Links Magazine 2015 Issue 2 by Links International

Plus much more besides, all showing Links in Action - God at Work!

Training for Chiefs in Malawi

LEADERSHIP

Kalulu Project

MICRO-ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

Uganda + Malawi

LINKS TRIPS

CHANGING LIVES, TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES 2015 Issue 2

DEAR PARTNERS LINKS INTERNATIONAL ‘LINKS’ WITH PARTNERS IN THE WEST AND IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO INSPIRE, EDUCATE, EMPOWER AND RESOURCE INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES TO BREAK FREE FROM POVERTY AND DISEASE. LINKSINTERNATIONAL.ORG.UK 03 04 06 08 11 15 16 18 20 21 22 23 24

Dear Partners Pete Greig Uganda Malawi Links Gifts Kalulu Project USA Fundraising Leadership Act4You Kingdom Resources Contact Buy a Pig

Tanzania, Page 21

EDITORIAL TEAM Andy Read // Lynda Hubbard // Holly Bollinger

DESIGN Sam Hubbard Design

When you read this, preparations for Christmas will be either underway or getting close. It is the time when we remember the amazing miracle of the eternal Word being made flesh and, as Eugene Petersen translates in The Message version of John 1, ‘moved into our neighbourhood’. Theologians call this Incarnation, and I believe that as we join in with God’s Mission to His world, we also have the opportunity to put flesh on the Good News we bring. That is what Links International is really all about. Bringing Good News to those who need to hear it – but not just hear it, also experience it for themselves. We seek to flesh out that Good News in as many ways as we can. I hope that as you read through this issue of our magazine you will be encouraged by how many Good News stories are here. Of course, the stories are not primarily about us; they are about all of our partners and the amazing work they are all doing to multiply the input they have received. Most of them are doing that in circumstances much closer to the baby born in a stable that we celebrate at this time of year. They are incredible people, whose dedication and perseverance continues to amaze and humble me. It has been a very full year for Links – full of the usual mixture of highs and lows, joy and weeping. In the wider world much seems uncertain and there is much conflict. But through it all we have the continuing experience of another verse often read at Christmas: ‘Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end…’ Isaiah 9:7 NKJV Thank you for all your gifts and support that help to make all this Good News possible. Together we make a difference – changing lives and transforming communities around the world.

PETE GREIG

WHEN THE SPIRIT SAYS COME “THERE’S A GREATER MOVEMENT OF PRAYER GROWING NOW THAN EVER BEFORE IN HISTORY. WHENEVER GOD SETS ABOUT TO DO A NEW THING, HE ALWAYS SETS HIS PEOPLE PRAYING.” (EDWIN ORR) E.merge, was an event which took place in Frankfurt, Germany and it drew over 1,500 young leaders from all over the world, people who were pioneering new expressions of church in the emerging culture. A team working with young people in Russian prisons drove in Jeeps from the Ural Mountains. A converted Chinese gangster flew in from Asia. A contingency of German Jesus Freaks rolled up in their now familiar Mad Max convoys. A girl with a hit music record in Spain came with a large group from Contracorriente. Coach loads had travelled down from Sweden through Denmark. Susannah Rychiger came with her team from Rollorama in Switzerland. Others came to Frankfurt from America, Czech Republic, Poland and all over Europe. We had rented a club for our final Sunday morning meeting, but it quickly became clear that we couldn’t possibly all fit

in. About three hundred people found themselves unable to get into the venue and being locked out they decided to conduct their own meeting in the car park. Ian Nicholson (24-7 team member) was one of the people in that meeting along with many others preparing to be sent from Frankfurt on 24-7 missions to Ibiza, St. Petersburg and the slums of Delhi. And so, against a background of graffitied walls in the shadow of the nearby railway lines, the crowd began to worship. There was no sound system, but Ian invited people to come and share “what God had put in them” over the last few days. Many wept as they requested prayer for various nations. Intercession began to sound across the car park as passionate shouts of petition and request went up. Ian was stunned by the sheer spiritual passion here in the open without any of the trimmings of a normal meeting.

