Almost there!!!

Countdown!!! 30 days until Ireland! Praise God! I'm so excited! I get more revelation and and more thrilled about this trip every day. Thanks to Everyone who has already helped me with my funding! I have passed the halfway mark but I still need another $1200. I know God will provide and I want to thank you ahead of time if you decide to help send me out there. I have bought my ticket!!!!  now it's just food and board that I have left to raise. And I know we'll get there thanks to your help too! 

Thanks to you who have helped, me getting out there will allow another handful of kids to be let into the Irish summer camp I'm working for. Basically if they don't have enough teachers they have to turn kids away. And those kids who get turned away won't get to hear the message of salvation!! They can be saved right then and there! I don't want to have any more kids turned away this year. So thank you for helping. 

I have to have everything in By June 25th so if you would like to help with this mission please send whatever you can to "New Creation Church" and in the memo line put "Britny McElfresh Mission" The address is New Creation Church PO box 1996, Glenwood Springs, Co. 81602 

And thank you so much again if you have helped or are going too. Thanks to you were going to see a large number of Ireland's newest generation saved!!! ^.^ 

Go raibh maith agaibh!!!! Thanks Everyone!!!!

Greeting from.....oklahoma.....still.... But will be Ireland this July!!
I just wanted to thank everyone who has already sowed seed into my mission trip this July. It means so much to me that you guys have seen my heart attached to this trip and you have been so supportive. If anyone is new to my page or hasn't heard yet I am going to be taking a little mini-missions trip to Ireland for two weeks this summer. Ireland has attached itself and I can't get it out of my prayer life!... So I'm DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!! I'm going over there backed up by everyones prayers and were going to see a bunch of little kids saved Healed and Delivered!.....if there's anything to be delivered of when your five.... maybe from like....bad nightmares or something.... Anyways, I wanted to say thank you again to everyone who has helped and is spreading the word to get me there. I still need around $2000 dollars by june and if anyone else would like to add to the trip you can check the shipping information in my posts below. Thank you everyone! I love you all so much and lets go get some Irish babies saved!!!!!
-Brit

Left my heart in Ireland....

Hey everybody!
I just thought I would share a little revelation about this trip. You may know I am going to be taking a 2 week trip to Limerick Ireland this July and I am raising funds and prayers for that. And the more I pray and think about it the more I freak out, get excited, and then post it up here and share it with you guys!!!

The last thing I ever wanted to be, was a missionary. Lots of preachers get up and say how they wanted to stay home but once they crossed borders they just couldn't stop! So I was always scared to even leave the country for fear of being called when I really didn't want to. My desire has always been to go through Rhema Bible training College, like I have been, and graduate majoring in Youth ministry and Worship music. Then leave and either pursue youth ministry or continue to compose worship music! And that would be the plan, but God still has yet to show me what to do afterwards. And thats what I get for trying to plan ahead. Right now, this summer, he wants me to be a mini-missionary. So I will.

So does that mean it's really my own fault for going out there the first time? ...maybe. It's got to be the same deal! Pastors always say they went out and they got hooked! Maybe that's what happened to me too! But when I thought that, then I thought "So many people would die to cross that ocean just once in their lifetimes. And I'm going for a second time! And the First time was a miracle!" So really, I think when God calls us to something, I truly believe that he plans these things out way before we were even born. It's not just a random thing you will catch if you take a once missionary trip (which actually, I strongly suggest everyone does) Going out there doesn't change you into a permanent missionary. If he wants you to do that then he will, but he may just want you to experience the world and see how he's working in it!! But I think He meant for me to go to Ireland the first time. Because he knew what I would see there, and he knew what I would love there.

And God knew I would leave my heart in Ireland. And would have to go back to get it.
And it sounds cheesy and I've said it before, but it's true.

It's like....I feel that now that I've realized I need to stop planning so far ahead and start focusing on NOW. THIS TIME IS SO CRUCIAL!!!! And what I'm bringing Ireland this time is way more than I had before. When I went before, I had a passion for God. A Burning fire that followed me everywhere I went! But now that I've gone to Bible college and I make preparations to go back, I'm different. Not only do I have that Fiery passion for God, to want more, to want to learn more, and to want to see him more, but now I have the craziest itch to just SPREAD IT! IT'S INSANE!!! IT'S ONE OF THOSE IMPOSSIBLE ITCHES YOU CANT REACH AND ITS JUST DRIVING YOU INSANE!!!!!!
It's like the fire in me is building up so much in me and I can hardly keep it in any longer! When I get to Ireland I'm gonna give that passion to all of those kiddo's A hundred times over! Every second that I can!!! Right now, that is my mission. Get that fire to those kids, and change their lives! They don't have to grow up and face the hard times alone! God was there for me growing up, he can be there for them too.

