Update Letter - January 2007

Dear Support Team,
December was a hectic and busy time of several Christmas parties, carol sing outreach events, and many special services.  We enjoyed it all but by the time Christmas day service ended we were quite ready for some down time.  Our Pacific Area Missions Directors, the Fussners, adopted us into their family and we had Christmas dinner in their home.  We then all went to a bach (cottage) on the Coromandel (Summer holiday beach area a couple hours outside of Auckland) for a few days to relax and get some sunburns.  We returned to plan and execute a 14-hour, all night, lock in event for the teens on New Years Eve.  It was a great event but we haven’t been able to quite recover from it yet.  It’s hard to get back on a proper sleeping schedule.  I hope that you all had a wonderful time of celebration this past Christmas and a good start to the New Year.

 2006 was definitely a year of change and growth.  We had a major move ever four months and went though the stages of training and preparation, team building, and now on-field assignment.  As we reflect on all the excitement and blessings of 2006, we look expectantly to what God will do this coming year.

Last January we were living in Toronto and just beginning to raise our support as we attended the Global Partners Go-Net Missions Training in Indiana.  In May we made the leap of faith of quitting our jobs and leaving Toronto to become wandering nomads as we traveled around the Atlantic District of the Wesleyan Church raising up a team of prayer and financial supporters.  We are so thankful for those four months as we saw our faith stretched and our prayers answered and were able to spend quality time in our home district with our family and friends.  All of the wonderful people we met, the churches we visited, and the youth ministry opportunities we were able to be a part of spurred us on for our ministry here in New Zealand.  And now, for the last four months in Auckland we have been blown away by the love of the people here and the excitement of this time of growth for ECW and the WMCNZ.  What a blessing to be a part of God’s kingdom and get to witness, first hand, His work around the globe.  Thank you to everyone of you for going on this journey with us.  We could not have done it with out your love, prayers, and support.  We look forward to this new year of ministry with you.

Reflections of Praise:
Looking back at the prayer requests from our past letters we have much thanksgiving:
-          Reaching all of our support team goals and great opportunities for ministry and support raising in so
      many wonderful churches.
-          Quality time with family and good goodbyes before leaving for NZ and a relatively smooth transition
      to life in Auckland
-          Wisdom in working out all of the details and safety in traveling to Auckland and all of our traveling
      before
-          Selling our car at just the right time
-          ECW continues to move forward in purchasing a building and everyone is dealing well with the last
      minute change of plans.
-           The unspoken prayer request from our last letter – God is good and we are now rejoicing with our
       friends that God answered their request in the best possible way.
-          We’ve heard great reports about the teen from our youth group who went to Singapore to serve in
      the army.  He is adjusting well, has a strong church family there already, and is a blessing to his
      grandparent’s and other friends and family there.
-          We continue to see new people coming out to the youth group and with the current eXtreme
      Summer Challenge program and the upcoming Youth camp we pray that more will continue to come
      to youth and make lasting commitments to Christ
Prayer requests:
-          Rev. Richard Waugh, Senior pastor of ECW and National Superintendent of the WMCNZ, has just
      been awarded the Beeson scholarship to complete his Doctor of Ministry degree at Asbury
      Theological Seminary.  He and his family will be leaving for the US in June for the one year program. 
      Please pray for them as they prepare to leave and adjust to the new living arrangements.  Also pray for
      the church here in his absence and for the right person to step in to his leadership position for that
      year.
-          IGNITE youth camp – February 16-18 will be the first ever National Wesleyan Youth Camp in New
      Zealand.  This will be a key outreach opportunity for all of the NZ churches and Drew will be the
      keynote speaker. www.ignite.wesleyan.org.nz
-          Pray for the missions team coming in June.  Pray that God would call those whom he wants on the
      team (that may be you!) and that they would be an encouragement to the teens that the church here in
      NZ.

 Thank you again for your continued prayer and support.

 Blessings,
Amy & Drew Donovan
Missionaries in Auckland, NZ