He sensed that God was speaking through this moment, calling His people to get out of the buildings and into the parking lots; out of our meetings and into the streets. “For thirty years”, he reflected later, “The Church has been gathering to say ‘Come Holy Spirit’ and in His grace He has come. But perhaps the tables are turning. Perhaps it is now the Holy Spirit’s turn and He is saying to us ‘Come holy people’. Perhaps the Holy Spirit is waiting for us to attend His meetings in some surprising places.” As we began to explore Ian’s parking lot revelation over ensuing weeks, we became more and more convinced that this was a word from God. As we went from Frankfurt and began to turn the prayer rooms outward onto the streets in mission, it was a word that would soon be confirmed in signs and wonders as we responded to the Spirit’s invitation to come.

Just as Jesus, two thousand years ago, spent His time at parties, amongst the crowds, engaging with the disreputable and apparently non-religious, so today He seems surprisingly comfortable amongst the crowds of party goers, the non-religious pilgrims of our time. Perhaps He longs that we would vacate our buildings from time to time, that we would turn our temples into tabernacles, that we would become like Him, the friend of sinners. We are the light of the world, but no one wants to stare at the bulb. We are the salt of the earth, but a whole plate of the stuff will make you sick. The people of God are called to scatter and mix, to mingle and move, to influence from a position of weakness, like a small child in a large family, like yeast in a loaf, like a mustard seed beneath a pavement. Could it be that the Holy Spirit is weary of attending our meetings and hungers for our presence at His? Perhaps He’s dreaming up a thousand new meeting places, where new sounds and sights burn the eyes and break the heart!

whenever we gather in His name. And He is, let’s remember, omnipresent! But perhaps there is a weariness, even a reluctance in His heart as He gazes back over his shoulder, out the church door and into the street. ‘When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.’ (Matthew 9:36) We’ve spent thirty years saying “Come Holy Spirit...” and He came. Now, if the Spirit says “Come”, the question is this: Will we obey? (Adapted with permission from Red Moon Rising: Kingsway Publications)

Pete Greig

Pete Greig is a writer, church-planter and founder of the 24-7 movement. He heads up Emmaus Rd in Guildford with his wife Sammy, serves as Vice-President for the NGO Tearfund and was part of the senior leadership team at Holy Trinity Brompton in London for seven years.

Of course, God will still attend our meetings - Jesus has promised to come

LINKS TRIPS

LINKS TRIPS UGANDA JUNE 2015 Jason Bollinger (Links USA CEO), Ann Edmunds (UK Community Healthcare Manager) and Dr. Nicky Hambley travelled to Uganda for Leadership Development, Project Development and Community Healthcare training in partnership with Wellspring. Partnering with Wellspring allows us to be a part of changed lives and transformed communities in Uganda year round. This past June we worked in several different areas of this beautiful nation. We facilitated a leadership conference, performed healthcare training courses, trained leaders to make soap as a business opportunity, spoke at churches, visited missionaries, and worked hand in hand with the Wellspring team on several different specific projects. These activities are a normal part of what we do all over the world, but what made them more exciting on this trip was that we were able to do them for the first time in places we’ve been before, and we were able to take them to some other new places altogether. That is the fruit of multiplication, and it is a testimony to the

strength of our local partners. We were able to bring tools and training to people grateful for the opportunity to grow in both their faith and leadership abilities. During our few days in Tororo we had a sobering reminder of why we do what we do. One of our training days was cut short because a baby died in the village. It is never easy to hear how normal an occurrence this is. We were honoured to be able to grieve with our new friends who were grieving, and it was a stark reminder of the importance of bringing practical water and sanitation solutions along with primary healthcare to prevent things like this from happening so regularly.

In addition to bringing new things and visiting new places, we were also able to invest in a new group of people...the next generation. We spent time with a group of young adults teaching about leadership and sexual purity. These young adults were open and honest about their struggles, their cultural influences, their insecurities, and their ignorance. They left empowered and encouraged about their personal lives and leadership potential. We are now developing a Retreat for Young Adults like this to further invest in the future of Uganda. Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in Wellspring through leadership training, community healthcare, business development, education and empowerment of the next generation, and much more. On this latest trip we spent a lot of time exploring larger scale water solutions. Many of the leaders we have trained are serving hundreds, if not thousands of people with no access to clean water. It is a joy to work alongside indigenous leaders who are doing such great work across the country.