Anyways. I'm just super pumped. Keep those kids in your prayers that they will take it all in while we are there. Thanks Guys!
-Spreading God's fire!!!

Here's the news! *The letter*

So I thought I would put up the letter that I'm sending out. Just in case some of you didn't get one or you just wanted to read up on what is going on with my mission trip this summer.
-obviously since this is not the hard copy of my letter then you can't send me back a prayer request. But if you leave me a comment I will add it to my things to pray for. Thank you so much and enjoy!

Britny McElfresh = EXCITED!!!!

I have really good news; God is taking me back to Ireland! And I'm so excited about it!!!

The last time I left the United States I was sure God was going to use my French studies and my love of France in some fashion to the French people, but after I visited France, I left and headed to the country of Ireland. Since that trip, Ireland has held my heart and has never really let it go!

This summer as I was visiting Mark and Janet Brazee’s church in Tulsa, I was drawn to the ministries of the Dejournett’s church in Limerick, Ireland, and from that point I knew I was going back to Ireland. God was sending me back to the country that has never left, or let go of my heart!

After researching the Dejournett’s ministries, I am still blown away that the things that are impressed upon my heart, are the same desires of their hearts. In fact, their number one goal in their vision statement is “Creating and building the youth ministry of World Outreach Christian Center in Limerick Ireland”, then, their number two vision statement is “: training young believers in the ministry of praise and worship”. Wow, both vision statements line right up with the call God has placed in my heart…Youth and Worship Music Ministry!

I look forward to growing and learning in both of these calls as I push towards the goals and visions God has placed on my heart and the hearts of the Dejournett’s. While in Ireland for two weeks, I will be at the Dejournett’s church in Limerick helping them with their children camp. When I first met the Dejournett’s they told me that the more helpers they have come to camp, the more children they can bring in,(this is where I come in). Last year they did not have enough helpers and consequently had to turn children away, so my going to help this year will afford another hand full of children an opportunity to hear and learn the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Along with that, I will get to use the gifts God has given me in the area of acting, painting (especially finger painting) and the joy of ministering to children.

If God leads you to sow into the call of my life through the Dejournett’s ministry, not only would that be a blessing to me, but moreover to the children of Limerick Ireland. The total amount of this mission will be $2900, which includes all travel, room & board, and food. If you would like to contribute to the funding of this mission please make all checks payable to "New Creation Church" and put on the memo line "Britny McElfresh Mission". As the Word of God states in II Corinthians 9:10, I will be believing for your “seed to be multiplied and your fruits increased”. I would also like an opportunity to bless you back, as you will notice there is a prayer request card included with this letter. Please fill it out and let me know how I can stand in faith with you on what you are believing God for. I will be prayer over them just as soon as I get them, and am praising and thanking God that they are already answered, just as I am standing and believing in faith for the provision of this trip.

I know God has a great plan for this trip and I am excited to see it come to fruition. You can also follow me on my blog as the pieces start to come together in the upcoming days and weeks. (britnymcelfresh.blogspot.com) I will continually be updating information, posting photos, and communicating progress of this ministry as it progresses. I am so looking forward to seeing how the Hand of God blesses you, as you bless and sow into this ministry.

Thank you so much!

Britny McElfresh

(Make checks payable out to "New Creation Church" and in the memo line put "Britny McElfresh Mission" The address is New Creation Church PO box 1996, Glenwood Springs, Co. 81602 thank you so much!)

II Corinthians 9:10 “Now may he who supplies seed  to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness”

Ireland and all it's glory.

Here I am finally able to upload a bunch of my actually decent shots from my last trip to Ireland. Please enjoy and know that my next trips pictures will probably be of kidos with play dough on the their faces. So enjoy the nice scenic visage while you can. (Although, those will we wonderful too)

 

Irish Skies

Heres the first in a series of photo's I'm going to be putting up on my last trip to Ireland. What's funny is how close I was to Limmerick (The city where I'm going this summer to help the church) and I didn't even know! We went all the way around it and even through it once on a buss ride. Speaking of which, I am the master at those busses. It took me three weeks but I finally got that buss scheme down to code! This picture I took while we were walking through Dublin and the sky was looking amazing (Which I hear is quite rare) So I got this picture. I love trying to put alot of darkness and light in pictures when I take them because it gives you alot to look at. But of course my Aunt was taking pictures a million times better than mine so forgive me if these shots are less than her epic-ness.

This is the sign as proof of how close we were on our buss ride. 

This is a picture of the ships outside of Howth when we stopped there on a random day. There were HUGE seals in the water and there were people running back and forth to the fish shops to throw them fish. And this is one of the crazy forests that we were exploring on our way to see a castle. The forest was called the childrens forest or something. Mainly because there were little play grounds built into in all along the way. 

The mission is as follows....

