 |
|  |
|---|
|
U.S.P.G. Missions -Revd. David and Mrs. Millicent Edwards (June 1992 edition of magazine) During the last four years Lent giving at St Peter's Church has been in support of the Revd. David and Mrs. Millicent Edwards, the House of the Epiphany Theological College, Kuching, Sarawak. This year a further £200 has been raised in support of training local people for the Ministry, recently another six priests and five deacons have been ordained at the college. Millicent and David are retiring this year and have greatly appreciated the prayers, concern and financial support from back home. Project Senegal 1992 -Sarah Frith (October 1992 edition of magazine) 9 July to 7 August The sudden arrival of 15 young 'TOUBABS' (white people) caused quite a stir in Richard Toll, a growing town of 100,000 people in the very north of Senegal, W. Africa. Despite the fact that white missionaries has been present in this area for many years, the novelty clearly hadn't worn off, for wherever we went we were immediately surrounded by excited black faces; eager to shake hands and chat. "Degg na TUTTI wolof rekk!" (I only speak a little Wolof -the widely used language in Richard Toll) became an essential phrase, although it was largely ignored. Those who had been to school spoke French which aided communication a little. I was one of those 15 'TOUBAS' on a month-long trip organised by the Solent Christian Trust in conjunction with WEC missionary society. We are to be working alongside the team of 8 WEC missionaries spread around the Richard Toll area. Senegal being a mainly Muslim country, the girls in the team had to wear ankle-length skirts. No chance of a sun tan this year, but at 40 degrees C in the shade, the sun was to be avoided at all costs! Apart from the heat and flies, we also had to get used to the food. "Cebu jen" was the local speciality - rice, fish and a few veg, all in a big bowl on a mat on the floor, to be shared by 4-5 people. The locals eat with their hands, but one attempt at that was enough for me! Illness was inevitable and frequent - but fortunately God only allowed two of us to be ill at any one time so that the team could continue to function. So what were we actually doing? The aim of the trip was to get us involved in both practical work and evangelism. Digging sceptic tanks and ditches was left to the blokes (too hot for Women's Lib!) whilst the girls got themselves invited to 'tea parties' with the local women. This gave opportunities to sing our Wolof songs (many taken straight from the Bible). The whole team went out distributing literature. Many New Testaments were brought, and we just have to pray and trust that God will be causing those widely scattered seeds to grow. Evenings were taken up with showing the film 'Jesus' (dubbed in Wolof) in various parts of the town. The response was generally good, although the opposition we occasionally encountered only served to remind us of the intense spiritual battle being fought in the area. The 'church' in Richard Toll is young and very small. The group of 8 or so believers meet on a Sunday under a lime tree to worship and study God's word. It struck me how easy we have it as Christians in the UK. There are so many things we take for granted which people in other countries just don't have (bibles, fellowship, acceptance in society). It made our trip worthwhile simply to have those Senegalese Christians come to us as we were leaving, unable to express their gratitude for the encouragement we had been to them - just by being there! As a team we were very aware of God's protection over us the whole time. Thank you to all those back here who were faithfully praying for us - it made a difference! And now I feel I've travelled in time as I find myself in a high-tech high-flying business environment in the Marketing department of BP France in Paris. All the experiences and challenges of the Senegal are still very much in my mind. Although I knew God was everywhere, it was brilliant actually to experience that and to realise that Psalm 139: 9-10 is indeed true! A bientot Ruth Frith If I rise on the wings of the dawn, If I settle on the far side of the sea, Even there your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. Buses, Bugs and Bibles in Burkina -Ruth Frith (October 1993 edition of magazine) All of a sudden I realised the bus had come to a standstill and there was a big argument going on amongst my fellow passengers. Was it another police check-point? Had one of the goats fallen off the roof? No - on enquiry I found out that the bus had no windscreen and that some of the passengers felt this was dangerous and it should be repaired before carrying on, Needless to say, we carried on without it, and fortunately it didn't rain! Just one of the "interesting" experiences I had during the six weeks I spent in Burkina Faso, W Africa this summer. I went to work as a Guest Helper with the Wycliffe Bible Translators. The main task I was given was to type up a reading book in the Lyele language using the very same computer programme I had learnt to use the previous week when standing in for Julia in the church office! Reassuring to realise that God had prepared me for this particular job. Illiteracy in Burkina is estimated to be as high as 90%. Wycliffe are currently working on translations in 12 of the 60 languages in the country, but have realised that this is a pointless exercise if no-one is able to read the finished product. So literacy work goes