Church of Scotland Newsletter Walking Together in Hope This summer sees the Olympic Games coming closer to us than usual when they take place in London. No doubt we will be treated to even more coverage than usual of the many different sports and competitions, many of which we will not hear about again for the next four years. Of course there will be tales of glorious defeat, but mostly it will be the winners who get the publicity; the fastest, the fittest, the best. That is why I was struck by a passage which I came across written by Jean Varnier. Jean is principally known as the founder of the L Arche community, a remarkable organization which now operates in more than forty countries. They work with people they describe as having an intellectual disability, striving to allow them to express their gifts as fully and freely as possible, describing their goal as going beyond inclusion. What Jean and many others have discovered is that working and living alongside such people is a wonderful environment in which to learn about yourself and about God. A life committed to those whom society often seems to want to forget may appear to be about as far as you could go from the glamour and success which we associate with the Olympics. So what is the connection? A quote should make it clear. Jean writes: We must not weep over our imperfections. We are not judged for being defective. Our God knows that in so many ways we are lame and half blind. We will never win the Olympics of humanity, racing for perfection, but we can walk together in hope, celebrating that we are loved in our brokenness: helping each other, growing in trust, living in thanksgiving, learning to forgive, opening up to others, welcoming them and striving to bring hope and peace to our world. It is natural that we should praise and admire those who prove themselves to be the fastest, the fittest and the best. Humans have done that since time began. Yet as Jean Varnier reminds us, in any field in which we operate our goal should not be to become better than others, but to become more thankful, more caring, more forgiving These are gifts which can be found in all sorts of people, even those who may seem to have very little to offer. They are talents which can be admired in people who don t normally attract much admiration. They are aims which we can aspire to, even as we become aware of how defective, how weak and half blind we truly are. So I hope that you enjoy the Olympic Games, and all the other great sporting competitions which take place over the summer months. But I hope even more that we may continue to learn the futility of racing for perfection and come to a greater appreciation of the humbler gifts which God has given to us and to those around. After all, Jesus himself reminds us that in the end the last will be first and the first will be last (Matthew 20:16), a text which I believe Jean Varnier understands better than most of us. Ian Manson Summer 2012 Minister: Revd. Ian Manson, 20 Ancienne Route, 1218 Grand Saconnex Tel/Fax 798 29 09 Church Office: 6 ch Taverney Tel: 022 788 0832 E-mail: cofsg@pingnet.ch www.churchofscotland geneva.com Church Bank Account: UBS 279-C7114389.0 Events: Saturday, 16 June: Curry night Sunday 17 June: Family Service Sunday School picnic Young People's Concert for Lalgadh 12-13 August: Sponsored bike ride Sunday, 19 August: Brigadoons BBQ 21-23 September: Youth Group Trip 8-11 November: Cursillo Weekend In the times when you need God's guidance in your life. The times when you feel discouraged and alone. Find comfort in His word. Encourage me
Page 2 Church Life Sunday School The Summer term is flying past as usual. We ve been enjoying stories from the Old and New Testaments, including stories of Ruth, Samuel, David and the mystery of Pentecost. Many thanks to Mums who have been helping out and bringing feasts for the children to share. It is much appreciated, and if there are any Dads out there who would like to participate, don t be shy! Our Family Service this year will be on Sunday, 17 June when we will be taking a quick trip around the Circle of the Church Year. What s that you ask? Well, ask any of our Godly Play kids and they will explain! the Salle. Our annual picnic will be straight after the Family Service, hopefully in Parc des Bastions if the weather is nice, otherwise upstairs in That same afternoon, at 15:00, there will be the second annual Children s Concert in support of our church s mission in Lalgadh leprosy hospital. Do come back to church to hear our young musicians and support this very worthy cause. Parents please note: 17 June will also mark the end of term. And a heads-up on a new (and entirely optional!) activity for next year: we are planning to offer children the chance to take part in a Sponsored Bible Read, following a great workbook called The Big Bible Challenge. You can see a copy of this book at: www.scriptureunion. org.uk/publications/books/bigbible challenge/index.html The funds raised will go towards helping the