{"id":29504,"date":"2026-02-24T12:21:33","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T18:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/?p=29504"},"modified":"2026-02-24T12:26:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T18:26:51","slug":"thank-you-for-praying-an-update-from-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/prayer\/thank-you-for-praying-an-update-from-ireland\/","title":{"rendered":"Thank You for Praying. An Update from Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Virtuous-Header-Image.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-29505 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Virtuous-Header-Image.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2400\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Virtuous-Header-Image.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Virtuous-Header-Image-300x100.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Virtuous-Header-Image-1024x341.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Virtuous-Header-Image-768x256.jpg 768w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Virtuous-Header-Image-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Virtuous-Header-Image-2048x683.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Virtuous-Header-Image-18x6.jpg 18w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Virtuous-Header-Image-600x200.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I have been back in Ireland for nearly six months, and I am grateful for the work I get to do on behalf of our church and the wider Kingdom of God. As most of you know, I was in the U.S. for six months in 2025, where I got to spend lots of time with my family and friends, as well as travel to visit partnering churches. We also unexpectedly lost my dad while I was in California. He was a strong presence in our family\u2019s life and a pillar of his church community. We continue to grieve the loss of our dad and grandpa. Thank you for your prayers for me and my family during that time of loss and grief.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/c819f25d-6296-4e06-a625-08830dbab3be.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-29506 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/c819f25d-6296-4e06-a625-08830dbab3be.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1536\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/c819f25d-6296-4e06-a625-08830dbab3be.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/c819f25d-6296-4e06-a625-08830dbab3be-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/c819f25d-6296-4e06-a625-08830dbab3be-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/c819f25d-6296-4e06-a625-08830dbab3be-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/c819f25d-6296-4e06-a625-08830dbab3be-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/c819f25d-6296-4e06-a625-08830dbab3be-16x12.jpeg 16w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/c819f25d-6296-4e06-a625-08830dbab3be-600x450.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a>I am writing to you from the warmth of my office in our church building at the Church of the Nazarene in Greystones, where I am blessed to serve as administrative pastor. As soon as I arrived back in Ireland, I was warmly welcomed by my church family here in Greystones. It has been such a blessing to have a strong support system here at \u201cthe Naz.\u201d The holidays are typically a challenging time for me to be away from my family, especially considering how much time I was able to spend with them that year. We were blessed as a staff to have a Thanksgiving lunch made for us by a church member. We invited some other Americans you might recognize in the photo. I am honored to be on this pastoral staff and to serve alongside such gifted and talented leaders. Please pray with me and my colleagues as we lead our congregation in the New Year.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/623083307_18198740608332291_6226077467926648917_n.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-29507 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/623083307_18198740608332291_6226077467926648917_n-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"189\" height=\"237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/623083307_18198740608332291_6226077467926648917_n-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/623083307_18198740608332291_6226077467926648917_n-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/623083307_18198740608332291_6226077467926648917_n-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/623083307_18198740608332291_6226077467926648917_n-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/623083307_18198740608332291_6226077467926648917_n-10x12.jpg 10w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/623083307_18198740608332291_6226077467926648917_n-600x750.jpg 600w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/623083307_18198740608332291_6226077467926648917_n.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 189px) 100vw, 189px\" \/><\/a>At the end of January, our congregation hosted an \u201cAll Island Gathering\u201d of all the Nazarene churches on the island of Ireland. Currently, our congregation is the only Nazarene church in the Republic of Ireland, but there are twelve churches in Northern Ireland. Almost 150 people from those Northern churches traveled to Greystones at the end of January to join us as one unified body of believers in Ireland. It was an amazing time of fellowship, eating together and praising God for what He has done and will continue to do on the island of Ireland. Our church in Greystones was able to share our vision for a new building development that will further God\u2019s mission in the Republic of Ireland alongside the churches in the North. We ended with a time of prayer over our Greystones church board and pastoral staff, led by the leadership of the churches from the North. It was a very sacred time. Please pray with all the churches on the island of Ireland as we continue to build His Kingdom here.