A personal thank you from Pastor Colin Bond,
Tavistock Community Church

 

Dear Friends,

A huge thank you for your support and interest in our activities this year. God knows what has been accomplished because you helped and especially if you found time to squeeze in a few prayers for us in your busy life.

xisting work in Rwanda, Congo, Burundi, Kenya and a little in Tanzania has continued well but this year much more time and effort has been concentrated in Uganda. I have spent many weeks there, particularly in partnership with Outreach to Africa, and we have seen the hospital at Rwebisengo, Western Uganda established from virtually nothing. With money sacrificially donated from Tavistock Community Church, loads of medical supplies generously stored and donated from hospitals in the South-west of England, and with the efforts of a few extremely busy bees, a nineteen-room hospital was established and saw 46 babies born and over 1000 patients treated in its first 10 weeks. A diagnostic centre at Fort Portal, near Rwebisengo, is waiting for funds to equip its darkroom then it will be ready to serve 3 million people in the West of Uganda and the stream of refugees coming over from the wars in the Congo. Doctors, nurses, technicians, pastors and local village elders have all worked together (some without wages!) to see these projects take off. There must have been a legion of angels delegated to the work.......because you prayed! Thank you!

Schools in Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda have been helped and encouraged and activity is engaged in twinning schools in the UK to give pen-friends, clothes, books, furniture etc. and to receive firsthand news, photos, videos and growing friendships from those in African schools. Some medics are interested in visiting to follow up their contributions to the medical centres and strengthen friendships with the staff. The church at Tavistock has also exported supplies to many countries around the world.

Conferences for pastors and leaders have been a wonderful encouragement in 4 of the countries and now the pastors of Fort Portal are praying and working to help us buy land and build a base for the work. We hope you will be able to come and holiday!

e are so small in numbers and experience that we know all these things are from God's hand of grace and because His people prayed! Thousands in Africa and the Third World cannot thank you enough. God bless you and reward you. And may you and your family be specially blessed with the happiness and joy only Jesus can give.

We send our love and prayers that the New Year will bless you as much as you can take!

Colin and the saints at Tavistock Community Church