hand in hand with bible translation and is actively encouraged by the Burkinabe government. I was based at the Wycliffe centre in the capital, Onagadougou (Wag-adoo-goo!). I was also given several opportunities to travel to stay with various missionaries out in their villages and experience more 'real life' situations. This meant adapting to life without running water and electricity in some cases, and a toilet being a 6" hole in a hut at the bottom of the neighbour's garden. The staple food of most Burkinabe is "to", a solid porridge made from millet or maize flour mixed with boiling water and eaten with a variety of sauces. I was amused to discover that in many of the bible translations, Jesus is not referred to as the "bread of life" but as the "to of life" - an example of the many cultural aspects which have to be taken into consideration when translating the bible. I found that my time in Burkina really opened up the bible in a whole new way. I realised how much we take it for granted having God's word so readily available in our own language. Thank you to all those who made it possible for me to by giving support both financially and in prayer. I was very aware of the Lord's presence at all times, particularly with all the 'dodgy' means of transport, and in keeping me in good health the whole time. Please continue to pray for the task of bible translation 300 million people are still without the Scriptures. Ruth Frith Kate Dawson's visit to Zimbabwe (October 1993 edition of magazine) St Thomas' teenager Kate Dawson (18) has gone to be a volunteer with Scripture Union Zimbabwe, and set off as this issue of Ploughshare went to press on Sept 10th. She will live with a S.U. worker's family in the 2nd largest city, Bulawayo, a reasonably affluent and industrial city by African standards - though she will see more poverty and need than we are used to in the U.K. She hopes to be involved with S.U. groups in schools and possibly colleges, to help at 'relationship seminars' with sixth formers, which teach on boy- girl and family relationships, especially from the Aids standpoint. She will also help to run S.U. Camps for children from urban schools, this possibly being their first 'holiday' and as one former camper put it, their first introduction to 'this Jesus person', and also to work in the office and S.U. bookshop. There may hopefully be a chance to travel a little too - she looks like being busy! Kate will have spent her first week in Harare, the capital, with S.U. Zimbabwe's National Director Tobias Nyatsambo and his family to help her acclimatise prior to being based in Bulawayo. By now she should be becoming more familiar with the two local languages (though English is widely used in this former British Colony), the culture and customs, the food. and begun to feel at home in a local church fellowship. Kate's many interests include, meeting people, travel, reading, athletics and music - apparently there is quite a good 'pop' scene in Zimbabwe! And being a keen swimmer and a Chesterfield Athletic Club member she hopes to join a local athletic club. Looking ahead a little she plans to spend Christmas in Harare with friends of her parents, Robin and Brenda, whom she last met when two years old and in Africa with dad's work! Kate's younger sister Sarah was even born in the continent so the family have close links with, and a great love of Africa. A former pupil of St Helena and Brookfield schools, where she was in the first mixed 6th form, Kate is taking a year out from her maths, physics and chemistry studies before her 'physical sciences' course begins at University College London in October 1994. She trusts that her time in Zimbabwe will be a useful and enriching experience, where she will enjoy happy relationships with the children and families she meets, and that she manages to keep in touch with her many friends back at home (she plans to send periodical news of her exploits). She is very excited about this opportunity to reach out to others with the love of Jesus, and hopes to learn from Him through her own experiences. Please remember Kate in your prayers and look out for news of her during the coming months. Alan Sheldon 'By Chance' (February 1994 edition of magazine) How many people do we meet, sometimes on a frequent basis, but never really get past talking about mundane things such as the weather? Recently I spent a week in Argentina on business and met the Managing Director of a company with whom I have had contact over a number of years. I have also spent time with him during his visits to the U.K. In the past we have become acquainted but not really got to know a great deal about each other. However, as we talked in his office we found we had much more in common than mere business. He was able to share with me his experiences within his church life and the way in which the church has taken responsibility for a children's home Hogar El Alba. I would ask that we remember the work being carried on by fellow Christians and hope that the following article written by Juan Cliffe will provide a basis of our prayer. David Jarvis A Brief History of Hogar El Alba Hogar "El Alba" is a children's home, located on a farm of 80 acres, 30 miles from Buenos Aires. The legal entity to which it belongs is called "ESCUELAS E INSTITUTOS FILANTROPICOS ARGENTINOS", a non-profit organisation duly recognised by the Government. This entity was founded by the Rev. William C. Morris from the Church of England in