Dear friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of Jesus our Lord.
Thanks for your prayers during an exceptionally busy semester. We have reached the end with only the exams to be given and then, of course, marked. We still have other marking to do with Debbie having more to do than me since she was working on a module for her D.Min. course in these last few months. The latter, by the way, has been marked and Debbie received good comments from her tutor. She will have a break over the holiday season but start another major module next year.
At the graduation on 22nd November this year, 111 students graduated. The service was well attended and it is always a joy to see students we have taught completing their programmes of study and moving into the next phase of their lives. Some are already in full-time Christian ministry and others are looking for new opportunities for service. Pray they will all be fruitful in every good work they undertake (Col. 1:9-10).
While we are away Pastor Gambo will run the Registry. He helped me in the office back in 2004 so he knows about the work and I am confident he will be able to handle it. I am not planning to return to that position so we will have a full 'handover' process on Monday 1st December. I have been the registrar for over ten years and I believe the office needs some fresh input. I would like to concentrate on teaching in future.
My Mum is in Thomson House in Magherafelt recovering from a 'mild' stroke but also trying to get rid of a kidney infection. Apparently she is weak, not eating and on a drip. With this in mind, we decided to bring our flight forward a bit so we can be back in the UK sooner. SIM and the provost of the Seminary think we are wise to go early. So we should be back in Northern Ireland on the evening of 4th December though probably exhausted by that stage. It will be good to be home and see my Mum though she will have changed quite a bit since we saw her in the summer. Please pray she will improve. She turns 90 on Saturday 29th November (D.V.).
Our contact emails will all still work and our phone numbers from 5th December should be: Debbie 07810203459 and David 07513583581. These are mobile numbers and we think they should both still be okay despite being away from the UK for several months.
We have started taking some bookings for meetings during our home assignment which should last until the middle of July or so. We look forward to renewing fellowship with many family and friends in coming months. As always, thank you for your regular prayers for us.
In Christ,
David and Debbie
Thursday 27 November 2014
Friday 7 November 2014
November update
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Kagoro. Thank you so much for your prayers and please join us in praising the Lord for answers (Psalm 34:1-6). My (Debbie) paper is finished and we are both so thankful. The Lord gave the strength and help needed. I really knew others were praying. Thank you!
However, we still need your prayers for other concerns. David's mum had a minor stroke while in respite care after another fall at home. She is now in a rehabilitation ward in Magherafelt hospital. Her speech and right arm are affected. Please pray for wisdom for the health care staff and David's brother and wife as they work out the best way to care for her at this time.
Please pray for the ongoing preparations for the graduation on the 22nd November. Our students got their theses submitted, a big relief. I was given one more student and have completed his corrections so he should be able to graduate.
Pray for a successful Seminary board meeting on the 7th November. (It was to be held on 30th October but was moved.) David is busy getting ready for that. The same day I have to go to the Miango guest house Board and appreciate prayer for safety in travel. Another board meeting comes up for David on the 14th in Jos. The 26th is the Acts Board which I will attend in Jos and the 28th is the SIM area council in Jos which we will both attend.
David will be preaching at the Seminary church on the 23rd November, the day after graduation!!
We are asking for the Lord's help for all teachers and students that we would manage to get through all the material remaining to complete our courses in preparation for the final exams. I also have a lot of marking to do.
Thank you again for your concern and faithful prayers.
Love and God bless,
Debbie and David
Sunday 28 September 2014
Prayer Letter for October
Dear friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Fada Gospel Church
Back in the 1980s ECWA (Evangelical Church Winning All) encouraged its larger Hausa-speaking local churches to start churches which would use English for worship. The church we attend here, Fada Gospel Church, was one of those which started 25 years ago. The congregation held special meetings in August this year to mark the occasion and there was even a birthday cake at the service. To also mark the occasion, the church embarked on a building project. All the Sunday School children had been meeting in one room and it was decided it would be better to build some classrooms for them so they could be taught according to age groups. Thank the Lord with us that the church has grown steadily since its beginning and the main building is full every Sunday morning.
Ebola virus
You may have seen in the news that the Ebola virus has surfaced in West Africa. There were a few cases here in Nigeria but we thank the Lord it seems to have been contained. It is still possible people from other parts of West Africa could enter the country and spread the virus so pray that does not happen. We need to keep on praying for countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea in which the virus is still spreading in an unprecedented way.
