Aug 05

Greetings from The Johnsons in Galway

Greetings from Galway!

We hope you’re well. This month we had a horrible scare that God ended up speaking to us through in a pretty powerful way. Many of you know how much our pets mean to us. So, it was very stressful to find out our indoor cat Eowyn was missing late one Wednesday night. It was rainy and dark outside, so we thought she’d certainly be back on her own. When we couldn’t find her after an initial search, we left a window opened for her to return through. She didn’t show up. She’s extremely food driven, so with each hour that began to pass, my thoughts of positivity became imaginations of worst possible scenarios. Was she hit by a car? Did a fox get her? Is she on her way to another county?

The search began. Larena posted on local social media, we printed posters, we went door to door, and searched the surrounding fields. Thursday night at 2am Larena wakes me up with a text that says “deceased near railroad crossing.”  I lost it. How could I let this happen? And what fear she must’ve been in during her last moments?  But in the middle of my half awake seeping, suddenly a peace and a sense of duty came over me. I had to go look.  So after driving out to examine the body, I found that it wasn’t even Eowyn! What an emotional roller coaster. But that wasn’t the end of it. Days began to go by.  Each morning I was up early searching. Each evening I was out late driving around looking for activity. I used the shepherds staff a friend had given me years ago to poke and pull at the thick briars as I called for her. We were stressed and exhausted, but diligently continued the search. 

The Lord began to do something. Walking through the field, calling and searching, with shepherd’s staff in hand, God spoke to my heart. “This is why I’m choosing you. In the same way you’re searching for Eowyn, you also won’t give up searching for my lost sheep, and I love them just like you love her.”

His speaking to us didn’t end there. Late one night as I was driving through a subdivision, I sensed God directing me to “look for the 33.”  There was no 33 address on the houses, in fact it skipped the 30’s, so I was confused. As I was about to give up, there it was on the back of a car, the number 33. I pulled over and turned the car off. After several minutes of shaking a bowl of her food, I looked to my left at the exact moment a cat jumped up on a ledge. It wasn’t Eowyn, but this cat was identical to the cat we gave up when  we followed God’s call to come to Ireland! It was a message from the Lord, a reminder that because we had given up one cat in obedience to Him, he wouldn’t let us lose Eowyn!

Hope was restored.

After 5 days of searching, I was out in the corner of a field about to go in for the night. Calling out her name, I finally heard a faint cry. Eowyn! Her voice was coming from deep in the crack between a giant boulder and a rock pile. She was down deep, but after some coaxing she finally came out! We had her safe and sound!  Walking back home, the words “in the cleft of the rock” kept repeating in my head. I decided to look up the scripture. It’s from Exodus 33.

Topping everything off that He had already done,  God used the entire chapter to confirm some important things he had been previously revealing to us about this upcoming season.

 We’re so excited for what God has right around the corner. We anticipate an exciting new ministry season, a baby boy on the way, and all the challenges that will follow! With everything that’s been happening behind the scenes and some important details we hope to share in the next month, we’re looking forward to a tremendous leap forward into the plans and purposes God has for us here. I can say with full certainty, the best is yet to come!

We thank you so much for all of your love and support. It means the world to us! God bless. ~

The Johnstons

PRAYER

Prayer Requests:
We would be honored if you would pray with us concerning:
1. Please pray for the church
projects to be completed
well before the opening of
the church.
2. Please pray for the many
rela�onships we made
while searching for Eowyn
will blossom. We have had
numerous neighbors stop
by and connect with us
about her and we have the
joy to share we found her!
We want to be inten�onal
in these new rela�onships,
as we feel God is opening
doors for us to meet new
people for the new
ministry opportunity here
in Galway!
3. Please pray for all the
details to con�nue to fall
into place for the doors
God is opening for the BIG
ministry news coming soon!

Support Information
If you would like to team up & contribute to this
important mission, please make checks out to:
Hope Ireland Missions
229 W. Exchange St.
Crete, IL 60417
(Chris & Larena Johnston
on the memo line)

TO give online, simply go to:
www.hopeirelandmissions.com
& click on “partner.”

Aug 03

Lift Christ Up: Encouragement from Bishop Coulter

Jul 30

The Stearns asking Help for the church in Liberia

Our people in Liberia are in dire need. Please consider donating to help them.

100% of your gift is sent to our people in Liberia.

DONATE HERE
(All donations are tax-deductible).

Jul 28

Encouragement from Bishop Coulter: ABIDING

Jul 27

Short Report from The Wiggins in Nigeria

Praise God we have rain for the crops.

