Dear friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of Jesus our Lord.
Thank you for your prayers for the various meetings we had the opportunity to take in March. Also, it was good to have the opportunity to preach in my home church on 1st April. We believe they all went well. Other meetings for this month are scheduled as follows:
SIM prayer group at Broughshane on 3rd.
Debbie is giving a missionary report at the Bangor Convention (which is run by the Faith Mission over the Easter period) on 10th.
Debbie is taking the women's meeting at Armagh Baptist Church on 19th.
We are both taking the evening service at the Coolyvenny Mission Hall on 22nd
and giving a short report during the SIM conference in Bloomfield Presbyterian Church on 27th.
Finally, Debbie is speaking at the annual women's service at her home church, Ballynahinch Congregational Church, on 29th.
March was a busy month for me in terms of meetings to take and, as you can see, April is going to be a busy one for Debbie.
On the evening of 31st March we booked Murlough House (near Dundrum) so we could celebrate Debbie's parents' 50th wedding anniversary. At least 50 people came to celebrate the occasion. People brought sandwiches, tray bakes, and so on, for supper together and some of Debbie's aunts baked and decorated a cake. It was a great evening and gave us the opportunity to meet most of Debbie's aunts and uncles in the Lyons and Watson family circles.
Our own anniversary comes up next week. We are going to celebrate our 14 years together later on in the month by taking a break for a couple of days at Castlewellan Castle -- where we had our wedding reception. If we could get some weather like we had here last week, that would be great.
Right now we are finalizing plans for a trip to England to visit supporters in the middle of May. We would appreciate your prayers as we put that together.
Things seem to be going well at the Seminary at Kagoro. Dennis and Coletta keep us up-to-date with news from there. My smartphone showed me it was 35C in Kaduna city yesterday so I am sure the teachers and students at the seminary would appreciate your prayers as they go through this hot season.
Yours in Christ,
David and Debbie
Showing posts with label anniversary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anniversary. Show all posts
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
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
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
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
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