Wellspring is a great place to dive into mission with some great people. If you would like to be a part of what’s happening there, we would be honoured if you would pray for, give towards or go with, as we continue to work in Uganda.

Jason Bollinger

Healthcare Team Highlights

Our Healthcare Team was incredibly busy on this trip. In the Tororo area, they visited a new village where they heard all of the joys and challenges that come with living in this community. Our Healthcare Training is always based on the most relevant needs of the people we work with. These attendees were trained in women’s health, immunisations, safe water, sanitation, hygiene and handwashing. One mother, Jennifer, proudly showed her newly-installed tippy tap (hand-washing station) and soap next to the household latrine! After Tororo, visits were made to several communities around Kampala. The Wellspring team is regularly involved

in many different communities many would call ‘slums’. These communities are overcrowded, composed of refugees from war-torn areas, and suffer from the worst of what poverty-stricken areas have to offer. Our team was able to be involved in skills training, literacy, business development, hairdressing training, and educating them on good health, the prevention of disease, good hygiene, healthy food, immunisations, drug and/or alcohol misuse and sexual health. Sickness due to poor hygiene is prevalent, so they specifically requested health teaching on hygiene and handwashing.

The last visit took the team on an hourand-a-half boat ride across Lake Victoria to a fishing village on Kome Island. The training on the island included construction of a tippy tap (demonstrated by Herbert). Many camps on the island used contaminated lake water, so safe water, sanitation and hygiene were the main topics of the training time. A demonstration was also given on how to set up a water filter system, and several systems were donated to the Kipapali community. This team covered a lot of ground and worked tirelessly through illness of their own to make a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of different people.

MALAWI

ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENTS IN MALAWI Links CEO Andy Read recently travelled to Malawi with volunteer Will Hibbert, from the company Bunches, which is a major donor to Links’ work. Andy recounts what an encouraging time they had.

This is the land as I saw it in 2012

The Pamoza Project: Mzuzu

Will and I got to the Pamoza site quite early, in order that we could be shown around to see the latest developments. Will was there last April, but it is some time since I have seen it all first hand. It is amazing! Just 3 short years have taken this project from a plot of land and some vision, to a fully functioning piggery, chicken farm and small holding which is getting increasingly close to true selfsustainability. It is providing employment and also resources to the poor of the area. Every time a new litter of piglets is born, the females are given away to those identified as being in need – along with training in the husbandry required to keep and breed the pigs.

And here it is today, showing pig accommodation on left

And there is still more land which can be developed...

In the afternoon we had the privilege of being part of a ceremony to give away 10 piglets to individuals from the locality who have been identified as having particular need. Our partner, Steven Chisale, had successfully invited the local Ward Counsellor, the deputy Chief of Police, a bishop and several chiefs. They all spoke warmly of the work being done at Pamoza and their support of the project. As the Ward Counsellor humbly said in his speech, “Pastor Chisale and Links International know how to work with the community. We politicians just know how to speak English and talk!” Here’s what one of the recipients – Mrs Phiri – said about the benefit of this initiative to her.

“I AM SO GLAD THAT I HAVE RECEIVED A PIG. I COULDN’T BELIEVE THAT I COULD HAVE A PIG… I HOPE TO BUILD A HOME AND ALSO MY KIDS WILL BE GOING TO SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THIS PIG.”

VIBITAC Community Healthcare

I first travelled to VIBITAC, run by our partners Sydney and Gertrude Kansengwa, back in 2009 and took part in some of the earliest Community Healthcare training given there. Since that time the team which was formed has continued to reach out into the area surrounding the VIBITAC centre, on the shores of Lake Malawi. On this trip it was so encouraging to see many of the original group we trained six years ago, still very much involved in the work, and taking part in the latest initiative from the team. I attended the launch of a programme to keep the local trading area in Kande clean and tidy. VIBITAC have donated some bins and other tools to help with the process, but have also been doing some raising of awareness as to the health benefits of the initiative. This launch event was attended by three area chiefs (TAs) and the MP for Nkata Bay

South. All spoke very positively about the work of VIBITAC and one TA told me that he would like to get healthcare training into every primary school in his area. The MP, the Hon. Emily Aluziya ChinthuPhiri, was also keen to see how VIBITAC could help her in getting these important messages more widely known in her constituency. All excellent news!

