Page 38 - link magazine

37
The Link Magazine • May 1996
Zaire church leader visits local church
Urgently. needed
The congregation at St Mary's church in Lydiard Park heard how a church leader from Zaire who helped alt year round
Rwandan refugees eventually had to flee for his own life. Archdeacon Beni Bataaga spent a weekend
recently at St Mary's talking about his experiences in Bukavu in eastern Zaire. The Age Concern shop
needs good quality
Beni, pictured below, had spent However, most of the refugees told of another church leader who clothe0j. bric a-brac,
six years co-ordinating work in were from the Hutu tribe and sus- only earns the equivalent of fifty :.bOOkifldSii1&IIeleCtriCal
medical centres in the Bukavu dio- picious of anyone they thought a pounds in an entire year but has goods to sell in Its
cese near the Rwandan border. Tutsi. six children at school. He encour- Swindon shop at
Then, during one single day day in One day last year when Beni aged the congregation to find ways 51 Fleet Street
March 1993, more than eight thou- was taking medicine to some refu- of helping people in need whether All the money raised goes
sand refugees flooded in. Helped gees dying of cholera, they refused at home or abroad. wards.work.with older
by various church agencies over- it, believing him, mistakenly, to be As Beni cannot return to his people in the town.
seas, the local churches helped to a Tutsi. Threats were made against former job in Bukavu, he hopes to If you cannot deftver
house, feed and clothe them. his life and eventually the danger go back to Bunia at the end of April collections can be arranged
became so great that Beni's col- - but he faces an uncertain future. bycalhng692t66
leagues urged him to leave. He
fled taking only a few clothes and
was flown by the Missionary Avia- Freshbrook
tion Fellowship to the town of Evangelical HAVE YOU
Bunia, 400km away. I'
Beni has been in the UK since Church .jMADE
January, attending lectures at a Worsley Road
Birmingham college and spend- A WILL?
ing his weekends telling churches Will give YOU a warm We can help!
around the country about the prob- welcome 'Home Visits Anytime
lems faced by the Church in Zaire. • Fixed Low Prices
Most of the population live in pov- Sunday I Oarn Family Praise • Free Advice
erty, the economy is bankrupt and with children's Covenanter • Prompt Service
Movement & creche
there is rampant inflation. Beni ACT:NOW!
630pm Evening Worship and
Communion Just Wills Wiltshire
Cheaper travel insurance for over 55s For details of mid-week
If you are taking a holiday this year and you are over 55, Age Concern meetings, house groups and
Insurance Services (ACTS) advises that you shop around for the best other activities, telephone the
insurance deals. Church Office, Tel: 873050
ACIS itself has introduced a to health and the need for repatria-
travel policy which is designed to tion.
meet the specific needs of the older Jo Osario, Director at Age Con-
traveller, without automatically cern Thamesdown, says, "many LOCAL CHURCHES
loading premiums for age. older people visit family or friends
With holiday travel cheaper and as far afield as Jamaica, Australia,
easier than ever, older people are the US and Canada. In addition, a All Saints'Lydiard Millicent - 10:30am Revd Peter Knight
now taking more holidays than large number of older people now 772417 (for the Village and Roughmoor)
any other age group. However, choose to spend the winter months St Mary's Lydiard Tregoze - 9:00 & 10:30am Revd Rob Bues
insurance can be expensive and in places such as Spain and Portu- 870244 (for Freshbrook, Grange Park & Hook)
difficult to obtain. Premiums are gal. The ACTS policy has proved Holy Trinity Shaw - 10:30am Revd Andrew Hetherington 770568
often doubled, or even tripled, extremely popular, especially re- (the Church is at Shaw Village Centre)
based on the assumption that this garding cover for longer periods,
age group is more likely to make which is often very expensive for Toothill Church - 10:45am Revd George Gibson 692620
large claims, particularly relating older people. (meeting in the Community Centre during rebuilding)
Westlea Church - 10:00am Revd Peter Walker 872932
Pet insuranc e for all ages (this Church meets in Westlea School Hall, Langstone Way)
The Parish of West Swindon and the Lydiards
Owning a cat or dog can be great in recent years and with the devel-
fun and they can bring great com- opment of specialist treatments, it Baptist . Church of England • Methodist • United Reformed Church
fort to older people. But illness is now often possible to treat treas-
can both distress the pet and the ured pets and see a full recovery
owners as the cost of veterinary Good insurance cover can meet HILLIER
treatment mounts up. the unexpected and provide peace
This is where Age Concern In- of mind." FUNERAL
surance Services is very useful. The insurance plan costs £44 per
Their pet insurance scheme is de- year for cats and £57 for dogs, SERVICE LTD.
signed to meet the hefty charges which can be paid monthly by di-
that can result from a wide variety rect debit at £3.85 and £4.95 re-
of situations. For example, veteri- spectively. Anyone, regardless of 170 Victoria Road
252 Whitworth Road
nary treatment in excess of £30 up age, can insure a cat or dog aged
Swindon
to £1,500 will be met. There is between 6 weeks and 10 years. Swindon
provision for third party claims, For more information about Tel: 522797 Tel: 522145
pet loss and recovery, and death of
a pet. Care for the pet whilst the travel and pet insurance PRIVATE CHAPELS OF REST
owner is in hospital is also cov- services, contact:
ered. Age Concern Thamesdown, 24 hour personal service throughout the year
Jo Osorio from Age Concern 14 Milton Road A FAMILY BUSINESS OFFERING HELP
Thamesdown says, "the cost of vet- Swindon SN1 5JE. AND ADVICE WHEN MOST NEEDED
erinary treatment has been rising Tel: 692166.