Meetings
As usual, we have several meetings we plan to attend in the next few months. I will just list them here and ask you to please pray they all go well. Thanks.
· I am chairing the Graduation Planning Committee and we will meet a few more times before the graduation itself on 22nd November (D.V.).
· I am the secretary of the Appointments, Promotions, and Disciplinary Committee and we need to meet in the middle of October.
· The Seminary's Board of Governors’ meeting is on 30th October and I attend that as the recording secretary.
· Debbie is the secretary of the ACTS (African Christian TextbookS) Board which should meet on 26th November.
· Both of us are on the Area Council which is slated to meet again on 28th November.
Former students
Last year we mentioned in a prayer letter that two of our students were married and they now been blessed with a son. One of the practices of believers here is to take their children to the church for dedication. This is not a baptism but a local practice based on the story in Mark 10:13-16 in which people brought their children to our Lord for His blessing. We attended the dedication service and are happy for Daniel, Hajara and their son David. Hajara has already graduated from the Seminary and Daniel should graduate next year. Pray for this family as they look to our Lord for guidance concerning the next step in their service for Him.
Teaching and preaching
The August-December semester is going well and we are enjoying teaching courses we have taught before. Marking, however, is another matter. Pray that we will be able to keep up with that process and cover the material we need to communicate in the classrooms. We would also appreciate your prayer for some other preaching and teaching engagements. I have been asked to preach on Sunday morning services on 12th and 26th October and to give a talk to the students of the pastoral department on 14th October. Debbie has been asked to lead devotions in the single ladies’ dorm on 20th October.
Home assignment
It will soon be time for our next home assignment. We plan to fly back the UK in time for Christmas and hope to take various meetings in the UK from January through to June 2015. It is going to be a busy time for Debbie since she has a major module to work on in the same period. Right now she is trying to get a 5,000 word essay written but the module next year will be the proposal for her thesis and the proposal has to be around 9,000 words.
My Mum will be 90 years old at the end of November (D.V.). She is still living at home and has carers come in each day to help her with some tasks. My brother Robert and his wife Frances help her in many ways also. We look forward to seeing these and other members of our families soon.
We also look forward to renewing fellowship with many others who read this letter.
Thanks for your prayerful support.
In Christ,
David and Debbie
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Fada Gospel Church
Back in the 1980s ECWA (Evangelical Church Winning All) encouraged its larger Hausa-speaking local churches to start churches which would use English for worship. The church we attend here, Fada Gospel Church, was one of those which started 25 years ago. The congregation held special meetings in August this year to mark the occasion and there was even a birthday cake at the service. To also mark the occasion, the church embarked on a building project. All the Sunday School children had been meeting in one room and it was decided it would be better to build some classrooms for them so they could be taught according to age groups. Thank the Lord with us that the church has grown steadily since its beginning and the main building is full every Sunday morning.
Ebola virus
You may have seen in the news that the Ebola virus has surfaced in West Africa. There were a few cases here in Nigeria but we thank the Lord it seems to have been contained. It is still possible people from other parts of West Africa could enter the country and spread the virus so pray that does not happen. We need to keep on praying for countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea in which the virus is still spreading in an unprecedented way.
Meetings
As usual, we have several meetings we plan to attend in the next few months. I will just list them here and ask you to please pray they all go well. Thanks.
· I am chairing the Graduation Planning Committee and we will meet a few more times before the graduation itself on 22nd November (D.V.).
· I am the secretary of the Appointments, Promotions, and Disciplinary Committee and we need to meet in the middle of October.
· The Seminary's Board of Governors’ meeting is on 30th October and I attend that as the recording secretary.
· Debbie is the secretary of the ACTS (African Christian TextbookS) Board which should meet on 26th November.
· Both of us are on the Area Council which is slated to meet again on 28th November.
Former students
Last year we mentioned in a prayer letter that two of our students were married and they now been blessed with a son. One of the practices of believers here is to take their children to the church for dedication. This is not a baptism but a local practice based on the story in Mark 10:13-16 in which people brought their children to our Lord for His blessing. We attended the dedication service and are happy for Daniel, Hajara and their son David. Hajara has already graduated from the Seminary and Daniel should graduate next year. Pray for this family as they look to our Lord for guidance concerning the next step in their service for Him.
