1. ISSUE 1.12 FEBRUARY 2012 PEACE AND HOPE TRUST NEWSLETTER
SPRING TEAM REPORT local Moravian Church, the The Trust is setting up a new
building team put a new roof on a initiative, which will enable
The 20-strong Spring Team has hurricane damaged building to churches, youth groups or
just returned from a challenging create a Youth Centre for the families to sponsor the
and exhausting 3 weeks in village. replacement of some of the more
Nicaragua. Ranging in age from dilapidated shacks. More details
16 to over 80, and drawn from all below.
over the UK and as far afield as
New Zealand and Canada, the
team worked on a number of
building projects, community and
pastoral work, and vital dental
care.
Back in Bluefields, the main
building project was to construct a
school at Fatima in memory of At Matagalpa, the team worked
Mary Anne Bromberg, a veteran of on the Ecolodge, planted
a number of PHT teams, who died Moringa, and brought home the
in 2010. Great progress was made 2012 coffee crop, which is now
on the school building, which is available.
intended to open for students in
Dentists Alice and James, April. Meanwhile other team
assisted by Anna and Ruth set up members carried out pastoral work BLUEFIELDS
makeshift surgeries in Bluefields, in the community, supporting local HOSPITAL
Tasbapauni and La Barra, and families and school children, and Bluefields, a town of some
treated 617 patients, carrying out distributing clothing. 80,000 population, has a
116 fillings and 705 extractions. Conditions on the municipal
The dental team also travelled municipal hospital of maybe 500
rubbish tip in Bluefields continue to beds. Conditions are dire; with
further than ever before up the Rio deteriorate. Many more families
Grande de Matagalpa to villages many sick people lying on filthy
have now built shacks in the area,
which had never seen a dentist. In uncovered foam rubber on a
and are dependent on the tip for
Bettania they set up surgery in the rusty bedframe. Patients in
food they can eat and refuse they
house of the village “king”, where Bluefields need to provide their
can sell. Housing conditions are
children broke into hysterical dreadful and levels of poverty own bedding and food, and
laughter when shown what to do desperate. many are unable to do so.
with a toothbrush! The hospital seems to get very
little public funding, and the
Director was most grateful for
mattresses, screens and other
equipment donated by PHT from
the last container.
The Trust has been blessed by
the donation of 6 hospital beds
and several mattresses, along
with other medical supplies. We
One family the team visited was welcome offers of more surplus
The team spent a long weekend at boiling up horse intestines for their medical equipment and dated
Tasbapauni, set between the one meal of the day. The team supplies, which we can send to
Caribbean and the lagoon. While shared their rice and beans with Bluefields in the next container.
Pastor Andy led a ministry with the them.
Contact: info@peaceandhope.org.uk

2. ISSUE 1.12 OCTOBER 2012 PEACE AND HOPE TRUST NEWSLETTER
NICARAGUA AND The rubbish tip! What can I say about SPONSORED HOUSING –
that? The sight of men, women and A NEW INITIATIVE
PEACE & HOPE. FIRST children who live in little more than The Trust’s policy has always
IMPRESSIONS! badly put together shacks in and concentrated direct investment
around the area scavenging for food into community projects, schools,
It was while sitting in a small boat,
and whatever they could find as the clinics, hurricane shelter etc. Now,
moving at high speed across the in response to an increasingly
vast expanse of water that forms rubbish lorries dumped their load was
at best distressing and at worse desperate need for the most basic
the “Pearl Lagoon” on Nicaraguaʼs of housing in the rubbish tip and
east coast that Mike G of Peace horrifying. Watching children eating the
rock breaking communities, we are
and Hope asked me to write this rotten, stinking food as it fell off the
piloting a new funding initiative.
article. “About 300 words” he back of the trucks was heartbreaking.
Many homes in these areas are of
said. “Sum up your first time “Sum up your experience”. I was taken
the most appalling standard, often
experience”. little more than black plastic
300 words - oh boy! So where do supported on sticks, and occupied
I begin? Do I talk about the impact by families with young children.
that this third world country had on
me. It did! Very beautiful in
places Nicaragua is a place of
variety, contrast and extremes.
From the high volcanoes in the
west to the Caribbean beaches in
the east. A place of so much
potential, which is clearly being by the beauty of the place, deeply
wasted by decades of poor moved by the poverty, challenged by
government, lack of infrastructure the commitment and faith of the local
and little investment. Lovely, kind, Christians and heartened at the work of
warm, welcoming people though. Peace and Hope. Please do all you
can to support, pray for and help this
much needed ministry in this The Trust is developing a building
desperately needy country. Thatʼs 379 module, which can be erected
words…. wish I had more….!!!!! quickly and economically by our
Pastor Andy Godfrey local staff. Priority will be assessed
in the community according to
Culver Church, Stanmore
need, and it is hoped that over
time many of these shacks can be
NEWS
UPDATE
replaced by something much more
Of course I do want to talk about CONISTON
WEEKEND:
A
warm
invitation
durable.
the fantastic work of Peace and to
supporters
and
potential
team
We hope to finance this project
Hope. All over the town of members
to
join
us
at
Coniston,
Friday
through sponsorship of individual
Bluefields their influence is felt and rd th
23
to
Sunday
25
March.
Details
from
houses by churches, youth
known. From the climbing frame Alison:
01989
720323,
or
email:
groups, workmates, family groups
built for a local orphanage, to the etc, with the opportunity to develop
admin@peaceandhope.org.uk
clinic that was finished last year an ongoing relationship between
2012
CONTAINER:
The
Linton
store
is
where the two dentists on our donors and sponsored family.
rapidly
filling
up
again
with
medical
and
Watch out for further information
team extracted many teeth, to the school
equipment,
clothes
and
tools.
We
dreadfully equipped and run-down on this project soon.
are
beginning
to
plan
for
the
next
local hospital where we saw a lot
of equipment that PHT has
shipment
of
aid
to
Nicaragua,
but
need
moringa harvest
to
raise
approximately
£5,000
to
finance
for healthy living
provided, to the school rooms that
this.
The Trust’s vision, to educate and
have been and are being built, to make moringa available to every
SUMMER
TEAM:
Already
we
have
the daily feeding programme for needy family in Nicaragua and
substantial
interest
in
joining
the
the local children who live in the beyond is well under way. In
Summer
Team,
provisional
dates
17
July
area of the local rubbish tip. order for this vision to be
to
7
August.
All
enquiries
to
Alison
at
sustainable, funds are being
admin@peaceandhope.org.uk.
raised through the sale of
MIKE
COLE
has
been
suffering
ill
health
moringa capsules and powder
recently
and
is
now
undergoing
here in the UK. To purchase,
chemotherapy
and
radiotherapy
in
contact 07915 058511 or
Cheltenham
Oncology
Unit.
Please
pray.
richardgeary@peaceandhope.org.uk
Contact: info@peaceandhope.org.uk