life and times of The Emmersons

Emmerson Update February 2012

2012-02-09T02:50:00.000-08:00

Greetings folks, yep it's time for another update. February has rolled around already and with it comes the promise of somewhat more settled, routine days, blessed relief! We are finally getting into the swing of 2012 and looking forward to the year ahead and all the ministry opportunities here in Paarl. Just a few things to mention this time round

Jo'Burg

Our trip to Johannesburg was such a restful time, we literally just hung out and did not a lot (exactly what the doctor ordered after the busy festive period). We were visiting with our sister church Calvary Chapel Johannesburg, it as so great to see what God is doing in other areas of South Africa and to be able to get to know the ministry team there a little better. Please pray for them because alongside organising a busy church they also run a full time clean living home for former addicts, a thriving and exciting, yet deeply challenging ministry.

Bergendal

Our outreach to Bergendal School continues to thrive. Whilst visiting recently Dave was told that after about 10 years of petitioning the land-owner is finally going to build a play ground for the children with interactive climbing frames etc. There is a real sense of excitement among the staff about what God can do this year at the school. We are also finding that since the holiday Bible Club which the team helped us run, there are more opportunities for us to serve in practical ways like clearing away rubbish etc. Dave is also going to begin to meet with the life skills teacher for prayer soon. Please pray for the kids, that the gospel would get across the language and culture barrier and make a deep and lasting impact on their lives.

Skate Outreach

We appreciate your ongoing prayer as this new ministry gets off the ground – we have build a grind rail so far, with the help of good friend JJ van Rooyen, who loves to skate! We are busy working on a launch ramp and a funbox. We are still blown away by God's provision for these items. We have begun to build relationships with a number of local skater kids but it is still early days. Please pray that these relationships would flourish and that God would give us divine appointments to share the good news of Christ with these guys in a way that is relevant to them but uncompromising of the truth. There are obviously costs involved with a ministry like this, we'd like to be able to bless the kids with boards and safety equipment like helmets if they don't have them, so if you are interested in getting behind this exciting venture please drop us a line, thanks.

Website

Calvary Paarl is finally going to have a website for all you tech savvy folks to enjoy! Pastor Mike and Dave are busy getting all the details squared away, hopefully by the time we put our update out in March the site will have gone live. Yay!

Holiday Bible Club Video

Also by next month there will be a nice shiny video for you to enjoy, with footage and snaps from the wonderful two weeks we spent with the team from California. Tons of footage from the Holiday Bible Club and some other cool stuff too. Watch this space.

Prayer Points

Praise God for such a restful time in Jo'Burg and stronger friendships forged
Praise God for the new play ground for Bergendal and the wide open doors to serve there
Praise God for progress with the Skate ministry. Please pray for His ongoing guidance, provision and a boldness to share the gospel.
Praise God for a church website. Please pray that we'd be able to get all the details worked out swiftly and launch asap.
Praise God for His awesome provision for us in every way – we feel blessed beyond words by His grace, mercy & love to name just a few of our blessings!
Please pray for our Visas – we are still waiting for our cases to be assigned to a case officer. It has become comical but we know that this is something we need to keep praying about because it's very important that they grant them.
Please pray for Murdo – he has been a little sick, nothing serious, just a cold
Please pray for Elijah – he is going through a somewhat rebellious phase of not listening and screaming at the top of his lungs when he doesn't get his way. We trust God will give us strength and wisdom, and that it is just a season, but it's no fun!
Please pray for God to continue to strengthen our marriage, nothing to worry about, but all the busyness can make it difficult for us to get quality time together. We just want to continue to grow in our love for Him and for one another and have a marriage that is always a strong witness to the community and our children. Thanks

Many blessings in Christ - Dave, Vicky, Elijah & Murdo xxxx

Emmerson Update January 2012

2012-01-18T01:52:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks!

A very happy new year to you all. So sorry that it has taken us so long to get any ind of update out this month, we have a very busy start to the year (read more below) and so we are only now getting settled in to the reality of a new month and a new year! To further complicate things we are going away next week and so we are really pushed for time...hence the lack of a nice shiny pdf this month!

Festive Season

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year with Vicky's folks, the boys really enjoyed having family around and for the first time Elijah really seemed to understand what Christmas was about which was a blessing to us. We saw the new year in with friends, it was nice to see how God has blessed us and planted us here in Paarl, we feel very much at home here now.

Missions Team

The missions team from California have been and gone, what a wild two weeks that was! We were very busy during that time, but in a very good and productive way. Our holiday Bible club at Bergendal school was really blessed, we had about 80 kids on average per day who really had a great time. We also had chance to reach out to some of the teenagers and adults from the local farm communities, something that we'd never been able to do before. It was obvious that everyone was really touched by the club - the teachers held a special lunch to thank the team for all of their hardwork. We were able to do some repairs around the school and clear away a whole heap of rubbish that had accumulated there over time. God really used this time to open up a door for a greater work at Bergendal, I've always been a bit on the fringe there but now I know all of the teachers and can continue to minister to them over the coming months. God is good!!

Skate Outreach

Thanks to everyone who has been praying in regards to skate outreach - one of the other blessings of the team being here is that someone sponsored all the timber/steel needed to build a small skate ramp known as a funbox. Dave will be getting to work putting it all together asap, we'll put a pic in the next update. Please keep on praying for us...we now have issues of how to transport the ramp and where to place it, but we know God will bring all of this together since this is His plan anyway, not ours! Also please pray for opportunities for us to get to know the skaters and build relationship with them.

Visas

So the saga continues - Dave spent 30mins on the phone to the Home Affairs Office in Pretoria the other day - still no news on our applications, so we have opened new cases for each of us in order that the whole matter can be investigated again! It is almost comical at this stage, five months after we applied to renew! But we are legally allowed to stay until they reach a decision, no matter how long that takes. Continued prayer would be appreciated.

Jo'Burg

So we are off to Johannesburg next week to visit with some friend there for 5 days or so, to have a little time away from home and a bit of a break. Praise God for His provision so that we can take this trip. Please pray that the boys would have a great time and be settled. Thanks.

General

The kids are growing up so fast! Elijah is getting very confident and talks in full sentences, non-stop! He is loving nursery school. Murdo is crawling at breakneck speed and took his first steps independent of us yesterday evening. We are all suffering with the insane heat here in Paarl but are just taking it one day at a time. We have a genuine sense of excitement about 2012 and what God is going to o in our lives and in the church here in Paarl. God is stirring our hearts to prayer more fervently and increasing our faith in Him - The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much - James 5:16. Anything is possible this year!

Prayer Points

Praise God for 2012 and all that He has planned for this year
Praise God for such a lovely time with the Royles over Christmas and New Year
Praise God for the team and all the blessings that came with their visit
Praise God for our impending break away and His provision
Praise God for our lovely boys and their ongoing development
Please pray for our visa to be granted quickly!
Please pray for God to bless the outreach work at Bergendal School
Please pray for God to lead us in regard to Skate ministry.

Thanks for your ongoing friendship, love, support and prayers, we can't do this without you. In Christ - Dave, Vicky, Elijah & Murdo xxxx

Emmerson Update July 2011

2011-07-05T23:42:00.000-07:00

Emmerson Update June 2011

2011-06-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

Emmerson Update June 2011

Greetings from a rather wet and wintery Paarl! Winter is definitely here and we've been having storms and rain in abundance. The temperature has even dipped below 10 degrees Celsius at times in the past week, which may not sound cold, but when you've grown accustomed to 40 degrees plus it really does feel cold. Anyway enough of my very british discussion of the weather, there are far more important things going on in our lives.

UK Trip

As of this week our tickets are all booked and paid for and we all have valid British Passports (Murdo's came in the post recently). There is now nothing standing in the way of our trip and so we WILL be touching down in the UK on 19^th August for a visit of just over six weeks. We have already made plans with many of you and sincerely look forward to seeing each of you. If for some reason we have not been in touch to make plans with you, please e-mail us to jog our memories, its been a hectic time of planning. We do care, we would like to see you, please do drop us a line!.

Birthdays

June is birthday month in the Emmerson household. Vicky is turning 21 all over again (don't ask her real age or you'll face the wrath!) on the 7^th and Elijah will reach the grand old age of 2, can you believe it, on the 26^th. We are planning a trip see the 'lye-ins' at Drakenstein Lion Park for Elijah's birthday and a weekend away to visit friends on the coast for Vicky's. Hoorah for birthdays!

Sponsor A Bible: Finally here!

Another big thanks goes out to all those who sponsored Bibles in this years appeal. We were able to buy 16 English and 16 Afrikaans Bibles. After a number of delays with our order and various other issues we finally have all 32 Bibles in our possession and are eager to get them in the hands of those who need them. Most of these will probably be gifted to the men we minister to at Allandale Prison, so thanks again on their behalf, we know that God's word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11).

Foundations Of Faith correspondence course

This month we launched a new course at Allandale Prison, as an addition to the material we are teaching them each week when we visit (currently we're in the book of Philippians). This course covers all the basics of the Christian faith and we are excited to see these men grow in their knowledge of the Bible, their thirst for truth and their love for God. The course is by correspondence only which means they can do it in their free time (which they have plenty of) and at their own pace. Please pray with us that this would be a very fruitful course and that many would be exposed to the gospel.

Cedric & Yvonne

Please continue to pray with us for Cedric & Yvonne, the homeless couple that we have been ministering too. Sadly they did not turn up to go to the rehab, even after Dave had secured them places. They came later that week with excuses about why they couldn't/wouldn't go. Sadly this is the same cycle we see with many in the homeless community and it is tragic. We are praying that Jesus would break the cycle and help them make meaningful changes in their lives.

Rahab Ministries

Calvary Chapel Paarl Valley has recently begun to partner with an organisation in Paarl that ministers to prostitutes in the area. Please pray with us for the work they are doing to this often overlooked and destitute group. We are aiming to support Rahab as they seek to make a real difference to the lives of these ladies by sharing the love of God with them.

Visa Applications

It is crunch time with our Visas, within the next week Dave is going to begin the arduous process of applying for/ renewing Visa's for the whole family. Please pray with us that this would go as smoothly as possible and that God's will be done in all of it. We are hoping that we'll be done with all the paperwork before we fly out for our UK trip in 18^th August. On a more positive note God has faithfully provided the money we need for every cost involved in this process. Thank you Jesus!

Prayer Points

Praise God with us that Vicky has recovered fully from her throat infection. Please pray for both Elijah and Murdo who are suffering with nasty colds and lots of phlegm at the moment....lovely!
Praise God for the arrival of Murdo's passport and that our trip home is now secure.
Praise God for Birthdays and that we can celebrate them together with so much fun.
Praise God for the 32 people who will be blessed with Bibles in the coming weeks. Please pray that these would bear much fruit.
Praise God for the Foundations Of Faith correspondence course and please join us in praying that this will be a great way for the unsaved in Allandale to receive the gospel and for the Christians there to be building strong foundations in God's word.
Praise God for His amazing, unending provision for us, we are truly awed by Him. Praise Him for providing for our Visa costs and please please pray with us that this would go as smoothly as possible. Thanks
Please pray that God's love would break through in Cedric & Yvonne's hectic lives and that things could really change for the better for them.
Please pray for Jacques, Lilian, Mically & Keenen, a family in our church who live in a wooden shack behind the house of a relative. Both Mically & Keenen suffer from asthma and life in a shack in this winter weather is not kind on them. Please pray that God would provide warm clothing, blankets etc for them and that He would protect their health.
Please continue to pray with us for Vicky's uncle Tony, who has terminal cancer, and for his family
Please pray for Rahab ministries, that their work would be fruitful and these ladies would be freed from this way of life. Please pray that our church would be a great support and encouragement to this organisation that is doing such valuable work in Paarl.

As ever we'd like to take the time to thank you for your faithfulness to read our updates, pray with/ for us, and all the support you provide for this family. Soli Deo Gloria

Dave, Vicky, Elijah & Murdo

xxxx

Recent Video 2: Brotherly Love (The Movie)

2011-05-06T06:23:00.001-07:00

Recent Video 1: The Compass

2011-05-06T06:19:00.002-07:00

Emmerson Update May 2011

2011-05-06T06:16:00.000-07:00

Emmerson Update May 2011

Hello Everybody,

We hope and pray this update finds you all well. This month has been a little rough but we have also been experiencing God's blessings in many ways and we are thankful to Him for always seeing us through. Here is what's been going on.

Murdo

Our wee guy is now six weeks old and doing very well. He feeds like a dream and has gotten quite chubby! He is sleeping for four to five hour periods at night which is a huge blessing from above. We took him for his six week check up this week and he now weighs 5.36Kg (11.81LB) and is 55cm long, all of which is well within the healthy range! We are so happy with how well he is doing.

Winter Time

The cold is setting in again here in Paarl, lots of rain and cold nights ahead. With the change of seasons we have all had the usual run of throat infections, colds and sniffles. Please pray that we would all be well again soon as these petty illnesses can really wear you down. Pray especially for Vicky who has been battling a throat infection for over a month. Please also pray with us that God would provide the extra needs we have during the winter such as fuel for the fire, increased electricity costs etc. Thanks

Bergendal

Things have been going very well with the School Outreach at Bergendal. In a couple of weeks time we are going to have a meeting with the Headmistress. Mrs Abrahams, to see about extending our work with them to have a separate, more youth oriented, programme alongside the current Kids Bible Club as well as looking into how we might be able to sponsor those children who can't afford basic needs like shoes and school books. Pray with us that the door would be open for us to further bless these children and the communities they represent.

Men's Retreat/ Camp

Dave had the opportunity to go away for a couple of days during the Easter holiday to the Calvary Chapel Men's Retreat. It was in the middle of a huge forestry plantation and was very cold and wet! The thin single duvet he took with him was not enough to keep out the night cold and he ended up wearing all of his clothes the whole time he was there! Despite the weather it was a really blessed time of fellowship with men from Calvary's all over South Africa and the teaching was also very helpful and encouraging. We were blessed to have friends from church who helped Vicky out for the two nights she was alone. All in all this was a great time

Homeless Friends

Thanks for your prayers for our homeless friends. Shane has been able to move back in with His grandmother and seems to be doing much better. It is a relief for us to know that he is not out on the streets anymore. We've also seen real progress with Cedric & Yvonne this month as they have both admitted that they are alcoholics (a huge first step in the right direction) and are eager to get into rehab. Dave is seeking places for them at a local Christian rehab called ARK, please pray they would be accepted and that their lives would be radically transformed by the power of Christ.

Videos

We just put the finishing touches to a short video of Elijah & Murdo at play. Feel free to check it out here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsbGUybXa_0 Dave is also working on a promo video for Calvary Chapel Paarl Valley, we'll get you a link to that as soon as it is finished. Enjoy!

Trip Home

Our trip back to the UK is moving ever closer. We have booked all of our flights and will be in the UK from the 19^th August to the 1^st of October. There is obviously a lot to think of and plan between now and then but we are slowly trying to get a trip itinerary together. If you would like to meet up at some point during that time please drop us a line. We can't promise anything but we will do our best to fit you in, we really looking forward to catching up with all our friends and family. We'd love you to join us in pray for this trip to come together and be really blessed and also for the smooth running of the church here in Paarl while we are away. Also if The Lord puts it on anyones heart to help sponsor our trip expenses that would be much appreciated.

