Dear Friends

It is amazing the things we take for granted living in London. We complaint about public transport, but to experience public transport outside the capital is to enter another world of poor service and high cost. We complain about our utilities and the service utility companies provide, yet in comparison with our link parish in Angola we live in a different universe. Do you know it is possible to have a full body wash including your hair with just one litre of water? I know – in 2000 this was my washing regime for a whole month when I lived in Odibo on the Angolan border.  It was a joy to visit St Simon and Jude in February this year, it was a delight to see the local wildlife enjoying the rain, giraffes were literally dancing in the bush. Sadly, that was the last rain Namibia and Southern Angola enjoyed, they are now in a severe drought. On Sunday at our harvest celebrations we will be focusing on water, its life giving properties and the flourishing it enables. The children of our link parish are suffering signs of malnutrition, so our retiring collection will be again to support the malnutrition project winch equips mothers with the skills  to detect the early signs of childhood malnutrition and to to take appropriate action. I do hope you will join us this Sunday at 10.30am, the service has been designed and is led by the children, and give generously to this important cause.

Soames – my wonderful doggy, is this years Pet Blessing poster boy! I do hope you will join us for the service, bring your pet and tell your friends to bring their pets, as we thank God for all that our pets contribute to our well being and happiness. The Pet blessing service is on Sunday 20 October at 3pm.

Simon