Tuesday 8 December 2009
December update
Dear friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord.
Thank you for praying for the baccalaureate service. David was asked to preach at that and it went well. The graduation service also went well with 105 students graduating in the end. It only lasted three hours so it was a relatively short service for the seminary here.
David is speaking at another wedding on Saturday 5th December. No more meetings arranged after that and we are looking forward to the Christmas break. Exams are next week so pray for the marking of those. Thanks. We plan to spend Christmas here in Kagoro and have a get-together with other SIM missionaries in the area on Christmas Day.
As mentioned in our prayer letter, don't forget to pray for the team of students and staff going to Chad over Christmas. The seminary is also arranging two other missions trips to local areas during the break.
Thanks again for your prayers and we trust you have a great Christmas and happy start to the new year.
Yours in Christ,
Debbie and David
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord.
Thank you for praying for the baccalaureate service. David was asked to preach at that and it went well. The graduation service also went well with 105 students graduating in the end. It only lasted three hours so it was a relatively short service for the seminary here.
David is speaking at another wedding on Saturday 5th December. No more meetings arranged after that and we are looking forward to the Christmas break. Exams are next week so pray for the marking of those. Thanks. We plan to spend Christmas here in Kagoro and have a get-together with other SIM missionaries in the area on Christmas Day.
As mentioned in our prayer letter, don't forget to pray for the team of students and staff going to Chad over Christmas. The seminary is also arranging two other missions trips to local areas during the break.
Thanks again for your prayers and we trust you have a great Christmas and happy start to the new year.
Yours in Christ,
Debbie and David
Tuesday 10 November 2009
November Update
Dear friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of Christ Jesus.
Thank you for your prayers for us here at Kagoro. The teaching is going well as are the other meetings we take from time to time. This month Debbie is leading staff prayers on 10th and 12th and speaking at a youth meeting on 23rd. I am giving a talk to the students in the education department on 17th and am the guest speaker at the wedding of one of our former students on 21st.
The baccalaureate service is scheduled for the evening of 27th and the graduation service for 10:00 am on the 28th November (D.V.). Please continue to pray for the preparations for these and for the events themselves that the Lord will be honoured as the 103 graduates celebrate the completion of their studies.
Our climate here changed almost overnight last week from heavy rain and humidity one day to hot, dry and a bit dusty the next. We had one more short rain through the week but think that is it until March/April next year.
Thanking you again for your help.
In Christ,
David and Debbie
We send you greetings in the Name of Christ Jesus.
Thank you for your prayers for us here at Kagoro. The teaching is going well as are the other meetings we take from time to time. This month Debbie is leading staff prayers on 10th and 12th and speaking at a youth meeting on 23rd. I am giving a talk to the students in the education department on 17th and am the guest speaker at the wedding of one of our former students on 21st.
The baccalaureate service is scheduled for the evening of 27th and the graduation service for 10:00 am on the 28th November (D.V.). Please continue to pray for the preparations for these and for the events themselves that the Lord will be honoured as the 103 graduates celebrate the completion of their studies.
Our climate here changed almost overnight last week from heavy rain and humidity one day to hot, dry and a bit dusty the next. We had one more short rain through the week but think that is it until March/April next year.
Thanking you again for your help.
In Christ,
David and Debbie
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Update for October
Dear friends,
Greetings from Kagoro. David and I arrived safely on Friday and are thankful to the Lord for a safe journey. Our hearts are full of praise to the Lord for the special time of holiday in Northern Ireland. The family celebrations went well. We thank the Lord for giving David's parents sixty years together. We also had an advance birthday celebration for my dad who reaches a landmark in November. Our three weeks were a welcome gift which allowed us precious moments with family and many friends. It also meant we got to enjoy lots of delicious food which is unavailable here but maybe that's just as well. As well as the great food, the weather was warmer than expected. When we went to the nearest town to shop the temperature was 29 degrees centigrade.
We have been so conscious of your prayers as we worked through the experience of the robbery. Our time in the UK has certainly helped our recovery. Before we left the police gave us armed night guards for two weeks and we now have two night watchmen (students) patrolling the missionary compound instead of only one. While we were away a stronger door was put in the kitchen. We would value prayers as we take measures to play our part in strengthening security. Praise the Lord that the gang leader was caught the Sunday after the robbery. He is a young man from the local area who is now in police custody in the state capital. This is an answer to prayer as few criminals are apprehended so quickly. Please pray that the young men responsible would repent and be brought to justice. We have no other information as the police are still investigating the case.
In the midst of our struggles the Lord has graciously encouraged us through His people.
It was a great honour to be visited by the local chief who is the traditional leader of the community and a committed Christian. He came with three vehicles, a police guard and colourful entourage. The District Head (a member of our church), along with some village heads, came to the morning service at the Seminary and presented us with some locally made craftwork to take as a gift to David's parents for their anniversary. We had many visitors.
A friend kindly sent money to replace the stolen items and others have encouraged us with gifts, e-mails, hospitality and giving their time to see us.
God's word has also been a source of great encouragement. Psalms 27:1 and 28:6-7 have been a real help.