Prayer Points

Praise God for carrying us through difficult times and never leaving nor forsaking us
Praise God for Murdo's healthy progress in life outside the womb
Praise God that Elijah has really taken to Murdo so well and is such a good big brother.
Praise God for the great time that Dave had at the Men's retreat.
Praise God that Shane is back home with his grandmother and that Cedric & Yvonne seem to be making progress
Praise God for the opportunities we are having at Bergendal School and please pray with us that we'd be able to extend this great work and have a lasting positive impact upon the children and their families.
Praise God for our trip home and all the wonderful times we're gonna have with friends and family. Please pray with us that all the details would come together, that God would provide for all our needs in this regard, that we'd have travelling mercies and that the church in Paarl would run smoothly in our absence.
Please pray with us for 100% restoration of the health of our family, especially for Vicky's throat
Please pray with us for Gods provision of the needs that winter presents us with here. We also think of those who are less well off than ourselves, please pray for the poor and homeless as this time of year is particularly hard on them and there is no welfare system to fall back on. We are very blessed to have a roof over our heads. Thank you Lord
Please pray with us for Vicky's uncle Tony who has terminal cancer. He has been having some pretty serious health struggles of late and so your prayers would be appreciated for him and for the whole family at this time.
Please pray for wisdom for us in regards to parenting Elijah. He has entered the 'terrible twos' phase early and can be very disobedient and down right defiant at times. We are really seeking God's will as to how to lovingly discipline him and would really appreciate your prayers for us as parents and as a family.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this update and pray for our family, we may say this every month but we do genuinely appreciate your support and your prayers.

With love from South Africa – Dave, Vicky, Elijah & Murdo Emmerson x x x x

New Blog

2011-04-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

Dave, not content with two blogs, felt it was time to add a third Emmerson blog to the blogosphere. This one is apparently for his 'art'. Please humour him by popping over and leaving a comment!

www.ventart.blogspot.com

Thanks, all the best from the Emmerson family x x x x

April 2011 Update

2011-04-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you have already heard, it's official folks, Murdo has graced us with his presence! He arrived in the wee small hours of the 19^th of March. His first couple of weeks of life outside the womb have gone remarkably smoothly and we are constantly thanking God for this wonderful new life and all of the progress he is making. One of our praise points has been the fact that he is feeding so well – he never even lost weight after he was born, but had put on 60g in the first four days! He is definitely an Emmerson! We will keep you up-to-date on his progress as time goes on.

Brothers

One of our main concerns was that Elijah would not take well to having to share his family with a little brother. The first few days after we brought Murdo home were a bit tense but Elijah has now really taken to his brother. He loves to give 'the baba' hugs and kisses and is learning what it means to be gentle, which doesn't come natural to this rambunctious ball of energy! We often find his walking round the house saying 'Murdo, murdoooooo', and “come baba, come baba” so cute.

The Homeless Community

We've had a lot of contact with various homeless individuals this month, it has been pretty intense. We are so aware of our need for prayer in this area and we'd ask you to join with us. Here are a few details to inform your prayers.

Cedric & Yvonne – A homeless couple who have a very tempestuous relationship and both struggle with alcohol. Dave spent some time counselling them this month and they both made the decision to give their lives to Christ. There were tears and it seemed to be really genuine. We encouraged them to keep coming and talking with us so that we could walk a road with them but sadly we haven't seen them since. Please pray that they would not return to their old way of life and that Christ would truly set them free from sin.

Shane – He is 15 years old and is living on the street after his grandmother kicked him out of her house. His parents want nothing to do with him. We've offered to get him a place at the local night shelter but he didn't seem keen. He is still attending school. We have seen him hanging around with a number of the other street folk and are worried he will end up getting caught in alcohol or drug addiction. We have warned him about this. He is so young and impressionable. Please pray he will come visit us again and allow us to help him get a place at the local night shelter and/or that his family would begin to take care of him again.

Werner – is a man who we've been walking a round with for some time now, through the good times and the bad. Unfortunately of late he has hit the bottle pretty hard again. He has a huge chip on his shoulder and seems to feel the world owes him a favour. We're constantly trying to speak the truth to Him and help him deal with the issues he is facing but he is not responding well at present. Please pray that the love of God would soften his heart and that Werner would recommit himself to Christ and be able to move on in a more positive way from here on out.

Graham – Graham is also living on the street and from time to time he will come and wash our car in exchange for food (an arrangement that he implemented). He came to us recently and said there is a place he can stay for a small sum of money a month, for the duration of the winter. We are eager to see this come to fruition but he has not returned since. Please pray this will come together so he can be out of the worst of the winter weather.

As you can see we need a lot of grace, patience, compassion, love and wisdom from God when dealing with this community. Our hearts go out to them but we've learned over our time here that we have to establish firm boundaries and be 'wise as serpents but gentle as doves' (Matt 10:16). For example we never give out money. So please pray for these individuals with us and for wisdom for us in reaching them effectively.

Graphic Design

In recent weeks I've (Dave) also had the privilege of getting to grips with doing some graphic design for the church. I've pretty much been learning by doing, so I've tried to do as many different designs as time would allow. I am very blessed to be able to have this opportunity to do some design work and take the burden off of Mike's hands so that he can focus his attentions elsewhere. It also gives me the opportunity to play around with different design ideas just for fun!

Life Group

At four weeks in we are already starting to see fruit from our new mid-week church gathering. The English group has been going very well. It is great to see the group really bonding and really being the church and working well together as the body of Christ should. As we eat together, pray for one another and discuss the Bible together, we are really receiving God's heart for his church and for one another. Praise God.

Prayer Points

Praise God for Vicky's smooth labour, Murdo's safe arrival and how smoothly the first few weeks have gone. We really can't thank Him enough for the favour He has so faithfully shown this family.
Praise God for a wonderful time with Norman & Janette Lawson when the visited in early March
Praise God for the the amazing help that Mum/Elaine/Gwanmaa has been to us during these first four weeks, we couldn't have done it without her. Wonderwoman is alive and well and living in Norfolk folks!
Please continue to pray for all of the children/ teenagers at Bergendal School. Pray that God would give Dave the words to say to these young people that will show them God's love for them each week. Please also pray as we seek to reach the teenagers (who are just to cool for the Bible Club!) in a way that is relevant to them. The church is also prayerfully considering how we can bless the larger community through the school. Praise God again for this open door.
Please pray for Cedric & Yvonne, Shane, Werner & Graham. Pray for God to touch their hearts and heal them. Pray for wisdom for us as we seek to minister to people who live such hectic lives.
Praise God for the blessing that the Manifest series on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit has been to our church.
Praise God for the growth that the Life Groups have caused in the effective functioning of our church as a community and a body. Soli Deo Gloria.
Please pray for God's continued blessings upon our lives, our family, our finances and our ministry. We are so deeply aware of our need to stay firmly rooted in the centre of His will. He is so faithful, we cannot begin to praise Him enough for His love, grace, mercy and provision.

'Til next month then, much love from

Dave, Vicky, Elijah & Murdo Emmerson

x x x x

Taking a break (and making it more official)

2011-02-11T06:59:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks

You may have notices that we are really not very good at keeping this blog up-to-date. Its really just a matter of prioritising our time and the various demands upon it. The blog just doesn't factor that high on the list and with the imminent arrival of kid #2 it seems we'll have even less time for blogging.

So we're officially putting this blog on hold. But what we'd like to offer, to the one or two people out there who probably read this, is to add you to our month e-mail update list. Every month we make it a priority to send out a lovely shiny pdf file with recent news, pics and prayer points. If anyone is not currently signed up for that and they want to be please feel free to drop a line to theemmersonfamily at gmail.com (obviously replacing at with the @ symbol) and we'll gladly add you.

Alternatively we can also be found on Facebook, which we are a little better at keeping up to date. Search Vicky Emmerson or Dave Emmerson for our respective profiles.

We look forward to staying in touch through e-mail and facebook and ask for the forgiveness of those of you who are partial to this blog. Love in Christ - Dave, Vicky, Elijah and Murdo (In Utero) x x x x

2011 Oh My Word!

2011-01-03T04:02:00.000-08:00

Hey folks

Happy New Year! We hope and pray you are all well and looking forward to what The Lord is going to do in your lives this year. 2010 was a year in which God really taught us to trust in Him for everything, and although we are not there yet we can certainly see that He has been growing our faith. Because of this we are able to look ahead and know that God is going to lead and guide us through whatever may come our way this year.

Here are a few things we know are coming up in 2011, feel free to pray with us over these:

Port Elizabeth Trip (Jan 23rd-31st). We are off on a family holiday to PE for a week. As many of you know we feel God is possibly leading us there at some point in the future, perhaps to plant a Calvary Chapel. As we go there together for the first time and 'spy out the land' please join us in praying that God will really give us wisdom and that we'll all very much be on the same page about this.
Murdo's Arrival (March 16th ish). I don't know where to start here. Praise God that Vicky's mum, Elaine will be with us. Please pray that Vicky and Murdo will both be in full health and the labour will be trouble free. Please also pray for the paperwork that accompanies this - passports, duel citizenship etc - we have no idea how any of this works, especially as we are away from home!
Visa renewals (June). We can't believe our first two years are almost up. We are certain that God wants us to remain in South Africa until further notice and so we're confident that the renewals want be a problem, but we do know how stressful and time consuming they can be. Prayer here would be greatly appreciated.
Furlough (Aug 19th to Oct 2nd). We are so excited to go home and visit all our friends and family, and to be able to introduce Murdo to them all. Please pray that our flights would all work out (we can't book Murdo a ticket until he is born and has a passport!), we'd have safe journeys and a really blessed and fruitful time in the UK.

2011 is shaping up to be a busy and exciting year, and who knows what else God has in store for us. What we do know is that 'And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose' (Romans 8:28). What a good God we serve. Thanks for your ongoing love, support and prayers.

Blessings in Christ - Dave, Vicky, Elijah and Murdo (In Utero!) x x x x

The Greatest Gift

2010-12-16T23:28:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share some thoughts I've been mulling over in regards to God's great gift to us at Christmas time. I hope they are as much of a blessing to you as they have been to me:

Forgiveness is the greatest gift we can receive at Christmas. It is also the greatest gift we can give.#*

‎* God's forgiveness towards us, as sinful rebels, embodied and enabled by Christ - born as a helpless baby, lived a perfect life, was crucified as an atonement for us and rose again victorious over sin and death! This is the greatest gift ever given at it is extended to one and all at Christmas time (and every other time of the year for that matter).

# In offering forgiveness to one another for wrongs committed throughout the year, or perhaps in years gone by, we are extending the hand of God, who's heart it that non should perish. Forgive someone this Christmas. Restore relationship. Then offer those who do not know our Lord an even greater gift - Eternal Forgiveness. Our forgiveness is needed, but not eternal. God's forgiveness is necessary and everlasting.

Praise God for Christmas!

Recent Video's

2010-11-23T02:11:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks

Here are a couple of fairly recent videos to give you a wee audio visual glimpse of our life. Hope you enjoy. We love you all tons, will write a real blog some time! Blessings - Dave, Vicky, Elijah and Bump x x x x

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT5dzvwYvq8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u958BXotw4c

Sorry for the links, I tried to embed them but it wouldn't work!

Jim LePage | WORD Designs | Strong Odors Competition

2010-10-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

This is so awesome I wanted to share it all with you. There is this guy right, called Jim LePage and he's a graphic designer. He is half way through creating a really cool serious of poster - it's called WORD. Basically each week he reads a book of the Bible and then creates a poster image based on that particular book. I'd stronly suggest you check it out for yourself at jimlepage.com

Any Jim was recently interviewed by the nice people at Strong Odors (don't worry, it's not as smelly as it sounds). The interview is great and gives some good insite into his WORD project. Also there is a really cool competition where you can win one of Jim's design in print form. Go to www.strongodors.com

I really dig this project as it is totally smashing bible-art stereotypes. It is more creative than any other art based on the Bible that I've ever seen in my life. Awesome stuff

Peace - Dave

Missionary Rock!

2010-08-30T03:41:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

As you know we like to raise awareness of awesome free music available for your listening pleasure every know and then. Well this here is a bumper list of such lovely music, with a slight twist. It is all free download material but if you should feel like leaving a tip you will infact be supporting missionaries in their work for The Lord. Enjoy! - Dave

The Jim Achen Band - Songs For Me (Not For You) And Other Oddities

www.noisetrade.com/jimachen

The third album from The Jim Achen Band (brain child of Scott Key) is by far their best. They hugely Sublime influenced Jim Achen take a large spoon full of Long Beach-esque raggae-punk and mix in pretty much any thing else you can think of to get a sound that is all their own. Scott brought a bunch of friends on board for this album and if you listen carefully you might even hear my dulcet tones in there!

Dragged Out - Complete Discography

www.noisetrade.com/draggedout

Finally a definitive collection of everything (all seven songs!) my punk band Dragged Out ever recorded. Short, fast punk songs to shout along with in praise of our Lord Jesus. If you hold off a week or so to download this one there will be a bonus track up there with the complete story of Dragged Out.

Mutinous Wonderflesh Vs The Body Under The HEAD: A Tribute To Blaster The Rocket Man

www.noisetrade.com/mutinouswonderflesh

Originally released as a D.I.Y. CDR affair back in 2007, this tribute to Indianapolis' Blaster The Rocket Man has been completey revamped and formally unleashed upon the world. Complete with original artwork by Joe Whiteford of Calibretto/ Harley Poe fame and bonus material (an audio version of a Poem by Otto Bot himself and a full audio commentary), this is not to be missed. Covers by Mercury Radio Theatre, Hit The Deck, Our Corpse Destroyed and many more, reflect the timeless nature of Blaster's original wacky sci-fi horror punk masterpieces. This one is not for the faint hearted.

Bulldogs and Safety Pins: A Punk Rock Compilation

www.noisetrade.com/bulldogsandsafetypins

A unique glimpse into the vibrant UK Christian punk scene circa 2005. This is a very important snapshot in time and a compilation that couldn't have happened anywhere else at any other time. A priceless piece of history that is yours for the taking.

ZAP-O-MATIC: Songs of Acclaim for the Unsung Heroes

www.noisetrade.com/zapomatic

The key to understanding this release is in the title - these are songs of acclaim for the unsung heroes. Unsung heroes of the UK's alternative Christian music scene singing praised unto the ultimate unsung hero of all time - Jesus Christ. The bands cover a broad spectrum of music from punk-to-pop-to-rock-to-metal and back again, all with one purpose in mind - glorifying God. You may not love every song on this release but there is something for everyone here.

Farm Ministry Pics and Update

2010-08-13T00:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone

Mike and Misty's friend from the states recently visited and took some great pics of the kids on Vlakde, one of the farm communities where we minister to the kids on a weekly basis. We thought we'd post some of them for you all to enjoy.

