"We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken."
Fyodor Dostoevsky


Its hard to believe that I fly back to America in less than a week. Time has flown by like the wind...its here and gone. But it has been a treasure to my heart to be here in the land of the Irish and meet some incredibly valuable people that the Lord loves deeply. Its precious how He blesses us with the opportunity to feel His heart for people and have eyes to truly see what is in front of us. Strangers intrigue me. Whether I am walking down the street, in the super market or even just building a relationship... I just love how everyone has a story unique and their own. sometimes it can difficult but when we step out...but its amazing what God can do.  When we step out to engage, Sometimes nothing happens, sometimes we don't see what happens because its impact is unseen or we are blown away with the privilege of seeing it. God is good and He is into details.  I just love that and I am learning too often I have been sleeping while awake. You know what I mean? But think of how much we can miss... I just long to live awake as much as I can and not sleeping through the moments that I can never return to. I pray for others to see Him in my face and know there is a love thats given without anything in return...without striving or fear of abandonment...a love that never leaves them empty. His love and only His love.

As I embark to set my sails to wind, I have had a heavy heart of lately. Parting from this place will be difficult for me and the distance that will separate me from the relationships I've made here is difficult to ponder. Please pray for the Lord to hold my heart as I wait for Him to also reveal new things to me and guide me on to the next chapter of my life.  Also please pray for my travels home.

Please keep Val & Bert in your prayers...pray for their ministry and for their strength and perseverance.
Pray for Ireland, for change and restoration...for healing and awakening to the people here.
Also pray for the other ministries and churches here...that they may be continually encouraged and they would be a city on a hill in this place.

Calvary Church- Pastor Brendan
Presbyterian Church- Pastor Molly
Healing Waters- Pastor Roddy
Methodist Church
Keilah ( 24/7 prayer) and her family- evangelists, seeking God's guidance, in a season of transition
Also continue to pray for my neighbors, for healing and restoration and for the west coast of Ireland...


This coming weekend is Worshipper's Weekend...a sacred time of worship, prayer, teaching and fellowship. We will have a full house. Please be praying for that precious time we have together....for unity and for the guests to be blessed and hear from the Lord for this land and also for revelation in their own lives. That everyone may be encat time :)

I so appreciate your prayers....I treasure your thoughts for this beautiful place, Its beautiful people and for me ouraged in their time together...pray for God to move during thand what the Lord is teaching me as well. Blessings to you all....

"The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective"  James 5:16

My dearest friends, I just wanted to remind you tonight that your prayers are powerful. They have the ability to move mountains and change circumstances. I thank you with every fiber of my soul for your encouragement and earnest prayers for this place and for me as I am living and serving here for the time being. Here are just some updates on what is happening and more things to be lifting up to the Father. 


- Our neighbors (restoration, healing)
- For our visitors (to know peace staying here, feel blessed and hear from the Lord)
- Shaun ( an elderly man and friend, pray for his health and healing)
- Carrie & Colleen (local missionaries in Ballina, pray for the Lord to use them, bless them, encourage them, and guide them daily)
- Local churches ( people to encounter the heart of God who attend or visit as well as the pastors to be encouraged. Pray also for the other churches that are spiritually struggling)
- Pray for also for change, healing, restoration, and long term missionaries. The West coast of Ireland is in desperate need of healing and awakening the wounded slumbering souls here. There is a lack of trust in connecting on a deeper level with others unless Christians are willing and called to pioneer here and build genuine relations with those around them. That is the heart of Val & Bert and their ministry. Please pray for the Lord to send others with the same passion burning within them. 


-Also this week has been the traditional week of the Salmon Festival, where there's loads of fun and an opportunity to taste true Irish culture. There are a few teams here supporting a few local churches. Pray for their outreaches and for divine connections. Pray for breakthrough and for the Lord to working in the hearts of the people they connect with. Pray for the teams to be blessed for their service and the Lord's heart to be evident in their hearts, minds, faces and actions.


I pray the Lord blesses you all for your continued prayers. Ireland may not be Rwanda or India but it still a place of great need. The need here just looks a little different is all. There are people walking around with wounds everywhere and we see them everyday if we are looking. They may even live next door. All we have to do is be aware and be willing to step outside our comfort zones for the cause of someone else's heart. My prayer is that I will allow the Lord's love to reflect daily in the best way I know and have my eyes wide open and aware. Lets admit it, some days and maybe many days we aren't on our "A Game." Some days we miss opportunities. But  we don't have to have it all together for the Lord to use us. We just need to remember that He loved us first, allow that sink in, then be open. People need to know that he loves them and has always loved them. No matter who they are or where they have been. 
Be blessed my friends...I encourage you to be open to loving openly and receiving love today :) 

"Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life..." Psalm 23:6




The melodious wind. The whimsical sound of greenwood trees dancing in an inviting garden. I feel at home in this serene place.  A long awaited settling has found its way into  my heart this morning. I can hear the faint celtic melodies from the kitchen and they remind me as I gaze outside the window that God himself has gently placed me here at this very moment in time.  I dreamed for 5 years of venturing over the great sea and being captivated by the Irish lands, learning the ways of this land, and feeling His heartbeat for it. What the Lord is reminding me this morning is how faithful He is and full of goodness and unfailing steadfast love. How detailed He is. He doesn't miss a thing. He knows what He is doing even if we don't always get it.