The remaining weeks of the semester will be particularly demanding as we need to do a lot of extra classes. We weren't fit to do all we had planned before travelling because of the robbery. David will be busy finalizing the list of those who are qualified to graduate. He also has an SIM meeting in Jos on the 16th Oct and will be speaking at the evening service in the Seminary on the 25th. It's David's turn to speak at staff prayers at the end of the month. I will be occupied with teaching, marking papers and making sure food is on the table!
Thank you being among those who continue to encourage us through your faithful prayers and concern for our needs.
Yours in Christ,
Debbie and David
P.S. Some people have been asking about our phone numbers. We have been able to get the following number back from the company: +2347069258996 (where the +234 is the country code).
Greetings from Kagoro. David and I arrived safely on Friday and are thankful to the Lord for a safe journey. Our hearts are full of praise to the Lord for the special time of holiday in Northern Ireland. The family celebrations went well. We thank the Lord for giving David's parents sixty years together. We also had an advance birthday celebration for my dad who reaches a landmark in November. Our three weeks were a welcome gift which allowed us precious moments with family and many friends. It also meant we got to enjoy lots of delicious food which is unavailable here but maybe that's just as well. As well as the great food, the weather was warmer than expected. When we went to the nearest town to shop the temperature was 29 degrees centigrade.
We have been so conscious of your prayers as we worked through the experience of the robbery. Our time in the UK has certainly helped our recovery. Before we left the police gave us armed night guards for two weeks and we now have two night watchmen (students) patrolling the missionary compound instead of only one. While we were away a stronger door was put in the kitchen. We would value prayers as we take measures to play our part in strengthening security. Praise the Lord that the gang leader was caught the Sunday after the robbery. He is a young man from the local area who is now in police custody in the state capital. This is an answer to prayer as few criminals are apprehended so quickly. Please pray that the young men responsible would repent and be brought to justice. We have no other information as the police are still investigating the case.
In the midst of our struggles the Lord has graciously encouraged us through His people.
It was a great honour to be visited by the local chief who is the traditional leader of the community and a committed Christian. He came with three vehicles, a police guard and colourful entourage. The District Head (a member of our church), along with some village heads, came to the morning service at the Seminary and presented us with some locally made craftwork to take as a gift to David's parents for their anniversary. We had many visitors.
A friend kindly sent money to replace the stolen items and others have encouraged us with gifts, e-mails, hospitality and giving their time to see us.
God's word has also been a source of great encouragement. Psalms 27:1 and 28:6-7 have been a real help.
The remaining weeks of the semester will be particularly demanding as we need to do a lot of extra classes. We weren't fit to do all we had planned before travelling because of the robbery. David will be busy finalizing the list of those who are qualified to graduate. He also has an SIM meeting in Jos on the 16th Oct and will be speaking at the evening service in the Seminary on the 25th. It's David's turn to speak at staff prayers at the end of the month. I will be occupied with teaching, marking papers and making sure food is on the table!
Thank you being among those who continue to encourage us through your faithful prayers and concern for our needs.
Yours in Christ,
Debbie and David
P.S. Some people have been asking about our phone numbers. We have been able to get the following number back from the company: +2347069258996 (where the +234 is the country code).
Monday 31 August 2009
September update
Dear friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord.
Armed robbery
As you know from an earlier email, thieves broke into our home at 3 am on Wednesday. We were wakened by the noise of them trying to force open the metal door into the kitchen. I was able to set off the alarm but that didn’t deter them. After breaking in they took cash, our notebook computer and our mobile phones. Although the experience left us shaken, we thank the Lord they didn’t threaten or harm us in any physical way and didn’t take everything they could have stolen. They were armed since they let off a couple of rounds while leaving to keep people from pursuing them. Thankfully, we had a reasonably recent backup of our computer files but I had to spend some time changing passwords and sending out emails so they could not benefit from identity theft. Although there were only two people who entered our home, we found out there were others outside keeping anyone from interfering with their plan. Pray for the salvation of these men and that they will be caught. The police are following up a lead. As the Lord would have it, we have both been going through the book of Job in our morning devotions. Two things which struck us before the robbery were: (1) God does not often tell His people what will happen them in advance and (2) Chuck Swindol advised his readers to hold onto things lightly since we came into this world with no possession and we will leave without any material possessions. How true.
UK Trip
We are going to be in the UK for three weeks to celebrate my parents’ 60th wedding anniversary and have a break while there. Although this is during the semester, we intend to make up the missing classes both now and after we return. We had this trip planned long ago and it is timely. It will be good to meet family and friends again.
Seminary news
We have had over 300 students register for study this semester. We thank the Lord that this is more than normal but it does mean some of our classes are large! Our Provost will be stepping down from that position at the end of the year so pray for a suitable replacement.
Thank you for your prayers.
In Christ,
David and Debbie
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord.
