FUN AT HOME

TROYDIE FUN TIMES AT HOME - WANTED TO SHARE SOME OF THE CUTE MEMORIES WITH ALL OF YOU

Troydie wrapped up after a fun bath!!

2nd Hair Cut - the curls are too cute but needed a trim. The hair dresser visits at home to cut his hair on the dinningroom table and this time he was spoilt with a Lollipop - What a sticky hairy mess!

Morning coffee with mom and dad in bed - he just is the cutest and the funnest first thing in the morning

Me in my "Limo" - new cart with 6 WHEELS!!! Yey yey yey

Learning to like my cot in MY ROOM - play peek-a-boo with dad over the railing

Just have to weigh myself to see if I'm growing properly!!

Love to play but it's better if you get in the toy box with all the toys !

In the Bath!!!

Troyden is loving the water more and more - his favorite toy in the bath is his squeeky yellow duck.

GOD'S BEST ALWAYS

JULY, AUGUST and SEPTEMBER 2007

So sorry for the slow news but as you read you will see much has happened in ministry and in our little lives. Decided to write for 3 months as so much has happened and we are so blessed to share it all with you!!!

Ministries at church
Young Mum’s Bible Study
Tan has so enjoyed her time each month with the young mommy’s of the church. They are working through Elizabeth George’s book “Mom after Gods own Heart” as she explains the importance of Deut 6. She has found this verse such an encouragement and challenge – “writing God’s word on the doorpost of your homes” we now have a bible memory verse up on the fridge to remind us of His goodness everyday.
Craft Evenings
It has been a busy busy time for Tan. She has been planning the craft evenings once a month at the church. For the next 4 months she is doing a series on Card Making. The Ladies have so much fun being creative and fellowshipping together.
Young Adults Bible Study
All is going great we have about 15-20 each Wednesday night to study through the book of Acts together. Mark is enjoying the challenge in teaching and leading this group. We had a very sad month – September. One of our young adult mom’s (new mommy her baby only 8 weeks old), she was murdered in her home! It has been a really hard yet blessed time to be involved in encouraging and helping others through this very very sad and hard time. Daddy of the baby is doing well and baby is fine. All that we can rest on is that God is in Control He is the Sovereign I AM!!!
Ladies Meeting
Our church ladies had a fun afternoon learning on colour and organizing of your wardrobe it was great to have such a big crowd together.
Sunday School
Tan had decided to get involved in Sunday school. She is helping out with the worship once a month. The theme is “SHIPs”. They have fun singing and learning from Tuggie the Tugboat about all the ships in the Harbor – FriendSHIP, LeaderSHIP, DiscipleSHIP, and WorSHIP!!! Preaching Gods Word
MJ has had a great time in the pulpit and is still preaching through the book of James in the evening and enjoying the challenge there. In the mornings together with Pastor Stuart they have just started a new series through the book of Habakkuk. Please remember him in prayer as he prepares to share what God has laid on his heart each time.
Worship
MJ leads worship mornings and evenings several times in the month. Tan has decided to join the worship team one Sunday evening every month to help out with singing and playing of guitar. She is enjoying getting back into playing and has fun worshiping with the others in the team.

MJ’s 30th Birthday Celebrations
It was great to have the whole extended Wilby family together to celebrate over a sit down dinner. Mark’s aunty Barbara from England was also visiting and even the new little nephew from East London was there.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MJ!!!

Troydie opening Dad's pressies

Visit to Johannesburg
In July we had a fleeting visit with Uncle T in Joeys. It was great to spend some special quality time with him. He just so enjoys time with Troyden. He is doing well and enjoying ministry, keep him in your prayers as he seeks the Lords will for his ministry at Florida Baptist. He is so excited at what the Lord is doing in his church Praise God for His special blessings on this congregation.

Mission to Zululand – Riverbend Macedonian Ministries hosted a team from Riverbend in the USA. They were a music team that came to lead worship for a tent revival in Zululand. Trent was the preacher for the week and they all had a huge blessing in sharing the gospel in that area. Mark was able to help with transport

Gran Wilby’s 80th celebrations
Mark’s Granny turned 80!!! We had a lovely family meal at a posh (fancy) hotel and enjoyed the time with family we have not seen in years. Many traveled from far to be with Gran on her happy day!