MALAWI

Hope Missions Ministries Vocational Training

Finally let me illustrate how the things we do get woven together. In 2011 a team from Links led a short training workshop in carpentry skills. The training was well received, but we only had a very limited time. However, a subsequent visit confirmed that the workshop had some long-lasting benefits. In particular, one trainee decided that he was interested enough to take himself to a local carpenter for more training, and from that he started a business. In 2014 Hope Missions told me that they had been inspired by that example, and were planning to start vocational skills workshops in another village, using local artisans to train the people. In 2013 we first delivered some input to problem drinkers in the village of Gunde, telling them how they could change. I think it would be fair to say that even we were amazed by the dramatic difference we saw on the next visit. A new mutual

LINKS GIFTS

support group called the Overcomers had been formed, and those who had previously been causing harm both to themselves and others in the village were now evangelists both for Christian faith, and for turning from alcoholism. Their change was recognised by the chiefs, and they were given land on which they could grow crops and begin to earn money to support their families. On this visit I saw the new vocational training in Gunde – both carpentry and tailoring (another skill we had covered back in 2011). It has made a great start and those taking part are very encouraged. And who is the target group? You guessed it – the Overcomers!

GIFTS WITH A DIFFERENCE FOR CHRISTMAS We know that the needs of the less privileged nations of the world seem enormous, and it is easy to feel we are powerless to make any difference. But at Links International we have decades of experience that tells us that we CAN make a difference together! Even seemingly small things can help to change lives and, when we all do the things that we can do, the effect can be amazing. That’s where Links Gifts come in. They provide opportunities to provide targeted financial support across a range of prices and areas of our work. So how about requesting them as a gift from Santa (or any of his helpers) this Christmas – or give them yourself? They work for birthdays and other celebrations as well! Or perhaps they provide a helpful focus for fundraising for youth groups, small groups, staff teams, coffee mornings, men’s groups and so on. Please use Links Gifts to help us Change Lives and Transform Communities.

THANK YOU!

LINKS GIFTS Training course places - Worldwide

Moringa Trees - Worldwide

Mosquito Nets (Africa)

Solar Lamps

Our trips usually provide training in healthcare, micro-enterprise and education. Attendees are keen, so we’d like to accommodate more.

This amazing tree grows at a rate of 5 feet per year, is super-nutritious and anti-bacterial. We’d like all our partners worldwide to have some!

Malaria kills more people around the world than the AIDS virus and a mosquito net can protect a whole family.

For school children to study in the evening, for families, and to generate income from mobile phone charging.

One place at a training course: £20

Five trees: £10

One net: £7

Large: £40 Small: £10

Clean Water - Worldwide

Lifewater Filter Kits kill 99.99% of harmful bacteria, producing ten litres of clean water per hour for a year.

12 18

LINKS GIFTS

One kit (including spare candle) provides clean water for more than two years: £45

Micro-Enterprise Investment

Setting up a family in a sustainable business helps them work their way out of poverty. Loans are repaid over 6 months, so the investment helps two families each and every year!

One initial investment: £100-£250

Links Air Miles

Contribution to Trust Fund

We have calculated that, on average, it costs Links £7.50 per 100 miles to send a central team member to monitor progress at one of our communities.

Our Trust fund pays for the central costs of all that we do and, whilst we aim to be good stewards, core funding is often a challenge.

100 Links Air Miles: £7.50

Sample contribution: £5

These are just some of the gifts that are available. Please have a look at www.linksinternational.org.uk/shop to see the full range of ways in which you can bless others. Thank you for your support.

