NEWSLETTER - More Double Blessings

APRIL and MAY 2008

God’s Word
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purposes. - Romans 8v28-29

Ministries at church
We started April with a BANG.
The Lion King Holiday Club
Our overall theme was the Lion King and our daily theme was based on the “Lords Prayer” which we also learned as the week’s memory verse. Mark was the Game Ranger and he led the ministry every day to the children. We had 7 leaders all with an animal African name. Each day consisted of a time of worship lead by Nhembe the Elephant, with singing, actions, plays, video clips, memory verse teach (done by Polly the parrot) and the senior pastor was the Game Hunger he visited every day with moral lessons from the bush. Toto the monkey was our mascot and she visited every day with letters for the leaders from the children and replies for the children from the leaders this proved to be a great way to share the gospel with the kids. We had a game time with loads of action, tea and eats and fabric painting. We ended each day with a small group time where the children were taught lessons from Jesus life and had time to do a craft too. We had about 50 kids attend each day and they had a wonderful time. We thank the Lord for the blessings of working with the children in this way. Our week was ended with a Parents evening where we had a time of prize giving and worship for the parents to get an idea of what we had done with the children for the week. In all we can say that the Lord was glorified in it all and as leaders we were greatly blessed.
Preaching Gods Word
Praising the Lord for all the opportunities Mark has been giving to share in this way. I have been able to see him grow in this ministry and we thank the Lord for his provision in this way.
Quick review on all our other ministry involvement
Mark is still leading worship for several morning and evening worship services. Tan has been helping once a month on the guitar but is finding a bit hard to play with her tummy getting in the way.
Young adult’s bible study has grown through the year and they meet every Wednesday evening averaging about 20 each night this has been a huge encouragement to us both.
Sunday school we are helping lead where we can and giving support to our new Sunday School Leader who is doing a great job with the children.
Youth leadership will be a new ministry Mark will be more heavily involved with as our leaders are wanted to take a break for a while. Please pray for special leadership of the Lord in this area as we are wanting to try something fresh and new and ministry to youth has been tough!
New ministry just starting – sewing ministry. Tan has been involved in helping a sewing ministry start where we will be mending new damaged clothes from a factory to give to our pastors in the rural areas of Zululand and Mozambique South Africa.
Another new ministry “All Things To All People” AT TAP. We are doing renovations to our existing hall and facilities that was a play school. The idea is to start a homework center for children to come to in the afternoons to do homework, hang out and been encouraged and ministered too. This project also includes a coffee-shop and play center for little children. Be in prayer for this big project as we hope to grow our children and youth ministry through this project. Hoping to start fresh in the New Year with children of all ages having a Christian environment to “hang-out”!




DOUBLE BLESSING NEWS
Most of you would have heard by now that we are growing our family to number 5. Tan is pregnant with TWINS. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord. We were so excited to find that we were pregnant again for our second baby and for Troydie to be a big brother then to find a double blessing of TWINS on our 9weeks scan at the doctor. We know that this is a God thing as we have no history in the family of twins and praise the Lord for this privilege to raise two more children for his glory. We ask for special prayers as our needs are great. Mom and babies are grown, Tan is seeing the doctor every month to monitor the progress closely. Her tummy is as big as it was at 6months with Troyden’s pregnancy and she is 5 and half months (23weeks now)! Tan has made some new preggy clothes (bit bigger than last time as we think she will be really big later) and enjoyed planning out her wardrobe. The start of the pregnancy was very hard, Tan was extremely sick with morning sickness all day but has gotten over that hurdle and is just feeling a little more tired that with her previous pregnancy. We are praying that God in his will will make the rest of the pregnancy easy and that Tan will be able to carry the twins to the end. The due date is 22nd September 2008 and she will be having a C-section 2 weeks earlier (around 7th September 2008) all going according to how she carries at the end.
Keep us in your prayers as we prepare for the arrival of our two babies. God’s Biggest Blessing Yet!

TAN at 5 AND HALF MONTHS PREGGY (decided to put on a tight top for you to see how big she really is!)

