February 1999
Our Dear Friends,
May we wish you a peaceful New Year. In this letter we wish to share family, ministry and mission news.
Matthew and Rachel are now settled. The uncertainty in our last letter became certainty as you joined us in prayer for God's will to be made known. Matthew is back at Southampton University pursuing a three year PhD project, the title of which is: Numerical Modelling Studies Of Long-Term Coastal Evolution and Sediment Dynamics!
Rachel is working at Exeter College as a carer for a 16-year-old girl with cerebral palsy and a learning disability. This job will give her valuable experience as she contemplates University next year to pursue a course in Nursing, specialising in learning disabilities. Thank you for your prayers.
Our visit to Treasure Cay, Bahamas, during August was very positive. It was great to see how the church had grown since our visit in 1995. David preached at the Community church on the Sunday mornings and was invited to preach in three other churches, two in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, and at Calvary Bible Church in Nassau. On the final Sunday morning at Treasure Cay, three men went through the waters of Believers Baptism. This was very special indeed.
We have kept very busy ministering here at home in a variety of churches. We do thank God for the many openings and His blessing upon His Word. Hospital and home visitation has been particularly fruitful over the past months.
Kathryn really enjoyed the Mission's European conference in Switzerland. David unfortunately picked up food poisoning on the way and missed all but two meetings having been confined to bed. Once back home, complications set in and he (reluctantly) had to cancel a number of meetings. Thankfully he has fully recovered.
We seldom mention Global Outreach, our involvement or personnel. David serves as the UK secretary and link-man between the UK and our headquarters in Buffalo, New York. The past few months have been really exciting as there has been some coming and going! On October 8th, Heather Moyle from Canada came to Woolwich Central Baptist Church, London for one year. On October 17th, Bruce and Joan Jenkins from the US were inducted to the pastorate of the Stuckton group of Congregational Churches in Hampshire, and on October 29th Mary Hodson from Paignton, Devon left for a year of ministry in Ubombo, South Africa. Juletta Quick from Kilmington, Devon has been appointed by the Mission for teaching service in Tanzania from April 1999 DV. So, we are greatly encouraged.
These along with Jay Lennartson in Glasgow, Scotland, Mark Perkins in Teignmouth, Devon, Mitch and Vicki Spangler in Dartmouth, Devon, Heather Endacott in Drogheda, Eire, Bill and Pat Turner in Birchington, Kent, David and Jean Foster in Seaton, Devon, Bill and Julie Melone in Wincanton, Somerset, Doug and Dawn Kirsh in Newton Abbey, Northern Ireland, Bruce and Shirley Brown in Callington, Cornwall and Barry and Jean Burton in Grantham, Lincs., make up our UK family. Oh, of course many of the above have children too! Other candidates are in the pipeline and we look forward to seeing them settled in Gods will and time.
So, thank you very much for your prayers. Some of you are reading our newsletter for the first time, and we welcome you as prayer partners.
God Bless you all,
David, Kathryn, Matthew and Rachel.