Summer has come, and in Ireland, that means long days, lighter schedules, the smell of barbecues, vacations, and spending time outside whenever the sun is shining. Groups that meet weekly throughout the school year go on hiatus as everyone wants to be outdoors during daylight hours. Here are some highlights from the past months!

Little Friends Parent and Baby Group met from February to J    une. This group had struggled to start up again after the lockdowns of COVID-19 (followed by deputation in 2021/2022, and surgeries and recoveries in 2023). It was wonderful to see this group take root, and in the last few weeks in June, we discussed the possibility of starting the “graduate” group again in the Fall. (We have to grow those babies into toddlers for that!)

I remain part of the preaching team at the Nazarene Church. This means I get to preach about every six weeks. I enjoy that very much. I co-lead a Bible Study for young mums on Friday mornings (which has now paused for the summer).

In April I completed a graduate level certificate course for Trauma Informed Care. I began this course as part of my effort to go back into Social Work, however, it will be valuable for a life of service in Ireland (and in our world) where so many experience displacement, war, famine, and racial injustice. Related to that, I have begun to volunteer teaching English twice a week, for men who are currently in Ireland under “protection” visas and living locally.

I applied for and was accepted into a “Training for the Ministry of Spiritual Companioning” which is more commonly called “Spiritual Direction”. This is a two-year commitment here in Ireland, starting in October 2024, and I am looking forward to it! I feel that it will be a valuable way to connect with people, and I think I will enjoy it too.

I’m leaving on Friday for camp! I will be in Northern Ireland July 5-12.  I am the “Camp Hostess/Auntie”, a seminar leader, and a panel participant (answering anonymous questions that are placed in a box throughout the week). I have loved being at camp for the last 15 years, in various capacities, working alongside Irish Young Friends/Leaders. I feel really privileged to be able to interact with them, encourage them, and be loved and encouraged by them, as well.

I’m in my 23^rd year in Ireland. That is more than a third of my life. I am so thankful for the faithful prayers and support that keep me here. It is your support that allows me to do this work that I love, for people I love, so that they would know that they are loved, known, and seen by God, who is more than we can imagine and cherishes us.

Kathi Perry

The post Kathi Perry July 2024 Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Just a quick update! Little Friends Mum and Baby Group has started up again (after nearly a year)! While the group was small, the women were chatty and enthusiastic and promised to tell their friends to come next week, which was expected. I have a new helper, a woman named Katie.

It was good to be back, and setting up for the morning I could feel how much more energy and strength I have than I had the last few years. I didn’t know how unwell I was, and I am thankful for my new heart valve and new knee. It was good to be back, working again, greeting new mums, and getting to know Katie.

On Monday I met with some women who asked if I would “start a Bible study again” – one woman was part of the “Pre- COVID” study, and two women were not. We met to talk about when, where, and what. We made these decisions – 10:30 on Wednesdays, at one of their homes, and we will be studying Revelations! I also asked them to think about others who may want to and be available to join. This is exciting as well. I continue to co-lead a study for young mums on Fridays. They can bring their babies with them (called the “Friday Ba-ble Study”.  That was not my idea…).

I am thankful for the prayers that have carried me through the last few, difficult years of loss and isolation, weariness that I did not realize had a medical cause – and the recovery from major surgeries when that was discovered. It feels good to be moving forward again.

Please pray for these new gatherings and new relationships, for deep conversations and lighter moments of laughter. Pray that each one would know the love of God as real and personal.

