AUGUST 2020 NEWSLETTER

 AUGUST 2020 NEWSLETTER

A BIG THANK YOU

Once again, we both want to say a big thank you to all those who are praying for us. Please continue praying. We really need and value your prayers.

 

2020 – A YEAR OF PLENTY

At the beginning of this year, in a meeting in Wales, a good friend declared: 2020 – a year of plenty. That resonated with us so we constantly declared it. As things have transpired, this seems to have been challenged, but I believe that the year really is a year of plenty, but not in the way we would have expected.

 

Colin was scheduled to fly to Nepal on 20 March for two weeks of Bible school teaching, followed by a pastors’ conference. On the day before he flew, Nepal closed its borders because of the Covid-19 virus. Julia was scheduled to fly home to UK on 23 March, so Colin managed to get a seat on the same flight and fly home with her. If he hadn’t done that he would have finished up in lockdown in Malaysia, with no ministry and nowhere to go.

Ministry in Australia and New Zealand to Tongan, Filipino and Malaysian churches had to be cancelled. It also meant we could not spend time with our daughter, Julia, in New Zealand.

 

LOCKDOWN

The lockdown has been good for us. We are very privileged to live where we do inside the Brecon Beacons National Park. All throughout the lockdown period we have been able to get out and walk in the beautiful countryside around our home. Most days we have walked an average of 5 miles. Even the Welsh weather has been very kind to us, and very few days were lost because of rain (hard to believe in Wales). All this walking has been very good for our health and we are both feeling fit.

We have also been able to catch up on many jobs that have been neglected because of the fact that we are usually away from home for most of the year. Julia has done lots of work inside and outside the house, including planting a beautiful flower garden. We have also both been digitising photographs, a job we have been promising ourselves for ages.

 

Best of all, we have been having some tremendous times of worship and intercession together.

 

Still, it was really great when we could finally escape from Wales to visit our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in England.

 

 

MINISTRY

Although we have not been able to visit churches physically, ministry has continued. Colin has preached via Zoom or recorded messages in Malaysia, Singapore, England, Wales, USA and Mexico. On one particular Sunday he preached in Malaysia, England and Wales on the same morning, so he was literally able to be in three places at once.

In spite of this we both agree that there is NO SUBSTITUTE for being face to face with our Christian family, and we can’t wait for normal fellowship to be resumed.

 

Colin has also posted sermons on YouTube. If you would like to see them the link is:

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/colhurt

 

FUTURE

It seems unlikely that we will be able to travel outside the UK before the end of the year, but we are watching the situation closely. We should have been in the USA and Mexico for a missions conference, seminars and local church ministry. These have all been cancelled. It seems we also won’t get to visit our daughter, Paula, in the USA.

 

We are already arranging Bible College teaching in Malaysia and Singapore from January to March in 2021. Please pray that this will go ahead as planned. We are confident that the Lord is in control and is working through the whole situation.

 

PROVISION

We want to give praise to the Lord for his provision during lockdown. Most of our financial provision comes through ministry gifts from the churches where we preach and the schools where we teach. Because of lockdown this source of income has not been possible. This is also true for many of our friends who are involved in itinerant ministry. Over this period the Lord has met our needs, many times from unexpected sources. We believe this will continue until normal ministry can be resumed. GOD IS GOOD.

 

POINTS FOR PRAYER

As always, that we will be in the right place, at the right time, with the right word.

That the good health we are experiencing at this time will continue.

That in God’s timing all the right doors will open.

Most of all, that Jesus will be glorified in all we do.

 

THE PRIVILEGE CONTINUES.

FEBRUARY 2020 NEWSLETTER

NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2020

A BIG THANK YOU

We both want to say a big thank you to all those who are praying for us. Only heaven will reveal how much those prayers achieved in our lives and ministry. Please continue praying. We really need and value your prayers.

CHALLENGES

In the past few months we have faced many challenges.

In October last year we arrived home from the USA where we had been ministering. We discovered that our home village, Penderyn, had been hit by a massive lightning strike three weeks before we got home. Many houses had their TVs, computers and other appliances destroyed. We discovered that our home had been damaged, with a hole in the wall of our conservatory. Our WiFi was fried; our telephones were fried; the thermostat for our combi boiler was fried. Our electricity had been off for three weeks so we lost two freezers full of food. It took a long time to get all these things functioning again. We thank God it could have been much worse. The house of one of our neighbours caught fire. In another house further up the village one wall collapsed completely.

