My friend just got back from Ireland, and it was exciting to hear about his trip, especially his visit to the AFM center-of-influence tea shop in Waterford where the Dysert family ministers. We plan to take over their work when they retire from service. My friend described how great the tea shop’s location is and how friendly he found all the Irish people. It was encouraging to hear this because friendship evangelism will be the focus of our work in Ireland.

Friendship evangelism is one of the gifts God has given our family. We love to host, entertain and lead out in Bible studies and small groups at our home. I remember when Dylan was in college and had a part-time job in a restaurant. One day he invited one of the patrons to our Bible study group. The man said he would love to come over, but first would like Dylan and I to visit him at his home. Dylan didn’t know who he was, apart from being a guest at the restaurant that day, but he agreed that we would visit.

Soon after we arrived at his home, the man told us that he had been in a car accident in a third-world country many years earlier. He had received a blood transfusion that infected him with HIV. He also shared how the faith group he belonged to at the time accused him of living a sinful lifestyle and rejected him. After sharing this, he wanted to know if we still wanted him to be part of our Bible study group. Of course, our answer was yes! A million times yes! This is why God calls His people to serve. There are hurting people around us who need to know they belong to the family of Christ.

There are people in Ireland who desperately need to know that community is not only found drinking in a pub. They need to know that there is deeper community in the body of Christ where we all drink freely of the Living Water.

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