I'm Irish, Not An Idiot

Whoa, what a week!  Our lecture this week focused on the Father Heart of God and how we have certain areas of darkness in our lives that are keeping us from seeing the Father.  It was impactful, to say the least, but also super encouraging as well.  Before we dig deep into that subject,  lets update you all on everything else that has been going on in our lives here in beautiful Sligo, Ireland.

Last week's lecture was on experiencing intimacy with the Holy Spirit.  Hearing Him talk to you and the feeling of "closeness" with Him.  It was a great reminder of all that we had been doing with Singing Waters on the island, and it was great to see all the students excited about hearing The Lord speak to them.  At the end of the week, we visited Northern Ireland to experience just a wee bit of St. Patrick's ministry.  We first visited Downpatrick to see one of the major spots of St. Patrick's  hometown ministries as well as visit the very first church planted by St. Patrick.

After visiting Downpatrick,we made our way back home and stopped at Armagh, another one of the cities that St. Patrick had a big influence.  We were able to stay at a nice hostel there and explore the city some before we came home.  We were abe to visit both churches of Ireland, one being an Anglican Church planted by St. Patrick, with the other being a Catholic Church, which was breathtaking.  It was great to be in these towns with buildings and places that are a few thousand years old.

Returning back home, we celebrated yet another birthday here and another this week as well (so many October birthdays!). We prepared our hearts to receive the message this week about God's Father Heart and man, it was awesome.  Larry Nichols, our guest lecture this week, is from Montana and has worked with YWAM for many years.  His love and passion for the Father Heart of God was astounding and very encouraging for Justin as he  prepares to be a father himself.  Larry also brought a guest with him, Les Sannes, who was such a joker.  Les bunked here with us at the hostel and really spoke into our hearts.  He prayed over us for our finances and really encouraged us to constantly seek after the heart of God.  It was great having the view of a sender, one who donates and supports missionaries, rather than a receiver (us).  

It was so impactful to hear about God's Father heart.  We were challenged to really investigate the heart of God and understand exactly how much love the Father haves for us.  It is overwhelming to try and understand just how much God loves us.  Even when we disobey The Lord, He still beckons us closer and wants an even deeper relationship with us.  This sometimes, seems unfathomable.  Why would such a powerful being want that from us?  Because that is precisely who God is and it was great to experience that this week from Larry and Les.

Next week is an exciting week for the group because we were invited to staff a holiday Bible camp for a local children's organization.  We will be staffing this camp most of the week and then hosting a party on Halloween night for the children.  Both of us are ready to take part in the local children's lives as we show them the love of God.

Also happening next week is lecture focusing on a discovery Bible study to aid us in sharing the Gospel.  We have a gentleman from Egypt coming in for lecture and Justin is very excited to meet him.

Korina's doctor was finally able set an appointment in a few weeks to have her ultrasound to determine the sex of the baby, so we won't be keeping y'all in the dark for that much longer!  

Some continuing prayer requests for this week...

For finances as we are nearing the due date for our outreach costs.  You can donate many ways, either online here or by donating directly to YWAM Sligo via PayPal (click on donate, add our names in the memo/comments box).  For further ways in partnering with us, please send us an e-mail at justin.barigian@gmail.com .  

For further revelation from this past week as we continue to dig deeper as a group following after the Heart of God.  As we continue to grow more vulnerable as a group, the enemy tries to tear us apart any chance he gets, so for protection as students open up together and grow.

Baby things.  Continuing health for the baby and the mother.  That the baby will be turned the right way as to reveal the gender, because this will be our last ultrasound.

"Look at this door! Have you seen this door?!"

Culture Corner.

So instead of lingo this week, we are going to explain the title.  We went to a local coffee shop with one of guests this week, Les, and he decided to pay for the hot chocolates.  Being his first time in Ireland, let alon Europe, his Minnesotan accent was easy to spot! When paying for the drinks, he pulled a handful of small change out of his pocket and asked the lady at the counter if she could help him count the Euro.  Mind you that Euro coins have huge numbers on the face of the coin and are very similar to American currency.  As she is picking through his change, he dropped an American quarter on the counter and she said, "That one won't work here". Les chuckled and tried to explain that it was worth $4 or $5 in Irish currency.  The lady quickly responded, "I'm Irish, not an idiot" and everyone, including Les, got a good laugh out of it.  

Stranded in Strandhill

One week of survival for Team B at our DTS.  We are still in one piece, at least for the evening.

This past week has been kind of a whirlwind, yet in a good way.  We feel that we have finally settled in here at the White House here in Sligo.  All items have been unpacked, our sleep schedule has officially changed and jet lag is a fleeting thought.  We have fully embraced what is life here in Ireland and we could not be happier.

Mama B showing off her 17 week belly at the Sligo Abbey

Lecures officially started today and this week our focus is on relationships.  We are watching a video series featuring Dean Sherman, the Dean of the University of the Nations.  There has been healthy discussion on what a Godly relationship looks like and we are excited to dig deeper throughout the rest of this week.  It is encouraging to know that the two of us have been doing things the way God has intended them to be.  It is confirmation that The Lord has truly blessed us so that we may, in turn, be a blessing to others.

This past weekend, we visited a small town on the coast just outside of Sligo called Strandhill.  Strandhill reminds us much of Bodega Bay in Northern California with plenty of artisinal shops featuring all types of sustainable cookery, produce and gifts.  It was nice to finally have fish and chips that Korina remembers being so good!

Mammy Johnston's Ice Cream Shoppe had this lovely sign out front. What a lovely way to live life.