children at Lalgadh hospital. More details to follow in September. Jenny Rietbergen 19 August 2012 its barbecue time again! Each year the Brigadoons invite the congregation to join them for a barbecue after Church at the home of Michael and Antonia Bruce in Mollens. Do try to join us. A welcome glass of rosé or fruit juice awaits you before you cook all those wonderful things you have packed for your lunch; all the while enjoying great company! As Mollens is a very small village in the Pied du Jura between Bière and Montricher, please e-mail Michael at michaelg.bruce@virgin.net, or telephone (021) 864-3490 if you would like directions or a map. We look forward to you joining us for a great afternoon! Flowers The Brigadoons Flowers bring life and colour to the Church and are living evidence of the mystery of creation and can be fundamental to church worship so I do hope you will continue to feel called to share in this ministry and contribute flowers on a particular Sunday: to remember the passing of a loved one, or on the occasion of a celebration, as we had the other day on the birth of Ella Rose, or for the sheer joy of seeing fresh flowers brightening the Auditoire on a Sunday morning to glorify God... After the Service the delivery of flowers to the sick, bereaved or housebound, carries a powerful message of God s love and conveys the care and compassion of our congregation to its members and community. Do let me know if you can help in this way. The flower rota stands beneath the notice board in the Salle and I hope you will add your name to it and will let me know when you wish to donate some flowers on a (Continued on page 3)
Page 3 particular Sunday. If you need any help in arranging them please do not hesitate to ask me. Congregational Committee With many thanks, Janet Askew The Committee met on 27 March with a substantial number of agenda items, most of which were dealt with quite rapidly. The more important included: The results of the Church Fair was a net income of CHF 17,215. Mission Sub-Committee proposal was accepted to distribute 2011 end-of-year givings equally: Church of Scotland Mission and Aid, Centre Social Protestant, Espace Solidaire Paquis, Church of Scotland Malta Refugee Programme, Project for Street Children in Douala. The Eglise Protestante de Genève (EPG) agrees that enlarging the usable space in the Salle enhances its value but, because of the cost, the project is unlikely to be undertaken in the near future. The Group for new Auditoire chairs has made considerable progress in reviewing a number of options and expanding their consideration to include other furnishings in the church. Arthur Askew, Secretary Auditoire Stained glass windows How many of us, I wonder, know the story of the stained glass windows in the Auditoire? I suspect that, like me, many of us may have some vague recollection of having heard something about the windows when they were installed several years ago but we would be hard pressed to give any details if we asked a question about them. A small booklet has recently been published called, in French, "L'Auditoire de Calvin - les vitraux". Copies are available at the back of the church and cost CHF 5.00. The booklet, which contains several colour photos of the windows and the interior of the Auditoire, gives a short history of the building in several languages including English, and (unfortunately in French only) information about John Calvin and John Knox as well as details about the windows project and their designer Udo Zembok. Notwithstanding the language which may be a constraint for some, the booklet is well worth its cost and thoroughly commendable. Jim Sharp Choir concert, 1 June raised CHF 1,250
Page 4 Our Church at home Caring for One Another Summer will soon be upon us and, for some of us at least, the prospect of some vacation time when we can enjoy the opportunity for some relaxation, the chance to recharge our batteries and whatever plans we may have made for recreation: in other words, to spend time for "re-creation". But, just like all the other times of the year, summer time is still time for "caring for one another". For some among us, "vacation" may not have much meaning. For those who are no longer in employment or pursuing some other vocation, every day may be "vacation", if that means having little or nothing to do to help fill the hours. Not everyone has the means or opportunities to travel away from home and so every day, no matter what time of the year it is, is pretty much the same as the day before and the next day. If we are going off on vacation somewhere, spare a thought, please, for those who don't have the chance to do the same. For some people including some in our midst summer holiday time can be a lonely time: their neighbours or their usual friends and acquaintances have gone away somewhere, and they may find themselves even more alone than usual. If you know someone who may be in that situation, what kind of "thinking of you at this time" message can you leave