Armed robbery
As you know from an earlier email, thieves broke into our home at 3 am on Wednesday. We were wakened by the noise of them trying to force open the metal door into the kitchen. I was able to set off the alarm but that didn’t deter them. After breaking in they took cash, our notebook computer and our mobile phones. Although the experience left us shaken, we thank the Lord they didn’t threaten or harm us in any physical way and didn’t take everything they could have stolen. They were armed since they let off a couple of rounds while leaving to keep people from pursuing them. Thankfully, we had a reasonably recent backup of our computer files but I had to spend some time changing passwords and sending out emails so they could not benefit from identity theft. Although there were only two people who entered our home, we found out there were others outside keeping anyone from interfering with their plan. Pray for the salvation of these men and that they will be caught. The police are following up a lead. As the Lord would have it, we have both been going through the book of Job in our morning devotions. Two things which struck us before the robbery were: (1) God does not often tell His people what will happen them in advance and (2) Chuck Swindol advised his readers to hold onto things lightly since we came into this world with no possession and we will leave without any material possessions. How true.
UK Trip
We are going to be in the UK for three weeks to celebrate my parents’ 60th wedding anniversary and have a break while there. Although this is during the semester, we intend to make up the missing classes both now and after we return. We had this trip planned long ago and it is timely. It will be good to meet family and friends again.
Seminary news
We have had over 300 students register for study this semester. We thank the Lord that this is more than normal but it does mean some of our classes are large! Our Provost will be stepping down from that position at the end of the year so pray for a suitable replacement.
Thank you for your prayers.
In Christ,
David and Debbie
Friday 31 July 2009
Prayer letter, August 09
Dear Friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus.
Praise
Praise the Lord with us for all His help in the past few months. Once the semester ended, David was able to concentrate more on his studies and completed his dissertation. Thank you for praying him through this process. We each taught an exhausting three week intensive module for the part-time students, managed to finish our marking and then enjoyed a few days rest in Jos in May and in July which has helped to recover our strength.
Challenges
More challenges are ahead as we prepare for the new semester beginning 17th August. Two new staff members have been appointed and it’s likely that there will be more staff changes by the end of the year. Please pray for the new staff as they adjust to their roles and for the rest of us as we adjust to a new dynamic.
Both David and I have been given new courses to teach. I will teach Old Testament Introduction and David will teach Acts and Pauline Epistles. Preparation for these and our regular courses will keep us busy.
David is back in the Registrar’s office and is happy that his predecessor left everything up to date. Pray for strength and wisdom for David as he is once again fully involved in administration.
Parents’ anniversary
Praise the Lord for David’s parents who will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in September. We plan to be with the family for that special event and will spend three weeks’ leave in NI. Pray for us as we have extra classes to compensate for those we will miss and also that we have special times with our families during our break.
Thank you for your involvement in this ministry through your prayers and financial support. Second Timothy 2:21 is the denomination’s theme for the year. Let’s pray we will be useful to God as we live for Him.
Thanks for your prayers.
Debbie and David Colvin
SIM-UK, Wetheringsett Manor, Wetheringsett, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 5QX
SIM-UK Irish Office, Unit 1, Ravenhill Business Park, Ravenhill Road, Belfast BT6 8AW
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus.
Praise
Praise the Lord with us for all His help in the past few months. Once the semester ended, David was able to concentrate more on his studies and completed his dissertation. Thank you for praying him through this process. We each taught an exhausting three week intensive module for the part-time students, managed to finish our marking and then enjoyed a few days rest in Jos in May and in July which has helped to recover our strength.
Challenges
More challenges are ahead as we prepare for the new semester beginning 17th August. Two new staff members have been appointed and it’s likely that there will be more staff changes by the end of the year. Please pray for the new staff as they adjust to their roles and for the rest of us as we adjust to a new dynamic.
Both David and I have been given new courses to teach. I will teach Old Testament Introduction and David will teach Acts and Pauline Epistles. Preparation for these and our regular courses will keep us busy.
David is back in the Registrar’s office and is happy that his predecessor left everything up to date. Pray for strength and wisdom for David as he is once again fully involved in administration.
Parents’ anniversary
Praise the Lord for David’s parents who will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in September. We plan to be with the family for that special event and will spend three weeks’ leave in NI. Pray for us as we have extra classes to compensate for those we will miss and also that we have special times with our families during our break.
Thank you for your involvement in this ministry through your prayers and financial support. Second Timothy 2:21 is the denomination’s theme for the year. Let’s pray we will be useful to God as we live for Him.
Thanks for your prayers.
Debbie and David Colvin
SIM-UK, Wetheringsett Manor, Wetheringsett, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 5QX
SIM-UK Irish Office, Unit 1, Ravenhill Business Park, Ravenhill Road, Belfast BT6 8AW
Wednesday 1 July 2009
Update for July
Dear friends,
Greetings from Kagoro.
Many thanks for your prayers for the programme in Kaduna. We praise the Lord for safety in travel and help for David as he preached twice on Sunday. We had good times of fellowship with our friends there as well as the chance to see some of our former students who are pastoring in that part of the city. On our way back we were able to call with another former student who is serving as an associate pastor in a town about forty minutes from Kaduna. It's an encouragement to see these young men engaged in ministry and we feel privileged to have had some input into their development. Thank you for your part in this process as you continue to pray for us.
We are so thankful that David has finished his dissertation and sent off the final copy. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer during this time of study. While this brings great relief to David, more responsibilities await as on the twentieth of July he will be back in the Registrar's office. The teacher who took over when we left in 2007 has been granted study leave to do his Ph.D. Please pray that there would be a good handover and that David would also work well with a different secretary. David also has a lot of marking to complete after spending so much time working on his dissertation.
