Daily journal November 9, 2000, Knock Ireland, the aberation way, 20 million souls per year visit here as tourists hoping to see again the "blessed Mother Mary" that is reported to have appeared here in the gable of the church, Catholic of course, 300 years ago. Mary has not appeared since then nor will she appear ever here but the people keep coming so very many of them, Twenty Million souls per year. The Knock International Airport was built about 15 miles North of this tiny town by none other than the government of Ireland built in recent years to accommodate all these people but scarcely any flight, maybe BA flies in and out of here until now. You can buy Catholic paraphernalia here like a Saint Joseph that reportedly will help you sell your land or your house if you bury him in the backyard. These false fables are big including Mary the Divine sell well to unsuspecting people for a thousand years because people basically are gullible and they donot think for themselves. Let this false doctrine be damned because it is no part of the living church of the true and living God, creator of all the universe. Let us sound the alarm to worn them by the Word against such heresy. The Disciples of Christ never worshipped Mary when she was living and they were preaching on earth. I consider it dangerous to teach this, a false doctrine or to not speak out against this phony doctrine to say the least, as it is an insult to God. Let us be man enough to stand and to speak the truth no matter what. Is it friends that would prevent us, is it numbers that would prevent us, is it money to prevent us from speaking out against false doctrine coming from the pit of hell to deceive many.

We left Glen Bay for a full days drive via Donegal and Sligo to Knock with a stop near Charleston for a very delicious lunch in a roadside restaurant Irish style. After Knock, we continued South, South East to Galway, Ennis, Limerich(a Bible name) and Shannon, ultimately to Waterford Where we found a delightful Bed and Breakfast and to spend the night. The trip would not be complete without a visit to the Waterford Crystal Factory.

Irish pounds are at 1.20 dollars. $1 is about 80 cents which is a better exchange rate than British pounds sterling. Ireland gained its independence from Britain in 1916 winning their battle for freedom. The British say that only 20 percent of Americans vote because the rest of them are too fat to get into the booths. I say that since McDonald's and Burger King came here, the British are about as fat as Americans. One Bed and Breakfast began to read their labels on cereals to find heavy sugar, in fact one cereal had 50 percent sugar listed and the lady said she still adds sugar to the bowl. They all offer cereal especially to Americans but few are aware of the dangers of sugar or how much they are consuming in cereal. Ireland has no crossroads only roundabouts and driving is all virtually the same. They are rebuilding roads with money from the EU, you must stop ever mile to wait for the construction crews to clear the road. I knew something had happened since I was here in May because I saw no roadblocks then. We fail to find a Thompson or Stewart, my wife's maiden name here in Ireland and assuming Scotland is where we came from. Dear Lord, give us the right spirit to meet and greet our fellow man here on earth. May we show and reveal Christ in our actions day by day as we go on our way. Praise You.

Waterford is on the extreme South of Ireland. We had heard coming in on their Public Radio, the native Irish language spoken giving the news. We asked the proprietor here about the language which appears on the road signs and he spoke some for us, we learn every day a new language of some sort, but I never have though about the Irish native language until we heard this and it is truly a beautiful language to hear being spoken.

2Chronicles 7-15 "Now my eyes shall be open, and mine ears and attend unto the prayer"