Contact - March 2009

CONTACT

Magazine of Erdington Methodist Church Station Road - March 2009 1

Contents Minister’s Letter Family News Art Exhibition Coffee Morning Come and join us Power Bills The Lamb A day in the life of . . . . a Farmer - in winter From last year’s Soul Space - The Tree of Life Mothering Sunday & International Women’s Day The Lesson is taken . . .

Fairtrade Fortnight 23rd February – 9th March Circuit Services - a new format Women’s World Day of Prayer The Closet Unusual Holiday experience Children’s Pages Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder CONTACT Subscriptions St David’s Day Gaza and the aftermath Flower Power The Lessons Life Teaches What is a GrandParent?

More than just the first Moon Walk The Second Catastrophe World Maths Day March 4th 2009 Peace Direct World Toilet Day - March 22nd 2009 Churches tackle credit crisis issues Christmas giving March 2009 Regular Meetings Weekly Church Activities 2

3 6 7 8 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 15 16 18 23 24 25 26 28 28 30 31 32 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

Minister’s Letter Dear friends “It’s been a journey of a lifetime!” you hear people say this when they come back from a very special holiday, something saved up for, an anniversary or great occasion; or when in times of huge personal upheaval , they have been through a long journey after bereavement or loss, or job change or family disaster – they’ve taken a journey in their emotional life; and people express such strong feelings when they have had a spiritual experience which releases them or challenges them to see the world, or themselves, differently.

This period leading up to Easter is the chance for us to go on a personal journey without ever having to move from our house – a journey walking with Jesus through struggle in the desert and wrestling with his soul and conscience about his way forward in life. The church calls it “Lent” and we have six weeks reflecting on Jesus, his courage and anguish, his wrestling with temptation, trying to discern the right path for him to take – popularity or obedience to God. If you have access try the Christian Aid website and sign on for their virtual pilgrimage to the Holy Land with a prayer, bible reading, interview and stunning photos for each day of Lent.

The journey I’ve just been on has been different again – not a “fun” thing at all – quite gruelling in retrospect but, gosh, what a time of learning and discovery!

BibleLands had invited me to visit their projects in Egypt, see the work being done amongst the poorest people in abject poverty, introduce two new patrons and be a “token” woman on the team of 5. Then Israel started bombing Gaza with phosphorus bombs and unconventional weapons which injure people so badly that no one quite knows how to treat the wounds and a manager whose company makes state-of-the-art wound dressings offered me 3 or 4 suitcases crammed full of dressings if I was going to Rafah, the border with Gaza… and the rest is history!! The full account can be found on church notice board plus pictures ….. but you had a part to play in this amazing story!!

3

The fundraiser coffee morning on Jan 17th was incredible with goods and fab items for sale and a great team of folk who worked so hard, providing cakes, quality gifts and amazing knick-knacks which huge numbers of people came and bought – thank you to everyone who helped in any way – we raised loads of money which went straight to Doctor Sonia in working in Gaza’s Shifa hospital burns unit. She bought ventilator parts and enabled the machines to work, saving little children’s lives! (The UN had delivered gasoline so the hospital generators kept going through all the bombardment despite doctors having to treat friends and family members in the horror).

When I started out on my journey across the Sinai desert in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the minibus was crammed to the ceiling with medical bags, blankets and tins of baby milk. We were stopped 23 times at checkpoints, with the driver able to say 3 sentences in English and the guide about 7!! The Suez police wanted to turn us round and send us all back to Cairo and at least 2 roadblocks weren’t really soldiers, more like local mercenaries – what a trip – but God’s hand was in it all and by merciful angels guarding and blessing us, we actually got to the border and found the doctor working with Palestinian Red Crescent, met the Kuwaiti medical team, Medicins Sans Frontiers and Merci C from Indonesia. What we didn’t find was any western relief groups or charities – apart from the BBC Radio 4 file on 4 team who grabbed me for an interview as I was dashing like a hot sweaty lunatic to get my stuff across the border – the only one all morning to get anything through – as recounted by Lucy Ash in her programme.

(If you missed it try a friend with a computer and go to listen again on the radio 4 website under File on 4 Despatches) The journey across barren wasteland was awe-inspiring; however much technology has moved forward, the desert still encroaches on the tarmac strip with electricity cables marking the road, camels strolling past in long caravan trains, women struggling up massive sand dunes laden with sticks for firewood and no apparent dwelling in sight, 20 little boys playing football miles from anywhere – just in the middle of the desert – what were they all doing out there in the middle of nowhere???

4

After my eventful journey and safe delivery of goods, I phoned the doctor who’d rescued me and asked how the little Chevrolet with my boxes and cases was?? She held the mobile up in the air and I could hear the ululations of women rejoicing – they were massing round her in Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza as my baby milk and blankets were being handed out at 6pm that night. The driver, guide and I looked at each other – we all had tears in our eyes! I thanked God and thought of all those faithful Methodists in Birmingham who’d believed this was possible, offered their help and kept praying for the whole venture. God is good – all the time!

The rest of my visit was astonishing, upsetting and challenging, with children cared for by saintly, patient women and doctors, amongst the Zabaleen rubbish-pickers, in special needs schools, and in makeshift clinics up and down that whole vast country. And all this work is done with the support of donations, many prayers and because the name of Jesus cannot be openly preached or taught so Jesus’ love has to be shown in other ways. What an incredible witness!

There’s much more to tell and a whole report to share if you’d like, but for now, in this Lent journey thank you for your love and care which accompanied me on my journey and may God bless and guide you in your journey - through personal health or job worries, family concerns, or your sharing in prayer for this whole vast and wonderful world which is God’s and where he came to share love, mercy and grace.

May you seek to plant your footsteps in Christ’s and reflect his glory, With my thanks and my prayers Nichola

5

Family News Gwen Rowe Gwen has now moved into Orchard House Nursing Home, Whitehouse Common Road. This has been a difficult decision following three and a half months in Good Hope, and we hope she will soon feel settled. We would like to say thank you for the cards, visits and prayers Gwen received while in hospital, they were much appreciated by her and us.