behind, or send from your holiday destination? I'm not thinking so much of the typical postcard though that may be a good idea, especially if it can arrive before you return as much as other things: a note dropped in their mailbox or in the post just as you are leaving, to assure them they're not forgotten; a bunch of flowers delivered to their door while you're away; even a phone call during your trip... any of these may just help to bring a smile to someone's face, or help make them feel less alone in this world. Do, please, as you enjoy your holidays, take a moment from time to time to think of 'caring for one another'. "Bonnes Vacances!" Jim Sharp, for the Caring for One Another core group: Terry Angleys, David Asbury, Janet Askew, Christine Bunn, Ian Manson, Jean Murray, Eleanor Strittmatter and Rosaleen Walker Lenten Studies 2012 Every year, during Lent, the Englishspeaking churches in Geneva offer an opportunity to take part in ecumenical study groups. This year, the groups looked at York Course material written by John Young, entitled Handing on the Torch Sacred words for a secular world. Ten groups were set up within the Geneva area and one in Divonne. Groups had between 6 and 12 participants and took place on every day of the week except Saturday. This enabled participants to visit another group if they were unable to attend their own group in a particular week. In five sessions we looked at Christianity as the largest movement our world has ever seen; how it continues to grow at an immense pace especially in Asia (including China), Africa and Latin America; yet at the same time, Christianity in the West struggles to grow and perhaps even to survive. In this course we considered some of the reasons for this and what it meant for individual Christians, for churches and for Western culture, in a world where alternative beliefs are increasingly on offer. Input to our discussions was provided on CD by leading Christian thinkers: Rachel Lampard, responsible for the Methodist Church engagement with political issues; Clifford Longley JP, Roman Catholic Journalist and broadcaster; Archbishop Sentamu, 97th Archbishop of York, and Bishop Graham Cray, Archbishops Missioner and Leader of the Fresh Expressions team, who summed up their thoughts with profound reflections. Overall our discussions were enriching and stimulating. As one participant put it the ecumenical exchanges amongst us were at least as challenging and fruitful as the texts themselves, and if I were to take part
Page 5 next Lent, it would be as much for the richness of exchange amongst us as for the material that provoked our discussions. Be it also said that the experience challenges me not just to "sit down and pray", but to stand up for what I believe in. I would be delighted to hear from anyone who would be interested in being involved in choosing and preparing the Lenten Studies for next year. Adult Christian Education in the Church Janet Askew In the last issue of the Newsletter, members of the congregation were encouraged to think of new ways to enrich our Christian education experience both for younger members and for adults. As we reach that time in the church year where most of our activities slow down or even stop for the summer, may I encourage you to take a moment to think ahead to the new "church year" which will start in September. If you have any ideas that may lead to new opportunities for learning more about our Christian faith, please let a member of the Kirk Session's group on Christian Education (Mary Couper, Laurent Djamen and myself) know, so that we can try to help make appropriate plans and arrangements. One opportunity to share in an experience that often leads to a deeper Christian faith is to take part in one of the Cursillo weekends that are held twice a year here in Geneva. These ecumenical three-day gatherings (Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon) are held at the Cenacle here in Geneva and are led by lay people drawn from all of the main English-speaking churches in the area, supported by clergy. Several people from of our own congregation will be involved in leading the next weekend, which is scheduled for Thursday 8 - Sunday 11 November 2012. A date for your diary perhaps? You can obtain more information from any of the many members of the congregation who have already taken part in a Cursillo weekend, including myself; there is also an announcement on the notice board in the Salle which gives some additional contact names and phone numbers. Jim Sharp Meet the Elders Living in Harmony In the end we will live in harmony with one another If I do my bit To be aware of someone s feelings To learn to know that someone properly To expect they have good intentions To realise they have things on their mind too To hold the impulse to hit back To just go for it with a generous impulse And we will inherit blessing From God himself. Amen, Lord. I will try. Feri Ross Terry Angleys, married to Pierre (a Savoyard Catholic). I grew up in Kansas