So it occurred to me that though I have told you of my desire to go to Ireland and God's calling in my life, I haven't really told you very many details as to why a place such as Ireland (a european, non-impoverished country) needs Christian missionaries and the spreading of the Gospel.
Here are some key details of the need of God in Ireland that I forgot to tell you about:
~ Only 30,000 Irish (that’s less than 1%) are evangelical Christians. For every believer, there are 133 unbelievers! That's a ratio of 133:1!
~ Ireland ranks in the top of the European lists in reference to teenage suicide, drinking alcohol and teen pregnancy.
~ Cocaine and heroin use is rapidly on the rise amongst all socio-economic levels.
~ Divorce (previously illegal until 1997) is a new difficulty for families, with a 70% increase over just four years.
~ Many evangelical churches today in Ireland consist of just 20 people, most of which meet in homes.
~ If you asked an Irish person what religion they are, most would say Catholic, but really haven’t been to church in 10-20 years.
~ Because Ireland’s Catholic Church sustained numerous sexual abuse scandals involving priests in the 1990s and during the last decade, all the Irish people know from any kind of church is that it abuses, steals, lies, etc... so they want nothing to do with it.
I am sad to say that those are just a few facts out of many. I hope this information has touched your heart as much as it has touched mine, and I hope you see more clearly now just how much the country of Ireland is in need of the good news! Thank you so much if you have read this and if you have supported me in any way, whether financially or through prayer. I ask that whether you have supported me in prayer or you haven't, please continue to keep me in your prayers or from now on to do so because I desperately need it, and prayer is a powerful thing! If you would like to support me financially, you can do so now online by going to:
http://www.onemissionsociety.org/give/express-donations (enter my name: Carrie Jarnagin; address: 12592 W. Chucks Ave, Peoria AZ 85383; and account number: 232089).
Know that you are dearly blessed and loved, and that you are all in my prayers!
<3 Carrie
Thank you for being willing to do this! In many ways, where you're going to work is a lot harder than the Middle East, because everyone in Ireland has heard it before. I find it easier to talk to people who get excited about things they've never heard; and it's hard to talk to people who don't get excited about the Bible. Thank you for being willing to go!
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