Teaching and preaching
The August-December semester is going well and we are enjoying teaching courses we have taught before. Marking, however, is another matter. Pray that we will be able to keep up with that process and cover the material we need to communicate in the classrooms. We would also appreciate your prayer for some other preaching and teaching engagements. I have been asked to preach on Sunday morning services on 12th and 26th October and to give a talk to the students of the pastoral department on 14th October. Debbie has been asked to lead devotions in the single ladies’ dorm on 20th October.
Home assignment
It will soon be time for our next home assignment. We plan to fly back the UK in time for Christmas and hope to take various meetings in the UK from January through to June 2015. It is going to be a busy time for Debbie since she has a major module to work on in the same period. Right now she is trying to get a 5,000 word essay written but the module next year will be the proposal for her thesis and the proposal has to be around 9,000 words.
My Mum will be 90 years old at the end of November (D.V.). She is still living at home and has carers come in each day to help her with some tasks. My brother Robert and his wife Frances help her in many ways also. We look forward to seeing these and other members of our families soon.
We also look forward to renewing fellowship with many others who read this letter.
Thanks for your prayerful support.
In Christ,
David and Debbie
Sunday 31 August 2014
Prayer update for September
Dear friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord.
Many thanks for your prayers for us here at Kagoro. The Semester is well underway and we are enjoying the teaching. Debbie has two large classes of 60 and 72 students while I have one large class with 65 students and a smaller one with only 8 students. Debbie is working on the next module in her studies and teaching these large classes means more work in terms of marking. Pray she will be able to balance these activities well.
I would appreciate your prayers as I preach at the Seminary on Tuesday from 1 Peter 2:1-3.
In September we will be working on several committees. One is the 5-year planning committee. We are both on that one. Every five years the Seminary forms this committee to come up with a plan for the Seminary's development in the following five years subject, of course, to our Lord's will and direction. Also, I am chairing the Graduation Planning committee again this year. Graduation is scheduled for 22nd November. The Seminary normally writes a short newsletter for distribution on that occasion. Pray that the sub-committees we have set up will complete the assigned tasks on time.
Our Provost will be in the UK during September speaking at a conference and doing research. We will miss him though we appreciate the good work he does at such events. The Deputy Provost and myself will have more administrative tasks to handle while he is away so pray for help in those practical matters.
Thank you for praying for my Mum. She fell again and was in hospital for a few days. Mercifully, no bones was broken. When she returned home the Social Services arranged a 'care package' for her. Several times each day people come in to help her get up in the morning, get her a meal at lunch time, and so on. It means more work for my sister-in-law Frances who ensures clothes and meals are there for the carers to use. We greatly appreciate the support my brother Robert and his wife, Frances, and their daughters Rebekah and Elle provide for Mum.
We mentioned the Ebola virus last time and it has now reached Nigeria. Pray along with us that this virus will not spread in this populous nation. We thank the Lord that two missionaries who were affected in Liberia and sent to the US for treatment have fully recovered.
There are still major concerns about extremists operating mainly in the North-East of the country and the nation is heading for elections early next year so pray for peace and stability here.
We praise the Lord that 70 new students started programmes of study at the Seminary this semester. This brings the total who started this year to 140. It is encouraging that men and women are still willing to study the Word of God in preparation for ministry. Our Lord is still building His church and one day it will be complete (Matt. 16:18).
Yours in Jesus our Lord,
David and Debbie
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord.
Many thanks for your prayers for us here at Kagoro. The Semester is well underway and we are enjoying the teaching. Debbie has two large classes of 60 and 72 students while I have one large class with 65 students and a smaller one with only 8 students. Debbie is working on the next module in her studies and teaching these large classes means more work in terms of marking. Pray she will be able to balance these activities well.
I would appreciate your prayers as I preach at the Seminary on Tuesday from 1 Peter 2:1-3.
In September we will be working on several committees. One is the 5-year planning committee. We are both on that one. Every five years the Seminary forms this committee to come up with a plan for the Seminary's development in the following five years subject, of course, to our Lord's will and direction. Also, I am chairing the Graduation Planning committee again this year. Graduation is scheduled for 22nd November. The Seminary normally writes a short newsletter for distribution on that occasion. Pray that the sub-committees we have set up will complete the assigned tasks on time.
Our Provost will be in the UK during September speaking at a conference and doing research. We will miss him though we appreciate the good work he does at such events. The Deputy Provost and myself will have more administrative tasks to handle while he is away so pray for help in those practical matters.
