Dorcas Ministries

Dear Praying Colleagues & Friends, Greetings from the vast family of the blood-washed in Africa & all associated with the ministry of Dorcas International.        

A Fruitful Branch: Dorcas has become like Joseph ‘a fruitful bough by a well whose branches run over the wall’. God’s face & favour has been towards us everywhere in Africa. Like Joseph too ‘the archers have shot at us, hated us & sorely grieved us’ but ‘our bow has abode in strength & our hands have been made strong by the mighty God of Jacob’ (Gen 49:22-24). Truly God has helped us & protected us in the most adverse, trying & crushing circumstances. Opposition & discouragement has come from the most unlikely quarters but we have found shelter in ‘the cleft of the rock’. When others ‘fought to win the prize’ we cannot expect it less easy. Victory is a foregone conclusion.

The Debt We Owe: As always the greatest debt we owe is to those who have held up our hands in the watch-tower of prayer. We express sincere & deep appreciation to those who have wrestled & wept in the closet of intercession on our behalf. Many have told us they pray for us ‘every day’. Over the past months we have ministered the word of God to tens of thousands of people in Ethiopia & Kenya. We have felt the sweet winds of another hemisphere wafting over our meetings & ministry. There has been a vast & eternal impact which has advanced the kingdom & glory of Christ significantly. We dearly wish that some of you could have been with us to experience the awesomeness of His presence & power in meetings where ‘heaven comes down’.

Multitudes Converted: It is reported that in the recent past around 100,000 Moslems have been powerfully converted to Christ in Sheshamene city, 125 miles South of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. An Ethiopian evangelist was preaching on the street & a blind man was miraculously healed as he was assisted in passing. On another occasion as the same evangelist was preaching a lame man was healed instantly. As a result of these demonstrations of God’s power many people were wonderfully converted like the events that followed the healing of the man who sat at the Temple gate called Beautiful (Acts 3-4). My doctor friend told me about an Imam who was admitted to the Christian hospital in the town of Soodo with a serious leg infection which had turned to gangrene. Before the planned amputation believers gathered around him & prayed. He was miraculously healed & converted. On his return home 60 other Moslems found salvation through his testimony.

An Unknown Word: The word ‘revival’ is not mentioned in the Book of Acts. I have never heard this word used either in the church in Ethiopia. Spiritual awakening & divine manifestations were normal, everyday occurrences in the NT Church. Revival is generally associated with spiritual decline & decadence. The Ethiopia church is a vibrant, dynamic & Spirit filled ‘organism’ not a business ‘organisation’ like churches in the West.

Shared Ministry: It was a great personal joy for us to have had Rev Eric & Mrs Yvonne Stewart sharing in ministry in Ethiopia for over 3 weeks. Their work was very significant & deeply appreciated. The word of God through them was clear & incisive to the hearts of the people in every meeting. Many pleaded for their early return!

Our ministry during our recent term in Africa was evenly divided between Ethiopia & Kenya. We saw the deep stirrings of God in the Church in both nations. There were no barren meetings.

Ministry in Kenya: Nakuru - 11^th-12^th Feb. (100 miles north west of Nairobi) Approx 1000 senior Pastors & Leaders attended 2 days of Bible Conference from the Full Gospel Churches of Kenya. This denomination has 4000 churches & as many pastors. Some travelled considerable distances to attend this event. The power of God was deeply evident in these meetings. Many leaders were shaken & broken by the word of God. Approx 100 came to the altar weeping & crying to God for a new beginning in ministry & the empowerment of the Holy Ghost. For many leaders, they will never be the same!

Embu: - 17^th Feb. (2-3 hrs drive east of Nairobi) Between 60-100 pastors & leaders gathered at the Mount Kenya Bible College associated with the Full Gospel Churches of Kenya. There was a very serious & deeply spiritual atmosphere present in this Conference. Hearts were hungry & expectant. God drew very near. I have reason to believe that no heart or ministry was left untouched. The word of God was like a surgeon’s scalpel. Sin in the life of the leader was exposed & the call to holiness had deep personal effect & impact.

