From the Rector - Lovers for Lent

With our observance of Candlemas transferred to the last day of January, the church’s calendar month of February is left to lovers and Lent.  The commercial commemoration of St. Valentine outstrips even the popularity of that hardy perennial - Harvest Festival.  The present day custom of sending evermore elaborate greetings cards or booking exotic romantic getaways may owe its existence to the poet John Donne who wrote a marriage song for Princess Elizabeth on the occasion of her marriage to Frederick V on St. Valentine’s Day in 1632.  The song merged the religious commemoration of what began with not one but two third century martyrs who shared the name with fertility symbolism.

This year St. Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday just before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (17^th February).  So the Archbishops’ Council’s Weddings Project is offering the churches an opportunity to provide Eucharistic worship on this particular ‘Sunday Next before Lent’ specially designed to attract married couples across the generations to celebrate their marriages in the context of God’s love revealed in Christ.

At St. Faith’s we are sending special written invitations to all who have been married in the church over the last five years to attend the 9.30 Parish Communion.  Through this magazine article we cordially invite all couples in the parish as well as those who were married at St. Faith’s to join us in this special St. Valentine’s Day celebration.  There will be an opportunity during the service to renew your wedding vows.  Why not bring some bubbly and cake along with you to add to our usual refreshments?

By celebrating our own marriages and giving thanks to God for all the support we have received over the years we are reminded how important is the churches’ task of supporting all those who make this kind of loving commitment so as to strengthen society in the decades to come.  There is no doubt that as we face momentous challenges of all kinds in the decade to come “what the world needs now is love sweet love, and that’s the only thing that there’s just too little of” as mused Hal David and Burt Bacharach back in 1965.

This day for lovers quickly gives way to Lent.  Ash Wednesday and the forty days that follow up to the beginning of Holy Week call for a different kind of commitment.  A love stronger than death was lived out by Jesus in his vocation to persuade human beings to love God as much as He loves us.  This life of loving obedience made the ultimate sacrifice which once and for all proved the potency of love.  Lent is a loving act by Christians; it demonstrates their belief that love is not just for a day or even a lifetime.  It is literally for ever. 

Peter Jones

From the Editor

It was refreshing to hear the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, say that Britain must stand up for its Christian heritage and that we would be in deep trouble if immigration is not cut.  Lord Carey said: “We Christians are very often so soft that we allow other people to walk over us and we are not as tough in what we want, in expressing our beliefs, because we do not want to upset other people”.  Lord Carey stressed he was not calling for a ban on non-Christian immigrants settling in Britain, but said: The statistics indicate that, if we carry on at the rate we are, our country is going to be in deep trouble and this is going to foster social unrest”.  He added: “What I think we must call for is an understanding on the part of those who come into our country that they are coming into one which values parliamentary democracy, which is built upon our Christian heritage”.  With a General Election this year perhaps the political parties will address this, but don’t hold your breath.

We always talk about our weather and last month’s snow and ice gave us good reason to.  The media spoke about the big freeze in 1947, 1962/3 and 1982, which just shows that the ‘jet stream’ in the upper atmosphere that affects our weather, moves north and south over periods of time and has little to do with climate change.  When I was a kid living in Essex – quite a long time ago now I admit! - I had a 20-minute walk to school each day and I don’t ever remember the school closing because of the weather.  When it snowed, we threw snow balls in the play ground and got a telling off when we threw them at our teachers!  I also had a paper round and didn’t miss a delivery just like our paper boy who did a splendid job delivering every morning during the ice and snow whereas we didn’t see the postman once in 5 days!  In those days though, we never had ‘Elf & Safety’ to worry about!

Colin Carter

Local Boy Makes Good!

Following the articles by Roger Bryant in 2008 about Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding, and my recent one on Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Trenchard, I would like to tell you now about another R.A.F. leader whose story is not so well known.  This is because he did not reach the highest positions in the service until after World War 2.  He had a distinguished war service, but in rather lower ranks, so he did not make the headlines the other two gentlemen did.  As he was local to this area, his story is of some interest.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Kenneth Cross was born near Cosham on 4^th October 1911.  His father and mother both worked in Portsmouth, his father as a surveyor and estate agent, his mother as a teacher.  His paternal grandfather was a Methodist minister  He was educated at Hilsea College, Havant High School, and later at his father's old school Kingswood, Bristol, a Methodist foundation for the sons of clergy, where he was the first 'layman' to be admitted.  In the mid twenties the family moved to Hayling Island.

