December newsletter

We have just sent out our December newsletter, which you can download as a PDF here.

Rebecca teaching infants Sunday School at our church

Highlights are:

• Colin Marshall in Chile, talking to all the pastors
• CEP: Lots of encouragement, but a setback for future planning

A typical day at the CEP

To give you a feel for his working life at CEP, Stephen kept a log one day:

• 7:20 Leave home
• 8:00 Arrive at CEP
• 8:15-10:30 Teach OT class
• 10:30 Help a visiting lecturer
• 11:00 Class discussion about poor man who came past seeking help
• 11:30 Fight with photocopier (we have no secretary)
• 12:00 Attend to the poor man who returned
• 12:30 Fight with photocopier (did I mention we have no secretary?)
• 12:45 Help Victor Silva, a pastor and CEP graduate, who arrived to arrange buying books
• 1:30 Start to win p’copier battle
• 1:50 Lunch & prayer with students
• 2:50 Photocopier surrenders
• 3:15 Admin (in my role as acting academic dean): phone calls, emails, etc.
• 4:15 Organise reading material for one subject
• 4:45 Begin thinking about the class that I was hoping to start preparing at 11:00
• 7:00 Arrive home

With only two full-time staff this year, there are constant set-backs and frustrations. But the fruit we have seen in the students is well worth it!

Rebecca with some of the wives and women students from CEP

Give Thanks...

• That the CEP board has recently approved the hiring of a secretary, which should ease the faculty’s admin workload
• For an encouraging turn-out at the CEP women’s get-together last Saturday
• For some promising initial conversations about Jesus with neighbours in our new street

Please Pray...

• For CEP students who are sick or recovering from operations (Kike, Marisol, Pancho’s sister)
• For CEP student Rodolfo and his wife Angelica, whose apartment was robbed. His laptop was taken, with his 18 months’ worth of CEP notes

July newsletter

We have just sent out our June newsletter, which you can download as a PDF here.

Tristan and Ben with some of their new friends who live in our (new) street.

Highlights are:

• Lots of church visiting and preaching
• CEP update, with exciting plans to raise up Chilean faculty, and a slightly new role for Stephen
• Moving to a new house

Accident update

Thank you for the many emails of support, and for your prayers for Rebecca at the meeting on Monday. It ended up not what we expected at all -- a 5 minute interview to confirm name, address and telephone number! We are now waiting for another phone call or letter in about 3 months' time, to say when Rebecca has to go back again. This was obviously not what we were hoping for, and it appears the process is going to take a lot longer than we thought. Please continue to pray that there will be an out-of-court settlement.

Moving house
We have signed the contract, and will be moving house next month. After three years in a small apartment, we can't wait to have some extra space! The house has a fourth bedroom, which will be Stephen's office, and a back yard, which the boys are really looking forward to (and so are we!).

Lachlan's class had a BBQ at school recently

Give thanks...

• For God's good plan for us despite difficult circumstances
• For the provision of a house for us to move to next month

Please pray...

• For peace as we wait for the phone call about the accident, and the ability to entrust the whole situation to God
• For the injured man's recovery
• For a smooth move to the new house and quick settling in, as we get to know a new community and new neighbours
• That the CEP students will persevere and apply themselves in their studies

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. -- Psalm 55:22

CMS depends on regular support from people like you. If you are not a financial supporter, please prayerfully consider becoming one: http://www.cms.org.au/get-involved/give

April's ups and downs

Bible study
It has been good to reconnect with our brothers and sisters at church. We have especially appreciated the group of young leaders who meet in our home on Monday nights for Bible study. Stephen has been leading studies on James, which they then lead with the people in the youth group on Wednesday nights. Gonzalo and Conny, two members of the group, are getting married on May 15.

Our home group

Accident
We are sad to report that Rebecca had a bad accident in the car on Thursday evening, hitting a pedestrian. He suffered a badly broken leg and concussion. There will be a court case in the coming months, and in the meantime Rebecca can't drive. We would greatly value your prayers for the injured man, as well as for us as we process the trauma, and for Rebecca when she has to manage on public transport with all the children.

Give thanks...

• For the renewing of relationships at church.
• For fun and encouragement on Monday nights with our Bible study group.

Please Pray...

• For our Bible study group members to grow in their understanding of the Bible.
• For Gonzalo and Conny as they get married on May 15.
• For the man injured in the accident.
• For us as we process the trauma of the accident and all its implications.
• For Stephen as he preaches for the next 3 weeks at our church.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. -- James 1:2-3

March 2010 newsletter

You can download our March newsletter here (either as a small PDF or a larger one for high-quality printing).

This is our first full newsletter after the earthquake - and CEP classes have also started for the year (yes, the CEP is still standing!). We would love to know you are praying - we already know many are.

A collapsed shop front 500m down the road from our place, 27 Feb.

Sheads in Shorts!

The last four months in Australia have been a time of rich blessing and refreshment -- although at the moment we are missing Santiago's more moderate summer weather! We have now finished our period of church deputations, and are frantically preparing for CMS Summer School in Katoomba.

Our time sharing with supporters was a constant encouragement! As another year draws to a close, we thank you again for your love and prayers, your generosity, and your partnership with us in the great worldwide rescue mission which began 2000 years ago in a feeding trough in Bethlehem. Merry Christmas!

Our children have had a great time getting to know
their cousins again (or for the first time)

Dates for your diary
2-8 Jan: CMS Summer School. Why not come for a day?
Sat 6 Feb: Our commissioning service. 3pm, St Paul's Carlingford

Give thanks...

• For an encouraging time with churches and supporters
• For another year of fruitful labour at the CEP, and for the growth and learning that we saw in the students

Please pray...

• For our preparation for CMS Summer School, and that the entire conference would bring glory to God
• That Stephen will complete the work he needs to do in the coming weeks
• For a relaxing holiday after Summer School, before we return to Chile

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. -- 1 John 4:10