Thank you for praying for my Mum. She fell again and was in hospital for a few days. Mercifully, no bones was broken. When she returned home the Social Services arranged a 'care package' for her. Several times each day people come in to help her get up in the morning, get her a meal at lunch time, and so on. It means more work for my sister-in-law Frances who ensures clothes and meals are there for the carers to use. We greatly appreciate the support my brother Robert and his wife, Frances, and their daughters Rebekah and Elle provide for Mum.
We mentioned the Ebola virus last time and it has now reached Nigeria. Pray along with us that this virus will not spread in this populous nation. We thank the Lord that two missionaries who were affected in Liberia and sent to the US for treatment have fully recovered.
There are still major concerns about extremists operating mainly in the North-East of the country and the nation is heading for elections early next year so pray for peace and stability here.
We praise the Lord that 70 new students started programmes of study at the Seminary this semester. This brings the total who started this year to 140. It is encouraging that men and women are still willing to study the Word of God in preparation for ministry. Our Lord is still building His church and one day it will be complete (Matt. 16:18).
Yours in Jesus our Lord,
David and Debbie
Wednesday 28 May 2014
April prayer update
Dear friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord.
Many thanks for your prayers as we finished the January to May semester. We thoroughly enjoyed teaching the courses we were allocated and the interaction with the students was very positive. What remains to be done now is the marking. As many of you know, we are back in the UK for a few weeks and I have brought marking with me to do. Debbie, however, will complete her marking after we return to Kagoro. We are also supervising some degree and master's students who are writing theses as part of their programmes of study. Some of them hope to graduate in November this year so the pressure is on to complete these theses on time. Please pray for Timothy Kafang who is filling in for me as registrar at the seminary this summer.
There are several reasons why we are back in the UK again this summer. Debbie is trying to complete one module of her doctoral studies and hopes to start another one which has to be finished by October. Access to materials whether in print or electronic media is easier here. Pray for her in this task. We also have some medical things to check while we are here and, of course, it is good to renew contact with family and friends.
Many of you have expressed concern for us in the light of recent violence in Nigeria. We are touched by your concern, thank you for your prayers and ask you to keep on praying for the situation there. Some events have made the mainstream news here in the UK and we hope this will encourage more people to pray about the insecurity in the country.
After we returned to Northern Ireland, two bombs were set off in Jos. Debbie is on the board of the SIM-run conference centre and guest house at Miango called 'MRH' and knew one of the people who was killed. Our SIM Director wrote the following about that lady:
“Sadly, we in SIM Nigeria lost one of our Nigerian staff, Mrs. Ngozi Christopher, who was the head of the housekeeping service at MRH. She, her 6 month old baby, and her sister were all killed in the blast. Her husband is a staff of Kent Academy. Please pray for this family. She has left behind two sons and a daughter.”
Apart from these terrorist attacks by members of Boko Haram, we have also seen inter-tribal violence close to where we live at Kagoro. This is not as well reported in the international media but is also a concern with many lives being lost. Please continue to pray along with us for peace and stability in the nation.
We thank the Lord for the provision of a car to use while we are here in N. Ireland and a place to stay in the Gilnahirk region of Belfast. Debbie's UK mobile number (07810203459) is back in use but my number stopped working so I have a new one: 07513583581. These will be valid until we return to Kagoro on 15th July (D.V.).
My home church, Coagh Baptist Church, is holding a gospel mission right now. The speaker is Pastor Victor Maxwell and the mission continues until Sunday evening. Pray that many will come to know Jesus as Lord through this mission effort (Rom. 1:16).
Thanks again for your partnership in the gospel.
In Christ,
David and Debbie
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord.
Many thanks for your prayers as we finished the January to May semester. We thoroughly enjoyed teaching the courses we were allocated and the interaction with the students was very positive. What remains to be done now is the marking. As many of you know, we are back in the UK for a few weeks and I have brought marking with me to do. Debbie, however, will complete her marking after we return to Kagoro. We are also supervising some degree and master's students who are writing theses as part of their programmes of study. Some of them hope to graduate in November this year so the pressure is on to complete these theses on time. Please pray for Timothy Kafang who is filling in for me as registrar at the seminary this summer.
There are several reasons why we are back in the UK again this summer. Debbie is trying to complete one module of her doctoral studies and hopes to start another one which has to be finished by October. Access to materials whether in print or electronic media is easier here. Pray for her in this task. We also have some medical things to check while we are here and, of course, it is good to renew contact with family and friends.