HEALTH CHALLENGES

We have both faces health challenges over the past year. After we got home last year Julia was suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea with blood. We went to the A&E at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr. After several hours waiting for attention she was told: “We could admit you but you would probably get more infection in the hospital than you would at home.” She was given a prescription but it was no use because the pharmacy at the hospital closed at 5pm and no other pharmacies were still open.

Shortly after that Colin was hospitalised for one week with diverticulitis.

Since we got back to Malaysia, Julia has had surgery on both hands for “trigger finger”.

We are aware that as we get older we will probably face more challenges. Please pray that we will have sufficient health and strength to continue serving the Lord for a while longer. There are so many needs.

After Colin finished teaching in Singapore in January, a lady came to thank him for “being an example of those who finish well”. We hope that wasn’t a prophecy.

MINISTRY

In September last year Colin had the privilege of going back to Mexico after an absence of five years. It was great to minister along with our good friend, Steve Wilson. The leaders conference with around 250 pastors and leaders was a significant time. This was followed by an itinerary of some of the churches. Please pray for the saints in Mexico. The drug cartels control vast areas of the nation.

We arrived back in Malaysia on 2 January this year. It has been a real joy to teach in Tung Ling Bible School in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh. It really is a privilege to teach students who are hungry to learn. We have ministered in local churches on each of the Sundays and we can report that the church of Jesus in Malaysia is alive and well. We have also conducted Saturday seminars.

FUTURE

In March Colin will be travelling to an Asian country (not wise to name) to teach in Bible School for two weeks and also at a leaders’ conference. Julia will fly home to UK take care of some essential things in our home.

The month of May will be spent in Australia and New Zealand, ministering in Tongan and Filipino churches.

In June and July we will be back in Malaysia for more ministry.

The privilege continues.

NEWSLETTER, APRIL 2019

NEWSLETTER, APRIL 2019

BUSY, BUSY BUSY

Let us just give you a look at our activities in the first four months of 2019.

Colin preached 18 times.

Colin spent 47 day in teaching in Bible schools and seminars.

This also involved flights to Singapore and Nepal.

Why are we telling you all this?

1.      To demonstrate that the need for teaching in Asia is still very great. Please pray that God will raise up more local teachers. We are flat out but more invitations keep coming in.

2.      To thank God for the energy he is continuing to give to this old couple to fulfil his purpose. Your prayers are working.

3.      To let you know that our schedule up to the end of July will be very similar, and to ask you to pray.

FUTURE MINISTRY

2 May: Teach Bible study at Seremban Life Assembly.

5 May: Preach at Full Gospel Tabernacle, Kuala Lumpur.

5 May: Preach in JCM Agape Church

9 May: Bible study at Seremban Life Assembly.

12 May: Preach at Covenant Community Life Centre.

12 May: Preach in JCM Agape Church

16 May: Bible study at Seremban Life Assembly.

19 May: Preach at EFC Church, Cheras and conduct seminar in afternoon.

25 May: Teach at Alumni Masterclass in Bible College of Wales, Swansea.

26 May: Preach at Gateway Cymru, Aberaman.

30 May: Bible study at Seremban Life Assembly.

2 June: Preach at SS Methodist Church,

2 June: Preach in JCM Agape Church.

3-6 June: Teach in School of Acts.

9 June: Preach in Harvest Christian Assembly, Klang.

9 June: Preach in JCM Agape Church,

13-14 June: Preaching and seminars in Lifeline Church, Kuala Terengganu.

16 June: Preach in Full Gospel Assembly, Kuala Lumpur.

16 June: Preach in JCM Agape Church.

23 June: Preach in Global Harvest Church, Penang.

24-28 June: Teach in Tung Ling Bible School, Ipoh.

30 June: Preach at City Revival Church, Subang.

30 June: Preach in JCM Agape Church.

1-11 July: Teach in Tung Ling Seminary.

12 July: Teach in School of Acts.

13 July: Seminar in Harvest Generation Church.

14 July: Preach in New Life Community Church.

14 July: Millennium International University Graduation.

CONCERNS FOR YOUR PRAYERS

Just after Colin left Nepal some Christians who were teaching leaders were arrested and two of them from overseas were deported.

It is reported that ISIS terrorists are making Malaysia a safe haven for their activities.

After the Sri Lanka Easter bombing the Malaysian anti-terrorist squad were advising churches to be extra vigilant. This is not said to create panic as things worldwide are getting more tense. We just ask you to pray that the Lord will keep his hand on these situations.

PRAYER IS THE ANSWER