Well it seems that at long last summer has FINALLY arrived in Ireland! The past few days have been somewhat cooler, but we have generally been having warm temperatures and sunny skies the past couple of weeks. This is a welcome change from the cold wet spring that lasted SO long this year.

We are also pleased to announce some GOOD NEWS in answer to ongoing prayer!

•     On Monday the 12th June Neil (who turned 20 May 2nd) began an electrician apprenticeship in Dublin. These apprenticeships are quite popular these days as a means for young people to enter the workforce and learn a trade. We had been hoping that Neil could find the right placement and it seemed to fall into place at just the right time. Last week his boss at the castle renovation site where he is doing his construction course recommended him for an interview. He was offered placement at the interview on Friday and started on Monday. He is quite pleased with this development and so are we! Please continue to pray for God’s confirmation in this decision!

•     On Monday also, Nancy received the results of her Irish exams which she took in April. She needed to pass all four parts of the exam to gain her full qualifications for teaching primary school here. She passed three of the four parts with flying colors! She came very close to passing the toughest part of the exam – an oral interview conducted in Irish. She missed a passing grade by six points! She plans to re-take this part of the exam in August – so pray that she passes the second time around and completes her qualification! She is now winding down her teaching job before the summer break and will soon be getting ready for the children’s clubs held in Swords during July. She already has a job lined up for September, but it is not a permanent position. She is going to be staying at the school where she is currently. She will be teaching most of next year taking a class for a teacher on maternity leave.

•     During the past few weeks our eldest son Jess has been able to secure some part time work and seems to be functioning somewhat better. We appreciate your continued prayers for him, his girlfriend Debbie, and Amy their baby.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS –

This is graduation time and we have been on the “circuit” over the past few weeks. On the 6th of June we celebrated the graduation of our thirteen Youth Works Institute students by holding our annual celebration dinner at a Dublin restaurant. In the attached photo you can spot me seated on the right with the students and other instructors.

Over the past couple of years, we have had two young women from Swords, Karen (pictured above center in the attached photo) and Emma, studying at Belfast Bible College in Northern Ireland. On Friday the 26th of May our pastor Clem, our part time associate, Joanne, and myself, made the trip to Belfast to attend the graduation ceremony at BBC. We were very proud of Karen and Emma (not pictured), and also very happy to represent the Swords church along with Lance, another one of our elders, and his wife Dorothy.

This past Sunday the 11th of June, Joyce and I also attended the graduation ceremony for the Irish Bible Institute, held in south Dublin. We saw two women from Swords – Ann and Karon – graduate as well. We were also quite proud of them as both are good friends of ours and we have regular input into their lives, and vice versa!

This summer Joyce and I along with the twins are taking an extended summer vacation. Neil will be able to take a break from his apprenticeship and will join us for two weeks. This year we are taking July 10th through August 6th to visit our family in Wisconsin and Texas. We will be spending a couple of weeks in Arlington (TX) with my sister Betty who continues to undergo treatment for cancer. 

Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support for our ministry here. We especially appreciate all who participated in the matching gift opportunity which I explained in my last update. So far, we received over $1700.00 in response to this opportunity, so we were very blessed and encouraged by this! 

PLEASE PRAY FOR –

• Summer evangelism! Pray specifically for The Baptist Youth Evangelism team who will be in Swords during July. Pray for their involvement in the Kid’s Clubs headed up by Nancy. In recent years over one hundred children have come to these clubs so pray for an even bigger response this year!

• Our summer travels – as we head to the US in July and then Annual Conference in Hungary in August. Pray too for Nancy as she travels to China to visit Natalie in late July and August. Joyce is also thinking about taking a trip to China to visit Natalie in October.

• The church in Swords - as we anticipate the arrival of Tim Burns as full time youth pastor beginning in August (Tim also graduated from Belfast Bible College in May). Pray for the Lord’s provision for the church as we take on this additional staff member. Pray also for the church building as there is a prospective offer to join in with a local community group in Swords to have a joint building project. This would first involve selling our property in Donabate, north of Swords.

• Nancy that she would do well (and pass!) on the repeat Irish oral exam in August. Pray too for Natalie as her formal Mandarin classes close up for the summer. Pray that she can have an enjoyable break over the summer. 

• My sister Betty and her continuing battle with cancer.

We appreciate your prayers, support and involvement in our ministry here!

Yours in Christ,

Jesse, for Joyce and family

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Jesse & Joyce Northcutt Greater Europe Mission/Ireland
23 Elmwood Rd.
Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Home: +353-1-8402141
Mobiles: Jesse - 086 345 6321
             Joyce - 086 864 4285
E-mail: JLNorthcutt@GEMission.com
www.gemission.org
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