The beach was breathtaking.  God's might and power was ever evident in the thrashing of the waves, His beauty in the color of the clouds, and His love in the company.  This is a side of Ireland most don't experience and we were fortunate to witness this beautiful place.

Caught in the act of looking good while enjoying the view.

While at Strandhill, we decided to venture a little down the coast to stumble upon some church ruins. It was so peaceful looking at crumbled piece of history somehow surviving for some 500 years.  It's hard not to gain some perspective when you think about how long a structure has survived.  What did it endure to still hold onto a shred of its identity?  How many people were able to witness these broken walls as we were?

The back wall to the Killaspugbrone Church where St. Patrick tripped and lost a tooth. The tooth lived here for a while before moving to Dublin.

We have a doctors appointment tomorrow! Yay!  We will keep everyone updated as to what is going on...maybe if its a boy or a girl!

Looks like everyone thinks we are having a boy...except George?

Edge of a grave at Sligo Abbey.

Thank you all for joining us on this incredible journey.  We are consttantly amazed by the beauty of this place and will continue to share our pictures, our stories and our love.

Prayer Requests

-Justin has managed to get a cold, so prayer that he quickly recovers.

-For Korina's doctor's appointment tomorrow.

-Continued support raising: still need $3100 to pay off tuition.

-Team members who may be feeling homesick or having a tough time coping with all these new experiences

Irish Lingo

"Getting knocked up" in English

"Up a pole" in Ireland.  My wife, Korina, is up the pole!

Ya'll Ready For This?!

This post is gonna be epic! 

First things first: We are alive and well! This last month we...

Witnessed the "bwessed awangement" of our friends Amanda and Levi

Visited our families in Fresno and Oakhurst 

Our sweet niece Ava Karlyn Nash was born!

Worked our butts off at our jobs (jk- just Justin works hard- I just stare at this all day)

Learned SO MUCH about the character of God 

Discovered more about our future with YWAM (it's still happening- don't freak)

Went on a few Dolphin Quest tours (why not when it's free!- Thanks Mike!)

"Let's get down to the nitty gritty"

I (Korina) have been getting more involved with the worship team here at Singing Waters and it has blessed me so much to see God moving. There is so much for me to learn but just saying "use me" was the best thing I volunteered myself for ...probably ever. I have been using the gifts I have been blessed with to try and help others here discover their purpose in the Lord. Work is keeping me busy in between everything else going on and I am blessed so much to be able to see the ocean every day.

 I am realizing more, as time goes by, that I am eager to expand in the world of hospitality. I want so much for people who are far from home to feel a little less homesick by making them a meal, creating a comfortable environment for them to relax, and share long extravagant stories about our different adventures. I have no idea what that means long term or how it will play out but when I talk about it my heart just about jumps out of my chest. 

I am trying to acclimate to living in a place where most people have a generational history and something I like to call "islander fervor" -which is really just pride in never having lived anywhere other than Avalon, having your whole family here for generations and all the glorious entitlement that encompasses it. Most islanders are hesitant to change and no matter how deep you think your roots go here - someone else's grow deeper. I can respect that sense of pride, but it also makes ministry hard, especially when you are "young and idealistic". Anything that can be suggested is usually taken with a grain of salt on your merit alone as a non-islander. We are prayerfully trying to pursue the hearts of the community here while also maintaining the respect they expect. Its a thin line. 

As in any culture, we are trying to remain respectful to the hard work the ministries here have worked so long to establish while also bringing a fresh set of eyes to the equation. Having an "Encouragement Board" in our room helps too...

Meanwhile, we have been discipled in a way neither of us could expect. Being surrounded by so many mature believers has raised our standards for our own walks with God. We have learned so much about the character of God and really fallen in love with who He is all over again. We are so excited to share more of Him with the unreached people of the world in practical and unexpected ways. We have been encouraged to engage our community with intentional relationships and service. 

Justin has been really blessed by his job lately with plenty of hours to keep him busy but not so much to take away from his work at the church. His chef has taken him under her wing and developed his skills exponentially in just a few short months. He is learning more specifically about creating menus that cater to dietary restrictions while maintaining a respect for the ingredients and processes used. He is being mentored still by Enrique (our main pastor here) and learning more about teaching and leading in the church body. 

We are so excited for the carnival that is the summer season in Avalon! We are really stoked to work a bit more and save some money for our next steps toward doing a Discipleship Training School. Everyone who lives here year round usually have a few jobs and work work work through the summer to sustain themselves for the rest of the year, so we are jumping on that bandwagon with the rest of the locals. Our jobs provide ample opportunity to love on people (even tourists!) and we are looking forward to this next season.

Some things to pray about for us:

Financial coverage for our next step toward YWAM

Wisdom regarding when and where we are doing a DTS

Continued breakthrough with our congregation as we enter into a season of JOY

Our relationships we are establishing here and their continued growth

YWAM Yosemite as they enter into their first DTS in the fall, for a vehicle for them and the property they are actively pursuing- that God would be big and cover their finances above and beyond what they could ever expect.

Please let us know how we can be praying for you as well! Comment here or shoot us e-mails or a good old fashion post is always well received if you feel so inclined :)

Justin and Korina Barigian 

PO Box 1101 

Avalon, CA 90704

It's totally still February...right?

Well you wouldn't know it looking around here

It rains all night and into early morning

but by 9 a.m. this happens

Naturally, a grilled chicken salad seems in order to end the day. 

And all that in our our own front yard

I would say "backyard" but trust me....

no one wants to go there.