Slowly, But Surely!

The past few days we have been bustling around trying to accomplish some of the things that we have previously taken for granted in the states. Yippee! After several trips to the bank, we were finally able to open a "current account", or a checking account for Ross. This doesn't seem like a huge deal, but it is considering that you can't do anything else here without one. That night we celebrate our small victory with delicious American style hamburgers from a restaurant called "Gourmet Burger". Each day we try to hold on to the little successes so that we don't get discouraged with how S...L...O...W things are here.

For the past three days we have enjoyed looking at different flats (apartments) to let (rent) in the various districts of Dublin. The city of Dublin is comprised of 13 different postal districts, each with a different feel and culture. We have been familiarizing ourselves with the area to decide where we want to call home. While walking miles and miles to get to one flat viewing, we stumbled upon the most adorable little district (6 to be precise) called Ranelagh (RON-A-LAH). We quickly decided that this was the area for us. Whenever we talk about it, the word "charming" seems to suit it perfectly. Here are some pics.

On our way to the next flat viewing for the day we were ecstatic to discover that the flat was right on the corner of the street we fell in love with. Here is an aerial view of our new place (the green arrow is our complex):

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We were offered a one bedroom flat to let for 650Euro, an absolute steal for the area! It is in a period house with five other units. Ours is on the garden level which basically means it is submerged in the ground (our windows are right above the grass line). It is super cozy, meaning tiny... but a place we feel we can make homey. The location is incredible, as it is within a 30 second walk to the LUAS station, a train that goes directly to Trinity College, and yet it is still a part of a quite neighborhood. It is right across the street from an upscale market and a tasty Italian market called Best of Italy with fresh meat, gelato, fruit, and veggies that are reasonably priced. Directly down the street is a gothic style church, whose spires always inspire Ross with one glance. Right after viewing this flat we knew we had to jump on it immediately. With tons of students looking for housing at the moment, cute places to live for cheap are gone in a flash.

Another blessing we have been graced with is the Dublin Vineyard Church. We had been in previous contact with a member from the church, Katie, before we left the states. Since every Vineyard church is very unique, we were unsure that we would find Dublin Vineyard to be a good fit, but we went this past Sunday and were pleasantly surprised. Here is where we meet on Sunday.

It reminded us very much of our beloved church back home. Katie invited us to her small group last night. We felt so welcome by the couples there and were overjoyed at how similar it was to the small group we had attended in La Mirada. The Lord is so good! We have been here only a week, and already we feel connected through the church.

A few things that you can be praying for...

We are going to the GARDA station soon to inquire about extending my (Suzanne) holiday visa for a year. Please pray that they will grant us this request. Once we have successfully done this, I will have a year to find a job, which will allow me to apply for a work visa.

Also, I (Suzanne) have been asking the Lord to reveal to me what my place is here in Dublin. I know that supporting Ross in his work at Trinity is a huge role I will be playing here, but I also truly desire to find my place here and how the Lord wants to use me. I desire to find a job where my gifts are being utilized and where I feel that I am ministering to others. At church on Sunday I met a lady who worked for the YMCA. She told me about a few job vacancies they had. I have contacted the HR person, but have not yet heard back. One area of the YMCA that I would love to work in is their STEP program. It is helping young adults (18-25), who have not finished their schooling and are homeless, get back on their feet, get temporary housing and work. I would help mentor/tutor them. This sounds really interesting to me. I would also love to nanny for a family. Please pray that I meet someone that knows a great family that lives within walking distance to our flat.

Although we are truly enjoying this wonderful city, we do miss you all tons! Keep in touch with us. We love hearing from you!

Cheers!