Kathi Perry

The post Kathi Perry’s January 2024 Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

The post Carta de Oración Enero 2024 first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Recently we were asked to fill out our annual Fall Board report. One of the questions asked for a story of a “transformed life or community” and honestly, it feels like the life most transformed this year is mine. I wrote this:

This year is hard to summarize because I feel like I am the story. From unexpectedly finding myself in the hospital in November 2022 – when people had to scramble and get my car out of the parking lot, feed the cat, cover the baby group, bring me clothes and a toothbrush… Learning I needed open-heart surgery to replace my aortic valve (!)… Isolating through December when friends carried over every course of Christmas dinner… the friends who rearranged a Christmas trip to the UK so that my “emergency contact” friend could be present with me on surgery day in January. My sisters coming to look after me when I was released. Volunteers who drove me to the hospital each week so I could have blood drawn to determine my warfarin dosage in the first months following surgery… attending medical appointments when I wasn’t allowed to drive… Learning every day that incremental improvements are worth celebrating while waiting for my sternum to knit itself back together!

In March I began (again) working on my Capstone Project for Barclay College (which I had to defer in the Fall) and in May I completed my M.A. in Practical Theology. Also in May, my landlord gave me notice that he was selling my house. So, I investigated different options and finally had to find a new place to live.

While I was trying to work out my living situation, I also went to camp and taught a seminar I wrote for Fruit of the Vine. I preached, and the people at the Naz church have been supportive, helpful, and patient.

At the end of August, I moved house, and I paid for movers and packers to come – but still, friends came to help me fill holes in the walls and climb into the attic to make sure I hadn’t left anything behind. A neighbor came and helped me clear out the garden, and another took some of my potted plants to look after so I could make decisions about those later. I said “goodbye” to my garden, and cul de sac of lovely neighbors. Friends (some I didn’t expect) came to my new place to help me unpack.

I moved into an apartment and quickly discovered that there were many plumbing and heating problems, and then water started leaking through the ceiling from the balcony above me. So, this has been a month of plumbers, electricians, engineers, and a landlord who lives in Switzerland.

I re-started a course in Trauma Informed Care at University College Cork (which I had deferred the year before when I learned I needed heart surgery!) I have updated my Curriculum Vitae and I’ve had job interviews, as I explore bi-vocational ministry.

I started (and completed) six weeks of cardiac rehab at a local hospital. Intense. Hard work. It served the dual purpose of strengthening my heart and preparing me for my NEXT surgery – a right knee replacement on October 20.

So maybe the transformed life this year is mine.

Thank you for your prayers and faithful support! I have been held up this year by your prayers.

Blessings,

Kathi Perry

The post Kathi Perry October 2023 Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

If you read my last letter in December, you saw that my year ended very differently than I thought it would. All of my plans were put on hold as I awaited open-heart surgery, which I had on January 3.

I am now nine weeks post-surgery and amazed at how our bodies can endure (what the ICU nurse called) a “serious insult” and recover. At this stage, I can cough without feeling like I’ve been stabbed. I can take walks and lift heavy things. I can clean my house and drive. What I cannot do yet is start cardiac rehabilitation. Rehab comes 12 weeks post-surgery. I will see the cardiologist on April 3, and I expect to get the approval for rehab then.

In the meantime, my current response to different opportunities is to say “yes”. So, I say yes, the baby group is happening each week. Yes, I am baking again. Yes, I will help with the Taize service – writing some of the liturgy and I will be one of the readers. Yes, I will preach in April. Yes, I will take up my M.A. again and finish my Capstone so I can graduate in May. Yes, I will begin, again, to find ways to get the “Return to Practice” hours that I need for Social Work. No – I will not try to do all of these things in one day, I promise.

This necklace was gifted to me two years ago – the Irish inscription means “Beautiful Heart”. Now I get to wear it over my scar.

Things I am thankful for – time with my sisters, Joni and Sandi, as they came to look after me in January. Friends who check that I am okay. Neighbors who stop me as I am walking and inquire about my health and offer help. Taking deep breaths and my steady beating heart. Signs of Spring…

And I am thankful for each of you who pray for me so faithfully.

Blessings,
Kathi Perry

The post Kathi Perry March 2023 Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

This Fall has passed quickly. The baby group has been going strong, and the women have taken on the task of carrying on when I have been away from time to time. We took the traditional “Christmas baby” photo (as you can see below). These women want to keep the group going in the New Year as well. I’m thrilled about that.

