For advice on joining the church and activities within the church, please contact the Minister. Tillicoultry Parish, Church of Scotland Dollar Road Tillicoultry Clackmannanshire FK13 6PD www.tillicoultryparishchurch.btck.co.uk Scottish Charity Number: SC16570 Grateful thanks are due to Tillicoultry Primary School for support in the production of Outreach Statement of Faith “Tillicoultry Parish Church aims to be a church of the whole community; a place where those who have faith and those who have yet to find it or renew it, can come together as a family of God’s children; a place where all will be received with tolerance, understanding and friendship.” November 2013 Tillicoultry Parish Church of Scotland
Transcript
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For advice on joining the church and activities within the church, please contact
the Minister.
Tillicoultry Parish, Church of Scotland
Dollar Road Tillicoultry Clackmannanshire FK13 6PD
www.tillicoultryparishchurch.btck.co.uk
Scottish Charity Number: SC16570
Grateful thanks are due to
Tillicoultry Primary School for
support in the production of Outreach
Statement of Faith
“Tillicoultry Parish Church aims to be a church of the whole community; a place where those who have faith and those who have
yet to find it or renew it, can come together as a family of God’s children; a place where all will be received
with tolerance, understanding and friendship.”
November 2013
Tillicoultry Parish Church of Scotland
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Minister The Revd Alison E. P. Britchfield Tel. 750340
each Sunday morning at 9.00 am and 10.30 am on the last Sunday evening of every month at 6.30 pm
A crèche will be available at the 10.30 am service.
Sacrament of Holy Communion
first Sunday of March, June, September and December
All will be made very welcome at each of our services.
Vestry Hour
The Minister is available every Wednesday evening between 6.30 and 7.30 in the Vestry. Couples who wish to arrange to be married or any parents who wish to discuss the baptism of their children should see her at this time. She is also very happy to meet with anyone who wishes to discuss a pastoral or spiritual matter. No appointment is necessary. If the time is unsuitable, please phone the Minister to make an alternative arrangement or to ask for a home visit.
Sunday Club - Seniors - Leaders: Sue Bytheway - Tel. 752947 Angus Stewart - Tel. 750866 Primary 7 upwards
Meet in Church at 10.30 am for the first part of service, then leave with the teachers to go to classes.
Sunday Brunch Club in the Manse after Church until 1.00 pm on third Sunday of the month
Primary 7 upwards
Boys’ Brigade - Captain: Farquhar Wilson - Tel. 751520
Anchor Boys (Thurs) Primary 2-3 Large Hall 6.00 - 7.15 pm Junior Section (Thurs) Primary 4-6 Large Hall 6.45 - 8.15 pm Company Section (Thurs) Primary 7+S1-S6 Large Hall 7.30 - 9.00 pm
Explorers (Wednesday) Primary 1 - 3 Small Hall 6.15-7.30 pm Juniors (Wednesday) Primary 4 - 7 Large Hall 6.15-7.30 pm Brigaders (Wednesday) S1 - S6 Large Hall 7.30-9.00 pm
Choir - Director of Music: Mr Bill Kinross - Tel. 750574
The choir meets for practice in the Small Hall at 7.30 pm on Wednesdays during the winter months.
Guild - President: Margaret Stewart - Tel. 750866
Meets on Tuesday in the Large Hall at 7.30 pm on alternate weeks
Men’ Club - Secretary: David Dobbie - Tel. 750074
Meets on Tuesday in the Small Hall at 7.30 pm on alternate weeks
Country Dance Club - information from Mrs Mary Grant - Tel. 750594
Meets on a Tuesday evening at 7.30 pm on alternate weeks
Sewing Group - information from Lillias Dobbie - Tel. 750074
Meets on Monday evenings in Meeting Room 2 from 7.0 pm - 9.0 pm
Thursday Club - Information from Eleanor Nicolson - Tel. 750040
For help with transport, contact Liz Duncan - Tel. 750609
Meets alternate Thursdays from 2.00 - 4.00 pm during winter months
TILLICOULTRY PARISH CHURCH
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS - MEETING ARRANGEMENTS
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T.A. Mack MRPharmS Pharmaceutical Chemist
107 High Street, Tillicoultry Clacks FK13 6DS
Telephone: 750261
Poppies Florist
1A Stirling Street, Tillicoultry
Tel: (01259) 750770
Wide selection of flowers available
Speak to us if you have
special floral requests
Funeral tributes - e.g.