A skinny library! During this conference we were invited to link with this College & the extensive FGCK church network to help strengthen the biblical foundations of leadership. When I inquired about their theological library I was taken to an office where a ‘cardboard box’ was taken from under a table. About 15 books half-filling this box constituted the entire theological library of a College helping to prepare 4000 pastors for the ministry.

Kitui: Uvaani: 19^th- 20^th Feb. This district is both rural & very remote ….a land of hills & valleys & very beautiful. It was our second visit. The church here is one of two new churches (Kitui & Saika) where we are assisting to erect better buildings for bible ministry & teaching. There is also a new college in process of being birthed for equipping leaders. Already students are enrolled & attending. We are supporting a pastor here & intend to set up a theological library to help this new college. There are plans & facilities in hand to teach practical skills & crafts to transform local conditions.

Sacrificial Service: Dr Muvengei & his team are very innovative & dedicated in their training objectives. Our two days of ministry were impacting & challenging. The people were like little children ready to ‘learn & change’. A converted RC has become deeply involved in the programme here. I was deeply moved to see the sacrifices of the women who made bricks & carried stones from the river on sacks with babies still on their backs, as they helped advance the building project!

Nairobi: Uthuri 3^rd-4^th April. This was a new conference opportunity on the outskirts of the capital city. There was good organisation & a serious attitude towards the things of God. The meetings were dynamic from beginning to end. About 60-100 pastors & leaders gathered. They were not attracted by the food menu as they only had tea, dry bread & a banana each… we had the added luxury of a hard boiled egg! The presence of God swept over the meetings. The word of God gripped everyone & brought change. There are plans for a new theological college & larger conferences here. We finished our visit in this area with a service on the Lord’s day & an open air meeting in a slum district.

Ministry in Ethiopia: 23^rd Feb-27^th Mar. During the last 20 years approx 20 million have repented & have been born again in Ethiopia. There has been an amazing, un-chronicled, almost silent, spiritual awakening here. New churches are being multiplied in every corner of this nation of over 70 million esp in the Southern part known as Woilaita. Two thirds of the believers are under the age of 30 years. The Kale Hewit Church (Word of Life) has approx 8 million baptised members.

Sheshamene: 24^th-28^th Feb. This city has a large Moslem population & is also home to a large group of Rastafarians who venerate deceased Emperor Haile Selassie. This city is famous for its thousands of pony & rickshaw type taxies also donkey & cart transports. It is rapidly growing & re-birthing into a new modern city.

Our first week of ministry was with Pastor Bruik (Brooke) in his large mud built church which had a corrugated iron roof. It was a time of much rain & sometimes the heavy rain all but drowned the preaching even with a PA system! There is a large congregation associated with this new church also a primary school with over 200 pupils. We ministered the word of God many times in this church. Numbers grew to reach approx 1000 at the final service. The people were excited.

Demon possession is common in Africa. Many demonically controlled people cried out in the meetings & were powerfully delivered. The pastor has a special gift in this area. The presence of God & the power of the word of God, also the dynamic singing was overwhelming & awesome. Truly God was among His people & worked wonders as in biblical times. The people embrace the promises in a simple manner & believe God. As a result the power of God is manifested. Our complex programmes, business style church organisation, bondage to time & unbelief totally grieve the Holy Spirit & nothing is accomplished. We must not dictate to God or introduce a secular, time-serving spirit into the church. It is costing us too much spiritually. Let us submit to God & forget about our comforts.

Tarapeza Bible Convention: 3^rd-7^th Mar. This area is about 2 miles outside the town of Soddo. Tarapeza means ‘Table’. There is a table at this church / mission centre with 16 legs around which the early missionaries & leaders gathered to discuss & plan for the future of the fledgling Kale Hewit Church. It eventually gave its name to the town-land! Truly the ‘gospel table’ has been well spread!

