Holiday

We were so blessed with an opportunity to get away for a few days last week. We traveled up to the far northwest of Ireland to Donegal. It is such a beautiful part of the country. It was in this quiet place where we were reminded that God is the Author of beauty, not destruction. He is the Creator, and the Healer. He is mighty enough to form mountains as well as sort out the small things in our lives.   

While we were on our break, we were able to rest, unwind, and spend some much-needed time together as a family. We are now back in Dublin and excited to start working on a few exciting new things!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. We love and appreciate you all.

Stay tuned for next weeks blog. We'll unveil some special news!

Influence 2017

We had a great time with our first big Influence conference this year. We were co-sponsors alongside Agape Ireland (affiliated with Campus Crusade in the USA), Alpha Ireland and Christian Union. We had approximately 25 attendees (a few people came one day or the other). We had a bunch of interesting topics, including "Your Faith Is Not A China Teacup" (illustrating the fact that we should not hide in the Christian bubble) and "Relational Evangelism." We had roundtable discussions, worship time, and lots of amazing food. 

There was a girl named Shannon, who brought her friend with her on the first night. Her friend was not a Christian. She had a profound experience with God and said that she genuinely wanted to know more about Him and try coming to church soon. Shannon said that this was the perfect event she could have taken her friend. We are praising God that he spoke to her heart. 

We are so thankful for all of the students who came and for the campus workers who put in so much time and effort to make this conference a reality. A huge thank-you, as well, goes out to our wonderful kitchen team. They kept us fed and happy for two days with utterly amazing grub. 

We are also so thankful for people around the world who have been praying for this past week and will continue to pray for the growth that will come from it. 

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Passport Update

We have a small-ish update on Eli's Irish passport status. We got a letter back saying that they needed a bit more information before they finished processing his application. It sounds promising, actually. We have to re-do a form (because we forgot to add something) and send them additional information on when exactly we got each visa in our passport. 

The forms are a bit confusing, so we need to speak to our solicitor (lawyer) first thing today. We know God is aware of the complete story with this situation. He is present in the details and guides the hands of all involved. We need to keep reminding ourselves of this every day. 

In full disclosure, what we need from all you guys is prayer for us to trust God. Our anxiety is pretty high at the moment. This is a big deal and it's hanging in the balance. Please pray that our daily choices will result from a firm grasp onto God's truth instead of our fears. Thanks for walking through this with us. You all are the best!

...and now for a sweet baby picture.