CMS Ireland Feed

Prayer Request: 09 May 2008

2008-02-26T16:59:11Z

Kenya: Diocese of Kajiado – Pray for other work in the Diocese which must continue: the building of the Diocesan Headquarters; the Girls Secondary School; the functioning of the Health for All Clinic; and all the various water projects and food recovery programmes.

Prayer Request: 08 May 2008

2008-02-26T16:58:38Z

Kenya: Diocese of Kajiado – Pray for Bishop Jeremiah and all the staff in the Diocesan Office. The demands now being made on them have increased with so many people coming to the Church for support after the violence. Wisdom and sensitivity is needed when dealing with people – especially when there is still tension amongst various communities.

Prayer Request: 07 May 2008

2008-02-26T16:58:15Z

Kenya: Diocese of Kajiado – Pray for Kenya in the wake of the violence that has marked the early part of 2008. Political conflict at the highest levels has caused suffering to thousands of ordinary people. The cost of basic food items has doubled and many people are finding it hard just to survive. This is a huge challenge for the Church. Pray that church leaders would have wisdom and strength as they look to deal with the situation.

Prayer Request: 06 May 2008

2008-02-26T16:57:27Z

Ireland: Pray for CMS Ireland’s Board of Directors. Thank God for the time board members give to the Society and for their support of staff, mission personnel and partners. Pray that they would have wisdom and insight as they look to lead the work of the Society.

Prayer Request: 05 May 2008

2008-02-26T16:57:00Z

Ireland: Give thanks for the many link parishes in Ireland. Pray for the mission groups and committees in these churches and all the work they are involved in. Pray that lessons learnt from the global church would begin to impact the Church in Ireland.

Superglue me.

2008-05-05T00:00:00Z

Most people are aware that haemophilia is an inherited disease where people bleed and don’t stop.

We had such a boy admitted to the ward last night. (His younger brother has already died of the condition.)

He bit his lip a week ago while playing football, and a stitch was put in the lower lip at a local health centre. However after 1 week it is still bleeding. Ten gauze pieces were soaked in blood that had oozed from the wound overnight. I missed staff worship as I tried to see what we could do for him. I put a new piece of gauze between the lower teeth and the lip, with part of it on the outside of the lip held in place with a piece of tape. After the doctor’s morning meeting 1 hour later it was evidently ineffective.

What to do?

I left Dr James holding some cotton soaked in adrenaline to try and temporarily close the capillaries while I went for help – in the form of superglue. (Don’t try this at home please – standard superglue contains cyanides, this was a slightly desperate measure.)

The treatment the boy needed was an injection of clotting agents his body is unable to adequately produce. Such an injection is practically and financially not possible for this boy.

Thus our superglue solution.

Under the spotlight (which having arrived in a recent container had been mounted in the ward treatment room) we carefully placed one drop of glue on the oozing area. Making sure the boy didn’t close his mouth we waited…and the glue set, the bleeding did not return, and the boy went home happy!

Perhaps not possible for all bleeding wounds in children with clotting disorders, but it’s probably saved this boy’s life. Dr James remembered a previous time trying to suture a bleeding would in this boy. Every time a stitch was placed, fresh bleeding would begin from the site of the suture needle’s entry point!

Practicing medicine in Kiwoko means you must be more reliant on your clinical skills than one’s colleagues who have the possibility of more investigations open to them. Frequently though a bit of improvisation is also required.

Teamwork and holistic care remain as our great strengths. As I write this I am just back from a round of the wards at 10pm. On the neonatal unit I had to wait for a minute before reviewing a baby, because Sister was leading the mothers in prayer, committing the babies and mum’s to a safe night. It is odd to be able to care for our patients and their carers so holistically on one hand as we can address spiritual issues in a way many clinicians in the UK would shy away from. (The only branch of UK medicine to pay more than very superficial notice of spiritual issues seems to be palliative care – sadly perhaps a little late in the day for many.) Yet it remains an odd dichotomy that many, such as our boy with haemophilia will never have access to treatment his counterparts in the ‘developed’ world often take for granted.

