July-August '21: Meetings, Members, and Meanderings
21/09/21
I am sitting down to write this letter in mid-September. Life in Ireland has returned to a “more normal” status, aside from all the wearing of masks, banning from eating inside restaurants, and requiring digital COVID passports. We continue to plod along and look forward to better days, here or in eternity. Still there are many blessings to be thankful for, like the health of our children, our church people returning after the lockdowns, new contacts, Kelly’s returned health, the opportunity to homeschool, all of our faithful supporters (financially and through prayer), and many other blessings as well. I pray this letter will be an encouragement to all of you.
July – On the first Sunday of the month, I was able to present Ger with his baptismal certificate. All of our regular people have been
faithfully attending, with a couple slipping back into their inconsistent ways. It has been great to have everyone back and to be able to
preach to more than just the camera and my family. We continued to get the Gospel out into the community, and Caleb has also been
spreading the Gospel to rural homes in Clare on his own. The month began with a gathering of missionaries from across the island to
celebrate the 4th of July. It was a much-needed time for our children, who have been mostly isolated for the last year and a half. We stayed
in Dublin for the night, and on the next day, Kelly’s dad flew in for a wonderful two-week visit. So, the kids got to spend time with their
grandfather, and in the midst of what is happening with church, we also got to bring him around the country to see a few things as well. The end of the month finished with a trip to Dublin to get a new passport for our youngest child. We then took the long way home and saw a few sites with the kids. I mentioned in the last letter that the Lord suddenly restored Kelly’s health back to normal. Since her condition ceased, she has been zipping around doing everything, and she is very thankful to be back to normal again. Thanks so much for your prayers in this matter.
August – This was a busy month. We needed to have business meetings every week to care for some needed things, like repairs on the building we are meeting in. Some parts of the floor are caving in, and the electricity is inadequate, so the people voted to care for these issues and to remain in the building for the time being. Rental prices are increasing right now, and with the constant threat of a looming lockdown, the church felt it unwise to enter into a rental contract in the city at this time. Due to the inability to tithe and the lack of tithing for others, we are also unable to afford to rent a building in the city at this time anyway. Being out in the country and with this decrease of tithing, it has enabled our people to see the importance of this need and how their personal giving, or lack thereof, makes a significant difference in the Lord’s ministry. Caleb was interested in joining the church, but with his German accent and difficulty in English, I had a hard time really understanding his testimony. Finally, he told us all of it, and I researched and called the church where he was baptised and found he was eligible for membership. I was able to go through our new members’ class with Ger and Caleb, which is an overview of how a Baptist church runs and the church constitution, and we officially accepted both men into membership. Also, since his baptism, Ger’s unsaved wife and family have attended services several times. This is an enormous breakthrough for his wife. Please pray for her salvation, as she is not easily approachable on the topic. This month I also put together a new password-protected website just for church members, where they can access church-related information concerning business meetings, missionaries, doctrinally sound study books, PDF downloads, etc. Our middle son turned 13 at the beginning of the month; we took him to Tayto Park to celebrate and had a brilliant time. Kelly also took the boys on a four-night excursion across the country to visit different friends, while I kept busy managing things at home. At the end of the month, she started homeschooling again.
Soul Winning – Aside from our regular Saturday soul winning, I went out several days with Caleb to get the Gospel out to countryside homes, getting out hundreds of tracts and sowing the Gospel around Co. Clare. We had some good visits and talks with several people. Please pray that these seeds fall on good ground. “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13:23)
Please pray for these needs:
1. Co-laborers in Limerick
2. Protection over the ministry
3. Visitors from the countryside
Last, I thank everyone who sent birthday cards, emails, and financial gifts and for their faithful prayers and support. May the Lord bless your giving as we reach out to those in this spiritually needy area of the world.
