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What began as a dream for Kaitlyn Pindak soon turned to reality in a matter of a few short months.
The junior music education major spent seven weeks doing missions work during the summer in Northern Ireland.
Upon receiving her passport in April, Pindak began fundraising for her trip to Ireland. Through a concert and selling handmade crafts, including some mugs donated by friends, Pindak raised enough money to fund her way overseas.
Although Pindak’s trip was not funded by Indigenous Outreach International, the organization helped her get in contact with the people she would eventually end up living with during her time in northern Ireland.
“I didn’t have anything together, so I prayed to God that if this was something that was going to happen, it was because He would want it to happen,” Pindak said. “It all came together from corresponding through email with people I had never met.”
Megan Bailey, graduate student in Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies, had spent time in Ireland previous to Pindak’s trip at one of the churches in which Pindak would be staying.
“I’m confident that Kaitlyn and the believers there mutually benefited,” Bailey said. “I’m also confident that God is at work in northern Ireland.”
Pindak traveled throughout northern Ireland, spending three and a half weeks in Strabane. She lived with with Clive and Sheila Johnston, whom she now considers her second set of parents.
While staying in Strabane, Pindak worked closely with The Bridge Fellowship Church, a non-denominational church in northern Ireland.
That’s unusual, because most of the population is Roman Catholic. While serving there, Pindak took part in soup lunches and other activities planned to reach out to the community.
Pindak said she made a 15-year-old friend, Damien, while in Strabane. She added: “He was saved while I was there, which is super exciting.”
After Strabane, Pindak traveled to Letterkenny, where she stayed with a younger couple, Alister and Trudy Johnston. During her time in Letterkenny, Pindak worked closely with a Baptist Youth Evangelism team. Pindak and the team focused on preparing to go out in to the community and teach the gospel to children.
The next stop on Pindak’s list was Richill Baptist Church in Derry. Once there, Pindak worked with a Child Youth In Action team. The team works with Children’s Evangelism Fellowship, a worldwide organization that reaches out to children.
“During the week I spent with the CYIA team, we went in to neighborhoods and did roughly structured youth camps for the kids,” Pindak said. “A few kids would usually show up, and sometimes we’d even talk to adults.”
One thing Pindak learned from her time doing youth camps on the street was how to share her faith more openly, she said.
“Working in these conditions taught me how to work with a team who is cross-cultural, be more bold about my faith, be more aware of the culture I am in, and taught me about listening,” Pindak said.
The next week Pindak returned to Letterkenny for another week with Baptist Youth Evangelism.
“We had a Holiday Bible Church during the day, which is similar to a Vacation Bible School,” Pindak said. “At night we had youth camp.”
One thing that stood out to Pindak was the amount of Ghanaians who inhabit the country. Whether there by immigration or born there, a large Ghanaian population exists in Ireland, she said.
“I actually had the opportunity to go to a Ghanaian-Irish wedding and play piano for them,” Pindak said.
While abroad, she also met her great aunt, who lives in Ireland.
“My biggest testimony that night was singing ‘How Great Thou Art’ for my great aunt during her mass,” Pindak said.
Pindak says her life has been changed by her trip to Ireland. She plans to travel there again one day, along with travel to many other countries.
“It was all about relational ministry, growing in my faith, being influenced by other wise Christians, learning about different cultures, and learning what is the gospel and what is true,” she said. “I have a passion for people, music and the gospel, so why not combine all those things and take them abroad in my future?”