Spring 2024 Update

Issue 57

Dear friends and family,

How is it possible we’re already in May?! Stand down, only joking, it is still ‘only’ March, but wow, where has 2024 gone already? For us it’s been a busy but good start to the year. Here are a few highlights:

I (Matt) spent 10 days in Thailand, coordinating a scripture engagement training event. You might remember we mentioned the Faith and Farming event when we last wrote. We’re pleased to say it went really well and all the participants were very excited about incorporating their learning in their workplaces and the impact this can have in their interactions with minority communities. Thank you for your prayers for all those taking part. Take a look at the press release from the event here: https://www.sil.org/about/news/faith-farming-initiative-supports-healthy-farms-and-farmers-asia-and-pacific
Liz has enjoyed getting to know her class and working with two great teachers in Year 2 this year. She has now celebrated a whole calendar year working in school! She is also enjoying her Children’s Ministry Coordinator role at church and has been encouraged to see both the children’s and youth teams growing recently.
Levi started the year with mid-year exams, seeing what else he’s learnt during the Autumn term aside from music related things! (As his music teacher tells him though, “music is English, music is History, music is Geography…” lol). We’re pleased to report he seems to be doing fine and has settled in well to Year 7. In fact, if you want to see him sharing his experiences in a video for current year 6 parents you can, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFPzhOTEaOA&authuser=0
Anya, as expected, loved her first Young Voices experience in Birmingham, and is making the most of year 4. Recently, at school she has enjoyed Art Club, activities for World Book Day and making a car in DT. Keep reading for more of her and Levi's news!

While in Thailand the LEAD Global leadership team also met in person, a rare ‘treat’, and continued to discuss plans for the transition of the current Director out of role. He is moving on to take up a new role in the Asia region after nearly 10 years as LEAD Director, so it will be a big change for the team. Currently three other leadership team members and I plan to take over his Director responsibilities as a “Directorship” - please pray for us as different tasks are handed over and we work together in this new way.

In Gloucester, at church we’ve started the year with lots of policy reviews, a new teaching series, and preparation for some city-wide youth events. It’s a good time to be alive!

Thank you for your support over the last few months. With inflation still high and a couple of supporters stopping due to changing circumstances, we continue to look to grow our support base to meet our daily needs. If you’re in a position to review your support this would be very much appreciated. Did you know that £20 when we started with Wycliffe in 2007 would need to be £32 today to have the same spending power?

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We know Christmas is a busy time. Did you miss our 2023 review letter, with encouraging comments from Matt's two supervisors? Don't worry, you can find it here and catch up easily!

Give thanks with us for

+ a good start to the year, despite various illnesses,

+ the Faith and Farming training week going very smoothly,

+ the kids enjoying school and friendships,

+ our church small group and youth group - whilst these are responsibilities they’re also real encouragements to us all.

Join us in prayer

+ for the LEAD Global team as we adjust to new roles and responsibilities,

+ for us to make good choices about where and how to use our time and energy,

+ for our financial support,

+ for peace in the many conflicts we see around the world.

Levi's Latest

Hey! Have you met the latest member of our family - Sid?! We’ve waited a long time for a cat, my whole life in fact! But finally Dad relented and we adopted a rescue cat the other week. He seems to be settling in well and getting used to a new home.

School is good - early mornings are getting harder as the year goes on but I’m coping! I keep busy at lunchtimes with bands, choirs and helping in the library. As a choir we recently sang in the Cathedral at Evensong, which was great. It’s also great the sun's shining a bit more. (This picture is the only snow we've seen this winter... so far!) I'm hoping to get out and plant veg seeds soon and see what we can grow this year with our adopted greenhouse!

Anya's Answers

Hi everyone! Life is good here in Gloucester. I am loving having a cat! I’m very good at feeding him and love giving him a stroke, I just wish he’d sit on my lap! I am enjoying my piano lessons every two weeks and my teacher says I am making good progress. I still love drawing, crafting and colouring. Mummy and I did some colouring together on Mother’s Day and we like to make cards together too. I read lots in the mornings at the moment cos I always seem to wake up early these days.

For Christmas I got some rollerskates and I am having lots of fun learning to skate with them. In half term I went to a roller disco with a friend. It was so good! Soon at school we have a trip to the Cathedral and to Wagamamas, where we are going to be cooking a vegan meal! I can’t wait! See you soon.

As always, we love to hear your news so do hit reply now and send us a short update on what's new with you.

Sending lots of love, Matt, Liz, Levi and Anya

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