RTE' Television Service

Preparing for the RTE' Television Service.

January Pictures

Jake Fox

Cairistiona at the Cliffs of Moher.

The entrance to Bunratty Castle.Cairistiona at Bunratty Castle.

Slippery at Bunratty Castle! :)

January Update

I hope and pray that the new year is treating you all well. I want to apologize for being so late with this month’s update. It seems that this past month has really flown by. It was a very nice Christmas this year, and I was privileged to have Cairistiona here with me over the Holidays. The Lord is truly good and continues to poor out His blessings on me.

We had our carol service here at the church on the 19^th of December. I believe that everything went very smoothly with this service. We had the opportunity to get people outside of the church involved by doing some readings. During the week the church is also used as a community center, and this was a chance to reach out to those who work here in the building. We are in contact with many of these people almost every day, and I am not sure how many of them are claiming Christ to be there Savior. Please pray for the people who work here that they will come to know Jesus as their own personal Savior. Pray also for us to be attentive to what God is doing here and that we would be ready speak when the Spirit leads.

Cairistiona sang a duet with me at the carol service, and that night was asked if we could both sing the song on Sunday at the RTE televised service. When we got to the studio on that Sunday, one of our normal singers was unable to attend because she had gotten sick. As a result, Cairistiona ended up singing throughout the entire service. It was very unexpected to have Cairistiona come to Ireland and help with the televised service, but it was a blessing to have her.

I believe that the RTE televised service went pretty well. It is much harder to be free to move in the Spirit when everything is rehearsed and on a timed schedule, however that is what needed to happen for the service to be aired on live television. Being able to look back at the service now, I believe that everything went pretty well. I pray that God was, and is, able to use that service for His glory. If he was able to speak to even one person that Sunday morning, than I believe it was worth it.

I asked for prayer last year that the Lord would bring fellowship to this place. God is so good. Almost every night it seemed that Cairistiona was here we found ourselves going to somebody’s house for dinner. Through her being here, God showed me how many people I actually know and have become close with here. Praise the Lord! God hears our prayers and answers them! I believe He is answering our prayers right now. Is the Tallaght Methodist church perfect? No, but what church is? I believe that God is working in this place. We need to be aware of what He is doing and serve Him in His plan. My friend Keith and I were talking last night about how we should not simply present our plans to God looking for approval, but rather seek God’s plan and see how we can serve Him in it.

I am hoping to start a small choir or ensemble at the church. Last year Easter virtually went by and I hardly knew that it had come around. That just doesn’t seem right to me when the resurrection of Christ has got to be one of the most important things to celebrate. We serve a risen God! The plan is to take this small choir and perhaps do some dramas as well. Please pray that as I begin this that I will stride out with confidence from Christ. Pray that people will want to get involved and that it won’t just become something we do, but that the Lord will be able to use it to minister to His people.

In case you have not heard the news, I proposed to Cairistiona while she was here. I am very excited about this new step in life; however that does not change or relieve me from where God has called me now. I will still remain in Ireland until July, and will continue to seek God’s face to know His plans for my life. When I think about the future, the only answer I hear from God at the moment is to wait. Not to go and try to make my own plans, but simply to wait on Him, and rest in Him. God is good and already knows the plans He has for us. Please pray for me as it will be hard to be away from Cairistiona for the next six months. However, I do not want that longing to be with her to be a distraction from what God is doing here and now. Nor do I want to be a distraction to her and where God has placed her at the moment. We long to seek God’s face together and to put our trust in Him, even if at this particular moment we have to do it apart. Again I say praise the Lord for He is good. He truly is my all.

Thank you once again for all of your prayers. You are a vital part to God’s ministry here in Ireland, and I thank you for your dedication and service to the Kingdom of Heaven. May the Lord bless you richly in all that you do.