E: EMAIL:

SURNAME:

“I would like to thank Links for all the support they have given to the Kalulu Project. We trained in 2013 for the MED project with just a few people but we have recycled the loans and now have 77 beneficiaries. This has really improved and changed the lives of people here. We had a lot of women who were suffering and couldn’t support their children or pay school fees but now they are independent and the project is selfsustaining. We thank Andy and Will and everyone coming from the UK. I am going to work very hard and hopefully by next year we will have 120-150 beneficiaries. We would like to see more businesses self-sustaining and not relying on loans but be independent. We want to be a selfsustaining Malawi that no longer relies on donor aids.”

POSTCODE:

TOTAL

Links International Trustee

QTY.

Lina Read

PRICE

TOTAL £

I have multiple roles in Links. I am a Trustee, an Act4You account holder and donor to Links projects through my training business, I take part in trips as a volunteer...and I am married to the CEO! All these roles come together when, alongside other Links volunteers, I train local committees in, for example, an African village to administer small business loans within their communities. We refer to this as Micro-Enterprise Development (MED). Put simply this involves Links donating a small pot of money so that the committee can give out small business start-up loans, from about £30, to community members. So, for the cost of a takeaway I can set up a family in business. And better still, if I have done a good job with the training, the money I donated will soon be recycled for more loans. My £30 is used again and again to set up families in business giving them dignity, selfsufficiency and independence, enabling them to send their kids to school, mend the tin roof on their mud house, put food on the table and maybe even buy luxuries like soap.

FORENAME:

ITEM DESCRIPTION

DATE:

I ENCLOSE AN ADDITIONAL DONATION OF £

MED IN KALULU

please cut along the dotted line

CLARATION

PLEASE TICK IF GIFT VOUCHERS ARE REQUIRED

r and want Links International to reclaim tax on all my donations from the date below onwards. must pay sufficient tax to cover the amount reclaimed. I become a non tax-payer or if I change my name or address.

LINKS GIFTS ORDER FORM

Kalulu Project, Committee Member

MED IN KALULU “I started my business with 10,000 capital from Links International. After buying all of the raw materials and starting to sell them, I eventually started making a profit that has helped me with everyday life and I was able to support my family buying food and all the necessities for our house. Even my husband encourages me a lot to work hard in the business I am doing because I am able to support my family. I am encouraging my fellow women to work hard in their businesses and to ask for a loan from Links so they can support themselves. I am very happy with my loan from Links because their interest is very low compared to other organizations doing the same thing. I am thankful to Links for the program and I would like to ask for more funds to have a larger capital to sustain the business and I am also encouraging other women to not be afraid but to work hard so they can have a business of their own. We are all very happy with the support we are getting from Links International.”

MED Beneficiary

LINKS USA

LINKS USA It has been just over a year since our USA office launched into a brand new season and existence at Norman and Grace’s 50th Anniversary Gala. As our dear friends embraced their new calling of remaining in the UK, we have done our best to carry on with what they birthed in us. In some ways we feel like we are just getting off the ground. However, as we look back on the last 12 months, we are humbled and encouraged by what we have been able to be a part of. As we looked back to the reports of our trips, we found that (in addition to our own country) we were able to take Good News to 8 different nations. In those 8 nations, we were able to have a direct impact on at least 47 different communities. The number of people impacted in those 47 communities total over 3,900 people. In addition to the trips we facilitated, we manage accounts and provide support for mission projects or missionaries in 6 additional nations. We use the tagline, ‘Changing Lives...

Transforming Communities’ on a regular basis, and those words are much more than words on our publications and electronic media. That is truly what we do, and it is work that we are honored to be a part of. Our work on mission is also evidenced when we are at home as we meet with individuals, families, church leaders, business people and community groups

Thank you for taking the time to catch up with Links USA. Again, more info about the work of our office is available on-line and on our social media sites. To God be the glory for the great things He is doing and for what He is still yet to do.

to help facilitate involvement in healthy mission. Our #linksfamily continues to grow as more and more people are connecting with the work we are doing. More people are PRAYING for us and the nations, INVESTING financially into the work of mission, and GOING with us (and sometimes for us) to see disciples made of all nations. Celebrating the movement of the last year has also given us great hope for the future. There is no lack of opportunity to advocate for the vulnerable around the world. The fields are ripe for harvest, and we look ahead with prayer and great anticipation of how we will be a part of multiplying the impact of Good News to the poor. We will continue to be involved where we have been in the last 12 months, and we are excited to be pursuing new places as well. We will continue to expand into new communities in the nations where we are currently working, and we are currently working on new initiatives in Ethiopia and Honduras.