Toward the end of October, I flew to California so that I could attend my niece’s wedding and participate in some of the family time surrounding that. It was a beautiful day, and I am so glad I could be there.

In my last update, I spoke of my plans to complete my M.A. at Barclay College before the end of the year. I was also ready to start a Continuing Professional Development course at University College Cork (for Social Work). I was gathering the paperwork so that I could register with the Social Work governing body in Ireland (now, that paperwork has been submitted – all 40 certified pages…). The important people who review those things will very likely come back to me with some further requirements so pray for that process and that I am able to do what I need to do to be a Social Worker in Ireland!

If you have lived long enough, you know that sometimes all of our plans change in a moment and goals must be deferred. That happened to me on November 23. I went to see my GP because for months I have gotten more and more breathless with minimal exertion. The GP sent me to the hospital emergency unit, and after seven hours of tests and consultation, I was admitted to the cardiology ward with fluid in my lungs. I was there for five days and more tests.

This is what I learned: I have a bicuspid aortic valve (which sounds like a tooth) but essentially it means that most of you have three flaps on your aorta that let blood through, and I have two. My heart works harder to push the blood out. My heart is healthy and strong. It is not enlarged or diseased. The arteries are not blocked. But I have this valve that has been working hard all my life and it is hardening and narrowing and it needs to be replaced. This will be open heart surgery, here in Ireland. This is not emergency surgery, but it is important and urgent.

When I was released from the hospital, I made the decision to defer my M.A. at Barclay College until the Spring. I also deferred my studies at UC Cork until next Fall. I am scheduled for surgery on January 3, 2023. EFM and my home church have made it possible for my sisters, Joni and Sandi, to come over when I am released from the hospital to look after me at home. They will tag team, and overlap for a few days so we can spend time together. I am thankful for the care I have here in Ireland (so many people checking on me and offering assistance) and the care I have in the US (sending help and prayers). Basically, during this time of waiting, my job has been to NOT GET SICK (which means I’m home alone, a lot).

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. I have set up a Caring Bridge site where you will find news of the surgery and recovery. You will find the link aquí.

Blessings,

Kathi Perry

The post Kathi Perry December Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Kathi Perry | Serving in Ireland

Jeremiah 29:5-7

“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Create family (my paraphrase). Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

In November I will have been in Ireland twenty-one years. I think about the places I have lived, and the people I’ve met. I think about friends who have become family. I am thankful.

In 2009 I started the first Little Friends Parent and Baby group. I see these women (whose babies are now teenagers!) when I am in the shops or walking in the neighborhood. They say to me “The people I met in your group, they are still my friends. Those babies are the children that now come to birthday parties.” I love this. Create family. Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you…

Not long ago a mum messaged me and asked if I could “help” her husband. She was with their youngest who was in hospital, and dad needed a nap. I brought the older children here and we went into my garden. They helped me dig up potatoes and carrots, and water. They laughed and they hugged me, and their shouts scared the cat. We went for ice cream. My heart is full. Plant gardens and eat what they produce. Create family.

I recently asked some of the women if they would write down what “Little Friends” has meant to them. One mum wrote this:

“Little Friends baby and toddler groups were a great help to me when I was a new mum in a new place … It was a lifesaver to have a place to go in any weather to talk and get support and advice… To be able to sit down and drink a mug of something hot and to enjoy the luxury of cake was a real gift and something to look forward to each week. Later came the Bible study where we were able to have some great discussions and disagree on various points without damaging the friendships which had grown out of the baby and toddler groups. These days when many are afraid of causing offence this was really valuable, to be able to freely discuss different points of view whilst maintaining unity. I believe this helped us to grow spiritually.”

Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you… Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. Peace. Community. Growth. Unity. Thankful.

