Helen and Alastair - some background

Helen and Alastair - some background : We have always hoped to return to Africa once more before we're too old (perhaps we already are!). Alastair first went to Africa in 1974 as a junior doctor, working for the Church of Scotland in a small hospital in Transkei, South Africa. I met Alastair there in 1982, were married in 1984 and continued in Transkei until 1988. From there we went to Kenya, as employees of the Church of Scotland, where Alastair ran Chogoria Hospital. We left in 1995, with Alec, Peter and Becky to establish the children's schooling and our work in Britain. Here Alastair found himself as consultant in Breast cancer surgery, and Helen initially trained and worked as a GP before "evolving" to full time ordained ministry. Alec is now married to Ruth, and they have baby Zach; Pete is in his final year of medicine in Edinburgh, and Becky half way through nurse training in Oxford.

The Diocese of Western Tanganyika is a partner of Gloucester diocese. The plan is for Helen to join the teaching staff of the Bible College, teaching those preparing for ministry. Alastair will teach English to the students at the college, as well as doing some surgery at the church-run hospitals, and helping with project management in the Diocese.
We will keep you updated on our plans over the next few months and will greatly value your prayer support. Our current prayer requests - and thanks to God of course - will be posted on the side bar.

Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Rainy Season!

from our verandah - click to enlarge the image
It's hard to describe the rainy season in Africa unless you've experienced it. Rain is different from Western rain - it's warm and comes vertically down in sheets, usually just for a period of 15 minutes or so. Every path - and our drive as seen here - turn into rivers and the red dust of Kasulu becomes thick sticky mud. Most things stop even inside the houses and other buildings as the noise of the rain on the corrugated iron roofs is so loud. People shelter as they can, but if you get wet you dry out again soon after as it's not long before the sky clears and the sun is out.  Sometimes there are big electrical storms directly overhead which can seem quite scary. One certainly feels close to the force of creation!  The local crops of maize and beans that were planted with the first rains a month or so ago are already lush and tall. My delicate lettuce seeds from England haven't coped so well!
Life still busy despite college having broken up, though our friends Ian and Frankie from Painswick arrive tomorrow which we're greatly looking forward to.
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