Link with St Luke's Church
Lira Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda
This link started in 2009, again as a consequence of the personal links of one member of St Peter's congregation, with a fund raising effort which led to the successful consecration of St Luke's Church in October 2010.
A small party from St Peter's was present by invitation at the consecration - and a wonderful week they had of it. The two of us were mde so welcome, and invited to share so many experiences that were new to us. How many of you have been to a hospital AIDS clinic, and asked to lead a prayer session there? Or been as Christian visitors to the local prison? One question there - and there were others - "Please choose a bible reading for us". What do you say? The answer we gave, and subsequently read, was Psalm 121:
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills; from whence cometh my help. |
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"My help cometh even from the Lord; who hath made heaven and earth." |
Subsequently, fifteen months later, the two of us were able to revisit Lira, having been invited as guests to the wedding of one of our principal hosts the year before. Weddings are always special, but an Africam wedding adds a little je ne sais pas quoi. We saw how the church had grown, and we saw too the windows and extra facilities - electricity, and lighting - for which the congregation at St Peter's had so largely contributed.
But above all we made friends. And that friendship has endured. These days, it may be a little tenuous, but we write to each other, and we pray for each other. And occasionally there are some joyous surprises that jump out, as this wonderful piece of singing (by a small hospital choir from St Luke's) which was sent to celebrate Christmas 2019.
Truly, to reach out to others is to know much about the joy of Christianity.
