Exciting Times in Buncrana

Thanks to all who saw the last update and prayed for the team during the Tea Dance. Val said it went well. They only had 5 kids there, but that allowed them to really give them personal attention and also allowed other team members to have some good conversations with some of the adults. They are still waiting to hear if they will have the team back again.

A few updates and some new news:
Alpha Course
The priest in Buncrana is excited about the Alpha Course they are planning to start. He is willing to work with the team on this course, and they may even directly work together in teaching the course. They are planning to start Feb. 28th. Please pray that this cooperation will bear much fruit and not be hindered. Praise God that it is coming together; pray that many people will attend.

Football
The last 2 weekends, 10 girls showed up for the youth football team! Valerie is very excited about building her team and building relationships with these girls. The youth director seems optimistic that more girls will turn out as the weather gets warmer.

Beyond 48
There is a youth event sponsored by OM called TeenStreet/Beyond 48 that will be taking place in Kilkenny Feb. 17th-19th. These conferences have been popular in other parts of Europe. This will be the first one held in Ireland. Please pray it can unite Irish teens in Christ. There are many details and finances that must come together before then, so please pray that God will provide. Praise Him that 325 teens have already signed up to come. They have a worship band lined up to lead. With a great turnout of teens signing up, they are in need of some more volunteers to help. Please pray for more workers, or that the current team can effectively minister to all the kids. Their hope is that this event will continue to grow in the years to come.

Amazing Grace
The movie Amazing Grace is scheduled to be released in the U.S. Feb 23rd. The hymn, Amazing Grace, was written by John Newton. Newton came to know God personally after a storm in which his ship almost sank, but floated to safety in the the Lough Swilly, where Buncrana is. The movie is about William Wilberforce and his fight for the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. Newton was a friend and mentor to Wilberforce during this time. The website for the movie is http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/. A prescreening will take place in Buncrana on Mar. 5th. It will be a huge opportunity for the OM team. There are many details that must still get worked out. Praise God that they have booked the cinema for the screening. Satan and other people have already begun to attack the people and process of this event. Please be in prayer for the team and all who will attend this event, that it could be a life-changing event for many.

Many high-level politicians from many different parties all over Ireland and Northern Ireland have been invited to Buncrana for the prescreening. Pray that they will come, they will recognize the bigger picture, and they will not base their attendance on what other party’s politicians or religious leaders will also be there. This movie and screening will also play a part in the current movement to abolish slavery and human trafficking all over the world. Joseph D’Souza, the head of the Dalit Freedom Network, will be coming to speak at the reception. Their website is http://www.dalitnetwork.org/.

Please take all your friends to go see it, and tell everyone you know to go see this movie. It is a movie about incredible men of faith and their devotion and service to God and His people. It is a great opportunity for this to be shared on the big screen.

New Teammate
The team has recently gotten a new member from Germany. Anna will be a great asset to the team. Valerie is very excited to have her on the team and living in the house.

Tea Dance

Valerie has asked for special prayer tomorrow from 11am-1pm (eastern time). The team will be doing a program for the children in Buncrana during the community's weekly Tea Dance. Before Christmas, the team was asked to perform their puppet show for the kids during the tea dance one week. They are very excited that they have been asked to come back and do another program for the kids. Please be in prayer now and especially during the event tomorrow. This is a great opportunity for the team to build its relationship with the community.

-Pray that the program will go smoothly and be effective.
-Pray that the kids will have fun and want the team to come back again.
-Pray that the community will want the team to do this on a regular basis.
-Pray that this will help the team build relationships with the kids and their families.
-Pray specifically for Valerie, who will be in charge of the games.

Thanks so much for your prayer and support!

Holiday

Valerie had about 10 days off over the Christmas holidays. She and her teammate, Holli, went to Switzerland and stayed with one of Holli's friends for Christmas. Valerie got to ski in the Alps while she was there. On the 27th, I met them in London, where we stayed until the 1st. We had a great time seeing the sites and just relaxing. It was so good to see Val again. We spent New Years under Big Ben, and then travelled over to Ireland on the 1st. I got to stay with Val at her house in Buncrana until the 5th. It was wonderful to spend time with her there and meet the team. Three of them have recently finished their time in Ireland and returned home. Please be in prayer for them as they move into a new phase of their life. Also pray that the team in Ireland can quickly adjust to their absence. Here are a few pictures from Switzerland, London, and Ireland.




Valerie sends her love and greetings. She is so thankful for the support and encouragement of her friends here in the States.

Football

Valerie is continuing to use her talents as a footballer (soccer player) to build relationships in the community. She loves playing with her women's team and playing with the men every week. She's very excited about coaching the youth girls' team. They had two practices before the Christmas break and seven girls have come out to play. Please continue to pray that Valerie will be able to build relationships with these girls and that more girls will turn out for the team.

The Christmas Tour

Well, it's been awhile since the last post, and I apologize to all who have been wondering about Val and the team. Just before Christmas they finished their tour of the schools in which they performed the puppet show, A Donkey's Back. The tour was a great success. Between 1,500 and 2,000 kids saw the show and heard about the true meaning of Christmas! The kids and teachers all loved the show. I will work on downloading a video of the show.
For now, here are some pictures.