City (USA), family very active in a large Presbyterian church. After university and 4 years in Africa (Morocco and Ivory Coast), we settled in Geneva for Pierre s work with Caterpillar. I began attending in 1973. After our 2 children started school I returned to teaching English at ASC and Ecole Benedict. Nicolas & Cami grew up in both CofS and RC churches here and are now settled in Michigan & California. Now happily retired, Pierre & I enjoy hiking, skiing, reading, bridge and travel. We are also fans of the Friday film nights at church :-) I sing alto in the choir, look after the Coffee rota, and am part of the Caring for One Another group. Theodore Gill: USA, married to Ruth Ann Shriver Gill who works as webmaster of the Conference of European Churches (CEC). One adult child, Elizabeth, works at the global affairs institute of Yale University, and five-year-old granddaughter Lauriann recently began school. Theo is a minister of the Presbyterian Church (USA), works as senior editor of the World Council of Churches, and serves as editor of the WCC quarterly journal Ecumenical Review. Long ago he spent his last years of high school at, and was graduated from, the International School of Geneva (La Grande Boissière campus). Alice Tulloch: I was born and raised in the East of Scotland, and have a degree in Maths and Economics from St Andrews University which is where I met my husband Peter. After spending a couple of years living and working in Kenya, we lived in the South of England before coming to Geneva in 1975 - for 2 years. We have never left and brought up our family here. Apart from my involvement with many aspects of church life I am also interested in botany and am a volunteer guide at the Geneva Botanic Gardens. Now that Peter has retired we have more time to devote to family, including our 2 grandsons, and to golf and gardening. More on our elders in the next newsletter
Page 6 Mission and Outreach We are blessed in our Church in having outreach partnerships both abroad and locally. Our relationships with Ekwendeni, Malawi, and Lalgadh, Nepal, continue on strong footings. We are grateful to have such strong partners in both countries as Stalin and Valepe in Ekwendeni and Graeme and Meena in Lalgadh. We hope that these relationships will continue to thrive and be blessed. Ian Manson will lead a small group of young adults from our congregation on a visit to Malawi in June of this year, and we hope that, as before, two young Malawians will visit us in September. Thanks to the performers in the recent concert by our choir and soloists who raised CHF 1,250 to go towards financing the "return match"! Things have not been easy out there. Economic conditions have become (even) more difficult over the past couple of years and the political situation was also very tense until recently. There was rejoicing in Ekwendeni at the election of Joyce Banda as President and hope that the country will turn a corner to renewed growth and development. We shall report on the visit in the next News. Graeme and Meena's news, contained on pages 10 and 11 of this Newsletter, gives the latest information on their work promoting medical and spiritual health in that difficult, hot, humid region of the subcontinent. In both Ekwendeni and Lalgadh, we have decided to support people, rather than projects, for year 2012. We shall give ongoing support to Stalin and Valepe in their work with the Youth Centres in the HIV/AIDS project, and shall support the salary of a full-time doctor at Lalgadh. Financial support may be pledged through the Freewill Offering scheme - please contact Jurg Strittmatter if you need information about how to do this. Locally, individuals from the congregation are helping out with two outreach projects. The Espace Solidaire Pâquis, in the former Temple du Pâquis, provides daytime assistance, company, French and English lessons, and coffee and snacks, for many peopele who are homeless or in other difficulties around Geneva. Francis and his colleagues there appreciate help in any shape or form, financial or physical - even just operating the coffee machine to give them time for other work! If you are interested, please contact Carleen, Christine or Peter for more information. Two of our members have also volunteered to translate papers (including sermons by the French-speaking chaplains) for inmates in the Geneva prisons. This work has also been much appreciated and no doubt others with such skills would be welcomed. Please contact the minister if you are interested in contributing to this effort. Thank you for all your help in making our mission and outreach work a positive reality. Carleen, Christine, Douglas, Eric, Ian, Hazel and Peter Ekwendeni Community and Resource Centre: Carol Findlay, who we were then supporting as a Mission Partner, suggested that placing a resource centre within the community, rather than the hospital, would help raise more awareness about AIDS education. raised the funds for this building which was completed in 2001.