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/for-sale.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-29508 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/for-sale-300x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"189\" height=\"189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/for-sale-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/for-sale-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/for-sale-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/for-sale-12x12.jpeg 12w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/for-sale-600x600.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/for-sale-100x100.jpeg 100w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/for-sale.jpeg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 189px) 100vw, 189px\" \/><\/a>Just before Christmas, my family put my dad\u2019s house in Corona, California, on the market. My brother, Mark, and sister-in-law, Nina, managed all the details, with a big assist from my sister, Amy. I am grateful for the strong bond my siblings and I share during this challenging time as we settle my dad\u2019s affairs. We were able to secure a buyer for the house right before Christmas, and the keys were handed over by the middle of January 2026. It is a strange feeling to think that I will never go back to my dad\u2019s house when I visit California. That house was a central physical touchstone for our family, and now we have moved on from it. Please pray with my family and me as we continue to navigate grief.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Por favor, oren...<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>For myself as I continue to navigate grief thousands of miles away from my family that is also grieving. My dad\u2019s death has awoken more grief about my mom\u2019s death thirteen years ago. Pray that I can have grace with myself.<\/li>\n<li>For our church in Greystones as we are trying to raise the necessary funds to begin re-developing our building. Pray for the congregation to catch the vision and for God to provide.<\/li>\n<li>For favor with the Irish government as I endeavor to renew my visa.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span class=\"tinyMce-placeholder\">There are four ways to partner with me financially:<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Online<\/strong>. Visit <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.givevirtuous.org\/donate\/morton\">https:\/\/friendsmission.givevirtuous.org\/donate\/morton<\/a><\/strong>. You\u2019ll be given the opportunity to indicate whether you are making a recurring or one-time gift.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Credit Card.<\/strong>\u00a0This may be given online (as stated above) or by calling the EFM office (<strong>303-421-8100<\/strong>) to give your information to a live person.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Automatic Bank Transfer.<\/strong>\u00a0Download the form\u00a0<a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" title=\"Original URL: http:\/\/url4425.friendsmission.com\/ls\/click?upn=u001.b4wcUs76G1-2B2-2BVpIMMCnZXAv81p-2FJTIZ85Oiu1Cxmzf3lD-2BESPdFQurBBVXfkgTVrzIJd-2Bu8XeSj1IhSrH2V7vEn-2FG-2FWu-2FdrtptD2ERFdbk3upIxsUWMj18M6d5MULF0Rk2q_pPzrYWnYbAmT6X6tleNWFrUua6EVKv-2BCVP9PqVrb8mcB9FccYBpGGmWR-2BIiJzAfjQuYv7oaJPN0rABLATHMR2tKvPMA2iE0eJxvtfUQI3XaKErfkecbprd81DxGMxKCE1rKnrXzx5B46W01v-2BrEVb6Naxv27hLiwmtc5v3xWdkaUCNZ8w5njvS750BzhucgVPwctF3ULuSU6Erba6Ad-2B-2B2TxNahkVXsPa8gc8VxjsUud-2B1Kcy83-2BGf21zskLjx9REmaUXu3fW16yizmYi3gc9rjtWIrNLo6Bdqc88me2HERa8sijLleyifEFwA4m0dHi7Nz1RgZngO7ZQhGQo4UkvQ-3D-3D. Click or tap if you trust this link.\" href=\"https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Furl4425.friendsmission.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.b4wcUs76G1-2B2-2BVpIMMCnZXAv81p-2FJTIZ85Oiu1Cxmzf3lD-2BESPdFQurBBVXfkgTVrzIJd-2Bu8XeSj1IhSrH2V7vEn-2FG-2FWu-2FdrtptD2ERFdbk3upIxsUWMj18M6d5MULF0Rk2q_pPzrYWnYbAmT6X6tleNWFrUua6EVKv-2BCVP9PqVrb8mcB9FccYBpGGmWR-2BIiJzAfjQuYv7oaJPN0rABLATHMR2tKvPMA2iE0eJxvtfUQI3XaKErfkecbprd81DxGMxKCE1rKnrXzx5B46W01v-2BrEVb6Naxv27hLiwmtc5v3xWdkaUCNZ8w5njvS750BzhucgVPwctF3ULuSU6Erba6Ad-2B-2B2TxNahkVXsPa8gc8VxjsUud-2B1Kcy83-2BGf21zskLjx9REmaUXu3fW16yizmYi3gc9rjtWIrNLo6Bdqc88me2HERa8sijLleyifEFwA4m0dHi7Nz1RgZngO7ZQhGQo4UkvQ-3D-3D&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ckrista%40friendsmission.com%7Cf63235658b214942feac08dc69544ff7%7C9c409840249549f9b40d701b4ec9a85f%7C0%7C0%7C638501058056138867%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=B%2B62y891JI99N58DhFGSlMgQozXBkIfdUzGTzziYYhk%3D&amp;reserved=0\"><strong>aqu\u00ed<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and email it to Debby McElroy (EFM Bookkeeper) at\u00a0<a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"mailto:debby@friendsmission.com\"><strong>debby@friendsmission.com<\/strong><\/a>. Please note that ACH payments are processed on the 10th or 25th of the month.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check<\/strong>. Mail a check to EFM, P.O. Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277. Make sure to mark your check \u201cMorton Support\u201d and note if you will be giving on a recurring basis (monthly, quarterly, etc.). Pay to the order of \u201cEFM&#8221;.<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I have been back in Ireland for nearly six months, and I am grateful for the work I get to do on behalf of our church and the wider Kingdom of God. As most of you know, I was in the U.S. for six months in 2025, where I got to spend lots of time [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[9,8],"tags":[487,25,78],"class_list":{"0":"post-29504","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-news","7":"category-prayer","8":"tag-487","9":"tag-ireland","10":"tag-morton","11":"entry","12":"has-post-thumbnail"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29504"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29511,"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29504\/revisions\/29511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}