coffin sprays, wreaths, posy pads,
sheaf tributes and sympathy flowers
Individual bouquets, hand-ties,
baskets, arrangements and
baby gifts all made to order
Wedding flower prices
available on request
Delivery service available
including Funeral
Parlour or Church
CREDIT CARDS WELCOME
FLOWERGRAM MEMBER
Open Six Days a Week
Hours 9.0 am - 6.0 pm Closed for Lunch 1.0 pm - 2.15 pm
Closed Saturday from 1.0 pm
EMERGENCY DISPENSING At night, on Sundays and Public Holidays
Please contact your Local Police
DISPENSING MEDICINES, FAMILY HEALTHCARE & ADVICE
As an independent funeral directors situated within the community,
we aim to provide families locally with an excellent service at a competitive price.
• We also aim to bring all your ideas together and create a unique and
personal funeral for your loved one
• 24-Hour Helpline
01259 725999
• 111 Main Street Sauchie, FK10 2JX
Fax: 01259 725174
'Where caring comes first'
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CONTENTS
Page
Letter from the Minister 4
Congregational Register 5
Mary’s Meals Soup Lunch / Harvest Thanksgiving 6
The Manse Hens / Fairtrade 7
Bible Study / Kirk Bazaar 8
Sunday Morning Club News 9
News from our Missionary Partners 10/11
Remembrance around The World 12
Advent Programme 2013 13
Girls’ Brigade 14
MacMillan Coffee Morning 15
Alison’s Golden Challenge - Thank You! 16
Outreach Contact Details and next deadline 17
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Kirk Bazaar in Devonvale Hall 16
th November from 10.00 am - 3.30 pm
Mary’s Meals Soup Lunch Sunday 17
th November after 10.30 Service
Girls’ Brigade / Boys’ Brigade Carol Concert Sunday 1
st December 6.45 pm
Advent Antics for Children aged 3-9 Sundays 1
st, 8
th, 15
th and 22
nd December (1.00 - 3.00 pm)
Pre-Booking is advised
Daily Reflection for Advent on Website and Facebook From 1
st December
Fairtrade Stall Sunday 8
th December after both services
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TILLICOULTRY MANSE, OCTOBER 2013 Dear Friends,
I cannot imagine spending my life in any other way than being a minister. It is something I came to very early and has filled my life with so many different experiences and blessings, and opportunities to serve God and others. Yet ministry has also changed in the years since I was ordained. The Church of Scotland is still proud to have a parish ministry, covering every single inch of Scotland. There are fewer people claiming membership or even allegiance to the Church of Scotland but, even so, the recently released census figures tell us that one third of the population claims to “belong” to the Kirk, and many still want the services of the church for weddings, baptisms and funerals.
There are fewer ministers too, and in the coming years the number will continue to shrink. Fewer and fewer men and women are responding to the Call to full time ministry, and church finances mean that the Kirk could not currently afford them even if they were there. As a consequence of the diminishing number of ministers, those who are serving are finding themselves with increasing and changing workloads.
For me, moving to a new, larger parish has highlighted those changes in the face of ministry. One of my frustrations is my inability to visit as much as I would like to, a frustration I share with many of my colleagues, and one which I need to accept. I will never be able to visit every single member of the congregation in their home, but I will visit those who need me to do so.
I would be grateful if you would help me with this. Please keep me up to date if you are ill or going into hospital, or ask a family member or friend to do so. If you know of someone who needs a visit for any pastoral reason, let me know. I cannot promise to visit immediately unless I am notified that it is an urgent matter, but I will visit. I can be contacted by phone, mail, email, or mobile. I can also be notified at church, but I would ask you to hand me the details in writing, so that I can retain them! At present there is a notification list in the vestibule. By the time you read this, that will have been replaced by a Visiting Book in the Vestry. Please help me to make the best use of my visiting time by keeping me as well informed as possible.
But there is something more important that we need to remember. I am called to ordained ministry, but we are ALL called to minister in Christ’s name. That means, when your elder visits, they do so in the
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OUTREACH
Items for Outreach can be given to Alison Black or Mary MacFarlane, editors of the magazine.
Alison Black can be contacted by post, phone, fax or email as follows:
I will praise the Lord God with a song and a thankful heart (Psalm 69:30)
Alison Black would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone for their interest, words of encouragement and sponsorship of her 100Km walk (that’s over 62 miles) which she undertook as a celebration of 50 years of happy marriage and in grateful thanks for her own good health. The challenge was to complete the walk in 24 hours and she and older daughter, Linda, covered the distance on the Thames Path from Putney to Henley-on-Thames in 23 hours. A summary is below.