Jason Bollinger

CEO, Links International USA Office

We will continue to work together to train leaders, develop micro-enterprise, teach on primary healthcare, design meaningful and practical projects, invest in families and the next generation, and many other things that equip and empower as many people in the developing world as possible. Providing poverty solutions and relief that are holistic and sustainable will continue to be the focus of everything we do. If you are reading this and live in the USA, please take a look at the enclosed flyer with more information about our USA office. We would love to connect with you and to talk more about how we

can serve you as you seek to engage with international mission. We would love it if you would sign-up for our e-mail list, follow us on social media, or contact us in the office. If you feel compelled to invest financially into the work we’re a part of, the flyer has information on that as well. Finally, we are so grateful for the love and support of the UK office. The team there is an incredible blessing to us and helps us in so many ways. It is a privilege to co-labor from across the pond and, if there’s anything we can do to serve our UK friends and/or churches, please let us know.

FUNDRAISING

FUNDRAISING FUNDRAISING Several events that have taken place over this past year have provided much needed funds for Links to continue to do the work of changing lives and transforming communities around the world. In April, Links had a team of five runners who undertook an amazing 26.2 mile run in the London Marathon to raise funds to help the poor around the world. By running, five people, along with their supporters, helped to raise about £19,500 for Links. In July, ten runners took to the pavement in the Vitality London 10K to run over 6 miles in support of Links. This team of runners helped to raise a little over £1,500. In August, a team of five bicycled around London & Surrey in the RideLondon. In total they raised over £2200. Also, one man will be swimming 21 miles across the English Channel to raise funds for clean water projects. As of now he has helped to raise over £3400. With more still coming in for the 2015 year, over £26,000 was raised through sponsored runs, swims or pedalling 100 miles for the cause.

Events like these are making a BIG DIFFERENCE in the lives of those who desperately need ‘good news’, whether it be a cup of clean water or the life changing news of the gospel. The support from these runners, riders and swimmers along with all who have given to these efforts has been truly humbling to witness. These funds are so important to the work that we do and they are literally helping to save lives! We are already filling places for these events in 2016. All places for the London Marathon are now taken, but there are still 18 spaces for the Vitality London 10K and 6 places for RideLondon.

If you or someone you know would like to participate in one of these events next year, please email us at office@linksinternational.org.uk.

Swim For Safe Water Update

Alistair Beattie was set to swim 21 miles across the English Channel in September to raise funds for clean water projects. His swim got put on hold due to unfavourable weather conditions and he is now planning for a swim next year. “Over the last few weeks I have been waiting on ‘standby’ for a swim-slot, but now that the nights are drawing in and winter is nearly here, the weather, daylight and temperatures reduce to create nigh-on impossible swimming conditions, and so channel swims stop until next year. I will now have to wait until next season (between June and October) until I can attempt the crossing!

The good news is that I now have another year to train and another year to raise funds for Links. So, I’d like to thank you ALL for your support this year, and ask, hope and pray that you’ll continue to support me. I WILL SWIM NEXT YEAR! A year can seem a long time, especially after the last 2 years of training I’ve already done! Perhaps you can help this time go by, and keep my positive mental attitude (the key to a successful Channel Swim!) by sponsoring me. Every £1 will REALLY transform someone’s life.

The ONE Event 2015

also being interviewed about the work of Links on the main stage in one of the morning meetings. Thank you for coming to see us and thanks also to volunteers Mike and Beryl Godward who put in many, many hours on the stand. Thanks to Ground Level for their support and partnership with us!

“HUGE THANKS TO THE ONE EVENT FOR YOUR GENEROUS DONATION TO LINKS INTERNATIONAL FROM THIS YEAR’S EVENT OFFERINGS!”