On leaving school in 1928 Kenneth hoped to join the Royal Air Force on a Short Service Commission, but the age limit was eighteen, so he had over a year to wait.  He found lowly employment in a Ford garage in North End, where he was paid the princely sum of ten shillings (fifty pence) a week.  He travelled each day by bicycle, using the Hayling Ferry to Eastney.  He wanted to use this 'gap year' to learn as much as he could about the internal combustion engine, as this was what powered the aeroplanes he was eager to fly.

In due course he was accepted into the Royal Air Force in 1930, and began training as a pilot, gaining his 'wings' in 1931.  He was then posted to 25 Fighter Squadron at Hawkinge, near Folkestone, where training in fighter tactics was undertaken.  The squadron entered the aerobatics displays at the Hendon Air Show each year, and Kenneth was a member of their team.  Aside from flying, his interests were in sport, mainly rugby and golf.  It was during this period that he met Douglas Bader, and they remained friends until Bader's death in 1982.

His Short Service Commission of five years was due to end in 1935, but because of faint 'war clouds' on the horizon, even then, he was able to extend this for another five years.  In 1934 he was sent on a flying instructor’s course and then took up these duties teaching other aspiring young pilots to fly.  In 1936 those war clouds had thickened, and he was selected for a permanent commission, so the Royal Air Force became his life-long career.  In 1939 he was given command of 45 Fighter Squadron, and in 1940 they were ordered to Norway with their Hurricane fighters, seeing action there.  On one occasion warning of an imminent German attack gave such little time to get airborne that he had no time to strap himself into the cockpit.  During a 'dogfight' with a Heinkel 111 he leaned forward to steady himself, just as a German bullet entered through the windscreen, piercing the armour plate directly behind where his head had been a few seconds before.  If he had been strapped in he would have been killed - a lucky escape!

The British forces were ordered to evacuate Norway at the end of May, 1940, and an aircraft carrier, HMS Glorious, was sent to take them off.  The other squadron involved, 263, was equipped with the older and slower Gladiator fighters which would have no trouble landing on the carrier's deck, but the Hurricane's landing speed was considered too fast for this, and it had never been attempted.  So Sqn. Ldr. Cross was given two options: they could fly to a small port in the extreme north of Norway, where a tramp steamer would be sent, and the Hurricanes would have to be dismantled, crated, and stowed in the tramp's hold; or they could burn the Hurricanes to prevent them falling into German hands, and leave on Glorious minus their aircraft.  Cross told his pilots, and unanimously they rejected Option One, as there was no one qualified to do the dismantling, nor would there be the necessary ground equipment for packing and loading them.  Option Two seemed a useless waste when Britain would need every available aircraft for the forthcoming battles.  Cross asked if any pilots would volunteer to try to land on the carrier, and they all stepped forward to a man!  As only ten were needed, the ten most senior were chosen.  A 14lb. sandbag was put in the tail of each plane to slow the landing speed, and led by Kenneth Cross, all ten landed safely on board Glorious.

Alas, this heroic gesture proved to have been made in vain.  As it afterwards transpired, the captain of Glorious mistakenly believed that any attack would be from submarines, and their speed was reckoned to make this too difficult.  So no naval planes were sent up to patrol round the carrier.  Of course, the Germans did not attack by submarine, but from the air!  During the attack on the ship, Kenneth had two more narrow escapes.  Climbing up to the flight deck, there was a loud crash behind him, and looking round he saw that the stairs he had just stepped off were now a mass of tangled metal.  Lucky escape No. 2!  He went up to the bridge, but things were so hectic there he realized he would be in the way, so returned to the flight deck.  A moment later an enemy shell exploded, flattening the bridge and wireless room.  Lucky escape No. 3!  In the face of such a fierce attack, the ship soon began to sink, and the order was given 'Abandon ship’.  Kenneth removed his shoes, jumped into the sea, and climbed aboard a Carley Float.  All but five of the other men on it perished.  Of the three ships sunk in the action, Glorious and two escorting destroyers, there were only 44 survivors.

