Stolen Innocence

Friends of ours lead a ministry based in YWAM called MercyWorks. They reach out to areas of crisis in our world by meeting physical & spiritual needs. Their most recent newsletter spoke of the issue of human slavery. Did you know that millions are caught up in human slavery (that includes Western countries like the United Sates)?

The following is an exert published from the U.S. Department of State:

"Kiri grew up in rural Cambodia. Her parents died when she was a child and in an effort to give her a better life, her sister married her off when she was 17. Three months later Kiri and her new husband went to visit a fishing village. He rented a room in what Kiri thought was a guesthouse, but when she woke the next morning, her husband was gone. The owner of the house said her husband had sold her for $300 and she was actually in a brothel!

For five years, Kiri was raped by five to seven men every day. In addition to brutal physical abuse, Kiri was infected with HIV and contracted AIDS. The brothel threw her out when she became sick, and she eventually found her way to a local shelter. She died of HIV/AIDS at the age of 23."

Let God speak to you through this story.

You can learn more about MercyWorks at www.mercyworks.org

Autumnfest 2009

What a conference! The messages brought by Pastors Terry and Pat
Carlson were powerful and direct. There is no doubt that God is
preparing His people for something great in these last days! We are
also more aware of the challenges that lie ahead for God's people.
Ther was a deep work in the hearts of many and we look forward to
hearing more testimonies over the next few weeks.

One girl in the church wanting to hear God for direction felt on
Friday to lay it all down. By the end of the weekend she got a call
for an interview for a ministry position working with troubled girls.
She still needs to pray about it, but God was quick to answer.

This was a funny picture of us being attentive. We will download some
more pictures over the next week.

Autumnfest 2009

The days have been full and exciting for the past few days as we have
just completed a three days kids club. The theme for the confernce is
"The Call" and the kids were taught from the life of Jonah to follow
God's call on our lives. Tonight we start the adult meetings and look
forward to what God will do after an already great start.

Living The Dream

After much prayer, study, and work, James has finished his second book. While it continues in his life story from where his first book, "Through the Wilderness" left off, it has an entirely different focus and theme.

James takes a deeper look at the Kingdom of God and how God has been revealing it to him through marriage, children, Church planting, illness, and just in the day to day experiencing God.

Copies can be obtained directly through James and Rachel or at the Church website: www.familyworshipcentre.com

Back from the States

Seems like we have been gone from Ireland more than we have been in Ireland over the past five months.  We continue to feel "seasons of change" upon us, but as opposed to spending all of our time and energy chasing ideas, we feel God calling us to be at "rest" in Him, work on our relationships with Him and one another, and leave the "door opening" to Him.  That does not mean that we are not in prayer and looking at options, but the journey is a lot more pleasant when we leave Him in the drivers seat.

We spent the month of September in Texas, which turned out to be an essential for us.  But as usual, we expected God to be showing us direction, and God spent that time "working in us."  We are confident in His plans, and will keep you all informed as we know and feel at liberty to share those things He is starting to speak to us!  So often we put in identity in "what we are doing" and God is concerned with so much more than that.  Painful as it is at times, we are always happy when God reveals when we slip into earthly and religious patterns.  Life is always better when it is about Him!!

Pictures are from some of the fun family activities we did while enjoy warm weather after a pretty rough summer here in Ireland.  Grandpa (Krechnyak) poses with Caleb as "the men" (Jim, James, Caleb, and Benjamin) went fishing.

We also took a few days "camping" (people kept asking if we needed money they would have helped us but we really do love camping, and not just because it is the cheaper option) in Arkansas, near Hot Springs.  We went to a beautiful garden place where this famous glass chapel was built.

It is also good to be back in Ireland and see from another view (after being gone) what God is doing in the Church and more important in people's lives.  People are really growing in God and stepping out in what they are called.  We look forward to the future and what God will continue to do in this part of the world.

Sozo Festival

Seems like we have been doing a lot of traveling. We are wondering if this is a sign of things to come. Last week we returned from Stafford upon Avon, England from Sozo Festival.

About four months back an old friend from the days that James was in YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in Budapest, Hungary, found him on FaceBook. Besides reconnecting he invited us to be part of the staff of an event called Sozo. Sozo is a gathering of the nations for reconciliation, relationship building, prayer (lots of prayer), worship, and seminars.

We helped serve, prayed, led prayer groups, and shared about what God was doing in the nation of Ireland. It was a powerful time.

The first few days were difficult with all the rain and cold being in a tent (this part of the world was not made for camping!), but God blessed us with a couple that took our entire family (and that is a big deal) for three nights so we could be dry.

We built numerous relationships and were blessed by what was going on at the conference. We feel one reason that God brought us was to speak to us about some of the changes that have been stirring in our hearts to be more connected with His work in the nations (Even as we speak of change two women from the Church are praying in France for the nation and if there be any open doors for future ministry...remember them in your prayers).

Dedication of Church

We were blessed with a wonderful evening on the night of the dedication of the new Church building. As many know, we still have a bit of work to do, but as money has started to just trickle and our volunteers are getting involved in other jobs, it was time to step back and thank God for all the progress that has been made.

Even the week before, volunteers lined up to paint and fix up as much of the two upstairs classrooms and hallway as possible. One person was so committed that on his own accord he worked on the Church until 2 in morning the night before. We are always amazed at the commitment that exist in the people that God has sent to the Church.

Our good friends from Kilkenny, Bob and Jan Murphy (www.oneweekofdays.com) performed as the "main event" for the evening. Marco and Erica, a Brazilian couple in the Church performed an amazing hip hop/dance routine (they will be running a dance & drama class for the community this weekend under the umbrella of the Church).

Many of our regulars were present, as well as visitors from neighboring counties, including the general overseer of the AGI (Assemblies of God Ireland) and pastors of Open Arms Community Church who have played a helpful role in our lives and in the Church from the get-go.

Work still continues on the building and we look forward to what God will do in the future.