Albania’s sex trafficking counsellor

  Rezi Kardella has recently begun a year-long course at Newman College in Birmingham that will earn her a certificate in counselling skills.  She will stay at BMS’ International Mission Centre during the year, which is close to the college’s campus.

  Rezi works as a social work co-ordinator for the Christian Fellowship of Albanian Prisoners (CFAP) in Tirana.  She specialises in counselling female prisoners, particularly those who have been victims of human trafficking.

  Despite already having earned a social work degree from the University of Tirana, Rezi said: “This certificate will be important for my career in Albania.  It will allow me to better counsel former sex workers and other prisoners.”

  In addition to studying, Rezi will also be volunteering at the UK offices of BMS partner CHASTE (Churches Alert to Sex Trafficking across Europe).  She hopes the opportunity will allow her to inform a wider British audience of Albania’s human trafficking situation.

  Hannah Wilson, BMS’ representative for counter-trafficking, worked alongside Rezi and others at CFAP during her five-year stint in Tirana.  Now based in Birmingham, Hannah co-ordinates BMS’ efforts in the issue of human trafficking across Europe.

Nepal

  BMS World Mission is working with local partners and among affected communities in responding to the worst monsoon flooding in Nepal for ten years.  The north-western district of Rukum has been particularly badly affected by landslides, which swept away land, crops and livestock as well as destroying more than 100 houses.

  BMS partners in Nepal are working with other local groups to help 100 of the households affected by providing blankets, tarpaulins, clothing and utensils.  They will also provide training in first aid and disaster management to 18 communities in the districts of Kholagauwn and Aarma. Emergency kits consisting of stretchers, life jackets, torches, shovels and first aid kits, as well as galvanised netting for retaining walls, will be provided for six of these communities.

  Some 30 per cent of the cost of this relief work will be met by other local groups and the affected communities, with a BMS grant of £6,700 covering the balance.

From BMS World Mission News.

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Diptipur update

  The official invitation for the Golden Jubilee celebrations at Diptipur - on 5th December - has now arrived by email.

  It is with gratitude to God and great pleasure that I can be present, but it is of greater significance that Heather Payne, a daughter of the wife of the BMS missionary who started the medical work in Diptipur 50 years ago, will also be at the celebrations.

  We have so much to be thankful for when we think of the work and dedication of the early missionaries - especially when we realise the conditions in which they lived, worked and raised their families.

  British Airways (BA) is doing its part in helping Diptipur Hospital too.  BA has readily agreed to allow us to take extra baggage and are waiving the excess baggage fee.

  Please pray that we will have the strength to cope with the extra luggage until we arrive at the hospital.  In the baggage will be instruments for the eye department, spectacle frames, a laptop computer, packing - by way of baby clothes, woolly hats, gloves, and so on - and anything else that will be useful that I can lay my hands on.

  We particularly value your prayer support since the visit will be of greater significance than I had originally imagined.  During the past few weeks, I have had the joy of meeting people from other churches who have made contact with Diptipur Hospital in one way or another.  As a result, my confidence in what we are trying to do in God’s strength and for his Kingdom has grown immensely.  

  Bishop Samson Das will be with us for the whole of our ten days in Orissa and we are extremely grateful for all the travel and accommodation arrangements that he has made for us.  The Bishop sends his greetings to all his friends in our church.

  Please pray for us as we make our final arrangements for the journey on 27th November.

By Aileen Hagen.