Marion & Tom Watts Eva Rose Mom has been a Methodist in Erdington for all her 88 years of life. She was married at Stockland Green and we spent our early life at High Street before moving to Station Road.

Mom has been in hospital since New Year and has been diagnosed with having had several mini-strokes which have left her confused but physically well. She is living at Berwood Court, Cadbury Drive, Castle Vale until March when she is hoping to move to more suitable, permanent accommodation.

She is very grateful for the production and delivery of her CONTACT magazine which keeps her in touch with you, although I now have to read it to her.

She would like to thank everyone for their prayers, kind thoughts, visits and enquiries so that she can still stay in CONTACT with you.

Thank you again Hazel Wagstaff

6

Art Exhibition Erdington Methodist Church From Saturday 28th March till Saturday 4th April Opening at 10.30 am each day (except Sun 29th March at 1.00 pm) Closing at 3.00 pm each day (except Wed 1st April and Sat 4th April when we are closing at 12.00 noon) All the paintings, drawings and photographs exhibited will be by local artists who are members of Erdington or Sutton Coldfield Fircone groups.

The BRC which is a Birmingham based charity currently runs ninety Fircone groups in various locations around the city covering a wide range of subjects. The groups provide an opportunity for people over 50 to enjoy experimenting with new activities - not to be taught in the old sense but to be free to learn at their own pace, and to do this in a group of people where they can share one anothers’ experiences and needs.

For further information about Fircone Activity Groups phone 0121 643 3660 or visit the web site www. firconebirmingham.org.uk Light Refreshments will be on sale at the Art Exhibition.

Entrance to the exhibition will be free but it is hoped that visitors will make generous donations which will be divided between the Charity and Erdington Methodist Church.

“Friends, as this Exhibition is part of our outreach to the local community I would appreciate your help, serving refreshments or stewarding on the door.

Please let me know which morning or afternoon you can offer your support.”

Margaret Curzon (Church Steward) 7

Coffee Morning Saturday 14th March 10.00 am to 12.00 noon There will be a Coffee Morning, on the above date, in aid of The Elisabeth Svendson Trust for Children and Donkeys in Sutton Park.

The morning will include the usual tea, coffee and toast and in addition there will be a cake stall, a bric-a-brac stall and a raffle.

Please do you best to support this excellent cause.

Elizabeth Livingstone and Kate Wharton

Come and join us Val Long and Elizabeth Livingstone would like to welcome anyone who would like to join us for lunch on the first and third Wednesday in the month. Also can anybody please cook a meal once a month or occasionally if necessary. Any offers to help at all would be be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

Val Long and Eliz. Livingstone

Power Bills The following was in my Neighbourhood Magazine and I thought it was worth sharing with the readers of Contact.

Everyone on basic pension is almost certainly entitled to a discount from all the power companies. NPower has increased its commitment to vulnerable customers. £125 discount per fuel regardless of payment method is available for new and existing customers, with both gas and electric from the same company you are entitled to a £250 discount. If your income is less that £13,500 with full Pension Credit of £120 per week you may still have an entitlement. There is money waiting for everyone and you should check with your supplier.

Ann Tomes 8

The Lamb William Blake 1757 – 1827 Poet, painter and engraver. He was a non conformist and for him the Bible was his whole world.

Blake believed that Innocence and Experience were the two contrasting parts of human life.

In ‘Songs of Innocence’ his poems focus on untainted life, dealing with complex things in a simple way. They were written from an innocent child’s perspective. ‘Songs of Experience’ concentrate on the hard and tainted world. They were written from the perspective of a more experienced person who had witnessed the corruption in the world. For Blake it was important to recognise the opposites in the world – to fight for the holy in our unholy lives.

‘The Lamb’, simply written in a childlike manner, is the most famous poem from ‘Songs of Innocence’. It is in the form of question and answer. The lamb is a symbol of innocence. Blake sees God as both child and lamb.

Little lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

Gave thee life and bid thee feed By the stream and o'er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing, woolly, bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice?

Little lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

Little lamb, I’ll tell thee, Little lamb, I’ll tell thee: He is called by thy name, For he calls himself a Lamb.

He is meek and He is mild, He became a little child.

I a child and thou a lamb, We are called by His name.

Little lamb, God bless thee!

Little lamb, God bless thee!

Barbara Rawson 9

A day in the life of . . . . a Farmer - in winter Now that we do not have cows to milk I do not rise quite as early as I used to. I get up and look out to see what sort of day it is. This will have a bearing on what I do today. Then I have a cup of tea and a slice or two of bread and butter to keep me going until breakfast which can be any time between nine and eleven.

I am already wearing three or four jumpers so I just add on a boiler suit, coat, woolly hat and wellies to start work. I meet up with my son Colin as we do the jobs together. Our first job will be to feed the calves with milk, and check to see that they have got access to water, which might have to be thawed before they can get any. Then we give them fresh straw for bedding, so that they are clean and dry. Now we can have breakfast!

After breakfast we feed the larger cattle. They are in large sheds which have to be entered with the JCB teleporter carrying a bag of silage for feed or some straw for bedding. One person has to open and shut the door to prevent the cattle escaping. Half the cattle are at home and the other half are on another farm 4 miles away and this feeding has to be done at both places every day. This takes us at least until dinnertime.

In between doing these jobs we may need to fetch a heifer home for calving, have to treat one for an infection, or lameness, for which we would have to fetch medicines from the vets in Nuneaton, and we might have to fetch milk powder also from Nuneaton. When we have a new calf it has to be tagged in both ears and registered with the ministry (Audrey’s job). After a heifer has calved we keep it for a week or two and then we take it with the Land Rover and trailer to market to sell. This is usually at Derby, but may be at Market Drayton or Beeston Castle.