We would ask that you please pray with us for these children. They are so precious to us and it is obvious that a number of them really have given their hearts to The Lord. Unfortunately the temptations that surround them are so strong and we have noticed a great number of them getting involved in drugs, boys and girls, even kids as young as 8 have been sucked it. It is a trend that greatly concerns us and we know that only God can break the vicious cycle and given them a hope and a future.

Thanks for your prayers, God Bless - Dave, Vicky, Elijah and Wombdweller #2 x x x x

Update time, august 2010

2010-08-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

Emmerson Update August 2010

Hey everyone, welcome to the August edition of our monthly update, we've got lots of really exciting stuff to share with you...

Vicky is Pregnant!

We found out a couple of weeks ago that Vicky is pregnant! She is now about 8 weeks in and we have been for the first scan, which revealed that the baby is well and progressing at a healthy rate. We are so thankful to God for blessing us with another child and can't wait to find out if we're having a boy or a girl (at about 18 weeks). Vicky has been experiencing nausea almost 24 hours a day so we'd ask for your prayers for her that she'd get through the first trimester and that things would settle out a little after that. We've been trying to explain to Elijah that there is a baby in mummies tummy and he sometimes says 'baba' in response...we're excited for him to be a big brother.

Lydia's Visit

Dave's sister Lydia will be arriving with us on the 2nd of Sept to stay for two whole months and we can't wait! We're looking forward to being able to show her around Paarl and The Cape and to having someone around for extra laughs and giggles in the times when we feel lonely. Elijah is going to love having is Auntie Lydia to play with too. We're also looking forward to taking Lydia with us to the Calvary Chapel Africa Conference in October. Praise God that He has made it possible for Lydia to come and visit with us.

Bible Memory Verses

We are so proud to be able to see how well the children on the farms are doing with their memory verses. A significant number of the children whom we have the privilege of ministering to at the farms of Vlakde and Vrymansfontein can now recite John 3:16 and Romans 10:9 word for word, with the biblical reference and tell you what it means. We are excited to see how this good seed planted in these young hearts will grow and bear good fruit! We'd ask that you please keep praying for a solution to our transportation issues as the youth from these farms are desperate to come to church each week but we just don't have any way of transporting them all there. It breaks our hearts to tell them that we can't pick them up for church.

Xenophobia

As some of you may have heard there were some Xenophobic attacks after the world cup here in South Africa (and especially in and around Cape Town) in which South African's attacked immigrants from countries such as Somalia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. A number of Zimbabweans in our congregation were directly affected by these attacks, although, praise God, none of them were physically harmed. It was very saddening to be here and to see this level of hatred taken out on innocent immigrants who are here legally. The attacks were very short lived and certainly not as bad as had been expected. Things have calmed down a lot now but tension is still high. Please pray that the underlying issues which cause these attacks would be tackled and dealt with effectively so that this does not happen again.

The Portland Family

We praise God with The Portland family for the safe arrival of a very health boy - Asher Lincoln Portland in mid July. We'd simply ask for your prayers for them as Mike, Misty, Michael and Asher adjust to life as a family of four and all the fun and the struggles that the first few months of life with a tiny baby can entail. Please pray that the church family would really step up to support, help and encourage them during these testing times and for God to be their comfort and guide. Thanks.

Another video is on the way

A friend of the Portlands, who is a professional cinematographer, recently visited Paarl for a week to get some footage of the church and the various ministries of Calvary Chapel Paarl Valley, including some scenes with the children on the farms. We'll be interested to see the outcome of his time spent filming here. As soon as this video is available to view on-line we'll let you know.

Prison Ministry

This continues to be a very fruitful endeavour with a good number of guys attending on a regular basis and great opportunities for teaching and discipleship. We have seen a few of the guys released and even been able to help one guy get back in to life outside of prison. Please pray that the Lord will draw guys in to the group, bring salvation to those who don't know Him and lasting growth in Him for those who do.

Prayer Points:

Praise God for the gift of another child
Praise God for Lydia's upcoming visit
Praise God for blessings the children's endeavors to memories scripture. Please pray that God's word would not return void (Isaiah 55:11)
Praise God for His continued blessings upon the ministry at Allandale Prison
Praise God for Asher Lincoln Portland's safe arrival and good health.
Please pray for Dave's written driving test on October 7th at 12.45pm
Please pray for God's provision of a Church minibus
Pray for Natasha, one of the youth from the farms we visit, who's baby is due in August.
Please continue to pray for our finances – God has blessed us with a new supporter this month, for which we are very grateful, but we have also had a number of supporters who's situations have meant they can no longer support us. We trust God will provide all we need.
Please pray for Vicky's health and well being during the pregnancy.
Please pray for an end of Xenophobia is South Africa and that the underlying issues would be dealt with effectively by central and local government.

As always we would just like to thank you for taking the time to read these updates and for joining with us in prayer. Your prayers are a very precious gift. Thanks for your support.

God Bless – Dave, Vicky, Elijah & Womb-dweller #2 Emmerson x x x x

Elijah's First Birthday

2010-07-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone

It was Elijah's birthday on Saturday and we had such a blast. Many thanks to everyone who sent a card, e-mail, sms, and/or came along to the party, you all made the day so special for Elijah and for us. Eli loved all of the attention, cards, presents and of course his first cup-cake!

Here are a few pics of the fun!

And a video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPpVWx2mfdg
Love you all very much, all the best - Dave, Vicky and Elijah x x x

Latest Video Update

2010-06-17T01:04:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone,

Hope you enjoy this new video which documents a week in the life of The Emmersons.

Blessings - Dave, Vicky and Elijah xx

Mutinous Wonderflesh Vs The Body Under The HEAD: A Tribute To Blaster The Rocket Man

2010-05-18T03:21:00.000-07:00

The long since dead Blaster The Rocket Man tribute is coming alive and available for download at

www.noisetrade.com/mutinouswonderflesh

Featuring awesome covers by Calibretto, The Jim Achen Band, Mercury Radio Theater, Hit The Deck, Hyperdrive Go!, Our Corpse Destroyed and The American Culture eXperiments this 19 track album spans the whole career of Blaster in a variety of styles and genres and brings into relief the widespread and long lasting influence Blaster The Rocket Boy/Man have had upon the punk. hardcore and alternative music scenes.

Free to download with the original cover art by Joe Whiteford and new bonus material including a poem written by Otto Bot himself. Go download it now!!

A New Blog...

2010-05-13T05:15:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

Just wanted to let you know that I have started a new blog over here:

Theos Logos Arkhaios Logos - On Biblical Archaeology

As you can see it is about Biblical Archaeology but also has a distinct twist towards Christian Apologetics. I hope as you read you will be edified. Many Blessings - Dave

March and April in photos

2010-04-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

Creating Time

2010-04-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

Well finally after 10 months after the birth of our rambunctious little Eli I've decided to get a little creative. It started with me deciding I could just as well make myself a cute little hair band rather than pay the R40 they seem to charge in the shops (also I just thought it'd be nice to see what I could come up with). Well I quite enjoyed making that little band and so I made more, some for friends, a couple for some little girls I know. So I just thought I'd share with you a couple I made recently.

Reflections on a Decade in Punk

2010-04-17T04:21:00.000-07:00

It came to my attention this week that it's over ten years since I first heard of punk and began to explore and enjoy it. I felt that an appropriate way to celebrate my decade as a punk would be to write a sort of retrospective article on my experiences and the things I've learned through my involvement in punk rock for these past ten years. So here goes...

I come from a family of music lovers and was introduced to a wide variety of music as I grew up. As soon as I was old enough I began to buy singles on cassette tape and then on CD. It is hard to describe and sounds kinda strange but I always had a deep longing for an unknown form of music that suited me. I literally chased music but every single purchased just left me empty and still longing to find the music that fit me. Ultimately I would learn that this longing needed to be filled by God and not by any particular type of music, but punk actually helped me come to this realisation. I was 16 years old and studying for my G.C.S.E's when I first heard Blink 182 on Steve Lemacq's show on Radio 1. I'm no longer a fan of Blink but they introduced me to pop-punk and when I heard them I instantly knew that I had finally found the genre I'd been searching for all those years. My journey in punk began with Blink 182 in autumn of 1999.

One of my friends at school was a guy from Australia called Rory. His Dad was working in the UK for a couple of years and the whole family had moved over. Rory was into punk and hardcore...probably the only guy in the school who was. He lent me music by Green Day, Blink 182, Offspring and The Living End. I couldn't get enough, I loved the speed, aggression and edge that these guys had. BUT after a few months of listening to this stuff I could see the negative effect it was having upon my life...I was becoming angry, bitter and using language that I knew was unacceptable as a Christian. I eventually gave the CD's back and temporarily gave up on punk all together. I was so dejected, I had finally found the music that I'd been searching for and I'd had to give it up because it was so negative. I felt like I'd never be able to enjoy music again, everything else was weak in comparison to what I'd be listening to and enjoying. What to do? I knew I'd made the right decision and so I asked God for some Christian punk if at all possible.

It was probably a couple of months later when I was in the local Christian music store, a stuffy little place run by very nice old ladies who were going a bit deaf (you know the sort of place). This was the last place I expected it find punk but I was back on the search for music again and browsing through the piles of boring Contemporary Christian Music. Suddenly at the back of a rack I found a brightly coloured CD with a cartoon of a skateboarder pulling a grab with the letters M X P X scrawled across it. This looked interesting. I opened it up and looked at the photos inside...the band all had bleached hair, black shirts, converse allstars and ripped pants on with chains and the like all over them...and they were playing their guitars really low down. Could they be punk? Could they be Christian punks?? I hurried over to the counter in a rush of excitement and ask the lady if I could listen to the CD...as the first chord blared from the stores stereo system I knew that these guys were in fact punk and that God had answered my prayer...I'd found a Christian punk band! I saved up my money and bought 'Let It Happen' by MXPX on my last day of school in the summer of 2000.

That autumn I moved schools for my A Levels and made friends with a bunch of guys who also liked punk. I started to wear more baggy clothes, a chain and all. I pretended I could skate. I listened to a lot of pop punk (though to make it seem cooler I called in skate punk!). It was at this point in time that I began to go by the name Emo because it was a shorted version of my surname and because we were calling pop-punk 'emo' because of all the songs about girls and emotions etc. I began to find out that there were other Christian punk bands through MXPX's then record label Tooth and Nail records. I heard a few T and N samplers and began to listen to Ghoti Hook, Value Pac, Hangnail and Dogwood. I was so happy to be able to listen to punk that had spiritually edifying lyrics as well as awesome music! It was also during this time that I found out that there were Christian Punk bands in the UK too! Cephas were the most notable along with Zedisforzebra, Decapolis and Gopherwood. I had the pleasure of seeing most of these bands in the summer of 2002 at Greenbelt Festival.

In Autumn 2002 I moved to Glasgow to begin my studies at uni. Within weeks of moving there I met Dan Petersen and his family which I can only thank God for because of the huge Godly influence they've been on my over the years. The story of our meeting bears telling - it must have been early 2003 and I was at a city-wide praise and pray night in which all the Christian Unions in Glasgow got together to pray. As I mingled I noticed a guy walk past with a shirt that said 'The Huntingtons: An American Punk Band'. Now I loved the Huntingtons so there was no way I was gonna miss an opportunity to meet a fellow fan. As I approach the man I would later come to know as Dan I was struck by his unusual appearance...yes this guy was obviously a fellow punk! I asked 'hey man, do you like the Huntingtons' and received the reply 'Yea, my band played a couple of shows with them'...Dan became my instant hero and I will admit that I hero-worshiped the guy for a good number of years after this point. I would later learn that he was in fact human and fallible too and stop worshiping him (a good thing). Dan began to introduce me to what I referred to as 'Old School Punk' at that point in time, but would simply call punk now...the real kind! He lent me CDs by One 21, The Blamed, Crashdog, Ballydowse, Crux, Thee Pirates, Ninety Pound Wuss et alle. I hated this stuff, thought it was too noisy, lacked quality and wasn't really punk, more like metal or something! How wrong I was...years later some of the same CD's Dan lent me would take their place among my all time favourites!

Within the year The Petersen family and I attended a mini-fest in Livingston at which Cephas and Gopherwood were playing. This would turn out to be a very important day...this was the day I met all the guys who made up Wake N The Dead, a punk/metal/alternative collective of Christians who had a home church and organised gigs etc. I can still remember Stuart Gilmore's face when he realised that the lead singer or Blaster The Rocket Man was in the room and Dougle taking of his shirt whilst pogoing to Cephas! Dougle and Dan would later go on to form Voice Of The Mysterons, quite possibly the best and definitely the most influential Christian Punk band to ever come out of the UK. Over the next few years it was my pleasure to get to know the Wake N The Dead guys better and be part of this little community of punks and freaks who loved Jesus and wanted to serve him in the scene and reach out to other disenfranchised youths. God used these guys and this community to really grow and mature me and to teach me that I could be a punk and a Christian and still be effective for Christ.

By my second year at uni (2003-2004) I was listening to less pop-punk and more punk punk, particularly enjoying the street punk and early 80's sounds of One 21, The Deal, Hit The Deck and The Culprits. I had the privilege of being involved in promotions, organising gigs in Glasgow and generally trying to promote the underground Christian music scene UK wide. Through this I met so many awesome guys who loved God and really wanted to use their music to glorify Him and reach a dying world with the good news of Jesus Christ. Another cool aspect of being in Glasgow is that there were a lot of bands that played there and I got to see Thrice, Stretch Arm Strong, MxPx, mewithoutYou and Comeback Kid during my time in Glasgow. Often times I'd get to hang out with fellow believers who came over from Northern Ireland to see these bands. These times became known as 'glorious mayhem', we had lots of good clean fun and many laughs. Another notable character from this period in time is Doug Watson, who ran the music section in the local stuffy Christian book store and was a real deal punk rocker. Born in London Doug was a teenager in the late 70's and grew up with all the early punk bands. He saw The Clash's first ever gig and was at the first Ramones show in the UK. He later became a roadie for Sham 69 before coming to The Lord. He remains good friends with many of those old punkers and has loads of cool stories to tell like how he share the gospel with Joey Ramone! This guy was such an blessing to me, always taking the time to encourage me in my relationship with The Lord as well as sharing the latest news on the punk bands we loved etc. I'm so thankful that God gave me this good, Godly, punk rocking role model to look up to!

By my final year at uni (2005-2006) I had completely traded in pop punk for 'real' punk and was even venturing into the more unknown territory of hardcore. Comeback Kid really enabled me to embrace hardcore as they had just enough punk elements to keep me interested but also enough hardcore to help me enjoy and appreciate other hardcore bands. I began to listen to Nodes of Ranvier, No Innocent Victim, xLooking Forwardx, Ten33, Shockwave and Taking Names whom I saw live that year along with Seventh Star. This was the year of new beginnings - I graduated uni, married my lovely fiancee Vicky and quit the promotions game. It seemed like the music I was listening to kinda matured as I did. I knew I had to get out of promotions as it had just grown old, tiresome and stale. If I'm honest with myself now when I look back I had been doing it for all the wrong reasons anyway...I wanted people to think I was cool!

