His Mercies are New... Every Year

The Northern Ireland team is preparing to leave again in a couple weeks. I (Daniel) will be headed over a couple of days early on July 15th, with the rest of the team following on July 17th. We'll all be returning together on July 31st.

Pray for us! The Lord knows our needs, our anxieties, our desires. Pray specifically:

• For team unity around the gospel and our Lord who we're going to proclaim.
• For unity with our Northern Irish brothers and sisters who we'll be partnering alongside. 
• For the nine new team members (including little Andrew Matasovsky!) who are going to Northern Ireland for the first time. Pray especially that they would cross the "cultural divide" easily. 
• For the ten team members who are returning to Northern Ireland. Pray that we would not go into "cruise control," but be on the lookout for the opportunities God has for us.
• Pray for the Matasovskys (Joel, Trish, Andrew) specifically as they love the Irish while caring for their almost-two-year-old Andrew and as Trish enters her third trimester with their new baby.
• Pray for the whole team to be sensitive to the Spirit's promptings and seeking God in his Word and through prayer during the days leading up to, during, and after the trip (and while you're at it, pray our whole lives would be marked by seeking God!). 
• Pray for the two communities, Kittys Road and Attical, that there would be an excitement about our arrival and that the Spirit would be moving to draw people to himself through the ministry of the team. 
• Specifically there has been much relational hurt and some deaths in Kittys Road; pray especially that Christ would be seen as the balm that heals all wounds with his love. His love is better than life!
• Pray for Attical, that the relationships that were built and the good will that was established last year would continue this year, and that through these relationships gospel opportunities would arise. 

Finally, please pray that 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 would be on our minds and hearts during these weeks, and would characterize the team.

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;  and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.