Many of you have expressed concern for us in the light of recent violence in Nigeria. We are touched by your concern, thank you for your prayers and ask you to keep on praying for the situation there. Some events have made the mainstream news here in the UK and we hope this will encourage more people to pray about the insecurity in the country.
After we returned to Northern Ireland, two bombs were set off in Jos. Debbie is on the board of the SIM-run conference centre and guest house at Miango called 'MRH' and knew one of the people who was killed. Our SIM Director wrote the following about that lady:
“Sadly, we in SIM Nigeria lost one of our Nigerian staff, Mrs. Ngozi Christopher, who was the head of the housekeeping service at MRH. She, her 6 month old baby, and her sister were all killed in the blast. Her husband is a staff of Kent Academy. Please pray for this family. She has left behind two sons and a daughter.”
Apart from these terrorist attacks by members of Boko Haram, we have also seen inter-tribal violence close to where we live at Kagoro. This is not as well reported in the international media but is also a concern with many lives being lost. Please continue to pray along with us for peace and stability in the nation.
We thank the Lord for the provision of a car to use while we are here in N. Ireland and a place to stay in the Gilnahirk region of Belfast. Debbie's UK mobile number (07810203459) is back in use but my number stopped working so I have a new one: 07513583581. These will be valid until we return to Kagoro on 15th July (D.V.).
My home church, Coagh Baptist Church, is holding a gospel mission right now. The speaker is Pastor Victor Maxwell and the mission continues until Sunday evening. Pray that many will come to know Jesus as Lord through this mission effort (Rom. 1:16).
Thanks again for your partnership in the gospel.
In Christ,
David and Debbie
Thursday 10 April 2014
April prayer letter
Dear friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Travel and study
We are planning to be back in the UK for a few weeks this summer mainly to see parents but also so Debbie can work on the next module in her D.Min. studies. She did well on the first module and we appreciate SIM for helping with some scholarship funds for Debbie. We are due to take our Home Assignment starting at the end of the year and will be available for meetings January to June 2015.
Water project
Thanks to those who sent us some money for a borehole pump and water tank. These have been installed and the next stage will be to put in some more pipes to distribute the water to our neighbours (who also work at Seminary) and a secondary school dorm also connected with the Seminary.
Team from Northern Ireland
We were delighted that a team of people from Northern Ireland were able to visit Kagoro in early March. They were Mike and Shona Ewan (Mike is the SIM Director for Ireland), Mark Morrison (a media expert recording video for SIM) and Paul and Tricia Todd. Paul and Tricia have been in the country before and Paul comes here several times each year in connection with his work for ACTS (Africa Christian Textbooks) but he normally travels on his own so it was good Tricia could join him this time. It was Mike, Shona and Mark's first time here so they were able to see what our Lord is doing in this area through SIM and also see some other SIM ministries in places like Jos.
NUC visit
The degree programmes of study offered at the Seminary are accredited by the University of Jos and that accreditation needs to be renewed. In connection with this a team from the National Universities Commission is visiting the Seminary in the middle of April so pray the visit will go well and that they will approve the renewal of the affiliation. The accreditation is especially helpful for those students who want to teach Christian Religions Knowledge in government-run secondary schools.
Trouble in Southern Kaduna State
You may have noticed in the world news that some villages were destroyed in the southern part of Kaduna State not far from where we live. At least 100 people were killed. Survivors have fled the area with some now living in the Kagoro area. Pray for those who have lost loved ones and for the government as it tries to bring those responsible to justice. Our local church and other churches in the area have been collecting clothing and food items to help those who lost everything they possess.
The Jan to May semester
Thank you for praying for our teaching here. It has been another busy semester and we have enjoyed the teaching. We have more students to supervise in their thesis writing than before since the Seminary is a little short of teaching staff right now. This is the hottest time of year and the heat and humidity just drains your energy. Pray that teachers and students will be able to cope until the rainy season comes and reduces the temperature.
Meetings
Thanks for praying for us as we take meetings here and there. In March I had the opportunity to give the messages at two weddings. These are always such happy occasions with bright, colourful clothing, plenty of singing, loud music and good food.
The other types of meeting we attend have to do with administration. Debbie has been voted onto our SIM local Area Council so both of us are on that these days. Not that we are short of meetings at the Seminary, though, since our Provost likes everyone to be involved in planning and decision-making processes.