In the campaign for Irish souls,
Keith Hamilton
July – On the first Sunday of the month, I was able to present Ger with his baptismal certificate. All of our regular people have been
faithfully attending, with a couple slipping back into their inconsistent ways. It has been great to have everyone back and to be able to
preach to more than just the camera and my family. We continued to get the Gospel out into the community, and Caleb has also been
spreading the Gospel to rural homes in Clare on his own. The month began with a gathering of missionaries from across the island to
celebrate the 4th of July. It was a much-needed time for our children, who have been mostly isolated for the last year and a half. We stayed
in Dublin for the night, and on the next day, Kelly’s dad flew in for a wonderful two-week visit. So, the kids got to spend time with their
grandfather, and in the midst of what is happening with church, we also got to bring him around the country to see a few things as well. The end of the month finished with a trip to Dublin to get a new passport for our youngest child. We then took the long way home and saw a few sites with the kids. I mentioned in the last letter that the Lord suddenly restored Kelly’s health back to normal. Since her condition ceased, she has been zipping around doing everything, and she is very thankful to be back to normal again. Thanks so much for your prayers in this matter.
August – This was a busy month. We needed to have business meetings every week to care for some needed things, like repairs on the building we are meeting in. Some parts of the floor are caving in, and the electricity is inadequate, so the people voted to care for these issues and to remain in the building for the time being. Rental prices are increasing right now, and with the constant threat of a looming lockdown, the church felt it unwise to enter into a rental contract in the city at this time. Due to the inability to tithe and the lack of tithing for others, we are also unable to afford to rent a building in the city at this time anyway. Being out in the country and with this decrease of tithing, it has enabled our people to see the importance of this need and how their personal giving, or lack thereof, makes a significant difference in the Lord’s ministry. Caleb was interested in joining the church, but with his German accent and difficulty in English, I had a hard time really understanding his testimony. Finally, he told us all of it, and I researched and called the church where he was baptised and found he was eligible for membership. I was able to go through our new members’ class with Ger and Caleb, which is an overview of how a Baptist church runs and the church constitution, and we officially accepted both men into membership. Also, since his baptism, Ger’s unsaved wife and family have attended services several times. This is an enormous breakthrough for his wife. Please pray for her salvation, as she is not easily approachable on the topic. This month I also put together a new password-protected website just for church members, where they can access church-related information concerning business meetings, missionaries, doctrinally sound study books, PDF downloads, etc. Our middle son turned 13 at the beginning of the month; we took him to Tayto Park to celebrate and had a brilliant time. Kelly also took the boys on a four-night excursion across the country to visit different friends, while I kept busy managing things at home. At the end of the month, she started homeschooling again.
Soul Winning – Aside from our regular Saturday soul winning, I went out several days with Caleb to get the Gospel out to countryside homes, getting out hundreds of tracts and sowing the Gospel around Co. Clare. We had some good visits and talks with several people. Please pray that these seeds fall on good ground. “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13:23)
Please pray for these needs:
1. Co-laborers in Limerick
2. Protection over the ministry
3. Visitors from the countryside
Last, I thank everyone who sent birthday cards, emails, and financial gifts and for their faithful prayers and support. May the Lord bless your giving as we reach out to those in this spiritually needy area of the world.
In the campaign for Irish souls,
Keith Hamilton
May-June '21: Legally Open for Business
18/07/21
The Lord has been good to us, and much better than we deserve. I know how much I have failed Him, yet He continues to give me unexpected blessings. I pray that this letter will be a blessing and encouragement to you as well. We were recently studying III John 7-8, where the Apostle John is praising Gaius for his hospitality and help toward travelling ministry workers and how his actions made him a “fellowhelper of the truth.” When we give to a missionary or an 
evangelist, we are “fellowhelpers of the truth” and enter into their labors. The Bible says that “. . . every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” Our heavenly rewards are based on the work itself, not the visual results, “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” It also tells us that God’s Word “shall not return . . . void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper . . . .” We are rewarded for the work that we do when we are involved in our local church (soul winning, teaching, preaching, nursery, etc.), whether the results are immediate or not; it is the work itself that is rewarded. Also, when we are “fellowhelpers of the truth” and give toward others’ labors, we benefit. The rewards for their work are also rewards on our account as well.