At Tarapeza Centre: A field of some 2-4 acres was prepared for the meetings by erecting linen drapes over an extensive wooden structure to shade the people from the hot sun. The physical situation consists of a natural sloping auditorium with a large raised platform in a prominent position at the lowest end. People gathered from all over the Woilaita Province, some having walked for many hours. At the climax of the Convention or General Assembly it is reported that approx 100,000 people were present. Meetings lasted from morning until night. On the final Sunday the proceedings began at 8am & lasted until after 6.30pm. Excepting for a small number, everyone sat on the earth even when it rained! Psalm 68:38 states ‘Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God’. We saw this literally happen as this vast congregation rose to worship the living God ‘stretching out their hands’ in love & thanksgiving! The singing was vibrant & dynamic. It was sometimes led by a choir & other times led by a song-leader. There were 6 different speakers & 4 usually preached each day. The vast meetings were very well ordered & organised. The large numbers of children seldom moved or spoke. The power & presence of the Holy Ghost was deeply impacting.

Woilaita Evangelical Seminary (WES) There is currently 74 students at this college mostly comprising pastors & evangelists. They come from their fields of labour for approx 1-3 weeks of biblical teaching in a modular form. The classrooms are comfortable & the entire complex is spacious & attractive, although basic. The students are divided into two groups comprising Higher Diploma & Bachelor Degree levels. Rev Stewart assisted by Mrs Stewart took one class while Margaret & I took the other. We taught for approx 6 hours each day managing two complete modules each in an intensive two week period. The college has a theological library which it is trying to improve. There is great need & demand for theological training & mentoring, also for more resources. A warm invitation is extended for others from UK & US to come & teach here.

Rise & Shine: A series of early morning bible ministry sessions for leaders from 7-8am were well attended (80-200). Many spoke openly of being deeply challenged & arrested by the word of God. The leaders hunger for biblical teaching & mentorship.

Boditti Conference: (This town is about 30 miles from Soddo) Approx 400-450 pastors & leaders gathered for over two days to receive the word of God & its costly application to their lives. On arrival we found a large number of leaders on their faces seeking God in prayer. This brought great inspiration & encouragement before the anointed word of God was presented. Hearts were broken in submission to the call of holiness & a life of godly accountability.

Areeka / Bolosso: (About a 1 hr drive from Soddo) Approx 1000-1,200 pastors & leaders gathered in a large church over a 2 day period for impacting ministry & biblical teaching. There was much prayer offered here also before the sessions began. The entire sanctuary was covered with kneeling forms. How beautiful ‘are the knees’ of those who bend before the throne of grace to pray! People travelled considerable distances & demonstrated a serious interest in ‘Leadership Principles’ from the life of Joshua & the Implications of ‘Spiritual Warfare’ from Eph 6. God breathed on His word & the leaders who received it.

Ministry on the Lord’s Day: During ministry in local services in 4 churches approx 5-10,000 people heard the word of God. On a Saturday Mrs Stewart visited 2 churches in Soddo to speak at their children’s programme. Approx 2,200 kids were in attendance (900+1,300) & gave close attention to the songs & bible teaching. There were no discipline problems.

 New theological reference books were purchased by Rev Stewart & donated to the WES College library. A financial gift was also donated from Coleraine friends & Dorcas to help defray substantial arrears in fees owed by the students. Because of poverty some cannot afford to pay even a small sum of money in order to be better equipped to serve the Lord in ministry. These donations were gratefully received.

Addis Ababa: 24^th-27^th Mar. Our final days in Ethiopia were spent in the capital of the nation with our host Dr Demelash. Ministry was shared in two church centres. These included 60 students & 150 beautiful people from a slum community. A series of 2 hour lectures were presented on ‘Servant Leadership’ in Jephthah International College in Addis. There are 27 part time students attending here, most of whom are in pastoral work, while a few are in secular employment. Appreciation for the ministry given was overwhelming. A very firm partnership with this new institution was formed & consolidated.

