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