We've recently had two unusual and exceptional requests ... might you be able and wiling to help out?
A former mission partner in Uganda Rev Ezekiel Nyende is known to many of us through his long partnership with St James by the Park. Back in 2010, he started St. Andrews Church Matovu in Busoga diocese, Uganda with three other people in his home. By 2013 the church had grown to 30 active members. A plot was purchased and construction of a church building was started. Doors and windows were added, the whole building was plastered and by 2018 the building was finished. The number of Christians had grown to 216 adults and 350 children. Ezekiel would now like to purchase public address equipment such as speakers, mixers, amplifiers and some musical instruments - guitars, piano, drums. So far, the congregation has raised around £400 and Ezekiel has asked if we could make a contribution towards the target of £3,000. As a parish, St James by the Park is moving its focus towards the church in Myanmar so this is a one-off request for any individual who would like to donate. If you would like to give cash, please put it in an envelope clearly marked "Ezekiel in Uganda" and send to the church office or put in the collection plate. If you prefer a transfer, please send an email to enablebusoga@outlook.com and we will send you the account details. All contributions will be put together and sent to Ezekiel as a gift from 'friends in Shirley'. A family in need in Southampton A few weeks ago, Nicky shared about a situation a colleague's family is in. He writes: A friend of mine named Kieran works with me at the docks. Keiran’s 15 year old son has a brain tumour. They have spent many weeks in London being treated. An operation successfully removed a tumour with the son making a full recovery, but then in a check up earlier this year, a further brain tumour has been found. This situation resonated with me as my own son Jay, who was 23 at the time, was in a coma for 3 weeks and his mum and myself stayed at his Hospital bedside in Wales 24/7. Constant alarms, wires, tubes and machines making these noises was terrifying, so I knew what Keiran’s family were going through. I prayed for Keiran and could not get this family out of my mind. I contacted him to pray and ask his permission to share with my wife, then our church, which he was happy about, and he let me pray for his son on speakerphone. I’ve continued to pray for this family every day and over the course of the last few weeks we text or chat nearly every day. I would like to bless this family of four because I’ve been there. I’ve gone through what they're going through. Not the tumours, but the watching your son be in the hospital, feeling helpless and hopeless...It’s devastating. I praise God that I was a Christian and God helped me through. I would love to be able to send this family away near water, perhaps somewhere on the South Coast for a week to give them rest and space from their home as a part of recovery. Just as a show of God’s kindness. Colleagues from the docks have made a collection as well, but this is a chance for our church to extend God’s blessing to this family at this devastating time. If you’d like to make a contribution, you can either put cash in an envelope clearly labelled "Keiran's family" and post it to the church office or put it in the collection plate. Or if you prefer to give by card, click here [opens in a new window].
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