Pyle Family Photo featuring the six kids and their parents, Anna and Jeremy

We have an exciting bonus website-only ‘The Encourager’ article. Read on for bonus ‘The Encourager’ 180th Issue content written by Jillian Leather, regarding the exciting story of the Pyle family, of whom, Jeremy and Anna Pyle have helped to lead at Northland CFFD, and Jeremy has helped at numerous Elevate camps.

Who would have thought?

Written and compiled by Jillian Leather, Northland CFFD

Jeremy Pyle was just a young teenager when he joined the CFFD Northland and also became a helper at the Elevate camps at Totora Springs. 

During those years, Anna Crisford, who was born with a hearing loss, had a particular interest in working with people with disabilities. This took her to summer camps, two years in a row at Camp Allen in America, where she was a counsellor for disabled people. But Anna soon realised this was an expensive exercise and she set her sights on disabled people in New Zealand instead. 

It was about then that Ashleigh Leather completed her placement as a trainee occupational therapist at the Whangarei Hospital.  Her supervisor was Anna. Ashleigh had been involved in the Northland CFFD. She encouraged Anna to give the CFFD a shot and talked to her about the Elevate camps held at Totora Springs.  

Anna went to camp later that year and in the summer of 2016 attended the CFFD annual picnic up North. That’s when the two match makers stepped in – Jacqui and Jillian, leaders in the Northland CFFD. They decided to give Jeremy a helping hand. Jeremy’s was the chosen car for Anna to travel in. But not satisfied with that, the conniving pair made alternative arrangements for the other passengers for the ride home to Whangarei.  That left Jeremy and Anna all alone.  

It didn’t take long for Jeremy to realise what an amazing catch Anna was. He set his sights on her and they were married about a year later. And it didn’t take long for Jeremy and Anna Pyle to become valuable members of the leadership team for the Northland CFFD. 

Soon there was the patter of little feet. This did not stop Jeremy and Anna with their commitment to the group. They just packed up their family and brought them along to meetings.   

Their family grew in quick succession. Four of them – one, two, three, four little beauties – Eliane, James, Georgia and Olivia. Surely that was enough? But no, they wanted one more and one thing’s for sure, God had different plans as well. Anna was pregnant again. Another baby. We were all excited for them. But imagine how surprised we all were when the scan showed that not one, but three babies were on the way. And not only that, they were identical triplets! A one in a million chance. But what sex were they? Anna and Jeremy wanted a surprise, so we were all kept in suspense. Three boys or three girls? Would they have that gorgeous red hair? Blue eyes or green? Our imaginations went wild. 

At last, the big day arrived, 29th July 2024. It was three little girls! Sophia, Adeline and Gabriella. That’s one boy, James, and his six adorable sisters. Seven under seven!  

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT? All those years ago, when Jeremy was just a boy, helping people with disabilities, WHAT GOD HAD IN STORE FOR HIM.   

Anna hugging all three triplets at once

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