The first week of our intensive teaching module went well although it's more tiring. Having classes on the same subject each day sharpens our focus and means we move at a faster pace. Many of the students are serving as pastors while they study part-time. We will finish our teaching on 10th July and have a bit of time to do the marking before the new semester begins in mid- August.
There have been a number of changes in key administrative positions in the seminary. Please pray for us and the other staff as we adjust to these changes.
The rains have not been as heavy as usual for this time of year but when they come we are glad of the drop in temperature. We feel cold when it's 22 degrees centigrade!
I was teaching Jeremiah last week and was challenged by his commitment to the message he was given in spite of the opposition he faced. Pray that we would all love the word of God as passionately as Jeremiah (Jer 20:9).
Yours in Christ,
Debbie and David
Greetings from Kagoro.
Many thanks for your prayers for the programme in Kaduna. We praise the Lord for safety in travel and help for David as he preached twice on Sunday. We had good times of fellowship with our friends there as well as the chance to see some of our former students who are pastoring in that part of the city. On our way back we were able to call with another former student who is serving as an associate pastor in a town about forty minutes from Kaduna. It's an encouragement to see these young men engaged in ministry and we feel privileged to have had some input into their development. Thank you for your part in this process as you continue to pray for us.
We are so thankful that David has finished his dissertation and sent off the final copy. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer during this time of study. While this brings great relief to David, more responsibilities await as on the twentieth of July he will be back in the Registrar's office. The teacher who took over when we left in 2007 has been granted study leave to do his Ph.D. Please pray that there would be a good handover and that David would also work well with a different secretary. David also has a lot of marking to complete after spending so much time working on his dissertation.
The first week of our intensive teaching module went well although it's more tiring. Having classes on the same subject each day sharpens our focus and means we move at a faster pace. Many of the students are serving as pastors while they study part-time. We will finish our teaching on 10th July and have a bit of time to do the marking before the new semester begins in mid- August.
There have been a number of changes in key administrative positions in the seminary. Please pray for us and the other staff as we adjust to these changes.
The rains have not been as heavy as usual for this time of year but when they come we are glad of the drop in temperature. We feel cold when it's 22 degrees centigrade!
I was teaching Jeremiah last week and was challenged by his commitment to the message he was given in spite of the opposition he faced. Pray that we would all love the word of God as passionately as Jeremiah (Jer 20:9).
Yours in Christ,
Debbie and David
Monday 1 June 2009
June update
Dear friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of our Saviour.
Thanks for praying about my dissertation. I have done some more work on the main chapters and sent them to the advisor by email. Pray I get feedback on those soon since I would like to submit the final version this month. While I have been working on that, Debbie has been tackling the stack of assignments and exams she needs to mark. My column of papers to mark has had to wait but I hope to reduce it a bit this month.
Debbie and I are travelling to Kaduna city on Saturday. I will be speaking at a church there twice on Sunday 7th and would value your prayers for these opportunities for ministry.
The Summer Programme coordinator has asked us to teach in the second module this year. We will be teaching one course each: Prophetic books for Debbie and Hermeneutics for me. The modules are intense since we will teach the same course content in three weeks as we would normally teach over fifteen weeks in a regular semester. That will keep us busy from 22nd June to 10th July and for some time after that marking the written assignments and exams.
Thank you for praying about the seminars in May. Quite a number of lecturers from the seminary at Jos came and some Bible teachers from local theological colleges were also present. A paper on the 'hidden curriculum' was especially interesting. As teachers we communicate more than the course content by our approach, attitudes and so on. It is a reminder that as Christians it is not only what we say but also how we say it and what we do that communicates our beliefs to other people. Pray that Christ will be communicated in this way also (Philemon 6).
In Christ,
David and Debbie
We send you greetings in the Name of our Saviour.
Thanks for praying about my dissertation. I have done some more work on the main chapters and sent them to the advisor by email. Pray I get feedback on those soon since I would like to submit the final version this month. While I have been working on that, Debbie has been tackling the stack of assignments and exams she needs to mark. My column of papers to mark has had to wait but I hope to reduce it a bit this month.
Debbie and I are travelling to Kaduna city on Saturday. I will be speaking at a church there twice on Sunday 7th and would value your prayers for these opportunities for ministry.
The Summer Programme coordinator has asked us to teach in the second module this year. We will be teaching one course each: Prophetic books for Debbie and Hermeneutics for me. The modules are intense since we will teach the same course content in three weeks as we would normally teach over fifteen weeks in a regular semester. That will keep us busy from 22nd June to 10th July and for some time after that marking the written assignments and exams.
Thank you for praying about the seminars in May. Quite a number of lecturers from the seminary at Jos came and some Bible teachers from local theological colleges were also present. A paper on the 'hidden curriculum' was especially interesting. As teachers we communicate more than the course content by our approach, attitudes and so on. It is a reminder that as Christians it is not only what we say but also how we say it and what we do that communicates our beliefs to other people. Pray that Christ will be communicated in this way also (Philemon 6).
In Christ,
David and Debbie
June update
Dear friends,
We send you greeting in the Name of our Saviour.
