We are once again launching a Special Appeal for the Finnies’ Christmas and weekly Soup Kitchens at The Gathering in Cape Town, South Africa. The situation in South Africa has continued to deteriorate for the most marginalised. The Gathering is doing all they can to help some in their immediate area. Recently Paula wrote the following:
2024 has really been a very rough year economically for South Africa. Even though our President assured everyone, at the NY Stock Exchange, that our economy is in recovery, we as a church, and many other NPO’s are seeing a very different story! Numbers coming to our soup kitchen have increased exponentially, and the need for other basics, such as toiletries, clothing, blankets etc has also been off the scale. As a result, we really want to continue to be a huge blessing in our community this festive season as, for many, this will be the only “treat” they will receive.
We are going to make 250 litres of pea and ham soup for three Thursdays in December and will put together a very specific goody bag for each recipient coming to the third kitchen – approximately 200 bags (see picture). This will certainly contain basic toiletries, socks, one or two items of basic food, such as lentils, rice etc, and then some lovely sweet treats for everyone. Each bag will be sealed with a sticker, affirming our friends of God’s great and lavish love for them! We are also going to bless our five HOPE Home Based Carers with a grocery voucher each, to say a small thank you for the absolutely wonderful work they continue to do. We also have fifteen families with whom church members have been walking very closely this year, loving them, helping where possible with meals, school fees etc and inviting them to church – we want to also give them a grocery voucher each.
Finally, one of the two small soup kitchens that we support in Macassar is run by a Gathering church member, so we will join with her in helping to fund a sit down Christmas lunch in December for 50 people in her community.
Please know that every single pound we are given will be used directly to fund these ministries and initiatives and will provide so much love and much-needed hope at this time of the year!
As a result of what Paula has shared we are, therefore, seeking to raise at least £3,000, to enable The Gathering to provide the Christmas Special Soup Kitchen and all the other activities. If you are able and would like to contribute to the Christmas & Soup Kitchen appeal, please visit our online donations page, or preferably, make a bank transfer to St Andrew’s Church Oxshott,
sort code: 20-90-56, account no: 80374598
please give this reference: “SOUP (and your) SURNAME”.
For more information, please speak to Carl Jackson’s Life Group, or to members of the Mission Partnering Committee (Mark Currie, Liz Mulhall, Kirsten Penner and Warwick Lamb).
My mug reminds me of a lovely day last July.
My mug represents my appreciation and love of dogs. When Warwick and I moved to Oxshott from South Africa in 2018, we brought our three Jack Russells to England with us. Chilli, Vlekkie and Sammy went everywhere with us, and were, and are, very much a part of our family.
The ‘Weald Challenge’ route is based around parts of the Wealdway and Vanguard way. This is a lovely run through the beautiful Sussex countryside and with a relaxed time limit of 5 hours is suitable for a wide range of abilities. This mug is given to all runners who finish – and the ‘medal money’ is given to the homeless – a warm meal, instead of a medal!
This is my newest mug but it reminds me of two things I’ve held dear for a long time.
I got this from Guildford Cathedral gift shop and it reminds me and us about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self -control – and the cross is just something extra!
I’m usually sitting on a shelf amongst Cosy Bear, Spots, Memories and Best. These are all mugs my owner Adele uses depending on how she is feeling on a particular day.
When I was training for ordination at Trinity College in Bristol, I would often take a walk across Durdham Downs to Clifton Village during our weekly quiet morning – a dedicated time of silence, for prayer and reflection. I would usually find a nice little coffee shop, and spend an hour or so with a book and a mug.
Caelyn and Elijah Lim successfully completed their epic trek up Mount Snowdon, along with their Mum, to raise vital funds for the London’s Air Ambulance Charity – the first people to respond when their dear Papa needed help. In August it will be 10 years since they lost their Dad in a cycling accident.
