Missionary

Patti Parks

Location

Co. Cavan, Ireland

About

My name is Patti Parks, I am from NY but lived in Florida for 20 years, where I was a member of Riverbend Community Church for 14 of those years. I became a Christian after the Lord used a Gospel tract to convict me of my sin, show me my need for his mercy and grace, and gove me a new life. 

I was discipled by a few ladies, and also by my best friend, whom I met after becoming a Christian. She loved God and knew His Word really well, she would often ask me if I wanted to go and take the name of Christ where He had not been named. My reply was always "no" because I knew that people in American didn't know Jesus or the Gospel. It wasn't until I heard John Piper's famous sermon he shared at the One Day conference. A bunch of college-age students and I watched it on a DVD and my heart toward missions finally changed.

After that, I took a few short-term mission trips to see what I thought. On my first trip, I felt a calling to the Irish. I had learned that the church there was dying and that the once well-known land of the saints and scholars, was now only 1% evangelical Christians. I knew that anything less than 6% is not enough to sustain or grow the local church. This burdened me. That was Circa 1999. That burden never wained. The Lord didn't open the doors for me to the mission field until 2016—nearly 20 years later! 

I have been serving at Cavan Baptist Church here in Co. Cavan Ireland—through Pioneers Mission Agency. I serve as a church worker, so I help with all the ministres of the church, but mostly with teaching God's Word to and discipling women and children. 

I love being part of God's work here and knowing that Riverbend has joyfully partnered with me by praying for me, and supporting me financially has been a great encouragement. I am grateful for my church family at Riverbend Community Church.

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