EVENTFUL AND ENCOURAGING

This past week has been so encouraging.  It has been great to discuss new ministries with Joyce and Eunice.  Technology makes communicating even easier than when we started 10 years ago.  We thank God for the work these ladies are doing and for the input they have into the ministry.  We thank God for being able to discuss with them and make decisions together. 

Joyce is making plans to visit 4 new centres next month to engage with them regarding our materials.  We thank God for her vision and pray that the Lord will provide for her to travel to these places.  One particular ministry she will visit is quite a distance away and she will very much appreciate your prayers as she prepares and travels.  The number of Bibles currently needed in Uganda stands at 1048.  Please pray that God will provide these. 

Pray for Eunice as she also continues with ministry in Nairobi.  As she is relatively new to the role, she doesn't travel just as far as Joyce.  However, we pray this will be possible in the future.  Discussions in July when we met with the ladies led to the conclusion that a period of practical training; for Eunice, with Joyce; would be very beneficial to her in regard to teaching the children.  Pray that she will be able to travel to Malaba in the near future. 

One Pastor who has been a great help in the work of FML is Pastor Samuel.  He is based in Jinja in Uganda and marks many of our lessons.  He has been a good help to Joyce.  He will be getting married in November and we ask you to pray that God will bless him and his fiancee as they plan over the coming weeks.  Pray that God will guide them and bless them in their future together. 

William has been very busy working away this past week.  Much of his practical work on a daily basis, not only provides an income for us, but also gives him added experience and teaches him new skills which he is currently able to use in Africa and which is providing a good foundation for future ministries which are being prayed about, discussed and planned.  We thank God for how He has been opening doors and guiding in this regard. 

The Lord helped William as he shared a message from Psalm 23 at the Old People's Nursing Home yesterday.  We thank God for around 11 residents who stayed for the entirety of the meeting and for a few others who came and went a little.  They enjoyed the singing so much and especially enjoy the children's choruses.  It reminds us of the importance of teaching children now.  When older people become confused they often seem to go back to their childhood and remember things they were taught then.  We look forward to returning next month. 

I thank God for helping me throughout the week in many administration duties and planning ministry.  I had good communications with a friend in Kawangware in Kenya regarding a new ministry we are hoping to launch in January.  We covered a lot of ground and he gave us a lot of information which was very helpful.  My nephew was also very helpful in a very practical way in regard to this.  It is amazing how a 12 year old can have more knowledge of technology than us adults and can be such a help in these situations.  

William and I also worked on another new ministry which will be launched very soon and were encouraged to receive very positive feedback from a brother in Kenya who we are working alongside in making this possible.  We look forward to sharing more details in the very near future when some more details are confirmed.

I knew the Lord's help as I taught a memory verse and the Bible Lesson of the Centurion's Servant at a children's meeting on Thursday night.  Indeed the lesson proved to be a challenge to my own heart over the past few days; reminding us to have faith in the Lord.

William and I were really encouraged to meet with a number of other mission workers during the week also and we believe this opportunity was very timely and has been of real help and benefit to us.  We thank God for opening this door.   We also had a very encouraging first evening at a missionary convention last night and thank God for people who have requested our prayer news and updates.  We were also delighted to meet ladies who have been knitting for the children in Africa for quite a while now.  We ask for your prayers for the remaining meetings. 

This past week we have also been booked to have our stand at yet another missionary convention (our 4th this year) later in the year.  We were previously able to share at this particular convention and look forward to being with everyone again as well as taking the Sunday School once more during the weekend.  God is good. 

So, it has been quite a busy, varied, eventful and encouraging week.  We thank God for how He has led, provided and spoken to us.  In the midst of the encouragements, this week also brought difficult decisions and we thank God for His speaking voice, His guidance and His peace to our hearts.

Thank you once more for praying for us.  This is the most important thing you can do and it is certainly never time wasted. 

And finally, one of many reminders I will leave with you regarding our 10th Anniversary meeting in Portadown on Friday 28th October.  Please keep a note of the date and plan to attend.  It would be encouraging to see you. 
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