One of the best things I did last week, was join an ecumenical group of lay leaders from churches in Greystones to lead a time of contemplative prayer. It has been such a joy to meet with these ladies each evening and hear from each of their hearts. We are led by a common group of readings that all churches participating in Unity Week all over the world were also reading. The gravity and weight of that global participation were evident each night. It has been an incredible experience for me to learn from these women and lay leaders in the beginning of my time here in Ireland.

Before we began the readings and reflections each night, we were led through some relaxation exercises that asked us to breathe deeply, to release tension in our physical bodies, and to listen to the still small voice of God. Most nights, it was the first time that I had been still and quiet all day, particularly in these weird initial moments of figuring out my role here in Ireland. The act of calming ourselves together was also weighty. It reminded me of Elijah crying out to God in 1 Kings while he is running for his life from Jezebel.

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

1 Kings 19: 10-12

Elijah was crying out to God for a path forward, but God was not in the big events like we think he’ll be. His voice was in the gentle whisper which Elijah had to still himself to hear properly. Stillness can be powerful and powerfully used by God to instruct us, to calm us, and to inspire us to worship. As I journey forward in my ministry here in Ireland, I am reminded to find moments of stillness, to use newly learned resources like the Daily Examen and Centering Prayer to find those moments. I am so grateful for the gifts of God during my first few months on field. Thank you to you friends and family that have been praying and thinking about me for years.

Blessings,

Molly

I’m Watching…

The Tommy Tiernan Show: you might recognize him as the dad from Derry Girls, but he’s a renowned Irish comedian that hosts a talk show where he has no idea who the guests are prior to meeting them on air. It’s fascinating, impressive that an incredible interview happens with no prep, and it’s really funny.

I’m Reading…

Hamilton: The Revolution: Lin Manual  Miranda and Jeremy McCarter- I forgot this was on my Amazon wish list and it showed up in my very late Christmas package from my sister-in-law (not her fault, the Irish postal system’s fault). This is both a historical account of Hamilton in real life and the making of Hamilton the musical. It feeds my trivia loving, behind the scenes part of my brain. I am savoring it page by page and trying not to re-watch Hamilton every single time I read a single page of this.

All Creatures Great and Small, James Harriot: I watched this lovely, feel good show on PBS and loved to see that it was free in the Kindle library a few weeks ago. The story of a young vet that practices in the Yorkshire Dales in the early 20th century.

I’m Listening To…

RTE Doc on One: This podcast is made by RTE, the public television station of Ireland. I have listened to episodes ranging from a family that kept one of Santa’s reindeer during the pandemic to discriminatory profiling of Romany Gypsy families in Ireland and greater Europe. It’s really well done and informative.

Films to Be Buried With: This is hosted by Brett Goldstein, writer, producer and actor most well known for Ted Lasso (which you should also watch). This podcast asks questions of its guests like “which film made you laugh the most and which film did you love in the past but doesn’t hold up now?” It’s a fun way to interview someone and has only served to increase my “to watch” list.

Evening walks on Kilcoole Beach.          Morning coffee with GFC staff.

The Long Room at Trinity College- Luke (my co- worker at the Naz) and I brought our visiting landscape architect into Dublin last week.

Flyer that I created for Ecumenical Prayer

Walked up to Bray Head with my co-worker Tim and his family. Kate, his wife, and I trying to get a good photo despite the wind.

Praises:

• The success of our Ecumenical Contemplative Prayer Meeting last week. We are very encouraged by the participation of all five of our churches and we are moving forward with excitement to continue doing things together.
• Virtually all of the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in Ireland which means we are starting up things like home groups and on site play groups this week and next. It’s exciting to have people in the building again and more freedom to meet.
• My youngest nephew, Ethan, is recovered from COVID-19 and did not get any of our family members sick.

