Shane & Alli

Shane & Alli are a couple I met on myspace. When Andy and I pondered moving back to Ireland a couple of years ago I used my blog to connect with people from Northern Ireland. One of the blogs was about Shane & Alli and their plan to take a trip across North America and the ministry he created called fakerepublic.com . I told them to drop in if they travelled this way...and to my surprise....they did!

What developed was an instant friendship and kinship. They feel like family and we welcomed them and miss them like close family and we truly ache when we realize how far away they are. I confess to waking in the night to pray for them...as I would sometimes worry about their safety since they often would sleep in their van or just to keep their path free and clear.

Well, they finally returned home to London to interview for two different but prestigous universities. Alli would return to school to get a law degree and Shane his doctorate. Well in a matter of weeks, everything has changed and they turned down their universities after being accepted and now everything is back up in the air.

One of their considerations is to return to Canada...including the humble province of New Brunswick to settle and see where God leads them. Naturally, we would love this...many people here would be thrilled...but ultimately when I pray for them, it is that God will clear the way for Shane & Alli to know clearly and concisely where they need to go....because wherever they go, they will bring about change. It is vital that it be a place where they will receive support, encouragement, love and appreciation for who they are and what they want to do for the Lord.

But also, that they go to a place where they can simply be Shane & Alli. I believe the Lord has big plans for them, but in the process it is vital that they do not become overwhelmed with the needs of the many and lose themselves. It is their honesty and willingness to be common, to show doubt and confusion yet still convey the deep faith that sustains them....people recognize that and love them for it.