Reps Circular

Dear ALMA Reps and Friends,

It is only just over a week to ALMA Sunday now and our Anniversary Service in St Paul’s Cathedral on Sunday 10 July at 6pm. If you haven’t already, please could you download the poster for the service and have it on display in your churches? ALMA Sunday will be a real celebration of our link with ALMA Reps and Friends participating in many ways: singing in the Diocesan Choir; processing as part of the River of Prayer in Action, some in capulanas (not too late - telephone Beryl Warren on 0790 099 1774), and leading the intercessions.  Everyone is invited to join us in welcoming back Bishop Dinis to London and in celebrating all we have shared over the last 13 years. There are a few other things to celebrate too:

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba presents the St Mellitus Medal

• Archbishop Thabo (Anglican Primate of Southern Africa) has recently visited Niassa for the first time and presented, on behalf of Bishop Richard, a St Mellitus Medal for Rebecca Vander Meulen (Head of Mission and former head of the Equipas da Vida) for ‘the contribution to HIV and community development in the diocese of London’s partner diocese of Niassa and furthering the ALMA link’. Alas, Rebecca was in America at the time of the presentation but her team of Adeptos (community development leaders and facilitators) joyously accepted the award on her behalf.
• Preb. Philippa Boardman, Vicar of St Paul’s Old Ford, whose parish is twinned with Santa Cruz in Lichinga and whose local school launched the 2010 Lent Appeal, has just been awarded an MBE for ‘her services to heritage in East London where she has driven the restoration of the once-derelict Victorian parish of St Paul and St Mark, Old Ford and overseen its transformation into a vibrant community centre at the heart of the East End community’.

We send these two remarkable women our warmest congratulations for their greatly deserved awards!

This circular contains:

1. Diary Dates
2. News from our partners
   1. Angola
   2. Lebombo
   3. Niassa
3. London News
4. Wider Issues

1. Diary Dates

** Sunday 10 July ALMA SUNDAY 6pm St Paul’s Cathedral  **

Other Dates of Interest:

7-12 July St John’s Waterloo Festival ‘War and People’ featuring some Swords into Ploughshares Sculptures, music, drama and community events

9 July MANNA AGM will be held on 12 midday at the parish church of St John the Divine, Vassal Road Kennington - a short walk from The Oval station on the Northern Line. The Trustees will meet briefly at 11 am before the main meeting as usual. All ALMA Friends welcome.

September 2011 A possibility that Bishop Mark and Revd Helen van Koevering will be in the UK. We will try to arrange a meeting date as soon as this is confirmed.

2012 We’re hoping to host a Welcome Service and a fairtrade afternoon tea for the Angolan and Mozambique Olympic Teams. Watch this space!

2. News from our Partners

a) Angola

• Revd Richard Fermer, Supervisor of the Mission and Ministry Programme in Angola, will be visiting Angola in July.

b) Lebombo

• Bishop Dinis baptises at Bagamoyo
  Father Juliao Mutmeba has shared photos and news of St Barnabas Bagamoyo’s Patronal Festival on 11 June when, in a very full church, there were Baptisms, admission to the Mothers’ Union and the admission of a Sub deacon, and also of Pentecost Sunday.
• Elizabeth Sikoya (from the St Simon of Cyren Congregation in Catandica, between Chimoio and Tete) writes with thanks …
  
  The fire at St Simon of Cyren church

  ”for keeping us updated of the news from other Anglican churches in the ALMA link. We thank god on hearing that Father Marcos is recovering from the heart problem. May the Lord God make wonders in his life and return him to his normal state. We also thank ALMA for strengthening the links and relationships between our churches through the newsletters’. She also shares something of the joys and sorrow of her church life: ‘We celebrated the Bernard Mizeki Pilgrimage on the 18th and 19th of June. At our church we are planning to admit 15 new members of the mothers' union on the 23rd of June, two days to come. All the mothers were looking forward very eagerly for this day but on the contrary we were found yesterday at 12 o'clock the 20th of June left without HOPE, OUR DWELLING PLACE ( OUR CHURCH) gone by fire from a madman since it was grass thatched. It was really painful when I arrived on the seen to see the whole structure collapse in front of my face. I had no other solution other than mourning and letting it go. My husband tried to enter through the window to save our cross and the Easter candle stand since the door was locked but It was too late the fire had eaten everything up. Everyone is in sorrow. On the other hand we are going to shame the DEVIL by continuing to admit our mothers on the 23rd of June in the very ruin as it is so that the devil will not stop the KINGDOM OF GOD from growing and he will never conquer it.”

  Do look at the photo Elizabeth has sent and hold St Simon of Cyren in your prayers.

• Nine students and three teachers from Twyford C of E High School will be visiting their link school in Maciene for ten days including ALMA Sunday, and taking part in a wide range of cross curricular projects with the Maciene students. May this be the first of many such exchanges between the young people of our link.

c) Niassa

• Obviously Archbishop Thabo’s visit to Niassa is the big news story. Do read his moving report of his visit To the People of God June 2011 and see the photos Helen Van Koevering has sent us. Here is a snippet of Archbishops Thabo’s reflections:

  “I found Niassa to be, like Mozambique itself, full of the vibrant life of a very youthful population. I saw how critical is the role of catechists, in evangelism and building up young congregations so that they learn how to mature and stand on their own feet. Music and storytelling are key in communicating who Jesus is, all that he offers, and the life to which he calls us – which people are hungry to learn. I was also struck by the poverty of the diocese, reflected in the Bishop’s elderly Toyota that I feared might break down at any point and leave us stranded! Yet I saw how great God’s grace is, in challenging circumstances, and came home feeling refreshed and enriched by my visit – feeling the paradox of the kingdom that is, and is yet to come, as I both saw 150 years of history, and felt so much new life that is on the point of being born afresh”.

  The group from St Pancras were in Lichinga at the time of the Archbishop’s visit before they went to their link parish in Cuamba. We look forward to hearing their stories!

• Bishop Mark as you can see had a very busy itinerary with Archbishop Thabo and happily his health is improved. Helen writes

  “A further check up revealed no particularly dangerous arthymia, no heart disease and only ‘excellent’ arteries, so although they say some attacks may still occur, it’s not life-threatening. Mark is as active and busy as ever before, so God is good!”

3. London News

• 
  The banner
  ALMA Banners for Link Parishes

  Three people from St Thomas Finsbury Park are currently in Maputo visiting their twin Parish St Peter and St Paul Thlabane. Before they left, a group from St Thomas’ with assistance from Ann Flett, ALMA’s Banner Designer, made an ALMA Banner to take to St Peter and St Paul.

  Ann comments “A nice touch was that all the congregation signed their names on the back” and reminds other link parishes “I still have material and wonder if other parishes would like to have a go. I went to one workshop with the group to get it going and then just advised over the phone and I would be happy to do the same for other groups”.

  Banners make a wonderful gift, and are easy to transport. If you are planning a visit do think about doing this!

4.Wider Issues

In the last circular we looked at issues around Food Security and speculation on food prices in the commodity markets which has led to huge price rises in basic foodstuffs. The World Development Movement is campaigning on this and you may want to look at their website which has a section on ‘Frequently asked Questions on Food Speculation’. The EU has a big vote on this issue in the autumn. Fran Chandler, Diocesan Fairtrade Campaign, adds: “Two African Fairtrade producers have spoken to me of the harm that these huge rises in food prices are having not only on their businesses but also in feeding their families. Food is about 9% of our household budgets but in many developing countries it is closer to 80%.”