It’s been a very long time and as
can be imagined, so much has happened.
We will try to fill the gaps as best as possible.
December 2012 was very busy for our family. Joelle celebrated her 7
th birthday,
Michael got nearer to being 3 score and 10 years, Janelle was preparing for her
3
rd birthday and we celebrated our 9th year wedding anniversary. In addition, we decided to spend Christmas
and New Year in Ghana. This would have
been Janelle’s first visit, and also her first meeting with her Ghanaian
family. It was a very special time and it
was lovely to see her get along with Uncles, Aunties and cousins. The family has grown since we last saw them
more than 3 years ago with now a few cousins about the same age as (and younger
than) Joelle and Janelle. It was a noisy
affair on many occasions as they got to know each other – as children do.
Visitors
Since the beginning of the year we have received a number of
visitors to Sierra Leone on various missions.
1) Lancashire District – Methodist Church
of Great Britain
The first to arrive was the team of 12 from Lancashire
District of the Methodist Church Great Britain led by Rev. Stephen Poxon. A team from the district (formerly North
Lancashire) has been visiting since 2007 to assist with a number of development
projects mainly in the Kailahun District of MCSL. There are two main projects
receiving support from the team – The Red Rose Skill Centre in Kailahun and
Nixon Memorial Methodist Hospital in Segbwema. The team added a third project –
the reconstruction of a hostel/guest house in Kailahun to form part of the
skills centre. The guest house would serve as focus for training of the youth
in hospitality management.
Prayer Points
– Please pray that the teams who come will be
strengthened and not be overwhelmed by the scale of the need in this part of
the Lord’s vineyard.
Also thank God for the work of
the team who consistently support us here in Sierra Leone.
Synods
The first quarter of the year is usually filled with Synods
of the three Districts and this year was no different. The first – Western
District Synod – was held at John the Maroon Church in Freetown.
This was followed by Synods at Bo/Kenema District and the
Kailahun /Kono respectively. The Kailahun Kono Synod was particularly significant because
the ground breaking ceremony for a new primary school in memory of Rev. Frank
Himsworth took place on the Synod Sunday in Segbwema. The school is to be built
with donations
SUNDAY HEALTH CLINIC
The new Health section of the MCSL had its first Sunday
Service Health talk and clinic at Ebenezer Methodist Church in Murray Town, in
the Wilberforce Circuit. It was well
received, and the plan is to roll out this programme in most of the societies
in Freetown.
Prayer Points:
Please pray that the
new initiative to bring health services closer to the congregation will be a
success and more ‘workers’ will join the team. Also there would be resources –
especially financial & drugs to support the programme.
Methodist Church Sierra Leone (MCSL) undertook a sponsored walk - with the theme 'Let us Walk in the Light' - to raise funds for key projects within the church. The walk coincided with Aldersgate Day (24th May) - a significant day for Methodist Church across the world. This is the second year that the church has embarked on such a walk.
The walk set off from George Street to Lumley beach - for those familiar with Freetown - a distance of over 10 miles and it culminated in a family fun day at the beach.