Requests:

• Continue praying for my patience as I wait to be interviewed for a PPS number which will allow me to get a booster shot among other things.
• For my church and our staff at Greystones Nazarene Community Church, here in Ireland as we move forward with plans in light of restrictions being lifted. Pray for safety of all that we have meeting in our building. Please pray for the beginning stages of a big renovation plan. We are excited for these plans but hold them lightly so that they may be exactly what God needs them to be.
• Please pray for my own life rhythms. Pray that I would be gracious and patient with myself as I am only beginning to find these out in my new context. Pray for my own health and safety as I pursue these rhythms.

The post Molly Morton February Ministry Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Auntie Dates with my Niece & Nephews

Send Offs from My Community

The post Molly Leaves for Ireland Tomorrow! first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

My outfitting budget, which is one-time costs involved in moving and settling down in Ireland is still underfunded by about $3,000. Please pray about giving to this fund as I get ready to transition to living and working in Ireland. If you feel led to help, you can donate here. Please make sure to designate your gift as “Outfitting Costs.”

Last weekend, my home church, Glendora Friends commissioned and sent me off with a beautiful open house under twinkly lights complete with homemade pie and some of my favorite people. My small group led the gathering in a beautiful prayer of blessing that makes me tear up just thinking about it. Thank you to my family at Glendora Friends that have walked alongside me for fifteen years and will continue on the journey with me. The next two weeks will be full of dinners, coffee dates, long hugs, tearful prayers, and lots of packing. My other home church, Gateway Friends will have a special time of prayer for my launch this coming Sunday and formal commissioning on October 31. Gateway has wiggled its way into my heart so this will be another bittersweet goodbye.

The post Molly is Leaving in Two Weeks! first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Thanks again to all of you who are helping Molly get to Ireland. You are part of the answer to the prayers that so many of us have been lifting up to the Lord on Molly’s and Ireland’s behalf.

Dan Cammack

Field Director

The post Molly Morton is Fully Funded! first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Molly Morton y el personal de EFM se complacen en anunciar que Molly obtuvo una visa para la República de Irlanda. Ella podrá proceder ir a Irlanda tan pronto como esté completamente financiada. Molly se encuentra actualmente en el 70% en compromisos de apoyo continuo.

Muchos de ustedes han estado orando y esperando el día en que Molly realmente tenga esta visa en la mano. ¡Gracias por sus oraciones!

Por favor vea este mensaje especial de Molly a continuación.

The post ¡Molly Morton Tiene su Visa! first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Many of you have been praying and waiting for the day when Molly would actually have this visa in hand. Thank you for your prayers!

Please watch this special message below from Molly.

The post Molly Morton Has Her Visa! first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Dear Friends,

When I was staying with Kathi during my 2019 trip to Ireland, I often found myself anxious about what to do next, what would happen if I did that thing, what would happen if that thing didn’t lead to the next thing that I wanted to happen, and the anxious questions spiraled from there. Kathi reminded me that we can only do the next step, we cannot worry about the ten steps after. She reminded me that God would worry about those and we should not try to plan better than God. I am happy to tell you that the next step is here!

Ireland has begun accepting visa applications again! In January, Dan, Kathi, and I met with the leadership of my sponsoring church to discuss the application process and how we will work together. I have already begun organizing and compiling the documents needed for this application. The timeline of the application process is unknown. After I submit the application, Irish immigration promises a response in 4-6 weeks however that was before the global pandemic and lockdown of several key agencies for immigration. Please pray with me for the specific immigration officer whose desk my application lands on, for myself and my team as we gather documents, for my sponsor church as we reach an agreement for my role in their ministry when I arrive in Ireland, for my own sense of readiness and worthiness for this next step and my family and I as we prepare for something that we have been expecting to do for a very long time.

During application preparation, I will be engaging in The Plan Chapter 2 which includes remaining at Gateway Friends to continue to learn from this congregation about leadership and cross-cultural immersion, to finish my studies in May at Barclay College with a graduate degree in Pastoral Studies, to conduct research to complete that degree, to engage and care for my support base intentionally, to push myself outside of my Christian bubble, and to continue counseling. I am excited to take these next steps with the support of my entire team, which has grown by a whole congregation at Gateway Friends now!

