by Kathi Perry serving in Ireland

Queridos amigos,

It’s difficult to believe, but I am 63 years old. After 24+ years I am now one of EFM’s senior missionaries on the field (maybe THE senior missionary on the field?). I love my work and I am so grateful to be in Ireland. Naturally, we (myself and EFM) have spent a good bit of time considering when and what retirement will look like for me.

 In October I was able to meet with a financial planner, and he suggested that I work until I am 70. This felt like a relief because I do love my work and any time before 70 sounds too soon!

In recent months I have begun a new outreach called Sólás Café (see the photo here). Already, I have seen people come in weighed down with grief, who leave saying, “I feel lighter.” In the Fall I hope to offer “Grief Share” (which some may be familiar with) through the local church. This ministry is something that speaks to my heart – both with my training as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a hospice social worker, and my own personal experiences with grief.

On May 18, I’ll be traveling to the U.S. for a season of deputation. With retirement on the horizon, this will likely be my final extended time reconnecting in person. I’m looking forward to sharing stories of what God has been doing in Ireland and spending time with many of you who have been such an important part of this journey. Would you pray that this time would be meaningful and fruitful – that God would guide each conversation and continue to provide what is needed for the work ahead? I’m deeply grateful for the faithful partnership that has made it possible to serve here for so many years.

Recently, while reading scripture, two phrases stood out to me. The first was from Mark 10:45 where Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” I may not have done this perfectly, but this has been my desire in Ireland.

The second phrase was from John 19. Jesus is on the cross and in v.28-30 it says, “… knowing that everything was already completed… he gave up his life.” What would it be like to know that “everything was already completed”?

What can I do in these final years to cultivate ministry that will last, and then, (figuratively speaking!) give up my life? These are my thoughts as I contemplate one more term. Pray that God would work through me, to love and serve the people in Ireland.

With so much gratitude for your faithfulness,

Kathi Perry

The post April 2026 | Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Joel 2:25, “I will repay you for the years … the locust have eaten.”

A good friend has repeated this verse to me several times in the past eighteen months. Following several years of COVID-19, deputation, open-heart surgery and recovery, knee surgery and recovery, it felt like all the things I had worked for in Ireland had stopped, and I did not see how I could, or even if I should, try to start them again. Yet, one by one, these activities and connections have been restored. They do not look exactly the same, but I am so thankful today for God’s faithfulness and for the opportunity to serve the community here.

The past year (my groups run on the school year, so the year is coming to a close) has looked very like the years before COVID-19. I have had the opportunity to co-lead a weekly Bible Study for young mums, in partnership with the Nazarene Church. I have completed a full year running the Little Friends Parent and Baby Group and the Little Friends Baby Graduate Group. I am part of a home group through the Nazarene Church, that I sometimes lead. And I continue to be part of the preaching team at the Nazarene Church.

In July, I will again be at the Friends camp in N. Ireland. The Young Friends leaders are now a new group of adults who were young campers eight years ago. It is a pleasure and a privilege to support them however I can. The relationships formed in my 16 years of attending camp are precious to me, and it is a joy to be invited into their lives as the previous “Young Friends Leaders” marry and have children.

Three years ago, looking at how my years of work seemed to have died, I felt like Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones, where God asked him, (37:3-5), “Human one, can these bones live again?” My reply was the same as Ezekiel’s, “Lord God, only you know… He said to me… “I am about to put breath in you, and you will live again.”

And here we are. Thank you for your faithful prayers, your financial support, and your love that extends to the Irish people through the work I get to do every day. I am so thankful.

Kathi Perry

The post Perry June 2025 Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Kathi Perry | Serving in Ireland

Ireland is a dark country in the winter. The days are short, and often grey. Sunrise is after 8 AM and sundown before 4 PM on the shortest days. It can feel heavy. And yet, remarkably, every year February comes. There will be a day when I will be aware that there is still daylight at 5 PM, and I will feel ridiculously happy.

I am thankful for the rhythms that God has built into creation:

The rhythm of day into night and night into morning…

The rhythm of seasons – spring and summer, autumn and winter…

The tidal rhythms of the sea, the sun, and the moon.

Even the rhythms of our own bodies; the way my heart perceptibly rests after each beat, and the lungs between each breath.