May – This month began with Level 5 lockdowns. They were slowly eased as the month progressed, and our church people were more than elated just to have the opportunity not only to be allowed to drive farther than five miles from home but to be allowed to meet again for church. The official reopening of churches was on May 16. On that Sunday, one of our church people, Ger, let me know that he wanted to be baptized. He was supposed to be baptized last year, but the lockdowns happened.
We also lost our baptistery, so it got cancelled. When our eldest son found out, he asked to be baptized as well. With the loss of our church items last year, we no longer have a hot tub in which to baptise, so I needed to figure out a place—more about that later. When we began meeting again, I was pleased to see that Caleb, the German man who visited in December, had come back to the church, even though he lives in Ennis, 30 minutes away, and takes the bus. Caleb had been attending an evangelical church but found it very liberal, so he’s been thrilled to come to our little church in the woods. I discovered that he has developed his own plan to evangelise County Clare and to get Gospel tracts into every single home. He has been ordering his own Gospel tracts and then camping in a tent in different towns so he can put the tracts into all the doors. Unfortunately, I found it amazing and rare to find a Christian who has such a burden for souls that he’s taking the initiative, inconveniencing himself, and getting the Gospel to others. I was absolutely delighted. Although I had never heard of the author of the tracts, 
a businessman from Switzerland, they were doctrinally sound and gave a detailed and clear presentation of the Gospel.
June – June began with us taking advantage of “the opening" by taking Kelly down to Dingle Peninsula for her birthday (pictures above). I want to thank you all for your prayers for Kelly’s health because during June, she had a miracle in this area. Her MdDS condition suddenly and significantly abated. She is now 95% back to normal and has been buzzing around like a bee doing things that she has been hindered from doing for the last year because of this condition. Back to the topic of baptisms, June came, and I needed to find a place to baptize, so I searched the internet for a new inflatable hot tub. There were none to be found that were €200, like we had initially paid. Most companies were sold out, and the couple I did find wanted €1,000.
I decided we could wait, save money, and just use our own pool. Last year, our kids put their gift money from family together during the lockdowns to purchase a small, above-ground pool for our house. All I needed to do was clean up the pool and area from the winter, patch a hole, and fill it up. After a lot of cleaning in the pool, power spraying, and shovelling out waterways, I finally filled the pool. It took three days with our slow water hose, but it was finally ready to be used. Then on June 20, I baptized Ger and our oldest son. The Lord gave us a beautiful, sunny baptism 
day, and we finished it off with cake and tea. Ger even brought along his kids and his wife Shauna, who had never been to one of our church services before. Everyone had a great time. Please pray for Edward, one of our members who owns a restaurant. Ireland’s still not completely open, so the restaurants are still closed, except for takeout. The government keeps moving the opening date for restaurants further and further back. This family is at the end of their rope trying to make ends meet, and they need your prayers.
Soul Winning – Aside from our regular Saturday evangelism, I took a Monday to go out with Caleb to a small coastal town called Kilrush. I wanted to see what he had been doing with the tracts. It was a bank holiday, and we went out for seven hours nonstop, delivering hundreds
tracts to the post boxes of homes and businesses. We finished half the town; we had a few conversations, a man who tore up the tracts, and a kind Christian family who invited us in for tea. Caleb went back a few days later by bus on his own, finished the town, and has moved on to others since then. His enthusiasm is very encouraging.
Please pray for these needs:
1. Co-laborers in Limerick
2. Protection over the ministry
3. Visitors in the countryside
Last, thank you for all of the birthday cards, emails, financial gifts toward our church’s losses, and for your faithful prayers and support. May the Lord bless all of you for your sacrifices to hold the ropes with rewards on your account.
In the campaign for Irish souls,
Keith Hamilton Read More Letters…
May – This month began with Level 5 lockdowns. They were slowly eased as the month progressed, and our church people were more than elated just to have the opportunity not only to be allowed to drive farther than five miles from home but to be allowed to meet again for church. The official reopening of churches was on May 16. On that Sunday, one of our church people, Ger, let me know that he wanted to be baptized. He was supposed to be baptized last year, but the lockdowns happened.
