Emma Bolster-Rodrigues is the newest member of the Ministry Team of TKA . She will be working in Ballina under the auspices of Ballina Churches Together, a cross denomination partnership involving the four main traditions in Ballina and The Church Army.
Emma will be Commissioned and Licenced in St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina on Monday 25th April at 8.00pm.
In conversation with the diocesan press officer, Emma told us a little about herself……..
Growing up
I was born and raised in Blarney County Cork. I come from Carrigrohane union of Parishes and grew up attending Blarney Church of Ireland. Growing up I was influenced by my parent’s faith in God, our church youth club which I attended every Saturday evening in the church hall and my yearly trips to Munster Christian Camps. It was at camp that I made great friendships with young people from different church backgrounds where I learned more about following Jesus and sensing a calling to mission and evangelism.
Family
I met Robson my husband while he was working as a missionary in Spain with a mission organization. We married in 2007 in Cork.
In 2011 we moved to Brazil and we lived in the countryside around Rio de Janeiro for almost five years.
We have two children, Aaron who is 6 years old and was born in Ireland and Kristen who is 2 and was born in Brazil.
Ministry
At the age of 21 I decided to join Youth with a Mission in England to pursue my heart for Evangelism and Mission. Part of this course brought me to China and Thailand for 5 months on outreach working in orphanages and visiting churches in hill tribes. I loved this work and once I had finished my training I got a place at Moorlands College in Christchurch, England which is connected to the University of Gloucestershire. I did a 3 year (Hons) applied theology degree. I spent part of my third year in Zambia working in the Copper-belt region.
Following college, I worked in the YMCA in Cork and in England with Bournemouth churches housing association working with drug addicts and alcoholics.
In 2011 we left to go to Brazil to start a Mission Centre. While starting the Mission Centre we worked for two years as missionaries in a shanty town which had a lot of drug and social issues.
In December 2015, having built our Mission Centre (which is now used for a children’s ministry). We felt it was time to return to Ireland and possibly to the West.
Hobbies
I like reading, and now that I am close to mountains I want to start hill walking. I love watching movies and going to the cinema. Some of my favourite movies are old movies like The Pink Panther or romantic movies like The Notebook. I am an easy going person but I think my pet hate would be cruelty to animals or nature.
Ballina churches together
Ballina is known to me. I have relatives living here and my Mum and her family lived in Ballina in the 1950s. For me it is like coming home.
In working for Ballina churches together(BCT) and with Church Army my main aim will be working in the community and bringing people together to tackle the social issues in the area and to provide a safe place for young people to meet, have fun and be listened to, and to provide prayer support.