Argentina. This is how it all began. William Morris was born in Soham, Cambridge in 1864 into a very pious family. But very soon his mother died when he was only 4 years old. As life was difficult in those days, his father decided to try his fortune emigrating to Paraguay with his three boys and a daughter. There they tried to raise some sheep. His father would teach them to read and write from the Bible and a few books from English poets. Soon this venture failed, as the land was very poor and they had to emigrate to Argentina, where they started farming once again. William was a solitary character, his Bible and books his best companions. Eventually in 1886 he landed in Buenos and while working for an English merchant he decided to do something for the abandoned children of one of the poorest areas of the town, "La Boca". He rented a small room, bought a few benches, a blackboard and chalk and started looking for the young boys in the streets. He not only had to teach them to read and write but also feed them. As his work grew, he had to leave his job as he had to spend many hours asking for funds to the British Community. He was also ordained preacher by the Methodist Church in 1891 but later, in 1897 was accepted as minister by the Anglican Church. Gradually his work became accepted even by the Government Authorities; he befriended presidents and legislators and was given grants. His schools attended at its peak 7200 pupils. But in 1931 he was taken seriously ill, suffering from a weak heart and decided to go back to Soham, England, where he eventually died in 1932 dreaming of his beloved children (he had none of his own) and his adopted land, Argentina. As part of his work, the farm "Hogar El Alba" was bought to provide fresh milk and vegetables for his schools. When the Peronist regime came to power, all his schools were expropriated except the farm. At present we are transforming what used to be an institutionalised orphanage into separate substitute homes, where one couple looks after 12 children in separate facilities. To this end we are recycling our old buildings with a budget of £200,000. Present capacity is of 30 children (boys and girls) and once our development plan is finished we shall be able to house a maximum of 100. The children are sent to government schools and trained to become useful citizens once they leave, but most important of all they are given the Word of God. The director is a full-time missionary and as a rule the staff have to be committed Christians as well as Committee members. Our current budget is of £8000 per month and we rely on government grants and church individual offerings. Even today, William Morris is considered the father of Evangelical Schools, and his work is remembered by Argentine Society as the work of a pioneer and patriot. Please pray for us! Juan Cliffe C.N.I Derbyshire Churches Partnership, India 1995 (April 1995 edition of magazine) In August 1994 the Derbyshire Churches welcomed 11 young people from the Church of North India. In July/August 1995, 11 young people from Derbyshire have been invited to make a return visit. Chris Amner from St Thomas' has been selected along with Rachel Willett and Liz Brailsford from Saint Augustine's. Jay Macleod the curate at St Augustine's is going as the leader so this makes a strong Chesterfield link. Chris writes "we will be visiting many rural villages and seeing Indian life from all aspects. It will be excellent and a most valuable experience. I hope to gain an insight into how other cultures worship the Lord and to be able to share something of what 1 learn with you in September. Having survived the selection process I now have the more daunting task of raising the necessary money. I plan to go on a long distance/ endurance walk, probably in June so I am already training for that. So if you see a tall lad jogging the streets just humour me on!" Details for sponsorship for Chris will be available nearer the time. It is exciting that a member of St Thomas' CYFA is taking part in this visit to the Church of North India and can thus help us to develop our involvement with the CNI/Derbyshire Churches Partnership. Soccer in Armenia, 1998 (August 1998 edition of magazine) Last month I was privileged to accompany coaches from Liverpool Football Club to Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh, representing the charity Operation Christmas Child. Following two successful projects to coach children in the past, OCC was back by popular demand! The children were victims of poverty, earthquake or war - very often all three. My experience in Armenia was extremely rewarding and is probably the most satisfying thing I have ever done. There are so many facets of the expedition that I would like to share, but am not able to, due to space. I hope that the memories I share with you will give you a taste of the various emotions we all experienced. The abiding memory from the whole week is the joy expressed on the faces of the children we met. They enjoyed everything we tried to do for them, and were overwhelmed by the fact that we cared enough to travel 2,500 miles to play football with them. The mothers (the war had claimed most fathers) could not stop thanking us for visiting them and for not forgetting their children. The poverty that we witnessed was appalling and at times very upsetting. The Shahumian village was particularly disturbing to see. Here families live in large cylindrical water tanks converted into homes. Families