We set off on Saturday 14th September at 9.15 am and had gone just half a mile when the rain settled in for the first couple of hours. We shared the path with hundreds of Londoners, cycling, dog-walking and running, whilst the river alongside was busy with people on boats of every kind. Having crossed the bridge at Kingston, we walked past the golden gates of Hampton Court Palace with its wonderful gardens.
The next stage took us through Walton, Shepperton Cricket Ground and Staines before we reached historic Runnymede - the final destination for those doing 50Km but just halfway for us!
We began the second half of our adventure in the dark, with clear skies and the moon for company when it wasn’t misty. We donned our head torches and set out purposefully. Inevitably the darkness slowed our progress with the path often being narrow and muddy and the river gleaming dark and deep alongside. We were often on our own in darkness - the path illuminated by glow sticks hanging from the trees.
After about 90Km, it began to get light and for a while the path became part of the Chiltern way which meant it was uphill and over several stiles - just what we didn’t need at that time - but it was beautiful countryside nevertheless. We soon dropped down to the river again and to the finishing line at Henley on Thames - 8.15 am on Sunday 15th.
It wasn’t as easy as I have made it sound - in fact it was very tough and many competitors didn’t finish. We were lucky to have no blisters and to have one another for encouragement along the way.
We have already raised over £2300 for CHAS and Alzheimer Scotland and, now that the training is over, we are making efforts to increase the total by continuing to sell one or two things on Ebay and we plan to have a Car Boot Sale in the next few weeks. Our JustGiving pages will be open until Christmas.
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name of the Church and should be welcomed as such. When someone calls with flowers, they do so in the name of the Church. When you knock on a door, or stop and pass the time of day with someone, you have the opportunity to do so in the name of Christ. Remember the words of Matthew 25: 36-40.
If the ministry of our church is to depend only on what time allows me to do, then it will be a poor thing indeed. If it can be the sum of what each of us can do in the name of Christ by our prayers, words and actions, then we can make a difference indeed.
Your friend and minister,
Alison E P Britchfield
CONGREGATIONAL REGISTER
DEATHS *Member of Church
There is nothing in life or death, nothing in all creation that can separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus his Son
August 2013
Gray Thomson – Mallaig – Interment only
Sept 2013
Ken Parsons, Westbourne House, Dollar Rd, Tillicoultry
Oct 2013
Ann Forsyth, Denny
*Ian Hepburn, 22 Donaldson Drive, Tillicoultry
Marion Smith, 49 Ann Street, Tillicoultry
*Mrs June Harrower, Orchard Care Home, Tullibody
Mrs Elizabeth Schepschinski, 88 Queen Street, Alva
*Mrs Kathleen Coull, 32 Dollar Road, Tillicoultry
*Mr Andrew Horne, 87 Fir Park, Tillicoultry
WEDDINGS
You may share the grace of God which gives you life
14th September Allan Fry and Amanda Mills at Broomhall Castle
18th October John Harvey and Ann Turner at Harviestoun Country House Hotel
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MARY’S MEALS - SOUP LUNCH
A Soup Lunch on behalf of Mary’s Meals will be held in the Large Hall on Sunday 17th November after the 10.30 morning service. There is no set price but people are asked to make donations.
Gluten free bread will be provided for anyone who needs this.
The money raised will be used to help transport backpacks to Malawi. The backpacks are taken from Glasgow by Transport Carriers and shipped to Africa and then transported to the schools.
Please support us in this venture. Helen McAuslane
HARVEST THANKSGIVING & ALLOA FOODBANK We had an excellent response in the many and varied donations for
the Harvest Festival and for Alloa Foodbank, as well as plenty of flowers for distribution by the elders to their members.
Many thanks to all who donated, helped to carry the boxes and bags to the Lesser Hall and a special thanks to the choirboys who provided the van and the muscle to load and unload the donations.
The organisers of the Foodbank were delighted to receive our donations.
Mary McIntyre
OUTREACH DEADLINES There will be a shorter Christmas Edition of Outreach with a deadline of 17th November but please keep any non-Christmas, non-urgent material until the following full edition - deadline 2nd February 2014.
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… then it’s the Carol Concert on Sunday 1st December at 6.45 pm,
where we will be joining the BB to provide an entertaining evening for all parents and friends. Please take a note of the date and time, which is a little earlier this year, and come along and join us on the first Sunday in Advent.
