I can’t believe how fast this year is flying by! So much has happened, and so much is still to happen. As a family, we hope you are all doing really well, and we keep praying for you, even though we don’t always get a chance to connect. You are always in our prayers.
We had a wonderfully blessed time at the Every Nation GO 2023 conference in Cape Town. Our hearts are stirred once again to Love God and Love People! It was great to see old friends and get to share this experience with new ones. What a lovely family moment!
We’d like to give a short update on what lies ahead for us, because this, for us, is miracle season and we want to ask all of our partners to fervently trust with us for the months ahead.
As some of you may know we, as a family, are on ministry support. That means that most of our monthly income comes from outside of our local church. It comes from people who are sowing, not only into our lives, but are partnering with what God is doing here in Northern Ireland. For us, personally, our support makes up about 90% of our income. We are so blessed by our partners’ generosity and always thankful to God for aligning our path with theirs.
Also, most of our current partners are from South-Africa, and in the midst of economic difficulty, they still give faithfully and cheerfully. Unfortunately, in all transparency, with the exchange rate constantly going up, it means that our monthly income keeps going down. So, we need a strategy. This is not all doom and gloom because we believe that God will provide even as He has been providing. We believe that we are here for His purpose and He will make a way.
Hence, here is the first thing I would ask you all to pray for:
- I am planning to travel to the US at the end of November for approx. two weeks where I will see potential partners, partner churches and hopefully get to connect with some strategic people. Please pray for open doors, open hearts and great connections. We really need this. We need about £750 per month extra to help us to break even.
Then, even though I can’t believe how fast this year has been going, what’s even more astonishing is that we’ve almost been here in NI for three years! Amazing! It feels short, but at the same time it feels like we’ve been here forever. Again, God has done SO much in these past three years and we are looking forward with expectation for what’s to come!
With it being our three year anniversary, it also means that it is time for our visa renewal. My, and the kids’ visas need to be renewed for three more years in January. This will come at an astronomical cost of +- £7000. I know that with God all things are possible, and our spirits are at rest in His plan, but you can understand that in my human mind I’m just thinking, “Lord, this is something only you can accomplish” while I’m trying to fight down stress and anxiety. So:
- Please pray for peace in our hearts as this deadline comes up and also that God will make a way where there seems to be no way. We stand in faith for our Island and know that God wants us here for His purpose. So, please pray with us for a breakthrough in this area.
Just a note that we are doing well. We are happy and God is establishing us. Even though things may look different, we are here to serve in which ever way He needs us to. May He ever be the one that directs our steps even if it is only one small one at a time.
Lastly, I would again just like to thank each of you for being a part of this journey with us. This is as much your fruit as it is ours.
In Belfast as it is in heaven!
Love,
Brian, Danica, Noah and Zoë
O'Neill Family 