Dr Demelash Dargecho has been a longstanding colleague & very dear friend. His assistance & encouragement has been one of our greatest blessings in Africa. His lovely wife Wale provided royal Ethiopian hospitality which we enjoyed. Dr Demelash is a man of rare leadership ability & outstanding preaching gifts. His ministry eagerly awaits our return DV.

Kenya Welcomes NI Visitors: Margaret & I return to Kenya on Sat 26^th June DV. It is a very great personal joy to us to have a group of 12 ladies returning with us for 14-16 days. This number includes 4 students & some senior citizens. All are understandably excited. We request your partnership in prayer for safety, good health, help in ministry & the right connections throughout. Most of this group are from Limavady Ladies Bible Study Group & have been a great encouragement & support to our ministry in Africa.   We are looking forward to our colleagues & friends Dr David & Mrs Deirdre Carnduff coming to Kenya in mid Aug for almost 3 weeks. They will share in bible conference ministry in a series of church centres. Please pray much for God’s servants & assist them in any way you can. Their ministry will be invaluable to Africa.

Garden of Hope Centre. (3^rd July event) GOH has been a focal point of Dorcas Projects for a long time. The construction work is nearing completion. This work has needed much of our funds (approx £40-50,000) over the last 2 + years. We are planning a ‘Thanksgiving Service’ on Sat 3^rd July to mark completion. Approx 100-150 needy kids are being fed, clothed, receiving medical care & education, hearing the gospel also receiving much love from a caring team at this centre. To ALL who have sponsored children, sent materials on the containers, given monetary gifts & encouraged us when we felt we could not continue; Margaret & I say ‘Thank You on behalf of the GOH Kids & Staff also Dorcas. We appreciate all your sacrifices. It will require £2-3,000 to complete drains & sewers. Phil 4:19.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dorcas Charity Shop: In March Maynard & Dorothy Love opened a Christian Charity shop in Bangor on the High St. on behalf of Dorcas. This has been a considerable challenge in terms of finding a premise, sourcing suitable stock, finding voluntary staff to assist etc. We all appreciate the hard work that Dorothy & Maynard have put into this project for the glory of God. Each Wed & Sat free coffee & tea with scones is served. During the first couple of weeks an elderly lady trusted Christ in the shop. Please pray for this ministry & if you can help in any way or offer suitable items for sale this would be appreciated. Funds raised from this project will assist our humanitarian work esp the containers.

Faith Mission: The Dorcas management team are deeply grateful to the Faith Mission & esp John Matthews for the further generous donation of Christian books for Africa. A further donation of approx 10 ton of books & cassette tapes have recently been received. These will be sent on our next container being prepared for Sept DV. Dorcas will take this donation of material on behalf of the Faith Mission to help Bible Colleges & Schools in Kenya.

Bishop John Ndungu: John & Gladys Ndungu are deeply committed to the work of the Gospel in Kenya & Africa. They have been associated with Dorcas as colleagues for some considerable time. Recently Bishop John was involved in a car accident in the Dorcas vehicle & was almost killed. We thank God for sparing his life to continue his ministry. He has been in hospital for about 4 weeks & has had a 5 hour surgery. The cost of surgery & hospitalisation has been approx £13,000. He was discharged 10 days ago but was not permitted to go home due to the unpaid bill. In addition, his wife Gladys is expecting to give birth later this month. If anyone wishes to assist with this enormous challenge, please contact Alan McBride or Fergus Reid. Any funds given will be directly paid into the hospital by Dorcas staff. To date £1,300 has been received.

Dorcas Vehicle: The Dorcas vehicle in Africa following this serious accident is in urgent need of being replaced. We have been informed that it has been written off. The car was left for sale with a view to changing it before I left Kenya & without my knowledge the insurance was reduced to 3rd party. This means we will sustain a total loss. We ask that you pray into this urgent situation.