June – June began with us taking advantage of “the opening" by taking Kelly down to Dingle Peninsula for her birthday (pictures above). I want to thank you all for your prayers for Kelly’s health because during June, she had a miracle in this area. Her MdDS condition suddenly and significantly abated. She is now 95% back to normal and has been buzzing around like a bee doing things that she has been hindered from doing for the last year because of this condition. Back to the topic of baptisms, June came, and I needed to find a place to baptize, so I searched the internet for a new inflatable hot tub. There were none to be found that were €200, like we had initially paid. Most companies were sold out, and the couple I did find wanted €1,000.
Soul Winning – Aside from our regular Saturday evangelism, I took a Monday to go out with Caleb to a small coastal town called Kilrush. I wanted to see what he had been doing with the tracts. It was a bank holiday, and we went out for seven hours nonstop, delivering hundreds
Please pray for these needs:
1. Co-laborers in Limerick
2. Protection over the ministry
3. Visitors in the countryside
Last, thank you for all of the birthday cards, emails, financial gifts toward our church’s losses, and for your faithful prayers and support. May the Lord bless all of you for your sacrifices to hold the ropes with rewards on your account.
In the campaign for Irish souls,
Keith Hamilton Read More Letters…
March-April '21: The Spiritual Battle Heats Up
15/05/21
Thanks for taking the time to read this amazing letter. God is so much better to us than anything we could ever possibly deserve, and we are so thankful and excited to get to serve Him here in Ireland. We are so grateful that we have dual citizenship, and He has provided us with a home that has a building we can use for church meetings. The most amazing thing about our home is that from 2012 – 2015, I used to go to a spot and pray. As I prayed, I would look at the same mountain we live on and asked the Lord to give us a home on it. I knew it would never happen and never be possible, but I also knew we serve a God of impossibilities. Today we are living in an impossible answered prayer. We also made a list of what we wanted in a house, and it met every expectation and much more. Despite the lockdowns, I fully believe the Lord has us here in the right place at the right time, and He has really been blessing us. Today, missionaries may not be able to come to Ireland, but retirees from the U.S. can very easily move here and help a missionary if the Lord calls them. Having a Silas in a church would be a great help to any ministry here. Someone might want to pray about that.
March – With the Level 5 lockdowns, not much happened this month. We continued having services and broadcasting them live online. One of our church people came on their own a couple times, but most people avoided church altogether. One of our families has really been struggling, trying to sell fast food from their high-class restaurant. They have barely been making ends meet. We promised our 17-year-old a bicycle for his birthday in January and were finally able to make good on our promise. We looked online, ordered a mountain bike, and collected it a couple of weeks later. He was so excited. The best part is that we live on a mountain with a large park and several mountain biking trails. This was the year anniversary of the two-week lockdowns, but it was also the anniversary of when the contractor cleaned out our church, including the carpeting. I want to thank every church for giving toward that need as the Lord led, even recently. I never asked for money, but many recognised a need and sought to fill it. This selfless giving has been a great testimony to our people of having a giving spirit and filling needs across the globe. Thanks to all of you faithful, mature Christians for encouraging the babes in Christ.
April – The Sunday after Easter, the Irish government extended the legal driving perimeter from 5km to being allowed to drive within one’s county. Therefore, several of our church people decided to come to church for the first time since January. This was a great blessing, but the next week, the government made a new law that fined churchgoers US$185 (€150) or up to six months in jail. The next week, no one came to church. There is a definite spiritual battle happening in the world today. Our oldest boy nudged me to get a mountain bike as well, so by the end of the month, I caved in and got one so we could go on the nearby trails together. Victor has been talking to me about starting the discipleship again, so If things open up completely in May, I hope to get that started again.
