FREEDOM
Freedom means something different for eveyone. What does it mean to me? Well to me it means no more depending on Drugs or Alcohol to get me through to the next day. It is the freedom from being trapped in a lifestyle that was killing me. It is the freedom to wake up in the morning and have something to live for. It is the freedom to choose life and not death. It is the freedom to simply be the me that God has created me to be. December 31st marks my eigth year anniversary of sobriety from both drugs and alcohol.
It is a celebration of my FREEDOM!! It is a celebration of my life now being filled with joy, peace, strength, and love. And all of this is because I accepted Jesus into my life to be the Lord of all I am. No longer does alcohol lord over me, no longer do drugs take the front seat in my life. God is all I need. He is all I have ever needed and all I will ever need. It is by nothing I have done on my own, all the glory goes to our heavenly Father. For it is he who replaced weakness with Strength, sorrow with Joy, torment with Peace. He is after all far greater then any addiction I have had to over come.
I PRAISE YOU GOD FOR GIVING ME ANOTHER CHANCE AT LIFE!!!
Thank you,
Your Daughter Andrea xoxoxoxo

True Freedom and Peace of Mind...

I patiently await as I listen to the sound of the click, click, clicking of the computer.
Please God let it read the CD!!!
Then all at once the room is filled with the sound of Brian Doerksen's "TODAY". An all too familiar feeling floods through my entire body. From the tips of my toes right up to my eyes, that begin to pour out the joy I am feeling in forms of little puddles that one by one fall from my eye's and pour down my cheeks.
Those who know me, know that I am a tearfully expresive individual to begin with. But there is something about my worship music that moves me to a completely different level of worshiping our Lord.
It stirs the Holy Spirit within me, and no matter how hard I try, I can't stop the overwhelming feelings of Love, Joy, Thankfulness, Sadness and even Shame.
The shame comes from deep within myself, I feel ashamed when I ask myself "Why don't I spend more time with you Lord? You love me, you cherish me, you long for me to draw closer to you, you enjoy me for who I am, you cheer me on, you want me to succeed in everything I do, there is no such thing as small when it comes to you. While I work through these feelings of Shame, once again there you are...guiding me through gently to the other side. Wading with me through the junk! There is nothing you won't do for me. I am so unworthy and yet you never give up on me. "You are my God, you are my fortress, my loving God, my refuge and shield. Delivering me from the father of lies." Fortress 144, Brian Doerksen.
While reading a book titled "Loving God with All Your Mind" by Elizabeth George I came accross this ..."As we walk closely with Him, we will also experience His power in our life, power that can lift us out of the depths of defeat, discouragement, despair, doubt, dread, and depression and enable us to better deal with the challenges that come our way. With our thoughts based on the Word and Person of God and, therefore, our heart drawn closer to Him, we will find strength, hope, joy, faith, and peace of heart, soul, and mind."
The answers are simple really and God knows it, mostly because he is the answer to all things great and small.
To those of you who are reading this, who have not yet discovered the freedom of knowing Jesus Christ. Believe me when I say this, although I may write about struggles that life throws my way (i am human after all) you may have noticed a pattern in the way that I work through things. At the end of the day it always comes down to the same thing...I just hand it all over to God. Because I know that is what he wants me to do. I remember someone telling me once "that's an awful lot for one guy to deal with isn't it? I mean everyone dumping their problems onto him it seems kind of selfish on our part." The truth is, its selfish for us not to hand things like worry, stress, fear, confussion, doubt sadness and even shame over to God. We call ourselves believers because we believe that God will and does take care of us. We believe that He wants the very best for us, He will never abandon us... He will never forsake us. He understands our struggles, and our pain.
I know, I know its a lot to wrap your head around, but think of it this way. When your feeling alone and like there is no one who could ever understand you, believe me when I tell you this... there is one who understands you... there is one who has been there the entire way... patiently waiting for you to just ask him into your life. Give him a chance, what's the worst thing that could happen... oh right you could discover happiness, joy, and a love like you have never known before! Ya I understand how scary that is... weeding your way through the lies that have infected your life up until now. Trust me you will be entering into unfamiliar territory. And NO it wont always be a walk in the park there will be days when you feel useless, confussed, unworthy and alone. The remedy however is easy... call on God!!! He is waiting for you to hand these things over to him, allowing him to carry the burden for you, help you through to the other side. There will also be times when you are shown that although times seem terrible and unbearable. Maybe just maybe there was a lesson in all of it. But you will never see it until you turn it over to God. Only then will you be rewarded with feelings of True Freedom and Peace of Mind.
My prayer requests are this:
For those of you who know the Lord already I pray that you will continue to trust in our Lord Jesus Christ for comfort, peace and guidence.
I pray for those who have not yet had the opportunity to hand thier lives over to our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bring into your lives someone who can show you the first steps to the freedom, joy and peace of mind you deserve, and deliver you from the Lies that you have given into for one reason or another. YES YOU TOO ARE WORTHY OF HAPPINESS!
I pray for my brothers and sisters in the field fighting the good fight. I am so proud to be in this war with you. Fighting along side of you. Be safe and remeber to armor up! And never forget the war has already been won! Our victory is in Christ Jesus.
To my friends and loved ones back in Canada I pray for you each and everyday, and will continue to do so until He calls me home. So when you are tired, weak and struggling. Know that I have been called upon to pray for each of you, and take this call serriously. I am able to love you because He first loved me.
Pray that the Lord will continue to reveal to me how I can be helpful to those in need here in Ireland.
Please pray that I will continue to recieve financial support while over here in Ireland.
I love you all and God bless.
Love Andrea xoxoxoxo