Thanks for your prayerful support.
In Christ,
David and Debbie Colvin
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Travel and study
We are planning to be back in the UK for a few weeks this summer mainly to see parents but also so Debbie can work on the next module in her D.Min. studies. She did well on the first module and we appreciate SIM for helping with some scholarship funds for Debbie. We are due to take our Home Assignment starting at the end of the year and will be available for meetings January to June 2015.
Water project
Thanks to those who sent us some money for a borehole pump and water tank. These have been installed and the next stage will be to put in some more pipes to distribute the water to our neighbours (who also work at Seminary) and a secondary school dorm also connected with the Seminary.
Team from Northern Ireland
We were delighted that a team of people from Northern Ireland were able to visit Kagoro in early March. They were Mike and Shona Ewan (Mike is the SIM Director for Ireland), Mark Morrison (a media expert recording video for SIM) and Paul and Tricia Todd. Paul and Tricia have been in the country before and Paul comes here several times each year in connection with his work for ACTS (Africa Christian Textbooks) but he normally travels on his own so it was good Tricia could join him this time. It was Mike, Shona and Mark's first time here so they were able to see what our Lord is doing in this area through SIM and also see some other SIM ministries in places like Jos.
NUC visit
The degree programmes of study offered at the Seminary are accredited by the University of Jos and that accreditation needs to be renewed. In connection with this a team from the National Universities Commission is visiting the Seminary in the middle of April so pray the visit will go well and that they will approve the renewal of the affiliation. The accreditation is especially helpful for those students who want to teach Christian Religions Knowledge in government-run secondary schools.
Trouble in Southern Kaduna State
You may have noticed in the world news that some villages were destroyed in the southern part of Kaduna State not far from where we live. At least 100 people were killed. Survivors have fled the area with some now living in the Kagoro area. Pray for those who have lost loved ones and for the government as it tries to bring those responsible to justice. Our local church and other churches in the area have been collecting clothing and food items to help those who lost everything they possess.
The Jan to May semester
Thank you for praying for our teaching here. It has been another busy semester and we have enjoyed the teaching. We have more students to supervise in their thesis writing than before since the Seminary is a little short of teaching staff right now. This is the hottest time of year and the heat and humidity just drains your energy. Pray that teachers and students will be able to cope until the rainy season comes and reduces the temperature.
Meetings
Thanks for praying for us as we take meetings here and there. In March I had the opportunity to give the messages at two weddings. These are always such happy occasions with bright, colourful clothing, plenty of singing, loud music and good food.
The other types of meeting we attend have to do with administration. Debbie has been voted onto our SIM local Area Council so both of us are on that these days. Not that we are short of meetings at the Seminary, though, since our Provost likes everyone to be involved in planning and decision-making processes.
Thanks for your prayerful support.
In Christ,
David and Debbie Colvin
Wednesday 1 January 2014
Dear friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord and wish you a happy new year.
December
Thank you for praying for the various meetings we had in December. All went well. It has been good to have a break from the teaching but we have been busy marking. I have almost completed mine but Debbie still has quite a number to mark. We spent the Christmas season here at Kagoro and got together with the other expatriate missionaries on Christmas Day. The Creighton family hosted the main meal with everyone bringing different items for the meal and we moved to Dee's home for dessert. Debbie bought me a tablet computer with a ten inch screen for Christmas and that was a total surprise. One great thing about these devices is you can use larger fonts to display text and that is going to be increasingly helpful as time goes on.
SIM conference
Each year the SIM missionaries and associate missionaries meet at Miango for our annual 'spiritual life conference'. There should be about 100 people present and we are looking forward to the times of worship, good teaching, and just catching up with our colleagues. The conference is from Friday 3rd until Tuesday 7th. We have been asked to lead small discussion groups again this year. Being at the conference means Debbie and I will miss the entrance exam and interview process at the Seminary which take place on Monday and Tuesday. The Seminary normally processes about 150 applications to study on those days so pray the process goes well and admission will be given to those who should study here.
