The Wilby Fam: 2014 - Highlights from our first Semester

Hello family and friends

Yes it's the beginning of 2014 .... We are very excited for a new challenging year serving our Lord Jesus Christ :)

Mark is one of the Pastors / Elders at Durban North Baptist Church - going on our 9th year here and for this we give the Lord much praise for all we have managed to accomplish through him and for him. As well as all that we have learned to be ambassadors for the gospel.

We send you lots of love, prayers and hellos to all of you ...

Just a few highlights from the first quarter of 2014...

Troyden is now in GRADE 1 and the big number 7. He so enjoys the beach, where we spent most Saturday's this HOT summer enjoying body-boarding, bike riding and paddle ski-ing is becoming one of his favorite sporting hobbies.

Treyson and Tryston are in GRADE R and the big number 5 - wow! time has flown, we think having twins everything happens at double the pace :):) They are both very happy little men, so enjoying school and all the activities surrounding them each day. Their faves are - swimming, swimming and more swimming, loads of rough and tumble play time with each other and a must each day is playing tag with their older brother.

Our lives are full to overflowing with school, homework, children's church, friendly play days and special Friday night family movie, burger, popcorn, chocolate and camp out :)

Our ministry is going well, Mark is still enjoying his preaching, bible study and pastoral ministry. He has taken on a lot more visitation and has so enjoyed this one on one ministry. It is a full program with loads on the go all the time. This year the church has employed a new youth worker to work with Mark. Him and his wife are both very sweet and we are praising the Lord for their in put. Tan has decided to focus her ministry time on Children's Church and is so enjoying the challenge. She is writing her own bible based curriculum together with activity sheets for 3 age groups as well as games a worship time ideas. She is loving this challenge. Our Children's Church ministry has taken on a new look with new worship songs, worship video's, puppet shows, activities and games. (the boyz are loving going each week - for this we praise Jesus).

A big change for this year has been that Tan has headed back to work :) with the added expense of school fees we have really felt the pinch. Tan spent the last 4 months of 2013 dropping her CV all around town and many moments in prayer as we considered the best option for her. We are both praising the Lord all the way for huge answered prayer. As she put it "I wrote a list of prayer needs in my prayer journal and the Lord ticked each box" . She is working as an administrator at a local Special needs school/centre. Her hours fit into the boyz school day so she drops and fetches them as normal, plush she gets all the school holidays off. The job is tailor made for her personality in front line reception, administration, personnel support, parent liaison as well as right hand to the principle. It is a small centre that has only been running for one year with the huge possibilities of big growth in the future. They will be moving from their current premises in the new semester of 2014 and will be able to start their first phase of growth. The centre includes, pre-primary, junior primary and primary classes where they have regular school class time as well as occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, who help with group and individual therapy each day. It is a very happy little place where huge milestones are met each day - what a blessing these girls are being to those who have sever handicaps. We are so grateful for this space for Tan to have some small influence as well as be trained and stretched in her skills. Thank you Lord!

To end off the semester Tan celebrated her 35th birthday it was a very happy day filled with candles, cake and family. We also enjoyed the opportunity to watch the local airshow from the beach :)

To end our semester we had a wonderful weekend camping in the Drakensberg with Trent, Amber, Emie, Eston & Lincoln and Baba and Nee - What a fun filled weekend of memories together :)