Fiona, Me and Sinead

Ya I think this will hold...

Walking around Castles works up your appetite!

Me, Fiona, Sinead and Colleen

The Women of the Balbriggan Baptist Church

Welcome to The Irish Sea!

Balbriggan Lighthouse!
December 17th, 2006
Photo By: Andrea Sali


Abandoned Boats!
Photo's By: Andrea Sali
December 17th, 2006

Tides Out! Balbriggan Docks December 17th, 2006

Photo By: Andrea Sali

The Irish Sea. Balbriggan Ireland December 17th, 2006
Photo By: Andrea Sali





There are times when my life seems like this tide. I am not sure if I am coming or going. It's been such a long time since I have added any pictures on this blogg of mine so here are some of my most recent ones. I find that going for a simple walk turns out to be an amazing journey of discovery everytime! I absolutely can not go out of my flat without taking my camera. I think you will see why, enjoy Balbriggan through my eyes!

What am I doing here?

This would be the most frequently asked question by me over the past few weeks, what indeed. That and why ireland? What could I possibly do here for these people? Its funny how feelings of inadiquicy set in when you least expect them to. I mean when things are going well and you think you have things figured out bam! God hits you right between the eyes and leads you in a completly different direction away from the comforts you have grown to know and love.
This is what he has done for me. As you have probably read I was extatic about being able to work at the Aisling Project, well guess what that is NOT what God wanted me to be doing after all. How miss guided I was by none other then myself. I went right for the comfortable and familiar ministry, instead of the one that I was being gently guided into by his graceful hand. Instead I chose confortable which then caused me to have to get yanked out of that comfort zone so that I could go where I can actually be useful. And believe me it is not the place I would have thought or chose for myself at all. I have been called to work more closely in the churches ministries. First and foremost "womens ministries" as I resigned my post at the Aisling Project (kicking and screaming) I couldn't help but ask "are you sure you know what you are doing" surley there was someone more suitable for this call then I. Apparently not though. When Pastor Brian confronted me with his feelings about me working at the Aisling Project I was so angry and confussed at first then once I calmed down had a good cry and asked God what the heck! It all became clear to me. (ok it took about 4 days but whose counting) I realized that most valuable time I spent while at the Aisling Project was in the office with Cindy the directors wife. Throughout our conversations she kept saying "I don't know why I am telling you this? I have never told anyone this. I don't usually feel this comfortable with other women." You see over the past year God has been trying (thank goodness he's patient) to show me that being me is enough. And its not me doing the ministry anyways its Jesus, its his works in my life that give me the ablility to talk to anyone anyways. Its not me its all about Jesus. Good lord I have a huge ego. You see its not us doing anything its Jesus and his works in and through us that is the true worker. I don't need to worry about wether or not I am going to be suitable or even good enough for the job because as long as I get out of the way and allow God to do his works through me, and in me and around me then I am being a true follower of Christ's. The real question now is... can I get out of the way long enough for him to do his job?
I hope so.
Please pray for my church family in Canada The Abbotsford Church of the Nazarene. Pray for peace within its community we have lost a good friend, Pastor Elwyn Grobe. We are still praying for the health of Pastor Graham and Karens baby girls.
Pray for the ministrties in the church and all of those involed.
