St Pauls Normain, Diocese of Nakuru, Kenya
 

In 2008 St Marks began a ‘partnership in the gospel’ link with the parish of St Pauls, Normain in the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Diocese of Nakuru. Initially our vicar spent 3 months with St Pauls during a sabbatical. A reciprocal visit by their vicar and his wife was made in 2009 before a party of 10 members of St Marks congregation travelled to Kenya for a 2 week stay in April 2010.
 

There has been a longstanding link between Chichester Diocese and ACK Diocese of Nakuru but the concept of a parish to parish link of this kind is groundbreaking. The April 2010 visit established a firm bond between the congregations of the respective churches. The parish of St Paul's covers a varied area with significant poverty and faces many challenges. The visit programme was very full and mutually enriching. We visited members of the congregation in their homes, shared in prayer meetings and bible studies, helped out on a house building project, participated in worship and led an Alpha workshop as well as other seminars.

Looking ahead we want to build our relationship with St Pauls in a range of ways including mission giving, prayer exchange, regular communications and future visits (in both directions) in order to embed this activity firmly in the life of St Marks.

Message from Rev Catherine at St Paul's Normain (July 2011)
Re: Greetings from St Marks, Horsham, UK

Thanks a lot for the introductory letter. We at St. Paul are doing well. We are grateful at what the lord is doing in our lives. On 26th June we had a thanksgiving service as I celebrated 10 years of marriage. At the moments we are preparing for fundraising in august in aid of our 2 Christians who are seeking medical attention outside the country. One is going for a kidney transplant at South Africa. The other one is a child (1yr.) going for a heart surgery at India. Please pray with us.

2010 Visit News

News update from Rev Joseph Thiongo in Kenya

For further information on the Anglican Church of Kenya
 THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF KENYA

FUNDUKUPHILA

St Mark's supports - financially and through prayer - three foster families, who care for children orphaned, abandoned or placed with them  suffering from abuse, AIDS, alcohol or drug dependency inherited through their mothers, who are often under-age and abused .  Where they can, these children attend pre-school up to the age of 6.

Prestbury Pre-School (Fundukuphila) is run by the Prestbury Methodist Church, Pietermaritzburg, whose support group allocates much needed funds to the foster-parents.  They receive inadequate state funding, complicated by red tape, which does not meet the children's special needs.

We raise funds by collections,  hand made greetings cards, individual donations and specific events. Each year about £2,000 is sent from St Mark's to the foster families which, is able to purchase substantially more than it would in the UK. The foster parents frequently remark that the money arrives at a very opportune time and they are able to purchase urgently needed provisions and medication - and provide a few treats for the children.   Message from Anne and Graham Rumney (Jan 2012):   Fundukuphila Fundraising Thank you for helping the foster families supported by St Mark's in South Africa.  During 2011 a total of £1,764  was sent to them and e-mails have been received expressing their gratitude - please look at the notice board.   You can continue to help by saving small change, which raised the sum of £115 last year (there is a pot at the back of church), by purchasing greetings cards  (to be found under the notice board) and by supporting events during the year.Thank you.

rumney.omnis@btinternet.com