Dear Friends & Family…
Here it is December 19th, and I have been thinking about “how can I get all of our family updates and pictures into one newsletter for 2006? Then I thought about our blog… and that solved the problem. So Welcome to Emlian’s Adventures our new blog.
Elaine, Emily and Ian want to wish you a very “happy Christmas” and share with you a little about our exciting adventures being worshippers and servants of the Lord this past year.
We wanted to start this letter off right with a picture of Elaine and me just about to open a magnificent gift a few Christmas’s ago; this gift was filled with much awe and mystery. That is indeed how 2006 has been for the both of us.
We have had many new experiences, trials, and in just learning to hear God speaking to us at any time, or in learning to be obedient and follow His leading and direction. His special musical gifts for our family are soon to be given as you will read in this newsletter, and very soon we will be sharing these gifts with many others from around the world, as we three are seeking to grow deeper in Him.
In April, Ian and Elaine were promoted from Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (with a wonderful send off from our former church) to return to Hamilton and join the church of Eagle Worldwide Ministries in the downtown community of East Hamilton. We had both been involved (during our courtship) in Hamilton with many churches and friends in the city. We felt that God was calling us back to the city to be a part of the “new beginnings” of the call for evangelism to the heart of the city.
Elaine continues to work very hard at her job with Canada Revenue Agency or CRA. Despite some downsizing that went on within two of the departments (where she worked)Elaine has consistently been given high praise and high marks from her peers and from staff for her tremendous work ethic.
Elaine continues her love and passion for being the in culinary way. She loves to review her Canadian Living monthly magazine and all of her cookbooks or other recipes from time to time and look for new and creative ways to cook standard meals and pastries. Ian has decided that he now has to watch his weight and not indulge too much on the wonderful sweets that come from Elaine’s kitchen.
Emily is now 15, soon to be 16 in May 2007. Where has the time gone? She is 5 foot, 11 inches tall and now looks into her father’s eyes when she wants to make a point to him. Or she looks down at Elaine lovingly and gives us both special hugs. Emily is now in Grade 10 in the French Immersion program at Sir Fredrick Banting High School of London, ON. Just like her father and step mom, she is very busy with her own ongoing musical studies of violin, viola and in her spare time enjoys playing guitar and oboe, when she has a moment from her studies.
Elaine, Emily and Ian want to wish you a very “happy Christmas” and share with you a little about our exciting adventures being worshippers and servants of the Lord this past year.
We wanted to start this letter off right with a picture of Elaine and me just about to open a magnificent gift a few Christmas’s ago; this gift was filled with much awe and mystery. That is indeed how 2006 has been for the both of us.
We have had many new experiences, trials, and in just learning to hear God speaking to us at any time, or in learning to be obedient and follow His leading and direction. His special musical gifts for our family are soon to be given as you will read in this newsletter, and very soon we will be sharing these gifts with many others from around the world, as we three are seeking to grow deeper in Him.
In April, Ian and Elaine were promoted from Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (with a wonderful send off from our former church) to return to Hamilton and join the church of Eagle Worldwide Ministries in the downtown community of East Hamilton. We had both been involved (during our courtship) in Hamilton with many churches and friends in the city. We felt that God was calling us back to the city to be a part of the “new beginnings” of the call for evangelism to the heart of the city.
Elaine continues to work very hard at her job with Canada Revenue Agency or CRA. Despite some downsizing that went on within two of the departments (where she worked)Elaine has consistently been given high praise and high marks from her peers and from staff for her tremendous work ethic.
Elaine continues her love and passion for being the in culinary way. She loves to review her Canadian Living monthly magazine and all of her cookbooks or other recipes from time to time and look for new and creative ways to cook standard meals and pastries. Ian has decided that he now has to watch his weight and not indulge too much on the wonderful sweets that come from Elaine’s kitchen.