Christine Pairman
OUR FIRST MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING When Alison emailed me to ask me if I would lead the planning for a Macmillan coffee morning, I said ‘yes’ and then realised this was
something new and slightly scary for me. Luckily I managed to persuade Gillian, Gayle and Halcyone to be part of a planning group and we began thinking about what we needed to do and how to go about it.
As the weeks progressed, it became evident that this was a big and complicated event to organise and we would need help from a lot of other people. We had lots of offers of help and ideas which we then used to plan out the morning. Tony wanted to have a stall for his guide dogs, Gareth agreed to provide music and Kaye said she would run the Fairtrade stall – the morning was taking shape.
The big day came and there was a moment at 10.00 when we wondered if anyone would turn up. The morning turned out to be a huge success – we had over 100 people come for coffee and we raised £715.80 once everything had been sold.
Once I had calmed down and everything was over, I reflected on why it was such a success and I think that there were a number of things that made all the difference. The planning group was so enthusiastic and willing to take on tasks and find creative solutions when we hit a problem, that it was easy to lead the work. Everyone I contacted responded positively and offers of help and baking just kept coming. On the day, lots of volunteers turned up to help and worked tirelessly to make sure everything ran smoothly, and people came to take part in something that they thought was important to support.
I think these things sum up the Tillicoultry church community. There is an energy and enthusiasm which makes a visible difference and we all benefit from being part of the community as a result. What else could we achieve if we put our minds to it?
Julia Swan
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GIRLS’ BRIGADE We are getting into our badge work now and the girls are hopefully having fun on a Wednesday evening and enjoying the Commonwealth theme. The Juniors have been looking at four different Commonwealth countries and have been making their flags and designing a garden to show their produce. Did you know that Kenya is one of the top producers of cut flowers? We are also making our own batons for display, just like the Queen’s, which has now started its journey around all the Commonwealth countries. It will return to Scotland next June, so we hope that we will see it in Clackmannanshire. We have put messages into our batons too, which will be read out at our display in May.
The Explorers have enjoyed making “Clyde” the Commonwealth mascot and they have been making flags for some of the Commonwealth countries.
The Brigaders having been “helping the church” by providing tray bakes for the talents stall, which they also helped to run one Sunday morning. Their “fashion” badge has been another main focus and they have enjoyed looking at fashion through the ages, making their own designs, taking part in a fashion quiz and designing T-shirts. We have also been playing Wii games. They will hopefully be able to help out at some more church events.
Many thanks for the Webb Ivory orders received. We now have quiz sheets for sale! They are available in the vestibule or from any girl or officer. The money raised goes towards the cost of buses for our outings. There are 6 prizes to be won, so please have a go.
We are of course looking forward to our Dedication Service on Sunday 27th October. Some of the girls are taking part in the prayers and readings, so they are practicing hard for that ...
… and we can’t forget the Hallowe’en parties, which have a sports theme this year…..so no witches or ghosts, but we will still have fun dooking for apples and enjoying messy games, plus munching our way through lots of food ...
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THANK YOU Gail and the Crockford family would like to thank the Minister and congregation for the beautiful flowers they received on the sad loss of Gail’s Mum. The sentiment was beautiful and it did bring some cheer during a sad time.
THE MANSE HENS The hens have been laying well and we are very grateful to those members of the congregation who have supported our plan to make a
donation to a charity which supplies "chickens for Africa", by buying our surplus eggs. At the time of writing (14th October) we have collected £84, which will provide more than a dozen hens, but we will wait until we have £100 before sending any money off.
The original seven hens have been augmented recently by another six and, once the newcomers are laying regularly, there should be more eggs available each Sunday (in the Lesser Hall between services) but to ensure that as many people as
possible have the chance to have eggs we should be grateful if you would take only four each.
Many thanks for your continuing support.
Mike and Alison Britchfield
FAIRTRADE My continued thanks to the congregation for supporting Fairtrade so generously.
There will be no sale in November and the last sale for this year will be on Sunday December 8th. Kay Anderson
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STEWARDSHIP OF TALENTS Thank you to everyone who contributed in any way to the success of our Stewardship season focusing on Talents. What a delight to see so many people involved in so many different ways. Please continue to think about how you can best use your God given gifts in the service of the Kingdom every day.
BIBLE STUDY GROUP Our Bible Study meets at 7.30 pm on the first and third Thursdays of the month in the Lesser Hall. This year we are using Scripture Union
material E100, which takes us through the Bible in 100 readings.
So far we have been looking at the Old Testament, at Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, reminding ourselves of their stories and exploring the ways in which God used these very ordinary and flawed lives.
