We are still waiting for our visa …
However over the last few weeks we have continued to work hard on various aspects of the transition for our teams here in Northern Ireland.
As mentioned previously the intention is for our good friends Pete and Bryony to widen their oversight to cover Pais here in Northern Ireland as well as Great Britain but we have also hoped to appoint a small regional team to support the team here on the ground as part of their wider team.
Earlier this week I was very pleased to announce that our very own Thami (top left) will be stepping up into the role as Regional Personnel and Training Director in Northern Ireland. Thami will lead a small support team including the very talented Antonia (top right) who has been our media apprentice this year. We think Thami will do an excellent job of supporting and developing next years teams.
Thami is originally from Brazil where she graduated a law degree before joining Pais 3 years ago. Thami has worked as part of teams with Pais both in England and here in NI before stepping into a role to assist Beccy and I by organising much of the logistics and training that goes on behind the scenes this year.
We also hosted Pete for two days last week and gave him a whistle stop tour of our teams and partnering churches. Over the thursday and Friday we met with our teams and the churches they serve in Belfast, Bangor, Dungannon and Coleraine. While he was over we also connected with a wider network of church friends in Newtownards as well.
We have just passed the middle point of our year for our apprentices, this is always the part of the year we begin to finalise plans for next year, appointing team leaders, preparing for new teams that may be starting and confirming the future of existing teams. We’d appreciate all your prayers for this especially during this part of our transition as their are so many factors involved, like strategically organising the right people for the right places, raising the finances to enable teams to go ahead and continuing to ensure existing teams grow and develop as young missionaries.
I have walked these challenges many times with Pete and Bryony over the past 17 years we have served together in various contexts, and admire the deep trust in God and determined loyalty to His pursuit of humanity encountering His love that I have also seen in Thami over the last few years, so I am confident Pais Ireland’s future will be in good hands.