Emily is now 15, soon to be 16 in May 2007. Where has the time gone? She is 5 foot, 11 inches tall and now looks into her father’s eyes when she wants to make a point to him. Or she looks down at Elaine lovingly and gives us both special hugs. Emily is now in Grade 10 in the French Immersion program at Sir Fredrick Banting High School of London, ON. Just like her father and step mom, she is very busy with her own ongoing musical studies of violin, viola and in her spare time enjoys playing guitar and oboe, when she has a moment from her studies.
Emily attends with her mother, West London Alliance Church, and she is very involved with the 30 or more youth of all ages within this group. For the last two summers, Emily has devoted some of her summer holidays being a paid Camp counselor working at “Zone Camps” with younger children and in being a role model for them. Emily has expressed a wish that in the future, she would like to be a missionary using her musical gifts in this career as well.
Emily is also in her second year playing viola in the London Youth Symphony, and has recently been made “principal viola” and is enjoying this new opportunity. LYS toured Ottawa for Remberance Day Weekend and the group had a great time. Emily’s mother, Karen participated in the Orchestra experience during her student years as an oboist with the Hamilton Youth Orchestra, under the recently retired 30 Year position/Conductor Glenn Malory. We see Glenn yearly at Auntie Mo’s (Moreen Thomas) “Annual Yule Yell” and he plays the flute to Mo’s wonderful and spirited piano accompaniment.
Due to my own choral conducting schedule for both of these years, we haven’t had the opportunity to hear Emily in the Youth Symphony until December 17th. Elaine and I enjoyed the LYS, performance of Handel’s Water Music-Suite for Orchestra, Borodin’s-Music from Prince Igor and the Violoncello Concerto in E by Elgar. We heard this exceptional young London, Ontario cellist Leana Rutt, play the Elgar piece which is very difficult and it was an outstanding performance! You can look forward to seeing Leana at all of the major Orchestras across the country in the near future.
Elaine and I are very pleased that Emily is using all of her talents and is experiencing God’s blessings on all of her academic and artistic endeavours.
For Ian, his business of Emlian Communications Group as an Arts and Fundraising Consultant is just starting to sprout. We are expecting great things from both clients in the Arts and within the Christian community contacts to blossom for 2007. Some of Ian’s current cliental and future works are in developing new programs were he has wanted to develop new projects or foundations for these charities. Ian feels very passionate and wants to see these new projects flourish into the future.
On the Choral side of life…Ian has taken four months off from singing in the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, as he needed to concentrate on his own choral activities as Music Director for the Youth and Adult Choir for the Nations, supported by Christian Evangelistic Ministries. These Choirs consist of Christian East Indian believers who are in the Toronto and Mississauga area.
Both of us have been blessed by being engrafted into this loving community. Ian works with the Youth Choir of about 10-15 members and it has been wonderful these last two years learning about the Indian culture (singing in both English and Urdu) and how it applies to choral singing.
Both Elaine and I have been so blessed by our friendship, ministry ethics and stamina of Pastor Henry D’Silvia. Ian feels like he has grown leaps and bounds, in his own ministry, by working with such a solid Man of God as Henry D’Silvia.
In August, Worship Leader, Raja Harrison and Ian were chatting and it turned out that we both had a connection with Nancy Honeytree, Gospel Music’s First Lady of CCM’s Jesus Movement Music. Ian had met Nancy in the 90’s at a Christian Music Festival and Raja had worked with Nancy in Pakistan, translating her songs into Urdu when she was over in Pakistan. Raja contacted Nancy to see if she would come and work with CEM for a ministry/worship concert for the Indian Community and other cultures of our region. Thus in the fall, the Lord gave Ian the layout of the whole concert which we entitled “Praising Him in Many Languages”- as the Choirs sang in English, Urdu, Spanish and French on December 2nd at Brampton’s John Knox Christian School. This concert featured the music of Honeytree and other carols of the season. Honeytree’s music was well received in any language!
On December 4th as a special treat for the Youth Choir’s hard work, we had arranged for Nancy and the choir to make an appearance on Canada’s National Christian program “100 Huntley Street.” The children were dressed in their national costumes and they did an amazing job! If you would like to see this program, you can go to http://www.crossroads.ca/ and click on the on-line portion and choose December 4th and you watch the program, as we are featured twice, for the first part of the hour program.