Bye for now

Rory

Prayer Request: 04 May 2008

2008-02-26T16:56:13Z

Ireland: Give thanks for CMS Ireland’s volunteers and the time they give to the work of the Society. Pray that new volunteers would be inspired to work with us as they look to connect with God’s mission.

Craft Sales support Women's Programme

2008-05-03T00:00:00Z

Running a craft shop is not my skill. In fact I find it a real struggle to find the time to manage it in the way I would like. I am so busy running the clinic.

We are totally dependent on sales to enable the women to be paid for the work they do. The women work; we pay them for their work and we hope to sell the products (see photo. The full catalogue is on our website at www.johnandpoppy.org.uk).

From time to time we hit a financial problem. This happened last week when it looked as though we would run out of cash by the end of the month. We stopped most of the women working but this causes hardship for those whose families depend upon this income.

We prayed about the situation and miraculously on Friday and Saturday we had two amazing days, with record income and large numbers of unexpected American visitors who bought many items. One of them says she will return to buy many more items to take back to USA. Please pray for the ongoing success of the shop. Poppy

Prayer Request: 03 May 2008

2008-02-26T16:55:56Z

Ireland : Remember the CMS Ireland staff and pray that they would continue to work well as a team. Thank God for each of the people he has called to work for the Society in Ireland and ask for His continued direction on their lives.

Prayer Request: 02 May 2008

2008-02-26T16:55:25Z

Nepal: Sundar Dhoka – Give thanks for the continued mission of Saathi Sewa – for their ministry to new friends on medical referral; and for the healing and spiritual renewal of patients. Pray for Babu Kaji, Goma and friends caring for them.

Community Health Evangelism in Yei

2008-05-01T00:00:00Z

The Martha Clinic has recently hosted a 10 day training workshop (pictured) in community health evangelism (CHE), a programme which has been running very successfully in several African countries over recent years.

We were very pleased to work with Samaritan’s Purse and the training involved representatives from six different churches.

The training was very intensive and the participants really appreciated it and learned much.Please pray for the future of community health evangelism in Yei and that many communities will be helped both physically and spiritually through the programme.

Prayer Request: 01 May 2008

2008-02-26T16:54:43Z

Nepal: Sundar Dhoka – Pray for Sundar Dhoka as they continue to seek a suitable site and the necessary funding to build a new facility for their church meetings and for their various mission activities. Pray for the leaders of the church, that they would have wisdom and discernment at this time.

Prayer Request: 30 April 2008

2008-02-26T11:06:18Z

Nepal: HDCS – The Internal Management Committee of HDCS is busy planning for the future programmes for HDCS. Please pray that God would guide them to take wise decisions that would bring abundant blessings in the whole organisation.

New Clinic proving to be a blessing

2008-04-28T00:00:00Z

The new clinic is going really well.

Patient numbers are rising, especially of ante-natal mothers. We are really pleased at this because the rate of maternal deaths in Southern Sudan is thought to be the highest in the world.

We now have a solar vaccine fridge so that we can carry out routine immunisations. It took a year to get here and be installed but we are now delighted that it is ready for use.

The new clinic building is superb and the staff are very hard working and competent – I have never worked with such a committed team.

Census Begins in Yei

2008-04-24T00:00:00Z

After a one week delay, the fifth Hosing and Population census got under way at midnight on Monday 21st April. Everyone was recorded where they were sleeping that night. The results will be very significant and will be preparatory for the referendum on the future of Southern Sudan, to be organised in 2011.

Tuesday 22nd April was a public holiday but the Yei Vocational Training College finally received its visit from the census enumerator (pictured seated) today 23rd April talking to Poppy and to Charles Agele. We gave details of all the staff and students who stayed in the college compound on the night of 21st April.

