Vol. V No. 1

December 1994

Dear Praying Friends Around the World!

MERRY CHRISTMAS from IRELAND!

We greet you all again in the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ! And we pray that all is well with you, your churches, and your families! Truly, Christmas is the very best time of the year to present the good news of the Gospel! Even with all the shopping activities, and family plans, people deep down know that there is something more to this holiday than the trees, stockings, gifts, and reindeer. With the right heart, a lot of patience, and with the right tools, so many people could be receiving the greatest gift of all this Christmas - the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23)! Mr. Tom Kelleher of Blarney, IRELAND, is one such man who has already obtained his Christmas gift this year! At the age of 63, he got down on his knees in his living room and trusted Jesus Christ alone to cleanse his heart from sin, and to give him the gift of eternal life! Now THAT'S the REAL meaning of Christmas, and how we yearn that this same gift (which never looses its power) would be received by all in the Blarney and Cork area! 

Discipleship continues with Martin Monaghan, and Jay Sawani! There are also three other people who are being discipled by mail! Amen! Please pray that these continue in the program, and that many more join-up! Martin just has been one BIG blessing to this ministry, and never tires of wanting to do more for His Saviour! Keep him in prayer that his family would be saved, and that he would be able to fulfill God's will for his life!

Some battlefronts: For several months now, our services were blessed with some young people from Blarney who faithfully came and really enjoyed the services, activities and Bible teaching. None of them got saved, but we were sure they were close. Well, our adversary seems to have known this as well, and sent another "religious" group (a cult) through their neighbourhood. Upon finding kids that loved the Bible, this group began to lure them away from the preaching of the word of God to a bunch of food and activities and no Bible. This was a very hard time for us because these kids don't know any better. Our focus is not primarily directed at children, but it hurt nonetheless. And it only shows that we and these people need your prayers more than ever!


Please pray: 1) for these to be saved: Jerry and Osa O'Riordan; Sunny, Sema, and Vina Sawani, the O'Mahony and O'Donovan families, the Monaghan family, and Phil and Denise, 2) for the growth and commitment of the new Christians, 3) for the Bible Baptist Church of Blarney, and finally 4) that we would be effective serving our Lord here in Blarney, IRELAND! We love and pray for you all! Keep praying for us!

Why We Are So Far Away This Christmas
A Real Poem by Craig Ledbetter!

Christmas this year is our first far away,
from the land of our birth and our home of yesterday.
'Tis a time of rejoicing at the birth of God's Son,
the love that He gave, and the victory He won.
For with that special birth away in Bethlehem,
God made the only way for the salvation of all men.
It is for that special birth that we are not near,
to the ones that we love and hold so very dear.
But now live in a place for some seed to be sown,
that this real love of Christ in their hearts to be known.
So remember this year at the time of gift giving,
that our love for you all only grows stronger & more living.
You are most close in our hearts on this wonderful day,
all because of God's love in that manger so far away!

Love and Prayers,
The Craig Ledbetter Family in IRELAND