Page 46 - link magazine

46 The Link Magazine • August 2002
Good as new sale Body and soul in the Congo
Quality children's clothes & toys
Walcot Dome Community Centre Geoffrey Hill reports on the visit to Swindon of a mission partner from Africa
Saturday 24 August, 1pm "In a time of war, is it diffi-
Attractions include fire engine, cult to love your enemies?"
face painting, police car, was the question put to two
refreshments African Christians from the
All proceeds to Koalas Opportunity Democratic Republic of the
Group for children with special needs Congo (formerly Zaire)
who visited West Swindon
Places at cubs and scouts in late June.
The 1st Toothill Scouts are des- They replied "those who
perately in need of adults to lead provoke the civil war in our
or help at scout sessions. country are people who are
The group also has places in all a long way away and the
age groups: Beavers 6 to 8 years; fighting around us has been
Cubs 8 to 10't years; Scouts 101 to between rebels and Govern-
14 years; Explorers 14 to 18 years. ment soldiers. We are not
Explorers are a new grouping fighting our neighbours: lo-
which replaces Venture Scouts. cally all we want to do is
To help and to enquire about live together in peace."
places, call Chris Rawlings on They described what hap-
pens when fighting comes
520387.
to their area, "All the peo- Visiting The Phaze youth group at Holy Trinity Church, Shaw, led by Rev Mike Dilly and
ple in our town flee to the Jacqueline Kirwan, centre, Ezati Ezai, Francesca Elloway, and Baba Atseko. St Mary's
North Bible club forest and because there is vicar Rev Ann Mackenzie is centre right, and Geoffrey Hill, rear left
North Swindon Baptist Church has no work to do all the Chris-
places for twenty children aged 5 tians among us (no matter what provided a unique insight for all nominated me in his will to look
to 9 at its 'FROGS. Club' holiday church we belong to) gather to- who met them, into the day to day after the family, bequeathed me
bible club, 29 July to 2 August, gether to pray, to ask for God's life of their community and the his medical instruments and said I
loam to midday at Abbey Meads help and to support each other." stark contrasts between their life was to become a nurse. It was not
Community School. The visit of Baba Atseko and and our own. an easy decision to train all over
There will be songs, puppets, Ezati Ezai, together with Dr They live in Aru, a town in North again, but God helped me to do
Bible stories, crafts, games and face Francesca Elloway, a mission part- East Congo, close to the border what my father wanted."
painting. ner of the Church Mission Society, with Uganda, where there is no Years later Ezati's earlier expe-
Contact Rachel Kay, tel: 341531, who for eight years has been linked running water or electricity for rience is a great asset in the ambi-
Jackie Mitchell, tel: 341743 or to the Ecumenical Partnership of people's grass-thatched homes. tious teaching and seminar pro-
Rachel Weaver, tel: 345051. West Swindon and the Lydiards, Ninety five per cent of the popula- grammes arranged in connection
tion look after their farms in order with the health centres, because so
to feed their families, they have no few books or any other health or
SWINDON other employment. Any surplus community related teaching is
FAMILY CHURCH food is sold to buy essentials like available for nurses or church or
paraffin or salt. A man is not eligi- other community leaders.
o^Evange1. SUNDAYS 10.30AM ble to marry until he owns the The three visitors also explained
Worsley Road ?^ implements needed to farm his how the civil war has in one way
THE WINNERS LOUNGE land. been a blessing for their people.
SWINDON TOWN F.C. Dr Francesca Elloway is the co- Because of the insecurity, no-
ordinator of the Anglican Church's one goes out after dark (always
PINEHURST PEOPLE S CENTR seven health centres in a radius of 6pm) and travellers into or through
building with people fifty miles from Aru, which serve the area are few in number. The
Come and join us NOW... WE ARE BACK ON THE about 70,000 people. Ezati is the scourge of AIDS, although begin-
Sunday at I Oam & 6.30pm FIRST SUNDAY OF THE chief nurse and Baba the adminis- ning, can be arrested, they believe,
For further information of MONTH AT LINK CENTRE trator of the project, and they were if people are alerted to its terrible
other meetings ring: 873050, call
into the Church office or visit For more information, inclu. mid- on their first visit to England. consequences. Seminars on AIDS
www.freshbrook.org week activities, call Brian on 849731 Ezati told us "I was a teacher for all levels of the community are
Jesus said: "I hare come that YOU might in association with and happy in my teaching, but an urgent priority in their current
hare LIFE and hare it in its fulness" NEW FRONTIERS INTERNATIONAL when my father, a nurse, died, he programme.

We are
'- West Swindon & the
Greenmeadow here!
N C ^yQ Lydiards churches
Primary School ^I
L1
All Saints' For details of our
weekly services
sit Lydiard Millicent
To Safeway
North Swindon Baptist Church Holy Trinity, Shaw
St Mary's
• B4 Oos
Lydiard Tregoze
Toothill Church please contact the
Sunday Worship 10.30am
- Sunday School & Creche - Web: http://nsbc.org.uk Westlea Church Partnership Office: 874221
Pastor Steve Mann TEL: (01793) 3201