Christmas Newsletter

my latest newsletter

Please find my latest news below, thanks for all your continued support, charis x 

Girls club

I am going to help out with a club for girls that is run by my new church and team in Ferrybank. The club starts back on Thursday 6th oct and they have had about 13 girls in the past. Please pray for me as i get to know the girls and work along side my new team too. thanks love charis

I need a new car

Hi all sorry I have not been posting on here recently, things have been busy!!
I just want to let you know my mechanic changed a part in my car on Tuesday but alas the car is not better and so I need a new car! I am OK to drive around for the moment but not for long. I now need to decide how to go about this, as you might know I also hope to apply for a mortgage and so I need to hold onto any savings I have in case I need a deposit, but if I have a car loan or finance to get a new car I am not sure how that goes down when I go to get a mortgage? anyway please pray I will be wise in what I do thanks for your continued prayers love Charis x

My Latest news.....and spoiler alert, I don't have to move!!! (yet)

Moving

No unfortunately this isn't a joke!! 

I got a letter from my landlord this week to say he is selling the house I am currently living in and that I need to be out by Oct 10th. This was a big shock to me and I don't relish the thoughts of moving AGAIN but I have to trust that this isn't a shock to God and that He has a plan. I was recently thinking that in the future it might be good to move closer to my new church and team, but now it looks like that will be sooner than anticipated!!
Moving isn't easy in itself but the problem is that rents have gone up since I last rented and there are not many houses available either (there are only 2 available to rent in ferrybank at the moment!!) Please pray I will find the right place to rent at the right price and that packing and moving again won't be too stressful.
I was going to sit down for these next 4 weeks to prepare my schools work program but I think I will have to pause that for the moment.  thanks for your continued prayers charis x

Summer Bible Clubs

The German team

Superhero club 

Holiday Bible clubs

There is a team of 8 coming from Germany this week (today) led by a German girl who was here in Ireland (before I arrived) and was working in Tramore on a short term placement for a year.
We the Ferrybank team and the German team will run 2 holiday Bible Clubs morning and afternoon in 2 different estates in Ferrybank -one where there has been a holiday bible club before (AM) and a new venue (PM). We will also run 2 youth events mon and Tues evenings.
The theme for the Bible club is Jesus is the real superhero and so we will all dress up as superheros for the week.

getting my costume ready 

Please pray for our team and theirs to gel well
Pray for kids to come to the clubs, especially at the new venue
Pray for good weather as both clubs are outside
Pray for saftey and
Pray for God to be at work in the kids lives

Where have I been???

Sorry I have not updated the blog recently but I have been travelling around the country for the last 8 weeks speaking at different churches, meetings, gatherings etc.  I have been updating people on the changes in my work and it has been a great encouragement to chat to lots of supporters about the work I did here in Tramore and the schools work I hope to start in September.
 I have been  north, west, south and east of the island, in Limerick, Dublin, Cork and Ennis to name a few. It was very encouraging but by the end of the time I was looking forward to getting home!!

I did have a few days off (in Dublin ) at the end of the 8 weeks with my friends Eileen and Claire and we met up with Katherine and Lowena too (who are home for a few months from Nigeria).

The girls having fun: Charis, Claire and Eileen

At the beach: Claire, Katherine, Lowena, Eileen and I (charis) 

I was also in England (Capernwray) for a few days of schools work training at the end of the 8 weeks and returned home on the day of the UK Brexit vote!

Capernwray

all the schools presenters

beautiful capernwray

other presenters from northern Ireland 

It has been lovely not to travel anywhere this week but there has been lots to keep me busy here at home as I needed to catch up on housework, paperwork,with people and prepare for the week of holiday bible clubs in Ferrybank that happen next week.

one-eleven

There is a new prayer tool just launched on the 1st of June called one-eleven, you can find it at one-eleven.org  it gives up to date prayer points with 3 focuses, namely location, topic and person. The idea is that you take a few minutes out of your lunch break to pray for Europe. Have a look and more importantly please pray!!

