May - June 2006
1Timothy 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that
he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
It has been a wonderful blessing to see lives changed through the Gospel of
Jesus Christ.
The first person I led to the Lord here in Limavady, Northern Ireland was a
young ten year old lad named Richard Moore in January 2001. Shortly after
Richard got saved his mother, Rosemary, left his father, Phillip, for another
man. It was a devastating blow to the whole family. She left her three children
for Phillip to raise and has had very little contact with them since.
It was in this trying time in Phillip's life that we tried to reach out to him
and his children with Christian love and support. It was also during this time
that Phillip turned to the Lord for salvation in March of 2003.
Phillip moved his family away from Limavady and did not obtain a telephone and
we lost contact. It wasn't until Easter weekend of this year that my wife
spotted them in a crowd in a neighboring town. We found out where they lived and
visited them the following week. Since that visit, Phillip and his children have
been coming to the church services.
What excites me is the interest that Richard has in the things of God. Apart
from church services I have been meeting with him on Monday nights for a
discipleship class. He has been passing out tracts and very willing and eager to
work for the Lord. I am praying and asking you to pray for the Lord to use this
young man mightily in our work here.
Special meetings last month in our church: We had a meeting geared toward
people that I have come to know during my life here in Limavady that claim to be
saved yet attend a church that does not preach salvation, mainly Anglican and
Presbyterian denominations. We had a good attendance and saw five first time
adult visitors. I challenged them to make a conscious decision about their
membership in a church that practiced infant baptism. I was walking on sensitive
ground, but with the authority of God's Word and the power of the Holy Spirit I
gave them the truth they are so desperately in need of.
We also had a special dinner at the church that brought in a couple new families
for a night of food and fellowship. These meetings were not only fruitful
outreaches to the community but they were greatly beneficial to the members of
our church. We pray that the Gospel presented in these meetings will be seeds
planted in the hearts of the listeners that can be watered and nurtured during
the next several months yielding results as the Lord gives the increase.
A few facts about the cost of living in Northern Ireland. Everyone has been hurt by the increasing fuel prices. Gasoline here is at an all time high at 98 pence a liter. Given the current exchange rate of US dollars to GB pounds this makes gas $7.44 a gallon. The average cost of electricity is 18.9 cents per kilowatt hour compared to US national average of 9.74. At the post office you pay 39 cents to mail a letter, we pay 60 cents to mail it inside the UK and over a dollar to get it outside of Great Britain.
Because of God's people we are able to minister here in this country without
extreme financial burdens. We want to thank you and praise the Lord for the
opportunity we have to build a work here and see souls saved despite the high
cost of living. You know, as well as I do, it is not all about finances.
However, we cannot ignore, nor take for granted the fact that much has been
invested in this work here in Limavady.
Our family would like to thank you for your faithful support and prayers for
this ministry.
Ronnie Smith and Family, your missionaries in Northern Ireland.
P.S. Visit our web page for more information and photos of our ministry here. www.preachtoreach.com