A Project My Team Has Worked On

For those of you are not as familiar with NET, we are always trying new ways to reach out and recruit new members. This is one of the way that we have done this.



Please watch, enjoy, and share the video with anybody you know! NET has been an absolutely amazing experience that has helped me grow both in my Catholic Faith and as a person. It is worth doing, and supporting. As always, thank you for the support you have given me so far.

Plot Twist

Rekina, my Canadian teammate, climbing the Comeragh Mountains

Welcome back to my blog! After many, many months I have returned to write and to update everybody on my time in Waterford, Ireland!

    We have had quite an exciting year here, although in absolutely none of the ways I would have expected. Last year, I thought I got to know NET. Last year, I memorized the NET Ireland retreats, the way of life, and even how to interact with people from my team. Now they do say that you should throw everything you learned out the window between your first year and second year, but I figured there were some things that were just NET so I should know how it goes, right?

    Yeah... can I get pride for $200 Alex?

    Basically, this year is not what I thought. We have not been into the schools as much as I thought we would be. There has been a lot of barely scratching the surface of things that I did not have any idea that we would encounter. Then the one week where the team was in schools for three days in a row, but I was sick and unable to attend. Sometimes when you think that things aren’t going as planned, it can get discouraging. You can look at it and say “Well I’m not doing my best.” “Well I don’t know what to do about this.” “Well how is my ministry turning out?”

    Who is the main character of those questions?

The lake at the top of the Comeragh mountains

    When I get discouraged, I look at what the actual problem is. And the problem with all of those statements is that they’re all about me. Despite the fact that there is a good heart behind the questions, they are all about me. The Jesus, who should be the main component off all of these questions, is completely left out. I get focused on how I am doing. I get focused on how I  look with all of this. I start to be working for NET, but not for Jesus. And you know what? I get discouraged.

    Then I refocus. Then I put Him at the center of it again. Then I decide to give it back to Jesus and let Him do what He does best.  

    Then I get to look at how we are doing in a whole new light. Despite all of the obstacles, I am getting closer to my team. While we have lost two teammates throughout the year, each one of them is a prayer warrior behind us now. Even if we are not in the schools, we have made incredible relationships with some young adults in the area. You begin to realize that they are interested in Jesus and their faith in a way they have never been before. We’ve all had a chance to grow together in our faith, and even just become friends. When I look at the narrative of this year, who is the main character? When it’s me, then I’m actually just wasting my time and the time of all these people I’m getting to know. But when it’s Jesus, then He’ll make it better than anything I could come up with.

    So that is my little piece. Please continue to pray for me and for my team, and for the friends we are making. As well pray for Bishop Phonsie, who has welcomed us into his home, and is fighting the fight just as hard or even harder than we are.

Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. We had SNOW!!!!