Missionary Update: Neglia’s

Greetings from Ireland!
I hope you all enjoyed Midsummer’s Eve yesterday. Here in Cork, it was absolutely glorious! The sun shone brilliantly all day long, and well into the night as well. In fact, the sun doesn’t set till 10 pm, so I was hanging laundry out on the line after ten last night! Our garden in enjoying the extra sunshine as well; I picked our first strawberries of the season just over the weekend, the sweet peas I planted are going crazy, and everything everywhere is bursting into life (we had a nest of blackbirds in the hedge, and the babies just left the nest yesterday!). I have eight vases of sweet peas and roses from my garden all over the house- I love summer!
Speaking of summer, our annual Church Retreat is just a week and a half away. This year, we’re renting a hostel on Cape Clear Island, an Irish speaking island (meaning: the people speak Irish, not the island) just off the west coast of Ireland. Over the past month, there were sightings of dolphins, sunfish, seals, KILLER WHALES (!!), and basking sharks off the coast of the island. So yes, I’m definitely looking forward not only to the retreat, but to the ferry journey as well! The passage we’ll be studying is Psalm 23, with both Mike and Pastor Pat from Calvary Fallbrook teaching. Will you please join me in praying for:
1) the planning to go well! I’m organizing the schedule as well as shopping for and preparing (with help) the meals (for 35 people!), and I need grace and wisdom to get it all right! And I can’t forget anything, because once we’re on the island, we’re stuck there with no proper shops or anything.
2) the weather- sunshine please!!
3) the teaching- that it will bless everyone and draw our church closer together as a body (I love Psalm 23!)
4) the fellowship- again, the goal is to bless the congregation as a body. Pray that friendships will form and deepen, and that the Lord will cause us to lie down in green pastures as He restores our souls (Psalm 23).
5) no one to miss the ferry! We’re taking the last one on Friday, so if anyone misses it, they’re gonna have to lie down in green pastures and camp out on the beach till morning!
6) the children- that we are able to bless them as well, and that they don’t get bored (I don’t really see how they could… unless it’s raining).
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike is actually away in England until the day before the retreat. I dropped him to the airport this morning, and he’s going to a conference in London, then teaching at the Calvary there, then teaching at the Calvary Chapel UK Pastor’s Conference next week. It’s so cool that he was asked to teach! But obviously, he is very busy over the next 9 days, so will you please pray that the Lord will strengthen him and speak through him. Pray that he will be encouraged and refreshed by both conferences, that he will have a blessed study time, and that the Holy Spirit will make clear the message he is meant to share. (I included the poster from the conference ’cause it has Mike on it! Cute!)
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Glorious as it may be, summer can be a bit discouraging as well when you have a church full of students- they all go home until September! And Duke and Dawn, the wonderful couple who have been serving in Cork for the past 3 years, have been asked to pastor a Calvary affiliated church in the next town over. We are SO excited for them, but they were awesome at what they did and will be very missed. And of course, there are those that are graduating and moving counties or even countries. Our piano player, our treasurer, and our drummer will be gone in just a few months. We know that God is using us in a special way to minister to young people, in a sense of raising them up and sending them out. And of course with Ireland having one of the highest rates of unemployment in Europe, you have to go where the jobs are. So can you please pray that we won’t be discouraged as people we dearly love have to move away. Also, pray for our core group of those committed to Cork- that they won’t be discouraged, and that God will raise them up to fill the ministry gaps left by those who are gone (praise God, we are already seeing this happen!).
Do continue praying for our children’s ministry as well. We now have a few babies, a 4 year old (Eoin), 8 year old boy, and 12 year old boy. Kind of random ages! There’s the possibility of another family with kids joining us in a month or so as well. So we’re thinking up new and energetic boy-friendly ideas for the Sunday School. It’s all new to us- and I’m open to suggestions!! But we are so blessed that Calvary Cork is attracting families now- it’s great! And we want to serve them the best we can.
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A few more prayer points…………….

*Outreach last Friday went really well- Mike and everyone stayed out on the streets till after midnight! Pray that those who heard the gospel will surrender their lives to Christ.

*Eoin is finishing up playschool in a week, then he’ll be joining a new playschool in September that’s just for autistic children. It is extremely difficult making decisions regarding school for him, and we are so thankful for your prayers regarding this. We know God is in control, and that He’ll guide us in His timing. Praise God that Eoin is now receiving physiotherapy, and for the daily work that Aan-Sofie does with him (she’s amazing). Pray he’ll get speech and occupational therapy as well. Thanks!!

*Tomorrow is Bonfire Night (St. John’s Eve) in Ireland. It’s a celebration before the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist, when people gather up old branches and rubbish and burn them in huge bonfires- whilst singing and drinking and all that. Mostly people are just happy to burn things, rather than think about John the Baptist! But our street can be a bit crazy sometimes (someone recently went around lighting all the bins on fire), so do pray for our safety and that of the city!

Wow!! If you read this all, then you must truly love us
Thank you for your prayers and support. God has sustained our family here for 6 1/2 years, and we continue to rely on Him and His faithfulness as we carry out His work in Cork City. What an honour it is to serve our God!!