Prayer & Praise

Pray for DMI’s increasing financial needs to be met
Give thanks that four Wakiso students have advanced to university
As Lill returns to Australia, pray for peace ans strength to be received by her mother
Pray for God’s continued protection to surround the workers in Egypt and Syria
Give thanks for the enthusiasm, in the midst of adversity, of DMI’s workers in developing countries
Give thanks for the young evangelists and the many school students who progressed to the next level

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Greeting Friends and Supporters,

Greetings in this our last letter for 2011. Every year at this time I wonder where the year has gone and am amazed that we are still here and pressing on with the work that we have been called to do. We are grateful for health and strength and hope that we can keep going until the Lord brings others in to take over. Our general income has dropped considerably so the fields are suffering. If everyone on the DMI mail list gave up purchasing a Latte and a slice of cheese cake and gave to DMI this Christmas it would help the January budget considerably.

Conference

One of the highlights this year was our 5th DMI International Conference held at Stanwell Tops near Wollongong in NSW. 100 delegates attended, which swelled to 130 on the Saturday. Over 20 countries were represented and every state in Australia, except Tasmania. Quite a few others were not able to get visas. In spite of a lot of telephone calls and appeal letters they were still rejected. We are going to follow up with formal complaints to the Immigration Department. Keynote speaker was Chad Entinger, Director of Deaf Missions USA. All our speakers were deaf and most presentations were also given by deaf people. They were great.
Day trip options were given either to the Blue Mountains (in the rain and mist so nobody saw anything!) or into Sydney on a dull dreary day, which was marginally better. Following the conference some 26 headed to Canberra and Melbourne where a large number of families hosted delegates in their homes. I think everyone enjoyed it very much and went home with positive feelings. To me the highlight of the conference was the sense of unity we have in Jesus.

There was a great sense of joy in being together from so many places but with one purpose in mind , that being to present Jesus to the deaf world. The next conference, God willing, will be in Korea 2014. Start saving!

Nedal from Syria, attempting to 'realign the Sydney Harbour bridge'

Kenya … Highs and Lows

I am actually writing this letter from Perth in WA; I am on my way back from Africa where I had the joy of visiting our school in Ringa, Kenya once again. Although I did not plan to attend the graduation of the kinder class it so happened that it was being held the same day of my visit! It was fun to see the kids all dressed and wearing their graduation caps and gowns. I think I might have to bring up the topic of the caps (which are pink and look like Dunces hats!!) prior to the next graduation.
Regardless, the parents who attended were thrilled and as proud as punch.

On the low side, and the real purpose for my visit, concerned the eviction from three rented portions of the land we utilise for boys’ dorm, dining room - come chapel, and a playing area. The three sections are owned by three different people who suddenly wanted their lots back to develop, so out we go. The dining room is a corrugated iron, temporary construction, which we can relocate relatively easily but the big issue is the boys’ dorm. By the 6th of January when school opens again we need to have a boys’ dorm constructed. The estimated cost is $11,000.00.
At the time when I left Africa we had nothing but, since then $3000 has come in, leaving $8000, which is needed immediately. So the challenges go on. Please pray about this urgent need. The development of the whole project of more buildings and the like is in the vicinity of $120,000. Samaritan’s Purse has been approached for help but, the urgent need at the moment is the boys’ dorm.

Egypt and Syria

We were so happy to have Nedal and Fadi from Syria at the conference. Fadi was the only casualty on the trip. He took an extra “trip” and fell over getting off the bus out side our house and twisted his ankle. We took him to casualty at our nearby Casey Hospital where he waited over 5 hours to be seen!! An Xray indicated a sprain so he was told to put his foot up for a while but to carry on normally. The pain persisted so when he got back to Syria took another x-ray to discover he had broken a bone in his foot. So much for Australian medical treatment!! He did not have any insurance so they said they would send the bill to Syria!! Good luck to them! Syria is in turmoil and every one is very nervous. Please pray for DMI work in Syria , Nedal and Fadi and families and for the deaf ministry there that will be protected and still have freedom to minister. Hany from Egypt had a visa rejected too and Sobhy could not come as he wife Sally is expecting. Their baby son is due any day now but what a situation to be born into. Egypt too is in a very bad way and prayer is requested for stability, protection for the work, our property and all involved in Deaf Ministries Egypt. Sobhy has been interpreting on TV for a Coptic ministry where Moslems have been converted so now he is being watched and followed. So a great deal of concern there. Pray for Sobhy and Sally and the Egypt team.

Uganda

Joyce, the Principal of the Bible College calls up each student

Graduation time again. 14 young people graduated from the Bible College in Kampala comprising students from Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya. It was a great day with the usual 4-hour service. They had finished the course over a year ago but, came back to the Bible School to graduate after giving satisfactory service in their places of work. Please pray for these kids as they go back to difficult situations without adequate support and follow up. We know all the needs but funds are not there for proper pastoral care. It is a great concern to us.

Current students lead the graduands into the church

Service in the field has been rewarded at last!

Larry from Tech serve (USA) was in Uganda to oversee the laying of the slab for our next building behind the church. Bible school students helped with the foundation preparation work.

It was further discovered that DMI and the Immanuel church is not properly registered so consultation with lawyers over the resulting issues is now being carried out. To add to the confusion, the land which we thought had been donated to DMI at Mukono (and on which we have built a house and a school building) wasn’t really donated at all and we might have to move off the land … taking the two buildings!! But, move to where and how, we have no idea. Larry had only just installed wall divisions in the building on the land in question. Please pray for all these issues.

This is going to be our Christmas letter this year. Lill is still in Norway caring for her mum and I am still travelling across the country and won’t be back until just before Christmas so we have not had the time to do much in the way of cards and greetings; please forgive us. Thank you all for your support and encouragement over the past year. We hope and trust that your Christmas celebration will be a joyous and happy one. The whole purpose of our being is Jesus and Christmas, in spite of all the Hoo Ha and nonsense, is a time for us to remember again the coming of the Saviour and to be thankful for His grace and love for us.

Thank you for your continued interest and prayers.

God Bless, Neville and Lill