World Focus Week

This coming Sunday will be the beginning of World Focus Week a The Harvest. Sunday and Wednesday we will have a table set up for Ireland. Drop by and see what God is doing in Ireland and how you can particapte in the Great Commison.

We are moving!!

As many of you know Kevin and my heart is for missions. Over the past several years we have been praying about where we fit in all of it. Through much, much prayer we know God is moving us to Ireland. We are planing this move to take place June 2011. We will be moving to Cork, Ireland. We want to thank all of you who have prayed us through to this point and we ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers as we take this bold of a step. We also ask that you pray for guidance and provision. We also ask that you pray for our families as they too are adjusting to our big move.

We are back

Wow! We had so much fun doing the Lord's work in Ireland!! Here is a quick view of what we did while we were in there. The first few days in Ireland we toured some areas of Ireland, a castle, UCC campus, and the cliffs. We also got to meet some of the youth who are part of the Dungarvan Christian Fellowship youth group. Kevin had a great opportunity to give out free tea and coffee late that Friday night, 1am, in Dungarven. I know this sounds crazy for Americans, however it truly gets your name out there and the people love you for giving out free tea in coffee. It's also a great way to start up small talk, build a relationship and introduce them to Christ. Monday, the 20th, we started handing out free tea and coffee to the students on UCC. Praise God, for providing the wonderful cappuccino machine.... if they didn't want tea they want hot chocolate or a latte!! YUM!! We also played fun, silly games such as, "Do you want a kiss" and "Who's the man". "Who's the man", arm wrestling, was the BIG hit!! We did this through out the week. By the end of the week we had over 70 people sign up for email and around 20 people who are very serious about wanting to see "Living Stones", a Christian Society, get started on the campus.

Highlights for Malachi...
~Malachi spent his 2nd Birthday in Ireland. Mrs. Barrett made Malachi a chocolate train for his birthday... it was amazing!!
~Malachi also made friends with UCC girls.... who made sure to see him on his birthday.
~Malachi enjoyed getting to see kitty's everyday.... he also liked the fact the kitty's played what he thought was hide and go seeks, but they truly were running away from him.
~Malachi also enjoyed playing with Mr. Jason and Mrs. Tania.
~Oh and the BIG one... Malachi loved seeing the "Moo's" and the "Baa's" outside the car window as we drove throughout Ireland!

Kevin and Rebecca's Highlights...
~Kevin was able to preach at the DCF Sunday service and he was able to give his testimony to the youth.
~We both were able to meet Pastor Tom Burk. He helped us understand a little more about the Irish culture.
~Meeting the Ireland team and being able to see what everyday life is like in Ireland.
~Getting to know Kyle Holland more.
~Late night talks with Jason and Tania..... and all of our "rabbit trails".
~Giving out free tea and coffee.
~Kevin arm wrestling the students of UCC

As you can see we LOVED Ireland and definitely have a heart to see this nation after God.
Please continue to pray for Ireland!!

We made it!!

We are here and we are loving it!! So far we have meet the only youth group, with in hundreds of miles of it, in Ireland. The kids are great and I think all but may be three of them are lost. We also have gotten to meet many of the families who are part of the church in Dugarvan, Ireland.

Ireland is all about FUN!! They are very laid back and never on time.... who does this remind you of.... me :)

Truth of the day: There is no Youth Group in Cork, Ireland and in the surrounding cities. In fact, when you tell them there are hundreds of them through out SC they are amazed!

This coming Monday-Saturday we be on CCU Campus.

Thank you for all your prayers and please continue praying with us!!

our first three days

It's here!!

PRAISE GOD!! We are leaving tomorrow early in the morning for Ireland. We are very excited and can't wait to get there so we can start digging our hands into what God has waiting on us. Until then, we are packing and praying that God will provide the $900 we still need. We are very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family who support us in prayer and in finances! If we don't say it enough, "THANK YOU!!" Keep this blog on the front of your mind, because we will be posting what we are doing and what we need you to prayer for!!

Prayer Request

Over the past several days we have been in heavy prayer on what God desires us to do. Within the next 8 days we will be flying to Ireland. Even though we stongly believe God will have us on that flight, we are in prayer over the $2,500 we still need inorder to go. PLEASE, pray with us that God will provide all of our needs before the 15th. Also, if you have never done this before, pray for God to reveal what role He desires you to be apart of in the Great Commission.

Finances

Please, join us in prayer over our finances for the Ireland vision/mission trip. We are in the of need $3,700. We still can't buy our plan tickets and we leave in 3 1/2 weeks!!

Fun facts about Ireland

I am not sure all of these are true, however it was fun looking them up and having a good laugh!

IrelandFunFacts: Very Best Pub in Ireland; Tango in Roscommon; Ballybunion: "Couples in Ireland could marry legally on St. Brigid's Day (February 1st) in Teltown, County Meath, as recently as the 1920’s by simply walking towards each other. If the mariage failed, they could “divorce'” by walking away from each other at the same spot, on St. Brigid’s day the following year. The custom was a holdover from old Irish Brehon laws, which allowed temporary marriage contracts."

The country's first divorce was in 1997.

There are more mobile phones in Ireland than people.

Ireland has no snakes.

Green is used for St. Pattys day because it is the color of spring.

On St. Patty's Day Chicago dyes its river green.

Pracited by the Irish people: On a childs birthday they hold up the child by his legs and slightly bumb the childs head on the floor. The bumbs correspond to the age of the child. This tradition is done for good luck.

The town of Belfest, in Northern Ireland, is were the Titanc was built.

An unusal fact about Ireland was when a doctor was buried up right in his coffin. Reason being, he had athritis in his hips, and desired a quick departor when the ressuration came! What a confussed soul!!

The longest place name in Irelnad Munckanaghederdauhauaulia. It means, "pig marsh between two seas".

M&M's tast much better in Ireland becasue they have more chocolate in them. They don't have to put wax in them to keep them melting like we do in America.

Their most favorite game in Ireland is the local pancake eating festival which takes place every three weeks. (Northern Ireland)

Spiritual Gifts

Knowing ones Spiritual Gifting can tell you allot about a person. What your personality is like, your passions, etc. Well, Kevin and I decided to take a Spiritual Gift test the other week, actual we took a couple of different S.G. test. Needless to say, we were surprised to see some pop up and surprised to see some did not.

Kevin:
Music
Poverty
Apostle
Faith
Pastoring
Exhortaion
Encouragement
Discernment

Rebecca:
Faith
Hospitality
Apostle
Discernment
Helps
Teaching
Pastoring

What are your Spiritual Gifts?

Answered prayers

Praise God for answered prayers. We recieved our first support letter in the mail today and we have a nanny!! :) My dear college friend sister, Amy Farrington, will be coming with us. Malachi is going to LOVE her!! Now our next goal is money to pay for airfare.

Let your light shine

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." ~Matthew 5:14-16

Reaching Ireland