Every day we check the rat bait stations, which keep rats under control as they will gnaw through the electric wiring in the combine or tractor, so they are started every day to frighten them off, and fortunately this works well, as we hardly ever see one.

10

We often get visits from reps or farm inspectors, have to make phone calls to order feed, sell corn, or speak to banks and accountants, arrange for contractors to come and do muck spreading, cleaning out sheds, or hedgecutting.

Late afternoon the calves have to be fed again, after which I chop a few logs so that I can sit by a nice fire after I have had my tea. Then I usually fall asleep after a hard day’s work, and people keep asking if I have retired!

Gerald Rogers

From last year’s Soul Space - The Tree of Life Spring The springtime is such fun! The trees are laden With blossom and colour; the birds are nesting; The days are getting longer. It is the time for Singing and new life and hope all round God of every Spring teach me to revel in new life fully and gladly looking always to Christ, the source of all good promises.

‘What is the Kingdom of God like?

It is like a mustard seed which a man took and planted in his garden.

It grew to become a tree and all the birds of the air perched in its branches.’

Luke 13: 18 & 19

11

Mothering Sunday & International Women’s Day During the month of March there are two celebrations for women Mothering Sunday on March 22nd and International Women’s Day on 8th March. In some countries the two are celebrated in conjunction with each other and the day is treated as a national holiday.

The origins of Mothering Sunday go back to the time of early Christians in England who celebrated a Mothers festival on the fourth Sunday in Lent in honour of the Virgin Mary. The origins can also be traced to the 17th Century, when it was common for children as young as ten to leave their homes for jobs as apprentices or domestic servants. It was considered important by the employers that these children be allowed to visit their home and mother church once a year. On these visits home the children brought along gifts, flowers and special cakes for their mothers.

International Women’s Day celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women, past, present and in the future. It connects women around the world and aims to inspire them to achieve their full potential.

Although the world has changed enormously for women over the years since the days of the suffragette movement, especially in the developed world, it aims to raise awareness of the ongoing struggles of women worldwide.

Organisations such as Save the Children recognise the inextricable link between the well-being and survival of mothers and that of their children.

Research has consistently shown that when mothers have health care, education and economic opportunities, both they and their children have the best chance to survive and thrive. For example Switzerland and Niger are at opposite ends of a global scale measuring the availability of maternal and child health service; the lifetime risk of a woman dying in childbirth is nearly 1,000 times greater in Niger than in Switzerland – In Switzerland; Trained personnel attend virtually all births 78% of women use modern contraception And 3 out of 1,000 infants die before their first birthday 12

In Niger: Trained health personnel attend only 18% of births 5% of women use modern contraception And 159 infants out of 1,000 die before their first birthday 1/16 women in Africa die due to pregnancy/birth related complications and for every 1 straightforward birth another 20 women will experience serious complications and be injured for life. (Source – State of the Worlds Mothers – Save the Children) So let us celebrate and spoil our mums and recognise the roles all women can play in nurturing and caring for others on this special day . . . and also let us not forget the plight of women and mother’s in less developed parts of the world.

Christine Rankin

The Lesson is taken..........

I don’t really mind but it’s such an ordeal Standing in front of the throng.

Reading the lesson, which last week was short And this week incredibly long.

I’ve had to rehearse it a number of times To make sure my dictation is clear And I can’t get my tongue round the Thee, Thou and Thine, Thank goodness it’s just twice a year It’s funny how cold the church often feels When sitting quite still in the pews.

But just walk up front and climb the steps – There’s a heatwave encircling you!

At last I have finished – it wasn’t too bad I managed to read every word, But not in the order in which it was written!

I wonder if anyone heard?!

13

Fairtrade Fortnight 23rd February – 9th March What, I hear you say, is there to say about Fairtrade that is new? We have heard it all before. Maybe you have but the ongoing message is the same the need for the underprivileged to earn a living wage from their work, whether it is in a field, a factory or a garbage heap.

The Fairtrade Foundation was very pleased to announce a while ago that in 2007 it had sold almost £500 million of Fairtrade goods in the UK. To you and me that is a lot of money. But to put it into some sort of context, Tesco reported that in 2007 it had sold over £50 billion (100 times) of goods and made a pre-tax profit of £2.8 billion (over 5 times).

Many will know that when I am at home I brew my tea with loose tea and a tea dispenser in teapot. This makes it easier to achieve the taste that I prefer and it also means that a quarter of tea lasts me longer. I have just checked on the web site and my favourite tea is currently priced at £1.19 for 125 grams. I have also just checked on the Fairtrade web site and they are reporting that they pay growers in Sri Lanka the equivalent of 18p for 1kg compared with 9p that the grower would get for a kilogram from a local buyer. As a quarter of tea probably lasts me three weeks and maybe longer, I find it difficult to justify not buying Fairtrade when it is available.

At this time of economic hardship what these people are asking for is a fair price for their goods. Is that really any different to asking for British jobs for British people?

Peter Farley

14

Circuit Services - a new format On the Sunday after Easter, 19th April there will be two evening services in the Circuit, at the normal time of 6.30 pm. One at Falcon Lodge and the other at Kingstanding. These are being provided both for those who usually have evening services at their own churches, as well as for those who don’t.

The hope is that people will simply go to whichever of these churches is more convenient for them, and therefore both these congregations will be larger than any of our usual evening ones.

Please note that these services will be in addition to the more usual form of Circuit Services on 15th March and 17th May both at 6.00 pm.

We do hope you will support your local church on this evening.

Women’s World Day of Prayer The Women’s World Day of Prayer will this year be on Friday 6th march.

The local churches are celebrating this by having a service which will be held at St Margaret’s Church, Jarvis Road off Gravelly lane at 2.00 pm. The speaker on this occasion will be Rev Gerard Goshawk from Six Ways Baptist Church. All are welcome and we encourage you to support it.

