Dear friends,
Happy New Year in arrears as they say here. We pray your year has started well.
Thank you for your prayers for us. We are thankful that our region is enjoying a time of peace. Join us in praying for this to be extended to the rest of the country, especially the north-east.
The series of meetings at the church in Kafanchan went well as did David's preaching on Christmas Day. The pastor of that church, Rev Luka Nboi, was our student and has since been transferred to be the pastor of our local church! Please pray for him and his family as they adjust to a new phase of ministry.
We were able to complete our marking during the Christmas break. Our growing team of missionaries joined together at the Shelly's home on Christmas Day for lots of good food and fellowship. The SIM Spiritual Life conference was an encouragement. We were inspired by Jim Plueddemann's messages based on Psalm 84: 5-7 as he led us in thinking about what it means to live as pilgrims. May we all go from strength to strength as we follow the Lord daily no matter how bumpy the path (Ps 84:7).
My (Debbie) journey into the new semester has been a stressful one. I have been given two new courses to teach and one which I haven't taught for eight years!This is as a result of staff changes and changes in the curriculum. It is certainly an opportunity to learn more about 1 and 2 Corinthians and Christian Ethics as well as update my understanding of the Old Testament Historical books. The classes are not big, which is a help. Please pray I would have a good understanding of the material and be able to communicate it clearly. Thankfully, David has taught the Corinthians course and I can use his notes.
David is happy to be teaching two courses which he has taught before, Hermeneutics and Third World Theologies. He is still kept very busy with the work in the Registry. Praise the Lord for the 310 students who have registered for the new semester and pray for the Lord to meet their need for school fees.
Six new faculty have joined the team as some staff who were on contract have come to the end of their time here. The newly appointed Deputy Provost was elected to be the Chairman of a local District Church Council although he will still come a teach a course. We have need of a new Deputy Provost and the Provost needs much wisdom in making this choice. Please pray for a good adjustment for the new teachers. We thank the Lord for bringing them and for a good time of transition for Dee Grimes who has come from Jos to serve at the Seminary.
Our good friend, Dr Paul Todd, will arrive in Jos on Monday for a few weeks of ministry with ACTS (Africa Christian Textbooks). We are looking forward to seeing him again.
In February, I will travel to Miango for a board meeting on the 8th and David is preaching at a local church on the 24th where one of our former students is pastor. One of our former students is launching a book he has written about the involvement of the Boys Brigade and SIM in evangelism and church planting. He has asked David to do the book review at the event on the 9th. There are always other meetings to attend and speak at in the Seminary. The weather is getting warmer and we need the Lord's help to keep going.
Thank you again for your fellowship in this ministry.
Debbie and David
Showing posts with label courses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label courses. Show all posts
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Update for September
Dear friends,
We're in the middle of a thunderstorm right now and I'm glad I made a pot of soup yesterday to warm us up during the rains! You can gather from this that it hasn't been too hard to adjust to the rainy season temperature in Kagoro!
Thank you for your prayers for us as we travelled and got our home in order. Everything went well. Most of the unpacking is complete, the kitchen is functioning and the cook is on duty (most of the time)! We thank the Lord for answered prayer in this transition process. It wasn't as difficult as we anticipated and we are happy to be back.
Thank the Lord we have completed our first week of teaching successfully. Our workload will be a bit lighter this semester as we are both teaching one course less than expected because there were not enough students for these courses.
By next week, David will be back in the Registry office. Please pray for a good handover process with the Acting Registrar. David would appreciate prayer for his new course on Expository Preaching. Pray for good understanding for the students. Pray for David as he preaches on the 4th September at the Seminary devotional service. The theme is 'Fix your eyes on Jesus' (Heb 12:2).
On Mondays I (Debbie) teach 57 students Old Testament Poetry at Diploma and Degree level and on Tuesdays I teach 3 students the same subject at Certificate level. Pray for the Lord's help in communicating His truth to the different groups of students.
At the end of September we will observe Spiritual Emphasis week where there is usually an invited speaker. Please pray that the Lord will make an impact on all our lives as we hear what He has to say to us.
For the first time in many years we have six missionaries and three children at Kagoro. This is a great answer to years of prayer for the growth of the missionary team here. Thank you for praying. The Creightons are settling in well and Dennis Shelly's health is stable. There are also new national colleagues so we praise the Lord for strengthening the faculty at the Seminary. Please pray we would work well together as a team for the progress of God's Kingdom.
We value prayer that we would 'fix our eyes on Jesus' in the midst of our busy schedule.
Thanks again for your faithfulness in prayer.
Debbie and David
We're in the middle of a thunderstorm right now and I'm glad I made a pot of soup yesterday to warm us up during the rains! You can gather from this that it hasn't been too hard to adjust to the rainy season temperature in Kagoro!
Thank you for your prayers for us as we travelled and got our home in order. Everything went well. Most of the unpacking is complete, the kitchen is functioning and the cook is on duty (most of the time)! We thank the Lord for answered prayer in this transition process. It wasn't as difficult as we anticipated and we are happy to be back.