Troydie with Granny Wilby

Baby Troyden UPDATE
Well our little baby is becoming more of a little boy each day!!!. He is on solid food three times a day and enjoying his cereal, fruit, yoghurt and even the veggies! He got his first two front bottom teeth one on the 23rd August and the other right after on the 25th August.
He is having about 3hours sleep during the day so keeping us busy when he is awake.
Then he has managed to get going in all fours he is now crawling all over the place and wanting to climb up everything. He loves to be chased and gets so excited and laughs so hard that he gets hiccups!! TOO CUTE.
Well he really is the "smiler" and smiles all the time such a happy child and so easy we have been so incredibly blessed with this little bundle.
We spend most of our days at home and he loves to be outside so we play as much as we can on the grass which he finds very ticklish on his little toes.
He has learned who we are and cries if we leave the room in too much of a hurry. Dad is his favorite play mate they have so much fun, tickling, laughing, chasing and playing peek-a-boo!

Happy Baby - all the time!!!

Mission Trip to Mozambique
Mark has juts gotten back from taking a team from our church to help with ministry and sharing of the gospel in Mozambique. They had a blessed time and were able to preach on the Sunday at 6 different churches not all Baptist, so this was a huge opportunity to share the gospel. They had kiddie’s ministry and ran a small clinic as one of the team members is a sister at our local hospital. Our church people were hugely encouraged through this experience.

Family Time
We praise the Lord for all the time we have had to spend together as a family. Grand-dad and Grand-ma Wilby visit us every Thursday night to have some special time with Troydie. Grandpa and Granny Mally Eayrs visit when they can (once a week). Then we were able to have Trent to stay for two nights this past month. When we can we visit them all in Pietermaritzburg too. It has been great to visit with the family and have them so close by we cherish this special family time together!

Home Time
In our busy schedule we have been able to find some time to be creative at home. Tan is busy completing a cross-stitch for Troyden’s nursery meant to be completed before he was born!!! The next goal is before he turns one!!! She is also working on loads of beading projects (necklaces, home décor and key chains to decorate hand bags). MJ has managed to get his workshop a little more organized. He now has a hand me down lathe to do some wood turning and collecting some tools together to complete his workshop organization.

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.
· Own special time with the Lord to refresh us in our personal walk with Him and as we have family devotion time to teach Troyden of the Lord Jesus Christ.
· We are planning a trip to Cape Town (29th Oct –12th Nov) with some of our friends from the USA please pray that this will be a time of rest and relaxing.
· Mom and Dad Eayrs leave for the USA on the 15th Oct for 2 weeks pray for a blessed time of visit, ministry and rest!
Ministry at Durban North
· Marks involvement in preaching, please say a special prayer for his preparation and his communication. (Oct 7th morning, Oct 14th evening, Oct 28t evening
· Mum’s bible study (every 2nd Tuesday).
· Craft evening (first Thursday of every month); pray that many non-Christians will be reached through this devotional, hands-on fellowship evening.
· Sunday school involvement a very big opportunity to reach out to children with the gospel.
· Our involvement in worship, worship drama, men’s ministry, teaching, leading and guiding of God’s children.
PRAISE THE LORD WITH US!!
· The MIRACLE of Troyden and the blessing he is in our lives as he grows and learns from us.
· For our finances – we have had a huge challenge making ends meet and we praise the Lord for his continued blessings, he always provides.

FROM GOD’s WORD
Lamentations 3:22-23 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

BATH FUN

Troyden just loves Bath time - he now enjoys chasing the little rubber ducks around the bath. Loads of splashes and water everywhere. FUN FUN IN THE TUB!!!

Great Gramps Eayrs

We had a time to celebrate "Great" Gramps Eayrs 86th Birthday.

News Letta - May/June 2007

TIME FLY'S

May/June 2007

Young Adults Camp
The past two months have been incredibly busy. Ministry is going really well, a highlight was our Young Adults camp. Trent was our guest speaker for the weekend and 12 of his young adults joined us at Roselands Farm in the Natal midlands. The weather was lovely and very chilly at the start of the winter. We had a lovely weekend of fellowship with each other and around God’s word.

First CRAFT
EveningTan had her first two craft evenings. The ladies had fun learning how to wire and bead a candle holder and then in June they learned how to cross-stitch. This has been a great time to get together to share in creativity and fellowship.

First Hair Cut
Troyden had his first hair cut – what a BIG boy!! Aunty Lynn came to the house and put a little red cape around his neck and as he sat and smiled and wriggled on the dinning room table she cut his little locks! See the pics on an earlier blog!

Bible Study
Marks young adults bible study is going great, about 18 get together to study each week through the book of Acts. Tan’s study through the book of Ruth with the young adult girls is also going well they meet on Saturdays and enjoy a bunch of girl time in God’s word. She has found it a huge challenge to teach and has learned so much more from Gods word.