Family News
Mom and Dad Eayrs have completed their ministry as Pastor of Central Baptist Church in Pietermaritzburg and have taken on a new position partly with the Natal Baptist Association as Mission Developer and Macedonian Ministries (mission organization). They will be overseeing mission in and around our region of the country. Please pray for them as they take this huge step in faith to follow the Lord’s leading into Mission Full Time.

Mom and Dad Wilby are doing well, Dad has made some changes in his home cupboard business which has proved to be less stressful and he is enjoying the work. They are very excited by the time Christmas comes this year they will have 5 grandchildren. Tracy & Errol, Mark’s oldest sister and her husband will have their baby in June please be in prayer for her the baby boy joining their little family.
Robyn & Craig, Mark’s youngest sister and her husband are facing a change in their future ministry – please be in much prayer for them at this time. Their little son Joshua is growing big guns he is 4months younger than Troyden but bigger than him and has just started to walk and become a busy busy little body.
Trent in Johannesburg is doing well, the church is enjoying a study through John Piper’s Desiring Gad series and many lives have been challenged through it. Still praying for someone special for his life to helpmeet him in his ministry. Please pray for him and stress of being a senior pastor, loneliness is a struggle!

UPDATE ON TROYDIE
Running
Well we are well on our way the walking was taking too slow so we now like to speed along as quick as we can. With this we have had some minor boo-boos with falling and bruising the little bod. One of which was a fall into the bath while mommy was leaning over washing her hair. OOPS!
Favorite Games
At the moment Troyden likes to play with DAD. He climbs on him and rides on his back like a cowboy riding a “horsy” and this is so much fun. DAD is his favorite at the moment and we are learning to say good-bye without tears.
Words
We know that when they do come they are all going to come together. Right now he is communicating with his own little monkey like sounds which are too cute – like oo oo ah ah and then thrown in there is dadadad and sometimes it comes out like dad!

Prayer Requests
Thank you each and everyone for your special prayers, God is Good all the time.
· Family needs as listed above, especially for the delivery of Tracy and Errol’s little bundle of joy (June 20th).
· For Tan and the twins, their development and her strength to cope with the pregnancy and Troyden. Pray for this to be a blessed time for all of us as we prepare for their arrival.
Ministry at Durban North
· Youth ministry and the way forward with God’s leading and guiding.
· Ministry in general – to remain focused on the Lord and to be reminded often that this is for His glory and not our own.
· For Tan as she pull out of ministry to focus on caring for the needs of Troyden and the twins to come this has been a hard thing for her as she loves to serve the Lord in many ways. Pray for special patience for her as she redirects her focus for this season in our lives.
NEEDS
· With the soon arrival of the twins we are facing many needs, new housing as our home will become too small too quick and the housing market is very very expensive, a bigger car and all the usual needs facing one when adding a new baby but now in our case two babies – please pray that the Lord will lead and guide us into our future.
· Our finances – the challenge to make the ends meet.
PRAISE THE LORD WITH US!!
· Troyden has been our biggest blessing and we are praising the Lord for his health, able body, strength, personality and development what a miracle! THANK YOU JESUS

NEWSLETTER - EASTER BLESSINGS

January , February and March 2008

Still battling to get proper internet connection – everything is Africa is so slow! Here’s our news up to date!

EASTER BLESSINGS
This is to send you special thoughts and prayers at this very important time of our year. Christ came to earth for the Salvation of us all. Thank you Jesus for the sacrifice you made for us.

Start of the year
We had a huge start to the year with Troyden’s FIRST BIRTHDAY. It was a great time of celebration – we had his friends and their moms around for a party our theme was Noah’s Ark. The party was followed by open house tea for all the church family to stop in wish the little man on his big day. It was so fun because he had just started to walk and was enjoying trying to be on his feet all the time.