2007 was probably one of the strangest years of my life. I think this was when I finally came to the realisation that, even though I was a committed Christian, I had worshipped music as an idol for my whole life. I had pursued it until I finally found something that I enjoyed and then had pursued punk into hardcore in the ever deepening quest for the song or the band that would fill the whole in my life. I saw that I would never find that in music...I could only have the need fulfilled in God. It would take me a long time to put this knowledge to practical us (I still struggle now!) but it was like God flicked the light switch and I could see it all for what it was at last. I was this year that I began to try to pursue God rather than music and also to serve Him through music. I got more involved in my local church and served on the worship team. I started a recording project with Dougle from Wake N The Dead and Voice Of The Mysterons. We were called Dragged Out and we recorded four songs with blatant Christian lyrical content in the hopes of reaching the hearers with the gospel of Jesus.

In late 2007 Vicky and I followed God's leading to move to Shotts to get involved in ministry in a more serious way. I was no longer so narrow minded musically - I still loved (and still do love) punk and hardcore but began to listen to more alternative and indie types of music notably mewithoutYou, The Blue Letter, Jose Gonzalez, Derek Webb, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Devotchka, Sufjan Stevens, Half-handed Cloud, The Psalters and the like. It was here that I began to cavort musically with my Pastor and long term good friend Scott Key (also of Voice of The Mysterons) within his solo project The Jim Achen Band. We just had fun with music, it wasn't too serious and it was never rushed. We played a gig with Rodent Emporium and recorded some songs that went out as a digi-release on iTunes called 'Songs For Me (Not For You) And Other Oddities'. It was fun and I am so thankful to God for Scott and all I have learned about music, recording, Christian life and ministry from Scott and the whole Key family over the years.

September 2009 saw us move with our son Elijah, to Paarl, South Africa, following God's call to full time overseas missions. Entering another culture, another world, can be hard at the best of times especially when the subculture you love is such a foreign concept. Punk is a relatively western phenomenon and is largely a white man's creation. I have had to learn to tone it down and when my personal interests should and should not be part of my ministry. I guess more and more it is about learning to die to yourself and becoming 'all things to all men that by all possible means I might save some' (1 Corinthians 9:22). I'm still a punk at heart and I always will be but sometimes I need to lay that aside so as not to cause others to stumble (1 Corinthians 8:13). Being here has made me see how much I took for granted the community of Christian punks and wierdos that I was part of back in the UK. There is nothing like that here as far as I can tell, though slowly I am finding out about a growing number of christian hardcore bands here in S.A. which is encouraging. I have had the wonderful privilege of meeting a number of indie kids who are making cool music for the Lord and even been able to record a few songs too, which has been fun. I'm learning more and more that music is a tool to aid worship, not the object of worship itself and that although punk will always be my first love musically speaking, it is not the be all and end all of music for me anymore.

I'd like to wrap up this long, rambling and at times rather incoherent monologue by listing off a few very important things that God has taught me through my involvement with punk in the past decade:

You can be a Christian and a punk
Just 'cause a band is 'punk' doesn't mean they are ungodly
Just because a band are 'Christians' doesn't mean they are good musically or morally
You can be a Christian and highly involved in the counter culture
As a Christian you're involvement in the arts, music etc must be genuine. If you get involved just to 'save souls' without coming alongside people they will soon see your true colours and you'll have the opposite effect you were hoping for.
You should be bold for Christ when reaching out to the unsaved, they may not agree with your views but they are more likely to respect the fact that you stand for something and you will then be able to evangelise them in a more fruitful manner
All of this takes long term commitment
Compromise is a killer. We need to be in the world but not of it 1 John 2: 15-17
Clothes and hairstyle don't make you a Christian. Equally they don't stop you from being one.
I learned a healthy (emphasis on the word healthy...we must also submit to this authority because Christ told is to) distrust for politics, government and the rule of man from punk. I also learned that is is okay to differ in your political views from other Christians as long as Christ remains our focus we should be able to get along fine.
Autonomy is Anarchy and Anarchy is Slavery (to ourselves and our sinful desires)
Punk can actually be really complex, technical, well written music and contain thought provoking, intelligent lyrics. A friends of mine one called this Intelli-Punk
The Christian music industry is as evil and corrupt as the secular one, actually for the most part it is own by the secular industry. Most Christian music is created to be just like whatever is popular at the time and is designed to get you to buy it. Christ is not at the centre of the Christian music industry...I'd happily see it fall to the ground.
The spirit of D.I.Y. and Bricolage are indispensable not only to the punk scene but also to this world. For far to long we have been enslaved to media standards that tell us that is its not plastic and shiny it's not high quality...this couldn't be further from the truth and some of my favourite music has been produced and released entirely independently.
Community is so important for us, not only as Christians but as people. I would not be the man I am today without all of the names listen about and so many more. In fact if I listed all these names this blog would double in length. God used them to encourage, challenge, rebuke and build me up. Christ and our love of music united us.
Music is not enough. A friend of mine one sang 'I put my faith in the music, that's when I started to lose it'. Christ must be the centre of our lives and the object of our worship...music cannot save our souls or change the world...only Christ can.
If people don't get it, tell you that you shouldn't wear skulls and cross bones, or that punk is ungodly just forgive them. People often fear what they don't understand, lets now give them any more reasons to condemn all punk as ungodly. Focus on serving God and reaching those whom you are relevant too and don't worry to much about the rest.
Don't worship men, no matter how many cool bands they've been in or how cool they may look...they are only men after all, made in the image of the invisible just like you.
Be prepared to lay aside your image, music and others passions in order to pursue the leading of God. If what you are into is gonna hinder people from coming to God or stumble those who are young in the faith then lay it aside for the sake of the gospel.

I hope and pray that this ridiculously long article will be of use and of blessing to those of you who have taken the time to read through it.

Thanks for your time, God Bless you - Dave 'Emo' Emmerson, April 2010

Sponser A Zombie Programme (SPAZ)

2010-04-06T06:47:00.001-07:00

I'd forgotten how awesome this is...enjoy!

Sponsor a Zombie from Harvey J. Wallbanger on Vimeo.

Some Thoughts (from other people) at Easter

2010-04-02T01:51:00.000-07:00

Jesus Christ suffered and died because God isn't willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. For the joy of being able to forgive, the joy of being able to make you a totally new person, the kind of person God wants you to be, and the joy of being able to wash you from all your sins and all y...our past and all the guilt, He endured the cross - Chuck Smith, What The World Is Coming To

It is with holiest fear that we should approach the terrible fact of the sufferings of Our Lord. Let no one think that these were less because He was more. The more delicate the nature, the more alive to all that is lovely and true, lawful and right, the more does it feel the antagonism of pain, the inroad of death upon life; the more dreadful is that breach of the harmony of those whose sound it torture - George MacDonald, 'The Eloi' from Unspoken Sermons Series 1

No one took His life from Him, He laid it down freely. But if He wills to die and by the same power picks it up again - what then? When the rock of fact rolls back in creeping dawn's eerie light - grave mouth yawns at you, empty within - what then? Are you going to dress up in His grave clothes and just hope to God nobody knows? That no body shows with flesh and bones, no voice to call you out...O crucified and risen God who suffers in our suffering, do we spurn the proof of love or turn and take you in? - Voice Of The Mysterons - We Are The Death Of God Movement (This Is New Creature Rock)

Any theory of hallucination breaks down on the fact (and if it is invention [rather than fact], it is the oddest invention that ever entered the mind of man) that on three separate occasions this hallucination was not immediately recognized as Jesus (Lk 24:13-31; Jn 20:15; 21:4). Even granting that God sent a holy hallucination to teach truths already widely believed without it, and far more easily taught by other methods, and certain to be completely obscured by this, might we not at least hope that he would get the face of the hallucination right? Is he who made all faces such a bungler that he cannot even work up a recognizable likeness of the Man who was himself?" - C.S. Lewis, Miracles

Hope these get you thinking, have a great Easter folks, praise God that He is Risen! All the best - Dave, Vicky and Elijah x

Mirror Mind's Marvellous Moment

2010-03-12T10:58:00.001-08:00

“Artist...I'm an artist, I love art, you just don't understand me man”.

   How man times do I have to say it?

“It's not weird, it's art dude”.

   Music is my favourite form of art, I mean can you think of a better way to express and praise The Lord? Music like Handel's 'Messiah', Sufjan Steven's 'Songs for Christmas' and 'The Liturgy of The Wretched Exiles' by Psalters simply exclaim the glory of God like nothing else can.

   Actually I think painting is my favourite form of art...I'm working on a piece based on Revelation 5, you know. Look at Salvador Dali's depiction of the Crucifixion, could anything be more moving than that?

   No scrap that, I've decided that literature is the greatest art for, because I'm really getting into writing this piece. But seriously, is there a clearer revelation of the character of Yahwah than in C.S. Lewis's Aslan or a more telling illustration of the Holy Trinity than in George MacDonald's 'The Golden Key'?

   Wait, I'm getting myself all tied up on knots, erm I need some time to think...

[Some time later]

GOD. God is the creator and source of all things. How could I be so foolish?! How could I confuse art with THE artist. Idolatry, idolatry, what foolishness is this, to worship the created instead of THE Creator. What better depiction of the Character of God than God Himself? Who reveals the Father to us better that Jesus, who can move us more deeply than the Holy Ghost?

How right the Psalmist was when he wrote:
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them. [Psalm 135: 15-18 KJV]

Oh God let my passion be for you and not for art. May my joy be in your presence, not in being creative. Help me find my identity in you and your love for me, not in the things I make. May my pride be in being a son of God, not an “artist man”.

Christian Hardcore in South Africa

2010-03-11T00:57:00.000-08:00

Some time back I posted about the lack of Christian alternative music here in SA. This post is a rebuttal of my earlier conclusion. I have finally begun to meet some punk and hardcore dudes over here and they have been informing me of a growing scene. Check out these awesome bands:

Straatligkinders [Street Light Kids] (Potchefstroom)
http://www.myspace.com/straatligkinders

Lost In Change (Pretoria)
http://www.myspace.com/lostinchange1

Show And Tell (Durban)
www.myspace.com/xshowandtellx

Crossing Point (Durban)
http://www.myspace.com/crossingpoint

New Altum (Cape Town)
http://www.myspace.com/newaltumband

A New Way To Donate

2010-03-03T00:23:00.000-08:00

Hey Friends

We just found out today that our support from Siloam Christian Ministries has gone online. So we thought we'd share the link with you.

http://www.siloam.org.uk/089.htm

If you feel led to support our missionary work out here in South Africa this would be a wonderful way to do so as Siloam can claim back Giftaid from the UK govt for every gift given (25% of the gift!).

God Bless - Dave, Vicky and Elijah E xx

New Video

2010-02-20T00:45:00.001-08:00

Hey Folks

Thought you might like to know there is a new video online for your viewing pleasure. It is 10 mins long and shows what we've been getting up to out here in SA recently. You can enjoy it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejtuU43nnz4

God Bless - Dave, Vicky and Chunk x x x

Good news and some

2010-02-18T05:05:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody

Thought we'd let you know that we finally managed to get the footage we shot in January off the camera and on to the computer. The quality isn't great as we've had to convert it from NTSC to PAL and then from VOB to MPEG but we have it at least! A new ministry video is on its way!

I began to study the book of Revelation this morning and wanted to share some encouragement from it for us all. I read chapter 1 this morning and the first thing that hit me was that on three seperate occassions within this opening chapter Jesus Christ is referred to or refers to himself as the Alpha and the Omega or the first and the last (verses 8, 11, 17). It is encouraging for us to know that even though the last days are going to be full of scary signs and wonders that the end is in His hands. We're living in days when people are always saying 'the world is gonna end' so it is reassuring to know that Jesus alone knows the end, it will only happen at his say so.

The other thing that struck me so hard about this introductory chapter to Revelation is that in John's vision Jesus is standing in the midst of the seven lampstands (verses 12-13 & 20). These seven lampstands represent the church. Seven is the number of completion in The Bible so just is standing in the midst of the complete church and that includes us today. In the crazy last days Jesus is still standing right there in our midst seeking to lead, guide, correct and comfort His church.

I don't know about you but I found this very encouraging. It is good for us to remember that our times are in God's hands and noone can bring them to an end but Him. It is a blessing to know that Christ is standing in our midst - he seeks a closeness with us that we so often take for granted. As James reminds us 'draw close to God and He will draw close to you (James 4:8).

Be blessed - Dave

Prayer Request

2010-02-06T03:02:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks

Just thought we'd ask if folks could please be praying for us as we are in search of a car and really need wisdom from The Lord on this.

When we first moved here it seemed that we were not going to be able to buy a car in South Africa as second hand cars really hold their value here. However over time we have found that what little savings we do have will actually be enough to buy us a very good second hand car if we look in the right places.

Dave is no legally entitled to own and register a car in his name (after doing some paper work here) and so we are looking into some ads and have taken a couple of cars for test drives. Obviously second hand cars can be quite dubious so we really need wisdom from God to pick one that is sound and is going to last us a good number of years.

Please pray for a car with us, one that has working seatbelts, four doors, and will be very reliable. Thanks so much, we really appreciate your prayers - Dave, Vicky and Eli xx

Awesome Free Christian Hip-Hop

2010-01-15T10:08:00.001-08:00

Hey folks

Follow this link for some fantastic Christian hip hop from Lamp Mode Recordings, the home of 'Lyrical Theology'!

http://www.lampmode.com/resources/free-music/grass-roots-2/

Emmersons Update January 2010

2010-01-13T04:16:00.000-08:00

Dear family, friends, brothers and sisters we hope and pray that this update finds you well.

Christmas / New Year
Happy New Year! Our first Christmas away from home was blessed. Though we missed all everyone back home, we had a lovely Christmas day with The Portland family and welcomed the new year in with friends from Calvary Chapel Cape Town.

Elijah
Eli continues to grow and develop at a rapid rate. He is continuing to enjoy eating a variety of solid foods and really loves his fruit and veg, for which we praise God. His favourites are Carrot and Apple (no not in the same dish!). This passed weekend he crawled for the first time but has refused to do a repeat performance. For the time being he seems to be content with doing the worm to get around which is very amusing. We praise God for this little guy every day, he is such a huge blessing to us.

Prison Ministry
Things have been reshuffled somewhat with the Prison Ministry. The organisation that we work with, CMA or Christian Motorcyclists Association, have expanded this outreach and are now going to six prisons in the area. We (Mike and Dave) have been assigned to Allendale Prison which is in Paarl itself, and are going to be holding a church service there for the prisoners once a week. I (Dave) am excited to share the god news of Jesus Christ with these guys and will be teaching every other week or so. Please pray that the inmates will really see there need for Christ and that we will see a great harvest.

Ministry Video
We have started to film another ministry video. For those of you who did not see it the first one is here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEcelusNtdg. Mike and Misty have kindly lent us their video camera so hopefully the video footage will be much higher quality this time. We are going to be filming all through this month and hope to get the new video online by early February. Please pray as we have been having some technical difficulties with getting the footage off the camera and onto a computer.

