October prayer update

Dear Friends,

We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord.

David here. Many thanks for your prayers for us. We are enjoying teaching at the Seminary and are almost half way through the semester. We have some assignments written by the students that we still need to mark. Hopefully, we can do that during the mid-semester break. Most of the courses we teach are accredited by the University of Jos so we have to submit end-of-semester exams and marking schemes to the University for approval. Pray that process goes well.

I have had a few opportunities to preach since returning. The most recent one was at a Boys' Brigade service at the Seminary. The BB used to be very popular in this region but declined somewhat in recent years. Several people are trying to revive this youth work and one of our students has taken it upon herself to get a Girls' Brigade company going at the Seminary Church. We believe the BB and the GB still have important roles to play here.

Last month Debbie mentioned a conference on Expository Preaching being run by Langham Partnership which will actually take place in early October it seems. We expect many of our students will attend the conference.

Though I am no longer the registrar, I am helping the Seminary in terms of administration with some computer support. Several of the computers at the Seminary have viruses on them and I am trying to disinfect them. Clearly our office staff need to be made aware of the importance of keeping the anti-virus software up-to-date.

A couple of our fellow missionaries have had their email accounts hacked recently so just in case someone breaks into one of our email accounts, please note we do not send out emails with attachments or requests for funds to our prayer supporters. Email messages will be text like this one or text with a few embedded pictures. Treat anything else with suspicion.

We have had a series of messages on Colossians at the Seminary and ask you to pray Col 1:9-10 for us. Thanks again for your prayers.

In Christ,

David and Debbie

Update for February/March

Dear Friends,

We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord.

David here. Thank you for praying for us. As many of your know by now, our Lord took my Mum home on 15th February. The funeral service was on 17th. My Mum was a believer before I was born and maintained a quiet and genuine walk with God throughout her life. Though we miss her, we 'sorrow not as others' who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13ff). Debbie and I have attended several funerals since returning to the UK and have another one on Thursday. This time it will be my uncle Hugh who was also ready to go. Your prayers for us and other members of the family circle are appreciated. Thanks also to those who visited, have sent expressions of sympathy and/or attended my Mum's funeral.

Debbie has started work on her module and is feeling the pressure since it has to be completed by 23rd April.

We have been taking some meetings and the following are the ones lined up for March: both missions services at the Ballynahinch Congregational Church on 8th; Belfast Bible College on 18th; SIM prayer meeting at Whiteabbey on 19th (postponed from February); SIM prayer meeting in Londonderry 27th; Irish Baptist College on 31st. Your prayers for our Lord's help in each of these meetings would be valued.

The elections in Nigeria were postponed. They were due to be held in the middle of February but have been put off until the end of March and beginning of April. Please continue to pray for peace and stability in the nation.

Yours in our Lord,

David and Debbie Colvin