Thanks for praying about my dissertation. I have done some more work on the main chapters and sent them to the advisor by email. Pray I get feedback on those soon since I would like to submit the final version this month. While I have been working on that, Debbie has been tackling the stack of assignments and exams she needs to mark. My column of papers to mark has had to wait but I hope to reduce it a bit this month.
Debbie and I are travelling to Kaduna city on Saturday. I will be speaking at a church there twice on Sunday 7th and would value your prayers for this opportunity for ministry.
The Summer Programme coordinator has asked us to teach in the second module this year. We will be teaching one course each: Prophetic books for Debbie and Hermeneutics for me. The modules are intense since we will teach the same course content in three weeks as we would normally teach over fifteen weeks in a regular semester. That will keep us busy from 22nd June to 10th July and for some time after that marking the written assignments and exams.
Thank you for praying about the seminars in May. Quite a number of lecturers from the seminary at Jos came and some Bible teachers from local theological colleges were also present. A paper on the 'hidden curriculum' was especially interesting. As teachers we communicate more than the course content by our approach, attitudes and so on. It is a reminder that as Christians it is not only what we say but also how we say it and what we do that communicates our beliefs to other people. Pray that Christ will be communicated in this way also (Philemon 6).
In Christ,
David and Debbie
We send you greeting in the Name of our Saviour.
Thanks for praying about my dissertation. I have done some more work on the main chapters and sent them to the advisor by email. Pray I get feedback on those soon since I would like to submit the final version this month. While I have been working on that, Debbie has been tackling the stack of assignments and exams she needs to mark. My column of papers to mark has had to wait but I hope to reduce it a bit this month.
Debbie and I are travelling to Kaduna city on Saturday. I will be speaking at a church there twice on Sunday 7th and would value your prayers for this opportunity for ministry.
The Summer Programme coordinator has asked us to teach in the second module this year. We will be teaching one course each: Prophetic books for Debbie and Hermeneutics for me. The modules are intense since we will teach the same course content in three weeks as we would normally teach over fifteen weeks in a regular semester. That will keep us busy from 22nd June to 10th July and for some time after that marking the written assignments and exams.
Thank you for praying about the seminars in May. Quite a number of lecturers from the seminary at Jos came and some Bible teachers from local theological colleges were also present. A paper on the 'hidden curriculum' was especially interesting. As teachers we communicate more than the course content by our approach, attitudes and so on. It is a reminder that as Christians it is not only what we say but also how we say it and what we do that communicates our beliefs to other people. Pray that Christ will be communicated in this way also (Philemon 6).
In Christ,
David and Debbie
Monday 4 May 2009
May update
Dear friends,
We send you greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus.
Thank you for your prayers for us over these past months. We are so thankful that the rains have started. It's great to have relief from the intense heat.
David has been busy attending several board meetings during these past few weeks. Apart from teaching, he has also has been busy processing the data from the questionnaires he sent out as part of his dissertation research. Praise the Lord for the overwhelming response as over one thousand questionnaires were returned. The questions were asking about views of Christ. Please pray for David as he incorporates the findings of his research into the dissertation and gets it ready for submission in June.
We have one more week of teaching before the week of final exams at the end of the semester. We would value prayer for the Lord's help for the students and ourselves that we would finish well. Once the semester ends we have to concentrate on our marking which will keep us busy for a few weeks.
Thank you for praying about Internet access at the Seminary. We now have a faster connection which makes it easier to receive our emails and for students and staff to do research on line.
Praise the Lord for the large number of new books that have been added to the library and for the shelving bought to store them.
On Friday, 8th May, the seminary will host a seminar on Theological Education for our faculty and our sister institution in Jos (JETS). Our faculty travelled to Jos in March for the first part of the seminar. Pray that this would be a helpful time for all involved and strengthen links between these two seminaries.
Many thanks again for your prayers. Colossians 1:28.
God Bless,
Debbie and David
We send you greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus.
Thank you for your prayers for us over these past months. We are so thankful that the rains have started. It's great to have relief from the intense heat.
David has been busy attending several board meetings during these past few weeks. Apart from teaching, he has also has been busy processing the data from the questionnaires he sent out as part of his dissertation research. Praise the Lord for the overwhelming response as over one thousand questionnaires were returned. The questions were asking about views of Christ. Please pray for David as he incorporates the findings of his research into the dissertation and gets it ready for submission in June.
We have one more week of teaching before the week of final exams at the end of the semester. We would value prayer for the Lord's help for the students and ourselves that we would finish well. Once the semester ends we have to concentrate on our marking which will keep us busy for a few weeks.
Thank you for praying about Internet access at the Seminary. We now have a faster connection which makes it easier to receive our emails and for students and staff to do research on line.
Praise the Lord for the large number of new books that have been added to the library and for the shelving bought to store them.
On Friday, 8th May, the seminary will host a seminar on Theological Education for our faculty and our sister institution in Jos (JETS). Our faculty travelled to Jos in March for the first part of the seminar. Pray that this would be a helpful time for all involved and strengthen links between these two seminaries.
Many thanks again for your prayers. Colossians 1:28.
God Bless,
Debbie and David
Friday 27 March 2009
Prayer Letter
Dear Friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of Jesus our Lord.
