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Issue 50
Dear friends and family,
Dear friends and family,
Welcome to our 50th newsletter! “What, only 50?” I hear you say! Yes, well, have you read all of them?! A bonus prize for you if so! We thought we'd go ahead and try a different format to mark this occasion! (Feedback welcome!)
We appreciate that many of you were not receiving our newsletters when we started this journey back in 2007. So we thought it might be fun to mark this landmark by going back in time and seeing where we were and what we were writing about back in issues 40, 30, 20 and 10! We’ve included some photos from the same time period for a good old laugh. Whether you’ve been journeying with us throughout this time or you’ve joined more recently, we give thanks for you and your support of us and the part of God’s ministry in which we have the privilege to be involved.
Issue 40 - Summer 2018
Issue 40 - Summer 2018
Training was still in Gloucester and Matt had just been teaching on the Language Program Planning and Implementation and Multilingual Education courses. We look back fondly on that time of being able to share life with the students and staff regularly, and are thankful we had the chance to be co-located with the training (first in Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire and then in Gloucester) for so many years. We had also just marked a significant change at our church, with the death of our fellow leader and friend Phil. Little did we know at this point of all the other changes we would all be facing over the years ahead as a church/community!
Issue 30 - Spring 2015
Issue 30 - Spring 2015
Still (just about!) in our first house in Gloucester (yes, we’re in our third now), in this issue we shared news of our family becoming four! We also shared about a recent Asia trip that Matt had made to help run a community of practice (CoP) event on the topic of the environment. We shared:
“Matt coordinated a significant learning event on the environment and how it impacts minority communities’ lives. Given the topic in focus, a wide range of participants from different backgrounds and faiths joined the event, providing a unique opportunity to talk about some challenging issues from very different perspectives.”
It is fantastic to be able to look back at this event and know that, partly as a result of it, we have since seen some really significant progress made in our own organisation, enabling us to be better stewards of the world around us. More on this in our next newsletter perhaps!
Issue 20 - Spring 2012
Issue 20 - Spring 2012
In Spring 2012 we were living in Thame, Oxfordshire, gradually getting used to being new parents while Matt also got started with his two new roles - teaching on the training programme and working with LEAD Asia (now LEAD Asia-Pacific). It’s amazing to think that it has been nearly 10 years since he started in these new roles and how well they have fitted both our skills and experience but also our family and wider needs. At the time of writing this newsletter we were actually still waiting to hear the results of Matt’s MA (he passed, we’re pleased to say) and Matt was preparing to head to Paris for meetings at UNESCO - two things that have certainly contributed to us ending up where we are now.
Issue 10 - Autumn 2009
Issue 10 - Autumn 2009
We were living in Mbeya, Tanzania, in November 2009 and at the time of writing this newsletter had just enjoyed participating in the cluster project’s first ever Scripture dedication service for translated books of the Bible! We are pleased to report that there have been many many more since then! At the time, we reflected:
“About 30 of us travelled up to Matamba, the main town in the Vwanji language area. We had to traverse a very interesting road, climbing into the mountains by way of around 60 hairpin bends (someone actually counted!). We all made it there and back safely. The day went very smoothly and seemed to be enjoyed by all. The Vwanji people were officially receiving their first books of the Bible (Ruth, Jonah, Mark, Titus, Timothy 1&2 and Philemon) and celebrating the progress made in their language (including the Basic Literacy pilot that I, Liz, am involved in running!). This celebration comes seven years since the first survey of the language was done so was much anticipated!”
Wow, that brings back some memories. We are still in touch with many of our colleagues from our time in Tanzania and they still ask when we’ll be back to visit. Our answer is always the same, “tutakuja” - we will come! We look forward to one day showing the kids where we used to live and work.
Thank you to all of you who have journeyed with us over the years. Looking back it is amazing to see how God has brought us to this point and is using all of these experiences in our current lives and work.
One such example is certainly Matt’s teaching commitments, where he regularly uses experiences from his own and colleagues' lives to encourage, challenge and prepare students for their work around the world. He is currently deep in preparation for the module that he leads in October and November, preparing students to engage in healthy ways with the communities with whom the students will find themselves working. We’re pleased to say that despite the ongoing challenges with travel, there are 13 students expected from across Europe and beyond - more than the quota for the year, which is fantastic. Please do be praying for each of them, for the teaching team (which has a number of staff teaching on the module for the first time), and for Liz and the kids while Matt is away in Hampshire.
At home we’ve enjoyed a fun summer, balancing work and holiday, and are just getting to grips with a busy start to the term. Below are a few pictures from the last few months and of course you can read more about Anya and Levi’s news below!
As ever we love to hear your news, so please do write and let us know how you’re doing.
Sending lots of love, Matt, Liz, Levi and Anya
Give thanks with us
Give thanks with us
+ that as a result of your support we have been involved with Wycliffe for long enough to write 50 newsletters!
+ that the online grant writing training (see our Summer 2021 newsletter for more information) has continued to work well and we are nearing the end of 10 months of training!
+ we all had a good summer - getting some holiday with family and some important work done.
Join us in prayer
Join us in prayer
+ for Matt and his colleagues as they teach the ‘Healthy Community Engagement’ module (11 October - 12 November), and for Liz and the kids as they remain in Gloucester.
+ for the online grant writing training teams as they finish up their training and begin to look at what funding opportunities they could now pursue.
+ for us as we continue to help lead our church, in particular as we navigate meeting safely back in person.
We are only able to continue to work with Wycliffe because of regular gifts from people like you!
If you are not yet a regular financial partner with us, might you consider joining our team? Our current partners give amounts between £10 and £150 each month. We thank God for every one, and are grateful for the supportive relationships that the money represents.
If you are already one of our long-term financial partners, are you able to share our work with others who might be interested in joining our team or link us with them?
Levi's Latest
Levi's Latest
Hi Friends! I am a very busy Year 5 boy now with lots of after school activities! Monday is Young Voices, I am enjoying learning the songs together and can’t wait to go to Birmingham to perform. Tuesday is Nature Club, today is the first one - I’ve always loved nature! Thursdays Mummy, Anya and I are helping with Gardening Club, and on Fridays swimming has started again! And somewhere amongst all that I’ve got to fit in practicing my clarinet and keyboard!! Phew! Thankfully I had a good rest over the summer! One thing I really loved was going with Daddy to watch The Hundred cricket at Edgbaston. My humongous toasted sandwich was a real highlight, as well as the cricket of course! Another highlight was watching a combine harvester at work in the next door field in Pembrokeshire while visiting my great-grandad! I am currently devouring books from the library faster than Mummy can keep up. Some of my favourite authors are Katherine Rundell, David Walliams, Liz Pichon and Andy Shepherd.
Anya's Answers
Anya's Answers
Hi everyone! I’m excited because today is the election for school councilors and I am going to stand up and say why I’d be a good school councilor. I’d like to see more flowers growing at school and have a sandpit. I hope I get lots of votes! It’s also the first Creative Club after school. I am loving being in Year 2 with all my friends. My new teacher is really nice and I have the same teaching assistant Levi had a few years ago. I am looking very gappy at the moment, as I have now lost both my top front teeth! We had a fun summer. I loved going on holiday with Nana, Grandad, Auntie Hannah and Uncle Pete and my cousins, Jack & Owen. We did lots of running around and paddling in rivers together! Levi & I also had a few days at Nana and Grandad’s house on our own and we ate lots of icecream! We had a holiday in Wales with Bibi too. I love the beaches there! In August I turned 6 and had a party in the garden with some school friends, McDonalds and face-painting. I loved it!
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