Once more it was fantastic to be part of the ONE Event at Lincolnshire showground, held over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The event is organised by the Ground Level network, in partnership with other church networks and ministries, and is attended by many thousands of people. Links International had a stand in the Expo area, and it was so encouraging to talk to so many people about our work. Links CEO Andy Read had the privilege of leading through a seminar on the subject of Mission, and

To support Alistair’s Swim for Safe Water, please go to: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/swimforsafewater

ACT4YOU

LEADERSHIP TRAINING LEADERSHIP FROM THE HEART Andy Read recently had the privilege of facilitating two days of leadership development with 65 chiefs from the central region of Malawi. Here is his report. Two years ago I had the privilege of spending a day with 12 chiefs from the Gunde area in central Malawi, taking them through some leadership development activities based upon the Heartlife model (www.heartlifeindicator. com). There was a request, through our partners Hope Missions Ministries, for me to return and do something more extensive with a larger group. The 12 – in a very biblical way – had been spreading the news! This is also in the context of a major programme of outreach to chiefs in which Hope is involved, working with the Evangelical Association of Malawi. It was very exciting to hear that at least 40 chiefs were interested in a twoday programme. In the event I saw 65 over the two days, with over 50 there throughout. It was such an honour to be with these men and women, helping

them to explore heart attitudes and behaviours, along with some important people skills. Even more exciting to hear from theirleadership on how it is now being shaped by regular prayer and Bible study together in small groups! At the end of the programme I led the group through a response activity where they literally walked out ‘crossing over’ from behaviours rooted in pride and fear, to those coming from humility and love. It was a significant moment. I look forward to returning in the future. Something important is happening with these leaders!

FRIENDS OF KIBAONI, TANZANIA Since 2007, I have worked in partnership with a local church in Morogoro district, Tanzania, serving mainly Maasai people. We have sustainable projects around healthcare, water, security, food and education. Doing this helps to ensure that people have the basic necessities of life and can adapt to the changes imposed by a developing continent to guarantee their survival. HEALTHCARE Rebecca, the church leader’s wife, was the only woman who had completed the necessary four years at secondary school, enabling her to be sponsored to train as a nurse midwife. Now, with her team of ten auxiliary workers, she can screen pregnant women for the lifethreatening causes of haemorrhage and infection and refer them to hospital 40 kms away. Rebecca took first prize in her year group. At a village celebration of her graduation, three men declared that their daughters would do this training. Now men have largely abandoned using the witch doctor, preferring Western medicine when they have health problems. There

village. Research shows that households with a bar of soap are more likely to have children reaching their fifth birthdays. Hand washing removes germs causing diarrhoea and pneumonia - the biggest killers of under twos in the developing world. are no longer any deaths in childbirth; an amazing feat. I have also provided the village with an ambulance; this helps to reduce death from delay in seeking medical help. WATER and SOAP Although two boreholes have been sunk, the water table is too low to reach easily, so I started a rainwater harvest project. Villagers can collect two buckets of drinking water on a Sunday. When the tanks empty of rainwater we can fill them cheaply with clean water from tankers. People pay a contribution so money is constantly recycled keeping the project sustainable. This year I have been able to extend the project to other parts of the

MICROFINANCE Several projects enable women to generate family income. They enroll in their chosen scheme and don’t need money to start. The simplest scheme is taking a long bar of soap to cut and sell at retail price. They pay back the wholesale cost and keep the profits. As money is constantly recycled, any number of women can join the scheme. The latest project is a RENT a COW scheme. To be eligible, women must have young children and must be willing to save profits in a village bank to pay their future secondary school fees. Over two years they will pay back the cost of the cow and keep any calves. After that, they will have the dignity of sending their children to school and paying the fees themselves.