Soul Winning – I have found many unsaved people are like scared sheep. They know something is wrong in the world, and they are looking for answers. Near the end of the month, I met a lad named Edmond on social media who was one of these people looking for answers. I got to talking with him, and he wanted me to send him a Bible. I sent him the Bible, along with a Bible study and several Gospel tracts. I discovered he is from a town nearby. He asked me online if the sacraments were changed, and I told him that they were and that the Bible teaches the way to Heaven is only through Jesus. Then I quoted John 14:6. Please pray that Edmond gets saved. He is open and well on his way. We continue to get out The Light of the World DVDs by Chick Publications. We have not really had any responses, but we are continuing to put them out in the area. Please pray that the Lord will use them to help people understand biblical salvation.
Please pray for these needs:
1. Co-laborers in Limerick
2. Protection over the ministry
3. Kelly’s health
Last, I thank everyone who sent cards and emails and for your faithful prayers and support. May the Lord bless all of you for your sacrifices to hold the ropes.
In the campaign for Irish souls,
Keith Hamilton
March – With the Level 5 lockdowns, not much happened this month. We continued having services and broadcasting them live online. One of our church people came on their own a couple times, but most people avoided church altogether. One of our families has really been struggling, trying to sell fast food from their high-class restaurant. They have barely been making ends meet. We promised our 17-year-old a bicycle for his birthday in January and were finally able to make good on our promise. We looked online, ordered a mountain bike, and collected it a couple of weeks later. He was so excited. The best part is that we live on a mountain with a large park and several mountain biking trails. This was the year anniversary of the two-week lockdowns, but it was also the anniversary of when the contractor cleaned out our church, including the carpeting. I want to thank every church for giving toward that need as the Lord led, even recently. I never asked for money, but many recognised a need and sought to fill it. This selfless giving has been a great testimony to our people of having a giving spirit and filling needs across the globe. Thanks to all of you faithful, mature Christians for encouraging the babes in Christ.
April – The Sunday after Easter, the Irish government extended the legal driving perimeter from 5km to being allowed to drive within one’s county. Therefore, several of our church people decided to come to church for the first time since January. This was a great blessing, but the next week, the government made a new law that fined churchgoers US$185 (€150) or up to six months in jail. The next week, no one came to church. There is a definite spiritual battle happening in the world today. Our oldest boy nudged me to get a mountain bike as well, so by the end of the month, I caved in and got one so we could go on the nearby trails together. Victor has been talking to me about starting the discipleship again, so If things open up completely in May, I hope to get that started again.
Soul Winning – I have found many unsaved people are like scared sheep. They know something is wrong in the world, and they are looking for answers. Near the end of the month, I met a lad named Edmond on social media who was one of these people looking for answers. I got to talking with him, and he wanted me to send him a Bible. I sent him the Bible, along with a Bible study and several Gospel tracts. I discovered he is from a town nearby. He asked me online if the sacraments were changed, and I told him that they were and that the Bible teaches the way to Heaven is only through Jesus. Then I quoted John 14:6. Please pray that Edmond gets saved. He is open and well on his way. We continue to get out The Light of the World DVDs by Chick Publications. We have not really had any responses, but we are continuing to put them out in the area. Please pray that the Lord will use them to help people understand biblical salvation.
Please pray for these needs:
1. Co-laborers in Limerick
2. Protection over the ministry
3. Kelly’s health
Last, I thank everyone who sent cards and emails and for your faithful prayers and support. May the Lord bless all of you for your sacrifices to hold the ropes.
In the campaign for Irish souls,
Keith Hamilton
January-February '21: It Is All in the Lord’s Hands
03/03/21
Thank you for your prayers and support. As I write to you, Ireland is now entering its third month of lockdowns and church bans. People around the country are fearful, and many are looking forward to the miracle vaccine that will enable them to get back to some kind of normalcy. Unfortunately, I feel these heavy-handed, inequitable restrictions for a virus with a 99.8% survival rate are going to result in the financial devastation of the country. The future is uncertain, but we know the Lord has it in His hands.
