Iindaba - Gazette of the Diocese of Port Elizabeth, SA

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*Vol 21 No 3* *April* *2010*	ONLINE
	The official gazette of the Diocese of Port Elizabeth: The Anglican Church of Southern Africa

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• A time for love and remembering
• Successful Food Fair
• Blazers for the winter
• Life with AIDs
• Nomads Bowls Club gave gifts
• PE Diocesan Health and Welfare Desk
• Help!

A time for love and remembering

Valentine’s Day fell on a Sunday this year and St Paul’s in Parsons Hill, as part of their 40 years in the new building celebrations, invited all the couples who had been married at the church to renew their vows. About 60 couples - including others who were present at the service and who were invited to join in renewed their vows. Each couple lit a candle ‘as a special symbol of love and devotion kindled anew’. The rector, Ruthell Johnson, led the men as they made their vows of recommitment and his wife Pam led the women.

Among the couples who were present were David and Murial Woods-Davis who have been married for 60 years and Eric and Genny Walthew celebrating 59 years of marriage.

To make the occasion even more special Ozzie Chong Hing and Jack Austin gave a beautiful rendition of “Perhaps Love.” The two of them had sung at many of the couples’ weddings.

After the service champagne and eats were served in the hall and members of the youth group sold roses to the men to give to their wives on this very special day.

Pics:

Top - Some of the many couples who renewed their marriage vows at the Valentine’s Day service.

Bottom - Brent Sin Hidge selling a rose to Duncan Long while his wife Diane looks on.

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Successful Food Fair
[ Pam Derry ]

The Jeffreys Bay church of St Francis hosted and organized a most successful Food Fair in the Roman Catholic Community Centre. Members of the Presbyterian, Methodist, Dutch Reformed and Roman Catholic churches joined us in providing a variety of fare from South Africa, Ireland, USA, Hawaii, Italy and France. Colourfully decorated stalls representing the chosen countries added to the atmosphere.

Nearly 600 people attended and a wonderful atmosphere prevailed as Christians from various denominations enjoyed their supper with a glass of their favourite beverage while listening to the entertainment provided.

We hope to make this an annual event and bring the Christian folk of Jeffreys Bay together.

Pic: Some of the crowd who enjoyed the International Inter-church Food Fair at Jeffreys Bay

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Blazers for the winter

There was great excitement at Nonzwakazi Primary School in Somerset East when they opened a parcel of Grey School blazers, jerseys and socks donated by St Hugh’s Church in Newton Park via Blue Crane Hospice. Before the badges could be replaced with their school one, some of the children were trying the blazers on for size, thrilled that they would soon be wearing the right uniform to school.

The headmistress, Mrs Jim-Wabanie, said, “Blazers were one of our dreams but we knew the parents could not afford them due to the high rate of unemployment in the area. Our dream is fulfilled through this donation. Please don’t mind about your school badge since our school badge is bigger than yours and will cover it. We hope this will open future channels of communication and will be very pleased if you can think of us in whatever is extra on your side as you have seen that your school uniform is the same as ours.”

Pic: Thrilled that they won’t be too cold this winter are some of the Somerset East pupils who received a gift of blazers from St Hugh’s.

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Life with AIDs

Yibi Matthews will be remembered by many members of this diocese as the child from the House of Resurrection Haven who was always smiling. Yibi was the third child to arrive at the Haven when the doors were opened and Matron Jean Underwood and the staff gave him only a few days to live.

But this young one had a will to fight for his life! He grew stronger on the love and special diet Jean had introduced to fight the effects of the AIDS virus - no such things as anti-retrovirals in those days!

He brought happiness to all around him and crept into the hearts of many people, especially the Matthews family. David was rector of what is now the Parish of Zwartkops River Mouth, and Joan was a voluntary helper at the Haven. Soon Yibi was spending week ends at their home and then they officially adopted him and took him to the UK when David moved to a parish there.

Before he died he wrote a book which he asked to have published and sold for Haven funds. This little book with lots of coloured photos is now available from the Diocesan Office. A donation of around R25 -R30 a copy seems appropriate.

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Nomads Bowls Club gave gifts
[ Pam Brown ]

Isivivane, the social development programme of the Parish of the Good Shepherd, is assisting Nkqubela Preprimary in Kwanomzamo after the school was vandalized during the Christmas holidays. Eileen Bambrough the coordinator, was able to introduce Nomads Bowls club to the school. Their Mr and Mrs Ellis Staas visited the school on Friday 26 February to present educational toys for the children. Isivivane has supplied vegetable seeds for the school soup kitchen garden, glass to replace broken windows and plants to beautify the front area. During March a soup kitchen was started at the school.

Pic: The Nkubela Primary School children sang in Xhosa and English, and danced for their guests Mr and Mrs Ellis Staas.

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PE Diocesan Health and Welfare Desk

In Partnership with URC and Dept of Health
March was TB awareness month and 24 March was ‘World TB Day’.

Theme: 2010-2011 Innovate to accelerate action.

- On the move against tuberculosis. God’s word is God’s medicine - Proverbs 4:20-22

Observe 6 simple steps. “Hola six”

• Know the first TB signs:
   - Cough for more than two weeks
   - Sweat at night
   - Lose appetite/weight.

• Go to the nearest clinic for a TB test if you experience the above signs.

• If you are diagnosed positive for TB disease
   - Get TB treatment free of charge from the nearest clinic

• Ask for someone to support you in compliance with treatment protocol, this could be any one of the following:
-Health Care Worker, friend, Community Health Care Worker or family member;

• Maintain a healthy life style.
   - Eat healthy foods, including fruit and vegetables;
   - Exercise, stop smoking and stop alcohol abuse

• Take treatment for the full six months.

TB CAN BE CURED!

Thank you,
Canon Linda.

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Help!

Microwave oven needed The microwave oven at the diocesan office has died. If anyone has one they no longer need - in good working order - please donate it to the hard working staff to use to heat their lunches. Winter is coming and the office is COLD and we do want them to be able to get warm!
Thanks! - ed

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