Enumerators are working night and day to complete the task and it is not unusual for one to turn up at 3 am to interview a householder. It is a massive operation to count the whole population of Sudan. We are told that the results will not be known for at least six months.

Mongo Primary School Progressing Well

2008-04-24T00:00:00Z

The road to Mongo is notoriously bad! In the dry season it is a very bumpy journey; in the rainy season it is sometimes impassable.

I drove the road earlier today in order to visit the new Primary School building that is being constructed in Mongo, funded by Connor Diocese, through CMS Ireland.

In just 50 days, the progress has been impressive and you can really see the building taking shape. To make sure we made good progress, we hired a lorry and bought all the materials we needed just before the start of the rainy season so that bad weather cannot delay us in the transport of materials.

The community is contributing many things to the project. It is digging hardcore and providing sand, aggregate and bricks.

The builder William and his team from Uganda are experienced builders and we are all delighted with the progress they have made so far.

Severe Storm Lifts the Roof

2008-04-23T00:00:00Z

A mighty rushing wind caused serious damage to the roof of Panyana church in the Diocese of Yei last month. During the evening, a very strong wind lifted most of the roof and left it lying upside down on the ground about 20 metres from the church. To make matters worse, the rainy season in Sudan has started and with no protection from the elements, the church building is getting extremely wet. We visited Panyana on 17th April to inspect the damage. The road was hilly, narrow and in very poor condition. There is no public transport and the village is 7 miles from the nearest town – Morobo. Panyana Primary school has 350 pupils but its classrooms are makeshift and in a very poor state.

It is a very sorry situation and the church members will take years to find the money required to renew the timbers and to replace the iron sheets. I reckon it will cost about £7,500 to replace the roof that is missing and I am hoping to find some donors in the UK who would like to help. The loss of the roof is a serious blow to a village community in an isolated location with very few facilities that is trying to get back on its feet after 21 years of war. I feel we must really try to provide some help.

On retreat and moving on...

2008-04-23T00:00:00Z

Just a quick update before I head off for Jordan and Egypt. I would greatly value your prayers for the visit, specifically for a time of spiritual refreshment for over 20 CMS Mission Partners attending the retreat in Jordan which includes CMS Ireland Mission Partners David and Gillian Maganda and family. Then also for my visit to Egypt and specifically for my meetings with the Bishop, the Irish Ambassador, Rajkumar and Primila in Port Said as well as the various project visits.

I fly first to Amman in Jordan where I am participating in the CMS Britain Retreat for Mission Partners working in North Africa and from all the CMS societies. I’m looking forward to meeting CMS Ireland Mission Partners David and Gillian Maganda with Nathan and Beth. But I will also reconnect with some friensds and CMS Britain Mission Partners I met in Tunis and Cairo. Last year I met CMS Britain Mission Partners Martin and Pamela Lawson and their family work with ACT International in Tunisia. In 2006 I met Ruth Sayers at the Diocesan offices in Cairo, where she was the PA for Bishop Mouneer. Ruth is now working in Bethlehem and is a CMS Britain Mission Partner. We will spend 2 days of reflection in Madi Elrum desert before heading south to Aquba, near the Red Sea, for the remainder of the retreat.

I depart then on 30th of April for Cairo where I have already meetings arranged with Bishop Mouneer to discuss future plans and the recent application to Irish Aid for the Gambella Centre of Mission in Ethiopia, Dr Bahig – the Diocesan Executive Director, Gerard Corr – the Irish Ambassador, the Maganda’s as they prepare for their return home and Raj and Primila in Port Said to visit the 4 projects supported by Hillsborough Parish through CMS Ireland. I will also be visiting Refuge Egypt to review the progress of the Youth Mentorship and Rehabilitation Programme supported by Bishops’ Appeal through CMS Ireland as well as Sadat City Community Health Centre supported by a number of Parishes and Ain Shams Community Project which last year’s CMS Ireland Annual Project raised funds for.

