Latest news from our Missionary Outreach Ministry both at home and abroad.

SCRATCH

(Southampton City and Region Action to Combat Hardship)

The Christmas Complete project is well under way with toys coming in from across the area. We now have to get people to help select
and pack up parcels for the children. This will be done at a store at the Ordnance Survey in Wimpson Lane.
Wednesday 12th, Thursday 13th, Friday 14th and Monday 17th there will be three sessions 9am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm, 6pm to 9pm.
On Saturday 15th there will be two sessions, 9am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm.
On Sunday 16th there will be one session, 2pm to 5pm.
If you feel you can help please contact Marian who has the forms (the Ordnance Survey needs names of those working on their premises), or you can phone the SCRATCH office on 8077 3132.
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One of our AOG missionaries was in Bangladesh when the Cyclone hit
I'm working in Bangladesh and want to confirm - the storm was definitely severe. I was in a very well-built flat in Dhaka and so was safe! Some of my co-workers and friends have family in the most severely hit areas. Local press is estimating 2000+ deaths.
One of the bad things is that this is harvest season and so the rice crop has been lost in parts of the south so prices will increase dramatically for rice and vegetables which will hit the poor badly in an area where people are already the "poorest of the poor". There are three districts that are still inaccessible and so the death toll is predicted to soar.
So yes, encourage your friends and others there to pray for those who are struggling to give relief in very difficult circumstances and those who are stranded without food, water and shelter because of the severity of the storm.

Catherine Young

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                 Bless the poor of BRAZIL with                   CHRISTMAS PRESENTS WITH A DIFFERENCE

Buy your loved ones an unusual present and help others trying to lift their loved ones out of a life of poverty

Gifts range from a Moringa tree, school books, a gallon of petrol, 10 chicks, a pregnant goat, evangelistic books, computer, medicines, etc.
Prices start at £1 so are easily affordable, even for children.

The scheme is simple - collect a form from the stand at the rear of the church, fill it out and give it to Marian with a cheque.
You will receive a suitably illustrated card for every present bought which you can pass on.

Just think - you could solve all your Christmas present problems without leaving your home!!
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DON’T FORGET
Marian is also collecting used postage stamps to support the work of The Leprosy Mission

Evangelical Action (Brazil)

05/11/2007 I've had a good meeting with Luiz Carlos and Leron this morning concerning the Deaf Fellowship which is really being blessed of God. It is wonderful to hear how they are being used to help the deaf youths' families understand their own kids with whom they had no previous communication. One mother cried profusely yesterday when she finally found out what her son thinks etc. and he's a teenager!
The Mission now has defined 4 growth areas built around the respective Growth Centres of Patos, Campina Grande, Imaculada and João Pessoa. Each growth area has agreed targets for 2010, is developing a variety of strategies for growth, and all churches in each growth area will unite in strong partnership to spread the Gospel together and help each other to go for growth. Please pray.
36 Children make commitments to Christ: in the Patos church recently after seeing an evangelistic film. Many don’t count children’s decisions but statistics show that many do stand and become committed Christians for the rest of their lives. 

07/11/2007 It is sad to say that Patos is high in the ranking of centres of child prostitution. Parents often sell their 10/11/12 year old daughters to traffickers and they are then moved round the country hidden in the back of lorries and sold from brothel to brothel where they are used as machines for sex. I found it difficult to sleep last night after the meetings and film seen yesterday. The situation on child prostitution is far worse than I imagined.

The EAB/ACEV Ibiara church is having a small playground installed alongside the church by Christmas! This is fabulous for the poor kids of the town who have absolutely no leisure/play area at all.

15/11/2007 Amidst all my preparations for the Missions Conference on Friday I had to go to a community meeting at which we discussed the chaotic situation in the Patos hospitals, the hopeless situation in coping with minors that break the law, and the way drugs are freely available in the Patos jail. It's a new jail with old problems.

The glorious moment has come when 9 year old EAB Action child, Neto, finally received his glasses and things look just fine! After surgery on both eyes, thanks to EAB intervention, Neto is seeing again and so grateful and happy. His parents send their thanks to their son’s sponsor and all EAB supporters who prayed.

There are many baptisms scheduled before the New Year including between 20 and 30 from Teixeira and Maturéia at Green Pastures + around 40 at Campina Grande + more in Patos, Caroá & Imaculada PTL!

Rio Grande do Norte State continues to be a tough nut to crack at Ipueira – a pioneer EAB outreach town. So last week we moved in an “Action louder than Words” team and in one day cut 59 hairs, did 49 nails (hands and feet), applied fluoride on 80 kids’ teeth + bushes and paste, checked blood pressure and glucose for 74 older folk, and the dentist attended 21 with the mobile unit! You should have seen the joy of service on the team’s faces at the end of the day!

Umburana Church building completed: right out in the wilds 5 kms from Caroá. There are now 10 adult Christians in the community and they have courageously built their own little church which we will inaugurate before Christmas. PTL!

With the Brazilian Carnival early this year (starts February 2nd) I am busy working on its structure (speakers, theme, programme etc.). Being the 'EAB 70 Years Camp' it is being looked forward to very much. Marian Rashleigh will be with us for the event and will be speaking to women at the camp.

23/11/2007   The Patos Council has finally caved in on the rubbish tip issue and has just announced it is to stop burning the rubbish which sends waves of toxic gases across town which is awful for people with allergies, asthma and the likes, as well as everyone else. The Council has now bought a machine to cover all rubbish with earth. We continue our campaign for a proper landfill however, but the new move is at least progress.
It is 37°C (98.6°F) in the shade! It's warming up for Christmas so that you can just cook the turkey out in the sun!

26/11/2007  Last night’s 39th anniversary service at Campina Grande was fantastic. The church was bursting at the seams and the sermon went very well. I am just leaving to go back to Patos having been present in the university as Sacha presented her dissertation and got an excellent mark of 90%! So now she just has a few more days study before she wraps up everything in her course.

30/11/2007  Liz went to the doctor's this week in Campina Grande and unfortunately she has arthritis of both knees which is incurable but treatable so as to stop it getting worse. This will initially involve a 4 month course of oral medication plus 6 months of monthly injections in the knees. As we don't have the NHS this will cost a small fortune of about £850. Please pray for Liz who is having a bit of a rough time of it, health wise, of late.