Pray for Laurie-Ann and Tony Copple - Global Alpha Training in

Freetown, Sierra Leone   April 16 - May 7, 2010 with Alpha Canada team

Laurie-Ann is a member of St Paul’s Anglican Church in Kanata, Ontario. She came to St Paul’s in November 2000, and has been involved in the healing prayer ministry team, junior youth group and the server-crucifer team. She joined Parish Council as Missions-Outreach Broad Group Ministry  Leader in February 2008 and is a regular contributor for Cornerstone for the Ways to Grow in God series, Missions Happenings and many other articles.

 

Laurie-Ann is a radio host at Carleton University’s CKCU FM 93.1 FM for her weekly folk music show, Window of Opportunity (Fridays at 3 pm) and on a monthly rotation on Over My Head (Sundays at 8 am). She shares this ministry with husband Tony, who is a former parishioner and continuing friend of St Paul’s. Laurie-Ann grew up in the United Church, and her faith came alive at a Dennis Bennett seminar in 1988. She attended art school in her youth, felt called to mercy ministry (counseling and missions), and furthered this call with a BA (Trinity College, U of T Religious Studies/Sociology) and MDiv (Tyndale Seminary, Counselling). She has applied to Algonquin College for the Radio Broadcasting programme, which will begin in September 2010.

 

Both Tony and Laurie-Ann are Alpha advisors with Alpha Canada and this is their second Alpha mission together (the first was in Migori, Kenya in 2005). They also run Alpha Courses locally and in Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre. Laurie-Ann has been on four mission trips to Kenya, two to Northern Ireland, and two to Pakistan.

 

Laurie-Ann is the secretary of Anglican Renewal Ministries of Canada since July 2000 and bookkeeper for Anglican Gathering of Ottawa since June 2009. She has had Sierra Leone on her heart since 1994, when a missionary approached her and asked her if she felt called to Africa.  She originally thought this lady was confirming her love of Kenya until she was asked if she had heard of Sierra Leone. Laurie-Ann prayed about it and left it for God’s timing. Tony had Sierra Leone in his heart after forming a significant friendship with a Sierra Leonean couple when he was living in Norwich, UK. When the Copples finished their Migori Alpha mission in 2005, they remarked how they’d like to bring or teach  Alpha in another region. The Holy Spirit then spoke quietly to Laurie-Ann’s heart “Sierra Leone.” After they had their GAT training, they both announced that Sierra Leone would be their first GAT mission.

Joining Laurie-Ann and Tony is Dwight McDougall from Kanata Baptist Church and Richard Gilman from St. George’s.  We leave Canada (Montreal Dorval airport) on April 16, with a one night stop-over in London, England.  We fly out of London on Royal Air Maroc, and change planes in Casablanca, Morocco; arriving very early on April 19. Our first GAT (conference or 4 day training event) is April 21—24 and the second is April 26—29). We will likely also do prison ministry if available, since Tony, Laurie-Ann and Dwight all have Prison Alpha experience. We return to London on May 3rd. Tony and Laurie-Ann will also see family in England before returning to Ottawa.

 

Our prayer needs include: good health, ease in getting our visas (in Washington DC - including no snowstorms Feb. 21 -27), finances for our trip/conference costs, travelling details, the Holy Spirit’s direction in speaking/ministering and touched/equipped lives. Please also pray for harmony on our GAT team and good relations with the African and UK teams (local coordinator Joseph, Alpha HQ staff, local translators and worship leaders). Pray also for family left at home and for divine appointments that God has in mind for us.  

 

If you are led to join our prayer team, we have 3 levels-Team 1 are our generals - who pray for specific needed areas. Team 2 are those on an email or Facebook group prayer list—and you will pray as needed. Team 3 are you who will pray regularly from the needs posted on this prayer letter.  If you would like to be on any of these teams, please email me at lcopple@igs.net. There is a Facebook group set up for our trip called “Ottawa area GAT to Sierra Leone.” Please join and you will get progress reports.  Lorna Brule will update prayer team members via email when we are overseas.

 

If you feel led to help Laurie-Ann financially, please do so through St Paul’s Anglican Church, with the notation “Copple mission—Sierra Leone.” That way you get a tax receipt in January 2011. If you are not local, you can mail your cheques to Laurie-Ann at 61 Highmont Ct. Kanata ON K2T 1B2 (and she will forward your cheque to the right people). There will also be a Sierra Leone fundraising dinner at St Paul’s on March 6, 2010.

 

Thank you for your prayers and support!  

Laurie-Ann Copple, 61 Highmont Ct. Kanata ON K2T 1B2

(613) 591-3903 (home), lcopple@igs.net (613) 592-4291 (w)