It’s a full programme but hopefully with your prayer support it will be a fruitful and constructive one. I’m very conscious that it’s only thanks to the prayer and financial commitment, from Parishes all over Ireland, that CMS Ireland can continue to support the church in the Diocese of Egypt. So special thanks to all those who support the Maganda’s and the various projects in Egypt and for those who have made this visit possible.

Bible Distribution in Yei

2008-04-22T00:00:00Z

Like so many things, buying Good News Bibles in Yei is extremely difficult. In fact, there are none anywhere. Our challenge was that we wanted to present each of our 102 new students with a Good News Bible hardback which we use in morning devotions each day.

We did some research and tracked some down in Uganda. A price was negotiated but they would not deliver until paid.

A quick email to friends in our home church secured a cheque payable to the Bible Society UK.

They then emailed Uganda and the Bibles were delivered to Missionary Aviation Fellowship.

MAF flew them up to us free of charge on 15th April and we handed them out in a special ceremony on 17th April when our vicar Rev David Williams was visiting.

It was a great occasion, for which we give thanks to all those who helped in one way or another.

Thy kingdom come....

2008-04-21T00:00:00Z

I sometimes wonder what heaven will be like.

The Biblical writers have done their best to describe it, but words don’t seem to have been up to the task of conveying it to me with particular clarity.

A new earth without any sickness or suffering sounds like a good prospect to me as two 12 year old boys have died on the ward this week – one to a crisis of his sickle cell disease, and the other to a rampant viral infection affecting his whole body.

There are descriptions in the book of Revelation of a huge throne with all the nations before it worshiping their Lord. Such a picture probably is the dominant picture in the popular mind of what is in store for us. I think that I have had a little foretaste of it a few times in recent weeks. At the hospital we have daily worship for staff to start the day. A time of focusing together on why we are here, building us together as a team, and being empowered for the day ahead. The bulk of our worship usually takes place in English as it is our common tongue. However of late we have been having different parts of Uganda presenting every Friday. Uganda has many tribes and each has it’s own language. Differences, particularly tribal differences can be a source of great division, and attempts at comparison are often based around finding grounds for superiority of one’s own or diminution of they the other group. Evidence for the consequences of this are evident in the recent and ongoing chaos in Kenya, or modern Northern Irish history. However God has made us all different by design rather than accident. That is not just ok, that is good, indeed very good?

Standing in the midst of staff worshiping enthusiastically in Teso and Acholi (languages I don’t understand even one word of) and having a strong sense of God’s presence as these folk were praising their Lord with all their hearts is a powerful experience. Not understanding the exactitudes of the words isn’t necessary to appreciating the key import of the praise they were giving to their God. For a moment I caught a glimpse of the power of uncountable numbers of people from every nation before God’s throne worshiping from their hearts. Christianity is not a middle class white Western world social construct. This God we are worshiping is God over all the earth He has made. The reality of that can seem distant in our busy media full lives, but man, I have been struck forcefully (yet) again of who are God is, and indeed how blessed I am to know him and work with His people here.

May you know something of that afresh too.

Cheers for now,

Rory

Rwandan women shade themselves from the sun...

2007-10-25T14:08:36Z

A Regional Mission Partner unwinds in Cairo

2007-10-25T14:08:34Z

Mother and Child at a community clinic in Luwero

2007-10-25T14:08:32Z

A view of the Himalayas, Nepal

2007-10-25T14:08:31Z

Hand in hand - Fort Portal, Uganda

2007-10-25T14:07:55Z

Morning Worship at Kiwoko Hospital

2007-10-25T14:07:54Z

Rainbows arc over Victoria Falls in Zambia

2007-10-25T14:07:53Z

Sudanese Children peer through barbed wire in Maridi diocese, Sudan

2007-10-25T14:07:46Z

A tailor earns a living by the side of the road in Nepal

2007-10-25T14:07:43Z

Ronan tries to catch the sunset in Zambia

2007-10-25T14:07:36Z