Holiday Bible Club
From the 2nd to the 10th of January a team was here from The Portland's sending church. While they were here we prepared and ran a holiday Bible Club with the farm kids who we minister to each week. There were about 70 kids attending the club and the Lord really blessed it. Many kids gave there lives to Jesus and they were encouraged to really live their lives for Him. Please pray that these children will really begin to walk with Jesus day by day and that Vicky and I would have wisdom and we meet with and teach them each week.

Are we living in the last days?
This Sunday at Calvary Chapel Paarl Valley we are beginning an eight week series on the end times. We have been studying through the Book of Mark and as we reach Chapter 13 Pastor Mike will be slowing down and focusing on Jesus' words in regards to the last days whilst referencing other keys texts such as Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation. We have advertised this series via a mail out and are really praying that this will attract those with questions about end times issues and life after death. Please join us in praying that this series will bring souls to Christ.

Visitors in 2010
We are looking forward to visits this year from both sides of the family and from several different sets of friends. If you are looking for an exotic place to go on holiday this year please let us know, there is always room at the Emmerson house for guests!

Prayer Requests

For Wisdom as we lead the kids clubs on the farms. For such compassion and love towards the kids and that we would make it loads of fun for them. That the children would respond to the message of Jesus love for them.
For God's blessings upon the Prison outreach. That the inmates would be saved and then become disciples of Jesus.
For the last days bible series to be fruitful for The Lord.
For the homeless guys in the park near us to come to salvation
For God's continued provision for us in His terms, in his perfect will and timing.

We love you all very much and look forward to hearing from you.
God bless and keep you all – Dave, Vicky and Elijah x x x

Dunked

2009-12-31T02:50:00.000-08:00

Well folks, it's been a long time in coming and there are no real reasons why it's not been done as yet, on Sunday afternoon I (Vicky) will be getting baptised. No rivers or lakes but a friends pool. I have been realising of late what a wonderful thing it is to give glory to God in obeying one of the New Testament commands and do wish it had have been done sooner but still God's timing is perfect in all things, and His grace covers all.

I read recently a small chapter concerning batism (the yes's and no's of infant/adult baptism etc) and realised something, the MEANING of baptism itself.
"What then is the positive meaning of baptism? The amazing truth of passing through the waters of judgement safely, of dying and rising with Christ, and of having our sins washed away, are truths of momentous and eternal proportion and ought to be an occasion for giving great glory and praise to God. (my emphasis added)"

I hope and pray you are enjoying this season and that you have a blessed New Years Eve tonight.
God Bless - Vicky xxx

More awesome free music at Christmas time!

2009-12-17T04:27:00.000-08:00

Sounds Familyre, arguably the best record label for Christian Indie and Alternative music, are giving away to free Christmas albums for your enjoyment, so go there, download the songs and be blessed this Christmas!

http://www.soundsfamilyre.com/blog/2009/12/02/a-familyre-christmas-is-back/

http://www.soundsfamilyre.com/blog/2009/12/02/a-familyre-christmas-vol-2/

Shalom - Dave

My tropical Christmas and the deep thinking it has inspired.

2009-12-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me will be aware that this is a time of year that often inspires me to get philosophical and quite outspoken. You will also be well aware by now, I am sure, of my absolute hatred of all the blatant commercialism and mindless consumerism that so often accompanies this precious season. Christmas has become just one more pointless spending frenzy in the capitalists calender and far removed from the real reason for celebration, the ultimate gift to mankind - Jesus Christ come to earth!

With all of this anti-materialist sentiment racing around in my head it was a total shock to me to find that I too had associated certain material things and physical conditions to 'Christmas'. Being here in South Africa where Christmas is pretty much a non-event and the level of celebration is fairly minimal, I actually found it hard to get thinking about Christmas because I hadn't seen any decorations and I had not heard any Bing Cosby songs at the mall. The fact that we are in deepest summer also made it hard for me to really get into 'Christmas mode' - I just couldn't get my head around it. You see I have spend the first 25 years of my life subconsciously associating the celebrations of Christ birth with the deep midwinter, snow, frosty windows, 'White Christmas' by Bing Cosby, and all the tacky festive decorations known to man.

Then a loving friend reminded me rather sharply that I hate Christmas decorations, plastic Santas and Bing Cosby and that the lack of these things was in fact a blessing - to be free of these distractions should enable me to focus on the real reason for celebration. I was missing the point that I'm actually better off without the fake Christmas nonsense that is 'missing'!

My encouragement to all of you out there is to get away from the lights, sparkly things, deep greens, vivid reds and fluffy whites that pervaid this time of the year and get alone with the Christ himself...forget the Christmas season and spend some time with Jesus, the best gift you can give and/or recieve this year, it will open your eyes and change your life!

God Bless, have a great CHRISTmas and New Year - Dave

Geseënde Kersfees

2009-12-08T06:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters

We want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and offer you a little present to celebrate the greatest gift of all - the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord!

Head over to http://www.last.fm/music/dandandanceoff/Geseënde+Kersfees for free downloads of three songs. We must acknowledge our debt to George Hugo in helping bring this project together.

Much love, hope you enjoy the music and have a wonderful CHRISTmas. Peace - Dave, Vicky and Elijah x x

Preaching the Word of God.

2009-12-01T07:15:00.000-08:00

Throughout the history of the church the greatest preachers have been those who have recognised that they have no authority in themselves and have seen their task as being to explain the words of scripture and apply them clearly to the lives of their hearers. Their preaching has drawn its power not from the proclamation of their own Christian experiences or the experiences of others, nor from their own opinions, creative ideas, or rhetorical skills, but from God's powerful words. Essentially they stood in the pulpit, pointed to the Biblical text, and said in effect to the congregation, "This is what this verse means. Do you see it here as well? Then you must believe it and obey it with all your heart, for God himself, your Creator and your Lord is saying this to you today!" Only the written words of Scripture can give this kind of authority to preaching.

Wayne Grudem - from Systematic Theology.

Upcoming Events

2009-11-20T01:20:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks

Thought I'd post a little blog about some cool stuff we've got coming up. On Monday Vicky's folks Pete and Elaine arrive into Cape Town. We are going to meet them and spend the first week of their visit there in Cape Town with them, doing the tourist bit. We are so looking forward to seeing them and getting to explore the city a little.

One Friday next week we will be heading back to the lovely daup of Paarl for the remaining two weeks of their stay. We have lots of cool places to visit with them, including a local Lion reserve and of course introducing them to all of the South African friends God has blessed us with in the past two and a half months.

Once Pete and Elaine head back to the UK it will almost be Christmas time. We are uncertain as to what Christmas will be like for us this year, but we are sure that it is going to be quite odd. We will be away from all of our friends and family and it will be midsummer...very odd! I (dave) have been working on a Christmas present for all of you lovely friends and family back home (and across the world). It is top secret but as soon as it is ready I promise to unvail it...

The new year will bring with it a team of americans, coming over from Mike and Misty's home church, to help us run a holiday club from the kids we minister too on the farms. We are really looking forward to seeing what God is going to do with this club and with the team while they are here.

Elijah is going from stength to strength, he is rolling so efficiently know that he nearly rolled off the bed this morning (don't call social work, we have learned our lesson!) and he has two teeth that are threatening to break through the gums any day now. He loves eating baby rice, giggling and blowing bubbles.

We love you all very much and miss you, hope you are keeping well. Please let us know is there is anything we can be praying for. God Bless - Dave, Vicky and Eli-mon The Roller-baby

The Jim Achen Band

2009-11-10T22:50:00.000-08:00

It brings me great pleasure to announce that my long term friends and recent music compadres The Jim Achen Band have just released a brand new 16 track album entitled, in typical Jim Achen fashion, 'Songs For Me (Not For You) and other Oddities'. This album has been a long time in coming and is, to my mind, their best release yet.

Please check out their brand new (and totally awesome) website www.jimachen.com where you can get a digi-download of the new album and find out more about the band.

God bless and good listening - Dave

Late News Breaking

2009-11-02T02:56:00.000-08:00

Dear Dearest

We hope and pray that this communication finds you strong, well and enjoying life. We have been quite busy of late and thought it high time we wrote a little on here or what we have been doing.

Farm ministry has been really blessed over the past few weeks, we are getting to know the kids and it seems they are beginning to get a little more comfortable around us. I (dave) am loving teaching them the Bible and the challenge I am present with in making it simple enough for them to understand yet deep enough to be meaningful.

Elijah had his second set of injects last week and they set him back a little, he had a bit of an upset week. On the whole though he is a high spirited wee fellow who is learning to use his body more and more effectively - he loves to sit up and to roll around on his play mat. He is nearly always smiley and just seems to love life. He is so precious to us and we can't thanks God enough for him.

God has been blessing us with some great ministry opportunities. It seems our home is always full of wafes and strays that God sends our way to minister too and it is a blessing to be able to host them. Last week a couple of homeless guys came over looking for some food and we were able to spend an hour sharing the Gospel with them! On Sunday we hosted a guy who is touring around South Africa going to Synagogues to talk to God's people about the Messiah. It was so amazing to see the simplicity of this mans life - he had a rucksack with all of his earthly possessions in it and relies upon God to provide him with food and places to sleep. He hitchhickes all around the country just going from synagogue to synagogue. Please pray for this guy.

Last weekend Mike was sick and so I (dave) was given the great privilege of sharing The Word with the church on Sunday morning. God really blessed this and it was cool to be able to help out in this way. God has really been speak to both Vicky and I so clearly about how he wants to use this time here in Paarl to mature us both spiritually and continue to mould, shape and equip us for whatever His future plans may hold for us here in South Africa. We are really excited to be made more like him as John 3:30 encourages us.

In three weeks Vicky's parents will be visiting us here in South Africa and we will be staying in Cape Town with them for about a week. We are so excited to see them and to be able to get to know CT a little (we haven't had chance to go there much yet). Christmas will follow shortly after they leave and then new year...it will be 2010 before we know it.

We would ask for your prayers for a couple of things

Spiritual Warfare - Things continue to break and go crazy over here...this morning an ATM decided to keep about £250 instead of dispensing it to me. I know have to play the middle man between two banks whilst trying to get that money back (it was towards our rent!). The car is still possing us with endless intermittent problems and we just feel a bit worn out. It can be tough on the front lines but we are determined to remain strong in Christ, we knew it wouldn't be easy. Prayer in this area is much appreciated
Our Financial Situation - We know God provides and we trust He will but we also know that he uses people to provide and we'd ask you to be prayerful about supporting us financially. We understand that these are hard times for everyone but even £5/$5 would make a big different to us every month. We need £1000/ $1650 a month to live and minister here and at the moment are only receiving £400! We are using up what little savings we have to live here and this won't last long. The £400 we receive at present doesn't even cover our rent! We also need to buy a printer in the coming month for use in ministry here in Paarl. Partnering with us enables us to continue the work of the kingdom here in Paarl where we are seeing lives changed for Jesus. Please prayerfully consider being part of the work God has called us to here and the great commission upon all of our lives. Thanks

Please drop us a line, we always love to hear from our friends and family across the globe and to be able to pray for you. Much love in Christ - Dave, Vicky and Elijah x x x

Facebook

2009-10-23T00:53:00.000-07:00

Dare I mention the F word on a google owned blog site? I'm afraid so...Vicky and I are both on Facebook now. I've noticed over the past few months that things on the old blogger are a little quiet. A little too quiet. If you are still reading this then we praise God...and we do intent to continue to post updates here. But you can also keep up to date with us on Facebook too...

Dave - www.facebook.com/dmemmerson
Vicky - www.facebook.com/vicksemmerson

See you on the FB, God Bless - DE

We're BACK!

2009-10-17T05:08:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone

Just a quck note to let you all know we are back safe and sound from the conference. We had a fantastic week, it was so blessed. The Bible teaching was solid, God spoke to both of us very clearly and we had so many wonderful times of fellowship with our brothers and sisters in The Lord.

We didn't really take many pictures but here are a few sepia numbers of our journey to the conference (it was pouring it down that day).

Please keep our exciting little car in your prayers as it is breaking down on an almost weekly basis now. It seems more and more likely that we will have to have the fuel tank replaced and we realise that this just needs to be covered in prayer.

Thanks and love, till next time - Dave, Vicky and Chunk x

Calvary Chapel Africa Conference

2009-10-10T07:41:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone

This is just a quick note to let you all know that we will be unavailable for the next week as we are going over to Simon's Town (a lovely coastal town near to Cape Town) for the Calvary Chapel Africa Conference.

We will be back intouch next weekend, take care - Dave, Vicky and Chunk x

Emmersons Update October 09

2009-10-08T05:01:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone

We are really excited to write our update this month and to let you all know what we have been up to over the past few weeks along with giving you a good idea of the ministry we are involved in here in Paarl.

It is now over five weeks since we arrived and for the most part we are all settled in. The past month has truly has been a story of God's faithfulness – every time we have faced difficulties he has provided the answer. He has graciously put people in our paths who have been able to give us advice of how things work here in South Africa and people with local knowledge who have helped us get on our feet. He has also provided for every adversity that has come our way, be it the car breaking down twice, the security gate lock wearing out or the utility floor flooding! We can honestly say that God has given us more peace and comfort then we thought imaginable and we just want to give Him all the praise and glory for it. Die Here is Goed (The Lord is good).

We have had some blessed fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ from the other Calvary Chapels here in The Western Cape. We had a joint prayer meeting last week for the upcoming Calvary Chapel Africa Conference (12-16 Oct) and it was such a joy to catch up with all the people we met at last years conference (which was a very special time for us as God used it to confirm our call here to South Africa and specifically to Paarl). It is such a blessing to see the unity in the body here and watch as the churches work together to organise the conference. We are really looking forward to it and excited to see how our Father will use it this year. We have also had the opportunity to visit the pastor and his wife of Calvary Chapel Somerset West, and also some friends of ours who run a farm ministry for ex-prisoners.

So what have we been up to I hear you ask eagerly! Here is a wee breakdown:

Monday – Family day. It is a blessing to be able to have a day together, especially after busy weeks.

Tuesday – Leadership Meeting (AM). I (dave) meet with Mike to pray and discuss the upcoming week along with any ministry issues etc.

– Bible Study (PM). We host the mid week study at our house which is a real blessing.

Wednesday – Ladies Bible Study (AM). Vicky meets with some of the ladies from the church to study the word together while Elijah and I hang out and try not to burn the house down!

– Admin/ Office Day (PM). We are working on a church website with the help of a friend in the UK which is exciting. Each week we edit the sermon and midweek bible study (which we record) and burn them to CD's for the congregation to take on the following sunday. Eventually these will be available through the website too.

Thursday – Prison Ministry (AM). Mike and I go to the Drakenstein Maximum Security Prison, which is where they held Nelson Mandela for the last few years of his time in prison, where we assist with a ministry run by the Paarl Bikers Church (yes you read that right!). We help run a weekly church service for the inmates. There is such a thirst for God in the prison and it is amazing to see how God is changing these guys lives for the better.