The Closet I came across an interesting change of use of an English word the other day – closet. Now it means either a storeroom or store cupboard or is a word with sexual overtones. But historically the meaning was at the same time different and similar. A closet was a small private room where a woman or a man could go for privacy. It was a place where, undisturbed, they could read, write, pray or even more importantly dream.

A bit like a shed perhaps?

Peter Farley

15

Unusual Holiday experience Some time ago people were asked to submit their most memorable holiday experiences. One of my strangest experiences happened to me during a school exchange holiday in 1955.

When I was 15 I went with the school on a fortnight’s visit to France. I suppose the whole experience was strange since this was the first time I had been abroad, I would be staying with a family who I had never met and we didn’t share a common language! Each of the group had previously been allocated a pen friend with whom we had corresponded over the previous months, to the best of our abilities!

The main part of the trip was spent in Chateauroux, a small town in mid France. As a group we had varying experiences with the families we stayed with. Some were very homesick, at least one person found the pen friend very difficult to relate to, apart from the language difficulty, and others got on very well. While I was very nervous and not a very outgoing sort of person, I was very lucky with the family I stayed with. I was warmly welcomed into the Saulais household and made to feel at home. They were interested in all things English and were anxious to learn the language. Best of all was the fact that M. Saulais (who was very good-looking!) was a commandant in the French police and their apartment was a part of the building which was the police headquarters of the town. The French police were run on military lines, or they were then, and each day there would be a parade in the courtyard below --- well worth watching!

My last evening with them was interesting (NB I was still only 15!!) as I was invited to try out their range of liqueurs! One by one a varied assortment of coloured bottles was brought out and a small amount was put into a glass in front of me. I was invited to taste and say what I thought about each one!!

It was difficult enough actually tasting them, never mind expressing what I thought---my face probably did that for me! I don’t remember feeling any lasting effects of this. Maybe it was that I just didn’t remember----!!

However, the strangest of all my experiences occurred at the beginning of the holiday when we spent three days sight-seeing in Paris. It happened after 16

a trip on the Paris Metro, a journey where the rest of the party got off the train and four of us were left on it, only realising our plight about five stops further on, but that’s another story. That evening, before going to our hotel, we went to a cafe/bar for a meal. Presumably this was pre-booked and we were allocated seating at a long table in a large room which had a bar at one side.

The main teacher in charge of us went off to organise the serving of the food. In fact she was a dragon of a woman and when we first started at the school we were all terrified of her. I discovered she was a Methodist local preacher, the ‘fire and brimstone’ sort I would think, with apparently no sense of humour at all. One of our highpoints in Paris was when the wind blew her hat off and she had to charge across the road to retrieve it! But, to get back to the cafe scenario. We sat chatting amongst ourselves, waiting for the meal to be served and taking little notice of our surroundings. I don’t remember that there were any other diners, just a few people standing at the bar. Then, almost imperceptibly, the mood of our table changed. Obviously one person noticed the teacher in conversation with one of the men standing at the bar and drew others’ attention to this. What on earth would she be talking to him about? From time to time they glanced over to our group.

The hubbub of chatter began to fade as more girls began to wonder what was happening. Someone near me said that they were talking about me! I decided she had a vivid imagination, as why on earth would the leader of this group of schoolgirls be talking to a strange Frenchman in a cafe about any one of us; and I would be one of the least likely to be of any interest. Then they both turned in our direction and walked towards our table. At this point they had all our attention and there was total silence in that room. The teacher followed by the man, who as I remember seemed middle-aged, casually dressed with the usual French beret, came up to the table and stood beside my chair. She explained that this gentleman had noticed me particularly, as I bore a striking resemblance to his daughter who had died at about the age that I was then. Because of this he had with him a ring which he wanted to give to me in her memory!

Well there is no word to describe how I felt at that moment. It seemed to me that the eyes of the whole world were upon me and how does a naive 15 year old respond to that. On top of that he obviously spoke no English and 17

what little French I knew deserted me. I managed a totally inadequate ‘merci’ and the rest is a blur.

The sad part is that I could ask no questions and have no further conversation with him. I still have the ring which is quite ornate, possibly silver with a large amethyst coloured stone, but did not learn who it had belonged to and why he carried it with him. Also, I was unable to discover anything about his daughter.

Hilary Price

Children’s Pages A few months ago Barbara Rawson made an appeal for someone to take over the production of the Children’s Pages in our Contact magazine.

There is absolutely no way I could contemplate taking on this job, but I feel guilty as I believe the pages are important. It must be very difficult to find the inspiration to compile these pages month by month.

Despite my misgivings I finally telephoned Barbara with my ideas: 1)

People submit articles/puzzles/stories as they do for the rest of the magazine, with Barbara as the editor.

2)

Being a keen recycler I thought perhaps Barbara could re-use some of her previous material as many newer readers have not seen it.

3)

Include Children’s Pages only every 2 months.

You may be reading this and feel like me – not competent enough to take over from an expert, but everyone has an idea. Please let Barbara know what you think as soon as possible. To date, there are only two of us who have spoken to her!

Lesley Morgan 18

ALL ABOUT ANIMALS Life without animals, either in the wild or as pets, is nearly impossible to imagine.

Think of a world without any animals, Think of a field without any herd, Think of a stream without any fishes, Think of a dawn without any bird: We thank you, Lord, for all your living creatures; We thank you, Lord, and praise your holy name.

COLOUR MOTHER PENGUIN AND HER CHICK

19

8 of these 12 animals are in danger of becoming extinct.

Can you find out which they are? (Extinct means that there are none left) 1.Giant Panda 2.Crab 3.Tiger 4.Turtle 5.Rabbit 6.Mouse 7.Elephant 8.Gorilla 9.Seagull 10.Cheetah 11.Butterfly 12.Polar Bear

20

COLOUR THE PICTURE

21

What did the bee say to the naughty bee?

Bee-hive yourself!

What is the cat's favourite TV show?

