The Parish of St
Matthias, St Mark and Holy Trinity, Ilsham, Torquay, Devon
in the Anglican Diocese of Exeter
Support
for ALBANIA
Since 2005 many at St Matthias Church have been supporting the Christian Church in Berat, but earlier this year there were some changes.
Biku & Aida moved from being Pastors to the full time role of Church Planters and covering the whole of Albania - sponsored by the Albanian Bible Institute.
Later, Klodi (male) and Miranda from Tirana, but originally from nearby Kucove, were appointed Pastors. They have set up a leadership team, which is committed to the Berat Church becoming self-financing by teaching on the Biblical principles of and successfully introducing ‘tithing’.
Much other challenging bible teaching is taking place and the Church is growing in maturity as well as numerically as they take the Good News of Jesus to what is predominantly a Moslem community.
The Berat Church has also embraced a small Christian Fellowship meeting in nearby Uravajgurore - previously led by schoolteacher Klodi (female) Duka, in her spare time.
All are encouraged by what is happening in the only Christian Church in this most ancient of Albanian towns.
RICE India
Many at St Matthias
Church are also supporting RICE India.
God has given the vision for RICE India to two people – Rev Paul Gedela, an Indian Church Leader living at the heart of a community in Hyderabad, India and Rev Chas Deacon Vicar of St John’s Church (Shiphay) in Torquay . This work springs from a desire to address problems created by a fast-growing economy which, though of benefit to some, leaves many in extreme poverty.
Simultaneously, as with many developing communities, there is a sharp rise in HIV AIDS and consequently the tragic death of parents. Many communities now face an increase of orphan children living on the streets with no access to education. The prevalence of child labour exacerbates this situation.
For many this situation is likely to get worse, especially because of extreme difficulties in accessing quality education also the place of women and children within Indian society and tradition.
Challenges
also come from endemic corruption at
high levels in both public and private sectors causing lower stratas of society to be
further isolated and even poorer than they might otherwise have been.
In order at least partially to address this situation:
RICE India will offer a home, education and support to 25 orphans at a time drawn from the local community in Hyderabad.
RICE India will offer education & support - such as nourishing meals each day to a further 25 poor and marginalised children at any one time, drawn from the same community and often with only one parent.
RICE India plans to open a day centre for 15 HIV positive widows at a time where they will receive emotional support, healthcare, AIDS symptomatic treatment, and practical training in the trade of tailoring and embroidery. These widows are usually ostracised by their families. Our objective is to help them become financially self-supporting.
RICE India will also offer a further 40 poor and marginalised children from rural and remote communities, a scholarship to enable them to attend local schools in their own area.
FINANCIAL NEEDS
· Sufficient funds have already been raised and the land has already been purchased.
· To construct the centre will cost £37,000. £20,000 will have been raised by the end of December 2008.
leaving a balance of £17,000.
· Having constructed the Centre, RICE India will then need just over
£1,400 each month to run it. To date
commitments amounting to £205pm have been received - but these are early days.
Anyone needing further information should contact Rev Chas Deacon on 01803 390392 or e.mail Rev Deacon at chasdeacon@blueyonder.co.uk