His goodness goes before and follows me throughout the day and in that I can be content and confident. Without knowing all the intricate details of the canvas, I can trust in the Artist who is painting a masterpiece for my life. As one of my favorite worship leaders  Kari Jobe sings.."I know that you are for me.." As Romans 8 proclaims that our Lord is for us.


Today, my heart is filled with that joy and hope just in that simple truth...He is for me. He filled with goodness and its a delight to God's heart to give good gifts to His children who delight in Him.  Zephaniah 3:17 says the Lord sings over us..I encourage you to let the Lord sing over your heart today...let Him remind you that He is for you and therefore who can be against you? 

"All of sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory...I realize how beautiful you are and how great your affections are for me.."

This morning as we sang this song at church, God reminded me that his love is powerful. It has the power to break chains and move mountains in our lives that we cannot move ourselves. His love can penetrate through our jars of clay and into the lives of the broken around us. Sometimes it can be a tendency for me to feel like Gideon or Moses...looking at the lack in my own ability but God shines through what I can give and His supernatural love shines through in a way that is not of my own power but in a simple act of my obedience. I just love how he does that. Everyday, I just want to be willing. 

Its been a very busy week and stretching. Pray for me as the Lord is teaching me so much. For one, how to walk in what is unseen and not what is before my eyes. Pray that He directs my steps in the simple day to day as well as the unveiling of the future. Pray for the songs I am writing, I have been writing more lately :) Pray God will give me his words.

Still, more painting to tackle this week as we have many people coming and going here in the next couple months. This week we also are going to be taking more prayer walks in Belmullet and I will be meeting another pastor to help with worship music at her church. 

Pray for  those coming to stay here at Grace Ministries, for their hearts to be prepared for how God longs to speak to them.

Pray for  time to rest for Val and Bert as they are working so hard and God would continue to shine through them. 

Pray also for Shaun, he has cancer and Val and Bert have gone to visit him today to pray over him. 

Pray for our prayer/ hospitality house, that it would be dwelling of peace for all who enter. 

Pray for Neve and her family, for healing and restoration.

On a side note, I have to say as I attended the church leader's meeting thursday night, it was such a blessing to see a few of the pastors come together and pray for one another and worship with them. There was such a unity that filled the room. From the Brazilian church, Pentecostal, and more traditional. It was beautiful to see them support one another. It reminded me of Jesus speaking on the power of unity in John 17. When believers come together  as one in harmony, praying and lifting each other up, there's so much power in that and it is a beacon of light to others. Pray for these churches, as there are only a few and they are low in numbers. Pray for God to move in their hearts, build their unity and bring hungry people into their church doors. 

I pray for you all today that the giants in your lives would be opportunity for you to see the Lord's hand. David approached his giant with confidence because He wasn't looking at what was before him or the power of his own ability, but for the power of His supernatural Savior to shine forth ( 1 Samuel 17:32-51) I pray His powerful love for you will shine forth over your life and his love would cast out your fear of what could or couldn't happen. 

I also want to earnestly thank you for your thoughts and prayers as I am here and for these lovely Irish people. Your prayers are powerful and effective. Blessings to you!

"Chains be broken...lives be healed...eyes be opened..Christ is revealed.." - Hillsong


This song was stirring in my heart today as I walked the narrow stone streets in Ballina, with my missionary friends, Colleen and Carrie...past the coffeeshop, gas station, fire department and local churches...God keeps reminding me that our prayers as His children are powerful and effective (James) and we need to believe when we pray and that where His spirit is there is freedom. It was so like God to bring this powerful song to mind to me and Carrie as we were on our prayer walk. 
Keilah, whom I have mentioned a few times, sets up and organizes prayer walks for those who have a heart for prayer and for healing and change to come in Ballina. Like I said before, the suicide rate in awfully high here but has been lowering since all the prayer has been happening...so keep praying over there too :) God is moving...He hears our cry for the broken hearts. He came to bring us freedom...to set captives free...and bind up the broken hearted ( Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:18)...those unseen, forsaken and set aside...Jesus was along them..He saw them. He saw me. He saw you when we were in mud and mire. 


Lord, keep our eyes open and our heart free to love and show them your heart...