Toyota Camry
We thank the Lord for the provision of a 2002 Toyota Camry. It was manufactured in the US and shipped to Africa. One of the great things about this car is the air conditioner. That makes the trips more comfortable especially during this hot season. It also has automatic transmission and cruise control which make driving easier (For those who helped: Phil. 4:19).
Changes
To improve security, SIM has built a wall around the two missionary houses on our side of the road. The wall gives us a little more privacy and stops chickens, goats and other creatures walking through our gardens in the dry season looking for things to eat.
Concerning administration at the seminary, I have not returned to the registry since I am still working on my dissertation. A Liberian colleague, Momolu Massaquoi, will continue as acting registrar for now. Debbie is helping in the library one morning per week. We praise the Lord the library has 18,000 books now. Though this means we have fewer administrative duties, we are kept busy teaching since our classes are large this semester.
Missions week
We had a good missions emphasis week at the seminary. The speaker was Stephen Baba, the director of the Evangelical Missionary Society (EMS). Before taking on that job two months ago, he was the pastor of a missionary-minded church in Abuja which fully supports 30 Nigerian missionaries with EMS. Our students who went to Chad late last year also gave a report of that trip and we thank the Lord that hundreds of people responded to the gospel. Pray for their walk with the Lord and that more of our students will be open to serving in missions once they complete their studies (Is. 52:7).
Prayer letter distribution
We want to thank Ian Strachan for being willing to help with the postal distribution of our prayer letter.
Thank you for your prayers.
David and Debbie Colvin
SIM-UK, Wetheringsett Manor, Wetheringsett, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 5QX
SIM-UK Irish Office, Unit 1, Ravenhill Business Park, Ravenhill Road, Belfast BT6 8AW
Monday 9 March 2009
March Update
Dear Friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus.
Car
We thank the Lord we have a Toyota Camry. (See picture below.) It is a 2002 model and has automatic transmission and a great air-conditioner which we have been using every time we drive since it is 36C and 70% humidity some of these days. Perhaps we will have our first rain soon? We have not seen any rain since we arrived.
Mid-semester
Our mid-semester break comes up next week but we have interviews to conduct for prospective students and marking to do. It is really a break for the students not the teachers but it is a welcome change in routine for a few days.
Missions week
This week we have a series of meetings at the seminary about mission. The speaker is Stephen Baba who is the head of the EMS (Evangelical Missionary Society) – an indigenous missionary society. Only a few of our students are planning to become missionaries after their time of study and we hope these meetings will help some more catch a vision for evangelism. Debbie is speaking on prayer at the student prayer group this week also.
Internet access
The seminary has been getting internet access via satellite but the company we were with shares the same channel with so many other people, the speed is much too slow. Some web pages will not even connect. We have been trying to migrate to a different supplier but this is proving difficult. Pray it will happen, though, and soon. Thanks.
In Christ,
David and Debbie
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus.
Car
We thank the Lord we have a Toyota Camry. (See picture below.) It is a 2002 model and has automatic transmission and a great air-conditioner which we have been using every time we drive since it is 36C and 70% humidity some of these days. Perhaps we will have our first rain soon? We have not seen any rain since we arrived.
Mid-semester
Our mid-semester break comes up next week but we have interviews to conduct for prospective students and marking to do. It is really a break for the students not the teachers but it is a welcome change in routine for a few days.
Missions week
This week we have a series of meetings at the seminary about mission. The speaker is Stephen Baba who is the head of the EMS (Evangelical Missionary Society) – an indigenous missionary society. Only a few of our students are planning to become missionaries after their time of study and we hope these meetings will help some more catch a vision for evangelism. Debbie is speaking on prayer at the student prayer group this week also.
Internet access
The seminary has been getting internet access via satellite but the company we were with shares the same channel with so many other people, the speed is much too slow. Some web pages will not even connect. We have been trying to migrate to a different supplier but this is proving difficult. Pray it will happen, though, and soon. Thanks.
In Christ,
David and Debbie
Friday 6 March 2009
Our Toyota Camry
Dear Friends, Here is a picture of our Toyota Camry. It is a 2002 model with automatic transmission and air conditioning. Thank the Lord for this provision.
Monday 2 February 2009
February Update
Dear Friends,
We send you warm greetings from Kagoro in the name of our Lord. Hopefully you won’t be too envious of the hot temperatures we’re experiencing. It’s good to see the sun again but it’s quite an adjustment to try and function in the heat. I suppose it forces us to slow down!
We have certainly been aware of your prayers as we prepared to leave the country, as we travelled and in this process of transition to life and ministry in Kagoro.
The Thursday before we travelled, David had to go to London to get our visas as it was obvious they would not have been granted on time otherwise. Extra copies of certain documents were needed and one page was missing from another document. David really saw the Lord at work to meet these needs and was able to collect the visas on Friday afternoon. Praise the Lord. We thank the Lord too that the expenses of the trip were covered by a generous gift.
Our return journey was surprisingly hassle-free. Again, we were very aware of the effect of much prayer on our behalf. In Dublin we didn’t have to wait for our scheduled flight. We were able to go straight from the check-in desk, through security and onto the plane because they wanted to fill up the empty seats! A new experience! We were on the runway waiting for take-off longer than we were in the airport! We got to see the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow and are happy to report that we had no problems with our luggage. It was good to see it again when we arrived in Abuja.
