Kayla Hollick The pandemic is continuing to bring unexpected blessings for a number of NET ministries’ young missionaries, writes Jason Osborne
NET Ministries is defined by its success in getting out there and seeding its missionaries among the youth of Ireland – a trickier prospect when the young people of Ireland are confined to their homes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The challenges of lockdown could easily have rendered their hands-on approach null and void, but as has been typical of the Church’s missionaries throughout the millennia, they chose to accept the current struggle as a blessing in disguise, rather than a nuisance to be lamented.
Relationship with God
Speaking to The Irish Catholic, a number of Net’s missionaries, from teams around Ireland, told of the development of their relationship with God during lockdown. With many Irish among their number, this year’s cohort also saw people answer the call from England, Canada and the USA – all arriving in Ireland only to quarantine for two weeks last year.
“Obviously, this is a very different year from any other mission year. But through the lockdown, I think a lot of people have been able to ask a lot of questions. Even for ourselves, we have in our schedule our personal prayer, our team prayer, Mass and so on scheduled in each day. Being able to have that scheduled in and having that routine brought into everyday has been so good,” said Jack McCarthy of the Elphin team.
He credits the unusual past year with having “brought me so much closer and into a deeper relationship with God,” a report which is echoed by his teammate in Letterkenny, Kayla Hollick from Canada:
“Yeah, like Jack said, having the routine prayer life, like I definitely would try to back home, but living in a place where it’s literally built into your schedule is such a gift to be able to grow your relationship with God.
“And me specifically, just like, my confidence has increased through the Lord because for team prayer, for example, sometimes you’re leading and leading your team in prayer can be really intimidating and I know I did not have that confidence at the beginning of the year,” she said.
Time of prayer
However, the close proximity to both God and her teammates has brought a newfound sense of worth to Kayla, with her time of prayer and fraternity in lockdown convincing her of God’s love for her in ever new ways.
Kayla’s fellow missionary in Letterkenny, Donna Heid from the USA, shared the same sense of peace Kayla has been feeling, and described the year as “anointed”.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way…He needed us for this time of Covid and I am continually astounded by the ways that he gives us the strength and the creativity to adapt to this unique year. When I think of the question, are you disappointed in this year – absolutely not. It brings my heart so much joy to see the ways the Lord has been moving and growing in our hearts and allowing us to reach out to the community of Letterkenny, but also all over Ireland and the world.”
And how have the missionaries reached out to their contemporaries at a distance? By putting human technology to God’s use, as Henry Starkie of the Ceili team told me.
That’s intimidating and that’s pretty scary, but also at the same time, if you’re holding onto Jesus’ hand, he’s going to take you down paths you had no idea were going to be there”
“I don’t feel isolated because we have technology which can just connect us with people. Like, we have three youth groups running, we’re running two alpha groups as well, and getting ministry almost every day with people, so I don’t feel isolated in any way whatsoever, which is really awesome.
“What I think is really cool as well, is that these are such uncharted waters. We can literally do whatever we want to do, because there’s no precedent. There’s no precedent for what’s happening right now, so we get to make it up. That’s intimidating and that’s pretty scary, but also at the same time, if you’re holding onto Jesus’ hand, he’s going to take you down paths you had no idea were going to be there. It’s like waking up and being on an adventure every day, I feel,” he said.
Also making good use of technology, Kayla mentioned her ‘Daughters of Sion’ “passion project” that she’s been working on throughout lockdown – a project that wouldn’t have seen the light of day but for the difficult time through which we’re traversing. It’s seen visitors from Australia, Uganda, Columbia, India and South Korea.
“I wouldn’t have had the time to make this website otherwise. It’s so cool that it’s not just my local community – the world is my oyster right now,” Kayla said.
Mission
For some of them, this year is a time to be planted and a time to grow – with Kendall Kaulfus of the Ceili team saying she’d love to continue the mission work God set her on this year once her time with Net comes to an end.
“I would love to keep serving with Net Ireland eventually. I’ve got one year of university left though, so I’ll be going back and finishing that in the States. I go to school for a specialisation in youth ministry, so in whatever capacity I’ll be doing some form of mission, whether I’m doing that with another organisation like Net, which would be so amazing – I really do hope that Jesus calls me back here – or if that means I’m just starting something up in a parish in the States. I’ll be doing ministry in some capacity, but it’s not quite clear yet where exactly he’s placing me after this.”
Regardless of where they end up, the future is bright for these missionaries, and the corners of Ireland that God has confined them to during lockdown.