Page 7 Presbytery of Europe Survey Geneva Every four years a Presbytery of Europe survey of its congregations produces a snapshot of who worships with us. Although that particular Sunday might not be a typical Sunday, it can give some interesting insights. Attendance: This year s survey, 18 March, was the last day of the Geneva motor show and traffic jams may have deterred some worshippers, whilst others may have come to church because the wet weather made for poor skiing! Overall attendance appeared normal, and its trends mirror other congregations in Europe. Sixty-one percent of the congregation is female. Age: Over 65s stabilized between 2008 and 2012, but the youth (under 20) decreased considerably between 2004 and 2008. Country of Origin: our congregation represented 22 countries in 2004, 24 in 2008 and only 18 in 2012. UK citizens have basically stayed the same, but European worshippers have decreased whilst people from Africa and the Americas have increased. On 18 March, 33 worshippers were of Scots descent; 67 were mother tongue English, and 60 people arrived by car (1 came by bike). The number of people living within 5-10 kms from church has decreased over the years. In 2012, four worshippers were visiting church for the first time that morning (it was early in the season for visitors), otherwise the proportion of the congregation who have been members for over seven years continues to grow. The proportion of the congregation who have been members for less than three years has stayed relatively constant between 25 and 31 % (in 2012 it was one quarter); and there has been a shift from worshipping almost every week, to fairly regularly. Work continues to be the main reason for being in the area, although this has reduced since 2004 (72 people) to only 50 in 2012, and there has been an increase in the number of retired people, with a corresponding increase in the proportion of people coming to church on their own as opposed to coming with a family. Worshippers who have been members for less than seven years were asked how they found out about the and it appears that friends and colleagues, and then the internet were the main conduits of this information. So do not forget that you can do your part by telling friends and colleagues about our church. Religious background of worshippers: There has been a drop in Reformed and Presbyterian, whilst there has been in increase in Anglicans. The reasons for worshipping in our church were numerous, from Scots feeling at home, feeling welcome ; meeting others of similar faith and background; to other British people saying that they loved the community element within the church, being similar to their home church; finding that Ian presents a very friendly service. Ghanaian worshippers also found it familiar to their home churches, and felt welcome / comfortable; "Because I find Christ Jesus here; not that He is not everywhere and I can locate the ancient landmarks of old. Christ I cried to here and Christ I laugh, Amen". Other African citizens liked the Sunday school, children-centric approach, fellowship and the pastor; or again felt it was familiar; "I find spiritual nourishment and feel I can contribute in God's family to do what He has commanded (Continued on page 8)
Page 8 (Continued from page 7) us/me to do". North American worshippers found the hymns great, good preaching, familiar style of worship; family oriented. They like the diversity of members, close friendships and warm fellowship Thank you to all of those who did take the time to fill in the form. If you would like to know more about the survey, or have any comment, please get in touch with me. Alice Tulloch Coming activities / events Sponsored bike ride for the Association around Lake Geneva - currently in the planning stages. Right now, the possible dates are 12-13 August with an overnight stay in a mobile home or campsite around le Bouveret (on the understanding that some participants will only cycle on the first day, returning by train from the end of the lake to be back on the second evening). Please let me now ASAP if you are interested in cycling half-way or all the way around Lake Geneva. I plan to go, by the way! Rebecca D.MacDonald, Secretary, Association for the New Organ of the Auditoire de Calvin, orgue.auditoire.calvin@gmail.com Youth Group trip to Hospice du Grand Saint Bernard on 21-23 September (http://gsbernard.net). The hospice has been situated in the pass between Switzerland and Italy since 1050! Today the brothers welcome young people of all denominations on retreat. We hope to explore the fantastic mountain scenery and have some shared time together away from the stresses of homework, etc. We need to know how many are interested, so that we can organise the trip. Please contact us by end June. Ian & Christine Colliar christine.colliarscott@gmail.com Young People s Concert for Lalgadh The Sunday School and young people are getting together on 17 June at 15:00 in the Auditoire to raise awareness and some funds for Graeme and Meena Clugston's work with children in Lalgadh Leprosy Hospital. The hospital is the largest leprosy clinic in the world and at the concert we will be hearing about a number of children who are currently being treated there while celebrating our own children. Fancy A Curry? Some of us have been fortunate enough to have sampled the cooking of Joe Gopaldas, one of our long standing members who comes from Indonesia. For those who haven t now is the chance. Joe will be preparing a variety of curry dishes to suit everyone s taste, for a curry night in the Salle on Saturday, 16 June. The reason for this feast? Simply that Joe is keen to support our connections with our Mission partners in Ekwendeni. The meal will be an opportunity for a short presentation about the exchange visit which will take place over the summer hopefully whetting our appetites in more ways than one. There is no charge for meal, though there will be an opportunity to make a donation towards the cost of the exchange visit. So why not invite a few friends, neighbours and colleagues to come along. All will be welcome. Naturally it is helpful to have some idea of numbers so if you are planning to come please drop a message to the minister. The meal will start at 19.30.