For seventy hours they floated helplessly, until a small Norwegian fishing vessel spotted them and picked them up.  Because of the extreme cold - they were 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle - and the fact that the Carley Float had water in the bottom where they had to put their feet, they all suffered from frostbite.  Kenneth's feet never completely recovered, and he was unable to wear socks for the rest of his life.  After a period of recovery he was still not fully fit for flying duties, so he was sent to the Operations Room of 12 Group, where he served through part of the Battle of Britain.

At the end of December, 1940, he was given command of 25 Fighter Wing in the Middle East, and saw service in the Western Desert.  In 1942 he took command of 219 Group in the Nile Delta area of Egypt.  From 1943-4 he was Air Officer Commanding in Cyrenaica, then took over the command of 242 Group in Tunisia.  He returned to the United Kingdom in March 1944 as Air Officer Training at the HQ of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and later saw service as Director of Operations at the Air Ministry.

When the war ended, he took the course at the Imperial Defence College, graduating in 1946.  There followed an appointment as Air Staff Officer at the HQ of the British Air Forces in Occupied Germany, where he played a crucial part as senior planner of the Berlin Airlift.  Other senior appointments followed in the fifties, and in May 1959 he became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Bomber Command, receiving a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours the same year.  His last position was promotion to Air Chief Marshal and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Transport Command, from December 1963 to his retirement in 1968.

During his career he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in 1940, the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1942, Commander of the Order of the British (CBE) in 1945, Commander of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1956, and his knighthood, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1959.

In December 1944 he entered the War Room for a meeting, saw a WAAF officer called Brenda Powell sitting there, and fell in love at first sight!  He invited her to have dinner with him at the Savoy Grill that evening.  In a week they were engaged, and within a month they were married.  Their happy marriage ended tragically.  In 1991, as Brenda was helping out in an antique shop in Pimlico, she was attacked and killed by an intruder, who was never caught and brought to justice.

When I first came to Hayling Island in 1998, to live in a flat in the Gorseway Retirement Complex, I met Sir Kenneth, who was in the Residential Home there, after suffering a stroke.  He took his daily walks round the grounds, still wearing shoes without socks, but his speech was impaired, and I always had difficulty in following what he said to me.  Another resident once referred to the R.A.F., using its initials, in conversation with him, and was reprimanded. Sir Kenneth insisted on giving the Service its title in full, the Royal Air Force!

One of his last public engagements was in 2000, when, with assistance, he flew to Norway for a commemoration of the events there sixty years before.  He died on 18^th June 2003, aged 91, having played his part serving his country in war and in peace – truly very much a local boy who made good!

Trevor Hopkinson

Pirates from Penzance Occupy St. Faith’s Church Hall

From 6^th to 9^th January, in spite of the inclement weather, The Dynamo Youth Theatre presented a memorable production of “The Pirates of Penzance” by Gilbert & Sullivan in St. Faith’s Church Hall.

A structure had been built, representing a galleon, with the audience on three sides.  The young people burst upon this space with energy and enthusiasm; there wasn’t a dull moment throughout the whole production.

The costumes were colourful and imaginative and the choreography was creative, allowing the cast to use the whole of the space, often (orphan!) with breath-taking movement.

The confident and talented main characters acted and sang with conviction to the modern backing track.

The members of the wonderful choruses of pirates, major general’s daughters and police, each remained constantly in character, reacting to each other.

The great strength of the production was that everyone, both the Cast and the Crew worked as a team, to create a really professionally presented theatrical event.

The young members are indeed fortunate to have the opportunity to experience this level of dramatic art which is due to the vision and leadership of the Director, Andrew Bowker and his team, assisted by parents and supporters.

The success of this production confirms the viability of Dynamo Youth Theatre using St. Faith’s Hall as their future base to the benefit of all the community.