There is always room for more people if you would like to come along and join us.
There are still Bible Study notes available at £7 and Guides at £3 from the Minister if you would like to purchase them.
KIRK BAZAAR The Kirk Bazaar will be held in the Devonvale Hall on Saturday 16th
November from 10.0 am - 3.30 pm.
The cost for adults is £2 - children are free.
The price includes refreshments.
Devonvale Hall will be open on Friday 15th November from 6.30 - 8.30 pm to accept donations.
Please come along and support our annual event.
Cath and Jess
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corporate memory of many of the conflicts as gradually the last surviving participants die, the names of their fallen comrades can still be seen in the lettering on graves and memorials across the world.
“Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore”
Ecclesiasticus 44:4
Mike Britchfield
ADVENT 2013
Advent is a very important time in the Church year, not only as we prepare for Christmas, but also as we remind ourselves that the First Coming of Christ, offering redemption, is a forerunner to his Second Coming. At a time of year when we are so busy and under a great deal of pressure, you are invited to make it different this year by joining in one or more of the activities below:
Advent Study Group
This will meet on two occasions every week, Wednesday afternoon from 3.00 - 4.30 pm and Sunday from 8.00 - 9.30 pm in the Lesser Hall, and anyone can come along to either – the same material will be used at each. There will be no cost for the materials. The first meeting will be on Wednesday 27th November. Come along for a time of fellowship and friendship, as we learn and grow together.
The Electronic Advent Calendar
On our website and FaceBook Page during Advent, there will be a daily reflection as we draw nearer to Christmas - this begins on 1st December.
For Young People
For the first four Sunday afternoons in December, we will be running Advent Antics for children aged 3-9 in the Hall from 1.00 - 3.00 pm with games, crafts and stories featuring Advent themes. Pre-booking is advised and registration forms will be available at the church soon. News of an event for older children will be announced shortly.
There will hopefully also be other things happening, so watch out for news of how you can prepare for the coming of our Saviour.
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REMEMBRANCE AROUND THE WORLD The clock-change at the end of October heralds a sharp transition from the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” to the colder, greyer days of November and the season of remembrance. At this time I often reflect on the opportunities I have had over the years to attend services of remembrance in various places around the world. Of course, it all started very early when, as a young Sea Cadet, I took part in local services and parades at home, usually as one of the four sentries at the corners of the war memorial. Later I attended services in Singapore, where, from its elevated position, Kranji War Cemetery looks north across the Straits of Johor towards Malaysia; in Malta at the Capuccini Naval Cemetery and in the Falkland Islands, where there are now not only many memorials to those who died in the 1982 Conflict but also the memorial to the Great War, commemorating particularly the decisive naval Battle of the Falklands in 1914.
More recently, Alison and I visited memorials and cemeteries in Flanders and Normandy and the British Cemetery on Corfu, where in 1996 Alison had conducted a memorial service for the 44 sailors who died when two British destroyers were mined in the Corfu Channel in 1946. On holiday in 2011 we sailed through the Dardanelles and passed close to the Allied and Turkish war memorials on the Gallipoli Peninsula and the position of a sunken British
battleship, HMS Ocean; it was close to sunset and as the ship drew level with the memorials the Captain conducted a brief but poignant act of remembrance for the casualties of that ill-fated campaign.
Almost without exception, the memorials and cemeteries I’ve mentioned are maintained to a very high standard by dedicated teams of gardeners and masons, and provide tranquil and peaceful oases for quiet and reflective remembrance and contemplation, in sharp contrast to the horrors and desolation of the battles and wars whose victims they commemorate. They are a strong reminder that our remembrance has a global dimension which reaches into many corners of many foreign fields. Although our country is fast losing its
Graves and memorial to casualties of the Corfu Channel Incident in
the British Cemetery, Corfu
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SUNDAY MORNING CLUB NEWS It was great to welcome back old members and to welcome along some new members at the start of the session in August. We took part in our sharing talents project in church. Individually, at home, the boys and girls made cards, key rings, baking and helped to organise special events.
As a group we used our “talent for helping” by making a special effort to help around the house - doing the dishes, cleaning out guinea pigs, helping with the shopping and so on. Some of the children were spon-sored for this activity but all took part and
were presented with a prize for the way they had joined in sharing their talents.
One of Alison’s stories and prayers encouraged us to say “Count me in” and this became a theme for our work in Sunday Club through:
Learning about Jesus Living like Jesus Loving Everybody
We are now busy preparing for our Nativity Play which is called “Hey Ewe” and looks at the Christmas story through the eyes of one particularly curious sheep. We will be performing the play on Sunday 15 th December at the 10.30 am service. We hope we will have you singing along with us.
