Dear Friends, 10 May 2008

The big news is that we have booked our flights to the US. We fly into Boston on June 25th. We will spend a few days in New England then drive out to New York, where we will be for the month of July. Then we return to Maine in August, flying out of Boston on Aug 11th. In all we are there for six and a half weeks. We are looking forward to seeing many of you, and to seeing the sun, which barely put in an appearance in Ireland last summer. It is also essential that we raise our support level while there. It’s a compressed trip this time, squeezed in between State exams and starting college for Patrick and Julie.

Please be in prayer for them these next two months. They have two and half weeks of exams on the entire curriculum from the past two years of school. They have a three hour exam in each subject. Some subjects also require a project, and these they are completing now. They also must make final choices on their preferences for college courses. It’s quite different to the US system. Instead of applying to individual colleges, you apply through a Central Applications Office, listing the course and colleges in your order of preference. Then, depending on your exam scores, and on the scores of others applying for the same courses, you are offered one of your preferences. You may get your first choice, but quite possibly your third or fourth. It’s very competitive with a certain lottery element to it. But the good news is its tuition free.

In April we stated our once a month prayer night for Celbridge. We met with the couple we mentioned, Brian and Sandra, and had a good time of prayer. Our focus was the youth of Celbridge. Our next one will be May 11, and there are several more people who have said they will join us. Thank you to each of you who prayed for our April meeting. Please do pray for us on Sunday (May 11), as it is a full day. Phil is teaching in Trinity Lucan in the morning, and then we have a church picnic in the afternoon, followed by our Celbridge prayer night in the evening. Pray that the picnic is a good time of fellowship, of helping new people to get to know us and feel part of the church family, and for inviting friends and family to.

Do pray for Phil and the other leaders in Trinity Church Lucan. The church continues to grow. Two new families started coming this month, adding 7 more children to the Sunday school. At the same time we are dealing with some difficult pastoral issues. Please pray for wisdom and unity, and protection from the enemy seeking to gain a foothold. Youth group continues to go well. We will be having a bowling night on May 17th. Pray for the youth as they invite their friends. Patrick’s friend Liam continues to attend nearly every Sunday and has a new set of questions for Phil each week.

Thank you all so much for being partners with us in this ministry. Thank you for your love, care, prayers, and financial support. Could we ask you to pray very specifically over the next few months that God will bring us together with other individuals and churches who would also join with as ministry partners? Would you pray with us that if we are to carry on here, God will provide the needed resources? Thank you. We look forward to catching up with many of you this summer.

In His Love,