Family News: My mother will be 80 years old in Oct & is excited about returning to Kenya for 2 weeks with the group. Deborah our daughter has been promoted to head of the English Dep in Down High School in Downpatrick. While she will miss Strathearn where she has been for 7 years she is looking forward to this new challenge. Her husband Keith has just completed an auspicious commissioned painting for Belfast City Hall which will be unveiled soon.

Andrew our son & his wife Ann became parents on May 2^nd. Little Thomas Matthew weighed in at 7lb 5oz. Baby & Mum are progressing well. ‘Granny & Grandad’ are trying to adjust to their new elevated status!

Deputation Ministry: We express appreciation to all who have organised meetings, events, welcomed us to your churches & Halls over the past months. Thank you for your encouragement & financial help & esp your promise to partner with us in prayer. Recently we returned from Yorkshire where we had meetings & ministry. We are very grateful for all the love, fellowship, accommodation & hospitality also practical support given.

Mayor of Coleraine: Margaret & I express gratitude & thanks to Sandy & Betty Gilkinson former Mayor & Mayoress of Coleraine, for their support & fund-raising efforts for GOH during their term in public office.

 

Dorcas Containers: We expect to have our two containers released before we return to Kenya. The delays have been exhausting & frustrating but God has a hidden purpose in it all we believe. We are grateful for our team who have worked tirelessly to resolve this vexing & long drawn out process.

 

Please continue to pray for the needed strength, wisdom for us & resources to continue the work. It is almost 5 years since we left pastoral ministry to engage in this amazing chapter of ministry. We desire to accomplish all that is in the great heart of God for the African church & its leaders (John 4:34)

 

Yours on behalf of the One who has sent us to serve in His church in Africa. ………

Gilbert & Margaret Egerton

 

Greetings & Appreciation

Dear Praying Friends & Prayer Partners, We send love & greetings in Christ to all from our busy field of service & ministry. Margaret & I wish you a blessed & victorious New Year. We express deep appreciation for your prayer support & practical help in so many ways during the year which has so recently ended. ‘Thank you’ on behalf of Africa & Dorcas!

We have completed 15 terms of intensive & extensive ministry in Africa since 2002. During our Oct-Dec term we were in Kenya, Rwanda & Uganda. Truly the power of God was manifested!

 

New Head Quarters

After returning to Kenya in Oct we were busy with structuring & setting up our new Dorcas Centre at Athi River about 15 miles from Nairobi. We are grateful to have facilities at last both to accommodate visitors who come to assist & also storage for the contents of Dorcas containers of literature & humanitarian aid.

Graduation Event

 Following our theological restructuring plans involving new links with Nations University in USA we proceeded with our 4^th Dorcas Graduation Ceremony in the auspicious Friends Church on Ngong Rd. Several hundred were present to celebrate the graduation of 45 students with theological degrees ranging from Diplomas to PhD’s. It was wonderful occasion of thanksgiving.

Dorcas Container

Please pray for the URGENT release of our container which has been in Nairobi since 30^th June. It has accrued excessive storage charges due to a government error. Representations are currently being made to the Kenyan government for co-operation in this outstanding matter.

 

New Representatives                                                                  

The entire Dorcas family are delighted to welcome Maynard & Dorothy Love (also Hannah) to work with Dorcas Trust. They will represent the needs & vision of Dorcas throughout UK & the Irish Republic. They have come at the right time. Please pray for them as they begin this new chapter in their lives. We encourage you to invite them to visit your church, home or hall to speak soon.

Kitui Conference 16^th-18^th Oct

 This event was convened in Eastern Kenya 3 hours drive from Nairobi in a rural setting. Many travelled a distance to attend in spite of the rain. The presence of God descended upon the meetings & many were transformed. Some cried out & others wept. One person testified ‘The word of God has changed my heart & life. I want to begin afresh’. Another said ‘God has visited me. I trembled. I want to live for God’. The church here has been recently birthed & the building is comprised of a ragged structure with a large part of the roof missing. It rained during the service & dripped through large holes in the roof. We have plans to assist in erecting a new structure in Kitui this year. 