of 6-8 people live in these cramped yet 'spotless' conditions. These refugees have lost everything, except their pride! It was here that I picked up a little girl who could not see the entertainment at the front of the crowd. She held me so tight and kept looking at me. All her Grandmother could say was "No Papa, No Papa". It is still difficult, even now, to hold back the tears. We visited the 'Lighthouse' refugee camp, set up by OCC's link charity - Christian Cultural Ministries International. The name 'Lighthouse' was given as a reminder of God's light shining in the darkness. Refugees from Nagorno Karabagh live in squalid conditions; in tiny rooms - many without glass in the windows. Very few communal toilets served this enormous block of flats. Here I met a little girl and her mother. I gave the little girl a small cuddly toy, with which she was overjoyed. As I looked up, her mother was crying. I had not given the most expensive gift in the world; but I had given the most precious - love. This memory still, brings tears to my eyes. The children here were so poor, they begged for anything we could give them. We emptied our bags of sweets, pens, whistles, and as we left we even took the shirts off our backs. In the war zone of Nagorno Karabagh we stayed in a village called Shushi. Here, the Bishop, a charismatic leader, told us of the 'Miracle of Shushi'. At the height of the war he received a message that the Azerbeijan troops were on the outskirts of the village preparing to invade. Half an hour was all he needed to evacuate the women and children - but there was not half an hour, because the troops were so close. The Bishop prayed, and moments later, on what was a very clear and sunny day, a large cloud enveloped the village. It was not a rain cloud, or fog, just an answer to prayer, staying long enough for the women and children to leave. Prayers were answered again as we drove through the 'town' of Agdam, which had been obliterated by war. The 'ghost town', having had every property burned to the ground, was finally littered with Iandmines. Only six weeks prior to our visit, two locals preparing for our project were killed, when they drove over one. It is here that we broke down, and were quickly and forcibly told not to wander away or pick anything metal up. Thankfully a Red Cross Land Rover came around the corner and was able to help us. These and other experiences have given my faith renewed vigour. It has also been reinforced by the children of Armenia, who, wherever we went, entertained us by singing praises to God and thanking him for everything they had. I felt humbled that having so little compared to us, they never stopped thanking God. The week consisted of a very intensive coaching schedule, aiming to see as many children as possible. The stress on coaching skills was not as important as that of having fun. These children have lost their childhood as well as everything else. Through the expressions on their little faces this visit obviously meant as much to these children as the shoebox gifts they receive from us. So poor and neglected by the world are these people, that in Nagorno Karabagh every child (60,000 approx.) receives a ticket, which in turn is exchanged for a shoebox gift. No one is left out. (Incidentally this only happens after they have all heard the story of the first Christmas). Through giving a little of my time, and sharing some skills and experiences, I have learnt the most valuable lesson of my life. These young innocent victims, who have already experienced far worse disasters than most of us in this country, taught me to thank God for everything, and to put my faith and trust in Him - no matter what! Please pray for:
David Simmonds James Sellee Returns to a Key Ministry in Ravaged Liberia, 1998 (October 1998 edition of magazine) Our first Liberian Studylink Partner, James Sellee, returned home last September with a Masters Degree from Oak Hill College to a country recovering from the ravages of civil war. He managed to get a letter through to a family which provided kind hospitality through Studylink: "I'm back home safely. Words cannot express how much I appreciate your love, warmth, friendship, prayers and care in every way. You mere my pillar of strength and support for those two years of stay in the UK. Thank you for teaching me so much about practical Christian lone and fellowship. Im priest-in-charge of one of our biggest city churches, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in the capital city Monrovia. It is vibrant and has a membership of a little over a thousand. I enjoy maximum support and cooperation from the membership. The Bishop says my permanent assignment is to head the theological college of our Anglican university, which is closed at the moment due to the civil war. It is expected to reopen sometime in 1998. Life is very hard. I survive on only one meal a day. It is taking a long time to recover from the civil war. Thank God for His sustaining grace, strength and providence. Nothing surpasses seeing and being privileged to share in the converting and transforming power of the gospel amid destitution and unspeakable suffering such as ours. Please pray for more so such grace and power in the midst of weakness and hopelessness." James Sellee Jonty Frith -a Year in Uganda (October 1994 edition of magazine) Jonty Frith is in Kampala. He has a year to gain experience before he training for ordination at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, in