Please pray for an abundant harvest. Many here are very hungry.

We will begin first harvest of potatoes within next two weeks.

Rice, maize and yam still have a way to go.

Pray that during harvest and distribution God opens hearts to here the Gospel and receive.

Jul 23

Part 2 of 3: The Period between the Old and New Testaments – Judy Covington

PART 1: https://youtu.be/PJoytBeZ9sY

Jul 21

Is your Yoke Easy? Encouragement from Bishop Coulter

Jul 14

No Shame: Encouragement from Bishop Coulter

Jul 14

Join us for TMCI Annual Conference September 23-25

LOCATION: Christian Assembly Worship Center in Lancaster, SC

The Annual Conference will be held September 23-24. We are asking you to let us know your intentions (planning or hoping), restrictions permitting, so we can better make our plans.

TMCI Annual Conference September 23-25

Please register your intentions to help us in our planning.

REGISTER HERE: https://www.tmciworld.com/annual-conference-2020.html

Updates will follow as we go along.

Thanks and God bless!

Jul 07

Peaceful Protest

By: Hannah S. Hunter

As I write this the President of Kenya came on media and announced he is opening the nation of Kenya. Curfew 9PM- 4AM shall remain. Also opening schools is still under discussion. If there is a resurgence of virus lockdown will be reimposed. The following is excerpts from a teaching I gave yesterday in our first service.

The nation of Kenya held her bated breath through the weekend knowing our authority in this land would hold movement or inertia in his speech. With the rhetoric and fixed statistics, we were surmising we were going for elongated shutdown.

I saw that Kenya is at a crossroads. I saw four different paths. I also saw the words turning point. In every war there is a battle where historians in retrospect can say this turned the tide. The war was won or lost. For USA revolutionary war it was the battle of Saratoga. In our civil war it was Gettysburg.

Once the spirit of greed, power, and control seize your freedoms and rights they will not yield them back to you- ever! They must be fought for and wrested from the jaws of these enemies of freedom.

Health care needs to be in the hands of the trained scientists and doctors not the government. Being a nurse many years and watching my husband battle and lose to a rare cancer if the money holders decide your health and treatment it is no longer about health. They decide if it is fiscally solvent to treat this disease or by age or other factors if you are worth it.

Fear of health and death was used to take sanity from the people. Suicides, depression, loss of lifetime achieved businesses, and violence far outstripped the virus in devastation and harm. God forgive us and restore soundness to our minds and reasoning.

Kenya ratified her constitution in 2010 by a 67% vote. It is quite similar to ours in the USA. It was released to the public a month later. Promulgated in August of that same year. Kenya is also called a republic. The supreme power is to be held by her citizens and they elect all the reps and President.

Crisis often show us the cracks or loopholes in the form of ruling in a nation. The supreme law of the land needs to be the guide- the constitution and the supreme power holders- the people need to set the pace.

Peaceful assembly is a guaranteed right. Protesting injustices which are unconstitutional need to be confronted without disrespect to God appointed authority. Civil disobedience without violence or destruction of property may be warranted.  Law and order must rise up and stare down and beat back anarchy and chaos. Justice is required. Even heaven has a court. Mercy is part of justice. Mercy is for people but not for the evil powers that seek to destroy us. When any law or restriction defies the Word of God and His commands we have to go with His Word.

Pulpits were the media in our battle in USA for freedom. Revolution was fueled from the pulpits. Pastors taught the people to think biblically and our nation was founded on those principles. There was a great awakening and revival.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was the epitome of a peaceful protestor who never showed bitterness nor let himself be provoked. Yet he changed a nation. He left a legacy to follow.  He was educated, articulate, and clear on his goals. He led his people to the streets and never stole, burned or killed in his quest.

As the globe is wrestling with so many issues and trying to find what is a new normal in every sense, I am reminded of Jacob wrestling with an angel or Jesus. He went into that match as a liar and deceiver. When he saw his true identity reflected in the eyes of his Savior, he realized he was living a lie and not his true destiny nor getting his true inheritance. He held on and refused to let go until the Lord spoke his true identity into the atmosphere and into him.

Israel, the one God fights for, emerged and became the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Who would have imagined? What are the inheritances we are missing? What do we need to wrestle for and who with? If not for yourself engage in this for the sake of your children.

Remember after this war the greatest awakening and harvest will be streaming to our land and to our doors. Let us fight the good fight of faith and prick our ears to hear well done good and faithful servant.

Shalom and Selah!