 Em-bulbul Ministry Sun 25^th Oct

 This temporary meeting place is built on rented property belonging to Moslems. Because several Moslems have found Christ the pastor received a death threat & is being pressured to vacate the site. Recently his wife has had malignant cancer & was given 6 months to live. However God stepped in & Gladys was miraculously healed. Their 3 year old son Mike was close to death due to a serious illness. During our meetings here the word of God was spoken with authority & many were impacted. Bishop John who is pastor here has a passion to preach the Gospel all over Kenya. He has requested a large marquee / tent & a public address system. Please pray for these needs to be supplied soon.

 Garrisa Conference Oct 31^st-1^st Nov

 This city is predominantly Islamic (95%). There was much disunity among the pastors during our last visit. They repented & begged to be forgiven for their conduct. The meetings were held in different churches with a wide representation from approx 14 different denominations. There was a sense of awe & deep brokeness. Many pastors & leaders met with God over this weekend. Truly there was an impacting spiritual breakthrough.

 

Munyoyaya Tribe

 This is a Moslem tribe which came from Somalia to Garrissa in Kenya. The elders received us well during our return visit in Nov. They expressed appreciation for help given & requested us to  consider additional needs in relation to their school where we supply a teacher. Several people from this tribe have received Christ as their Saviour. Only recently they heard the gospel for the first time. (This is one of 4 tribes who have never heard & whom we are reaching with the gospel)  The Kijabe’s & Orino’s who are supported by our ministry, work in this area. There are many challenges.

 

 

Rwanda Ministry Nov 5-12^th                                                                                   

# Bible Conferences: Our ministry was conducted on the outskirts of Kigali in a slum community for 5 days. The church was very basic & unfinished. Between 50 -80 attended each day including many gifted young people. There was both deep hunger & expectation. Some fell on their knees on the earthen floor & cried aloud to God as if their hearts would break. Lives were transformed by the power of the word of God. Many sought holiness & spiritual power.

# Hospital Chaplaincy: We held a series of 3 services in a large hospital. The meetings were well attended & the word of God was well received.

# Hope Village: In 1994 approx 1 million people including children were in a war of genocide lasting over 100 days. The Hutu’s massacred their Tutsi brothers & neighbours. These events form a very dark stain on African history. Over 400 survivors of this period of genocide live in ‘Hope Village’ in Kigali. Some of the women refuse to look on the face of men because of the trauma & brutality inflicted on them. It was an inspiration to hear them sing. We had two meetings. The word of God brought healing. Many wept & two ladies gave their lives to Christ.

 

 

Uganda Ministry Nov 20-Dec 1^st

# Kampala City: Kampala is the polluted, congested & overcrowded capital of Uganda. We had 5 days of meetings in a poor part of the city in an unfinished church with an earthen floor. Many leaders attended. There was close attention given to the ministry of the word of God. There was deep repentance expressed as many responded openly with tears. On several occasions the entire congregation was kneeling at the front. Heaven came down & refreshed our souls!

# Tororo: This area is in the Mbale district of Uganda. It took us about 4-5 hrs to reach it by car. The last part of the journey took us along a dirt road, across a river bed & through fields where few vehicles had ever been before. We found a congregation of approx 1-200 people of all ages who had waited all day for our coming. 

                                                                                                                                

This meeting was held under a tree as the church was too small. The word of God went forth powerfully as the beautiful African sun was setting. The presence of God was deeply felt. The entire congregation was moved. Many came forward for prayer. About 10 young men offered themselves for the ministry. One aged man trusted Christ for salvation. There was a great hunger for the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

# Kumi: We travelled about 2 hrs to reach this area. The church had a grass roof & sides made of banana leaves. It had an earthen floor with a trench running through to divert the water after rain. Many pastors & leaders gathered for the entire day. There was much singing & worship followed by the preaching of the word of God. Many responded. They prayed & wept around the pulpit.