Geoff Porter

The Crinoline Church

In 1858, a timbered building, destined to be called the Crinoline Church because of its shape, was erected on a circular piece of land in Outram Road.  This will arouse the interest of a loyal reader and distributor of “Faith Matters, Peter Appleby, because during the war in 1943 we were both pupils at a school on a circular piece of land in Outram Road.  The building had 20 sides, was 22 metres in diameter and 18 metres high, and lit by a huge chandelier comprising of 36 lights, originally designed for a field hospital in the Crimea War.  This is all described in a wonderful book published last year called “Sea Soldiers of Portsmouth” about the Royal Marines and Eastney Barracks.  The book tells us that the Crinoline Church was erected in 28 days to serve the parish of St Bartholomew’s for three years until a stone St Bartholomew’s Church could be built.  In 1943, Peter and I went to school in the major and minor halls of this church after our original school premises had been destroyed in the bombing.

After the three years had elapsed, the Crinoline Church was bought in 1861 for £200, dismantled and rebuilt in Waverley Road, off Albert Road, at a cost of £150 to serve as a temporary church until the permanent and superb, brick-built; St Symon’s Church (where my parents were married) was built.  This took three years and in 1864, the Crinoline Church was again dismantled and rebuilt in St George’s Road, Eastney Barracks, to serve the Royal Marine Artillery as their barrack’s church of St Andrew’s.  Incredibly, it could accommodate a congregation of 950 and stood for 41 years until 1905 when a new St Andrew’s Church was built in Henderson Road.  As a boy living just off Henderson Road (but not in 1905!), I enjoyed the spectacle of the Royal Marines marching to this church for Sunday church parades.  The useful life of the Crinoline Church continued because, astonishingly, when it was dismantled it provided firewood for the barracks for a further four years. 

With the exception of Colonel Peter Thomas, you are wondering how the Royal Marine Artillery (RMA) came to be the Royal Marines.  (Joy says you’re not!).  The RMA was formed by Admiralty Order-in Council of 18 August 1804.  Prior to this, the first Marines were in fact the Duke of York and Albany’s (brother of King Charles II) Maritime Regiment of Foot, formed on 28 October 1664 as a regiment of soldiers to serve on ships.  In 1775, the Admiralty took over these “Marines” and stationed the Portsmouth Division firstly in Clarence Barracks and then in Forton Barracks, Gosport.  The RMA occupied different bases within Portsmouth until moving to Fort Cumberland, Eastney in 1858 which gradually became the Eastney Barracks of modern times.  As the years progressed, the RMA and the Royal Marine Light Infantry adopted similar training in naval gunnery, had similar duties, albeit with different pay scales.  After several years of deliberation following the end of the First World War, the two finally combined in 1923 to become the Royal Marines of which we are so proud.

Roger Bryant

The Bishop’s Lent Appeal 2010

Orientation Project for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Making a new start can seem a daunting prospect.  The British Red Cross aims to help refugees and asylum seekers adapt to life in the UK by familiarising them with the local area and helping them access essential services.  Working closely with other local organisations and agencies, they seek to enable people to develop their self-reliance and confidence within a short period of time.

One area of particular concern to those working on this project is the issue of destitution, particularly amongst "Failed" Asylum Seekers.  This group often has nowhere to call home, and is without any income.

The Project seeks to link destitute people to local groups of similar origin and also helps with the provision of clothing, toiletries and vouchers with which to purchase food.

Diocese of Kumasi (Ghana) Spirituality and Retreat Centre Phase II

The Spirituality and Retreat Centre at Nkawie, in the Diocese of Kumasi, will be the only such residential centre in the Anglican Church in Ghana.  Situated in the geographical centre of Ghana, it will provide a place for lay and clergy groups from Kumasi and other dioceses to meet for education and training, spiritual growth, worship and prayer.

A gift of over £9,500 from the Bishop’s Lent Appeal in 2009 has enabled the existing modern (but incomplete) buildings to be made secure with doors and windows, to improve the water supply and to install washing and toilet facilities.  The Rt. Revd. Daniel Sarfo, Bishop of Kumasi, has written: ‘Please convey our sentiment of gratitude to the entire Portsmouth Diocesan family for their kind gesture.’

The Warden of the Centre, Father Daniel Pieh, who spent the summer of 2009 in the UK on a training programme sponsored by IDWAL, will move to the Nkawie site in the New Year, and will begin to welcome groups to the Centre.