Please pray for my health, mental, physical, emotional, spiritual.
Pray for my family I love you all may God keep you safe.
Please pray for my church here in Ireland the Balbriggan Baptist Church as Pastor Brian and Colleen and thier family are preparing to leave for Canada. Pray for the pastor God is preparing to replace him here.
Praise God for the work he is doing in my life out here and in the lives of those around me.
God bless all of you I love and miss you. Thank you for your support while I am here doing my work for the Lord.
Thank you for all of your prayers I appreciate them and YES God is listening!!!

Many have come before me!
I have no idea what the heck happened to November!!! So lets just pretend like it never happened???
Well alrighty here we go its December 2nd and I appologize for not writting like at all in november I was having some issues with the computer that I was working on then! I did a couple of blogs and then went to post them and they were errased so I said frick it! Ya I showed it! Sorry Adam I did try but you know I am not compouter savy!!! Ok lets get down to business, I have begun working at the Aisling Project (pronounced Ashley) in Ballymun
I want you to try and imagine the movies you have seen on inner city dwellings and then tripple it! When I pulled up I thought the building we parked infront of was in no way being used by anyone it looked like a sqaut. Only to find out that the Aisling Project is located on the third floor of this building and then later found out there are families that live in this building! God's bold like that isn't he. In your face Satan, Gods army is right in the midst of the chaos and pain. Your demons of striffe, pain, and suffering will be crushed with my heel! My hands will be used for war against the likes of you! If ever I was doubting whether or not God was indeed here in Ireland, He showed me on thursday that, yes! he is here and he is working through the likes of us Christians who are not going to be terrorized by the rapists and murders, and drug dealers of the community of Ballymun. We will fight for the rights of the children and speak boldly of the love that Jesus has for them and the plan our heavenly father has for thier lives.
It is one of the few places in Ireland that we can openly speak the truth of the gospel. We have the "freedom" to share with these kids the truth of what God's plans for their lives are. Can you believe these little ones don't know they are royalty! Princes and Princesses chosen by the King himself. Oh how I long to tell them stories of the great King Jesus, and his mighty warriors and the many children he has chosen fight in his army of Peace keepers, against the dark army. How all they have to do is ask and he will be there with them fighting along side them in their darkest hours. This is the best bed time story I have ever known, and I hope it will become theirs as well.
Pray for us all at the Aisling Project we are officially in the middle of the toughest war I have ever had to fight! We are fighting to save souls people. Your prayer of protection are welcomed and sought after. I have the pleasure of working with some of the bravest most Godly men I have ever met, these men have sacrificed everything they have to come and work in Ballymon, their lives have been threatened their families have been torn apart, their kids have been beaten to near death at the young ages of 8 years old!! And they still wake up and hit the streets of this community each and everyday. Because they have been called to do so. These men have been able to team up with the Catholic churches out here and have brought a new revival of Christianity into the churches.. there is amazing things happening here and I am honored to be apart of it. Every day I go to Ballymun I am one step closer to Jesus! Thy Will be Done Lord!
I love you all and know that I am safe and being loved and protected by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Andrea xoxoxoxo