December Update

Dear friends,

We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord.

Some semesters seem busier than others and this has been one of them. Thank you for praying we would get through November. Both preaching engagements at the seminary went well. One Sunday sermon was from Revelation 17 and the other chapter 18. I have never preached from those chapters before so I learned something and hope people in the congregation gained something also. Next week is exam week after which we will not be teaching but need to mark the exams and written assignments.

Graduation

One hundred and twenty students graduated on 27th November. About one half of these were at the B.A. level but we had our first seven master’s graduates this time. The service was well attended and surprisingly short at less than three hours. Pray for the graduates as they plan what to do next. Many of them are already pastors, missionaries, or teach the Bible in schools, but some will be looking for their first work assignment.

ACTS board

Debbie is on the African Christian Textbooks (ACTS) board. She has a meeting on Monday 6th which prepares for the board meeting on 13th December. The director of ACTS is Dr Sid Garland of Mission Africa. ACTS has been very helpful by importing theological books for sale here and also publishing and printing books written by mainly local authors. Many of the books in our seminary library have been purchased through ACTS.

Outreach teams

As usual, a number of our students will be away over the holiday to preach the gospel. Some are going to Chad, others to Cameroun and some will work in this country. Pray for safe travel and fruitful ministry (Col. 1:6).

Christmas

This year we will spend Christmas at Kagoro. Cheryl and Donna Pridham will join us for the main meal on Christmas Day. Our neighbours, Dennis and Coletta Shelly, are still in the US and will be spending the season with their son and daughter. Dennis and Coletta are booked to return in early January 2011 so we look forward to having them back at Kagoro.

Thank you again for your prayers and we pray you will enjoy the Christmas season.

Yours in Christ,

David and Debbie

November prayer letter

Dear praying friends,

We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus.

We are rejoicing that the Lord has met our support needs for the year and that He has also provided the spiritual resources for the demands of ministry. Thank you for partnering with us through your sacrificial giving and the sacrifice of time spent in prayer. The semester has been full of activity especially in terms of speaking engagements for David. We have also proofread huge amounts of our colleagues’ written work for books and Ph.D. and Master’s theses. This year the denomination’s theme is 2 Corinthians 5:7 and we are continually challenged to “walk by faith, not by sight.” Pray we would stay connected to the Vine (John 15:5) and maintain our focus on Him in the midst of our busy schedule.

Otukpo

Praise the Lord for answered prayer for the conference in Otukpo. We were kept safe on the long journey and the response to the messages exceeded our expectation! We were very conscious of your prayers. Thanks. Please pray that those who committed and recommitted their lives to Christ would grow in their faith and stay strong in the Lord. Pray too that the Prayer and Witnessing Team would see many more come to Christ through their outreach programmes.

Graduation

Preparations for graduation on 27th November are underway. Please pray for those who are working hard to get everything in place. Pray that the students would know the Lord’s guidance as they serve Him (2 Tim. 2:15). It is expected that 118 students will graduate, among them the first to gain Master’s degrees from the Seminary.

December Outreach

This is the time of the year when the students are being mobilised for involvement in various evangelistic programmes during the Christmas break. Two groups of students plan to go to Chad and Cameroon and one group will work locally alongside missionaries from the denomination’s missions wing. The teams need the Lord’s protection and empowering as they share the Gospel in new places. Pray for a fruitful ministry.

SIM Spiritual Life Conference

We always look forward to our times of prayer, Bible teaching, worship and fellowship at our annual conference in January (5th-9th). The great food (especially freshly made donuts) is also a highlight! This year David will be part of the team leading the worship. They would value prayer as they select songs, practice together and lead us in worship.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Debbie and David

October update

Dear friends,

Greetings from Kagoro in the name of our Lord Jesus.