September 1995. He is assisting a CMS mission partner, Steve Coulson, who works in Namirembe Cathedral and its five Luganda speaking daughter churches in 'slum areas' of the city. He is living with a Ugandan evangelist, his wife and their three young children. An estimated 70% of the Kampalan people are HIV+ and everyone is losing loved ones to AIDS. There are vast needs and many opportunities to show God's love. A comment at a fellowship meeting Jonty attended was translated for him: "This muzungu (white man) looks a bit funny but we think he'll be OK. Jonty Frith -is Learning a New Language in Uganda (December 1994 edition of magazine) Jonty Frith has been in Uganda for over three months now. It hasn't always been easy to adapt to a new culture, but he is having many exciting and educative experiences. He can hold his own in the local language, Luganda, now. His three lessons a week have obviously been effective. In the market place, he was buying a bicycle pump and people gathered round, impressed with his language! He has had several opportunities to preach, take school assemblies and visit people in their homes. He has learned to ride his motorbike and only been knocked off once! Jonty Frith in Uganda (February 1995 edition of magazine) Jonty enjoyed his African Christmas. He even produced the sketch "Angel face" in Namirembi Cathedral - he had performed in this at St Thomas' Carol Service three or four years ago. He has recently participated in a Youth Camp. This was not an easy experience and it made him appreciate the biblical teaching and effective organization which he has grown used to at the Blaithwaite CYFA Venture. The recent rainy season is also the grasshopper eating season. The insects gather in their thousands under the few street lights that have electricity and are easy to catch. Jonty has tried them and finds them rather crunchy! Please pray that God will protect and use Jonty, especially as he preaches and meets regularly with various young men for one to one Bible reading. Extract from a letter from Uganda -Jonty Frith (April 1995 edition of magazine) I am disheartened by a polarisation in Ugandan Christianity between older fellowships with solid teaching, perceived as "sound asleep", and on the other hand, noisy meetings that attract young people, have the appearance of liveliness, but lack substance. Thousands flock to "Apostle Deo" who claims to be "blasting AIDS with the power of proven prayer performance", and it appears that God is blessing some, amidst much confusion. 'JESUS IS LORD', their banners say. Amen! May the Saviour be given more attention! Christian young people tend to be shallow. As a young whippersnapper trying to be serious about digging deep into God's word, I'm quite unusual. Steve's ministry had done much to bring together the positives of orthodoxy and liveliness. Please ask God to take his people deeper into knowledge of him. Jonty Frith Ministry Training-Jonty Frith (August 1995 edition of magazine) Has returned from almost a year in Uganda. He will be starting his ministry training at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, in October. He is due to preach at the Youth Service on 3rd September and after the service will talk and show photos about life in Uganda. Home from Uganda -Jonty Frith (October 1995 edition of magazine) It's good to be back where I belong after ten months in 'darkest Africa', although as the sky turns grey and I pull on another sweater, I almost wish I were on the plane today with the Coulsons, heading back to where it's warm all year. (The Coulson family are CMS mission partners in Kampala, with whom I worked until they came home in February for six months' leave and I moved into their house.) Kampala is the capital city of Uganda, on the Equator in East Africa. Famous for its years of terror under Amin and Obote in the 70s and 80s, everywhere there are reminders of those dreadful days in the form of bullet holes (one friend showed me the hole in his landing floor where his dad had been killed) and pot holes. The wrecked roads are a striking symbol of the prosperity that was once there, eroded by thirty years of neglect and disorder and one by one being smartly resurfaced as the wounded nation pulls itself back together. President Museveni's National Resistance movement has brought stability and a promise of democracy soon. There's an air of optimism, but Ugandans seem to be hurtling from one disaster into another. Exodus 12:30 -"... there was riot a house without someone dead."- will now for me always be a reminder of the impact of AIDS on those families I encountered in 1994 - 95. It has been estimated that in the areas in which I worked, 80% of people were HIV+, and most people die within five years of contracting the virus. Some children are orphaned four or five times, and left with no-one to take them in or, still less likely, pay their school fees. Before last summer I had attended one funeral; since then it has been more than one per month. But. seeing death can do you some good, and the church has arisen to make a prophetic challenge to Uganda's sexual immorality, as well as preaching the name of Jesus for forgiveness and the only source of power for right living. What did I do, apart from praying with dying or bereaved people? 1. Preaching in Namirembe Cathedral and its daughter churches in slums around the bottom of Namirembe Hill, about 3 times a month, (sometimes 3 times in one Sunday), often with translation into Luganda. 