Mission Direct newsletter January 2016

Hope BuildersWinter 2016 REPORTING ON THE LIVES YOU HELPED TO CHANGEHow you helped changelives in CambodiaYour kind response has helped to support in surrounding communities. The rubbish tipspeople living in extreme poverty in of Cambodia are still packed with familiesCambodia. This region has still not desperate to escape this dangerous life. Withrecovered from the mass murder that took your help, we are constantly trying to helpplace in the 70’s – people are still hurting. people into new and safe homes.There are people living in ghettoes and Sara found Mary and brought her to a newrubbish tips. Scraping a living from sorting home. Today, Mary and her family are safeand recycling rubbish. Children risk their lives and receive free education and daily food.removing copper wire from electrical leads by This is because of you – thank you!burning off the plastic. It’s a dangerous andmiserable place to live!But, thanks to you Mission Direct has beenable to reach these people and provide helpwhere it has been so desperately needed.See how you have made such a differenceto so many lives!Mary lived and worked on a rubbish tip withher husband and two children. She becamepregnant but when she was rushed to hospitalto have her baby they realised she couldn’tafford to pay, and tried to make her leave.Mary’s back was broken as the security guarddragged her off the bed. The baby was bornan hour later, but tragically, Mary was leftpermanently disabled.Sara, our Cambodian partner visits the rubbish 1tips every day helping families to get away fromthe tip by building them purpose built housesTel: 01582 720056 Email: [email protected] www.missiondirect.org

ZambiaKelvin’s changing life story13,000 children, some as young as 10 years, spent with the children where they are,find themselves living on the streets in the talking to them, getting to know them and,heart of Lusaka. With no parents to help most importantly, gaining their trust.them, they live in squalid conditions and aresubject to the harmful addictions and vices When we go out with the team we haveof street life. an opportunity to share the gospel with the children and encourage them to go to a safeFootprints place of refuge called Fountain of Hope. This is a local charity, based in Lusaka, whichFootprints, based on the vision of founders provides holistic care for vulnerable childrenNikki and Vasco, provides outreach to street helping them to enjoy their rights and becomechildren in Zambia. Your support has enabled responsible citizens.Mission Direct to work with a Footprints teamto support them in the objective of moving The streets of Lusaka are a miserable existence 2them off the street into partner organisations for these children who escape into drugs toor back to their own family to give them a forget and cope. Many of the young peoplebrighter future. we saw on our visits were incoherent and high on aviation fuel and it did make us wonderOut on the streets whether our presence and our prayers were making a difference.Visits to the streets allows quality time to beTel: 01582 720056 Email: [email protected] www.missiondirect.org

The miracle of Kelvin Update from MoldovaBut, let me share a story I heard that you madepossible by generously supporting our work. Your help restored hope“It had been another similar visit and we were for older peoplefeeling downhearted at the wretchedness wewere witnessing, when suddenly I felt someonetouch my shoulder. When I looked up I saw atall young man with a big beaming smile.His name was Kelvin and I rememberedpraying for him some months before.Kelvin had been high on drugs and destitutewhen I first met him, but now he was totallytransformed! Kelvin shared with me hismiraculous healing from God. He was nowfree of the drug addiction and on fire forthe Lord. Now all he wanted to do was giveback to others and help them, saving liveson the streets and sharing the wonderful giftof salvation.Together we prayed for a young women whose Located in Eastern Europe and landlockedbaby had just be taken from her by social between Romania and the Ukraine, Moldovaservices, because of her drug addiction and is Europe’s poorest country. With few naturalinability to care for a baby on the streets – resources, this is a country where many liveshe was distraught. below the international poverty line of 78 pence per day. Older people in Moldova are particularly vulnerable due to very cold winters, inadequate social security, the high prices of medicines and limited access to quality healthcare. They are frequently abandoned by their children who leave the country to seek employment.Kelvin’s prayer was so powerful that he left the For the last three years with your kindwoman in an atmosphere of peace. Our whole support, Mission Direct has been workingteam were left in awe as we watched Kelvin with the Casa Helen home for elderly ladiespray with the heart of a great Evangelist.” in the west of Moldova, helping to renovate the home and develop the facilities. DuringYour miracle 2015 we built a dining room, so now all the residents can eat together.What we witnessed you helped to provide – themiracle of God at work! You have changed the lives of the 17 women, who in the past have only experienced loneliness and isolation. Now, thanks to you, they live their lives together, with dignity and comfort. 3Tel: 01582 720056 Email: [email protected] www.missiondirect.org

See how you save lives inSierra LeoneThe terrible Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone None of this would have been possible withoutkilled 4000 people! At the beginning of the your help and partnership in our work. Thankcrisis it was terrifying – very sick people you for your generosity!were wandering around, entering hospitalsand infecting everybody. It was vital to getsome order into the chaos.We visited the area last November. You helpedMission Direct teams to finish building a TriageCentre. The centre prevents people fromentering the hospital before their illness hasbeen identified. You have also made it possibleto build a clinic in a village which didn’t haveany medical support, and very little transport.Sicknesses can now be diagnosed early andpeople can be supported through their illness.Lives are being saved because of you!There is still a great need –ways that you can help Every donation you gift to Mission Direct in your Will, then kindly give enables please do contact me on 01582 720056 or us to provide help, email [email protected] whatever the need for advice – we would love to speak to you. – and there are so With your kind and generous support we many ways you can will continue make a practical and lasting give. By becoming a difference to the lives of the world’s monthly donor, you poorest people. can commit to givea regular amount. This enables us to plan more You are amazing!efficiently to reach out to those in need. Thank you.You could also think about leaving a gift toMission Direct in your Will. This is a way ofgiving that enables us to plan our work intothe future.If you feel able to give a regular monthly Alan McCormick 4donation or would like to consider leaving aTel: 01582 720056 Email: [email protected] www.missiondirect.org