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.

December Pictures

Banners that Natalie from FDFC made.

December Update

Merry Christmas!

I pray that this letter finds you all well this holiday season. God is good! What a joy it is to be called to His service. I pray that we never forget that it is pure joy to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I have been distressed to hear about the YWAM shooting, and the shooting at the church in Colorado Springs that happened yesterday. If you are reading this I ask that you take a few moments to lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ up in prayer. I have been challenged recently by a friend to be quick to prayer. Often I think to pray, but not near as much as is needed. I long for prayer to be an automatic reaction, and no longer something that I plan to do. If I hear anything that needs prayer, than it is my desire to be quick to drop everything and pray. I believe that we will all quickly agree to the power of prayer and its necessity.

The RTE Television service is now only two weeks away. It has been busy trying to get everything squared away, but I believe everything should be in order now. Although a lot of the preparation has been additional work, I pray that this service will be a benefit to those who see it. We lift the service up in prayer asking that the Lord will be able to use it to share Christ with people this Christmas. I believe that if Christ is able to reach even one person through this service, than the work to prepare will be irrelevant.

In my last update I mentioned that I did not believe God was calling me to be the leader of the Friday night youth club this year. What can I say, God is so good. One of the men who started the club, Dave, has really taken charge of Friday nights. It has been really incredible. Dave is from this area of Tallaght and can relate with the kids very easily. He attends the West Tallaght Fellowship, and has invited his pastor along to help on Friday nights. Everything has been well organized and the experience has been a drastic change from last year. I have really enjoyed being with the kids and have had many more opportunities to share the Bible and the Gospel with the kids. We are trying to get them to do memory verses; however, I don’t know how well that is going yet. I do know that the word will never return empty (Isaiah 55:11)!

I wanted to be sure to mention that God bringing Steo into the house is an answer to prayer that I long to give glory to God for. Last year I was praying desperately for God to not return me to Ireland alone. While I was traveling around the States, a few people mentioned to me that they felt led to pray for me to have someone in the house with me. I keep saying it, but God is good. He has answered that prayer faithfully! I believe that it is important to rejoice together when God answers our prayers. And He does!

Our church in Tallaght is connected with another Methodist church in Lucan. Bill, our minister, is also the minister of the church in Lucan. A couple of weeks ago we had a cultural night with the Lucan church where people brought food from their native culture (I brought hot dogs) and sang songs in their native tongue. This was a very wonderful time of fellowship. Many of the people in our congregation, as well as the Lucan congregation, are from Africa. I would say that about three fourths of the people that came that night were African. It was very enjoyable to watch as they got up and sang praises to God in their own language. It was a very blessed time that I thank the Lord for.

Natalie Williams from FDFC was kind enough to make us banners to hang up at the church. I think that they are absolutely phenomenal and am very grateful to her and everyone that helped her sew. We finally got the new projector up, and while we had scaffolding here were able to put up the banners. God has given us all different gifts, and can use them for His will and purpose as long as we submit to Him. I am thankful for Natalie’s obedience to use her gifts and talents for the ministry of the Lord.

While I was home I began to date a lovely young woman named Cairistiona. Again, God is good. I am anxious as she is going to be able to come to Ireland during her Christmas break. She will be leaving Denver on December 14, and returning in January. Please pray for her as this is her first time to travel internationally, and she is going at it alone. Please pray for God’s protection over her as she flies, and for the Lord to bless her time while she is here.

Kevin and Shirley are continuing to pursue the vision that God has given Kevin. They both believe that God is calling them to move into a new house apart from the Methodist church in order to get this new ministry underway. The house they are moving into is rather expensive as all housing is here in Ireland. They have run across much opposition from fellow believers that do not believe God will provide the money. However, they are confident that this is what God is calling them to do. Luke 16:10 says that he whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. Kevin believes this is his next step of faith. Please pray that God will provide. I know Kevin and Shirley love the Lord and long to be obedient to Him. Pray that He will carry through in providing the finances needed to buy this house.

Thank you once again for your continued prayer and financial support. I pray again that you have a blessed Christmas. His grace and peace that surpasses all understanding be with you all.

November Pictures

This is me in Lahinch getting ready to surf. The Lahinch surf school.

