish sea.
With sights like this right out our front door, I was sad to be leaving Ireland.
Contemplating the scenery on the train ride into Dublin. This trip was a really special experience for me, allowing me to see more of this beautiful world and the people that inhabit it. I also felt that I got to know myself better and to grow in my relationship with God. There were definitely moments of struggle during the week and a half thousands of miles from home, but there were so many memories that I will look back on with joy.
Of course, no trip to Ireland would be complete without some Guinness, alas it was only fruit punch this time.
Late-night selfie at our favorite kebab shop. My group was so amazing, and I felt so blessed to be able to travel with and get to know these people. Though I knew all of them when we first set out, nothing makes you closer than long flights, late nights, and lots of laughter.
Glad to be home, so glad to have gone!