A further gift from the Bishop’s Lent Appeal 2010 will give the Centre electric power, improve the road access, and help to develop the surrounding land to enable the Centre to generate additional income.  This is an exciting project, which will be of real and practical benefit to our partners in the Anglican Church in Ghana.

 ‘Inside Out’ –The Players’ Review HRS at St Faith’s

On Sunday 6 December, the Hampshire Recorder Sinfonia (HRS) pushed the season off to a great start by performing their Yuletide celebration concert in St Faith’s Parish Church, Havant.  They always feel that, once the St Faith’s concert is done and dusted, Christmas has really begun.  Normally, special guests are invited to review HRS concerts, but this year, the players decided to create their own review of last Sunday’s performance with an ‘inside out’ approach, so each paragraph is a contribution, either from one of the sections of the orchestra or from remarks heard during the interval.

We always enjoy playing at St Faith’s.  Not only is the acoustic comfortably resonant for the recorders, but the Parish welcome is always warm.

Warmth was a bit of a feature this year as the heating arrangements in the church have undergone quite a radical change.  Wooden recorders are particularly sensitive to the cold, so it was lovely to play in a comfortable environment.

Another thing we appreciated was the large and responsive audience.  Whenever we had a moment to look out at them, we saw a sea of smiling faces.  What a great turn-out there was on such a grim night.  The parish workers had done a wonderful PR job for HRS.

As the popularity of HRS grows, the lack of time between concerts certainly makes us focus very hard on what we are doing as none of us wants to appear unprofessional or slapdash and have the Musical Director on our case.

We love it when the audience gasps at the initial sound that we make, because it is never what they are expecting.  They are always astonished, and that is one of the best moments of the concert.

Probably one of the most memorable moments of the concert was during Ian Farquhar’s Christmas Fantasia no3.  Just as we came to the end of ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’, the West door blew open with a crash that shook the building.  Everyone remained composed and carried on playing; but we were all wondering whether Emmanuel had, indeed, arrived.

One of my pupils said, ‘I was a bit reluctant to come, but as you are my tutor, I thought I should support you.  But I am SO surprised and am now a fan.  I have never heard or seen recorders played like this.  I loved White Christmas.’

Another audience member said ‘It was a really good concert.  I really like your conductor...his banter helps to make the concert.  It is an amazingly professional group.’

The concert was a wonderful mix of styles of music – most definitely something for everyone.  O Nata Lux (Thomas Tallis) played from the back of the church was haunting and beautiful.  There was stillness in the audience that showed they were really ‘in the moment.'

As one young lad said to me at the interval, ‘Congratulations – I think you’re brilliant.’ (Let’s hope that he will be one of our future players.)

Our next concert will be on Saturday 20 March 2010 at 7.30pm at Rookesbury Park School, Wickham.

The Rookesbury School concert programme will involve young recorder players from the school.  (The last Outreach concert for St Alban’s School, West Leigh, proved enormously popular.)

Penny Smith (Great Bass)

Ecumenical Lent Groups

A full list of groups running under the auspices of Churches Together in Havant & Bedhampton is available on the internal Church Notice Boards.  St. Faith’s is leading two groups both on Wednesdays commencing 24 February.

Group 1.  At the home of Terry Creswell, 10 Brockhampton Road 2.00pm-3.30pm and led by Dr Trevor Hopkinson.

Group 2.  At the home of Peter & Tricia Jones, The Rectory, 5 Meadowlands 7.30pm-9.00pm.

Both groups will be following this year’s Lent York Course entitled “Christ’s Cross and Ours”.

 

The Electoral Roll

I wonder how many people know what the church’s electoral roll is?

It is a legal document or ‘register’ of people living within the parish of a church and of those who worship at the parish church who have applied to be included on the roll.

I thought it might be useful to list who (and how) a person is eligible:

1                     A member of the Church of England (or of a Church in communion) who is resident in the parish, or:

2                     As a member but not resident in the parish but to have worshipped in the parish for six months prior to enrolment, or:

3                     A member in ‘good standing’ of a church which subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity (not being a church in communion with the Church of England) and prepared to declare themselves a member of the Church of England having habitually attended public worship in the parish during a period of six months prior to enrolment.