Our home in Kagoro is now surrounded by a wall and a strong gate. Apart from being more secure this reduces the amount of chickens and goats going through the compound. All the outer doors of the house are now metal and some other needed repairs were done to some windows before we returned.
We received a warm welcome from our colleagues, neighbours and students. The Shellys very kindly made sure we were fed for two days before we made a quick trip to Jos to stock up on food items we can’t buy locally. It took about a week to unpack enough to get the house up and running. We’ll unpack the rest gradually! It has been a joy to get to know Dennis and Coletta Shelly and we praise the Lord for all they contribute to the life of the seminary.
We thank the Lord that another significant gift came in towards buying a replacement car. Second-hand cars are much more expensive here than in the UK so pray we will know which one to buy.
Classes began last Monday although I (Debbie) didn’t do much apart from the introductions and giving of assignments as I was too exhausted. Please pray for David as he has been given a new course to teach at very short notice. The ‘Third World Theologies’ course overlaps with his recent studies but it is still a lot of work. Thankfully, another teacher who has taught the course has given him a set of notes which is a great help. I am teaching two courses which so far have almost sixty students each and one course which should have about ten. Please pray for stamina for us and the students during this hot season of the year.
We are now connected to two local mobile phone networks and our numbers (with international dialling codes added) are as follows: Debbie +2347069258996 and David +2348089522246. David’s receives texts but mine doesn’t for some reason.
Thank you once again for your faithful prayers.
Yours in Christ,
Debbie and David
We send you warm greetings from Kagoro in the name of our Lord. Hopefully you won’t be too envious of the hot temperatures we’re experiencing. It’s good to see the sun again but it’s quite an adjustment to try and function in the heat. I suppose it forces us to slow down!
We have certainly been aware of your prayers as we prepared to leave the country, as we travelled and in this process of transition to life and ministry in Kagoro.
The Thursday before we travelled, David had to go to London to get our visas as it was obvious they would not have been granted on time otherwise. Extra copies of certain documents were needed and one page was missing from another document. David really saw the Lord at work to meet these needs and was able to collect the visas on Friday afternoon. Praise the Lord. We thank the Lord too that the expenses of the trip were covered by a generous gift.
Our return journey was surprisingly hassle-free. Again, we were very aware of the effect of much prayer on our behalf. In Dublin we didn’t have to wait for our scheduled flight. We were able to go straight from the check-in desk, through security and onto the plane because they wanted to fill up the empty seats! A new experience! We were on the runway waiting for take-off longer than we were in the airport! We got to see the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow and are happy to report that we had no problems with our luggage. It was good to see it again when we arrived in Abuja.
Our home in Kagoro is now surrounded by a wall and a strong gate. Apart from being more secure this reduces the amount of chickens and goats going through the compound. All the outer doors of the house are now metal and some other needed repairs were done to some windows before we returned.
We received a warm welcome from our colleagues, neighbours and students. The Shellys very kindly made sure we were fed for two days before we made a quick trip to Jos to stock up on food items we can’t buy locally. It took about a week to unpack enough to get the house up and running. We’ll unpack the rest gradually! It has been a joy to get to know Dennis and Coletta Shelly and we praise the Lord for all they contribute to the life of the seminary.
We thank the Lord that another significant gift came in towards buying a replacement car. Second-hand cars are much more expensive here than in the UK so pray we will know which one to buy.
Classes began last Monday although I (Debbie) didn’t do much apart from the introductions and giving of assignments as I was too exhausted. Please pray for David as he has been given a new course to teach at very short notice. The ‘Third World Theologies’ course overlaps with his recent studies but it is still a lot of work. Thankfully, another teacher who has taught the course has given him a set of notes which is a great help. I am teaching two courses which so far have almost sixty students each and one course which should have about ten. Please pray for stamina for us and the students during this hot season of the year.
We are now connected to two local mobile phone networks and our numbers (with international dialling codes added) are as follows: Debbie +2347069258996 and David +2348089522246. David’s receives texts but mine doesn’t for some reason.
Thank you once again for your faithful prayers.
Yours in Christ,
Debbie and David
Saturday 24 January 2009
Back at Kagoro
Dear friends,
We arrived safely back at Kagoro on Tuesday 20th. Thank you for your prayers. I had to go to London to get our visas processed and, thankfully, they were ready on Friday 16th Jan.
There have been a few changes at Kagoro. SIM has built a wall around the compound and strengthened the security of the house. We appreciate this concern and acknowledge that no matter how strong our security measures are, our security depends ultimately on our Lord. A few things around our home have broken while we were away and we are in the process of getting them repaired.
The new semester starts on Monday 26th. This is later than normal since exams for the last semester had to be shifted to January. This means we have arrived back in time to start teaching. Debbie will be teaching three subjects and they are ones she has taught before. I have been assigned two courses I have taught before and one new course. It will be good to be teaching again and we look forward to engaging in that ministry. The new course will mean extra work for me but a colleage here has taught the course before and lent me his notes which I can use to structure my version of the course. Some of the things I have been studying recently will plug into this course.
Unfortunately, I was unable to complete my dissertation before leaving the UK so I will still be working on that but it looks like the provost understands the situation and will not put me back in the registrar's position since that would be quite time consuming.
