E-mails from Stewart
December 2009
I am sitting in my study typing this Christmas greeting to you. My mind goes back to those early years of meeting most of you for the first time. We think of our dear friends that were called to glory in the last couple of years: Les and Phyllis Dennis; Eric Claridge - the last time we saw Eric was around the table of the Lord, he sang with joy and his prayer that evening was with vigor and passion. Our old friend Allick Patterson. Bill Baxter - I read a letter that Bill and Grace wrote to us in the early eighties encoutaging us to be strong in the work of the Lord. Thank you for taking time to encourage those like us in the work of the ministry. Then there was Janet Routledge who from time to time wrote to us commending us in the work of the ministry and praying for us. David, if you happen to receive a copy of this letter, we remember you. To these precious friends of ours, I bow in a moment of silence giving thanks to God for their salvation, the sweet memories and beautiful legacy they left behind. To the husbands, wives, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren left behind, we pray that the God of comfort will be your portion. May His grace sustain you.
These friends and many others have embraced the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ - His birth that is being celebrated around the world. These saints are in heaven in the presence of God because they, like us, have placed their trust in Jesus Christ. This is the real reason for this season. Oh, for many more to grasp the true meaning of Christ's birth.
From Carol and me together with our children we wish you a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year. Thank you for all your prayers and financial gifts that are faithfully administered by Mr Carey. May the Lord richly bless and strengthen you.
In His Grace,
Stewart and family.
October 2009
Dear praying and supporting friend,
We are once again called to share items of prayer and praise for your church “prayer diary”. Some challenging questions came to my own heart as I thought about the prayer diary. As we pray through various needs, and read about people’s cry as they share their hearts with us, perhaps for a loved one afflicted with an illness, the salvation of a son, daughter, family member etc, others trusting God for a breakthrough of some sorts, we can go on and on.
The challenge to us is this:-
Do we really pray in such a way that I could actually feel the pain, the fear, anxiousness of the person we are praying for? If we do, theirs has become mine.
• Do we pray with believing and praising hearts that God can come through and will breakthrough on behalf of the one who asked for prayer of some sorts? Because ultimately it is a praising heart that can believe and trust God for great things.
• When we pray for the various needs of all the names stipulated in the prayer diary, do I ask myself “is there anything I can do to help the person or persons I am praying for?” The moment you open yourself to this, the Spirit of God will began to move your heart and will clearly show you the role you can play. We need to know that God has no hands but mine and wants to reach out and touch the needy, the desperate, and the lonely through me.
As we pray this time around through the prayer diary may we do so with vitality, passion, sensitivity and with openness for the Holy Spirit to use us to make a difference where we can.
Please pray through the following challenges we are currently facing:
Family challenges
Well, what can we say; God is good all the time: all the time God is good. We are challenged with the inevitable in acknowledging that the car of 16yrs is breathing its last breath, she has clocked four hundred thousand km’s and more. I looked at her the other day and said ‘’You have done well my friend, you have indeed enjoyed the blessing of the Lord upon every mile undertaken.” Was this a farewell speech? Do pray with us.
Challenges in the church
Families are hard hit with the challenges of the recession. We had to bid farewell to two families that relocated to different provinces respectively for better job opportunities. This does have an impact on the church. We are left the poorer without their ministry giftedness and leadership. Many are faced with the challenge to scale down on their lifestyles and to economize on basic needs. I am certain that this is the case of many of you, even in your country. Pray that we will keep the faith and stay the cause, pray that God will empower us to weather this current economic storm.
In His Marvelous Grace
Stewart and Carol
September 2009
Dear supporting friends.
Both Carol and I thank you sincerely for your prayers and support. God is at work in our lives for his own good will and pleasure, it often comes through much hardships; he began the work and is able to complete it.
We are still very much focus on what we believe God has called us to do. These last few weeks I ministered in five different churches, this really kept be busy, but God intervene and supplied the necessary ability.
We received a call from our mission’s coordinator sharing with us his joy and peace for us about the Lord’s plan for us to go to the mission’s field. He also asked us to pray about Albania. He visited this country and shared with us the immense need there is. As indicated in our previous news letter; the outstanding issue for us is to do the Orientation Course with WEC. This we hope to do early 2010. In the mean time we are preparing the church, Lizelle is about to complete her studies, Stephen will be well into his second year. Our hearts are burning for the mission field. At the same time we are engaged in the mission field in the area where we are situated.
We ask that you will continue to pray for us.
Please see some photos taken at Stewart's recent 50th birthday.
God bless and thank you for your partnership.
Stewart and Carol Sampson
April 2009
Dear Partner in the Gospel.
We thank the Lord always as we remember you in our prayers for your financial support, prayers and the sacrifices that you have made in terms of serving the purposes of God in this generation with us. Some of you have been with us for a number of years now; we praise the Lord for this. We are growing from strength to strength together. The years have also rolled on for many of us. This year, God willing, will see me reaching that big 50 . I am very excited because we believe the best ministry years still lies ahead for us. We therefore ask that your prayers and financial help will continue as the Lord enables you. Through God’s grace we know what we are called to do; we also believe that this is our moment and season. Two quotes comes to mind when I think of times and seasons 1. Benjamin de Israeli once said: “blessed is the man who knows when his moment has come and seizes it with both hands”. 2. One MP in the British Parliament once said “There is nothing more powerful than for an idea whose time has come”
May the Lord grant us grace to seize the moment more especially when it comes to serving the purposes of God in this generation.
In this report we cover the following:
At our recent business and vision casting meeting we have adopted the Vision “Restructure to Advance God’s Kingdom”. We looked at the viability of each ministry department, for the sake of advancing the Kingdom of God, certain changes were inevitable. It is now two months later since we adopted this vision and the changes that came with it, God is at work among us. It was also in this meeting that Carol and I officially shared with the church of our move involved ourselves with foreign mission. It was wonderful to experience the joy of every one. It was said by the leadership “the gospel is advancing one more mile through the obedience of Carol and Stewart to answer the Macedonian call”.
This still remains the highest on our list of priorities for this year and beyond. We are in the process of planning our one week outreach campaign, door to door, tract drive and concluding with three evenings of gospel meetings in the church.
In our last items for the prayer diary we requested prayer for two meetings we requested with our Regional Executive and with our Missions Board. These meetings have since materialized. We are indeed overwhelmed by the support of our leaders. They are equally encouraged by the step of faith we are taking. At our regional meeting last Saturday our Chairperson encouraged all the pastors that were present to open their churches for us to come and share our vision. We hope to embark on these visits after we have completed the Orientation Course. Through God’s grace things are going according to plan.
The Lord is sustaining us. We had the joy in celebrating with Lizelle when she graduated with a National Diploma in Public Relation; she is in her forth year to obtain her degree. Stephen is absolutely elated since following his passion. He is at UCT (University of Cape Town) music school. David left for Spain after spending three months at home. It was good this time around to spend more quality time together and hearing his heart and plans for the next five years.
Philippians 1:5
I (we) thank God every time I (we) remember you, in all our prayers for you. We always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
The Lord richly bless you,
In Christian love
Stewart and Carol Sampson
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