Kathi Perry

Download this month’s prayer letter here…

The post November 2022 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

The summer has flown by and already it feels like Fall in Ireland. The days are shorter and cool. The leaves are changing color. The streets are full of children in the morning and afternoon, wearing their school uniforms, waiting for the buses or walking in large groups with their shirttails hanging loose. Ireland is beautiful in any season, but still, I will miss the long, summer days.

What has filled my summer days?

In June I spent a week at this beautiful retreat center in Wales. It was a silent retreat, with the opportunity to meet each day with a Spiritual Director. It was intense, and relaxing, and the setting was beautiful. Also, I took my watercolors and began to paint again. At the end of August, I was back there for a guided retreat this time (we were allowed to talk to each other). It was a wonderful end to my sabbatical and also, a lovely place to be on my birthday.

In July I was able to attend the Young Friends camp in N. Ireland. Camp had not been held in person since 2019, and I was really privileged to be the speaker this year. It was wonderful to be back at camp, engaging with young adults, old and new friends. Recently I was back at camp, this time for a gathering of leaders from the last twenty years who came together to remember one of our friends who passed away unexpectedly at the end of August. I am so thankful for these friends who have invited me in and ministered to me, while allowing me to also minister to them (as Friends do).

In August I turned 60. The celebrations started early. I had a dear friend come from the U.S. to visit for two weeks. A group of friends (some of my “mums”) went to dinner and stayed overnight at a lodge in the Wicklow mountains. My visiting friend helped me make over some things in my garden. There was a second party at a local restaurant, complete with LOUD middle eastern music, and a belly dancer! Some of my neighbors attended, along with friends from church and from the baby and toddler group. For my gift, friends have chosen different months of the following year to invite me over for dinner. My heart is full.

I have continued my studies at Barclay College and hope to complete my degree by Christmas. The baby group is up and running again. I am working on completing my Social Work registration with the Irish governing body (CORU), which I expect will open more opportunities for ministry here. AND I will be in California for a few weeks in October and November for my niece’s wedding.

Thank you for reading this far! You can pray for me as I try to balance my coursework for Barclay (completing my Capstone Project), a Continuing Professional Development course for Social Work, a visit to California – and mums and babies, families, relationships. I honestly feel energized and excited about the possibilities ahead (pray for those too!).

Blessings,
Kathi Perry

The post Kathi Perry September Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

I wanted to write to you and let you know how things have been in Ireland! It is good to be back and home. Most COVID-19 restrictions have been discontinued which opened the way to re-start the Little Friends Mother and Baby group in April. The response has been fantastic and it is good to be meeting some new (and a few returning) mums.

You may remember that in 2019-2020 I was in the midst of a time of sabbatical when COVID-19 hit and everything came to stop. I have been encouraged to come up with a new plan and complete the sabbatical. So, at the end of April, I wrote a new plan – where I get to stay in Ireland and rest. It seemed easiest to do it now, before I begin more groups or endeavors in the community. I have continued with the baby group, but for the time being I have stepped away from other responsibilities for May and June. Next week I will be traveling by ferry to Wales and I will spend a week at a Jesuit monastery meeting with a spiritual director daily, but otherwise this will be a silent retreat!

Pray for me as I spend time thinking about what comes next in Ireland, and how to move forward in this changed “COVID-19” environment (I want to say “post” COVID-19, but we aren’t really there yet!). I think that many of the programs (and people that were participating before all of the upheaval of the last couple of years) probably will not continue – at least not in the same way. I want to take time and be thoughtful about this. I will be away from June 13-20. Please pray also for the travel. I am part of the minority of people who have not yet had COVID-19 and I would like to continue that streak! Cases are on the rise again in Ireland.

You may also remember that last fall I began taking courses at Barclay College in an effort to complete a degree that I began a long time ago! I will be working on the research portion of my Capstone Project over the summer. You can pray for me as I figure out online survey systems, data collection, and all that goes with that. I’m excited about it, and also recognize that I have a steep learning curve ahead of me! In the end (hopefully in December) I will have an M.A. in Practical Theology.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.

Kathi

The post Kathi Perry June Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.