son of recap

So, we had gone to Letterkenny pretty much for the sole purpose of meeting Mike Mullins, Ireland director of Operation Mobilization, a multinational mission organization. He was the guest speaker that morning. After worshipping with those in Letterkenny, we would follow him to his house and spend the afternoon with him and his family. But we took the opportunity to introduce ourselves to the worship leaders, P. J. (who was leading that morning) and Joe (who is the main worship leader, but playing bass that morning). As we shared with them what we do, Joe surprised us by saying, “We’d love to have you come and work with our band!”

Well okay, then – if you insist!

We had a good talk with Joe and hope to connect up with him and the worship team at Letterkenny on one of our subsequent trips this year.

As Mike Mullins spoke it became quickly apparent that what we had heard about him was absolutely true. This man is a powerhouse for the Lord. So much energy and joy surrounds him, along with a true heart for the lost.

After the service, and after Mike was able to pull himself away from the hordes, we followed him for the beautiful 20 minute drive north to Buncrana. His Dutch wife, Aster had lunch laid out shortly after we arrived. As we sat around the table with Mike, Aster and their four little ones, we had a great time talking about all things ministerial, including sharing with them about our work.

Mike is working on a very exciting project that he told us all about. In short, Buncrana sits on Lough Swilly, a finger of an inlet that extends inland from the Atlantic. It was in the shelter of this harbor two centuries ago that a ship, crippled by a fierce storm, found refuge. It carried a man by the name of John Newton, a British slave trader. Not a man of faith previously, he, along with the others on board prayed for God’s grace to save them. There was a break in the storm that revealed the inlet and the boat listed into the Lough. Within two hours the storm had regained strength and it was obvious that, had they not found this shelter, they would have all perished.

It was at this time that Newton became a Christian and it was as a result of the grace that he had experienced that he penned the song Amazing Grace. He, together with William Wilberforce were the catalysts in seeing slavery abolished in the British Isles.

April 8, 2007, which happens to be Easter, marks the 200th anniversary of this event, and when Mike Mullins discovered this, he set out to let all those in local and national government, as well as church leaders throughout Ireland, know about this landmark. It has now been declared “Amazing Grace Sunday” and the goal is to have every church in Ireland sing Amazing Grace that morning.

Plus, Walden Media has produced a movie about the history that I have just shared, called Amazing Grace, and there is talk of having the Ireland premier take place in this little village of Buncrana.

The city council also wants a monument erected, overlooking Lough Swilly and is asking Mike to oversee that.

Mike drove us to the place that is planned to have the monument, which happens to be next to an old fort. Mike and others have been told they can have the fort to renovate and house a cultural center that will be about Newton's life and the history of slavery.

It will be exciting to see how God will use this to draw many to himself this year and in the years to come. It will also be exciting to see how God will continue to use Mike Mullins and his ministry throughout Ireland and the world.