The evening mews!

WHAT IS THE BABY ANIMAL CALLED? Adult

Baby

Pig ………………………….

Lion …………………………

Goose ……………………….

Fox ………………………….

Bird …………………………

Cow …………………………

Deer …………………………

Kangaroo ……………………

Goat …………………………

Swan …………………………

Butterfly ……………………

Horse ……………………….

___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________

Answers

Animals in danger of becoming extinct: Giant Panda Tiger Turtle Elephant Gorilla Cheetah Butterfly Polar Bear What is the baby animal called?

Pig - piglet Lion – cub Goose - gosling Fox – cub Bird – chick Cow – calf Deer – fawn Kangaroo – joey Goat - kid Swan – cygnet Butterfly – caterpillar Horse - foal 22

Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder A friend at work gave me this recently and I wondered whether I might be a sufferer already - ed "I was recently diagnosed with AAADD - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests itself: First thing this morning I decides to water my plants in the front garden. As I go to turn on the hose I look over at my car and decide it needs washing too. I go to get the car keys from the house and then notice the delivered mail in the letter box.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I put my car keys on the hall table, sort through the mail and put the junk mail in the bin under the table, and notice that the bin is full.

The rest of the mail are bills and I decide to put them back on the table and take out the rubbish first. But then I think, I can run down to the post-box when I take out the rubbish so I may as well pay the bills first. I take my cheque book off the table, and see that there is only one cheque left. My other cheque book is in the computer desk, so I go to my desk in the study where I find the can of Coke I'd been drinking. I'm going to look for my other cheque book, but first I need to put the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. When I pick up the Coke can I notice it is getting warm so I decide to put it in the fridge to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the window ledge catches my eye and I can see they need water. I put the Coke on the window ledge and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I’d better put them back on my computer desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I put the glasses back down on the window ledge, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. I must have left it on the kitchen table. I realise that tonight. when I go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the living room where it 23

belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I pour some water in the flowers, but some spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back on the table, get a towel and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day: The flower tubs aren't watered; The car isn't washed; The bills aren't paid; There is a warm can of Coke sitting on the window ledge; The flowers in the vase don't have enough water; There is still only one cheque in my cheque book; I can't find the TV remote; I can't find my glasses; I have absolutely NO idea what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to work out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was really busy all day, and I'm really tired. I realise this is a serious problem and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.

Now - who did I send that amusing story to?"

CONTACT Subscriptions Huge thanks to everyone who supported our Coffee Morning on 14th February in aid of this magazine - we raised over £350 - an excellent figure.

It has also been suggested that some people may like to pay a subscription once a year to support the costs of producing the magazine. As explained in last month’s CONTACT our costs have rocketed so I would like to suggest a subscription of £10 per year. If you would like to help in this way then please let me have your £10 - stating quite clearly that it is your subscription to the CONTACT. Nick Riley (CONTACT Editor) 24

St David’s Day The rituals associated with remembering St David’s on the 1st of March started in 18th Century. It was set aside to remember his death in 589AD. He was born around 500AD and as with most other people from this period little is known with any certainty. But there are numerous legends. That which is known mainly comes from a hagiography (the biography of a Saint which often idealises its subject) written in the 11th century by Rhygyfarch.

Rhygyfarch suggests that he was born on a cliff top in the midst of a violent storm. He was a son of a minor King in Ceredigion and a nun. This was not altogether scandalous because at that time nuns often had children. It was the arrival of the Roman Christian teachings, several hundred years, later that introduced the concept of celibacy.

In life he founded monastic settlements in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany.

The rules of his monasteries were simple and ascetic. These include a diet of water, bread, salt, herbs but no meat hence his association with Leek Soup.

He also insisted that monks should pull their own plough and have no personal possessions.

During his lifetime he became a famous teacher and was anointed an Archbishop by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. He was canonised in 1120. The main miracle associated with his canonisation took place when he was speaking at a synod, presumably in support of himself, to determine who would be the new Archbishop. Apparently the crowd was so large that when he got up to speak, the people at the back couldn’t see or hear him. Then when someone shouted, ‘we can’t hear you’ the ground rose up below him so that he was revealed to everyone.

It was suggested in the web pages that I consulted during my investigations that the celebrations for St David’s Day centre mainly around eating traditional welsh food such as welsh cakes and bara brith.

Now that is what I call a party.

Peter Farley 25

Gaza and the aftermath 1440 Palestinians died of whom 431 were children and 114 were women but numbers will rise as people are dug out of the debris of ruined homes and more bodies are discovered.

Many people have died due to lack of access to medical care. The numbers of injured is 5,380 of whom 1,872 are children and 800 are women. 3 Israelis have been killed and 183 injured by rocket fire with 11 soldiers killed (3 from "friendly fire") and 340 wounded.

Homes: the UN estimates that 14,000 homes, 68  government buildings and 31 non-government buildings were totally destroyed  by Israeli bombs.

600,000 tons of concrete rubble has to be cleared.

Priority: blankets, mattresses, plastic sheeting, kitchen kits, hygiene kits, water tanks (400,000 have no access to clean water), clothing and tents.

Above all, construction materials are needed as they have been refused for the last 18 months, to help rebuild houses now - and schools, hospitals and clinics.

The UN: assisted more than 60,000 people up to the start of February whose homes had been destroyed totally. 48% of health facilities are damaged or destroyed (15 hospitals, 41 primary care health centres and 29 ambulances were destroyed.

Injuries: 44% were caused by shrapnel from exploding bombs and in the government-run Gaza Shifa Hospital alone there were 70 amputations in under 3 weeks. There are backlogs of people waiting with serious conditions 26

at all hospitals even before the bombardment by Israel but 10 water wells and 4 pumping stations have been destroyed.

Water: 50% of the population can get access to running water every 2 days for about 6 hours though 10% receive water every 5 days. Another 105 get no running water but have tank water delivered when available. The cost of tankered water is too high for many Gazans to afford.