I, (Debbie) have been teaching Psalms to two classes so the subject of praising God is much on my mind. Join with us in praising the Lord for answered prayers last month. We praise the Lord for good health and His protection on the roads, in our home and in this community. We are praising Him for help given in the preaching engagements, meetings and classes we were involved in. We praise Him for the way He uses His people to encourage us and bless us through their faithful prayers and giving. We praise Him too for the joy of serving Him in the seminary. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Psalm 150:6.

The calendar for October is full so we are asking for more prayer and reasons to praise the Lord in the month ahead. Next Tuesday, our SIM Director and his wife, Phil and Janne Andrew, are coming to visit for the day. Please pray that this visit will be helpful in giving Phil insight into the nature of the ministry in Kagoro. We also seek prayer for more people to join us in serving the Lord at the seminary.

On Friday, David will attend the Seminary Primary School Board meeting and on Saturday he will take part in a sub-committee of the Seminary Board. The good news is that we will have our one week mid-semester break from 11th-15th October. We plan to go to Jos for a couple of days and do our marking. It will be good to have a break from teaching.

Saturday 16th October will be a fund raising event for the Primary school. David will take the devotions at one of the singles' dorms on the 18th and will preach in the seminary on the 25th on Daniel chapter 8. A staff member will get married on the 30th but we haven't decided if we will go or not. Here, everyone is invited to the wedding.

Meanwhile, David and his secretary need the Lord's help as they make preparations for the graduation which will hold on 27th November. This is a busy time as a lot of details have to be in order before the event. We expect 122 students to graduate including our first group of Master's students.

One of our faculty members has written a book on African theology and I am in the process of doing the proofreading. A 100 pages down (after 3 weeks), 100 to go!

Much prayer is needed for the nation as preparations are made for elections at the end of this year and early next year (1 Tim 2:1-4).

Sadly, one of our students was killed in a road accident as he was returning to the seminary last Sunday evening. Pastor Emmanuel was a Master's student and he leaves a wife and five children. Please pray for God to comfort the family and keep us safe as we, and many of our students, travel.

Thank you for your fellowship in this work.

God bless,

Debbie and David

Update for September

Dear friends,

We send you greetings in the Name of Jesus our Lord.

Thank you for praying for the conference at Otukpo. It rained for almost all of the 240 mile drive there and we saw several recent accidents along the way. The conference went well with a large number of people coming forward for counselling after the Sunday morning service. Others were also counselled after the other sessions by members of the Prayer and Witnessing Team (see attached photo). We believe some people at Otukpo came to faith in Christ and others put some things right in their lives as a result of the conference. Praise the Lord! The journey home was mainly dry and accompanied by some great African scenery along the way. As we neared Kagoro, the evening sun illuminating the mountains of Plateau State was magnificent.

We arrived back at Kagoro right at the start of the new semester. Debbie has fewer students to teach this semester and she is thankful this should make it easier to keep up with the marking. Debbie has three courses to teach and I have two since I am still working as the registrar at the seminary.

Preaching opportunities seem to arrive like buses: you see none for ages and then several all come at once. In August I was asked to preach twice at Fada Gospel Church and I have three preaching engagements lined up for September. The Bible passages to consider on each occasion have already been set by other people so I know where I am supposed to preach from but I haven’t done the preparation yet. Please pray as I work on these while also carrying a full load at the seminary.

Other meetings I am involved in have to do with administration. On 8th we have a long-overdue full meeting of the Academic Committee. I am the secretary for that committee and am working on the agenda right now. SIM has its area council on Friday 3rd and I have a another meeting in connection with SIM on 24th (D.V.).

This month Debbie prepared a meal for a Mission Africa team which is working in the area for two weeks and we had Donna Pridham over for some meals since she has just returned from Canada. On Sunday we were visited by a total of 17 people. Some of these were small groups of children and teenagers who wanted to report how the recent CEF camp went. We don’t normally have quite so many people come on the same afternoon.

As always, we appreciate your partnership with us in prayer (Rom. 15:30).

In Christ,

David and Debbie

Update for August

Dear friends,

Greetings in the name of the Lord.

