News from Chennai Challenge

The Chennai Challenge leaders organised a series of meetings to train all the young people who will go to South India to help destitute children. 
Imo and Liz attended one of the meeting last week and will be going to another one in London soon. 
Now they have to fund their project and must raise a minimum of £1400 before the beginning of August.

Nochikuppam Slum Chennai is described in the website Walking through India as “The city of flyovers”. It has Nochikuppam slum with 1,300 huts where around five thousand people live below poverty level and don’t have enough money for two meals a day.
The inhabitants are mostly rickshaw pullers, seasonal small vendors, house maid servants with a family income ranging from a meagre Rs.1500 to Rs.3000.
As I teach citizenship in my school we were discussing media and particularly advertisements, one of my12 y.o students confessed that he did not like to see adverts from charities asking to help and donate money to far-away countries. 
I asked him if he knew why. His answer was that they were so far that he did not think it was his problem. 
The other day I was listening to somebody saying that when you are young, some children will share with others more than others. 
We need to promote this Christian value of sharing with others.

This is what we read in Isaiah 58:5-7 (The Message)
 What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
   sharing your food with the hungry,
   inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
   putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
   being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
   and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
   The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
   You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'


In Proverb 31: 8-9 sons are urged to
'Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. ⁹ Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.'

If the Lord puts on your heart to support Chennai Challenge with your donations, click on my profile to email me. Blessings. Your sister in Christ. N.

Birthday at the Bank House pub in Hixon.

A joyful celebration for Steven's birthday at the Bank House in Hixon. I will post a few photos. 

I'd better say that these are Steven's photos as I cannot use my computer at the moment!

It is great to spend quality time with our friends. Of course, we may wonder if the birthday boy enjoyed listening to lots of the usual comments about 'getting older', 'bus pass' and some very good jokes that unfortunately I cannot remember! Actually I can remember a very good one said by Philip..

A vicar is visiting an old lady who is 100 years old 

and asks her how things are going. 

She answers that everything is fine then pauses.

Then she goes on: Oh, things are even better now

 that I managed to get my son who is 80 in a nursing home...

So we were in excellent company, with superb food and drink. 

Do you find it difficult to get to speak to everybody?

 If I am having an interesting conversation,

 I find it hard to stop and move next to somebody else

 and start another equally conversation..

.well, I could spend the whole time talking to the first friend,

 however, I think that it's quite exciting to move on and talk to somebody else..

I knew somebody who'd s say very casually as soon as the conversation would become a bit fluffy, 

.excuse me, I must see X..

.she would say it so naturally that you could not  possibly be offended 

even though you had to find somebody else to talk to.

 I cannot do this if the conversation is not ending naturally.

Praise the Lord for our loved ones and our good friends. Your sister in Christ. N

Have a blessed and happy New Year 2011

 Steven's birthday cake..with 6 candles!

 Verity and Nicky in a very eccentric mood!






Nicky and W.

We are having a very relaxed day with family, my sister Pauline, Dad, my niece Nicky and my great-nephew W. who is great fun. Imogen disappeared last night to spend the evening with her friends, came back today for a short appearance and disappeared again for diner with her friend Lizzie. She has just come back now and is entertaining William. Camille is still in London with her friend Kanika.

After having eaten buffet bites for the last two days, as on the 31st it was Steven's birthday, we enjoyed eating the vicar's best spag bolognaise. Last night we enjoyed watching the fireworks in London on t.v.

In the above photo, from left to right, back row, Dad, Pauline, Verity, Nikki, Wendy and Peter.

Frank and June next to Dad. I must confess that last week I was a bit nervous thinking at all the things to prepare in view of the birthday celebration, I am so pleased that it went smooth. Praise the Lord for all his blessings. "The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3