Food: There is difficulty in getting food across the borders and there is a shortage of currency within Gaza. Even if food reaches the markets, since the banks were all hit and the money destroyed, 88% of Gazans live on food handouts from United Nations relief agency.

Electricity: Damage to the electricity network is estimated by the UN to be more than 10 million dollars but it was difficult before the bombardment since Israel had refused to let spare parts in to repair the network for 18 months.

Access over the border: is severely restricted by Israel insisting on clearance from authorities not previously stated and demanding mandates, activities and funding sources of NGOs and charities. The process is very adhoc and inconsistent and the aid needed isn't being allowed in quickly enough.

Spare parts and fuel: is urgently needed and as part of a UN flash appeal with sand, cement and construction material needed to rebuild homes, schools and clinics Please pray: • for Israel to lift restrictions on humanitarian aid • for all those homeless and injured in Gaza who feel the world has turned its back • for doctors whom Nichola met who are working round the clock to save lives • for those who have the power to make peace with justice possible 27

Flower Power I am sure we all derive a great deal of pleasure from the floral arrangements which are prominent in church every Sunday.

For those of you who are not aware already, the flowers are provided by donors each week. Often people choose to commemorate an important family event such as a birthday or an anniversary.

The flowers are arranged on a rota basis, sometimes by the donor or by one of the people who volunteer. They are distributed on Mondays to members of our congregation who are ill, in need or have a special celebration.

Occasionally, when there is no one listed to give flowers, Norma can use our silk flowers or buy fresh flowers with money from our flower fund.

We have an increasing number of vacant dates which we would love to fill.

If you would like to donate flowers you can fill in your name on the list (by the coffee hatch in the foyer) or speak to Norma Senior.

Perhaps you would consider becoming an arranger. I had no experience when I jumped in with both feet some years ago, but I had lots of support from the others on the team and I have had lots of pleasure from this activity. Give it a try – you might like it!

Lesley Morgan

The Lessons Life Teaches During the dark, quiet days following the busyness of Christmas I decided to do some re-organising and clearing of files and folders, including photos of the last holiday I spent with Norman, a bittersweet time, as you can imagine; and with the sorting came the memories. A couple of memories that stood out in my mind, from which I hope I learned a lesson, came from that final holiday 28

We were travelling up to Royal Deeside, stopping for Bed & Breakfast en route at Bridge of Allan and Fort William, before crossing over to the eastern side of Scotland to spend a week in a bungalow in Ballater. At Bridge of Allan we found our B & B without much trouble and as we walked up the path to the front door I commented on the state of the lawn and the general untidiness of the garden. I said you would think that in view of taking paying guests, they would make an effort to keep it tidy. It was not until after breakfast when we were taking our leave, our hostess, a lovely cheerful, obliging lady, told us as we were walking up the garden path, that she really must try to get into the garden. She then informed us that her husband was dying in the local hospital with leukaemia. I felt I had been stabbed in the heart, not only because I felt so much for her, but because in my own mind, I had condemned her over the garden. What did the state of the garden matter when your husband was desperately ill?

At Fort William we had a beautiful, purpose built B & B bungalow. The only problem was that it had steps up to the front door and I had to do all the lifting and carrying of suitcases. Again our hostess, a fairly well-built lady who looked as if she had eaten porridge all her life, greeted us warmly, even booking an evening meal at a place she recommended to us. On reaching the bedroom I commented to Norman that I could have done with a bit of help lifting the cases up the steps; but she hadn’t offered.

Next morning she and her husband offered us breakfast in their kitchen with them, the dining room being taken up with eleven very noisy and voluble Italians. We accepted, and during conversation, she told us she was just recovering from fracturing her pelvis, a result of doing Scottish dancing. She had, in fact kept her bookings for the summer, even catering for them from her wheelchair until she was on her feet again. Once more, I felt annoyed with myself for jumping to the conclusion that she was fit and able.

Have I learned my lesson? I would like to think so, but it is so easy to judge others without truly knowing their circumstances.

Ann Tomes 29

What is a Grandparent?

(Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds) Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own.

They like other people's.

A grandfather is a man, a grandmother is a lady!

Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.

When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.

They show us and talk to us about the colours of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on cracks.

They don't say, 'Hurry up.'

Usually grandmothers are fat, but not too fat to tie your shoes.

They wear glasses and funny underwear.

They can take their teeth and gums out.

Grandparents don't have to be clever.

They have to answer questions like 'Why isn't God married?' and 'How come dogs chase cats?'

When they read to us, they don't skip a page. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.

30

Everybody should try to have a Grandmother, especially if you don't have television because they are the only grown-ups who like to spend time with us.

They know we should have snack time before bed time and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we've acted badly. ****A 6-Year old was asked where his grandmother lived. “Oh,” he said, “She lives at the airport and when we want her, we just go and get her. Then when we’re done having her visit, we take her back to the airport.” ***Grandpa is the cleverest man on earth! He teaches me good things, but I don't see him enough to get as clever as him!

More than just the first Moon Walk It is 40 years since man’s first walk on the moon by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin and although there are many thrilling stories about this event one fact, which is little known or talked about, is the unique way in which Buzz Aldrin marked the event.

He took with him a tiny silver cup, a small flask of wine and a crumb of bread in a plastic bag. When he first stepped out of Apollo 11, he called to Mission Control at Houston, asking for a few moments silence and invited all who were listening to give thanks. He then poured the wine and took the bread and had communion. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine slowly curled and gracefully came up the side of the glass. Then he read the scripture and took the bread and wine. He gave thanks for the intelligence and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of Tranquility. He reflected that the first liquid ever poured on the moon and the first food ever eaten there, were the communion elements.

Christine Rankin 31

The Second Catastrophe History repeats itself. The middle-aged Palestinian woman stands with the key of her house round her neck having seen her home destroyed in 1948, only to see her next home destroyed now, in 2009 in an attack more deadly and destructive than the first.

