January 2017

January 2017

    The last few weeks have been very busy we’ve hardly had the chance to sit down and write an update. Yesterday was our last day in the coffee shop and had our last church staff meeting, so this has all become so very real to us that we are leaving. This whole process has brought back to my mind the circumstances of when God first called me to Ireland, before Chelsea was even in the picture. For some reason God has a funny knack to call me to different parts of the world during Christmas time. In 2010 the last few days of November, I had a conversation with my good friend Clay Worrell, he asked me if I could come lead worship in Ireland. I initially said no because well, I was not in a good place spiritually or financially. God had other plans however and he made it clear one day when I was on my knees basically crying/screaming out to God that I should go. “Go and I will take care of the rest.”. These were the words that God spoke to me and I could not get them out of my mind. I bought a ticket sold my motor bike and begged a ton of people for support. Not surprising, God raised enough for me to go for 6 months and I was there for a year and a half. I left the states Jan 12th 2011.
    Fast forward now to the first week of December 2015, (just two days after we return home from our time in America) I get a call from Chelsea who was in shock over a letter we had just received, saying we have to leave the country in 6 weeks. This came as a huge surprise to us; It’s never a fun experience when the country you have come to love and care for, tells you emphatically that you have to leave or else. After going through the initial grieving process God started to reveal things to me, in a similar circumstance on my knees again crying/screaming to God he spoke to me again. This time it was just the word “GO” this is what I needed to know that God had a plan for us. We were no longer being kicked out of the country we were being sent out by Him. Things began to get clearer and God slowly started to fill our hearts with a peace about the next step He would have us take, the question was, what was the next step. We didn't feel He was done with us in Europe, but we also had no Idea where to go. After contacting a few friends about opportunities to serve and getting no where I sent a text to my friend Jeff Cuozzo in the UK to see if he knew of any opportunities to serve in the there. As far as I knew, I just wanted to know if he had any connections of where we could serve, as he was not currently in occupational ministry. However, within the conversation it came up that Jeff and his family had been praying about what it would look like to start a church in Bath, England where they reside. Even more specifically they had been praying for a worship leader that was also a pastor to come alongside them in the plant. It seemed very interesting, and so over the next few days we asked God fervently if this was the direction He was leading us into ….. We didn’t have much time to make a decision being as this news came upon us so quickly. However God kept opening doors for us to move to Bath. He also kept filling our hearts with peace about moving there and so since He told us to “Go”, we are going. January 9th 2017, just 3 days to the year when I moved to Ireland in 2011, we are moving to Bath, England to see what the Lord has for us there. Obviously we have no idea, we have never been to this city but again God reminded me that I had never been to Waterford when I first moved to Ireland ether. All we can do is go and trust that God will take care of the rest.
    Now that you all know our future plans please pray for us that God will make our move smooth, that God would strengthen and build up the leaders in Waterford even more in our absence. That God would again be clear in what we are to do and how to integrate into a new culture. That He would provide more support financially for us as the pound is stronger than the dollar or euro.
    To all of our supporters thank you so much for everything you have done in giving to Gods work in Waterford. We totally understand if you don't feel called to support this next season in our ministry. Please let us know how you feel and please do not feel obligated at all.         We serve a God who works in so many different ways like this. If you do still want to support the work going on in Waterford or Ireland please let us know and we can suggest many amazing men and women who are sharing Gods love in Ireland.
We love you all please say a quick prayer for us we need it.