– Farm Youth Outreach (PM). It is such a blessing to be able to go to these two farms and minister to the kids through running kids clubs. There isn't much for them to do out there and so its great to be able to share the love of Christ with them in such a practical way. We sing songs, play games and share the Bible with them.

Friday – Paarl East Bible Study (PM). This is a weekly Bible Study in that coloured community of Paarl East. The aim to to be reaching out evangelically to the community here through the word of God. I have been given the privilege of teaching these from time to time which is a rather daunting but exciting task.

Saturday – Mens Prayer Breakfast (AM). This takes place on the first Saturday of each month and is a wonderful time for us guys to get together for prayer and fellowship.

- Street Witnessing (PM). We aim to go out once a month to meet folks on the street and talk to them about The Lord.

Sunday – Main Church Service (AM). There is always lots to be done first thing on Sunday mornings! I am playing Djembe in the worship team each week and helping with to set up the sound system. Vicky is teaching Childrens Church bi-weekly. Church is great, we have been so welcomed and accepted by our brothers and sisters in Christ here and there is a real family atmosphere.

In the midst of all this we are also trying to reach out to the local homeless community by spending time getting to know them and just sharing the love of Christ in practical ways. We have also been really enjoying going for short walks to a local nature area which has small reservoir where we feed the ducks and geese while Elijah looks on in astonishment!

Here are a few prayer points if you feel you would like to pray for us:

Please pray for Shane, a 14 year old boy we met on the street here. Please pray that God would provide for him and his family and that he would continue to come along to visit us and the church and know that he is loved by us and by God.
Praise God for his provision for us – our car is running great now and our floor is getting re-tiled as we type this.
Please pray for Elijah as it seems he has acid reflux and the doctors have put him on two medicines to help ease the problem. Pray for healing and a swift end to this season please.
Please pray for two Zimbabwean families in our church. Both couple have children still in Zimbabwe. Please pray that they can get the money to bring their kids here so that they can be a family again.
Praise God for giving us the opportunity to go to the Calvary Chapel Africa Conference this coming week.
Please pray for all the Children on the farms who we will be ministering to on a weekly basis. Pray that we would be a true representation of Christ to them and that along with having fun they can also learn about Him.
Praise God for the Churches new sound system and the opportunities it provides.
Please pray for Cornerstone Christian Ministries in Shotts. We love and miss all of our family there and ask that you'd pray for God to grew the work there and fill up all the gaps that are left now we are gone. Please pray that God would provide more helpers for Scott and Dani. Thanks.

We love you all very much, thanks for your continued prayers and all the words of support and encouragement you continually send our way. May God Bless you, keep you and make his face to shine upon you.

Until next time, God Bless – Dave, Vicky and Elijah x x x

The times they are a-changing!

2009-09-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

Welcome to the new look Emmerson Family Blog, we thought it was time we spruced it up a little. We will be refining it somewhat over the coming weeks but there won't be any more drastic changes.

We just noticed that we have only posted twice this month, sorry for the total lack of info, it has been a hectic month but a good once and despite all the craziness God has really shown himself faithful and more than capable of providing.

We love you and miss you, it is always a blessing to recieve a text or e-mail from you. Please keep us in prayer as we contine to settle in here and begin to get our teeth sunk in to missionary life and ministry here in Paarl.

More soon, love for now - Dave, Vicky and Elijah the talkative x x x

We're Online

2009-09-22T04:58:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

Great news...as of today we are officially online at home. The internet in South Africa is a little slower and more expensive than we are used to, so we won't be on all the time but we will definitely be able to be in contact more regularly than we have been for the past few weeks and you might even catch us on Skype!

God Bless, looking forward to catching up - D, V & E

We're Here!

2009-09-03T02:32:00.000-07:00

Dear all

Just a quick note - we arrived safe and sound, all glory to God for our great journeys. We will write more soon, we love and appreciate each one of you

Blessings - Dave, Vicky and Elijah x x x

With love...

2009-08-27T05:51:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

We thought we'd put one last post up on our blog before we head out to South Africa. We aren't sure how often we will be able to post blogs once we get out there, although we will be sure to post at least once a month to keep you up to date with our lives.

We also don't know how much internet access we will have after tomorrow as we have to post our wireless router back to our internet provider. So this is kinda goodbye for the moment :(

So we just want to share some of the blessings that God has been pouring out on us over the past few days...it has been a very emotional time and we are facing a great deal of uncertainty YET we know that God will take care of us and He has been reassuring us of this through his word.

"It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear" Isaiah 65:24

and

Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:31-34

How good is God? He knows our needs before we bring them to Him and He promises to take care of us. We love all of you guys very much and look forward to catching up with you soon. Please pray for our journey and the next few months of settling in to South African life. Many Blessings - Dave, Vicky & Elijah x x x

The Countdown Continues...

2009-08-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends

Thanks for all your prayers and support during this crazy season. We wanted to give a report of God's goodness, faithfulness and perfect timing - this week Elijah's Passport and Visa arrived safely in the post so there is now nothing holding us back from our planned move to South Africa on the 1st of September!

There have been some some days when we have felt very stressed and worried but through it all God has shown himself sovereign. Here are a couple of Bible verses that have been very encouraging to us at this time.

Luke 18:27
He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

We hope that they are an encouragement to you also that no matter what you find yourself in the midst of, God has a good plan for your life and He can do the impossible...He has for us!

God Bless, much love - Dave, Vicky & Chunk

The Postal Service Part II

2009-08-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

This envelope has now travelled between Shotts, Scotland and Larne, Northern Ireland on six different occassions. It is starting to fall apart a bit and I think there is more tape than envelope but the stamp, complete with Christmas 08 design, has still not been franked by our observant friend The Royle Mail! Tomorrow I will put it in the post for it's seventh journey and hope that it can come back to me unfranked just one more time before I leave for South Africa. Viva the unfranked envelope!

Elijah's Visa

2009-08-11T04:09:00.000-07:00

Well my friends, we want to thank you for your prayers concerning Elijah's passport and visa. This morning we received a call from the South African Embassy letting us know that Elijah has been granted his visa. It will be on it's way soon. The Lord is faithful indeed. It is only three weeks now until we leave and our suitcases are half full.
Thank you for continuing to pray for us, we can never tell you enough how much we need and appreciate it.
God Bless
Vicky

Update Blog August 09

2009-08-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

Here are a few highlights from the past month and coming up in the month ahead

- Elijah weighs 13lb now. He loves to smile and has even giggled a couple of times. Last night he slept from 11 till 6.45am!
- Elijah will be dedicated along with Myles Key on Sunday 30th of August. This will take place at Shotts Baptist Church from 6pm and everyone invited to join us. If you need more info please contact us.
- Dave has been busy recording some new songs with The Jim Achen Band alongside Jim, Scott and Gary. The album is set for release later on in the year and we will let you know once it is available.
- We have visited several local churches within the past month to share what The Lord has placed upon our hearts in relation to South Africa and the upcoming move. It has been a blessing to get to know more folks and know that people are praying for us.
- The Lord has blessed us with a number of financial supporters along with some very generous one off donations. We still have a monthly deficit but we are trusting God will provide that in due time.
- Dave & Vicky will be attending the Edinburgh Military Tattoo on Friday for one last evening out together before the big move. This is something we have never done so we are excited to be able to go. Elijah will be staying with his Gran & Pappa Joe.

Please pray:
- For Elijah's Passport and Visa to arrive in time for our trip. We still haven't heard back from the South African Embassy!
- For The Lord to provide all the monthly financial support we need. Could you partner with us in this endeavour to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to Paarl, South Africa?
- For our home fellowship - Cornerstone Christian Ministries - that the help we have been giving the work here in Shotts would be taken up by others in the Church, not just left on the shoulders of our pastor Scott and his wife Dani. Pray for the encouragement and edification of the saints.
- For travelling mercies, that our trip would go smoothly and we would arrive safe. Specifically that Elijah would do well on this long (over 24 hour) journey.
- That we would settle in well to Paarl and begin to work through culture shock and getting acclimatised (It is winter in Paarl right now but everyday of our so called summer it has been hotter in Paarl than it has here!).
- That we would build good strong new relationships in Paarl and be a blessing to all in the church and community there.
- For our relationships with our family here in the UK. We love them all so much and will miss them incredibly. Please pray that God will help us all adjust to this and provide miraculous ways for us to be able to see each other.
- Finally please pray for spiritual protection upon all three of us at this time as the enemy is really seeking any which we he can to bring us down and bring division. Please pray that all his attempts would be thwarted and we would stick close to God.

Many thanks, we appreciate you taking the time to read this and pray for us. We hope and pray you are safe and well. God Bless, until next time - Dave, Vicky and Elijah x x x

The Tacky T-shirt Parade

2009-07-29T23:47:00.000-07:00

People always insist on buying me cheesy t-shirts, I don't know why. Usually they are covered in a blazen Christian slogan, but of late people have another great reason to buy me aweful t-shirts - Fatherhood!

Thought I'd post these pics up here for the comedy value. If you can't laugh at yourself who can you laugh at!...

In Other News...

2009-07-21T02:43:00.001-07:00

A few items of interest:

Elijah Kaile Emmerson was weighed yesterday by the Health Visitor. He now weights 10lb and 10oz (just two ounces away from being eleven pounds!!).
We have been going around several churches over the past few weeks giving a powerpoint presentation about our upcoming move to South Africa with all the details about where we will be and what we will be doing. On Sunday (19th) we were are Calvary Chapel Glasgow. They recorded the presentation and it is now available for all to hear at http://www.calvaryglasgow.com/sermons/?p=477 You can also download the mp3 file and the powerpoint presentation.
Elijah will be getting dedicated on Sunday 30th of August at 6.30pm at Shotts Baptist Church, 24 Dyfrig Street, Shotts, ML7 4DH by our Pastor and close friend Scott Key. Myles Sebastian Key will also be dedicated during the same service. Please come along as this will be a very special occasion - it is our last Sunday in the UK!

Much love - Dave, Vicky and Elijah a.k.a CHUNK

Our Trip - In Full

2009-07-20T02:27:00.000-07:00

Okay Folks here is the scoop. We spend all last week journeying up and down the length and breadth of Britain taking Elijah to visit his extended family and taking the time to say goodbye to our loved ones before we head out for South Africa in September.

It was such a blessed time, we had great fun seeing everyone and received so much love and hospitality. It was a very emotional time for us as it really brought home the fact that we are leaving the UK soon and don't know when we will next see our family. But above it all we saw God's sovereign hand leading and guiding us and letting us know that we are cared for by the creator of all things. Without this reassurance there is no way we would be going to South Africa!

Here are some pictures of our trip for you to enjoy:

Funny side note - On the way back to my parents on Friday, my Dads car broke down. We had borrowed it as our little Philip isn't so healthy these days and we didn't think he would make all of those miles in one piece. So we spend two hours standing on the side of the road in the pouring rain waiting for the AA to recover us. When they finally got to us we were towed to a local garage where we had to wait another three hours just for them to tell us there was nothing wrong with the car. Thankfully by this point my parents had come down and collected Vicky and Elijah and my Dad was waiting with me. As we were told there was nothing they could do we began to drive back home and not surprisingly the car broke down again. After several attempts and restarting the car and breaking down again the AA finally loaded the car on the the back of a truck and relayed it back to my parents house, which is what they should have done in the first place. So getting the car an hours drive from the original breakdown site to my parents house took a total of 9 hours! If your thinking about getting breakdown cover, don't go with the AA!

Safe Home

2009-07-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

Just to let you all know that we are safe home from our crazy tour of the UK. We had a great time introducing Elijah to a great number of our family members. The hospitality we received was such a blessing and we are so thankful to God for all of his blessings upon our trip. There were also some pretty crazy times too, we will write all about it soon with pictures galore.

God Bless - Dave, Vicky & Elijah a.k.a Chunk Emmerson

Rodent Emporium at Cornerstone Festival '09

2009-07-10T03:07:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

Just thought I'd share these videos of my friends Rodent Emporium at Cornerstone Festival this year. These are really top notch guys and a great band. Their live shows are always lots of fun!

I tried to embed the videos but Blogger is having none of it. So click the links and enjoy!

www.cornerstonefestival.com/videos.php?v=15

www.cornerstonefestival.com/videos.php?v=47

Another last chance

2009-07-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

For anyone who never got to hear Dragged Out, you've got another chance. They are now all available for free download on NoiseTrade.com, a great free music site. Just click the widget below and enjoy!

Elijah Kaile Emmerson's UK TERROR TOUR 2009

2009-07-08T06:47:00.001-07:00

The time has come...the band is all rehersed and ready...the stage lights are packed up...the pent up excitement is tangible...it can only be Elijah's first UK tour! Thats right folks only two weeks old and Elijah is heading out on his first rock'n'roll adventure.

We are excited to be able to introduce Elijah to so many members of his extented family in such a short time. It will be nice to go ona family road trip together. We are praying that things go smoothly and that the wee man doesn't get to confused by all the changes of scenery.

Much love, till next time - Dave, Vicky & Elijah

Elijah the Terror: Scurge of all Sleep!

2009-07-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Thought you might like to see a few pics of our first few, sleep deprived, days at home with the wee man. We love him to bits.

More pics!

2009-06-30T02:55:00.000-07:00

The Happy Family at home

Meeting Ruaraidh Martin

Dad's Haircut:

Before

During

and After

Can you guess what this Heart Shaped Stain is?

Elijah comes home

2009-06-28T02:42:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks, just wanted to share some wonderful news with you all - Elijah is home with his family and settling in to life outside of the womb. Here are the promised pics of our wonderful God-given son:

Elijah 'the terror' Emmerson has arrived!

2009-06-26T13:37:00.001-07:00

We are proud to announce the birth of Elijah Kaile Emmerson. He arrived at 3.01am this morning (26/06/09) and weighed in at 9lb 5oz.

Vicky and Elijah are both in good health and the wee man has made good progress today with his sleeping and feeding.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts, prayers, kind words, gifts, texts, calls and e-mails at this time. The love and concern you have shown for us and the latest edition to our family has been overwhelming.

We just feel so blessed to have been given a son. As Psalm 127: 3 says 'Children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward'. We are blown away by God's gracious gift to us.

Pictures of our precious son to follow....

Elijah is on the way!

2009-06-25T00:17:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

Just a quick post to let you know that Vicky is now in labour! Please pray for the safe delivery of Eliajh Kaile Emmerson and that Vicky would have the strength and energy she needs to gt through this difficult yet rewarding time. Praise God for his blessings upon our lives!!