Page 9 Going on Holiday With the summer holidays upon us, you may be interested to know about other Church of Scotland churches in our Presbytery of Europe. Here is a sample of churches you might encounter in your travels this summer: We have two congregations in Germany: in Bochum there is a congregation, established on Pentecost Sunday in 1996, which worships in the Pauluskirkche in the city centre. The service begins at 12:30pm and the minister is Rev. Jimmy Brown. in Regensburg the English Speaking Congregation meets at 10:30am every 2nd Sunday of the month in Alumneum on Am Ölberg. The minister there is Rev. Rhona Dunphy. Farther south there are Church of Scotland churches in Fuengirola, Spain (on the Costa del Sol, services at 10:30am with Rev. Morris Dutch), on the Governor s Parade in Gibralter (services at 10:30am with Rev. Ewen MacLean), and in Lisbon, Portugal (services at 11:00am with Rev. Graham McGeogh). There are some quite old congregations among the Presbytery churches. St. Andrews in Rome began with a congregation worshipping clandestinely within the city walls in 1846 before they were allowed to build the present church in 1885. On Via XX Settembre, its services begin at 11:00am and the minister is Rev. Willie McCulloch, who has preached in our church. St. Andrews Church in Valetta, Malta, has been in its present building since 1857. It is now an ecumenical partnership between the Church of Scotland and the Methodist Church. Services are at 10:30am with Rev. Doug McRoberts. Another old church is St. Columba s in Budapest, Hungary. It was started in 1841 after two members from a Church of Scotland deputation on their way to Palestine in 1839 fell ill and had to stop in Budapest. The Archduchess urged them not to leave but to start a church there! Services begin at 11:00am with Rev. Aaron Stevens. There are two quite small Church of Scotland congregations which are nevertheless very lively and welcoming to visitors: in Paris the services at the Scots Kirk on Rue Bayard begin at 11:00am with Rev. Jim Cowie, and in Turin, Italy there is an English speaking congregation of the Waldensian Church in Italy, associated with the Church of Scotland, which meets at 10:30am. Closer to home, St. Andrew s in Brussels was established in 1898 and has had its present church building, a memorial to Presbyterians who died in Belgium in WW I, since 1925. Services are at 11:00am with Rev. Andrew Gardner. In Rotterdam the Scots International Church on Schiedamse Vest 121 is home to a congregation established in 1643 for Scots merchants, seamen and soldiers. Services there begin at 10:30 with Rev. Robert Calvert. And in Amsterdam the service is at the English Reformed Church, Begijnhof 48 (off the Spui) at 10.30, minister Rev John Cowie. If you happen to be going farther afield, there are two newer members of our Presbytery which are situated in far corners of the world: in Bermuda you ll find Christ Church in Warwick, led by Rev. Barry Dunsmore, and in Sri Lanka there is St. Andrew s Scots Kirk in Colombo, established in 1842, with Rev. John Purves leading the services. Much more information is available on the Presbytery s website: www.europepresbytery.net Have an enjoyable and safe holiday! Presbytery of Europe Vision "Go, then, to all peoples, everywhere... you will be witnesses for me to the ends of the earth." Jesus of Nazareth, c 30 AD "We are a living and faithful presence for Jesus Christ through Europe and beyond, witnessing from places of need to corridors of power, and offering a spiritual home to all people." Presbytery of Europe, 2010 AD Did you know: is a FairTrade Church? And that Lalgadh Leprosy Hospital (where Graeme and Meena Clugston are working) has a FairTrade registered workshop which produces jewellery and other accessories?
Page 10 Our Church Overseas LETTER & UPDATE for our Church of Scotland (Geneva) Family from graeme & meena - Lalgadh Leprosy Hospital, Nepal Dear Church of Scotland Family, 4 June2012 Warmest greetings! It s boiling hot here around 45ᵒC each day and our tongues are hanging out (especially when the power is off because we have 7 hours of load-sharing daily) as we wait for the monsoon, as it slowly rolls its way across the Bay of Bengal and Bangladesh, towards Nepal. It s getting closer but it s not here yet. Lalgadh Leprosy Hospital is intensely busy huge outpatient numbers - about 56,000 per year of all types - not just leprosy but malaria, malnutrition, meningitis, typhoid, tuberculosis, cholera,..etc so woweee!...our wards are full to overflowing with more than one person in a bed at times, and others sleeping on the floor. But Hey!...it s a fantastic privilege to be serving these folks here, and especially with your help and support. We are hoping that you haven t forgotten the work here we know there has been a backlog in getting church accounts finalised and cleared, but we ve not received any funds from the church for a year now, since last June, although we are certain many there are itching to support the work here, whether through blue envelopes or Bake Sales or concerts or special donations for Lalgadh Hospital. Hope that backlog gets cleared up quickly. we can do so much here with the support of your funds and prayers and encouragement. Take a quick look at the following photos that show some of the exciting work going on here right now.. Sometimes a whole family comes in, with nearly everyone suffering from leprosy. Often it s someone who has left things far too late this young guy is going to lose his right foot and half his left foot. He nearly died. I know you don t want to see the maggots in his foot so I won t show you a close-up!. Or often it s more elderly folk who are not wanted at home, neglected, uncared for, and their leprosy has progressed.. Our Inpatient wards are always full and overcrowded, so we sometimes stack the beds together to fit more in. and sometimes when we have many kids with leprosy in hospital, a couple sleep in the same bed, or on a bench, or on the floor.