I would love the chance to meet with each of you and share what I have learned in the waiting. I know that meeting in person is difficult now, but I would be happy to connect through email, phone or video, and I will be contacting you in the weeks ahead. I look forward to hearing from you about what God has been showing you during these unprecedented times.

I am filled with profound gratitude for the intentional and consistent ways I have been encouraged, supported, prayed for, and loved during this very unique journey towards full-time ministry in Ireland. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Molly

A word from Dan Cammack, the Executive Director of EFM:

The EFM staff is very proud of Molly! Rather than sit around and wait for Ireland to open back up she has embraced a number of stretching activities during the last year and a half that have helped her grow in her personal life as well as prepare her for ministry, which came at additional personal costs to her. Now that Ireland is accepting online applications and a church in that country has agreed to sponsor her for the visa, we are hopeful that Molly will be able to move there this year. Would you be willing to help make that happen? If so, please join us in praying for a favorable outcome to the application process. Please also join us in making sure that Molly is fully funded before she leaves the U.S. At this point she is 80% funded. Thank you for the ways in which you have stood with her up to this point in time. The Lord bless you!

The post February 2021 Morton Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Una de las cosas más importantes que he estado aprendiendo este año es cómo mantener la gracia y la verdad al mismo tiempo, especialmente para mí. En casi cada área del Plan, Dios me ha revelado que no necesito ser perfecta para ser amada por Él. De hecho, Dios me ama no por mi quebrantamiento, sino a pesar de ello. Justo después de mi primer domingo con el personal como pasante en mi pasantía en la Iglesia Amigos Gateway, me di cuenta de estar manifestando tendencias perfeccionistas, cuando tenia la expectativa de mi misma de ser la mejor amiga de todas las personas,. No había definido antes en mi mente lo que era “todas las personas” o lo que significaba decir ser “la mejor amiga”, pero esta presión autoimpuesta surgió. Se materializaron en tensión física e incomodidad durante conversaciones con miembros de la congregación de Gateway, lo que significo que al regresar a casa después del domingo por la mañana  me sintiera física y emocionalmente agotada. Uno de los pastores se sentó conmigo y me preguntó cómo me iba después de unas semanas asistiendo a Gateway. Charlamos por un momento sobre mi ansiedad y él dijo algo tan simple: “No tienes que demostrar tu valor ante nosotros”. Sentí como el peso del perfeccionismo y las expectativas insatisfechas se caían. Continuó diciendo: “La única expectativa que tenemos de ti es enamorarte de Gateway”. Sentí tanto alivio en ese momento. La verdad lo que aprendí en ese momento es que soy amada y apoyada por los que en ese momento eran completamente desconocidos para mi. Aprendí acerca de la gracia que tengo que tener conmigo misma y necesito trabajar para creer esa verdad.

En medio de esta pandemia, me resulta cada vez más difícil tener gracia y verdad conmigo misma. Lucho con la reapertura de la nación cuando todavía no hay una vacuna. Quiero mantener a todos mis seres queridos a salvo, pero también quiero ver a esos seres queridos en persona. El laboratorio tradicionalmente termina con un retiro de oración de una semana en el desierto de Utah. El retiro de oración estaba programado para finales de mayo. Nosotros hemos orado como comunidad por sabiduría para mantener ese viaje en el calendario. Mi ansiedad se encontraba especialmente al máximo cuando yo opté por investigar el por qué de esto, en lugar de actuar desde mi posición de ansiedad. Después de sentarme en mi patio trasero, porque ese era el único lugar exterior  donde me permitían estar en ese momento, y escuchar cómo Dios quería que yo tomara esa decisión, escuché las palabras gracia y verdad de mi Padre Celestial. Necesitaba sostenerme de la verdad, lo que significaba que yo necesitaba saber sobre el virus y cómo se propagaba, cuáles eran las pautas del Centro de Control y Prevención de Enfermedades y lo que el estado de California estaba permitiendo a sus ciudadanos hacer en ese momento. Desde el comienzo de las órdenes de quedarse en casa, había estado evitando las noticias porque eran muy graves y deprimentes. Comencé a educarme sobre el virus y especialmente sobre las diferentes fases de reapertura de nuestro estado. Tener gracia para mí misma fue un poco más difícil porque necesitaba recordarme a mí misma que estaba haciendo lo suficiente para mantener a mi familia y a mí a salvo. Me lavé las manos, me puse una mascarilla cuando fui al supermercado, me quedé en casa y me convertí en una experta en reuniones por Zoom. Aprendí a mantener la gracia y la verdad para mí misma. El laboratorio decidió como grupo que un viaje por carretera a Utah en medio de una pandemia no era la mejor idea de mantenernos a salvo a todos. Cuando las órdenes de quedarse en casa se relajaron, comenzamos a reunirnos en el patio trasero de la familia Amavisca, ahí nos podríamos distanciar físicamente. Mantuvimos la gracia y la verdad al mismo tiempo durante todo el proceso de toma de decisiones.