¹⁴ “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:14-16


Let us shine our light, wherever we are today, that people's lives may be changed by the love of Christ and hear the sound of their heavy chains hitting the ground...





“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free." - Luke 4:18

Wow, what a week. My eyelids are heavy and my mind exhausted. Its been a learning experience to be sure. Everyday there are hidden adventures waiting to be discovered. More people to meet or deepen a relationship with, always things to pray for, and more to learn. Val and Bert, the couple I interning under, are truly a blessing. They are vessels of wisdom and encouragement...a true joy to serve with. We do a lot of hosting for people to come and stay here at the house. People come and go all the time. We show them love, hospitality, and encouragement and allow them a place of rest. This week we will be doing more painting in the guest rooms.This past week I also spent time at a nearby college with a new friend named Keilah, who is 18 years old, and passionate about prayer and her ministry consists of encouraging others and starting a prayer room on campus for the students. She is a lovely girl, one of the few young people in her community with such a passion. I rather admire her and her passion for the Lord and sharing his love with people in her midst. Be praying for her as it can be difficult at times for her and be praying for those she meets...that their hearts may be open and encouraged by their conversations with her. Here are some other things to pray for:

Brokenness among the people
Suicide  ( as we have had our prayer walks in the last couple weeks, we were encouraged to hear that the rates have lowered, so thank God for that)
Jamie and Kevin ( a couple of young college age students that are seeking a deeper relationship with God but have little support; pray they stay encouraged and for their growth, that they may encourage others)
Brenden and his house church...(that God may use him and encourage him).
Val & Bert (Strength, rest, perseverance)
Neve & her family (going through difficult time, I am helping her learn guitar, pray God would deepen our friendship)
Carrie & Colleen ( missionaries here helping Brenden in his church and involved in other areas of serving, they are in their mid-twenties, they are so amazing)
Laraye ( my dear friend who is here serving with me, pray for her to stay encouraged, for God to speak through her and for foot she injured this week to heal quickly, safe travels as she returns home next week).
For me ( strength, direction/revelation, focus, awareness of His guidance throughout my day). 


I will be updating you again soon...God bless you all...thank you again for much appreciated prayers. Ireland is in great need of them.

"You may choose to look the other way but you can not say again that you did not know." - William Wilberforce

You know that passion you have...that thing that just stirs and consumes the inside you like a child in the womb...that wonderful and powerful thing gets in your blood and sends a shock wave to your heart? Do you ever feel overwhelmed by it? Defeated? Powerless to take hold of the passion inside you to make a move. I know I do. There are days I wake up...and I wonder what the heck am I doing? Am I doing something that really makes a difference? Is it the thing I have always longed to be a part? I think we all face those questions and we feel stretched and perplexed as to the outcome of our daily endeavors. I know there are moments when I am seeking to encourage someone or offer them hope they can take hold of and I walk away wondering whether the conversations I am a part of have enough substance or leave a profound effect.


William Wilberforce inspires me with the angst he felt and the passion he had to do what was right. He couldn't be put into a box by the British parliament but endeavored to fight for freedom for those in captivity, with great opposition, yet God was on his side and he won after many years of battling. I am sure there were many moments when he questioned the immense call he had on his life or at least was overwhelmed by it and pondered, if perhaps, he may not see the fruit of his labor and valiant efforts in his own lifetime. But he never gave up. He fought for what was right with the strength and the gift the Lord had given him, that gift was an ability to speak in a way that moved, engaged, and shook people to their core and over time altered history and changed lives. 
Philippians 4:13 says," I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." On days like today though I feel powerless, I cannot live by how I feel. I reminded that it is Christ at work within me that gives strength every day of my life to do whatever it is I am designed to do and be. I am only one person, one vessel, yet Christ is in me and He gives me the passion and ability to do what pleases Him. Whether I see the fruit of my labor is not what is important. But living a life that glorifies Him, is true worship...that is worshiping in spirit and truth. Showing love and being love to hurting people. In the simplicities of this life and the conversations we have, how we react speaks rather loudly.  I know I won't always say the right thing, none one of us do, but I pray that it would be my purpose to be light and love so people may see Jesus and find the hope they truly long for.
So my encouragement today is to not give up...to trust God and ask for His strength in your daily endeavors as you pursue your deep core shaken passions...its only then that we can make the difference that matters. Embrace who you already are. Writer John Eldredge says what we need are more people who come alive...those are the ones who change the world. The more we know ourselves, the more we can impact others and hear the voices crying for change in the distance. Let us walk in who we already are and embrace the gifts God in strategically placed within each one of us....just like Wilberforce did.  


"I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength." -Phil. 4:13

 "It is a sad fate for a man to die too well known to everybody else, and still unknown to himself." - Francis Bacon