2. Reading the bible on a weekly one-to-one basis with four young men. 3. Speaking in school assemblies, Scripture Unions and Bible classes, around 3 times a week in term time. 4. Loitering around a market place which led to learning more Luganda expressions and proverbs such as "Linda ki ggwe eyo affurnita mu kiira", - if you keep waiting for the animal to come nearer, when you do throw the spear you'll only catch its tail - In other words, why don't you hurry up and get married? Twenty two? holding impromptu seminars on, say, the divinity of Christ with a crowd of Moslems praying with people who asked, out in the open day tripping with some timber merchants, to see the head of my clan, Kyeyune e Mirembe Leading youth group bible studies and the Bulange Youth Bonanza, incorporating films, egg races, Christian teaching drama, singing, silly games, etc., all to keep the teenagers off the streets in the school holidays. Also: - digging to restore a disused swimming pool, which led to - swimming in the gunky water. 6. Visiting five times a week, dozens of homes (which ranged from dark little comfortable huts to big posh awkward houses) in three different areas called Katwe2, Bulange and Ndeeba, always with a lay reader from the appropriate church. This wide range of experiences was obviously more than I could have expected from a church placement in England, which was the alternative for my year before 'vicar factory'. I want to say a big thank you to all who have supported me financially (the whole thing cost over £3000) in prayer and with encouraging letters. Jonty Frith Sarah Frith, News from Cameroon (December 1997 edition of magazine) Sarah is working for six months in Cameroon. Extracts from Sarah Frith's letters home Letter 26 September - 3 days after leaving home 2.15pm. I'm so HOT! It reaches 43 degrees sometimes. I didn't think the heat would be such a problem. 6.15pm Breeze, lovely. Been for a walk ... all the people are so friendly. It's lovely. Their skins are so black... And there is the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen. It's amazing. I wish you could see it. I was about to take a photo when Annukka told me they have them every night. Wow!.. The millet is high round the house so you can hardly see it. This is AFRICA! Wooo. I love it! (Continued three days later.) Teaching went really well. Satisfying because Tommi (12) has never been able to tell the difference between nouns, verbs, etc but now lie can. Kati (6) was learning to measure so I made her a worksheet with things to measure like her foot, my nose, her pencil ... I successfully explained some maths to Miksu (9) so I'm feeling pretty good about being a teacher! (This was the first day!) Letter 14th October The village is much bigger than I expected. Kids eat raw onions like sweets! There is a Rain Chief whose job is to produce rain. People bring him gifts to make sure he carries on bringing the rain, only recently he failed so he was taken to court! Letter 19th October Last week there were two deaths not far away - people tortured to death for not voting the right way in the elections. And what made me really sad was a baby died because the family decided they couldn't afford the doctor's fee of 20p. e-mail 23rd October I've sent two aerograms and a postcard which should arrive sometime within the next year. Someone here got a birthday card ON her birthday, but it was 5 years late! The village is a hive of activity - it's harvest time. I've been out in the fields watching them all hoeing the millet and carrying it to their houses. It's their food for the next year and the stalks their firewood on which to cook it. The whole family mucks in with the work. e-mail 28th October The e-mail system is dodgy. I haven't received arty messages despite hearing of 5 senders. I'm well and happy. Have a fun bonfire night. It makes me laugh to think of the hats, gloves, scarves, etc we used to put on at this time of year. It's so hot still here. Dad, I think I'll appreciate your sermons on return! The one this Sunday was 1 & 3/4 hours long in a language I didn't understand on very uncomfortable seats in a very hot building. Still, the singing was good! Sarah Frith Sarah Frith, Home from Cameroon (April 1998 edition of magazine) Sarah Frith arrived home, after her six months in a remote part of north Cameroon just in time for the Ploughshare deadline. She immediately wrote this contribution, despite being rather sleepy! I got back from Cameroon this morning after a somewhat eventful flight - my luggage was lost on the internal flight but I managed to get it back at the last minute, about 30 seconds before the final check-in-time for leaving Cameroon! Thank you so much to all those of you who've been such a great support, through prayer or letters. It was so encouraging to realise how many people were thinking of me, and it was almost a full time job replying to everyone! If you didn't get a reply, then I'm afraid I didn't get your letter. I've had such a positive experience in Africa, better than I could ever have imagined. Teaching went well, I wasn't lonely, I really felt part of the Kinnaird family, and I had no major illnesses and a thoroughly good time. It was sad to leave, although part of me could hardly wait to see everyone again and 6 months hadn't really seemed long enough. I have been really aware of your prayer support throughout. Please continue to pray for the Kinnaird family and