Many thanks for your prayers as we've settled into life in Kagoro after our time in the UK.

The past month has been characterised by an abundance of rain but we are not complaining even though it means an abundance of mud!

There has also been an abundance of visitors both local and international. Many friends and students have come to sympathise with us and pray for us which has been a comfort and encouragement. A team from the USA (mostly former missionaries) and Africa were based in Kagoro for a writer's workshop and we had them over for a meal one evening. I got a friend to cook up some local food and I made the western food. It was an example of international cooperation to feed an international group of 19 people. Two weeks later, Alan Purser, the team leader of Crosslinks, came to take part in some seminars for pastors and we had the opportunity to enjoy fellowship with him during the meals we shared together.

An abundance of disruption was a feature of two days last week when the Local Government came to drill a borehole just beside our house. It is intended to supply water for the seminary students and staff who live on this side of the road. This means we will not struggle to get water during the dry season. Praise the Lord for this provision and pray that we will be able to work out the logistics of getting the water to all who need it.

The pile of marking is gradually going down but not as quickly as we had planned. We're nearly there!

One thing we have been concerned about is the number of armed robberies in the area during the last two weeks. Last week the chief of Kagoro was robbed which was a huge shock to the community. Two other homes were targetted the same night. Please keep on praying for God's protection.

This Friday I, (Debbie) will travel to Miango for a Board Meeting and David will be taking part in the Primary School Board Meeting. Please pray for safety in travel and wisdom in discussions and decisions.

As well as trying to get ready for the beginning of classes on 16th August, David will be busy with the orientation of new students and the registration process next week.

The date of the conference we're taking part in has been changed to 13th-15th August. David will be speaking twice on 'Knowing your Position as a Child of God' and I will a give a seminar on prayer. Again we need prayer for safety in travel and for the Lord's help in the programme.

I am marking assignments on the book of Zechariah and have been reminded that our work cannot be accomplished by human effort but by reliance on the power of the Spirit (Zech. 4:6). May you know His empowering in all you do.

Thanks again for keeping us in your prayers.

God Bless,

Debbie and David

July prayer letter

Dear praying friends,

We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

UK Trip
We thank the Lord we were able to spend a month in the UK. The plan was to have some holiday time and visit our parents. As the Lord would have it, my father (in photo) passed away while we were there. Many people noted that it was God’s timing that we should have been in the UK before my Dad passed away, be there for the funeral service, and still have some time afterwards with my Mum and other family members. We praise the Lord my Dad was ready to go and we are confident we will see him again when our Lord returns or calls us home (1 Thess. 4:13-18). Thank you to all who communicated expressions of sympathy and for your prayers for the family circle.

Coagh Baptist Church
Please pray along with us for my home church: Coagh Baptist. It has been several years since pastor David Scott retired and though he has been helping with visitation, preaching occasionally, and such, the church needs a full-time pastor. It has not become clear whom the Lord would have minister in that capacity so we are asking the Lord to guide the members as they seek His will.

Work at Kagoro
Now that we are back at the seminary, the stacks of assignments to be marked are calling out for our attention. The new semester starts in mid-August so we need to get ready for that. Thirdly, we have been asked to take part in a conference organised by one of our students. That is scheduled for 6-8th August and is about four hour’s drive from here. Pray we would know what the Lord would have us say at that conference, for the event itself, and for safety in travel to and from the conference venue.

Thanks again for your prayers.

David and Debbie Colvin

June update

Dear friends,

We send you greetings in the Name of Jesus our Lord.

Just a short update this month since we are on holiday in the UK! We flew here on 3rd June and will be in the UK for a month. It is great to be here and see our parents again. As time permits, we will also visit other relatives and friends though we cannot visit everyone in this short period.

Our contact phone numbers for our time in the UK are Debbie: 07810203459 and David 07833145995.

We are staying in an apartment near Dungannon provided by a family for missionaries to use. We are enjoying this luxury, having fast internet access, and constant electricity. Our relatives have lent us two cars to use. The Lord is good (Nahum 1:7).

