Christmas with Mom, Jared, and Christy.

January 16, 2004

Have you ever received a gift from someone and had the feeling he or she intended it for a very specific reason? A gift, for instance, such as a book? Friends have given me books simply because they enjoyed them, but last November an old friend in Memphis sent me two books-- God's Smuggler and God's Calling, both about a man named Brother Andrew--and I knew he wanted me to take away something very specific from my readings.

My Memphis friend succeeded in helping me learn some great lessons. I don't want to tell you everything I learned from Brother Andrew, partly because I would rather you read about his life with a perspective untarnished by my own. But I also feel that I need to keep certain lessons close to my heart. I will tell you, however, that as I leave for the land of 40 shades of green, I know more about faith than ever before.

Sunday Is the Day!
I have only a few days left in the United States! Now that I'm on the threshold of leaving for Ireland, I wonder where the last few months have gone. December flew by in a blur. Most of the month I spent tidying up my affairs here in Dallas so that I could leave for Ireland.

This month has gone by even faster than the last. I've either given away or sold most of my furniture, and my baggage consists of three 70 pound duffel bags, a carry-on, and my computer bag. I hope they'll let me smuggle my pillow on the plane without considering it a third carry-on!

This week I've met with more people than in a month. But in the past few days the fact that I'm not coming back to Dallas has finally started to sink in. I'm not sad to go--on the contrary, I'm excited to finally begin my ministry in Ireland. But I've realized I'm leaving a lot of good things behind. My time in Dallas has been hard but good. God has certainly blessed me here.

Prayer Requests
Next week I'll write you from Ireland and let you know more specifics about what my initial few weeks will look like. But right now I would appreciate your prayers as I finalize everything here in Dallas and leave the country. Pray that my flight goes well and that my entry into Ireland--physically, mentally, and spiritually--goes smoothly.

Kye and Tristan.

I would also appreciate your continued prayers for my ministry in and the people of Ireland. I'll be in Ireland for at least a year, but beyond that I don't know what will happen. I'd like to stay longer, perhaps for much longer. Pray that I'm wise enough to follow the path that God sets before me in the coming months and years.

I'd also like you to say a prayer of thanksgiving and support for my friend, Kye David Fadeley, and his family. He and his six-year-old son, Tristan, have welcomed me into their home for the past two weeks since I needed a place to stay, and their hospitality and friendship have made this time a highlight of my season in Dallas. Please lift them up in your prayers.

Feel free to write anytime!

Your partner in ministry,

"Missionaries are never beggars. They are ambassadors who give us an opportunity to become partners by giving our dollars while they give their lives." Harry Ironside