Holiday to Kei Mouth
We were grateful to have some time off from the church and enjoyed a holiday to Kei Mouth. Dad and Mom Eayrs and Uncle T were able to holiday with us. We stayed in a lovely holiday cottage 5 meters off the beach. We enjoyed a full week and celebrated Grandpa Eayrs 86th birthday and Dad Eayrs 60th. We got a chance to catch up with some of the extended family and Troyden got to meet his new little cousin Joshua Fincham – (Mark’s sisters little one). We had a lovely week of fishing, walking and relaxing.



Troydie has a buddie
One of our young adult couples was expecting a baby and now right at the beginning of July Baby Jack Owen was born. Tan was able to plan her baby shower at the beginning of June and they had a fun time of spoiling mommy and baby.

Baby starts BIG FOOD
We started Troyden on some “real food” this month. First cereal in the evenings for a month and he loves that very much then for the past two weeks we have introduced him to a new veggie each week. Week one was Butternut (orange squash – you do have it in the USA we ate it all the time). By the end of the week we was liking that. Then for week two we introduced carrots with the butternut and it has been a long week! What funny faces he pulled and learned very quick that you can spit it out, blow bubbles and spray it everywhere so that mommy has to have a bath after lunch!!! Over the next 2 weeks we will be trying out potato, sweet potato and then green beans – know already that the green bean thing is going to be Yuk!

“I am the Bread of Life”
We had a wonderful time of ministry at our quarterly ladies meeting. We learned how to bake bread, enjoyed a sewing demo and a fresh reminder from God’s word on our responsibility to MEDITATE on the things of him. The meeting ended with fellowship round all kinds of breads and spreads!

Baby Troyden UPDATE
Right now Troyden is eating every 4hours. We have had so many new milestones over the last two months. He found his TOES that now he can reach them and do the toes to nose thing too cute.

He’s found his little LEGS and just wants to stand on them all the time.

(Mom and dad have to help all the time!)

We had our first week of flu, boy did we battle to eat and breath with a blocked up nose. Then so fun he has learned how to roll onto his tummy by himself and thinks that he is the best when he does it. We have been to have him weighed again and he weighs 8.1kg's (16 pounds) BIG BOY. In all we have had loads of giggles and much more smiles what a happy little boy the Lord has blessed us with!

Baby Fincham Visit

So many blessings!!! We were able to visit with Craig and Robs in East London while on holiday and the cousins got to meet so sad to see how quickly out little baby has grown. We lay them down on the bed next to each other and OH MY they looked like the number TEN - Josh as the skinny long number ONE and Troydie as the round ZERO!!! SO CUTE MAN!!

Missions

Mark is leading a monthly Missions Focus evening that includes hosting a missionary who shares their testimony and or experience in mission and a time of extended prayer. This has been going well – pray for more enthusiasm regarding outreach to our community and across the cultural barrier. In June Mark made a trip to Zululand with Dad to make plans for the teams arriving from the USA. It was great to catch up with some of our friends/family from Boonville Baptist. They sent a team of 5 to help out with evangelism and kiddie’s ministry in Zululand.


Ministry to others near and far
Tan had the opportunity to go and speak with Kloof Baptist Church mom’s group this month. She had a wonderful time sharing from God’s word attributes, and attitudes we can learn from Moses’ Mommy – Jochabed.
During the month we hosted the young adults for a pancake evening we had so much fun and so much to eat.
Please pray for us as we seek opportunities to visit and encourage others we are ministering too.


Pastor’s encouragement
Mark had the opportunity to meet with his Baptist Union pastor mentor and was greatly encourages. He was also challenged as he attended a Pastors conference.


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.
· Own special time with the Lord to refresh us in our personal walk with Him and as we have family devotion time to teach Troyden of the Lord Jesus Christ.
· Mission trip to Zululand – team from Riverbend Florida USA will be doing a tent revival in July.
Ministry at Durban North
· Marks involvement in preaching please say a special prayer for his preparation and his communication.
· Mark’s Missions focus evening, on the first Monday night of every month.
· Tanya’s involvement with the Ladies ministry and their up coming meeting in June “I am the Bread of Life”.
· Mum’s bible study (every 2nd Tuesday).
· Craft evening (first Thursday of every month); pray that many non-Christians will be reached through this devotional, hands-on fellowship evening.
· Ruth bible study as the girls commit to the last 4 studies together, and for their friendships with each other to grow.
· Our involvement in worship, worship drama, men’s ministry, teaching, leading and guiding of God’s children.
PRAISE THE LORD WITH US!!
· For finances and extra gifts that the Lord has blessed us with.
· The MIRACLE of Troyden and the blessing he is in our lives as he grows and learns from us.



All for our Saviour
Mark & Tanya

17 weeks old

Troyden 17 weeks old

My bottom is still round but I can balance some and even SMILE!!!