# Soroti: We travelled for many miles to reach our destination near a large desert. We had 2 days of ministry in a new unfinished church. A senior police officer organised this event. About 4-500 gathered. There were many testimonies & much singing to the beautiful sounds of home crafted stringed instruments. God came very near. Our hearts were searched. Many responded. Some came to seek salvation & others longed to be restored to the Lord. A large number brought their sick to be prayed for.  So many needy people kept coming it became difficult to deal with them.

# TV Broadcast: The Uganda Broadcasting Corporation recorded a 2 hr Conference in Kampala & planned to release this in segments during Dec. This opportunity will enable us to reach millions throughout Uganda. The door is open for further ministry using this means.

 

Embu Ministry Dec 6^th

Embu district is approx 4 hrs drive from Nairobi. Bishop & Mrs Murithi hosted us. This good man presides over 4000 churches in a movement known as the ‘Full Gospel Churches of Kenya’ with over 1 million baptised members. He showed us many growing congregations with new buildings being erected. At the service a large number were outside as the building was already full. Many heard the voice of God & felt the authority of divine truth.

# New Campus: During our visit we were offered the use of extensive buildings as an additional campus for our Dorcas Theological College. We accepted the offer & committed to helping to train a new generation of leaders.

 

Garden of Hope Centre                                                                                            

# The Programme: Our ministry at Garden of Hope continues to help feed, clothe, educate & care for the medical needs of many children. Approx 150 children come to the Centre. Almost 65 of these children are now sponsored. Through this Centre wheel chairs & medical assistance have been extended to many. These include Josephine who had an eye operation, Washira who is deaf & dumb, Emmanuel who suffers from cerebral palsy & Sarah who was badly burned recently has received urgent medical help etc. Food, love & the word of God are going hand in hand.

# The Building: The building work has ceased due to lack of funds. Approx £15-£20,000 is required to complete this project. I am grieved that we have got so close to completion & yet this multipurpose facility is unusable due to internal finishing & sewage works. Please pray for these URGENT project needs.

# The Staff: We express appreciation to the Board of Trustee (Incl Chairman, Director & Manageress), The teachers, cooks, social worker & all the support staff. Many of these are working in a voluntary capacity while others are working for a meagre allowance compared to what they could earn elsewhere.

                                                                                             

  

 

 

 

 

More Significant Ministry

# Kawangware FGCK Conference Dec 3rd: The attendance at this venue was disappointing but the presence & power of the Holy Spirit was dynamic. All present were impacted. We will return for a bigger event later this year DV.

 

# Saika Church & College: Dorcas International College is mentoring & training many pastors & leaders in Kenya & Africa. It is always a memorable experience to visit the college students & impact their lives with the word of God. Many are engaged in distance learning programmes alongside active ministry while others choose to learn in a residential context. Our Principal Dr Muvengei is developing 2 new churches along with his Bible College ministry. Our visit to Saika Church was impacting & challenging.

 

A Word of Appreciation & Thanks

# Faith Mission:  Dorcas Trust wishes to say ‘Thank You very much’ to the Faith Mission for their enormous donation of Christian Books for Africa. We have received approx 15 tons of excellent material which we will take on their behalf to Africa & distribute with great care to the most needy school libraries, orphanages, churches & Pastors Conferences. The partnership & generosity of the Faith Mission has been greatly appreciated. The consideration & kindness of John Matthew’s has been a special encouragement. Also the assistance of all the Faith Mission staff at the Belfast shop & Dunmurry Warehouse was a great help. This will help many in Africa who would never own a book or a bible.

# Queen’s University: We are grateful to the management team at Elm Village for their donations of approx 70 beds, lockers, chairs, bicycles, cupboards & quilts etc from the student block. These will help furnish several needy facilities in Africa. Other materials have been promised to us later in the year. We urgently need more help to dismantle & load this material. Contact Maynard please.

