CHRISTMAS 2006
After Saul had died and David became king of Israel, the Bible records that he asked “Is there no-one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness”, and they brought Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson to him. He was crippled in both feet.
David did all he could for him and it is recorded that Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table.
Notice that David described the kindness to the crippled man as showing, not his own kindness, but God’s kindness.
Much of this issue is concerned with people like Mephibosheth. Your prayers and financial support enable HHI to invite them to ‘eat at our table’, showing in various ways kindness which, like David’s, is surely not ours, but God’s through us.
Flying Doctors International
It is good to be able to report a new project that we hope to be partnering during the coming year which will bring tremendous medical skill and aid to the remote areas in Zambia.
A new 'Flying Doctors' project is about to be launched next year by a young south African couple, who at present are working in Norwich.
They feel they have been called by God to provide specialist medical care to those who are geographically remote and living in poverty, irrespective of their religion or race in Zambia.
Their aim is to recruit a network of specialists from academic hospitals within Southern Africa and Europe, and fly them to the remote hospitals which have a specific specialist need, e.g. specialist technicians, physicians, paediatricians or surgeons. In the U.K. there are usually about 5 consultants in each hospital whereas in Zambia there are less than 5 in the entire country.
Dr. Craig Oran-Brown is the Consultant Anaesthetist, with a special interest in Intensive Care, Trauma and Emergency Medicine who is also a pilot. With his wife, Rae, who is a doctor with an interest in Anaesthesia, and Rural Health Care, they are the founders of their organisation, Flying Doctors International.
It is their wish to partner another health providing organisation. They spent a week in September assessing our work in Monze and the potential for using the area as a base. The good news is that they were impressed with what we are doing and hope that we can work together in the future.
HHI will be responsible for the Ground Structure and work while Flying Doctors International will control and organise the medical work and the flying aspect - there is an existing and suitable grass runway near our farm site.
This will be a real and positive enlargement of our Mobile Clinic Scheme. Due to the roads being so poor and many being impassable in the rainy season, flying is far safer and much quicker and the cost of flying small aircraft is similar to the cost of maintaining 4x4 vehicles on such roads.
You can view their website at www.flyingdoctorsinternational.org. They also have a fund raising website(www.buy.at/fdi) through which you can do on-line shopping. The shops will then give them a donation in turn.
More news on this wonderful new opportunity for serving the rural areas in Zambia will be given as things progress during 2007.
Kripa Kendram
This means ‘Centre of Grace’ and is the name of a small Rescue Centre for a few destitute men in Trivandrum, South India.
We have been supporting 5 destitute men in the General Hospital in that city who had suffered either road or train accidents. In early November four were discharged but with plaster on their broken limbs.
Tom had great difficulty in finding a hostel to take them in but eventually was told that Brother Rajappan, a Hindu converted to Christianity could accommodate them in his little Kripa Kendram Hostel and the men were sent there.
The following day Tom went to visit to see that all was well.
He was appalled at the state of the hostel, which had two rooms with a leaking roof, no proper walls, except some low ones with bits of plastic sheeting, and with about 1” of rainwater on the floors.
There were no beds, blankets or pillows, and the 7 existing residents plus our 4 new ones were sleeping on the wet floor.
It called for emergency help which we were able to provide by immediately sending out £300 from the Alternative Gift Catalogue where supporters had paid for blankets, etc.
This enabled all the necessary items to be purchased, for the men to be off the floor, and for them to be washed and supplied with new and clean clothing.
Tom then e-mailed HHI to advise that if we could ‘adopt’ this little shelter it would be a lovely work for the Lord. Rs 60,000 (about £750) would enable a second floor to be added, and the roof, walls and toilets to be repaired.
Tom’s message concluded: “On top of everything else I am plopping this in your lap - but I think you are happy for me to tell you and as always you will do what is possible.”
It was most certainly possible. I only had to tell about this Centre of Grace to our friends in the Church in Wales, at Abersychan, who had organised a meeting the following day for me to explain about our work, for a collection to be taken up. This was then added to the money that a number of their members and friends had raised in advance, and it amounted to the wonderful total of £756.41 !
So the alterations have begun and I will be able to report further after my visit to India in January.
Kelvin’s story
Kelvin, shown on the right of the photo, works in the printing press in Monze, Zambia. Here is his story.
Kelvin was born disabled due to polio. When he should have started to walk, he could only crawl because his legs were bent and he was taken to hospital for tests. In 1986 he was operated on and the Holy Family Centre supplied him with crutches and also a calliper.