The new semester
I expect there will be an Admissions Committee meeting on Wednesday followed by the registration process on Thursday and Friday which will keep me busy when we get back. Then we both start teaching on Monday 13th January. We have both been assigned new courses to teach so that will involve extra work. Mine is a course on homiletics (preaching) and Debbie's is on Theological Education -- a course she wants to teach and an area of particular interest in her D.Min. studies. We are also supervising students who are writing theses at the master's level so that will be another new challenge. It seems like there is always some extra thing to do here which keeps us depending on our Lord to get through each new semester. Debbie will also be working on another module in connection with her doctoral studies so continue to remember that also in prayer.
Meetings
Debbie has been asked to speak on 21st January from Ephesians 4:1-6 so please pray for her as she prepares that message. I don't have any preaching engagements scheduled for January but we normally have some administrative meetings to attend such as a Faculty Board (all the members of the faculty) and a Management Committee meeting and I am the secretary for both meetings. I have asked the Provost for additional help for the Registry and he is planning to employ another secretary who will work for the new Graduate Dean and my office. That should help and one job I would like him to do is be the recording secretary for some of the meetings I attend. Two of our faculty members are leaving us this month. Dr. Ayuba Bako was our Dean of Student Affairs (DSA) but has been promoted to the Education Director for ECWA (Evangelical Church Winning All). Pray for the Seminary as a new DSA is chosen. The other person is Dr. John Habu who has been appointed a District Church Council secretary in his home area. Changes like this mean some reshuffling of courses and administrate positions so pray for wisdom for the management. Now that Debbie and I have been here for 15 years, we are two of the few people who have worked here that long.
Thank you again for your prayers. May this new year be one in which our Lord is glorified in all we say and do (Philemon 6).
In Christ,
David and Debbie
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord and wish you a happy new year.
December
Thank you for praying for the various meetings we had in December. All went well. It has been good to have a break from the teaching but we have been busy marking. I have almost completed mine but Debbie still has quite a number to mark. We spent the Christmas season here at Kagoro and got together with the other expatriate missionaries on Christmas Day. The Creighton family hosted the main meal with everyone bringing different items for the meal and we moved to Dee's home for dessert. Debbie bought me a tablet computer with a ten inch screen for Christmas and that was a total surprise. One great thing about these devices is you can use larger fonts to display text and that is going to be increasingly helpful as time goes on.
SIM conference
Each year the SIM missionaries and associate missionaries meet at Miango for our annual 'spiritual life conference'. There should be about 100 people present and we are looking forward to the times of worship, good teaching, and just catching up with our colleagues. The conference is from Friday 3rd until Tuesday 7th. We have been asked to lead small discussion groups again this year. Being at the conference means Debbie and I will miss the entrance exam and interview process at the Seminary which take place on Monday and Tuesday. The Seminary normally processes about 150 applications to study on those days so pray the process goes well and admission will be given to those who should study here.
The new semester
I expect there will be an Admissions Committee meeting on Wednesday followed by the registration process on Thursday and Friday which will keep me busy when we get back. Then we both start teaching on Monday 13th January. We have both been assigned new courses to teach so that will involve extra work. Mine is a course on homiletics (preaching) and Debbie's is on Theological Education -- a course she wants to teach and an area of particular interest in her D.Min. studies. We are also supervising students who are writing theses at the master's level so that will be another new challenge. It seems like there is always some extra thing to do here which keeps us depending on our Lord to get through each new semester. Debbie will also be working on another module in connection with her doctoral studies so continue to remember that also in prayer.
Meetings
Debbie has been asked to speak on 21st January from Ephesians 4:1-6 so please pray for her as she prepares that message. I don't have any preaching engagements scheduled for January but we normally have some administrative meetings to attend such as a Faculty Board (all the members of the faculty) and a Management Committee meeting and I am the secretary for both meetings. I have asked the Provost for additional help for the Registry and he is planning to employ another secretary who will work for the new Graduate Dean and my office. That should help and one job I would like him to do is be the recording secretary for some of the meetings I attend. Two of our faculty members are leaving us this month. Dr. Ayuba Bako was our Dean of Student Affairs (DSA) but has been promoted to the Education Director for ECWA (Evangelical Church Winning All). Pray for the Seminary as a new DSA is chosen. The other person is Dr. John Habu who has been appointed a District Church Council secretary in his home area. Changes like this mean some reshuffling of courses and administrate positions so pray for wisdom for the management. Now that Debbie and I have been here for 15 years, we are two of the few people who have worked here that long.
Thank you again for your prayers. May this new year be one in which our Lord is glorified in all we say and do (Philemon 6).
In Christ,
David and Debbie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