The date for Christmas party is still to be confirmed at time of writing but we should have given you the date and time in person by the time you read this. We hope that there will
be a special guest there.
God Bless
The Sunday Morning Club Team
Hey Ewe!
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NEWS FROM KEITH AND IDA WADDELL, ZAMBIA, OCTOBER 2013
Dear Family and Friends If anyone ministers, let them do it as with the ability which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Christ Jesus .. 1 Peter 4:11
We are now moving into Mbumbi, the hot and dry season, just before the advent of the rains. We were taken by surprise as we had our first convectional shower of rain recently. The daytime temperatures are beginning to rise into the high 30oC, (90oF) and 20oC (60oF) at night.
A major concern at the moment has been the shortage of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) throughout Zambia. The official reason given was ‘some logistical challenges in the procurement process’. However, another undoubted contributing factor is a world shortage of Tenofovir, a vital ingredient in the manufacture of Truvada. In what is seen as a possible threat to increased resistance, some patients on Truvada and Neviripine are being given Atripia instead. The US is no longer using Atripia, so its stocks are being made available to our Aids Relief projects.
ARVs are used daily by people who are living with HIV and AIDS. Mwandi Mission Hospital has over 1800 clients on this treatment. While no-one has had to go without ARVs, many people have had their regime changed and/or been given a smaller number of pills than usual. The Ministry of Health has ordered large consignments of Truvada in an attempt to cover the need and build up stocks again.
Keith has attended Men’s Christian Fellowship Annual Conference - Western Presbytery - which dealt with some interesting topics including the Prosperity Gospel, the Poverty Mentality and Debt, and seeking the Church transformed through prudent stewardship. The conference continued with Man in God’s Picture of Creation, Your Gift was Meant to Produce Service. We agreed to give the money we had collected to refurbish the girls’ ablution blocks at the dormitories at Sefula Secondary School as we had been sleeping there and could see the need for repair. Twelve new members, including three ministers were dedicated at the Conference’s Sunday Service.
Ida travelled to Senanga and camped at the Western Presbytery’s Women’s Christian Fellowship Rally. Over 1000 Anamoyo gathered at the top of the hill and marched in their red, white and black uniforms through the town to the official opening. Rev Chikwanda spoke well on traditions and culture and how they related with Christianity with
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NEWS FROM KEITH AND IDA WADDELL, ZAMBIA, OCTOBER 2013
particular reference to marriage. Dr Mate spoke on cervical cancer and Deaconess Mubita on Child-Abuse and Gender-Based Violence.
Next morning was a good opportunity to meet and speak to old friends. Rev Chikwanda talked about the dangers of living with a spirit of unforgiveness. Representatives from the Drug Enforcement Agency discussed the damage done by drug and alcohol abuse to the body and the signs and symptoms of such abuse. A talk about ‘Witnessing through Giving’ led into a time of offering. The evening was taken up with the Choir Fundraiser, dancing and singing some old faithfuls. Ida just copied the actions and got a cheer at the end - it was fun! On Sunday morning we all rose at 4.30 am for Holy Communion, after which the ‘blousing’ began. We were proud because Florence, who works for us, had been attending classes and was ‘bloused’ at that service.
We have been visited by a number of friends. Peggy Schrieber brought her surgery team again to undertake her usual long list of general and gynaecological surgery. Also, Dr Salvador De la Torre who served Mwandi for 10 years in the 80s and 90s and has been working in the background to get CMMB to support Mwandi Mission. Synod have agreed and a 15 year Memorandum of Understanding will be signed which will help strengthen hospital systems and especially the maternal and child health programmes which are poorly funded.
Family members to come out over these months were cousins Iain and Jan with friend Shari. Iain helped with the on-going infrastructure work, Jan with admin and Shari with the Art Club at school. We are fortunate and blessed by having so many members of our family so supportive of the work here. Family members helped recently to replace the injectors and pump in the car.
Our friends from Elie, Kilconquhar and Colinsburgh Parish Church have just sent us two crates of hospital and school supplies. Later this month, Ronnie and Ian will arrive to look at what needs they think these congregations might be able to better address.
We value your prayers and ask that you continue to uphold us and our work here in them.
With love from Keith Ida and Mubita
As always, this is an extract from a most interesting letter from our Missionary Partners. The full version is on the Notice Board in the Small Hall.