Her name is Sabha and she lived in tents for years when she first arrived as a refugee in Gaza, eventually moving into a block room with all the family and scratching a life for them all. Now she is back living in a tent again and in shocked detail describes never seeing anything like the magnitude of bloodshed and brutal force used by Israel against civilians. Many of her neighbours tried to flee from the onslaught but were killed or taken prisoner or fatally injured. Some who were mildly injured bled to death waiting for ambulances which were prevented from collecting them.

“Where are the militants?” she asked Reem Salahi who was sitting interviewing her. Are these children militants? Does any human being deserve to live as we live, fifty people to one tent with no blankets, no food, no water? And where are we meant to go to the toilet? They have even taken away our dignity. We are less than animals in their eyes.

The Israeli forces came into Sabha’s area at midday and separated the women from the men. The soldiers’ faces were painted black and they shot at the villagers’ feet. When Sabha saw her sons being taken away as hostages, she left her aging husband and farm behind and hid in a house near the hostages.

The other women were made by the soldiers to walk to the city centre under aerial strikes and constant bombing.

If anyone resisted or turned back, they were shot. All around on the streets were the dead and injured. The area smelled of phosphorus and rotting bodies. But Sabha stayed in hiding for many days. In that time her husband was forced off his farm when Israeli bulldozers smashed the walls over the sheep, goats, chicken and camels. Her husband was watching from the road and was killed by an Israeli missile: a wall fell over his fallen body and he lay rotting for several days before anyone found him.

32

There is a terrible anger in Gaza – due to the brutality of the Israeli offensive which killed so many children – and due to the silence of the rest of the world who waited 3 weeks before calling on Israel to halt the slaughter.

A Channel 4 camera man Ashraf Masharawi spoke of his 16 year-old cousin, Ashraf, who was sliced in half by a DIME missile (Dense Inert Metal Explosive) which produces an unusually powerful blast within a small area and has strong biological effects. The blast does not cause bleeding but slices through the body as smoothly as if it were amputated. The use of such DIME missiles has been confirmed by weapons experts and doctors who have visited Gaza.

When the interviewer got up to leave Sabha she promised to come back and see her in better days. Sabha patted the young woman’s hand and laughed, saying that she would be lucky to find any Palestinians alive then. “Maybe it’s better we are killed,” she added “since this life is hard and painful. All my life I’ve only wanted peace and stability but now I’ve lost hope. I’ve never seen war like this.”

Please pray : • for the horror to fade as care is given to the shattered lives left in Gaza • for Israel to have good friends who speak directly to them of observing international law and for the various Palestinian factions to work with Hamas for peace built on justice • for Doctor Sonia who worked in Shifa Hospital Burns Unit helping to repair broken, burnt bodies • for the UK government to ensure swift medical and long-term care in the war zone that is Gaza Nichola

33

World Maths Day March 4th 2009 Now this is an Internet site for you if you are numerate, would like to improve your numeracy and have a competitive streak. The World Maths Day site is a challenge to behold. I am not sure if it will be there after 4th of March but if you can get there it is worth a look. You will need to register and maybe tell a fib about your age but go ahead all the same, I did.

The address is http://worldmathsday.com The aim is to lift numeracy standards around the world as part of a global education event. Children can register and compete in mental arithmetic competitions across the world, in real time.

I played three games and immediately could see the possibilities as an aid to learning mental arithmetic. The format is a series of relatively simple calculations, which are timed, in competition with three other real, or maybe imaginary, opponents. But I was told the number of people who were on line at the same time as me. Then after a dozen or so calculations (one minute) the winner is the one who has completed the questions in the shortest time.

In 2008 over 1 million children registered and 20,000 schools participated in 150 countries In 2008 a student from Edinburgh won second prize in a competition on the eve of Word Maths Day. He completed 62,273 and was in the lead for 24 hours being beaten eventually by an Australian.

Go on give it a try.

Peter Farley 34

Peace Direct When armed militia took hostage a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one man and £200 saved the lives of 5,000 people! This was terrifying and true for the people in Cheydo when a gang of rebels seized their village.

The rebels had taken a cocktail of drugs because it helps them kill without pity. Earlier they’d visited a witch doctor who gave them special “medicine” to make them feel invincible. They were fearless and high. UN forces and the Congolese national army were in the distance. But they’d agreed a policy of violent disarmament to get back the village. Similar interventions in the past had resulted in scores of civilians casualties.

The lives of 5,000 people were hanging in the balance. Thanks to the courage of one man, Henri Bura Ladyi, and £200, it did not become another massacre in a merciless conflict which has killed 5.4 million people. Henri travelled 130kkm to intervene. He knew that the rebel gang would not be intimidated by threats of violence and that if the UN proceeded then thousands of innocent people would be caught in the crossfire.

Henri persuaded the UN to adopt a strategy of non-violence, letting him use his local knowledge to gain the trust of the rebel leaders and open up a dialogue. It took many days but Henri eventually negotiated a deal and the rebel gang withdrew.This was a tragedy that never happened. Nobody died and 5,000 people got their freedom back. It all cost £200 (£76 travel costs, £56 living expenses and £68 phone costs so Henri could communicate with the rebel gang).

So who is Henri? He is the director of a local charity called The Centre Resolution Conflicts who have worked for the past ten years, right through the war, mediating in conflict flashpoints, building relationships between the UN and rebels, training people from different tribes to live together peacefully. Their work has saved thousands of lives and transformed traumatized communities across Eastern Congo.

35

Peace Direct funds local peace-builders like Henri all over the world who work everyday on the frontline of conflict.

Remember Gill Hicks, the bride-to-be who lost both legs in the July London Bombing? Well, she is one of Peace Direct’s Ambassadors and praises the quiet and largely invisible work of Peace Directs peacemakers, who have the courage, commitment and contacts to end bloodshed in their region.

