Duncan and Jan Weir
New Year Update
Monday 5th January 2009 Happy New Year to you all!
Thanks for all the wonderful Christmas cards, greetings and news. We had a lovely Christmas with family and friends. We slipped back into our own culture very quickly and the light snow fall this morning and the freezing temperatures have continued to reinforce the fact that it is winter in England and not summer in Brazil.
We plan to be in England until the end of February/beginning of March. The next few weeks will include meeting with Linda Harding to discuss further strategy, meeting with Kairos South here in the UK and organising the translation of many new course materials which we received from the International Consultation in Thailand. I am pleased to still be involved with Dna and am giving a training day for some Dna Mission Track students in early February. I will also do some supply teaching and Duncan will be doing some exam marking to stretch the pounds. In these days of financial challenge for everyone we are encouraged by the continued support from friends. However, we have recently lost some significant monthly finances and this is a major challenge to us.
In Brazil, we already have 2 intensive, (5 day) Kairos courses booked with YWAM in early March and April and other courses waiting to be confirmed. We expect to stay in Brazil for 10-12 weeks until the end of May when we will return for Duncan to do more exam marking. The longer stay will enable courses with a longer format to be administered. We will also be able to strengthen existing relationships and continue establishing a Kairos base with fully trained facilitators.
To stay for this length of time we want to rent a (very) small studio flat and will also need a car to improve our efficiency. We were greatly encouraged during our last stay that a church gave us an offering over and above the expenses of the course, meaning that we did not return to the UK “in the red”. This same church has suggested that they will be able to help us with some of our general living expenses in Brazil during the next phase. This is an answer to our prayers and we are believing for this new season to continue. Please join us in praying for this.
However, more immediate plans are for Duncan to undergo a coronary angiogram this week. He will attend a pre-clinic on Wednesday morning (7th) for a briefing and then spend Thursday (8th) as a day patient in the cardiac unit at Frimley hospital. The procedure involves looking at the arteries to determine if they are narrowed and also the valves and pumping chamber in the heart. As yet we are not sure if any treatment will be given or if this will involve another appointment. This is a fairly routine procedure but obviously not one on our list of “Want to do “in 2009. However, we are grateful for an early appointment with very little waiting and are expecting a rapid and full recovery to good health.
- for Duncan on Wed 7th and particularly Thurs 8th as he undergoes the coronary angiogram
- for the shaping of our plans for the next phase in Brazil
- for more finances to be released - in Brazil and especially with the economic pressures here.
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