the work of all the Translators in Cameroon, particularly for protection from the increasing amount of crime in the area. Sarah Frith Paul and Ruth Lapworth, New Link Mission Partners (June 1998 edition of magazine) Paul and Ruth Lapworth have wanted to return to Africa since before they were married. Their opportunity has come sooner than expected. They are due to fly out to Rwanda on 19 June, if their work permits are sorted out in time. They will be serving with Christian Outreach, a Christian relief and development organisation. We are to adopt them as Mission partners and aim to support them in prayer as best we can. They hope to be with us in St Thomas on Sunday 7th June and their farewell will be in Reading, their home town, the following Sunday. If you would like to receive their regular newsletter, please contact the Church Office or mention it to Ruth's parents, Pam and Christopher Frith. A full leaflet is available from St Thomas' Church Office. We are asked to pray:
Paul and Ruth Lapworth, News from Rwanda (October 1999 edition of magazine) It was good to have Paul and Ruth Lapworth at St Thomas' one Sunday in August. Obviously, many members were on holiday, so we reproduce some excerpts from their last letter. End of Phase 1 The first phase of the community development programme in Mugesera finished at the end of May. Since then we've spent a lot of time looking back over the first 19 months of the programme with our staff and members of the community in Mugesera and trying to evaluate what has gone well and what could be improved on in future. On the whole, it has been very encouraging to look back at what has been achieved in a relatively short time. Here are a few of the highlights:
Phase 2 is basically a continuation of the on-going work. We will continue to work on extending the piped water network, training and supporting farmers' associations and community seed banks, supporting women's groups, youth groups, cultural groups, literacy groups- any type of group really! The future of the credit programme is very uncertain at the moment as no-one wants to fund it. Operating on half-funding has meant that we've had to cut costs quite a lot, which has involved making some redundancies - not a pleasant experience. We're encouraged, however, that the reduced team we have now are really committed to the work and seem more united than before. Drama in Kibungo On the first working day we were away, Zachery our Administrator was returning from the bank with over £5000 when the car was allegedly held-up at gunpoint and ordered to drive several miles where the bandits made off with the money. This sort of thing is virtually unheard of in Kibungo, and the story doesn't seem to make sense in many ways. Zachery and the driver, David, were taken in for questioning by the police and 3 weeks later they are still being held as suspects and there has been no official report. As always in Rwanda, the truth seems to be particularly elusive and we're bracing ourselves for what could become a long and messy court case. Paul and Ruth Lapworth Lapworths are Coming Home (April 2000 edition of magazine) Paul and Ruth Lapworth are returning to England - in June. They will have completed their two year contract in Rwanda with CORD (Christian Outreach for Relief and Development). Ruth is expecting their first child in September. Other good news has been funding for a new Landrover and a Cultural Centre in Mugesera. They appreciate prayer for the right successors to be appointed and for guidance about their next stage. Paul and Ruth Lapworth Are Home (August 2000 edition of magazine) Paul and Ruth have returned from their two year contract in Rwanda with Christian Outreach for Relief and Development (CORD). Ruth writes: We returned from Rwanda in June after almost two years working with CORD (Christian Outreach - Relief & Development). Together with a team of about 30 Rwandese staff, we were running a community development project in a district called Mugesera. The challenge was to help the community get back on its feet again after the huge disruption caused by the 1994 genocide and war. The work was very wide-ranging and included such things as building schools, improving water supply, teaching primary school children about good hygiene practices, setting up fish farms, literacy training, supporting youth groups and giving small loans to enable people to set up small businesses. It was an action-packed two years, and certainly the most challenging thing we've ever had to do. Nevertheless, it has been encouraging to look back over our time there and see the impact that CORD's work has had on the lives of many people. The work is continuing, but as yet, permanent replacements for our positions have not been found - please do pray about this. As for us, we don't yet know what our next step will be. We are expecting a baby at the end of August and are praying that God will show us clearly what type of work we should be involved in. We'd like to say a big thank you for all the support we've received from St Thomas' during our time in Rwanda. The gift from the Mission Committee enabled us to build about 20 new tap-stands, bringing water to hundreds of people who previously had none. We have also particularly appreciated the prayer support you have given. We have been very aware of God's presence with us throughout, and his strength enabling us to do things we'd never have thought possible otherwise. Ruth and Paul Lapworth |