Billy, Andy, and Phil.

November Update

I have been back in Ireland for about a month, and God has been really good at helping me to transition back into life over here. God has blessed me with a house mate. Steo has made day to day living incredibly different, but amazingly wonderful. We get along very well, and it has already been a tremendous help in keeping me from feeling lonely. I had hoped to be able to really invest in his life, and this has made that possibility become very easy. Please pray with me that our living together will be a benefit to Steo’s spiritual growth as well as my own.
God has already helped me to make new connections with new people. The Methodist church hired a new lady to run the center on a daily basis. I began talking with her and discovered that her daughter had just taken a missions trip to Greensburg KS in order to help with the rebuilding of the town. How incredible is that!? It turns out that she knows Tim Garrett who used to live here and work as a youth worker for the Lucan Presbyterian Church. Tim then went on to be a Youth Ministries professor at Barclay College. It was Tim who brought Tyler and Chris Bousman to Ireland, and it was through that trip that they became acquainted with Kevin and Shirley. It is truly amazing to see God working.
I went on a surfing trip with a friend named Phil Thomson. Some of you may remember him. He was one of the two guys that came over to America to meet the group that was already here. Phil is an active leader of DV8 which is a Christian gathering that happens once a month. Last year I had the privilege of helping with the worship team. I believe God is calling me to a bigger role in that team this year, and I am hoping to get more involved in the leadership of DV8. I was able to talk to Phil about it extensively on our trip, and he is excited to help be do just that. I am excited to see how God uses this ministry this year.
Everything went well with my visa, and I am officially able to stay in the country for another year. However, I discovered that they base it off of my original visa date, and I only have legal status here until August 3. I spoke to Bill about this and my future plans and it is a possibility that I will only be here through July. We spoke about the continued process of investing in people and helping to raise and train others who can lead the music after I am gone. Please be praying with me that God will not only lead me, but others to step up into this leadership role. My prayer is that I will not be leaving a gap when I leave.
The Friday night soccer club has been put on hold through at least Christmas. I am having trouble getting people to be committed again to this ministry, and it is something that I cannot tackle alone. Again, I am fearful to be the main leader of this ministry because I do not want to leave a gap behind. I really long to see an Irish person step up into this role so that the ministry started can continue and the kids will not feel abandoned. I am more than willing to help and support this ministry; I just do not believe God is calling me to be the leader of it this year.
Kevin and Shirley believe that they will only be at the Methodist Church for another six to twelve months. Kevin has been active in working on starting his own church which will be called Shine Ministries. He believe that this is the direction God is calling him, and believes that he is being called away from the Methodist Church.
A local TV station televises church services from around Ireland regularly. The Tallaght Methodist Church has been asked to be a part of this and have been offered the chance to lead the service on December 23. This is a very exciting opportunity that we are all looking forward to. Please pray that God will help us to be affective as we prepare for this service.
I am also working quickly to help put together a carol service that will be held on December 17. We are hoping to get a local choir to come and sing some carols as well as having some of our local congregation to share their talents that God has blessed them with. I am excited to be able to take of an active role in this service as I did not do much for it last year.
The men’s and women’s groups that were started are continuing to go very well. The men’s group meets here at my house every Tuesday evening. God has really been emphasizing to me the need to be submissive and serve on another. A huge problem that I have seen amongst Christians here in Tallaght (not only the Methodist Church) is their lack of unity. Everybody thinks that they know best and nobody wants to listen to one another. I often feel that everyone is going in there own direction and causing nobody to go anywhere. This is a huge prayer concern. I believe that if these people would submit to one another and consider others better than themselves (Phil 2:3) that unity would come to this place. Please think of us in your prayers as we strive to follow Christ’s example of servant hood (Phil 2:6).
I was surprised at how quickly my money was running out since I have been back in Ireland, and quickly learned that the exchange rate was $1.45 to €1. God has been very good to provide me with all that I need even though I was not expecting the decrease of the value of the dollar. I do ask that you will pray that God will continue to provide me with what I need, and will lead me to be wise with the money that He provides.
Thank you all very much for your constant prayer and support. May God bless and keep you in all that you do.