Troyden with Jack having fun with the "Arky Cake"

Ministries at church
Ministry got off to a bang and were have been busy busy busy with all that is going on at the church.
Friendly Circle Granny’s Meeting
Tan had the opportunity of speaking at the Granny’s Valentines Day meeting and they had a wonderful time thinking on “Love”-ly things, singing some love songs and learning our Hearts are to be in Christ!
Church Getaway
Mark together with a committee planned the church getaway to a camp site in the foothills of the berg (mountains). 70 church folk joined us at the conference center for a weekend of fellowship, fun and getting back to the basics of our Christian Faith. We had a session on Prayer, one on Personal Devotion Time and Mark lead the one on Church and the importance of it in our lives. Tan helped plan the children’s ministry. We all had a very blessed time together.
Preaching Gods Word
This New Year has more opportunities for Mark to be in the pulpit as our senior pastor has taken on the President position for our Natal’s Baptist Association (our States Association). This position will require him to visit many of our region’s churches and preach for them. At the moment he is preaching through Colossians in the morning services and Jonah in the evening services.
Young Adults Bible Study
Our young adult’s ministry is up and running for the year and our group is loving the study of God’s word each week.
Guitar Lessons
Tan has been teaching on the side some of the young adults from church to play the guitar. Is has been a fun time to fellowship and sing together.
Ladies “Treasures and Gems” meeting
The ladies of the church had their quarterly meeting and the theme was Treasures and Gems we had 4 church members share their own personal testimonies of how God is their treasure. It was a huge blessing and such an encouragements to us all. We had a time of worship and made some gem salvation bracelets together to end of the afternoon.

Friends from the USA
We had the best opportunity to take some time off after the busy festive season and holiday down the coast with Terah, Nicole and Matt – good friends from USA. We made many memories and enjoyed the beach house a few meters from the crashing waves. It was very relaxing and a most enjoyable time was had by all.
We did some fishing – and everyone caught something. We swam in the African ocean which proved to be a huge experience as our waves are stronger and wilder. Some of us got stranded on the sand and boy did we laugh. Shopping and a little pampering at the “All African experience” Spar were also some of the things we added to our holiday time.

HOLIDAY FUN OUTDOORS

UPDATE ON TROYDIE
Walking
Well we are well on our way by the first party the little man was up on his feet and thought he was the greatest been able to walk around on his little feet. TOO CUTE!
Personality
Troyden is developing his little personality. He is outgoing, friends and very smiley. He will go to anyone at church and is quite comfortable to walk about by himself. He is like Tan’s little shadow and goes everywhere with her as she does the grocery shop and runs errands.
Soccer
He has become our little soccer player. He loves to kick a ball and run with it. At the moment it is his most favorite toy.
Counting our Blessings
We are so blessed to have such a content and happy child and true blessing from the Lord!!

March BIRTHDAY time
We took our weekend off over the Easter Weekend and traveled up to visit Trent in Johannesburg. It was lovely to spend the weekend with him. Tan celebrated her 29th Birthday on the Saturday; we went shopping to some of the big malls in Joeys and watched a Rugby game at one of the local schools. Easter Sunday was Trent’s 31st Birthday and he preached to God’s glory we so enjoyed sitting under his teaching as a family. We celebrated our birthdays with a big roast dinner as the weather was a little chilly with winter on its way. It was a lovely weekend of family and fun together. We so miss him living so far from us but praise the Lord we are all together in Africa for this season of our lives. Troyden so enjoys playing with his Uncle T they get along really great. Our Easter had extra blessings of being together as family.

Prayer Requests
Thank you each and everyone for your special prayers, God is Good all the time.
· Knowing God’s will and leading in our own lives as we continually seek direction from him especially in the leadership of ministries.
· Tracy (Mark’s older sister) pregnancy has gone really well and her little boy will be born: due date 20th June.
Ministry at Durban North
· Marks preaching – we are praising the Lord for his continual stretching teaching and guiding. Mark has so grown in this avenue of ministry please continue to pray for him as he ministers in this way one Sunday morning a month and 3 Sunday evenings a month.
· Sunday school involvement we have gotten involved there to over see the ministry to the children and are planning our first holiday bible club for April 2008 – The Lion King.
PRAISE THE LORD WITH US!!
· Praise the Lord for a church family that has welcomed us and made us feel part of their ministry in South Africa, Durban. We also thank the Lord for much space to minister together with the senior pastor and his wife and for their leadership and guiding in our lives, they have allowed us so much opportunity to grow and we thank the Lord for them and all the members at Durban North Baptist Church.
· For our finances – our challenge to make the pennies stretch continues but we continue to praise the Lord for his provision in all things.

FROM GOD’s WORD
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty - Psalm 91v1