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.

Wednesday, 11 April 2012

Work Permits etc

Thanks again for lots of emails and messages; it's so encouraging to hear from you all, as - yes - we do feel far away and pretty lonely at times.
Although we're getting quite good at daily living and there's lots to enjoy and look forward to we've big problems on the official side. It seems that although we sent all our paper work, and a considerable amount of money, through in December for our work permits to be processed, absolutely nothing has happened, and the woman in the office who was dealing with it has been sacked for embezelment. So we're starting from scratch. The problem really is that until we have them we've been told we can't do any work as such - this is particualry frustrating for Alastair who was all lined up for regular work at the hospitals. I think we can start teaching next week as planned as long as we stay low key.  Do please pray for some resolution without too much hastle. That Dar es Salam is 1000 miles away, and an expensive flight away, makes it all the more difficult.

On a more interesting note is that they're planting a new church this Sunday. It seems just that easy, and this is the third one in town recently. They've asked me to preach at the first service.
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1 comment:

  1. Angie12 April 2012 at 04:07

    Hi Helen and Alastair, pleased to have discovered your blog. Good to hear how you are getting on and points for prayer. We start back at WEMTC on 19th April, so will share some of this if that is OK with you. Looking forward to forming the link.
    God bless, love from Angie Austin

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