Present Situation
During the Summer of 2009, we returned for a one year furlough. We needed to raise new support, report back to our supporting churches and allow our now European children time to readjust to life in the USA before heading off to Bible college.
In our absence, the leaders in the church have done a great job, as they are assisted by a new missionary not quite ready to begin a work.
Thanks be to God, none of the members of the church have been lost and a new family has joined.
We will return to the field in August of 2010.
Family Involvement
Beth and the triplets have been integral to every aspect of the work.
Throughout our time in Ireland, the triplets and Beth have served the Lord by reaching out to the lost. They have helped pass out over 100,000 of pieces of evangelistic literature. They have helped prepare countless meals for members and visitors. They have been central to all things musical in the church.
The musical talents became evident during our time on deputation. When the primary age triplets sang in front of various churches, they were well received. They continued to sing in the church, and play the piano, to the great delight of all who came.
They exerted a spiritual influence in the congregation. Beth faithfully, and ably taught and led the ladies. Becca helped Beth and the other ladies in the nursery and eventually began to teach Sunday School to the children. In addition to being integral to the music program, the boys continually assisted with maintenance and various other projects.
Best of all, Beth and Andrew, Becca and Caleb were a consistently positive spiritual influence to the Irish around them. God has used them in a great way.
Chronological Overview
1991
In 1991, I was over 1/2 way through a six year tour in the USMC, and recently married to Beth. While attending Heritage Baptist Church in Woodbridge, Va., God spoke to my heart in a preaching service and called me to the mission field of Ireland.
1993
In 1993, Beth and I and our one year old triplets made our way to Fairhaven Baptist College in Chesterton, Indiana. In the spring of 1997, I graduated with a degree in Missions. That fall we began one of the most blessed times of our lives - Deputation. A little less than two years later we arrived in Ireland.
1999
We arrived in Ireland in September of 1999. We worked with a few different missionaries for about 1 year. During this year, and for the rest of our first term, we learned vital cultural lessons. Though the Irish look like us and speak English, the philosophical differences that underly the two culture are vast.
2000
By the fall of 2000, we knew God wanted us to begin a church in South East Dublin. Over the next year we knocked on over 7000 doors and passed out thousands of pieces of gospel literature. We had no visitors to the services that we were holding in our house for over a year. However, many heard the gospel and a few men began to study the Bible with me in their homes.
2001
In September of 2001, we rented a community centre and two men, who were in regular Bible studies, began to attend the services. Though we continued to reach out through various means, over next 2 years we only had 7 adult visitors to the services. However, most of the visitors continued on with us, some nearby teens and young people began to attend, and the group slowly expanded.
2003
In December of 2003, we left for a 10 month furlough, while another missionary, John Brown, merged his work with ours and looked after the new merged work until we returned.
2004
When we returned to the field in October 2004, Brother John left to pastor a church in Texas, and we went forward with the new group.
2005
2005-6 were given to evangelism and grounding the new believers. Several were saved and the believers who continued on became increasingly grounded in the Word. As they grew deeper in their own faith, their burden for others and their commitment to the Lord correspondingly increased. They began to sacrificially tithe and give to missions. The majority attend both the Sunday morning and Sunday evening services. Wednesday night services have a rich, deep time of prayer.
2006
The building we were renting was in disrepair. We did many improvements to our little building. Beth’s dad came over and rebuilt the kitchen. We painted, patched and pounded it into shape, but alas it iwas too small! As we grew in numbers, we hit a wall. We continuously filled the 350 sq.ft. auditorium, longing for more space. In the interim, God developed an awesome core of faithful believers.
Rents in the area were 4 times higher per sq ft than what we were paying. Property peaked at €85,000,000 ($130,000,000) per acre in South East Dublin. We went through four distinct growth cycles of regularly filling the building to capacity, then shrinking back down to a faithful core. At the time, we didn’t understand, but now know God was doing His perfect, glorious work in our lives. As we waited on and served God, a wonderful unity and cohesiveness arose in the group. The believers longed to take the next step They also became willing to pay the price to take the next step.
Eventually, the abnormal economic situation began to change. Commercial property fell by more than 85% in some parts of South East Dublin. This has provided us with a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire an adequate long term facility. For more information about this, please see our building page.
2009
Immigration laws were being tightened and we were finding it increasingly difficult to remain in Ireland. In 2009, I was granted full Irish citizenship through heredity. In the summer of 2009, we returned to the US for a one year furlough. After dropping the triplets off at Crown College, we will return to Ireland August 31, 2010.
