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, 6 March 2013

Bucket Management

A domestic blog for a change!


We have an intermittent water supply here in Kasulu – we usually have water for some hours each day (or night) but when it comes on and off is unpredictable. Therefore good bucket management is essential – the following description gives an introduction to the system.
To have a shower : take the medium green bucket from the bathroom, and fill it with hot water from the tap in the back kitchen which connects to the outside tank (if we have lit the fire that day) – then use this bucket to fill the other, matching green bucket in the bathroom. If it’s too hot top it up from the large green bucket in the bathroom, using the small green bowl  – then use the pulley to hoist the second green bucket over the bath. However to flush the loo use the water from the large green bucket (as before) using the green bowl – but should there not be enough water left in the large bucket use one of the blue buckets in the kitchen to fill it again. The drinking water is in the red bucket in the kitchen, only ever to be used with the red jug – unless you want water to clean your teeth when you should fill the green mug in the bathroom from the red bucket in the kitchen.  If the drinking water runs out, Alastair will connect the filter from  the medium green bucket  to the red bucket via the blue pipe. Washing clothes is done in the blue bowl using water from the very big blue bucket in the back kitchen…..
All visitors are invited to complete the NVQ in bucket management before arrival; and we would like to congratulate all our guests so far on their success with the system. The first prize goes to Bishop Mary from California, for her diligence in learning it in just 3 days!

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