Canavans' Call

Dan and Beth Canavan, with their triplets Andrew, Caleb and Rebecca, arrived in Ireland September 28, 1999. What did God use to get them to this country for service to Him? While Dan was in the Marine Corps, they were attending Heritage Baptist Church in Woodbridge, Virginia. God used the strong missions emphasis at the church to call Dan and Beth to Ireland. After the Marine Corps, Bible College and deputation, they are full-time for the Lord in the land of Ireland. God is also using them to reach out to some of the Chinese population in their area.

The Community Centre God has provided for the Canavan's church in Sandyford (a southern suburb of Dublin), Ireland.

Triplet Three-part Harmony!

Beth Canavan's Irish Writing Class

For anyone moving to a foreign country, learning that country's culture is important. We knew that our whole family needed to learn the Irish culture. After living in Ireland for just three months, my husband and I decided that taking an evening class would be a good way for me to do so. I have an interest in writing, so I enrolled in a writing class.

The evening of the first class found me as excited as a young school girl. Somewhat afraid of entering a new situation alone yet looking forward to learning, I hoped that taking this class would not only help me learn more of the Irish culture but also make me a more effective servant for Jesus Christ.

Each class began with the teacher reading a sentence and then giving us two minutes to write whatever that sentence brought to mind. One evening she read: "A middle-aged couple moved into the rows." As each of my classmates read what they had written, their responses immediately showed our obvious cultural differences. I had written about a couple finding a seat in an auditorium while the others had written of a couple moving into a new house.

For our major assignment for the term, our teacher recommended that we write a fictional paper on a topic about which we were already quite knowledgeable. I wrote of the pregnancy and birth of triplets (since I am the mother of triplets). Other cultural differences surfaced as we discussed these papers together. The doctor in my story had told the expectant mother the truth about her babies. My classmates taught me that since the Irish value making people happy, they often do not give details that could be upsetting. This is important for me to learn when witnessing in my new country.

The poem that I wrote as an assignment brought the most positive comments. Poetry can be strong words that create vivid pictures or emotions in any language. God used a simple poem about his lovely creation, a rose, to help me build a bridge to my classmates.

I praise the Lord for the opportunity to take this class. It broadened my ability to connect with the Irish people. It also broadened my horizons in the field of writing. My husband and I both feel that this class has helped to make us more effective witnesses for Christ in our ministry in IRELAND.

A ROSE
By Elizabeth A. Canavan

The essence of beauty envelopes the senses.
Vibrant in color, captivating the eyes,
Splashes of sunshine, badges of red,
Delicate pinks, orange hues of sunrise.

Fragrance divine - it wafts on the breeze
Enticing the captive to draw nearer still.
Intoxicating - its perfume doth please,
Tempting the nose to drink to the fill.

The gentle brushing of petals over skin
Giving light touches of velvety pleasure,
Whispering sweetly of its own fragility
And of the moments we tenderly treasure