But Hey family! There are lots of other exciting things going on at Lalgadh Hospital. Page 11 We do our share of maternity deliveries from mothers in the villages around. We call our delivery room the cupboard because it is so small and poorly equipped only enough room for one midwife nurse. but the babies are always soooooo beeeautiful! We re trying to complete a new maternity unit, but funds are slow. The ultrasound machine is Godsend We check on babies before they are born, and diagnose many many other conditions - liver abscesses, gallstones, splenic cysts, kidney stones, ovarian cysts, fibroids etc, which we wouldn t find without it. And the Laboratory though only basically equipped saves many lives through its diagnoses of many diseases. Be sure you put your feet in the right place, and then stand firm." Coffins aren t used here can you believe it! The dead body is wrapped up in a bed-sheet, and put in the back of our open hospital truck, and taken back to the village for the family to claim and bury. However, many families hide and don t want to accept their dead relatives, because of leprosy s stigma. So then, sadly, we bring the body back and bury it in the bamboo-area of the hospital grounds. Abraham Lincoln And church plays a major role in our lives here as the Good Lord sustains, encourages, inspires, guides and lifts us all in His service. much needed because only 3-5% of the population here are Christian, and the work here sometimes faces threats and opposition from militant Hindu groups. Guys sit on one side and ladies on the other with lots of songs of praise, prayers and Bible reading and the sermon (30 45 minutes wot tends to be a bit hard on one s bottom).
Children s Sudoko Page 12 Contact List Brigadoons Betty Morris 022 734 2450 elizabeth.morris@bluewin.ch Bible Reader Coordinator Nicola Hollyman 022 346 8047 nicolahollyman@hotmail.com Caring for One Another Jim Sharp 022 786 48 47 jimsharp@bluewin.ch Choir Director Lucie Goodman 0767 07 60 82 luciegoodman@yahoo.co.uk Church Fair Lesley Reddy 0033 450 368 881 lesley.reddy@yahoo.co.uk Church Flowers Janet Askew 022 758 1445 janetaskew@greenmail.ch Congregational Committee Arthur Askew 022 758 1445 theaskews@greenmail.ch Crèche Kathryn Moreno 0033 450 431475 akmoreno@neuf.fr Cursillo Eleanor Strittmatter 022 796 2956 jurgstrittmatter@yahoo.co.uk Diary Coordinator Carleen Knowlton-Winch 00334 50 426569 Carleen.Knowlton@rocketmail.com Fiction Bookstall Mary Couper 022 776 3840 coupermar@gmail.com Free Will Offering Jurg Strittmatter 022 796 2956 jurgstrittmatter@yahoo.co.uk Fabric Sub-committee Douglas Murray-Jones 0033 450 948250 dmurrayjones@aol.com Mission Projects Eric Gerelle 022 771 3389 erg@ibex.ch Newsletter Suzanne Murray-Jones +93 791 990 255 Murrayjo@unhcr.org Session Clerk Alice Tulloch 0033 450 411723 alicetulloch@voila.fr Sunday Coffee Rota Terry Angleys 0033 450 948153 angleystak@wanadoo.fr Sunday School Freda Craeye 0033 450 64 91 40 freda.craeye@neuf.fr Treasurer Han Broere 0033 450 203 492 Broere@cern.ch Ushers Arthur Griffith 022 776 9636 griffith@bluewin.ch Woman s Group Carleen Knowlton-Winch / Christine Bunn 00336 7539 8924 / 022 732 1589 Website Eric Gerelle 022 771 3389 erg@ibex.ch Carleen.knowlton@rocketmail.com bunnc@bluewin.ch Youth Group Lidian Shark 022 784 6050 dsharksharks@gmail.com If you have any news / articles of interest for the newsletter, please do send it to the Editor, who would be happy to include it. Suzanne Murray-Jones, murrayjo@unhcr.org