Monday 29 December 2008

Have a look at this article:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5400568.ece

Christmas in India:

The Christmas food distribution goes well:
Mission International raised funds during 2008 to support a number of Christmas time initiatives for the poor. The picture below shows the distribution at Padmanabanagar, Visakhapatnam city area Andhara Pradesh, where Pastor Nathaniel Vara Prasad and his wife Beulah distributed food and clothes to leprosy patients and their children.

To see more visit the Gideon Evangelical Ministries (GEM) blog click here.

Friday 26 December 2008

A Christmas Carol:

Read Blow an extract from Dikens' A Christmas Carol:

The chimes were ringing the three quarters past eleven at that moment.

``Forgive me if I am not justified in what I ask,'' said Scrooge, looking intently at the Spirit's robe, ``but I see something strange, and not belonging to yourself, protruding from your skirts. Is it a foot or a claw!''

``It might be a claw, for the flesh there is upon it,'' was the Spirit's sorrowful reply. ``Look here.''

From the foldings of its robe, it brought two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable. They knelt down at its feet, and clung upon the outside of its garment.

``Oh, Man! look here. Look, look, down here!'' exclaimed the Ghost.

They were a boy and girl. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but prostrate, too, in their humility. Where graceful youth should have filled their features out, and touched them with its freshest tints, a stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them, and pulled them into shreds. Where angels might have sat enthroned, devils lurked, and glared out menacing. No change, no degradation, no perversion of humanity, in any grade, through all the mysteries of wonderful creation, has monsters half so horrible and dread.

Scrooge started back, appalled. Having them shown to him in this way, he tried to say they were fine children, but the words choked themselves, rather than be parties to a lie of such enormous magnitude.

``Spirit! are they yours?'' Scrooge could say no more.

``They are Man's,'' said the Spirit, looking down upon them. ``And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!'' cried the Spirit, stretching out its hand towards the city. ``Slander those who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse! And bide the end!''

``Have they no refuge or resource?'' cried Scrooge.

``Are there no prisons?'' said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. ``Are there no workhouses?''

The bell struck twelve.

Thursday 11 December 2008

Big names raise awareness of the poor:

Paul Baloche, Steven Curtis Chapman, Stu G, Israel Houghton, Tim Hughes, Graham Kendrick, Andy Park, Matt Redman, Michael W Smith, Chris Tomlin and Darlene Zschech.

Click on the image below to see how many of the big names in the Christian music scene are pooling resources to help the poor.

Monday 1 December 2008

Christmas Video:

Have a look at this Christmas video...
http://www.eulogia.co.uk/Christmas.wmv

...which I found on the Hope Centre Burundi website, have a look at the website when you are there, you will see the amazing developments to the project there. www.hopecentreburundi.com
Mission International Christmas 2008 e-Newsletter:

In this issue:
  • Uganda
  • Rwanda
  • Burundi
  • India

Welcome to the Mission International Christmas 2008 e-Newsletter!

Below you will find a short account of each country/project in which Mission International is involved and a link to the related blog where more detailed information can be found. Please also visit our website www.mission-international.org there you will find a link to our prayer blog, we would really value your prayers as we seek to share the Good News with many and serve God amongst the world's poor, including many Christians who are in desperate need. If you feel you would like to get involved by going on a team or perhaps you can pray for Mission International and our partners then we would love to hear from you.

If you can help support our projects/partners financially in even a small way please print the appropriate Bank Mandate (regular giving) form and GiftAid form or One-off donation Form (Includes a giftaid section), and send in your donation to:

Mission International
25 Tait's Lane,
Dundee, DD2 1DZ,
Scotland, UK.
mail@mission-international.org
+44(0)7982250514

Uganda:

This year has been busy in Uganda. Our partners there are all making progress and much has happened during the course of 2008.

Mighty Meals (Bweyogerere): Mighty Meals Blog Page click here

Bweyogerere Multi Purpose Primary School has now been running the Mighty Meals programme for over one year. Many children are receiving food every day whilst they are at school. Orphan children and those from very poor families may be able to have a place in school but the hunger pangs which they feel daily interrupt their education.

Africa Renewal Ministries (ARM-Gabba): ARM website click here

Menzieshill High School Team:

During October 2008 a team of 8 pupils and 3 staff from Menzieshill High School in Dundee accompanied Hugh Henderson to Uganda. The team was based in Gabba with ARM and travelled to Bethany Village and Namutamba to be involved with the communities there. The team were able to resource schools and medical centres as well as fund a sports field for the Bethany Village school and community. As a result of their visit to Namutamba the team has agreed to support that work with child sponsorship and the future development of the school on a new site. The team also visited some of the tourist attractions like the source of the Nile, the equator and the Murchison Falls and game Park.