Coffee and update in Cork!

When? Monday 13th June
Where? 14 owenabue circle, Carriglaine , Co Cork
What? an update on my work and a cuppa
Time? 11am -12 pm or 7:30-8:30 pm

All Welcome!!

Sunshine

It has been lovely weather here the last few days and on Sunday I invited Ellen and Monika (short termers here working with ferrybank church) out for a picnic and drive around the copper coast. It seems as if everyone wanted to go to Tramore that day and it took 1 hr 15 to get to Tramore after church rather than the normal 20-30 mins!! anyway despite the delay we had a lovely afternoon!

Monika, Ellen and I

Picnic on the beach

On the road

I have been travelling around a lot recently updating people on the changes in my work, team etc. It has been lovely to meet old friends and make new ones along the way and it is always very encouraging to chat to people and to hear that they are praying for me and my work.
It is also encouraging to see what God is doing in different churches and groups and it was lovely to witness 5 young people from swords church get baptized in the sea a couple of weeks ago - the first baptisms I have seen with people wearing wetsuits!! I am in Dublin and Ennis this week so I am clocking up lots of miles on my car, please pray for safety and for the car to continue going, it's getting old like myself!! Pics below are of the baptisms.
thanks for your continued prayers and support Charis x

Goodbyes

Daniel, Inge, Sam, Jesse and Rosannah all left to go back to the Netherlands on Tues morning, it was sad to say goodbye but on Monday I got to spend the day with the kids, Sam, Jesse and Rosannah!! We had a fun day and it was nice to have these fun memories before the sadness of saying goodbye. Please continue to pray for them as they settle back to life in the Netherlands

Meetings

I am looking forward to meeting up with friends and supporters over the next few days, It's lovely to meet up with people who pray and support me and my work. Please pray for safe travel and that my car will keep going :) thanks Charis x

New prayer card

Video of Ferrybank church

follow this link to watch a very short video of ferrybank church

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fl6oiryy6s0syie/ferrybank%20church.mp4?dl=0

You are invited!

Hi all I would like to invite anyone that is in Northern Ireland to come along for a cup a tea, chat and an update on my work on Saturday 7th May between 2pm-4pm,  drop in when you can over the afternoon.
My friends Helen and Will have kindly offered their house  which is 224 Saintfield rd, Belfast, BT8 6HH
hope to see some of you then :)

Latest Newsletter from Charis!

Please find my Latest News/Prayer letter below, all my news is enclosed!! 

last kids club

It has been a week of lasts for me this week and on Wednesday I was at the last kids club (for me) but the first of the new year. I was delighted that Mary, Gerry and Pauline are going to continue the club after I finish up. Please pray for them as they take this on. 

Gerry does the teaching 

Pauline and Mary- holding up the new craft for the term 

Last day at church in Tramore

 Last Sunday was my last official Sunday in Tramore Bible church, after 3 years it was sad and strange to be leaving but as I will still be living in Tramore it wasn't a final goodbye as I hope to still meet up with people from church and I hope to pop back in from time to time too. We had a lovely church lunch/goodbye lunch after the main service, I was blown away by the kind words and lovely gifts I  received which included a framed photograph of tramore and a lovely scrapbook with notes and pictures from the kids.

Christmas and New year

I hope you all had a great Christmas and that this New Year is full of love, Joy and peace.

I had a lovely Christmas at home in Cork with my mum, brother David and sister-in-law Carmel.

Me, my mum and my brother 

A few days after Christmas I went to New York with my friend Eileen, we had a great time away but now I am back to work with a bang!!

This is my last month working here in Tramore and so there are lots of things to organise and sort out before I finish up. I started working here in Jan 2013 and so after working here for 3 years you can imagine that it is hard to move on and difficult to say goodbye, even though I will be still living here in Tramore things will be different and there are sad goodbyes to come.

Happy New Year!!