Autumn falls

Hello everyone.  I hope that you are all well.  We are doing great and have really been enjoying living in Ballina. It's been over three and a half months already.  I guess that we have well and truly had our last days of summer for this year and have entered into autumn.  It is really cold and really wet but we are thankful for His blessings everyday.  The sun rises a bit later and we have been able to witness it most mornings.  It is a lovely time of the year.

A lot has happened in our lives in the past month or so.  Church started about 5 weeks ago and it has been lovely getting to know each other and spend time with one another.  Church is long on a Sunday.  We don't get started until about 2 but it goes on until around 7pm.   We meet for a meal, have a chat or play some sports and then we have our time of worship and word.  We have enjoyed being a part of something that is at the beginning of it's life.  Simon has been helping out with the worship and Sarai has been helping out with teaching the kids.  We have had between 5 and 12 people attend (not including kids) and we meet in a house.  You can be praying that the Lord provides a new house as the house that we meet in will no longer be available soon.  The guys who lived there have been told to move as the house was reprocessed by the bank.  Pray that the Lord provides a new home for Brendan, Carinne and the 4 kids.

Simon had a couple of job interviews this month and was offered a part-time job in Ballina.  This is a massive answer to prayer because we have had little or no income in the past few months.  Thanks to all who prayed and who gave and be encouraged by this answered prayer.  We continue to probe other ideas that will bring in enough income for us to live and be established here but we are very encouraged as we see His hand at work.  Simon started on Tuesday.

We have had a lot of visitors too.  All of Simon's family were able to visit as well as a couple of good friends from our home church in Northern Ireland.  We are expecting another couple from the North at the end of October as well as our good friends Phillip and Alisha Brummett from Texas.  They will be visiting us as they pray and seek the Lord's will for the next stage in their ministry.  They are praying about the possibility of moving to Ireland.  Please pray for guidance and wisdom in their decision making.  It is great to have people stay with us and experience life in Ballina.  It really is much different to Panama or even to Northern Ireland.

Ethan is loving school!  He comes home and doesn't tell us anything about his day but he is just loving getting to know other kids his age.  It is a blessing to see him enjoying it and growing through it.  Naomi is walking, a lot!  She never stops.  She had her first birthday at the beginning of October and her grandparents could come to it as well as some friends from the area.

We hope to get travelling North this month but a lot depends on Simon's work schedule.  Simon will be at Lisburn Christian Fellowship this Saturday for the Father Heart conference but he will only be there for the day.

Thanks again for all of the prayers as well the financial gifts.  It is wonderful to know that we have friends and family all over the world who pray for us on a daily basis.

Blessings!

Simon, Sarai, Ethan and Naomi Morrow

One small step at a time.

So, we have well and truly settled into Ballina.  We've been here for more than 7 weeks and now feel at home.  God is good!

Naomi has been taking her first steps!  As I am sure you can imagine she is falling over a lot.  She takes one step and...bang!  But she continues to get up and try again.  She has her parents to help and guide her.  She will, in no time, be walking and then running.  We feel as though this is symbolic of our experience in moving to Mayo.  We have been taking baby steps and at times, we have been falling.  It may take a while but we know that we have our heavenly father who protects and guides us and has a plan for everything that has happened and for everything that is going to happen.  We believe that we will start to walk and eventually we will be running.

Since we last wrote, the football classes have started in Millview.   A group of around 6 people have been going in for 3 weeks now and it has been a great time.  We have had a good number of kids and feel as though there is a deeper relationship developing between us and them.  We are praying about the long term though.  Do we want to be involved in Millview for a longer period and if so, doing what?  Please pray that the Lord will reveal His plan for us in Millview and that we would be sensitive to hear His voice.

Sarai continues to meet with mothers in the area and with local Christian friends.  She had the chance to meet with a pastor's wife from Venezuela.  She is living in Westport and Sarai has met with her a couple of times.  A great opportunity to speak in Spanish and to get to know a new friend.

Simon has met with a few local Christian guys from the different churches.  They have met once, just to hang out.  He feels as though this is a chance to get the 20's and 30's involved with what God is doing here.  The plan is just to get together and play sports or board-games or just have a meal.  Pray that this can develop into something that continues to bring the church together in unity.

Once again we have seen God's provision in ways previously unimaginable to us.  God is faithful!  We know that.  We want to thank everyone who has supported us in prayer, finances or through calling or emailing us.  It is of great encouragement to see this happen.  We have gone from not having to having everything we need for each day.  Another way that the Lord has provided this month is through giving us a car.  We will be receiving a car on loan for around 6 months.  This is an answer to a prayer that we have been praying for a while.  As for sarai's immigration status goes, she is now only 1 step away from receiving her permanent residency visa.  She should be sorted out within this next month.

Please continue to pray for us as well as emailing and calling.

Blessings,

Simon, Sarai, Ethan and Naomi Morrow