Monday, October 09, 2006

October 8, 2006 update

Dear Friends,

I was thinking of you, our family, friends, and supporters, this morning and am grateful for all of you and your continued prayers on our behalf. There have been several days over the past few months where we as a family have just simply felt the attack of the devil trying to stop us from doing the work God has called us to do. The ministry as well as life in general is made up of difficulties and challenges that can really stretch you to the limit--to the point that you feel like you could just brake. Isa 64:8 tells us, "But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand". And in Jer 18:4 we read, "And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it". We have to trust that the Potter has something in mind that He would have the lump of clay to become as He shapes and mold and applies pressure throughout the process of making a vessel.

Well, a couple of things to update you about concerning the work here. We had two middle aged ladies visit us today for the morning service. It always good to see new faces at church. I am not sure of their intent at this point. They seem to have driven out to us from the east side of the city.

Continue to pray concerning our building situation. We are running out of room on Sunday mornings, and the arrangement that we have for Wednesday nights is now limited to one room. This leaves us no place for a nursery or a room for a kids program. We are trying to put together a proposal for the property that I shared with you last time that would allow us to buy a smaller portion (1/3 acre) of the land along with the cottage and then have the option to purchase the remaining portion of the acre in two years.

Also, the second phase of our mail out packets which include a John/Romans, a tract entitled "Your Heart Matters", as well as a booklet called Why is there suffering and Death? are going to be mailed out in two and a half weeks. We have our date from the Post now and these 15,000 packets will be going out to the remaining areas of Leixlip and Lucan. The first mailing back in the spring covered the towns of Dunboyne, Maynooth, Kilcock and Celbridge. We praise the Lord for the opportunity to do this one time outreach to every home in our area. Paper and the printing of the tracts and cover letter along with the envelopes and postage will cost over $4000 in US dollars. If your church or class would like to have a part in this outreach project please make sure to label any funds as "#1233 John/Romans Mail out" and send the funds to our mission board at BIMI. What a joy it was to see fruit from the first mail out in the form of three families coming regularly and one salvation decision that being Danie Malan. Please do make this outreach a matter of prayer. Pray for the homes where these packets will go. Pray for the material as the packets are opened that tracts and booklets will get dispersed and passed around. I think of the many times I opened a packet of seeds and sprinkled them onto the soil in the garden. The seed was then covered and watered and then began to spring forth. These Gospel packets are being opened and the seed of the Word of God is once again about to be scattered onto the soil here in Ireland in much the same way. Please be praying that as we continue to go and knock on the doors in the days, weeks and months to come that we will reap a harvest for the glory of God.

Until next time...

May the Lord find us faithful,
Don Thatcher

Monday, October 02, 2006

land/building update

We need your intercession for us to acquire a property for our church or for God to show us what else we are to do. We have found 1/2 acre with a 3 bedroom house (city water) on it for 550,000 Euro. THERE is an option to purchase another 1/2 acre or more. We could immediately use this building for SS, crèche, and fellowship. We would need to acquire a portable building (40,000 Euro), which would accommodate up to 100 people. This is in a very good location just outside the Celbridge village on a main bus route across from a school.

We also found 3 acres (no building) and it is not in an ideal location as it is in the country and lacks city water or sewer -- which means we would only have a drive-in congregation. We would need two portable buildings for the church and SS rooms,etc.

The asking price for the land is 380,000 Euro.

In either case, we only have 45,000 Euro's in savings. For us this seems an impossibility, but with God NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. We can afford to pay around 1500 Euros a month -- that is for a purchase of 300,000.

We need help. Please pray asking God for His wisdom and provision for us.

If you have any suggestions please feel free to let us know your ideas.

May the Lord find us faithful,

Don Thatcher