Thank the Lord we have completed our first week of teaching successfully. Our workload will be a bit lighter this semester as we are both teaching one course less than expected because there were not enough students for these courses.
By next week, David will be back in the Registry office. Please pray for a good handover process with the Acting Registrar. David would appreciate prayer for his new course on Expository Preaching. Pray for good understanding for the students. Pray for David as he preaches on the 4th September at the Seminary devotional service. The theme is 'Fix your eyes on Jesus' (Heb 12:2).
On Mondays I (Debbie) teach 57 students Old Testament Poetry at Diploma and Degree level and on Tuesdays I teach 3 students the same subject at Certificate level. Pray for the Lord's help in communicating His truth to the different groups of students.
At the end of September we will observe Spiritual Emphasis week where there is usually an invited speaker. Please pray that the Lord will make an impact on all our lives as we hear what He has to say to us.
For the first time in many years we have six missionaries and three children at Kagoro. This is a great answer to years of prayer for the growth of the missionary team here. Thank you for praying. The Creightons are settling in well and Dennis Shelly's health is stable. There are also new national colleagues so we praise the Lord for strengthening the faculty at the Seminary. Please pray we would work well together as a team for the progress of God's Kingdom.
We value prayer that we would 'fix our eyes on Jesus' in the midst of our busy schedule.
Thanks again for your faithfulness in prayer.
Debbie and David
Friday, 3 August 2012
August update
Dear friends,
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus.
Thank you for praying for Debbie. Her nose is healing well and we are able to return to Kagoro leaving Northern Ireland on 14th, flying overnight from London to Abuja and then being driven to Kagoro arriving mid-morning on 15th, God willing. Our colleagues, Dennis and Coletta Shelly, will be on the same flight from London and the journey by road to Kagoro. We thank the Lord Dennis does not need surgery and that his health concerns are not as serious as earlier thought. Thank you for praying.
We have two farewell meetings at our home churches. The evening service at Ballynahinch Congregational Church on 5th August (6:30 to 7:30pm) is the first of these with Mike Ewan (SIM Ireland director) speaking at that service. On the following Sunday (12th), there will be a short farewell service at Coagh Baptist Church at 7:45pm right after the evening service. There will be tea after each of these services, we hear. Our role at each service will be to give a short update including prayer requests. Everyone is welcome at these services and we look forward to seeing you there if you are able to attend.
The academic dean at the Seminary has let us know which courses we will be teaching. Debbie will be covering three courses all of which she has taught before while I have been asked to teach a new course on spiritual formation and one on expository preaching. Although this second course is not new, I have not taught it before so I have been working on both courses and look forward to teaching them this semester. The Provost wants me to resume work as the registrar at the Seminary so I will have to find out from Dr. Paul Bidoli what has been happening in the office while I have been away.
We would appreciate your prayers as we pack (six suitcases to take with us on this trip, two of which are full of things for the seminary). It is always hard to say farewell to family and friends and we would appreciate your prayers for us and them as we head off to Africa again. Pray also for our adjustment to being back at Kagoro. It will take some time to get our systems up and running again.
Thank you to all who have been praying for us and contributing towards our financial support. We could not continue our ministries without you and are confident our Lord will reward those who are seeking the extension of His kingdom (Col. 3:23-24).
Yours in our Lord,
David and Debbie
We send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus.
Thank you for praying for Debbie. Her nose is healing well and we are able to return to Kagoro leaving Northern Ireland on 14th, flying overnight from London to Abuja and then being driven to Kagoro arriving mid-morning on 15th, God willing. Our colleagues, Dennis and Coletta Shelly, will be on the same flight from London and the journey by road to Kagoro. We thank the Lord Dennis does not need surgery and that his health concerns are not as serious as earlier thought. Thank you for praying.
We have two farewell meetings at our home churches. The evening service at Ballynahinch Congregational Church on 5th August (6:30 to 7:30pm) is the first of these with Mike Ewan (SIM Ireland director) speaking at that service. On the following Sunday (12th), there will be a short farewell service at Coagh Baptist Church at 7:45pm right after the evening service. There will be tea after each of these services, we hear. Our role at each service will be to give a short update including prayer requests. Everyone is welcome at these services and we look forward to seeing you there if you are able to attend.
The academic dean at the Seminary has let us know which courses we will be teaching. Debbie will be covering three courses all of which she has taught before while I have been asked to teach a new course on spiritual formation and one on expository preaching. Although this second course is not new, I have not taught it before so I have been working on both courses and look forward to teaching them this semester. The Provost wants me to resume work as the registrar at the Seminary so I will have to find out from Dr. Paul Bidoli what has been happening in the office while I have been away.
We would appreciate your prayers as we pack (six suitcases to take with us on this trip, two of which are full of things for the seminary). It is always hard to say farewell to family and friends and we would appreciate your prayers for us and them as we head off to Africa again. Pray also for our adjustment to being back at Kagoro. It will take some time to get our systems up and running again.
Thank you to all who have been praying for us and contributing towards our financial support. We could not continue our ministries without you and are confident our Lord will reward those who are seeking the extension of His kingdom (Col. 3:23-24).
Yours in our Lord,
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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