¿Cómo escuchas tu a Dios llamándote a mantener la gracia y la verdad al mismo tiempo? El mundo y nuestro país se encuentran en un punto de inflexión en varios diferentes frentes. Te animo a que hagas tiempo para escuchar cómo Dios te está hablando en medio de estos tiempos turbulentos. Gracias por continuar este viaje conmigo, el camino que estamos tomando no podría haber sido predicho y estoy agradecida por sus oraciones, aliento y apoyo.

Molly Morton

En proceso para calificar para una Visa Ministerial para Irlanda

Lee mas…

The post Carta de Oración de Julio 2020 first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

One of the most important things that I’ve been learning this year is how to hold grace and truth together especially for myself. In almost every area of The Plan, God has revealed to me that I do not need to be perfect to be loved by Him. In fact, God loves me because of my brokenness, not in spite of it. The perfectionist tendencies I have manifested in my internship at Gateway Friends Church when I realized that I expected to be best friends with enough people right after my first Sunday on staff as an intern. I had not defined what enough people was or what best friends meant, but this self-imposed pressure loomed. They materialized in physical tension and awkwardness during conversations with members of Gateway’s congregation which meant that I came home from Sunday morning physically and emotionally exhausted. One of the pastors sat down with me and asked me how it was going after a few weeks attending Gateway. We chatted for a moment about my anxiety and he said something so simple, “You don’t have to prove yourself to us.” I felt the weight of perfectionism and unmet expectations fall away. He went on to say, “The only expectation we have of you is to fall in love with Gateway.” I felt such relief in that moment. The truth that I learned in that moment is that I am loved and supported by what were almost complete strangers at the time. The grace I learned to have with myself is to work towards  believing that truth.

In the midst of this pandemic, it has become increasingly difficult for me to have grace and truth with myself. I struggle with the nation re-opening when there still isn’t a vaccine. I want to keep all my loved ones safe, but I also want to see those loved ones in person. The Lab traditionally ends with a weeklong prayer retreat in the wilderness of Utah. The prayer retreat was scheduled for the end of May. We wrestled together as a community about the wisdom of keeping that trip on the calendar. My anxiety was especially at a maximum and I chose to investigate why that was instead of acting from a place of anxiety. After sitting in my backyard, because that was the only outside place I was allowed to be in at the time and listening to how God wanted me to make this decision, I heard the words grace and truth from my Heavenly Father. I needed to have truth which meant that I needed to know about the virus and how it spread, what the CDC guidelines are and what the state of California was allowing its citizens to do at the time. Since the beginning of stay-at-home orders, I had been avoiding the news because it was very grim and depressing. I began educating myself about the virus and especially about our state’s different phases of re-opening. Holding grace for myself was a little harder because I needed to remind myself that I was doing enough to keep me and my family safe. I washed my hands, I wore a mask when I went to the grocery store, I stayed at home and I became a Zoom meeting expert. I learned to hold grace and truth for myself. The Lab decided as a group that a road trip to Utah in the middle of a pandemic was not the best way to keep us all safe. When the stay-at-home orders were relaxed, we began meeting in the Amavisca’s backyard so we could physically distance. We held grace and truth together throughout that decision making process.