All members whose names are entered on the roll of the parish are entitled to attend the annual church meeting and to take part in its proceedings.  Nearer to the time of the meeting a list of members on the roll will be available for inspection.  I know that this sounds complicated so if you have any questions or would like your name to be entered on the roll, please do contact me and I’ll do my best to help.

Hilary Deadman

Report from Cambodia

Esther Thomas is the 18-year old grand daughter of Peter & Rosemary Thomas, whose son Rod and his wife Glenda are in Sendai, Japan.  Esther is in a gap year attending a Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) in Wollongong, Australia.  Esther visited a South Korean Peace Camp in July last year which was recorded in “Faith Matters” September 2009 edition.

This school has been a completely new and challenging experience and I’m sure it will become more and more during our time of outreach.  Our DTS of 19 people has been divided for outreach – Cambodia and Thailand.  I was selected for Cambodia.  Another girl and I are planning to make an illustrated gospel in Cambodian style art to try and reach the people who cannot speak English.  Cambodia is a country of a very oppressive and traumatic history, and many still suffer the effects of the land mines, etc.  We really want this outreach to be a success and for it to bring many Cambodians to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, so that they can find healing and belonging in Him.

We arrived here in Cambodia yesterday (9 December) morning.  We had to buy our visas on entry to the country, and we are only allowed to be in Cambodia for a month before it expires, and then we have to cross the border to Thailand and get it renewed.

The nine of us students are staying with our staff in a YWAM house close to the centre of Siem Reap.  The house is really nice and cool compared to outside and we all have ceiling fans in our rooms.  In the common area there is a fridge and a very nice new kitchen.  There is a lovely balcony overlooking the street below where we can have our devotions and team meetings.  We are very lucky to be in the middle of the busyness, because it gives us a very good feel for the culture and we are able to make friends with the shopkeepers.  We are also in an amazing place for evangelism opportunities because we have prostitutes living directly behind us.  People who have prayed intentionally for us feel like God is calling us to be a lighthouse amongst the darkness.  Hopefully people will be drawn to us!

We found out yesterday where we will be working and what classes we will be teaching.  Another girl and I are being sent to White Doves for a few hours everyday to work with girls who have been saved from prostitution.  We will most likely be doing crafts with them and helping them to earn a living independently.  This is very exciting for me because I have always had it in my heart to work with prostitutes and young girls who have suffered from human trafficking.  A few days a week we will be sent to the slums (which are literally a minute’s bike ride away) to do evangelism and practical services such as washing and dressing the people’s wounds, washing their hair and teaching them English and hopefully the bible as well.

We have also been asked to teach children who go to the YWAM base for lessons.  They get 500 students everyday who are eager to learn English and Computer Studies and any other practical skills.  They have invited me to teach art there for a week (and maybe even Japanese!), as there are quite a few students who are interested.  There are not nearly enough staff working here for the amount of students they are getting everyday.  The man who runs the YWAM base here tells us that teaching is an incredible way to build relationships and create opportunities for sharing the gospel.  The Cambodian people are so friendly and very hospitable and welcoming.  They still remember teams who were here 3 years ago, and once they form a relationship with you, it is likely that they will never forget you.

Siem Reap is said to have a very intense spiritual atmosphere because of the Angkor Wat temple where both Buddhists and Hindus come from all over the world to worship.  We have been warned by the YWAMers here and local Christians that the spiritual atmosphere can make people feel extremely tired and depressed, especially for Christians.  This is one thing you can pray for us about; that we will have discernment to know how to pray and wisdom in how to sort out problems that will arise.  We really want our attitude to be one of praise and thanksgiving so that we will not be overcome by the darkness around us, but instead we will be able to overcome it by Christ’s love and joy.  We know that one person with a bad attitude can bring the whole team down and also give Satan a foothold in it.  So these are just some things you can pray for our team.  You could also pray that the Holy Spirit would start to move in the Cambodian people’s hearts and make them receptive to hearing the gospel.

Please be intentional about interceding for us, and ask God for any words of knowledge or wisdom that could help us in our ministry.  It is really so amazing to see how faithful God has been to us and how he has truly been working everything together for our good.  He has given us an amazing place to stay, amazing people to work with, and an amazing country to do an outreach in!  Thanks for all your prayers and support.

Love, Esther Thomas