Pilgrim's Progress March 30, 2010

 
Hello Supporters of the Irish Pilgrims.

In response to the letter you have received from ACOP Missions I felt it necessary to clarify our decision to come back home to Canada, and let you know personally why we have made this decision and to let you know that if we could find a way to stay in Ireland we would.

Kammie and I have decided with much prayer that we will not be able to continue our mission in Ireland.  We feel that we have accomplished much during our time here and are very proud of the work we have been able to accomplish here.   As you are well aware we are also finding it very difficult to keep our bills paid and keep food on the table, as we are in significant shortfall on our monthly pay check. God has provided for all our needs and has been very faithful to us in bringing us Brent and Jesse from Saskatchewan to live with us.  With the rent they are paying us we have been able to keep up and make up for our short fall.  With the boys returning to Canada in May we know that we will not be able to sustain this life as a family.  We do have a small church which has seen new people come and go with employment problems causing them to leave.  When we moved to Ireland the world economy was in a very different place, and the Canadian Dollar was very strong against the Euro. To put in perspective we are making a 1000 euro less per month then when we started living in Ireland three years ago. We are doing what we can to survive but we cannot do it any longer with out putting our family in serious financial jeopardy.

Joe Galaxy has been amazing and we hope will continue to be an amazing outlet for ministry in Dublin.   Kammie and I will facilitate the transition of Joe Galaxy to the Metropolitan Church Dublin whom we have contact with over the past few months thanks to Mart Vahi. This will ensure that this ministry concept will continue and will not be wasted.  Please pray that this transition will be quick and efficient.

We are also planning a Cavan Christian Conference for April 8-9, 2010, which we hope will be adopted by the local churches and begin to focus on ministering to each other, rather then just holding down their own fort.  The churches that will be involved are Cootehill Christian Fellowship (the one we started working with), the Baptist church, Hosanna House (the Nigerian church), Cavan Evangelical church (a friends church), the Church of Ireland (Killishandra), The Navan Evangelical Church and the Cavan/Longford Methodist church.  This conference we hope will bring all the Christian denominations together for a time of equipping.

On the Immigration side of our ministry here we have been told we will no longer be able to stay in Ireland past June unless our appeal to stay is approved. We placed our appeal in November, and called to see how progress was going in February and March. We were told we are in a pile of papers and they will get to us when they get to us. We are also aware that the same department is having a work to rule dispute and there are 40,000 appeals to be looked at from everything from passports, to immigration, to visitor status (that’s us). We do not want to be deported and feel that staying past June will cause us to be in breach of our Visa and make coming to Ireland in the future impossible. In relation to immigration we have been told that as of September our children will no longer be able to attend public school, and will have to find their education elsewhere. That being said we are not the best at homeschooling and understand that if we have to homeschool our kids we will need good resources and people to network with, and Ireland does not have much for homeschooling resources or groups to connect with. We are concerned about our kids education, but more importantly do not want to put ourselves or our children in a position where we could get deported.

 
Kammie and I are tired of wondering if our kids will have a good education, and if we will have enough money to pay the bills.  These are very real issues and we feel that our children and family are more important at this time.  Please do not be disappointed with us.  We LOVE missions and want to be involved but don't find we have the resources and support needed to continue.  Kammie and I feel that we are missionaries, and want to consider what God has for us in areas Home Ministry i.e working at a church.  Kammie and I also feel that when are kids are done secondary school we would be better able to do missions abroad, because our kids will be older and hopefully in College or University.  We are not quitting Ireland or missions.  God has called us to Ireland and we feel that we have fulfilled the purpose God has set out before us. We know that the mountains we face are not impossible,  God works in the 10%.  It Just feels like we are Climbing Mount Everest without our a Tibetan guide.
 
Lastly I want to personally thank you from the depths of my heart for your participation financially and through prayer to see this project through. It has been a great success, maybe a little shorter then I first planned but non the less It has made a dramatic impact on the Community of Christians in the area. In addition this mission has been important to those who are learning to trust the Gospel of Christ despite the scandal of the Irish Catholic Church that surrounds us every day. None of this would have been possible without your prayerful and financial support.

Respectfully submitted 
 
Justin Pilgrim

 
Please pray for us. This decision is difficult for us at this time.