Thank you for your prayers as we settle back into life here.
In Christ,
David and Debbie
We arrived safely back at Kagoro on Tuesday 20th. Thank you for your prayers. I had to go to London to get our visas processed and, thankfully, they were ready on Friday 16th Jan.
There have been a few changes at Kagoro. SIM has built a wall around the compound and strengthened the security of the house. We appreciate this concern and acknowledge that no matter how strong our security measures are, our security depends ultimately on our Lord. A few things around our home have broken while we were away and we are in the process of getting them repaired.
The new semester starts on Monday 26th. This is later than normal since exams for the last semester had to be shifted to January. This means we have arrived back in time to start teaching. Debbie will be teaching three subjects and they are ones she has taught before. I have been assigned two courses I have taught before and one new course. It will be good to be teaching again and we look forward to engaging in that ministry. The new course will mean extra work for me but a colleage here has taught the course before and lent me his notes which I can use to structure my version of the course. Some of the things I have been studying recently will plug into this course.
Unfortunately, I was unable to complete my dissertation before leaving the UK so I will still be working on that but it looks like the provost understands the situation and will not put me back in the registrar's position since that would be quite time consuming.
Thank you for your prayers as we settle back into life here.
In Christ,
David and Debbie
Friday 2 January 2009
January update
Dear Friends
We send you greetings in the Name of Jesus and wish you a happy new year!
Thank you for praying for our farewell service at Ballynahinch Congregational Church. The meeting was well attended and thank you also if you were one of the people who was able to be there. The church forwarded a substantial gift to SIM to help us buy a replacement car and we thank them for this practical concern. (Our 21-year old Toyota Corolla at Kagoro is almost a ‘classic car’ and good spares are hard to find.)
I am preaching in both services at Coagh Baptist Church on 4th January so pray they go well (texts Psalm 95 & John 11).
We don’t have our visas yet so keep on praying they will be processed on time. We received a call from London and have posted some more documents to the High Commission. We hope to leave N. Ireland on 19th and arrive at Kagoro on 20th January. As I am sure you can imagine, there are lots of things to do before we leave. There will also be many things to do right after we arrive and the new semester will already have started at the seminary.
I am still working on my dissertation. I have received helpful feedback from my advisor which I will work on in coming days. It looks like I will not be able to finish the dissertation before I leave which is unfortunate but hopefully the bulk of the work is done.
Thank you for praying for the situation in Jos. It sounds like things are calm now. Pray for all those bereaved and for peace in that city. (More information can be found if you follow the links.)
Thank you again for your interest in the work at Kagoro. We look forward to being back there though it is always hard to leave family and friends, especially my father who still has limited mobility after his stroke in April.
As members of SIM we are supposed to produce an official prayer letter four times a year. Normally we manage three. We thank the Lord that people in our supporting churches photocopy and make these available to church members each time. We are, however, looking for someone to help us distribute the ones that are posted (approx 140). We thank Lyn at the SIM office for helping in this regard but we feel it is time to relieve her of that work. Anyone who would like to help should have a computer, some knowledge of word processing, and an email address. We will pay for the expenses involved. If someone reading this would be interested in helping with this task, please contact us using davidcolvi@aol.com. Thanks.
Yours in Christ,
David and Debbie
We send you greetings in the Name of Jesus and wish you a happy new year!
Thank you for praying for our farewell service at Ballynahinch Congregational Church. The meeting was well attended and thank you also if you were one of the people who was able to be there. The church forwarded a substantial gift to SIM to help us buy a replacement car and we thank them for this practical concern. (Our 21-year old Toyota Corolla at Kagoro is almost a ‘classic car’ and good spares are hard to find.)
I am preaching in both services at Coagh Baptist Church on 4th January so pray they go well (texts Psalm 95 & John 11).
We don’t have our visas yet so keep on praying they will be processed on time. We received a call from London and have posted some more documents to the High Commission. We hope to leave N. Ireland on 19th and arrive at Kagoro on 20th January. As I am sure you can imagine, there are lots of things to do before we leave. There will also be many things to do right after we arrive and the new semester will already have started at the seminary.
I am still working on my dissertation. I have received helpful feedback from my advisor which I will work on in coming days. It looks like I will not be able to finish the dissertation before I leave which is unfortunate but hopefully the bulk of the work is done.
Thank you for praying for the situation in Jos. It sounds like things are calm now. Pray for all those bereaved and for peace in that city. (More information can be found if you follow the links.)
Thank you again for your interest in the work at Kagoro. We look forward to being back there though it is always hard to leave family and friends, especially my father who still has limited mobility after his stroke in April.
As members of SIM we are supposed to produce an official prayer letter four times a year. Normally we manage three. We thank the Lord that people in our supporting churches photocopy and make these available to church members each time. We are, however, looking for someone to help us distribute the ones that are posted (approx 140). We thank Lyn at the SIM office for helping in this regard but we feel it is time to relieve her of that work. Anyone who would like to help should have a computer, some knowledge of word processing, and an email address. We will pay for the expenses involved. If someone reading this would be interested in helping with this task, please contact us using davidcolvi@aol.com. Thanks.
Yours in Christ,
David and Debbie
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