January – In December, we faced a sudden lockdown, banning churches from meeting and restricting people from travelling more than 6 miles (10km). Where most Americans are independent-minded, because of socialism, that is not the case here. There are a few who are, but the majority of people place their complete reliance on the government and their protections. So, that is where we are. I am allowing our people to follow their consciences, and we continue to broadcast live services and post recordings to those who do not have proper internet access. At the beginning of the month, a local lad came a couple times after the lockdown, but he stopped. Currently, most of our people watch services online. Our family continues to homeschool, and there is enough work around the property, with our sheep and chickens, that everyone stays quite busy. Our oldest boy had his 17th birthday at the end of the month, and we celebrated with some Kentucky Fried Chicken and gifts.
February – The lockdowns were only supposed to last until February, but they extended them another month. Our oldest son needed to register with the Immigration Office. After travelling to the city to register him, we discovered that he could only register by appointment, and I needed to email the office to schedule the appointment. I did so immediately when I got home, and I was informed that they are backed up and that the country has extended all immigration status until June. I did end up getting him an appointment for the end of the month. Around the same time, I also celebrated my 45th birthday with takeaway from a local Italian restaurant. During these months, I have kept in contact with our people and tried to encourage them. At the end of February, another lad, who had not been in church for over a year, arrived for a couple of services. Due to the censorship I was seeing on Facebook, I deleted my personal and missions account. During a service in February, I got to experience some censorship firsthand; it was for playing a video during the service that merely asked questions regarding the severity of the “pandemic.” The Bible study video was removed from YouTube within 12 hours, and we were given our first strike. Despite things that seem wrong, by the grace of God, there is still much that is right. Through our YouTube livestream, we were able to reach a local man who was looking for a King James Bible church to attend. When the lockdowns are over, he will be willing to visit.
Soul Winning – Back in November, Bro. Elias Correa sent us hundreds of DVDs of the video, Light of the Word, by Chick Publications. So, for the last couple of months, we have begun getting those out to the countryside community. They give an overview of the story of the Bible and how it relates to salvation in Jesus Christ. So far, we have not received any responses, but please pray that people will watch them and will consider salvation in Jesus Christ.
Please pray for these needs:
1. Co-laborers in Limerick
2. Protection over the ministry
3. Kelly’s health
Last, I thank everyone who sent birthday cards, gifts, and emails and for the faithful prayers and support. May the Lord bless all of you for your sacrifices to hold the ropes.
In the campaign for Irish souls,
Keith Hamilton
January – In December, we faced a sudden lockdown, banning churches from meeting and restricting people from travelling more than 6 miles (10km). Where most Americans are independent-minded, because of socialism, that is not the case here. There are a few who are, but the majority of people place their complete reliance on the government and their protections. So, that is where we are. I am allowing our people to follow their consciences, and we continue to broadcast live services and post recordings to those who do not have proper internet access. At the beginning of the month, a local lad came a couple times after the lockdown, but he stopped. Currently, most of our people watch services online. Our family continues to homeschool, and there is enough work around the property, with our sheep and chickens, that everyone stays quite busy. Our oldest boy had his 17th birthday at the end of the month, and we celebrated with some Kentucky Fried Chicken and gifts.
February – The lockdowns were only supposed to last until February, but they extended them another month. Our oldest son needed to register with the Immigration Office. After travelling to the city to register him, we discovered that he could only register by appointment, and I needed to email the office to schedule the appointment. I did so immediately when I got home, and I was informed that they are backed up and that the country has extended all immigration status until June. I did end up getting him an appointment for the end of the month. Around the same time, I also celebrated my 45th birthday with takeaway from a local Italian restaurant. During these months, I have kept in contact with our people and tried to encourage them. At the end of February, another lad, who had not been in church for over a year, arrived for a couple of services. Due to the censorship I was seeing on Facebook, I deleted my personal and missions account. During a service in February, I got to experience some censorship firsthand; it was for playing a video during the service that merely asked questions regarding the severity of the “pandemic.” The Bible study video was removed from YouTube within 12 hours, and we were given our first strike. Despite things that seem wrong, by the grace of God, there is still much that is right. Through our YouTube livestream, we were able to reach a local man who was looking for a King James Bible church to attend. When the lockdowns are over, he will be willing to visit.
