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.

Poppy's Marvellous Medicine...

2008-03-26T00:00:00Z

Sometimes, when it comes to prayer, we are surprisingly timid. I am often struck by the difference in how we pray and how our partners pray. It occurs to me that learning from our partners about how God has responded to the needs of His people around the World is one way to be encouraged to greater boldness and intimacy in prayer.

One of our Short Term Mission Partners, Poppy Spens, recently shared with me how God responded more directly than she ever imagined to a prayer request in Southern Sudan.

“[During our Alpha Course] on Tuesday John read a bit from Simon Guillebaud’s book about an answer to prayer – concerning a hot water bottle and a doll. It was in Congo. A mother died in childbirth and the baby was premature. The older sister of the new baby prayed that God would send, that day, a hot water bottle to keep the baby warm and a doll for her to stop her feeling lonely now her mum had died. No postal service there. No hot water bottles or dolls available.That day, a parcel arrived. They opened it and out came a hot water bottle. The little girl said there must be a doll as well. She grabbed the box and felt in it! You’ve guessed – there was one more item…a doll. The parcel had been sent from UK 5 months earlier and arrived the very day it was required!

That’s the background..here’s the rest…

Yesterday one of the clinic staff came to me with a recurrence of a fungal infection in his mouth. We had used the only treatment available here which helps while he is taking it but the problem returns as soon as he stops the treatment. His mouth is very sore and swollen. I wished I had a particular drug called fluconazole which should heal it. It is not available here – as it is only obtainable in UK on prescription. So I thought of the story outlined above and prayed for it to be available. 30 minutes later, the door was knocked. Two Americans with three large bags bursting with medicines. Did we want them for the clinic? They were Methodists at the end of a 2 week mission trip to Yei with medicines left over. So I accepted them gratefully for the clinic. After they left, I remembered my prayer. There must be fluconazole in the boxes I thought. You’ve guessed….there it was!

We have never before been given a gift of medicines and for it to include fluconazole was unbelievable! God arranged for the drug to come from America to be delivered on the very day it was needed.”

If you would like to learn more about praying for the work of CMS Ireland click here to read our prayer diary or here to subscribe to it for free.

CMS Ireland David Gough

On retreat and moving on...

Poppy's Marvellous Medicine...