Así es como Kathi respondió a las preguntas que envié a nuestros misioneros:

¿Cómo está afectando COVID-19 a quienes viven en el área donde tu vives y ministras?

• Ahora estamos en una orden de “quedarse en casa” hasta el 19 de abril (aunque es probable que se extienda). Las escuelas cerraron hace dos semanas, y más recientemente se ordenó el cierre de todas las empresas no esenciales (muchas ya lo habían hecho). Muchas personas han sido despedidas del trabajo, con más de 140,000 solicitando asistencia financiera en los últimos diez días. Si las personas pueden trabajar en casa, se les pide que lo hagan. Esto se hace más difícil por el cierre de escuelas y centros de cuidado infantil. El gobierno está trabajando duro para proporcionar asistencia financiera a personas y empresas durante este tiempo. Hubo diez muertes hoy relacionadas con el virus. Ese es nuestro mayor recuento hasta ahora.

¿Cómo está afectando esta situación al ministerio que tu llevas acabo?

• Todos los grupos que dirijo no han podido reunirse durante las últimas dos semanas, y es probable que esto continúe hasta el verano. Tampoco podemos reunirnos informalmente. El gobierno ha prohibido cualquier reunión de más de cuatro personas (a menos que esas personas vivan en el mismo hogar). La mayoría de las comunicaciones se realizan ahora en grupos de WhatsApp. Hemos comenzado a reunirnos para el Estudio Bíblico en línea, y estoy agradecida por esa opción (¡Realmente agradecida!).

¿Cuáles son algunas oportunidades que estás viendo para compartir las buenas nuevas de Jesucristo con aquellos que aún no lo conocen?

• Los irlandeses son muy buenos vecinos en tiempos de problemas. He visto esto una y otra vez. Se frecuentan entre sí y se ofrecen ayuda. Me alegra ser parte de una comunidad que hace esto, y espero poder ser igualmente útil y de aliento para ellos. Continuaremos con el Estudio Bíblico en línea. Estoy realmente agradecida de que las mujeres quieran hacer esto.

¿Y cuáles son dos o tres solicitudes de oración que podemos usar mientras oramos por ti y por los que ministras?

• Ore por aquellos que están enfermos y por los muchos que trabajan para cuidarlos. Ore por protección para aquellos que son vulnerables. Conozco a varias familias jóvenes cuyos hijos tienen afecciones médicas complicadas y necesitan que otros tomen en serio las precauciones recomendadas. Ore por corazones abiertos, fe renovada y un espíritu de paz mientras vivimos en una época de incertidumbre.
• Y, por aquellos de nosotros que estamos muy lejos de nuestras familias, oren también por nuestra protección y salud. Sé que así sentiré aún más paz. Gracias.

The post Actualizaciones de EFM COVID-19 | Orar por Irlanda first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

by David and Tricia Howell

Tis the season for orange traffic cones, barriers, diversions in place, stop and go signs, and men in high visibility jackets to dot the landscape. Construction is in full swing.

We live in a beautiful little town on the seafront called Wicklow. A place filled with coffee shops, small businesses and the like. Normally I love sitting outside, drinking my coffee, and chatting with people as they walk by. Today as I write this, I am sitting outside one of the coffee shops and it is a different experience all together. It is loud and dirty and chaotic. When the construction zone enters, it loses its charm for sure. However…it is necessary. Without the upgrades or repairs or preventative maintenance, we would be in for serious peril down the road.

In many ways, life mirrors this scene. It takes a time of a construction zone in our lives for the needed work to be done. They can be messy and ugly as things are dug up and revealed. They can be hard times or confusing times, but they are necessary. They require a great amount of patience as the work, slow as it may seem, is carried out. And in the end, it will all be worth it.

Recently, I have been thinking about our ministry and our friends who have gone through tumultuous construction periods in their lives. These friends have faced addictions, relationship problems, deep wounds, and so many other issues that have caused a deep spiritual brokenness. As we struggle through these times with each of them, we hold fast to the promises of God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” What a celebration it is to see the brokenness repaired and the new life appearing. The cones are gone. The roads are clear. And the peace has returned. But God is not done here. As new cones begin to pop up in other friend’s lives, we pray that they too may find the same peace in Jesus Christ. Would you please join us in this prayer?

Praise God…

• For relationships that encourage and bless us, both from Ireland and the US.
• For the lives that have been transformed through the ministry of EFM-Ireland.
• For the opportunities to minister and share Jesus with people who have graciously invited us in.

Please Pray…

• As the new school year begins, life picks up speed, both personally and in ministry. Pray for Jonathan who starts university in Dublin. Pray for Moriah as she starts 5th year (her Junior year). Pray for us as we volunteer in the schools and begin a new year of working with teenagers.
• Pray for our Visa and Citizenship process. We are waiting to hear back in relation to our current visa and for our application for citizenship for Tricia. Please pray that we will be granted favor to stay and continue to serve.
• Pray for our ministry among those we are blessed to know. Our prayer is that they will know Jesus Christ as their Lord and the love and peace that this brings.

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The post September 2019 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

It’s amazing how a certain place brings up memories long forgotten. Moriah and I (Dave Howell) recently flew into the San Francisco airport. As we were deplaning, we came out of the walkway, into one of the gates. I was immediately transported back ten years. I saw not the fifteen-year-old young woman next to me, but the five-year-old girl running around, trying to burn off the excess energy before we boarded our flight to Ireland. I remembered the smell of the clam chowder that eight-year-old Jonathan was eating. As we continued walking through the gate to get on with our day, I became very aware of the blessing of serving in ministry over these last ten years.

Last Sunday, I was preaching at the church in the village of Redcross. My text was Isaiah 35:3-4, “With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” This is such an amazing passage that speaks to the heart of why we serve our Irish friends.

Two weeks ago, the community of Tiglin (the drug and alcohol recovery center we partner with) was rocked with a tragedy. During this painful time, Trish and I were able to cry with them and share comfort and support for them. For a group of people who were hurting and weak, the news of a Father who hears and loves them was desperately needed. It was our privilege to have that opportunity to serve.

Not long ago, another friend was struggling with severe issues. As Tricia spent time caring for her and guiding her in this struggle, the news of hope was desperately needed. As Tricia spoke love and healing into her life, she was told how much it meant. She shared that Tricia was often the only source of such news that they heard. This is something that has been repeatedly spoken to us.

The Irish people are some of the most passionate people that you will ever meet. Their joy and exuberance in storytelling or reliving an experience is mesmerizing, except when it comes to faith. As we have lived and shared among them, we have seen this spark fanned and that topic coming back into play. As they hear and see in our lives, the one true living God, it brings with it options. They can know that faith is not dead or irrelevant, they can challenge perceptions of what a religious one would look like, and they can freely wrestle with a God who we don’t understand.

Our prayer is that for the next ten years, we can continue to begin “with this news” and through that to strengthen, encourage, and build up the Irish in their new understanding of Faith. Please continue to pray for us as we minister among them.

Grace and Peace,
Dave

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The post May 2018 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.