How do you hear God calling you to hold grace and truth together? The world and our country are at a turning point on several different fronts. I’d encourage you to make time to listen to how God is speaking to you in the midst of these turbulent times. Thank you for continuing to journey with me, the path we are taking could have never been predicted and I am grateful for your prayers, encouragement and support.

Molly Morton

Preparing to Qualify for a Minister of Religion Visa for Ireland

Read more…

The post July 2020 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

I’ve been reading a two-volume biography of Hudson Taylor and the missions agency he founded called the China Inland Mission. Hudson Taylor, as you may recall, was a key player in missions history. Not only was he instrumental in sending hundreds of missionaries into the interior of China during the late 19^th century, he also taught us much about how to carry out the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.

The title of the first volume of this biography is, “The Growth of a Soul.” It’s a 500-page story of how God prepared Hudson to do what he did. Some of that preparation happened in China itself. Most of it took place in his home country of England before going to China. If it were up to him, he would have gone to that far country long before he actually got there. God had a different plan, however.

This story reminds me of the journey that Molly Morton is on. Ireland has been on Molly’s heart and mind for many, many years. Even before coming to EFM she searched for ways to move and live there. Then, after joining EFM, Molly, along with her teammates in Ireland, continued the search. As you probably remember, the Republic of Ireland changed its immigration laws about the time that Molly became fully funded and received the green light from EFM to proceed to Ireland. We are all still working on getting Molly to Ireland under the kind of visa that will allow her to be there long-term.

So what are all these delays really about? I think that “The Growth of a Soul” sums it up well. Molly, her teammates, and the rest of us who are part of this journey have come to the conclusion that the Lord is giving her extra time in the U.S. in order to work on some personal matters as well as to prepare her further for the kinds of ministries she will be involved in once she moves to Ireland. So, in order to take advantage of this extra time we put together a plan that includes the following:

• Begin an online master’s degree in Pastoral Studies through Barclay College. This will help deepen Molly’s knowledge of the Bible, theology, and ministry in church settings.
• Participate in The Lab which is facilitated by Alan and Barbara Amavisca in Southern California. This will deepen her knowledge of and reliance on God with a community of like-minded people as well as expose her to different ways of doing outreach in a secular society.
• Gain experience in a local church setting through a residency facilitated by Equipping Leader Ministries (led by Stan Leach). The local church setting will most likely be cross-cultural. This will help broaden Molly’s experience in the various ministries of a church as well as strengthen her ability to minister cross-culturally.
• Continue meeting with the EFM Ireland team and stay in touch with the Nazarene church in Greystones in order to keep building a relationship with that congregation.
• Meet twice a month with Carol Lewis who will help coach Molly through this entire plan in such a way that Molly continues to learn how to be a good learner and have additional support in working through the difficulties that will surely arise. Carol’s coaching will help integrate the various pieces of this plan and also help the learning process proceed at an appropriate pace.

Most of the pieces of this plan are already in place and functioning. At the beginning of 2020 we will evaluate how the plan is going and determine whether it’s time to apply for the Minister of Religion visa that would allow Molly to be in Ireland long-term. Our prayer is that immigration officials will take into account all the work that she is currently doing and that it will strengthen the case for giving her this kind of visa. If all signs are “go” on both sides of the ocean, then Molly’s move to Ireland could happen during the summer of 2020.

When you accepted Molly’s invitation to support her through prayer and financial giving you probably expected her to be in Ireland by now. We did too! We are all very grateful for the way in which you have hung in there in the midst of all these twists and turns in the journey. I hope this update is helpful to you in showing where we are at in the journey (as best we can tell!) and some of what we anticipate up ahead. I trust that this update also shows you how your prayers and financial giving are helping Molly’s soul to grow right now as she prepares for current and future ministries. Thank you for your faithful support.

As you can imagine, the plan described above comes with a cost. If you would like to invest further in Molly’s growth you can do so by clicking the donate button below and making a contribution.

If you have any questions about this update please feel free to contact me.

Your fellow servant in Christ,

Dan Cammack

Executive Director of EFM

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