NEWSLETTER.

SEPTEMBER 2004.

Dear Friends.

We have had a great time of blessing since our last newsletter and have met many new friends and renewed friendship with others.

In February Beryl, Stuart, Thelma, and Myself left for Belarus by road in my updated Volvo estate loaded to capacity crossing by the night ferry from Harwich to Cuxhaven enjoying a good nights rest before driving through Germany to the Polish border, once through the customs we made our way Warsaw and stayed the night about twenty miles the far side of the city on our way to the Polish / Belarusian border, the following morning we awoke to a scattering of snow and it gradually got worse as we continued to travel east, and by the time we arrive at the Belarusian border it was snowing heavier and was bitterly cold, we had some language problems at the crossing but in the end we were on our way in a blinding blizzard and temperature below 15% to Nezvich where we were going to spend the next few days with Luba and Sergei two of our leaders when the children come to England before moving on to Marina Gorka where we stayed with Pastor Leonid and his wife Irina who arranged all our visits and arranged guides for us when we used our own car.

While we were in Belarus we had a lovely time with our friends and colleagues, meeting the families of the choir who were with us in the summer of 2003 and listening to them preparing pieces to sing in their tour with us in July 2005, on our way home we stayed two more nights with Luba and Sergei and during that time we walked across the frozen lake enjoyed tobogganing and watching fishermen drilling holes in the lake to try to catch their next meal, our stay in Belarus was short but very pleasant despite the weather.

In July we welcomed 22 children and 5 adults at Gatwick airport to stay with us for 5 weeks sadly Luba and Sergei were unable to come owing to Luba and her baby being seriously ill since we left them in February, also Beryl was unable to be with us for the first three weeks while the children were here as she also was seriously ill but thankfully she is well on the way to a full recovery.

From Gatwick we drove to Newton Abbot where they were spending the first week of their holiday as guests of Mr and Mrs Vale who had raised money during the year to give the whole party a holiday in a Christian Hotel called R.O.R.A House and what a lovely pleasant time we had there, then it was on to Bristol for a week in host families going out each day to different places our host there were Kings Way Church then onto Swansea to a Christian youth camp on the Gower Peninsula sponsored by a charity called “To Russia With Love” and what a great time we had with them, but it was time to come home for the last 2 weeks, where Beryl was able to join us in all our activities.

Our base in Leicester is “The Baptist Christian Conference Centre” at Arnesby and it is a delight to stay there, Pastor John Hutton and his wife Valerie are a joy to know and nothing is to much trouble for them, they and a team of workers prepare such lovely food and is ready at the time we ask for it, Val leaves a basket for all their washing and washes each day for all the group, we all are thoroughly spoilt by Johnnie and Val and very thankful for their love and care.

After being invited to many churches, coffee morning, senior citizens homes, adventure and amusement parks and places of interest it was time to say good-bye at Gatwick airport, and after booking in eighteen trolleys of baggage (on arrival they only used three) we said our farewells.

       While the children were here it was not all swings and roundabouts for them they attended church each Sunday and it was nice to see them all dressed up in their best clothes to go to the services and so well behaved during the meetings, I am sure The Lord spoke to their hearts as they listened to their bible studies, some had promised to attend church when they are back home.

We are now collecting good clean warm clothing to help fill a container to go to Pastor Leonid in December and in we will send all the Christmas shoe boxes for the children and as many food parcels as possible for the very poor families in the villages around Marina Gorka and Nezvich, last year we sent over 800 shoe boxes and around 300 food parcels, please help us to exceed this total this year, they need help so badly, we will need the shoe boxes by the third week of November to enable them to get to Belarus and cleared by the customs to be sure that the children receive them for Christmas, please help us make this deadline, many thanks.

Our personal thanks to all who have helped us, we are very grateful for your prayers and monetary giving also to all who drove the mini-busses Stuart, Geoff, Brian, and Sarah who came to Swansea by train to drive a bus for us and many others who helped us so much that it would take reams of paper to mention them all THANK YOU each one.

God bless you all.

       Yours through His love.