Soul Winning – Back in November, Bro. Elias Correa sent us hundreds of DVDs of the video, Light of the Word, by Chick Publications. So, for the last couple of months, we have begun getting those out to the countryside community. They give an overview of the story of the Bible and how it relates to salvation in Jesus Christ. So far, we have not received any responses, but please pray that people will watch them and will consider salvation in Jesus Christ.
Please pray for these needs:
1. Co-laborers in Limerick
2. Protection over the ministry
3. Kelly’s health
Last, I thank everyone who sent birthday cards, gifts, and emails and for the faithful prayers and support. May the Lord bless all of you for your sacrifices to hold the ropes.
In the campaign for Irish souls,
Keith Hamilton
November-December '20: Seeing the Light in Darkness
01/01/21
***Apologies for this late letter***
Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your support. In these past two months, we have seen the Lord’s hand in a difficult situation. Although our hands are being tied, it is forcing us to seek new ways to fulfill His will and to rely on Him more fully for the results. In response to the recent censorship of conservatives, we are currently in the process of moving over to platforms that do not exhibit tyrannical tendencies. We removed our missions page from Facebook, but we still have our webpage and emailed prayer letters. We hope and pray that you will be blessed by this letter about what has happened over the last couple months of 2020.
November – In November, we were in the midst of a “Level 5” lockdown. Our people have been slow to tithe, and these lockdowns have really caused our church to take some major financial hits. Thankfully, the Lord provided a building on our property so that we would have a free place to meet when things are open and people are struggling financially. I have not told our people not to come, but they have made the choice not to and have opted to watch online. I have been making audio recordings for our elderly single people who are really taking a hit. We have continued to reach out to people through tracts, social media, and website tracts, as well as preparing the new building for winter conditions and LIVE services. Last, on Thanksgiving Day, we got to have a nice meal with the family. With Kelly’s health difficulties, the boys worked together and helped her with the preparation.
December – December began with our lockdowns being significantly lifted and most of our people coming back to church. We had a brilliant Christmas together fellowshipping again. We sang carols, hung Christmas decorations, and just tried to make everything festive. We even had a visitor from a town 30 miles away. The church is located in a hidden wooded area where there is no bus access. He texted and told me he was going to come on a Sunday morning. He said he was going to take a bus and then a taxi to the church. I had great doubts that anyone would do this just to visit a church, so I brushed it off. Sunday came, and in the middle of our service, I saw movement outside. I sent Kelly out, and she came walking back in with a lad. After the service, I found out it was the man who had contacted me. He had taken a bus but then walked an hour and a half through the woods to find the church. The lockdowns were supposed to be open until January 5, but the government decided to go back to a “Level 5” the day after Christmas. We all met on Christmas Day and gave out candles. That lad kept coming during the month of December. Please pray that he comes back when things open up again. On Christmas Day, Kelly made an incredible dinner. One of our single members spent the day with us and left our home at 11:30 that evening. We are thankful and burdened for our church people and the country of Ireland.
Soul Winning – As we have implemented social media to spread the Gospel online to our area, I had a response to our Gospel video from a nice older Catholic lady who asked me to pray to Mary for us all. I quoted I Timothy 2:5 to her about how there is one Mediator, and then I quoted John 14:6, which states that no man comes to the Father but through Jesus. She asked if we acknowledged “Our Lady.” I told her that the question was not whether I or whether the Baptists acknowledged her, but whether the Bible did. So, she had heard the Gospel clearly through the video and now knows that the Bible says Jesus is the only way. Please pray that she will make the decision to trust the Lord as her Saviour.
Please pray for these needs:
1. Co-laborers in Limerick
2. Protection over the ministry
3. Kelly’s health
Last, I thank everyone who sent Christmas cards, Christmas gifts, and emails and for the faithful prayers and support. May the Lord bless all of you for your sacrifices to hold the ropes.
In the campaign for Irish souls,
Keith Hamilton