April 2020 Newsletter

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. [Psalm 23:4]

Dear Friends and Family,

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ! While COVID-19 continues to dominate the headlines, we can rest assured that God is on the throne, that he knows our worries, concerns, and fears, and that he wants us to trust in him as we pass through dark times. We continue to give thanks to God for providing for our needs. We are truly blessed. Thank you to all for your prayers over the past month, and for those who have reached out to see how we are doing. Despite the great distances and the strict lockdown in South Africa we are doing well. Thank you also for the gifts we received to support our ministry here. Your prayers and gifts sustain us. Please also write to let us know how you are doing, and how we can be praying for you!

A Very Personal Note

Just a few days ago I received an email from a former student and dear friend, who shared the following:

We are okay although we lost our third born daughter … two months ago. She died at the age of one year and two weeks after a short illness.

My student’s message stopped me in my tracks. How death is faced and processed in Africa is very different from what I had known in North America. I was unable to work after I read the message as I thought of the pain that his family are going through in mourning the loss of their daughter. Yet at the same time I reflected on how he was able to continue despite the unimaginable loss, and that he had thought to share this with me. Please pray for this family as they grieve, and for this man in particular as he is gifted in many ways and has already used his gifts to train and disciple many pastors.

Update from the South African Theological Seminary (SATS)

After many months of preparation, SATS is about to launch our new learning platform. You can watch the Principal’s announcement at youtu.be/8Iim_2UBkUo. The SATS YouTube channel SATSeminary has lots of other worthwhile content. Please visit and let me know what you think.

Prayer Request

• Pray God’s mercy during the current global pandemic
• Pray for William and Mia as they grow, and for their parents as they care for the new arrivals
• Pray for Sarah (SATS) and Katie (grade 12) as they continue their studies
• Pray for Kristina taking care of things at home while iThemba school remains closed
• Pray for wisdom as much tech work remains to be done at SATS over the next few months
• Pray for our health and safety as we remain locked down in South Africa

Blessings in Christ,

Tim & Kristina Churchill