Before he found out about HHI, he was just sitting at home; doing nothing after he left school. He had been doing this for seven years trying to find employment but nothing was forthcoming as the disabled are just ignored and left to fend for themselves the best way they can.
Kelvin came to know about HHI when he was in Monze town and a lady told him about the office whom he contacted and subsequently was given a job in the print room.
By working there Kelvin is able to pay someone to plough his small piece of land so he can plant maize to feed himself and his mother who is completely dependent on him. Any surplus is sold to make a little extra income although he now only has enough maize to last until January next year.
His job entails numbering books, printing, binding, perforating, collating pages to make up books of, maybe 100 pages and making business and wedding cards. These items are sold in Monze, Choma, Livingstone and Mazabuka. Their good reputation is spreading. Kelvin is now thinking how the printing workshop can be developed in the future.
He says his life has been transformed thanks to HHI and he now tells his disabled friends not to put themselves down as they are as capable as anybody else in using their brains, even though they are disabled.
Kelvin is extremely happy working with HHI and gives his thanks to all the UK supporters and asks God to bless them all.
Whilst talking with Kelvin, his face was beaming, as he thought about the wonderful opportunity he has been given.
Footnote: Rosemary Brayshaw, the author of this article, is a new supporter of HHI who visited the Monze Projects in September and was so enamoured by the work that she returned at the end of October for a month to help with the Zambian staff reorganisation and to assist in the establishing of the new Training Programme. She has been such a help and it is hoped that she will return in 2007, hopefully for a longer period.
The 12 Days of Christmas
People often think that Christmas Day is the end of Christmas but in reality Christmas only begins on 25th December when the birth of Jesus is celebrated. It ends after the twelve days of Christmas with the Feast of Epiphany, also called ‘The Adoration of the Magi’, on January 6th.
It is known as the day of the Three Kings, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar who presented their gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh to the baby Jesus. January 6th, the last day of Christmas, comes with its own traditions, rituals and symbols.
Carollers in some countries go from house to house and in the U.K. it is the date for the Christmas Trees to be taken down, and for the sweets, the chocolate ornaments, etc. that adorned the tree to be eaten.
With this Newsletter, many of you will have been given a “12 Days of Christmas Pack” i
In it you will have found a folded card which opens out to form a triptych scene of the Magi travelling across the desert with their gifts which event is celebrated on Epiphany Sunday, 7th January, 2007.
Everyone knows the carol ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ and it has been adapted to illustrate the giving of 12 items that are required for the new training scheme for the disabled that was started in October in Monze, Zambia.
Also inside you will have found 12 round stickers labelled for each of the 12 days.
On the first day of Christmas, 26th December, you are invited to peel off the First Day Sticker and stick it onto the Triptych Card on the appropriate place and put an offering in the envelope. On the second day, 27th December to stick the Second Day Sticker on the Card and so on during the 12 days of Christmas.
Hopefully this will provide an enjoyable little activity and a follow-on, especially for children who will have finished their Advent Calendars on Christmas Day. It is also hoped that churches will receive all the envelopes from supporters of the project in a little ceremony on Epiphany Sunday, 7th January, after which the donations would be sent to Health Help International to help finance the extra £1,000 that we have to find every month to provide this essential life-skills training for those who have had no other opportunity to help themselves.
If you have not received a pack and would like to take part, then please let the office know and one will be sent to you.
Thank you to all who are intending helping in this innovative way and please encourage your Worship Leader on 7th January to include the reception of the envelopes during the service.
Two Recent e-mails from
the Dayabhaven Orphanage
“13th October, 2006
Dear Brother Ron W. Prosser,
CHIKUNGUNYA, Viral disese with no known effective treatment has com to the different Districts in Kerala. This was confirmed following a severe fever accompanied with joint pain, headache, occational vomiting and rashes on bodies. The stiftness of the joints and body pain will linger even for two months.
Shaken by the gravity of the spreading Chikungunya in the State the rulers are dumbfounded. Doctors has no idea about Chikungunya rather than read in the books. Doctors have found mention of such on outbreak in foreign texts but have largely ignored it. So hospitals giving treatment for fever only.
It seems, have no an effective remedy as well. Rulers are suggesting mosquito control to prevent its measures. But Ayurveda's latest claim is that Chikungunya is a disease spread through air and not by mosquitos.
The toll in the State rose to over 160 with the death of more patients at Cherthala District. Fresh cases were detected in Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Vizhinjam in Trivandrum. Many children died in Kottayam and Alappuzha Districts. Almost 95% of the patients in the hospitals are female and children. According to official Chikungunya suspects at Vizhinjam in Trivandrum is 15,296 higher than the number 12,784 for Alappuzha the most affected District. And the general confusion has triggared state-wide uncertanity.