Answer to prayer

2009-06-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to all who have been praying for the situation with Elijah's visa. Praise the Lord we have had word back from the embassy with the information we need. Please continue to keep it all in prayer as we apply for his visa (once he arrives - yes he's still not here :-( ). Many thanks for supporting us in prayer, we appreciate it so much.
Vicky and Dave

Isaiah 12

2009-06-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

" Behold, God is my Salvation.
I will trust and not be afraid;
'For YAH, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my Salvation'
Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of Salvation"
Isaiah12:2-3

Just wanted to share with you what the Lord has been sharing with me over the past couple of days. Vicky

Letter to the South African Embassy

2009-06-18T04:51:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,
A little request that you would keep something in prayer for us. We are about to send a letter to the South African Embassy requesting information regarding Elijah's visa application. We have so far been unsuccessful in our search for information (we've tried every avenue). So we're hoping and praying we'll get the information we need by writing to them.
Thank You so much for supporting us in prayer at this time.
God Bless
Dave and Vicky

A song for Elijah

2009-06-17T04:27:00.000-07:00

A song for Eli [sung to the tune of Teddy bears picnic]

If you go down to Shotts today your sure of a big surprise.

Elijah Emmersons due today to show us is big blue eyes.

He's due, he's due, Elijah is due.

His bum will produce its very first pooh.

Todays the day when Eli does his first dump.

Love Papa Joe

A poem from Vicky's dad:

2009-06-16T02:02:00.001-07:00

Just one more day
till Eli comes out to play,
Will he be a ginger top?
Or a blondey just like mum?
Or will he have a head like dad?
Just like a horses bum.

You've gotta love grandads (or Poppa Joe's)......

Prayer Request

2009-06-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
We are currently in the midst of trying to find out what, if any, visa Elijah when he is born will need to come with us to South Africa and what visa Dave and I will need after our volunteer visas run out in April 2011, unfortunately on calling the Embassy in London I was told they do not have the answers we need and we were to email said person. On emailing this person we were not given the information we needed and thus emailed back asking for more information. Unfortunately this person has not written back to us. We feel at this point at a bit of a loss as neither the embassy nor this person seem to be able to help us.
It is for this reason that I ask for your prayers, only God can open what seems to us like the red sea to walk through. Please pray we would have complete trust in God and God alone who is able.
Thank You so much for your support in prayer, we so appreciate it.
God Bless

Vicky - about to pop.

2009-06-06T04:13:00.000-07:00

Just thought we'd let you see one last pic of Vicky before she hopefully pops soon. Please pray for her that the wee man would be born soon (but of course in God's timing). She is in good health and counting down the days.

Some wonderful news - Myles Sebastian Key was born yesterday at 12:22 weighing in at 8lb, 10oz. Both mum (Dani) and Myles are doing well. Please keep Dani in your prayers as she recovers from the c-section.

2009-06-04T05:42:00.001-07:00

We thought you might like to see some pictures of recents goings on. Sunday night fellowship, trip to Pizza Hut with the youth. Please continue to keep Dani and Myself and the two little babies in your prayers. Dani will have her little one tomorrow. We are both tired but very healthy and looking forward to the arrival of these little ones.

Big Update: May 09

2009-05-26T04:47:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

Sorry this has taken us so long this month, we have only just finally got reconnected to the net after endless messing around with telephone and internet companies!

The month has really flown in. Our move at the start of May went very smoothly - we had lots of wonderful help from our friends and we managed to move all our stuff in about two hours. We have settled in to our new place really well, it is such a blessing to have an upstairs (and carpet - says Vicky). Moving also gave us a great opportunity to sort through our things and clear out any stuff we don't need. It has been great to be able to get Elijah's room all in order - it is almost ready for his arrival.

Vicky is keeping very well, the midwife informed her this week that Elijah is ready to come any time. Please thank God with us for a healthy pregnancy throughout and his mercy in allowing Vicky to still be quite active. Please pray for these last three weeks - that they would go well - and that Elijah's arrival would be as smooth as possible. Our anti-natal classes start this week too, we're hoping to glean lots of useful info in preparation for the big day.

Things are well with Cornerstone. Tonight we are having a movie night for all the children who have attended Kids Club this year. It has been such a blessing to watch these young ones grow in their understanding of and relationship with God. Please keep these young kids in your prayers over the summer as it is a time we don't often get to see them, pray for opportunities to meet them around the village. Wednesday night youth group/ Bible study is also going great - we're loving being able to share the word of God with our brothers and sisters. We just finished the book of Jonah which was really challenging. Please pray for their protection against the enemy and for their steadfastness to follow the Lord in all situations. Scott, on Sunday evenings, just finished 1 Thessalonians and is moving into 2 Thessalonians, both of which are so relevant to what we are seeing in the world around us today, and encourage us to keep on for God.

This week we are also shipping out our first lot of boxes to South Africa. Praise God for his provision of finances so that we can afford to do this, His provision is perfect. We're shipping out a bunch of books, clothes and baby things that we can do without until September.

We would appreciate prayer for our financial support to come together. We have some opportunities to speak at churches over the next few months as well as organising some fundraisers here in Shotts. Dave's work are also putting together a fund raiser which is a real blessing. We do trust that The Lord will provide in His perfect timing and that, having opened all the doors so wide thus far, He will not allow mere money to be the downfall of this missionary journey!

We hope and pray you are well and would love to catch up with you all. Please drop us a line sometime. God Bless - Dave, Vicky and Elijah Emmerson

The Postal Service

2009-05-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is an amazing envelope. It has travelled backward and forward between myself and my friend Colin in Northern Ireland on no less that four occasions in the past 6 months. Not only has the envelope remained intact (which in itself is a miracle) but the stamp has never received a post-mark. Colin and I are trying to see how many times we can use this same stamp before it finally gets franked! I guess every now and then the inefficiency of the Royal Mail can work in your favour...

Training Day

2009-05-20T06:25:00.000-07:00

I was at a training day this week which was pretty boring. This is what I drew to pass the time:

We are still without the internet at home but we should hopefully be online by the end of the week. We will write a proper update of what's been happening once we get back online. Hope you are all well, God Bless - Dave, Vicky and Elijah

A Poem

2009-05-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

Will You Love And Follow Jesus
Let Him Guide You On Life's Way
Take Him As Your Personal Saviour
Throughout The Coming Days

Will You Give Your Life To Jesus
Will You Answer To The Call
Build Your Soul Upon The Rock
To Sin And Shame You'll Never Fall

This Is What The Lord Is Asking
Though Tis Very Hard Today
But Be Brave And Follow Jesus
You Can Do It If You Pray

So Remember What I've Told You
Take My Advice And You Will Find
Those Who Love And Follow Jesus
Have A Friend, Faithful And Kind

Written on September 22nd 1939
by Michael Armstrong (Dave's Great Uncle)

House Move 2009 Number 1

2009-05-06T03:13:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

Just a quick note to let you know that our house move on Monday went very smoothly. We are almost completely settled in at 245 Shottskirk Road. We should have phone and internet back within a week (we're posting this from a friends house).

Love you, all the best - Dave, Vicky and Elijah Bump

ministering to my heart...

2009-05-01T03:43:00.000-07:00

Hey, I just wanted to share some of the encouragement that The Lord has been ministering unto me with over the past couple of days. I'm working my way through The Gospel of Matthew again and as is always the case with the wonderful word of God I am just gleaning so much from the Father.

Matthew 10:7-10
And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand'. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.

One of the major questions on my mind had been 'Lord where is our financial support gonna come from? How can we afford to be full time missionaries support from home? What have we gotten ourselves into! Then God just blasted me with this passage - In sending out His disciples as ministers of The Gospel Jesus told them NOT to worry about where their money, clothing, food or equipment was gonna come from. God was going to provide for His workers. We serve the same God today that the twelve served back then - He still takes care of His own. I am so blessed to be able to say that is doesn't matter where or financial support comes from or even if it is in place before we leave - God will provide it!

Matthew 11:28 - 30
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

My mind had been kinda heavy with thoughts about our upcoming house move, the arrival of Elijah, ministry here in Shotts and our move to South Africa with all it entails. God just broke through that thick bundle of thoughts with these amazing words of peace and calm - Come to me all ye heavy burdened and I will give you rest! We can lay all of your burdens on Christ, they are defeated on the cross. WE get to exchange them for peace and reconciliation with God.

I hope these passages will bless you as they have me - whatever our cares God knows them, whatever our needs, God will provide them - we must hold fast to Him, putting our faith and full trust in Him. The Lord will never let us down!

Peace and God Bless - Dave

Praise God with us...

2009-04-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

...because we just got word from the South African Embassy in London - we have been granted our Volunteer Visas! WE'RE GOING TO SOUTH AFRICA!!!!!!!

Praise God for His awesome blessings and perfect timing. He has made the way so straight for us, we are so blessed. We will keep you up to date with the developments, we are planning on booking our tickets tomorrow...

LOST BUT FOUND

2009-04-17T02:41:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

Just a quick shameless plug for my latest art project - LOST BUT FOUND. I basically take every day stuff that I find on a day to day basis, stuff that society deems rubbish, and make it into art.

I know it's not very original but I am really enjoying it and I think the results pretty much speak for themselves. Please feel free to surf over to www.lostbutfound.etsy.com and check it out.

Thanks and all the best - Dave

April Update

2009-04-15T01:27:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

We hope and pray that this update finds you all well. We can't believe we are already halfway through April already, the past couple of months have really flown by.

Here is a rundown of some of the highlights of the past month or so:

The Key's returned safely from their trip to the States and it is wonderful to have them back.
We paid a visit to Dave's family to celebrate Lydia's birthday with a surprise party (which included a bouncy castle!) and had a lovely time.
We finally got a firm date for our house move. For those who don't know, due to unforeseen circumstances our landlord has asked us to move, but is also providing a new place for us to stay as well as volunteering to help us move and pay for van hire! Praise God for his provision. From Monday 4th of May our address will be:

245 Shottskirk Road
Shotts
North Lanarkshire
ML7 4EJ
Scotland
U.K.

All of our other contact details will remain the same.

We visited Vicky's family to celebrate Easter and had a great time.
We went for a special 4D scan to find our the sex of our Baby. For those of you who don't know yet we are having a wee boy! We're calling him Elijah Kaile Emmerson. We've attached a wee picture of him, look at that cute nose! Vick is doing very well and can't believe that there are only nine weeks to go.
We submitted our Visa applications to the South African Embassy in London. We have since heard back from them to request further information, which we have also submitted. We are taking this as a positive sign as it is unlikely they would want further information if they were going to reject our application. Please pray that our applications would be successful and that we would be able to move out to South Africa in God's timing. Please also pray for our financial support to fall into place.

Please keep us informed if there is anything we can pray about for you, may God bless you this month. All the best - Dave, Vicky and (soon to be) Elijah a.k.a The Wombdweller

2009-04-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

Easter Part II

2009-04-11T01:47:00.000-07:00

What is Easter? What is it we are celebrating? Is it a celebration of the return of Spring? Is it a celebration of new life - lambs, bunnies and baby chicks? Is it a celebration of the invention of chocolate? Or just one more reason for large scale consumerism and yet another round of sales at the shops?

The answer is None Of The Above. Easter at it's very heart is a celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You're thinking oh no not another religious rant, well don't worry that is not what this is...it is a plea for us to take a few moments to just consider what we are really celebrating this weekend.

Just like Christmas, Easter has become a well market capitalist event with secular tendencies and trimmings galore, all of which serve to distract us from the wonderful message that first caused it to become a time of joy and celebration. Spring is a wonderful time, baby animals are lovely and chocolate is tasty but none of these things are worthy of praise or glory. The marketing managers just know how to get people into a spending frenzy and we have allowed them to hijack Easter for far to long.

But why would it be better to celebrate Jesus death than the joys of spring? To answer this question we must look to the life of Christ. Matthew 16:21 says 'From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day'. Christ lived an exemplary life, teaching his disciples (and now us through the Bible) how to live a perfect life, bless each other and glorify God. He claimed to be the son of God and told his disciples that He would die and be raised back to life on the third day. Had Jesus failed to back his words up with actions He would have shown himself to be a liar or a fool. But the very fact that Jesus did go to Jerusalem and did die on the cross and did rise again to life proves his Godhead. Read the whole story in Matthew Chapters 26-28.

This is the story of Easter, that Christ died on the cross for each of us, taking all of our pains, sorrows and sins upon himself and in so doing restoring us to wholeness. His death pays the needed punishment for our sin, offering us restored relationship with God (whom or sin had separated us from) and a place in Heaven for all eternity. Jesus' resurrection assures us that His word was the truth and He is the son of God. We can fully place our trust in Him and know that he is not a liar or madman.

This Easter enjoy your Chocolate Eggs and fluffy bunnies but please don't forget the real reason for joy and celebration - CHRIST IS RISEN!

Easter

2009-04-08T00:17:00.000-07:00

The Ragman by Walter Wangerin Jr

I saw a strange sight. I stumbled upon a story most strange,

like nothing my life, my street sense,

my sly tongue had ever prepared me for.

Hush, child. Hush, now, and I will tell it to you.

Even before the dawn one Friday morning I noticed a young man,

handsome and strong, walking the alleys of our City.

He was pulling an old cart filled with clothes both bright and new,

and he was calling in a clear, tenor voice: "Rags!"

(Ah, the airwas foul and the first light filthy

to be crossed by such sweet music.)

"Rags! New rags for old! I take your tired rags! Rags!"

"Now, this is a wonder," I thought to myself,

for the man stood six-feet-four, and his arms were like tree limbs,

hard and muscular, and his eyes flashed intelligence.

Could he find no better job than this,

to be a ragman in the inner city? I followed him.

My curiosity drove me. And I wasn't disappointed.

Soon the Ragman saw a woman sitting on her back porch.

She was sobbing into a handkerchief,

sighing,and shedding a thousand tears.

Her knees and elbows made a sad X.

Her shoulders shook. Her heart was breaking.

The Ragman stopped his cart. Quietly, he walked to the woman,

stepping round tin cans, dead toys, and Pampers.

"Give me your rag," he said so gently, "and I'll give you another."

He slipped the handkerchief from her eyes.

She looked up, and he laid across her palm a linen cloth so clean

and new that it shined. She blinked from the gift to the giver.

Then, as he began to pull his cart again, the Ragman did a

strange thing: he put her stained handkerchief to his own face;

and then HE began to weep, to sob as grievously as she had done,

his shoulders shaking. Yet she was left without a tear.

"This IS a wonder," I breathed to myself,

and I followed the sobbing Ragman

like a child who cannot turn away from mystery.

"Rags! Rags! New rags for old!" In a little while,

when the sky showed grey behind the rooftops and I could see

the shredded curtains hanging out black windows,

the Ragman came upon a girl whose head was wrapped

in a bandage,whose eyes were empty.

Blood soaked her bandage.

A single line of blood ran down her cheek.

Now the tall Ragman looked upon this child with pity,

and he drew a lovely yellow bonnet from his cart.

"Give me your rag," he said, tracing his own line on her cheek,

"and I'll give you mine." The child could only gaze at him

while he loosened the bandage, removed it,

and tied it to his own head. The bonnet he set on hers.

And I gasped at what I saw: for with the bandage went the wound!

Against his brow it ran a darker, more substantial blood - his own!

"Rags! Rags! I take old rags!" cried the sobbing, bleeding,

strong, intelligent Ragman. The sun hurt both the sky, now,

and my eyes; the Ragman seemed more and more to hurry.

