Dear Friends,

In April 1980 God spoke to me very clearly, showing me a picture of the world and the mess it was in. God said to me.. ‘Will you share my broken heart, will you go for me if I send you into all the world?’. My response was ‘Yes LORD’, and I spent the next five years working with Youth with a Mission (YWAM). I went to many different nations sharing the message of salvation. This is how I came to live and work in Ireland for 10 years.

After leaving YWAM, in 1984 I thought my first stint of missionary work was over. I worked in a full time job in a responsible position, and was part of a local fellowship but I felt that something was wrong. God was trying to get my attention. I began to see that I was like Jonah turning my back on Gods call. I decided to listen to see to God in 1989. God was saying the same thing… ‘Will you share my broken heart’ but I still did not respond to God. I kept pushing His words out of my mind. My main function for 9 years had been to lead worship in my local fellowship and at different conferences in Ireland. But deep down inside I was been challenged by God to lay this gift down, this was a very difficuilt decision for me. Only after putting this gift to one side was I able to hear God call again, and I wanted to respond to him with all my heart and not worrying about the cost anymore. I helped with a team from World Horizons. We did some outreach in a rough area near Bray in Ireland. I started to feel God was knitting my heart with some leaders of the work I was doing in Ireland. I also felt very much in unity with some other leaders that were also part of World Horizons. I felt like the vision that God had given me over 14 years was the same as the leaders had, and also part of the vision of World Horizons. One of the main thrusts of the vision is to reach the lost for Jesus, and to see them discipled so that they in time will be able to reach the lost for Jesus and then disciple the newly saved.

I felt God calling me in January 1993, to be part of the World Horizons in Ireland and that this would be my base. Here are a few scriptures that I felt God was giving me.

³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:37-38 (NIV)

5 twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,^[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

⁹ “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— ¹⁰ no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Matthew 10: 5-10 (NIV)

⁶ “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

⁷ But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

⁹ Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. ¹⁰ See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1: 6-10 (NIV)

I met with the leaders for prayer and our prayer time together was very encouraging, and I sensed a tremendous unity as we have been together. They both feel that it was right for me to be part of the work. After finishing my college exams, I joined the work. I was based in Bray, Co. Wicklow. After a summer outreach, I went to the World Horizons base in Wales for a month, to get the feel of the world that is done world-wide. After that I returned to Bray to work with the team there. I worked part-time to start with because I didn’t know if I could raise enough support to go full-time for the Lord.

There is always a cost involved when we respond to Gods call.

Marina Bottali Price