Safe Return

Just a quick note to let all of you know that we have had a safe return from our three weeks in the States, and to thank you for your many prayers. Once we get unpacked, over jetlag, and settled back into our routine, I will update with pictures from our trip.

A Quick Update

Hello! I just wanted to let all of you know that we are still alive and doing well. We have been keeping busy with church ministries as well as Mark's family and my 'family' which the Lord has provided throughout my years here as a single missionary. He has always been faithful to provide me with good friends in each country I have lived in, but He certainly provided abundantly here in Northern Ireland.


Below are some photographs. I hope that you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoy posting them!

Billy watching Mark and the children use massive amounts of energy at the Saturday kids' club.

We just finished our spring quarter in Sunday School, and had a party. Fun was had by all, even the 'big' kids who came in after church to eat the leftovers!

More fun at the Sunday School party!

Joshua is a real sweetheart! He loves to sing, and it often chokes me up to hear him singing the old gospel hymns at the top of his lungs!

My husband and I after church on Sunday.

Jade, another excellent singer! Her father is starting a church 1 1/2 hours away, so they are no longer at Sunday School. She took it upon herself to get her Sunday school sheets from me each week, and say her verses! Now, THAT is gumption!

The 'gang' at Saturday kids' club. There were eighteen this month, which was a great turnout!

Too cute a picture to not post it!

Happy Birthday, Cindy!

Today is my sister Cindy's birthday. Cindy has always been a great encourager and supporter of my ministry as a missionary teacher, and I just wanted to wish her happy birthday! I don't think that I have any digital pictures of her (for which she is probably thankful!).

COMPUTER CLASS

On Saturday Mark had a computer mechanics class for the children. While it was initiated for the home schoolers, it was open to any and all that were interested. He started with the basic pieces of machinery of monitor, speakers, keyboard, computer, and how to plug them all in. He then had them open up some old machines that he had and showed them the inner workings of the computer, how they all went together, and what they did. They took them apart and then had to put them all back together. It looked like a wonderful time, and made me VERY thankful that I no longer have computer worries now that I have Mark!

W5 outing

On Thursday we took a home school trip to W5, which is described as an 'interactive discovery centre.' It is an amazing place full of physical activities in which the children also have to use their minds. Their favourite activities seemed to be the Lego, weather forecasting, life-size computer game in which they stood in a blue room and were the figures in the game, and car building. There were six children, six adults, and one adorable baby. It was a very enjoyable day.

Lego - even the two biggest kids there enjoyed it!

Rachel was in good form all day!

A good bunch of kids.

Weather forecasting.

Preparing for the dinosaur egg race. Nathan was the winner.

They got me on one of these as well, but hopefully that picture won't appear on a blog!

Tug of war with a difference.

Good News Independent Baptist Church

Fellowshipping and admiring baby Rachel.

Marky, Jade, and Jeremiah Jonathan (J.J.) Cullen

Pastor Stan Cullen

The children have grown up together, and it is

a delight to see their interaction!

We even had a bunny rabbit in attendance!

On Thursday fifteen of us from Bethel Baptist Church travelled to Newtonards (near Belfast) to support Stan Cullen in one of his first services as the pastor of Good News Independent Baptist Church. While it is a small work, there are three members who have been a great help to Stan and Karen as they prepare to continue this ministry. They are renting a small flat for the church, which will also give them a place to stay Sunday afternoons and Thursdays between tracting and the evening service, as for now they will be travelling the two hours from Londonderry/Derry.


Stan and Mark each preached, we had some good singing, and food and fellowship after the service. As you will see in the photographs, the children had a wonderful time.


J.J. Cullen spent the afternoon with Mark and me and rode in the bus because Stan and Karen went early to clean and pass out tracts.. He is an adorable, well-behaved little boy who reminds me of my nephew Sam. Marky rode back home with us after the service. He had fallen asleep during the service, which meant that he was wide awake the entire way home, which was good because Mark and I were both fighting sleep. I wish that I had thought to record his conversation! One comment that I do remember is his puzzlement that none of the people who got tracts that afternoon came to the service. His conclusion was, 'Maybe they didn't know how to read.'

Little is Much

This past Saturday we went to Londonderry city centre to hand out tracts. There were ten of us - six adults and four children. It is the social event of the week for these four eager youngsters. I do believe that it is one of their favourite things to do!

Many times in my life I have been involved in door to door visitation and putting tracts through doors, as well as invitations to special services. However, never before in my life have I been as aware of how much a simple tract could impact many lives.

While Mark was not saved because of a tract, he grew in the Lord and became an independent Baptist because of one.

Mark had been saved for several years, but had not found a good church. He had reached a point in his life where he wanted to grow and was reading his Bible and asking the Lord to lead him to a church that could be a family to him. Not long after, several men from Bethel Baptist Church were out and just 'happened' to put a tract into his mail slot. When he returned home from work he rang the number, went to the Friday night men's meeting, and ten years later is the pastor of that very church.

I will always be thankful that those men did not get weary of putting thousands of tracts through doors and getting few or no responses. It has so reminded me of how important it is for us to be faithful and obey the Lord no matter how small the work seems.