Mission status:  What is the mission of the mission?
Ireland is amazing. When I went there before I fell in love with everything about it.
Children's church is amazing. I love helping little kids find a relationship with Jesus and just over all hanging out with kids.
So whats the point of the whole trip?
Well, I assumed it was just help out where I was needed. The more helpers they have the more kids they can accept into the camp for those two weeks. Last year they didn't have enough helpers and had to turn kids away. So my being there will help more kids be able to come in! I thought, love of Ireland + helping kids =Mission.
But today I was thinking about the kids camp and I was remembering some things and I came with a new revelation.
When I was little children's church was amazing. When I look back all I can do is smile. It was so much fun being in plays with my friends and those little details are always the things we never forget. My dad in a giant praying mantis suit, purple ketchup during vacation Bible school, playing with teachers, and singing and dancing to our favorite fun kid worship songs that I still remember today.
What I think is really amazing is right around that time my family had a really hard event happen. And although it was tough and we all were heart broken I actually can almost vividly remember those good moments better than that hard time. I can actually visualize in my head peoples faces distinctly, exactly where they were standing on days in vacation Bible school. I can hear my little cousin Abby singing next to me and my little Baby sister with her fountain pony tail. All of these weird details I've been able to hold onto for all of these years. Where as the sadness of the hard time was heart breaking I seem to loose details of it more and more. I hardly remember one song of a funeral, and crying. The details of the happiness and the fun of church and being with my friends and family has managed to over power the sadness of those days. So I remember more happiness than sadness, which back then I would have never believed. But regardless of what I believed then, what I remember now is what I remember now.

The point I am trying to make is what if I could share this with other kids? What if I could give them these kinds of great memories that will over power hard times? Even when the hard times back up those good times by a week, or one night. They'll remember that church is a fun place and learning about God was fun! So when they're all grown up they'll flash back to those memories and go "Hey! That church was fun when I was little! We had a blast! Maybe I'll go visit it..." So they go and visit and they get saved and spirit filled and they bring their kids and they start buildings they're own relationships with God! They have they're whole family saved now because the one person remembers just like I did. And then he gets his neighbors saved. And he himself will feel so much better as his bad memories start to fade and he still has all of those details of him as a little Irish kid at his little Irish camp with the American teacher who only came over for two weeks to help out.
Thats the mission. Help these kids build great memories with God, and build relationships with him that will last forever.

How many lives can I change in two weeks? ;)

And God said..."Let there be Blog!!"

It's official! The First blogging post has been posted!...well, not quite because I'm still typing it but by the time you see this, it will be the first post on my blog and you will be fascinated.
Welcome to my blog everyone! And if you got this site from one of my letters then I'm glad you found it and I'll be updating all the info on my trip as often as I can!
Updates on my trip to Ireland:
I'm planning on leaving June 30th and coming back July 16th depending on flight prices. (And if I can manage to get away from all those adorable little Irish faces!) I pretty much fell in Love with Ireland the first time I was there. Mom likes to say that that I went to Ireland last spring and left my heart there, which anyone would argue as pretty accurate if you could see the glee on my face every time I talk about it. I mean it's Ireland! God has blessed me so much already so it pretty much blows me to pieces thinking he wants me to go back! >.<
"Put the madness away Brit and get back to the update!"
"Yes sanity,thank you for keeping me on the ball."

So anyways, I'm pretty excited. I've been E-mailing Mrs. Jan who's been giving me all sorts of details about the trip, which after all the math comes out to $2900 dollars. And you know what's funny? I'm not worried, I'm actually solidly confident. Ya know how sometimes you bite into a chocolate bunny and its hollow? and you get all mad because you thought it was solid but it wasn't? Well I am solid. I'm full of Solid Chocolaty confident goodness right now... I love when faith tastes like that. I mean I'm taking necessary steps like working as many hours as I can, and sending out my letters and saving my money... but the weirdest part is, I feel completely calm about the whole thing, like theres no need to worry. Like God's just put his hand on my shoulder and said "Don't worry Brit, I've called you to this." and I just melt into this puddle of "Wow God,... your so amazing..." So I keep standing on my faith and try not to nibble on my fingers... that was a joke.
And because I'm going they can have more kids come to the camp! Last year they only had a few teachers so they actually had to turn kids away! THEY HAD TO TELL LITTLE KIDS NO!
"Sorry Kids, no Jesus for you, we don't have enough teachers."
"Aw...potatoes."
So this year I'll be there so they don't have to turn away as many and we can get them saved!! SAVE THE IRISH BABIES!!!

Well, this was a random post. I'll put up some actually useful information about my trip very soon. This one was mostly a silly post as a test run to make sure my blog is working. Thanks for reading!
Britny McElfresh
-Full of Solid Chocolaty confident goodness