4th March 2026

Dear GB Members,

We would like to update our Girls' Brigade family on recent developments affecting travel to the GB International Conference in the Cook Islands.

Due to circumstances entirely beyond our control, all Emirates flights scheduled to connect to New Zealand were cancelled on Tuesday 3rd March, and operations are now limited due to airspace closures. Although an alternative travel route was arranged, the ongoing situation in the Middle East, combined with personal circumstances, has led to the difficult decision that some of our delegates — including myself, as GBNI President — will no longer be travelling to the Cook Islands for the conference.

We ask you to please continue to hold in your thoughts and prayers the three delegates who departed from Ireland early this morning. They now face a journey of more than 34 hours, arriving in New Zealand at 9:30 am on Friday (local time), before continuing onward to the Cook Islands. Also, please remember our GBNI Vice-President, Heather Lindsay, who is currently in Australia visiting family and will join the team over the weekend.

We trust that the Conference will be a blessed, meaningful, and productive gathering for all our Girls' Brigade sisters worldwide. We also want to acknowledge the understandable disappointment felt by our team, who have invested so much time, preparation, and heart into planning this event and have made their decisions with great care and wisdom.

As a leadership team, we extend our sincere thanks to Bryan Somers Travel — especially Jonathan Millar and his colleagues — for their exceptional support, flexibility, and dedication. Their commitment and professionalism in managing these unexpected changes have been deeply appreciated.

Thank you for continuing to uphold all involved in your prayers.

Isobel McKane

GBNI President

----------------

1st March 2026

Dear Members,

We wish to inform you of an important update regarding the ICGB delegates who were scheduled to begin their journey to the Cook Islands to attend the forthcoming International Conference.

As the delegation was preparing to depart for Dublin yesterday, their flight was cancelled due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East. While alternative flights have since been rebooked for Monday, there remains uncertainty as to whether these arrangements will be able to proceed as planned.

We kindly ask members to uphold the delegates in prayer at this time. Please pray for wisdom and discernment as decisions are made, that all choices taken would be the right ones. We also ask for prayer for safety and protection for all those impacted by the current unrest, with a deep awareness that our God remains sovereign and in control, even in the darkest and most uncertain times.
Additionally, we invite you to remember in prayer all those who are caught up in this dangerous and frightening situation, asking that God’s peace, comfort, and protection would surround them.

We take encouragement from God’s Word:
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1

Thank you for your continued prayerful support and understanding. Further updates will be shared as appropriate.

Isobel McKane

GBNI President

• Share this story

• 

• 

• 

  Link Copied