Another busy week visiting many churches, pastors, and people. It was great but exhausting. Here's a fun little anecdote from our week.

We like to inject a little cultural knowledge into our talks to churches. It’s fun to talk about how, in Ireland, it’s a known fact that you shouldn’t accept a cup of tea straight away when someone offers.

Polite society dictates that you should wait until it’s offered again…usually not finally accepting until they offer a few times (or mention that they’re already putting the kettle on for themselves). As Americans, we just tend to say exactly when we do and do not want things. It seems so crazy now!

We’ve really had to work on the “I don’t want it” face when we are in situations where our sanity depends on a cup of tea or coffee but we must politely refuse. We know it will inevitably be offered again…but still. Our American nature does not have confidence in this yet and there is the element of risk.

We mentioned this very bit of information in two separate churches this week and (no exaggeration) both pastors said this at the end of the service: “Should we do an offering?” They asked this question three times, expecting on the third go for everyone to shout “yes.” Of course, this happened, and everyone got a good laugh out of it.

The mix of cultures is mad. We are having a lot of fun at each church we attend.