Introducing...The Northcutts!

We were so proud to be a part of the wedding of Jonny Northcutt and Sarah Kelly! They have been great friends to us for these first years of us getting to know Ireland. We have watched them go from students to graduates with blossoming careers. We are so pumped for their future together! 

When we met Sarah, she was one of the few students who bravely told us things like, "Don't say that...it's offensive here." Thankfully, we had her and others to help us navigate cultural norms. Jonny is a dedicated businessman/barista and has gifted us with so many bags of freshly-roasted coffee beans that we could never begin to repay him. Also, the guy makes the best flat white in the city. Jonny and Sarah have devoted countless hours to babysitting Eden from the time he was a tiny baby till he was a rambunctious toddler. Through many, many cups of tea, we got to know the joyful, beautiful, courageous people they are. 

They've been through highs and lows together. Financial struggle, health issues, and life changes. Through it all, we've seen them stick together and continually turn to Jesus. We were humbled when they asked us to do part of their premarital counseling. On their wedding day, we were honoured to pray for them after they said their vows to each other. If you get the chance, get to know this amazing couple. They are headed for even greater things.  

August Thoughts

Thank you for all your prayers for SFC Europe's CONNECT Conference. We've heard nothing but great reports. We're so thankful for the SFC leadership team who planned and pulled off the event.

Our students who attended CONNECT without us had a great time. It seemed to really impact them and inspire them for the coming year. We were sad not to be there with them and with our colleagues/friends from around Europe. But God definitely has a plan and knows where we need to be.

Missing CONNECT and several other similar situations have made August much less busy. We are taking the time to focus on the details of life, getting smaller things done that may have been put off in view of seemingly bigger tasks.

During this time I've been reading the Bible more. I've also started the book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero. It's a wonderful book about allowing God to examine our perspective, priorities, and emotional health. He talks a lot about rest and space. He discusses the Mary and Martha story in Luke 10. He says this of Mary...

"Mary is not trying to master God. Her life has one center of gravity - Jesus." p. 48

I pray that while we are in this short season of space and irregularity, that we take the opportunity to realign every aspect of our life with Jesus as our center of gravity.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. We are so grateful for you all. It takes us all to see God's vision fulfilled. Together we will keep moving forward with Jesus as the center.

Pray for CONNECT

Well, our visa remains in limbo. We emailed the Department of Justice here in Ireland, and they just told us to keep waiting. We are in line to be processed. So here we are, sitting at home while our colleagues around Europe equip, empower, and encourage university students and staff from all across the continent at Students for Christ's CONNECT Conference.

We have three students from Carlow IT there who are getting trained and prepared for another Autumn semester on their campus reaching student for Christ. It's tough sitting at home, but we can at least pray. 

Please help us pray...

1. We pray the Irish students attending CONNECT will come away feeling refreshed, prepared, and empowered to fulfill God's mission for them on their respective campuses.
2. We pray the staff from various European ministries will encouraged by relationship being built, knowing they are not alone.
3. We pray for the leadership of CONNECT Conference to have strength, joy, and wisdom as they lead this very important conference. 
4. We pray for students from all across Europe to build lifelong relationships with fellow like-minded students.
5. We pray that God would send these students and staff out as missionaries onto campuses all across Europe, connecting students to Christ, making a multi-generational impact on the marketplaces and governments across Europe.

Today's university students are tomorrow's doctors, lawyers, teachers, politicians. On a university campus, life change is world change.

Thank you for all your prayers and support as we stand together this week.