New Year, New Plans, and New Challenges.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Life is not perfect, even as a Christian, and the Bible never promises it will be. It wasn’t perfect for the Apostle Paul or for the martyrs through the years, but “all things work together for good,” even the things that are not good. When I read of the hardships faced by early Christians, I thank God for the incredibly open opportunity we currently have in the world today. We have technology, medical advancements, and access to all knowledge and wisdom through the internet. Despite these things, there are three foes we continue to face even in this day: the world, the flesh, and the Devil. These three continue to ruin lives and hinder the Gospel. May we all continue to press forward with the Gospel. As the year began, we sent our paperwork in to Immigration, then waited and waited. Last year they got back in three weeks but not this year. There was a great temptation to set things aside until we got word back as to our status in the country, but by faith I planned out the next year, filled out my calendar, printed fliers, and pressed forward. We waited a month, then two, and finally today, as I am writing to you, we received permission to stay in Ireland another year. Thank you for your prayers; we are thrilled the Lord is keeping us here.
While soul winning on a Saturday, I was using our survey. Although many didn’t want to afford me the time, I met a lady named Sian (pronounced Sean) from Wales. She was very open and had a lot to talk about. Finally, after listening to her answer the questions, she allowed me to explain the Gospel to her. In our conversation I found she had recently lost her husband and was facing financial problems. She was not ready to be saved, but she welcomed a visit from Kelly two weeks later. Please pray that she would be saved and come to learn from God’s Word.
I finally finished a Bible-facts tract to present people proof for the Bible. I have worked on it since September with a man who was coming to our Bible studies. Since there is so much evidence, I had a difficult time effectively fitting it onto a flier, so I also needed to design corresponding pages on our website for more information. Please pray these would stir interest. Also, our theme for the year is “Rooted in Christ,” with sub-topics throughout the year. I am excited to see how the Lord uses us in the community.
The last two months brought two birthdays, Keith II and me. He turned the big “1-0,” and we celebrated at a children’s play gym and gave him a small iPod. On my birthday the family brought me out for a nice family day that included coffee, castles, and a whole lot of driving. What a blessing to be with the kids.
Please pray for these needs:
1. Our support level remains at 85%; please pray it might increase.
2. Citizenship
3. Furlough plane tickets
4. We need a van to transport people.
Also, I want to thank all of the individuals and churches who faithfully pray for us, those who faithfully support us, and those who sent packages and letters.
Battling for Irish souls,
Keith W. Hamilton