In the case of Chikungunya, the only effective remedy is to avoid mosquito bites and to eliminate poor hygine, environmental degradation and lack of awareness. So, this is my requist that please tell all your prayer partners to pray for us and people to know and belive in Living God rather the pagan gods so that they can overcome this kind of curse and diseses. I have plan to help such suffering people in hospitals if financially it is possible.
Rulers star to sent officials to the Village houses especially in Orphages to watch and report about cleaness and circumstances. There for, we need to improve out Orphanage fecility as they required already.
Will you kindly pray for overcome this critical situation?
Urgent need of Dayabhavan Orphanage:
1. Coat (10 in nos.)................Rs. 8,500
2. Mosquito Net (16 in nos.).....Rs.6,400
3. Pillow (9 in nos.)................Rs. 900
4. Blanket (13 in nos.)............Rs.1,950
TOTAL ................................Rs.17,750 (£206)
We will be greatly thankful to you.
The Lord bless you.
Pastor D. Bovas”
Needless to say, this money was sent out immediately, and no case of this disease has been reported in the orphanage.
“18th October, 2006
Dear Brother Ron W. Prosser,
Congratulations from Dayabhavan ! I want to say THANK YOU for your earnest prayers.
Every thing happened within seconds in our compound. It was on Sunday(October 15, 2006) evening. Suddenly a Thunder with Lightning fell on the tree and on the kichen roof distroyed. But, God in His mercy kept each and everyone of us in His loving arms.
In between boys hall and main building there is a big wildjack tree having aproximately 70" feet hight standing just behind Dayabhavan rented house that you may seen last year while your visit this Orphanage. On Sunday about 8.10pm a heavy thunder with lightning hit the tree from top to the bottom and it continued to distroy kichen roof of Dayabhavan where we 23 members are living in.
There was a quite raining outside. Boys were siting together in their room sharing from Bible with wardan, Pr. Wilson. My wife, Marykutty with all girls at their room were siting together with singing song. I was standing in front of office began to open the door which is very close to the tree. My son, Ligin T.Bos came out from bathroom carring an umberlla and entered into the house through kichen door. He is the one who was very close to the tree and kichen. God gave him wonderful escape and saved all our lives miraculesly.
Actually it was the supper time and Marykutty tryed three times to come with children to kichen, but decided to stay with children to teach them one more chorus. All our electronic apparetes burned. Wires and switch boards also burned. But, God kept each and everyone of us safely under His wing. This become a great testimony in frond of neighbers and all other people who gathered here and I heared the uttering of one another that "JESUS SAVES".
A boy in the next house become unconcious for a while. A shop keeper who is the owner of this house fell down in his provision store while supplying the things. And an another lady(wife of Thankaswamy) also fell down in her small tea stall and was taken to the hospital. Now she is suffering with back pain.
We are praying for all these suffering people.
Eventually, God has done great thing for Dayabhavan family. HALLELUJAH ! THANK GOD !! GOD IS GOOD ALWAYS !!!
We are praying for you. We hope that you'll continue to keep us in your fervent prayers.
Thanking you.
Pastor D.Bovas”
In Memoriam
It is sad to record the death of Lily Hartley, the wife of Dr. Tony Hartley, both of whom quickly answered our call away back when HHI first appealed for a doctor to visit Mpongwe Hospital, in Zambia.
Lily was a lovely Christian lady who supported us with her prayers and money until the end.
Ron was able to attend her funeral on the Isle of Skye on the 27th July, and personally express the sympathy of HHI to Tony and the family.
NOTE BOOK
Items always required for recycling:
* Used Ink Cartridges (all except Epson)
* Old Mobile Phones
* Discarded Spectacles
* Discarded Hearing Aids
Items required for sending to Zambia in the container next Spring:
* Hand Sewing Machines.
* Carpentry Tools (even if rusty)
* Spanners, etc. for use in the vehicle Maintenanace Workshop
* Talking Books CD’s
* Musical Instruments.
A small space for a huge
THANK YOU
It is always very humbling and gratifying to realise how wonderfully all our supporters respond every day to the needs of the people we try to help in India and Zambia.
We would love to try to list everything that everyone donates and helps with, but this would be impossible and we surely would unintentionally miss out someone, so please accept this blanket thanks on behalf of them all.
As you know, individual thanks are always sent.