# Dorcas Team: Maynard has been busy with organising the collection & storage of Donated materials. Dessie Newell’s help has been invaluable. Ryan Williamson has spent many hours with his lorry / van transporting  all the above mentioned goods for Dorcas at no cost. Mrs Bingham has offered us valuable storage space on her farm at Moneyslane. We are deeply grateful to all involved.

# Sponsorship: Thank you to all who participate in the sponsorship programme. Please be patient as we prepare to set up a dedicated web page / internet site for this ministry of love to needy kids. Your contribution & enthusiasm has touched us greatly & will be used to make a difference.

# Deputation Meetings: Thank you to all who have helped organise meetings & invited us to come & share our vision in Africa. Some churches & halls have had us more than once. Many have prayed for us & given generously. We thank you in Jesus name. These are days when our economy is under pressure & churches are heavily committed. Thank you for opening your pulpits & purses to assist Africa through Dorcas. We are willing to go anywhere regardless of the fewness of numbers to speak also show a documented presentation through ‘powerpoint’.

# Dorcas Web / Internet site: Our Dorcas web site collapsed some months ago. Because we had no backup it had to be rebuilt. We wish to express our gratitude to John Egerton for the many hours he spent in revising & rebuilding the Dorcas Web page. Thank you for your expertise & valuable help John.                                                                    

 

Special Events                                                                                                           

# Wedding Event Dec 14^th: It was a great honour to conduct the wedding ceremony of Alice & John. This was my first African wedding. It was both colourful & meaningful. The couple love the Lord Jesus & each other deeply. It was interesting to see both parents bring their daughter down the aisle & later to see the Groom’s tribe coming to meet the bride to bring her home to her new family!

# Dedication Event: It was very special & memorable to gather a group of close colleagues & friends to the new HQ for a short dedication service. There was singing, testimony & exhortation as we prayed & gave thanks to God for His goodness.

# Graduation Event 14^th Dec: We congratulate our daughter Deborah for achieving a distinction in her Masters programme. We were delighted to arrive home on time for the Graduation ceremony at Queens University.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

# Grandparents in Waiting: We share the excitement of our Son & daughter in law-Andrew & Ann, as they prepare for parenthood in May of this year.

 

 

 

 

 

# Kenya Safari (June 26^th-July 13^th): There is much excitement as a group of 12 including several students prepare to join the Dorcas team in Kenya for approx 16 days. Please pray for safety & success in all aspects of this safari to Africa for all participating.

Thank you for helping to build a Kingdom which will never end!

 Gilbert & Margaret Egerton

Forthcoming Events

# Dorcas Rally Feb 2^nd: Lifeboat (kindly granted) Moy, Dungannon @ 7.30pm. All are warmly invited. Supper provided.

# Praise Night Feb 5^th: Lisnaskea Independent Methodist Church @ 7.00 pm. Funds to assist the next Container for Kenya due to go in early Feb DV.

# Dorcas Charity Shop is due to open in Bangor in early March. Anyone wishing to donate goods or offer help please contact Maynard & Dorothy Love (Mobile:  07760888677)

Help for one day each week in the shop would greatly assist us even for 1-2 months.

Our Schedule of Ministry

Itinerary re NI deputation (Dec -Feb )…see Dorcas web page www.dorcasministries.org.uk

Leaving for Kenya on 8^th Feb

Travelling to Ethiopia on 13^th Feb

(Rev & Mrs Eric Stewart will join us from 1^st to 21^st March)

Returning to UK on April 7^th DV

Itinerary in England….. May 17^th-1^st June

 # PASS IT ON: Have you considered sharing our news with your friends……please pass it on & encourage more prayer!

# START A PRAYER GROUP: If you would like to start a prayer group once each month for Dorcas we would like to hear from you. We can supply additional news & visit regularly.

# SPONSORSHIP: Did you know you can sponsor a child, a pastor, a student, a conference, a book pack, a bible etc. A church or business could sponsor a container of aid / gospel literature to any African country!

DORCAS BOXES: Please remember to return your Dorcas Boxes at least ONCE each year.