While we are here the Summer Programme is still running at the seminary. Pray for Dennis and Coletta who are teaching in this module before flying to the US for home assignment towards the end of June.

Thanks for your prayers.

Yours in Christ,

David and Debbie

May Update

Dear friends,

We send you greetings in the name of our Lord.

Praise the Lord with us that the rains have started and we are feeling a bit cooler. Inside two weeks the grass has grown and it’s time to exercise the lawnmower again.
Thanks for praying for David’s speaking engagement in Kaduna. It went well and they had a safe journey there and back.

Thanks too for praying for the Five Year Development Plan Committee. It was with a great sense of relief that I (Debbie) handed over the plan to the Provost last Thursday. He will take it with him when he travels to the US this Thursday.
This is our last week of teaching before the final exams. We are thankful for the way the Lord has sustained us throughout the semester. Please pray that both staff and students would finish well.

We will go to Jos this weekend as David will attend an SIM Area Council meeting on Friday. Sometime in May I will be involved in a Guest House Board meeting. Please pray for safety in travel and for good discussions and decisions in these meetings.
We’re really looking forward to our month’s holiday in NI beginning on the 3rd June. It’ll be great to see family and many friends again although it’ll be a flying visit. Please don’t laugh if we’re wearing jumpers when you are sweltering in the heat (surely it’s time for a warm summer!!). Our lowest temperature has been 21 C!

Please continue to pray for the peace of this nation and that the Lord would protect and strengthen His people as they face so many difficulties (Heb 10:23-24).

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers on our behalf.

Yours in Christ,

Debbie and David

Update for April

Dear friends,

We send you greetings in the Name of Jesus and thank you for your prayers.

Electricity
The local mains supply is on about 5% of the time. It is also impossible to predict when it will be on and for how long it will be on each time. Hence, we thank the Lord for the diesel generator we have, the kerosine fridge, and the 12 volt DC system, all of which help us to run our home.

Easter break
We spent the Easter holidays at the conference centre run by SIM at Miango. There was an evening campfire service on Good Friday and an Easter service on Sunday morning. It was great to get a short break from normal routines, eat some great food and spend the time with a number of other missionaries at Miango.

Extra duties
Pray for Debbie as she chairs the five-year planning committee and produces a report by the end of this month. The provost is hoping to travel to the US in May and share this plan with supporters of the seminary. I (David) am booked to speak on 11th April in a church in Kaduna city and on 29th April at the seminary.

My Dad
Dad was able to get home some weeks back and seems to be stable. Thank you for praying. Thankfully, we are in good health here though finding this hot season hotter than most.

Anniversary
We celebrate twelve wonderful years together this month. Praise the Lord!

In Christ,

David and Debbie

Prayer letter, March

Dear praying friends,

We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus.

Thank you for being a source of encouragement to us through your faithful prayers and financial support.

The Chad outreach was successful. They were kept safe on their long journey and had the joy of seeing many come to faith in Christ during that time. Pray for good discipleship of the new believers and that the students would continue to have a vision for mission and evangelism.

Paul

Paul , one of our students who went on the Chad outreach, has a gift for evangelism. While he was on his practical assignment with a church last June and July he led five people to the Lord. Last semester, the young man he was discipling introduced him to a lady who was dying of HIV/AIDS. Paul led her to Christ a few weeks before she passed away. While in Chad, he discovered that the man assigned as his interpreter was not born again and Paul led him to faith in Christ. When I get discouraged in the work here, I remember students like Paul who make our work a joy and privilege (Heb 10:24). Please pray that Paul would continue to develop his gifts and that the Lord would use him to win others.

Evelyn

Another source of encouragement is the visit of friends. Evelyn, from Windsor Baptist Church, visited us for a week in February. As well as being blessed by her company we were blessed by her lemon meringue, cinnamon scones and other goodies which are NEVER on the menu in Kagoro!