"Are you going to work?" he asked a man who leaned against

a telephone pole. The man shook his head.

The Ragman pressed him: "Do you have a job?"

"Are you crazy?" sneeredthe other.

He pulled away from the pole, revealing the right sleeve of

his jacket - flat, the cuff stuffed into the pocket.

He had no arm. "So," said the Ragman. "Give me your jacket,

and I'll give you mine." Such quiet authority in his voice!

The one-armed man took off his jacket.

So did the Ragman - and I trembled at what I saw:

for the Ragman's arm stayed in its sleeve,

and when the other put it on he had two good arms,

thick as tree limbs; but the Ragman had only one.

"Go to work," he said.

After that he found a drunk, lying unconscious beneath an

army blanket, an old man, hunched,wizened, and sick.

He took that blanket and wrapped it round himself,

but for the drunk he left new clothes.

And now I had to run to keep up with the Ragman.

Though he was weeping uncontrollably,

and bleeding freely at the forehead,

pulling his cart with one arm, stumbling for drunkenness,

falling again and again, exhausted, old,

and sick, yet he went with terrible speed.

On spider's legs he skittered through the alleys of the City,

this mile and the next, until he came to its limits,

and then he rushed beyond.

I wept to see the change in this man. I hurt to see his sorrow.

And yet I needed to see where he was going in such haste,

perhaps to know what drove him so.

The little old Ragman - he came to a landfill.

He came to the garbage pits.

And then I wanted to help him in what he did,

but I hung back, hiding.

He climbed a hill.

With tormented labor he cleared a little space on that hill.

Then he sighed. He lay down.

He pillowed his head on a handkerchief and a jacket.

He covered his bones with an army blanket.

And he died.

Oh, how I cried to witness that death!

I slumped in a junked car and wailed and mourned as one

who has no hope - because I had come to love the Ragman.

Every other face had faded in the wonder of this man,

and I cherished him; but he died.

I sobbed myself to sleep. I did not know - how could I know?

That I slept through Friday night and Saturday and its night, too.

But then, on Sunday morning, I was wakened by a violence.

Light - pure, hard, demanding light - slammed

against my sour face, and I blinked, and I looked,

and I saw the last and the first wonder of all.

There was the Ragman, folding the blanket most carefully,

a scar on his forehead, but alive!

And, besides that, healthy! There was no sign of sorrow nor of age,

and all the rags that he had gathered shined for cleanliness.

Well, then I lowered my head and trembling for all that I had seen,

I myself walked up to the Ragman.

I told him my name with shame,

for I was a sorry figure next to him.

Then I took off all my clothes in that place,

and I said to him with dear yearning in my voice: "Dress me."

He dressed me. My Lord, he put new rags on me,

and I am a wonder beside him.

The Ragman, the Ragman, THE CHRIST

Elijah Kaile Emmerson

2009-03-30T00:54:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody

Thought it was time that we revealed the results of our 4D scan - We are having a boy! We are going to name him Elijah Kaile Emmerson which means 'The Lord my God is faithful'.

Here are the scan pictures, check out his cute nose!

This Weekend

2009-03-27T03:27:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

Praise God the Keys arrived back home safe and well! We are so happy to have them back. Wee Jed has grown so much, he no longer looks like a baby - he is officially a toddler now.

This weekend we are off down to Dumfries to visit my folks. It was Lydia's birthday and Mum 7 Dad's anniversary this week so we thought it was high time for a trip. We can't wait to catch up with them.

Please keep Vicky in your prayers, she is really struggling to sleep at night. We hope you are well, all the best - Dave, Vicky and Elijah

Ps. 4D scan pics of our wee man to follow

Observation

2009-03-20T12:15:00.001-07:00

Over the past week or so I have been stunned at the little things that we can see if we just take the time to look. I have been actively trying to take in more of the world around me and it has been quite an interesting exercise.

For example as I drove home yesterday I hit the 5 o'clock traffic. Instead of doing my usual staring-at-the-car-in-front-and-getting-bummed-out routine I decided to look out of the window at the side of the road as we crawled along. Here is a list of a few of the interesting things I saw:

a pair of spandex running shorts
three odd gloves
many pieces of engine/ vehicle
several squashed coke cans
a piece of someones headlight, complete with bulb (unbroken) and wires
a solitary boot
a lilac t-shirt
an unopened Ginsters Cheese and Ham slice, lying pristine on the central reservation

Take a good look around as you do your daily stuff, you'll be amazed and what you see!

Good News!

2009-03-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hiya Everybody

Today we got all the last finishes for our Visa application from the Embassy in London so tomorrow we will be posting it off! We have been working on this since November so it is a wonderful feeling to have everything ready to go.

Praise God for His continues provision throughout this process and please join us in praying that everything goes through smoothly and without complication.

South Africa here we come!

Great News!

2009-03-17T08:07:00.001-07:00

Today our much needed Invitations from Cape Town came in which means we can now send off our applications for visas to live in South Africa. Please pray with us as we are entering into unknown territory. It has been impossible to get in touch with the SA Embassy directly and thus we have had to put our applications together from the little information given on the website. However we may have had an open door through a telephone number given to us recently by a friend at Vicky's work (the Lord works in mysterious ways). Please pray that this would be productive and fruitful.

Thank you so much for all your prayers, we are praising God for these recent developments.

Vicky and Dave (oh and of course the gigantic bump).

Update on our house move

2009-03-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

Just a little update concerning how things are going with our moving house. Recently the landlord told us that instead of us moving into the house he's just bought we are going to have his house (the exact same house just one street up). His partner and himself decided they wanted to live together and they need extra space (the house he's just bought has a 1 room extention) for her children. Thankfully the Lord has been teaching us (mainly me Vicky) so much though all of this. Namely trusting solely in God when everything about a situation seems totally out of your control. Praise the Lord for his peace (Col 3:15) and that his ways are higher than our ways.

We were able to go and visit the landlord's house this morning to view it and see what we thought, praise God that it is VERY nice and nothing at all needs doing to it, He obviously has very high standards for himself. We are so thankful that God is giving us this new place, it will mean an upstairs, downstairs which sounds trivial but with the baby coming it will mean a nice room for our little one away from noise etc downstairs. We arranged with the landlord to be moved in early May. Please pray that we'd be moved in, in plenty of time for the baby arriving.

Thank you as always for your prayers, they are always appreciated and sought after.

What's Happenin'?

2009-03-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

Hello friends

Sorry it's been a while inbetween posts, we've been quite busy. Our good friends The Keys are back in California on furlugh in order to celebrate Jed's first birthday with his family and of course get to catch up with their friends, family, supporters and church.

We are blessed to be able to step up to the plate and help 'hold the baby' while they are away. Of course with this wonderful privilage comes responcibility and thus our lack of blogs of late!

Apart from all the great stuff at church we've also been getting into baby mode more and more. Vicky's bump is getting bigger all the time and she is beginning to feel the pressure on her body. She has been having a lot of back pain, so please do keep her in your prayers.

Our little old car has been giving us a bit of a run around recently, it has needed work to the exhaust system and the tyres in the past fortnight but praise God the jobs have been small and inexpensive!

Everything is pretty much set to go with our Visa Applications for South Africa, we are just waiting on one more form and then we can post it all off to the Embassy in London. Please pray that we have got everything right so that they will go through smoothly. Thanks.

Dave just put the finishing touches to one last edition of Shotts Scene, the music magazine that he's has the pleasure of producing for the music fans in shotts. It is available to view at www.myspace.com/shotts_scene. Here are the front and back covers, as drawn by Dr Simpo (thanks Ben!).

We are planning to see both sides of the family within the next month or so and are very much looking forward to seeing them. Everyone is being wonderfully supportive and we are so thankful to God for our parents/ siblings and the massive blessing that they are to us.

Please pray for FBS, the punk band who are due to stay with us in early April. They are having some difficulties getting their visas etc and it looks as though the tour may have to be cancelled which would be a real shame and a let down for a lot of people up and down the country. We believe God still works miracles so please pray for one!

Another prayer request is for our new home, the landlord is doing a very thorough job of refurbishing it, which is taking time, and we really want to get moved in so we are properly settled before the baby comes! Thanks

Please feel free to drop us a line and let us know if there is anything we can pray for in your lives. May God Bless you and keep you - Dave, Vicky & (not so) Wee Bump x x x

FOUND Magazine

2009-02-27T03:54:00.000-08:00

This is probably one of the coolest things I've come across recently. Basically its a magazine in which the publish various items that people have found all over the world such as random notes, love letters and what not. It might sound voyeristic but I think its a really interesting insite into peoples live. Some are sad and some are really funny. Its a good look at the human race.

Check out www.foundmagazine.com

I found this notice blue tacked to a wall in Edinburgh last night and submitted it to Found this morning. I love the colours and the funny scroll effect behind the text. I hope the person started cleaning up after their dog, there is nothing worse than dog poo!

Spring is here!

2009-02-25T06:02:00.000-08:00

It would seem that spring is finally upon us after all the snow and bitter cold we had earlier this month. I took this pictures today in our back garden. It has been really nice to be able to drive to work in sunlight rather than darkness.

Love to all, we will post again soon - Dave, Vicky & The Wombdweller x x x

Take Up your Cross (Mark 8:34-35)

2009-02-18T07:18:00.000-08:00

A Valentine's Day Poem

2009-02-14T02:42:00.000-08:00

Violets Are Red
Roses Are Blue
I Have A Split Personality
And So Do I

By Scott Key

A village somewhere in Russia is missing it's snow...

2009-02-09T09:07:00.000-08:00

The Back Garden

The Front Lawn

Bradley Hathaway Tour CANCELLED

2009-02-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately the Bradley Hathaway UK tour was cancelled when Bradley was denied entry to the country on Friday. He needed a work permit as all performing artists are required one in order to come to the UK to play gigs.

What makes it a little worse is that Bradley has been denied entry to the country before for the very same reason. This has left a bad taste in the mouths of many and I guess the lesson for us all is don't take chances, make sure your paperwork is in order!

2009-02-06T01:23:00.000-08:00

Warmest Greetings

We hope this update finds everyone well, it has certainly been a winter of cold and illness and we are looking forward to the spring. January was a very busy month, we had the privilege of precious time with both sides of the family and a few friends too, which was wonderful.

February promises to be equally busy. To kick things off we have Christian musician Bradley Hathaway coming to play a gig here in Shotts alongside a couple of local artists. This will take place on Saturday 7th of Feb. If anyone is interested in coming along let us know and we can get you the full details. We are praying that this will be another great opportunity for the good news of Jesus Christ to be shared here in Shotts.

We'll also be kept busy as we are really making an effort to get out and see friends before Vicky gets too pregnant to visit with folks. We are really excited to be able to visit with and have our friends around and to catch up.

Of course we'll also be kept busy with Kids Club, Youth Group, our Sunday Services and other little day to day things with Cornerstone. We're working on a hooded sweatshirt (I know, how fancy!).

Thanks for all your prayers concerning our Visa applications and future move to South Africa. We have definitely felt the presence of God and his help in all of this and have known the power of your collective prayers. God is indeed faithful to answer and we have really seen Him move. For the most part everything really has come together remarkably quickly.

There is one major issue that we would appreciate prayer for - Please could you pray for God's provision in the area of our finances. As part of the application process we must show that we have the financial means with which to support ourselves throughout the duration of our stay. As we will be out there on Volunteer Visas we will be unable to work to support ourselves and so we will be reliant on the donations of supporting individuals and/or churches. God has blessed us with the finances to pay for our Visas but we need to show the South African Embassy that we have a committed support network and will have enough to cover our budget each month (They advise a budget of 12,000 Rand which is roughly £850 which would cover rent, bills, travel and other living costs). We really would appreciate your prayers in this area, we have faith that God will make the way clear for us and provide all of our needs.

Should you like to be involved in supporting our calling to South Africa you can give via bank transfer. We are working on a system whereby our Church, Cornerstone Christian Ministries can receive and cash cheques on our behalf. We are also setup to receive gifts through Stewardship, who claim gift-aid on your behalf which adds an extra 25% to your gift!

Your support would be much appreciated, even at this stage in the process, for several reasons. Firstly it will prove to the South African Embassy that we are financially viable as church volunteers and secondly it will help with the moving costs for flights etc. Please prayerfully consider helping us to fulfill the Great Commission to 'go therefore and make disciples of all the nations' (Matthew 28:16-20).

We appreciate your time in reading these updates and your prayers, please feel free to let us know if there is anything we can be praying about for you.

May God Bless you and keep you this month, with love - Dave, Vicky and the Wombdweller

life and times of The Emmersons

Emmerson Update February 2012

Emmerson Update January 2012

Emmerson Update July 2011

Emmerson Update June 2011

Recent Video 2: Brotherly Love (The Movie)

Recent Video 1: The Compass

Emmerson Update May 2011

New Blog

April 2011 Update

Taking a break (and making it more official)

2011 Oh My Word!

The Greatest Gift

I thought I'd share some thoughts I've been mulling over in regards to God's great gift to us at Christmas time. I hope they are as much of a blessing to you as they have been to me:

Forgiveness* is the greatest gift we can receive at Christmas. It is also the greatest gift we can give.#

Recent Video's

Jim LePage | WORD Designs | Strong Odors Competition

Missionary Rock!

Farm Ministry Pics and Update

Update time, august 2010

Elijah's First Birthday

Latest Video Update

Mutinous Wonderflesh Vs The Body Under The HEAD: A Tribute To Blaster The Rocket Man

A New Blog...

March and April in photos

Creating Time

Reflections on a Decade in Punk

Sponser A Zombie Programme (SPAZ)

Some Thoughts (from other people) at Easter

Mirror Mind's Marvellous Moment

Christian Hardcore in South Africa

A New Way To Donate

New Video

Good news and some

Prayer Request

Awesome Free Christian Hip-Hop

Emmersons Update January 2010

Dunked

More awesome free music at Christmas time!

My tropical Christmas and the deep thinking it has inspired.

Geseënde Kersfees

Preaching the Word of God.

Upcoming Events

The Jim Achen Band

Late News Breaking

Facebook

We're BACK!

Calvary Chapel Africa Conference

Emmersons Update October 09

The times they are a-changing!

We're Online

We're Here!

With love...

The Countdown Continues...

The Postal Service Part II

Elijah's Visa

Update Blog August 09

The Tacky T-shirt Parade

In Other News...

Our Trip - In Full

Safe Home

Rodent Emporium at Cornerstone Festival '09

Another last chance

Elijah Kaile Emmerson's UK TERROR TOUR 2009

Elijah the Terror: Scurge of all Sleep!

More pics!

Elijah comes home

Elijah 'the terror' Emmerson has arrived!

Elijah is on the way!

Answer to prayer

Isaiah 12

Letter to the South African Embassy

A song for Elijah

A poem from Vicky's dad:

Prayer Request

Vicky - about to pop.

Big Update: May 09

The Postal Service

Training Day

A Poem

Forgiveness is the greatest gift we can receive at Christmas. It is also the greatest gift we can give.#*