Peace Direct is a new kind of charity, who trust local people in conflict areas to find peaceful solutions for their own communities. After all, local people have the biggest stake in bringing violence to an end. (for more information see www.peacedirect.org)

World Toilet Day - March 22nd 2009 How long are you willing to wait for the toilet? 100 years? The world’s most powerful governments promised they would halve the number of people who don’t have access to clean water and basic sanitation by 2015. But at the current rate of progress, people in sub-saharan Africa won’t get clean water and toilets till the next century! The Millennium Development Goals aimed to help the poorest get clean water but so far, it’s too little, too slow.

On March 22nd leaders meet to assess the level of progress – so please say a prayer for Mike Foster MP who was appointed in October 2008 to be responsible for water and sanitation in the department for international development. He could be a hero for people with no toilets.

5,000 children die each day from illnesses related to unclean water – this could and should be prevented.

Please pray that governments around the world will put more effort and determination into providing sanitation with hygiene education and every time you flush your toilet, remember those who have to walk out to the edge of their village late at night to go to the toilet, fearing snakes and attacks from predators . . .

36

Churches tackle credit crisis issues Christian thinkers came together at Methodist Church House in January to talk about how the Churches could lead the way through the economic crisis.

At a day conference they examined the root causes of the current crisis from a faith perspective and gave their thoughts on what the Churches’ role in addressing the global financial meltdown should be.

John Ellis, Secretary for Team Operations for the Methodist Church Connexional Team and Treasurer of the United Reformed Church, who previously worked at the Bank of England, made the connection between HSBC’s relatively safe riding of the economic storm and its chairman’s Christian faith.

“It is fairly safe to assert that HSBC has been the most robust during the recent economic troubles,” he said. “It is also safe to assert that the chairman of HSBC is an Anglican priest. Is that a coincidence?”

John also pointed out the growth of credit unions in recent years and the possibility of a return to basic banking.

Bob Goudzwaard, Professor Emeritus of Economics and Social Philosophy at the Free University in Amsterdam, said he hoped Churches would be willing to take part in a discussion on changing economic structures.

Paula Clifford, Head of Theology at Christian Aid, told the conference she thought the view that the economic crisis served a higher purpose was deeply offensive to poorer people who are now experiencing cuts in aid.

Niall Cooper, from the Get Fair campaign against poverty, said the Church should not be afraid to take sides, get political and stand up for the poor.

John Reynolds, an investment banker and chairman of The Church of England’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group, laid out a five-point agenda 37

in which Churches would have a stronger voice. “Ethical pressure must be applied both on companies and stakeholders at the same time,” he said.

Parliamentary Liaison Officer for Quaker Peace and Social Witness Michael Bartlet summed up the panel discussion, “We face today a choice between a political economy based on greed and consumption and a way of life which is based on sustainable and just relationships with our neighbour. This conference is an example of the practical kind of way we can work together in the future towards building a more sustainable economy.” from the Methodist Church Website

Christmas Giving I’m not sure if everyone saw the magnificent sums we gave and raised over the Christmas period so for those of you who missed it . . . here are the figures again . . . . and many thanks for your generosity and hard work - ed

CHRISTMAS GIVING 2008 Acorns Children's Hospice(Don's Calendars Medicines sans Frontiere (Christingle Service) Tesco Carol Singing for Children's Hospital MRDF Saturday Carols for Cholera Relief Carol Service/ Bethlehem Disabled Club Children's Nativity (Rwanda Relief) Christmas Eve Communion (Edward's Trust - Sunrise) Christmas Day (NCH) Total Raised

150.00 204.47 300.00 420.00 342.13 102.42 100.30 171.08 1790.40

38

March 2009 Regular Meetings Coffee Mornings Every Saturday 10.00 am to 12.00 noon 14th - The Elisabeth Svendson Trust

Women’s Hour Meetings Meetings on Mondays at 2.30 pm each month

Tuesday Club Every 4th Tuesday in the month at 2.30 pm

Sunday Worship All worship starts at 10.30 am unless stated otherwise below 1st

Dr S Mills

8th

HOLY COMMUNION - Rev Bob Cooper

15th

ALL AGE WORSHIP - Rev Nichola Jones

22nd

MOTHERING SUNDAY - Mr J L Harrison

29th

PASSION SUNDAY - Mrs Jean Youdell

39

Weekly Church Activities Sunday

10.30 am

MORNING WORSHIP and Young Church (with crèche : Margaret Hillman)

7.30 pm

House Group : Hilary Price (3rd Sunday)

Monday

2.00 pm

Women’s Hour :

Tuesday

9.30 - 11.30 am 9.30 - 12.00 noon 2.30 pm

Stay and Play Pre-School : Karen Homer Tuesday Afternoon Meeting : Valerie Long (4th)

Wednesday

9.30 - 11.30 am 9.30 - 12.00 noon 12.30 pm

Stay and Play Pre-School : Karen Homer Luncheon Club - (1st and 3rd)

Thursday

9.30 - 12.00 noon

Pre-School : Karen Homer

Friday

5.00 - 6.15 pm 6.15 - 7.45 pm 7.45 - 9.15 pm 7.45 - 9.15 pm 5.30 - 6.30 pm 5.00 - 6.30 pm 7.30 - 9.00 pm

Beavers : Lynn Turner Cubs : Elizabeth Baizon Scouts : Lisa Porter Explorers : Caroline Joyce Rainbows : Louise Rawson Brownies : Lesley Carter Guides : Helen Rainsford

Saturday

10.00 - 12.00 noon Coffee Morning : Lesley Morgan 10.30 - 11.30 am Church open for prayer : Margaret Curzon

Please hand any items for the April CONTACT to any of the Editorial Team (Elizabeth Baizon, Peter Farley, Nichola Jones, Christine Rankin & Nick Riley) by 15th March 2009 at the latest please or alternatively email me on nickriley@blueyonder.co.uk 40