Sponsorship partnerships:
Mission International has began a partnership agreement for child sponsorship with ARM. We currently have the names of 20 children who we have agreed to sponsor, please consider how you might help in this crucial programme.

Mwangaza Children's Choir UK tour:
The ARM team have asked Mission International and others to host a UK tour for the Mwangaza children's choir in 2010, we will keep you posted about this as and when all of the agreements are in place.

Parental Care Ministries: (Mbarara): Henderson School Blog

Mbarara Pentecostal Life Church

Currently the church has a piece of land for which they have made part payment. The church currently meets under polythene in the Henderson School grounds but it is hoped that funds can be found to finally purchase the church land and construct a permanent building for worship.

Henderson School
This school has developed quickly over the last few years. New government regulations have made development of the school a lot more difficult but the team there are willing to do their best to comply. After a recent UK tour by Pastor Emmanuel Nnyanzi and his daughter Grace there is now in place a draft plan for the future which UK and USA partners will adopt and work toward making the future of this vital ministry more secure in the long term Parental Care orphanage Henderson School currently educated 191 pupils all of who require some sort of care. There are those who are orphaned by one or both parents, there are those who are abandoned by one or both parents and there are those who come from extremely poor families and backgrounds. All of the 191 children fall into one of these three categories. The orphanage is designed to house and care for these children whilst they are at school.

Child sponsorship programme
The child sponsorship programme, run in partnership with Mission International, wants to bring financial support to the children of the Henderson School/Parental Care orphanage in order that their basic needs can be met. The financial support raised will make sure that the children are well fed, clothed, housed and educated, as well as provide basic medical care.

Rwanda:

Star School - Star school blog click here
Star School, the vision of Rev. Nathan Amooti Rusengo of Rwanda to provide high quality education for the children of Rwanda, is currently in need of resources to fund furniture and equipment for the school. The school need beds, and desks and books etc. If you feel you can help resource this exciting project please print off the forms linked to this message.

How about a team of carpenters and engineers heading for Rwanda for a few weeks to help put some beds and desks together?

To download a teams application form click here.

Currently Star school requires an administrator, based in Rwanda, if you would like to know more please let us know. Please contact us on mail@mission-international.org for more information

Burundi:

Rema Team - Rema Team Blog and Rema UK website

The REMA team is a very strategic resource to the nation of Burundi. Currently Burundi is the poorest country in the world, politically sensitive and financially desperate. During their time in exile a team of refugees gathered to pray for their beloved country and seek ways in which they could support those in need including their fellow refugees and those with HIV/AIDS. Their efforts have been very successful but still there is need for much more support. Mission International has entered into partnership with the REMA team to find strategic ways of supporting the team in order that they can go about their work unhindered. To date Mission International has funded income generating projects for the team so that they can commit themselves to the ministry. Your help in this endeavour would be much valued.

Burundi Summer Team - Teams blog click here and Teams application form click here

During July/August 2008 a team of five from the UK visited Burundi and were involved in evangelism, discipleship training and income generating project work in centre around Burundi. The team visited, Gitega, Rutana, Rumonge and Gatumba, their ministry, support and friendship was very much appreciated. Mission International is planning a Burundi team for 2009, if you would like to be considered for that team please complete an application form and return it to us.

Hope Centre - Hope Centre website click here or Hope Centre Blog click here

We are so grateful to God for the involvement of Charles & Val Carr and their family in the development of this project. The Carrs were seeking a place to serve God where they could use their skills and contacted Mission International to see if there was a project in which they could become involved. Of course they got in touch at the right time since a new project was about to begin in Burundi called the Hope Centre. The Carrs agreed to go, supervise and manage this project and as a result there has been wonderful progress to this heart rending situation. A weekly update is posted on the Hope Centre website so please make sure you have a look.

India:

India Village Ministries (IVM): IVM website click here

Summer Team 2008.
A team from Woodhill Evangelical Church visited both IVM & GEM over a two week period in August 2008. The team were involved in evangelism, church ministry and children's ministry, they also visited those who are suffering from leprosy. Mission International hopes to send a team to IVM in 2009.

Gideon Evangelical Ministries - Visakapatnam: Gideon Evangelical Ministries blog click here

Pastor Nathaniel Varaprasad and his wife Beulah serve in the villages surrounding the town of Visakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Currently Mission International is working with Pastor Nathaniel to develop income generating projects to provide support for those affected by leprosy.

How to send your support:
If you can help support our projects/partners financially in even a small way please print the appropriate Bank Mandate (regular giving) form and GiftAid form or One-off donation Form (Includes a giftaid section), and send in your donation to:

Mission International
25 Tait's Lane,
Dundee, DD2 1DZ,
Scotland, UK.
mail@mission-international.org
+44(0)7982250514
www.mission-international.org