I find there are rhythms built into ministry as well. At the beginning of 2020, I was running several “Little Friends” groups – Mums and Babies, Parents and Toddlers, a Bible Study for mums, Little Friends and Family (using Godly Play, crafts, snacks, and activity) had begun meeting monthly – and in one day it all went away. We were sitting in a home, having our Bible Study when phones started pinging. The country would be shutting down at 6 PM that evening. Schools would be closed. People were to work from home. We were not to travel more than two km from home. And that lasted longer than any of us expected.

Eighteen months later, when I could travel again, I went on deputation. When I returned to Ireland there were still some COVID-19 restrictions in place. In September of 2022, I tried to start the baby group again. But the discovery just two months later that I needed open heart surgery created more interruptions, and the group faltered. I wondered if the time had come to let the groups go.

In January 2024, I tried again. I started Little Friends Mum and Baby Group. And it took root and grew.  Some of those babies started walking (as babies do), so in September 2024, I started the Little Friends Parent and Toddler group. In the meantime, I was asked to co-lead a Bible Study for young mums, partnering with the Nazarene Church. And what I hope for the coming year (2025) is to start using Godly Play with some of these mums/families again.

It feels like February. It’s like the days are getting longer, and there is light in the morning and the evening. It feels like Spring is coming after a very long winter. It feels like we have been standing in the Valley of Dry Bones, and the Spirit of God says, “I will put my breath in you, and you will live. I will plant you on your fertile land, and you will know that I am the Lord. I’ve spoken, and I will do it.” (Ezekiel 37:14)

One important bit of information is that my deputation has been postponed to 2026. There are some very good reasons for this. The momentum of the groups running and the need for continuity and stability are the positive and encouraging reasons for the change. The more practical reasons have to do with scheduling the Irish team deputations so we don’t overlap in the U.S.

I am so thankful for the community that is created through the groups, and the ways that extends beyond our weekly meetings. Pray that will continue. And pray for the women who meet to study the Bible together, that we would grow in faith and love for one another.

Thank you, Kathi Perry

Download the full prayer letter here…

The post February 2025 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

In September the plan was that I would return to the States for my deputation in June 2024. And now that plan has changed! There are many reasons for this, but the two most compelling reasons are 1) Molly Morton has had to delay her deputation, and if I were to go as planned, we would be in the U.S. at the same time, and 2) Ministry is going well and stability and continuity are important to the groups taking root and growing into something more. Stability and continuity have been difficult the past years, with COVID-19 (2020/21), my own deputation in 2021/22, discovering I needed open-heart surgery and recovery (2022/23), and so the groups faltered. However, 2024 has been a strong year, starting first with the Parent and Baby Group (January 2024), and in September, I added a toddler group. I also co-lead a Bible Study for young mums on Friday mornings. I feel confident that by delaying deputation to 2026 these groups will have the opportunity to grow deep roots that will weather a few months without me!

I continue to be part of the rotation for preaching at the Nazarene Church, and I am grateful for the opportunity. I am thankful for opportunities to interact with Irish Friends. And after the past weekend of study, I am halfway through Year 1 of “Training in the Ministry of Spiritual Companioning.”

Here are a few photos of the groups!  Thank you again.

Kathi Perry

The post Kathi Perry January 2025 Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

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.

Kathi Perry | Serving in Ireland

The last year was a tough one for me! It began with an aortic valve replacement on January 3rd. (My heart is completely healthy now!) In May I completed an M.A. in Practical Theology at Barclay College. My landlord gave me notice that he intended to sell the house I’d lived in for eight years, and on September 1st I moved into an apartment. In October I had my right knee replaced, and six weeks later (the day after I was cleared to drive) I got COVID-19 for the first time! My body is tired!

There is an old tradition in Ireland, on New Year’s Eve, you open the back door to let the old year out, and at midnight, open the front door to let the New Year in.  I like the symbolism of this. We have the chance to start again (honestly, we can start again any day, every day). I’m ready to put 2023 behind me and start again. Paul says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17,18).

I have been overwhelmed by the care of the people around me, and so grateful. The “Little Friends” families and people from the Nazarene Church have driven me to appointments, brought meals and groceries, collected prescriptions, and taken me for walks. A friend from the North came and spent a weekend with me, which was very helpful. And every child who came by left a message on my bathroom mirror.

And I am thankful for each of you. Your prayers and support have carried me through 2023. And looking forward to 2024!

Kathi Perry

Download this month’s full prayer letter aquí…

The post January 2024 Prayer Letter 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.