Daunting Tasks

Teaching the largest classes we have ever had is a daunting task. David has 75 in one of his classes and I have 80 in one class and 70 in the other. We would really value prayer not only for the teaching but also for the marking.

I (Debbie) have been made chairperson of a committee to create a five-year development plan for the seminary. Pray for wisdom in our discussions and decisions.
Jos

Many people lost their lives as a result of religious conflict in Jos in the middle of January. Please pray for the success of the relief effort as many also lost their homes and all their property. Pray too for peace to reign in Jos and the nation as tensions are still high.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Debbie and David Colvin

February update

Dear friends,

Greetings from hot and humid Kagoro. While most of you have been experiencing one of your worst winters for many years, we are having an early hot season. Thankfully, it still cools down a bit in the evenings which is a help. During the day it is over 35 degrees C!

Thank you so much for your prayers as we are now three weeks into the new semester. The students are all back now as well as the new ones who were admitted in January. David is thanking the Lord for a successful admissions process especially as the numbers of students has increased.

David is happy about this but it means I have two of the biggest classes ever and I really do not know how I will cope with the marking as well as managing the classes on a weekly basis. One class has 68 students and the other has 79! To balance it out I have one class with only 8 students, most of whom I have taught before. At least I know the names of this group. David has one class of 73 and another one of 22. Please pray for us and the rest of the faculty as we face the challenge of teaching such large groups.

We really appreciate your prayers for David’s dad. He got out of hospital but had to return a week later. Please continue to pray for him. Thanks.

Our friend, Evelyn Greer, will arrive on Saturday morning to stay with us for a week and then she will go to Jos to stay with another friend. Pray for safety in travel as well as a good time of fellowship together.

Many of you may have heard of the recent violence in Jos. Our hearts go out to the people who lost loved ones, their homes and all their property. Pray for those involved in the relief effort that they would be able to assist those most in need. We are thankful that we were not affected directly but we would value your prayers for peace in this region as well as the rest of the nation.

This semester we are studying James in our devotional services. We need the wisdom James talks about in 3:13-18. Taming the tongue (3:1-12) is even more of a challenge!!

Thank you again for your fellowship in this ministry.

Debbie and David

January update

Dear friends,

May you grow in the knowledge of our Lord this year.

SIM Conference

We are looking forward to the annual SIM conference at Miango this year (6-10 Jan.). The speakers are Charles and Hilary Price from the People’s Church, Toronto, and the conference topic is ‘press on’. We heard Charles at Keswick in 2008 and appreciated his ministry from the word of God. It will be great to receive some good teaching and also renew fellowship with our SIM colleagues.

Chickens

This Christmas was the year for live chickens. After one of the weddings I spoke at, we were given two live chickens to put in the car and take home! Then one evening a member of staff came to the house and presented us with another one. The fourth came from one of our students. Thankfully we have a student who helps us with gardening and he knows how to slaughter and divide up chickens. We appreciate the generosity of all these people since chicken meat is much more expensive than beef here.

New semester

We have entrance exams and interviews for prospective students this month. These are set for 11-13th January. Then registration for study in the new semester is on 14th and 15th. We will be teaching familiar courses in the January to May semester: I have been assigned Hermeneutics and Third World Theologies; Debbie is teaching Interpreting Parables, Old Testament Prophetic Books, and Pentateuch. Pray we will be able to keep up with the marking as well as our teaching this year.

Please pray we get some more suitably qualified teachers for the seminary. The areas of need are in Education, New Testament, and English.

Outreach teams

The students and staff who went on missions trips in December have given reports of many people coming to know Christ and individuals being restored to fellowship with our Lord. Praise the Lord. The team that went to Chad isn’t back yet so we will send you a report from them later.

My Dad in hospital

My Dad was in hospital for a few weeks with a chest infection. He is back home but still quite weak. Pray for greater strength.

Thank you for your prayers as we remember many of you regularly in our prayer times.

In Christ,

David and Debbie