God is on the move...
Camp season is officially over. We had a grand total of 260 kids during this past week. It was quite an exhilarating but also exhausting experience. As I write this, I must confess that I feel a bit sluggish. I haven't quite caught up on sleep, and quite frankly, I'm still trying to process what all has happened in what seems to be like a blur of the past three months. It's been a whirlwind. It's been chaotic. Yet, somehow, in the midst of all this, God’s moving has been so clear and concise. It's as if He was building this entire first year of Ireland loving to an epic crescendo.
Let me explain...
The past four or five months, LifeHouse Church have been praying that God would add five families to our church family. Throughout this past winter, we could sense momentum building. There was almost a sense of tension, not bad way, but there was an internal churning. There was a feeling of God stretching and growing something under the surface. We felt that God was preparing our hearts for growth.
Lo and behold, all of this recently started coming to the surface. Almost out of nowhere, people have started to show up to our church. We have individuals from Italy, South Africa, the Czech Republic, and of course Ireland, all showing up to our weekly services. They are saying things like;
‘We have been looking for other Christians in Waterford for so long!!’
God has been so faithful in answering our prayers. He added five families to LifeHouse before camp even started. And as if that wasn't amazing enough, the Sunday following camp, we had eight first time visitors in our service. There is a new level of openness with people which we haven't experienced before. I can genuinely say that I am excited to wake up in the morning because supernatural things seem to be happening every day! God is absolutely, undeniably on the move!!
Wedding preparations are moving forward steadily, and our day is just around the corner. We're so excited to celebrate this special time with our family and friends. Again, God has answered our prayers and we found an apartment that we will begin renting in September. It's located in a little village called 'Tramore', which is right outside Waterford City. It lies on the coast of the Irish Sea, so the views surrounding our new home are just stunning. Cherith and I have always loved it there, but we always thought it was a bit far-fetched to think we would ever end up living in such a beautiful and special place, especially for such a miraculous price. There were many of us who were looking to rent this property, and for some reason, the current owner decided that she wanted us to live in the flat. We are beyond thankful and amazed.
August will continue to be busy as; I'll be heading to Bray to volunteer at a Christian camp, Cherith is continuing to work with a Language Academy in Kilkenny, teaching English as an additional language and my family will be arriving from Texas towards the end of August. We can't wait to spend time with them and catch up on all that has happened recently.
Thank you once again for your prayers, support and time! Please never underestimate what God is doing through you here in Ireland. God is using us in a team effort to reach the world!!
- Jonathan