Liz Moore

Founder There are more details on each project on the website: www.callthemidwifetanzania.com or the Facebook page callthemidwifetanzania

KINGDOM RESOURCES LINKS INTERNATIONAL PROVIDES ‘SPIRITUAL FAMINE RELIEF’ TO WORKERS AROUND THE WORLD, MANY WITHOUT ACCESS TO CHRISTIAN RESOURCES. WE CURRENTLY SEND 130 PARCELS TO 40 NATIONS THREE TIMES A YEAR. THESE WERE IN THE LAST PARCEL. Joyce Meyer How to Seize God’s Opportunities

Book: Street Pastors

£45 blesses someone with three parcels a year. The parcels remind missionaries and workers that they are loved and thought of. Here are some of the many ‘thank you’ emails we recently received:

I came back from a family visit in Europe and I found the latest parcel and am already listening to the music and started reading the book on street pastors...very interesting and inspiring. God bless you in your ministry! - Pakistan

CD: Worship Anthems

Thank you once again to Links for the latest parcel, with the good things inside. I was very interested in the book. I know people who serve as street pastors, but didn’t know the story behind the organisation, nor what their function really is. I found it most encouraging. It’s a practical example of someone who put into practice the teaching which Joyce Meyer gives on her CD, also inspiring. Thank you too for the Links magazine, and the worship CDs, which I’m enjoying. Thank you for encouraging us all in this way. - France

CD: Rob Newey Peace in Our time

Yesterday we received the Links package with the material including the book ‘Street Pastors’. Thank you so much. Our Director will arrive here on Monday and I will pass those on to him. - Papua New Guinea Just wanted to say a big thank you once again for the missionary package. You guys have been so faithful over the years. The CDs and books are very much appreciated and never, ever, taken for granted. - Colombia

TRUSTEES

Matt Bell (Chairperson) // Sim Dendy // Leigh Hills // Phil Moore // Lina Read

LINKS OFFICES

DIRECTOR

UNITED KINGDOM (HEAD OFFICE) PO Box 198 Littlehampton West Sussex BN16 3UQ +44(0)1903 778515 office@linksinternational.org.uk Facebook: Linksintl Twitter: Linksintl

BANKERS

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PO Box 1223 San Marcos, TX 78667 + 1 512 765 4657 linksusaoffice@gmail.com linksinternationalusa.com Facebook: LinksintlUSA Twitter: LinksintlUSA

Andy Read CEO Lloyds TSB Bank plc North Middlesex Group, Business Centre, PO Box 2135, Marlow, SL7 3HG

AUDITORS

Hewitt Warin Ltd Harlow Enterprise Hub, Edinburgh Way, Harlow, Essex CM20 2NQ

COUNCIL OF REFERENCE

Norman and Grace Barnes, Founders of Links International // Fran Beckett, Charity Consultant // Stuart Bell, Team Leader, Ground Level // Dr Steve Brady, Principal of Moorlands College // Rev Steve Chalke, Founding Director Oasis Trust // Gerald Coates, Pioneer // Dr Patrick Dixon, Global Change // Dr Rowland Evans, Nations // Mrs Faith Forster, Ichthus Christian Fellowship // Dale Gentry, Prayer Breakout Network // Floyd McClung, Formerly International Director YWAM // Micha Jazz, Peaceworks // John Noble, Spiritconnect

ASSOCIATE MINISTRIES

Links International works in association with the following ministries to present the challenge of world mission to the Church.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Links Magazine is sent free of charge to our partners and on request. All gifts to Links International are acknowledged and used as directed and designated; if the designated project has already been fully funded, discontinued, or cannot be completed for reasons beyond the control of Links International, the Board of Trustees reserves the right to use the funds for other similar projects, where most needed. Undesignated gifts are used for the general purposes of the Trust under the direction of the Trustees. Our accounts are audited annually. A copy of our report and accounts is available upon request. As a registered charity, Links operates its own Gift Aid scheme. Further details are available on request. All cheques should be made payable to Links International. Registered charity number 327000

Links International is a member of the Evangelical Alliance and Global Connections.

BUY A PIG – CHANGE A LIFE Several of our partners are now running projects based around distributing livestock – particularly pigs – as a means of ongoing income. Training is given in the animal husbandry necessary to rear and breed the animals, and then female piglets are given away. The result is a sustainable and – literally – reproducible source of income. The joy on the faces of the recipients says it all. These animals will make a huge difference to their lives and the lives of their dependents.

Just £40 will buy a piglet. Can you help?