As we conclude our events from the year, this verse from Luke 1:37 has been going over and over in my spirit.
For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible for fulfillment.
We wish you all of the Joys of the Season and have a Happy New Year for 2007!
Lots of love,
Emily is also in her second year playing viola in the London Youth Symphony, and has recently been made “principal viola” and is enjoying this new opportunity. LYS toured Ottawa for Remberance Day Weekend and the group had a great time. Emily’s mother, Karen participated in the Orchestra experience during her student years as an oboist with the Hamilton Youth Orchestra, under the recently retired 30 Year position/Conductor Glenn Malory. We see Glenn yearly at Auntie Mo’s (Moreen Thomas) “Annual Yule Yell” and he plays the flute to Mo’s wonderful and spirited piano accompaniment.
Due to my own choral conducting schedule for both of these years, we haven’t had the opportunity to hear Emily in the Youth Symphony until December 17th. Elaine and I enjoyed the LYS, performance of Handel’s Water Music-Suite for Orchestra, Borodin’s-Music from Prince Igor and the Violoncello Concerto in E by Elgar. We heard this exceptional young London, Ontario cellist Leana Rutt, play the Elgar piece which is very difficult and it was an outstanding performance! You can look forward to seeing Leana at all of the major Orchestras across the country in the near future.
Elaine and I are very pleased that Emily is using all of her talents and is experiencing God’s blessings on all of her academic and artistic endeavours.
For Ian, his business of Emlian Communications Group as an Arts and Fundraising Consultant is just starting to sprout. We are expecting great things from both clients in the Arts and within the Christian community contacts to blossom for 2007. Some of Ian’s current cliental and future works are in developing new programs were he has wanted to develop new projects or foundations for these charities. Ian feels very passionate and wants to see these new projects flourish into the future.
On the Choral side of life…Ian has taken four months off from singing in the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, as he needed to concentrate on his own choral activities as Music Director for the Youth and Adult Choir for the Nations, supported by Christian Evangelistic Ministries. These Choirs consist of Christian East Indian believers who are in the Toronto and Mississauga area.
Both of us have been blessed by being engrafted into this loving community. Ian works with the Youth Choir of about 10-15 members and it has been wonderful these last two years learning about the Indian culture (singing in both English and Urdu) and how it applies to choral singing.
Both Elaine and I have been so blessed by our friendship, ministry ethics and stamina of Pastor Henry D’Silvia. Ian feels like he has grown leaps and bounds, in his own ministry, by working with such a solid Man of God as Henry D’Silvia.
In August, Worship Leader, Raja Harrison and Ian were chatting and it turned out that we both had a connection with Nancy Honeytree, Gospel Music’s First Lady of CCM’s Jesus Movement Music. Ian had met Nancy in the 90’s at a Christian Music Festival and Raja had worked with Nancy in Pakistan, translating her songs into Urdu when she was over in Pakistan. Raja contacted Nancy to see if she would come and work with CEM for a ministry/worship concert for the Indian Community and other cultures of our region. Thus in the fall, the Lord gave Ian the layout of the whole concert which we entitled “Praising Him in Many Languages”- as the Choirs sang in English, Urdu, Spanish and French on December 2nd at Brampton’s John Knox Christian School. This concert featured the music of Honeytree and other carols of the season. Honeytree’s music was well received in any language!
On December 4th as a special treat for the Youth Choir’s hard work, we had arranged for Nancy and the choir to make an appearance on Canada’s National Christian program “100 Huntley Street.” The children were dressed in their national costumes and they did an amazing job! If you would like to see this program, you can go to http://www.crossroads.ca/ and click on the on-line portion and choose December 4th and you watch the program, as we are featured twice, for the first part of the hour program.
As we conclude our events from the year, this verse from Luke 1:37 has been going over and over in my spirit.
For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible for fulfillment.
We wish you all of the Joys of the Season and have a Happy New Year for 2007!
Lots of love,
Ian, Elaine and Emily
