Happy Christmas!

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all the saints.” (Col. 1:3,4)

Ron Prosser, our patron, writes

I was reading Mr. Gondwe’s latest fascinating email when one of the lenses in my glasses fell out! No panic, this often happens, so straight to my bureau to find the little screwdriver kept for this purpose and in a moment all was well.
I remember buying that screwdriver from Woolworths over seventy years ago as a Christmas present for my grandfather, which passed to my father and then to me on their deaths.
This brought back happy family memories before I settled down to finish reading Mr. Gondwe’s email, but it then also brought back so many other family memories of my HHI extended family, and what wonderful memories they were. So many to recall as it dawned on me with sadness that in all probability I shall never again meet them on earth as I know my travelling days to India and Zambia are over.
Some I am sure still remember me but with fading memories, to others I may be just a name they have heard of somewhere and others will long ago have forgotten me. Such is life.
Then unsurprisingly in the middle of my reverie, Christmas post was pushed through my letterbox, so I paused and opened the cards and to my delight one of the cards contained a cheque for £1,000 with love and best wishes for HHI.
That of course set me off again. Deep in my memory bank, recalling so very many of our supporter family before I finally got back to finishing Mr Gondwe’s email realising what a wonderful man he is and how fortunate we are to have him as Chairman of our Zambian family.
I keep hearing and reading that Christmas is a ‘family time’ and I have to agree with that for what a huge personal and extended family I have through HHI. All coming from a prayer I prayed all those years ago in India when I observed two street boys bedding down on the pavement for the night in Chennai.
But it is surely more than that, for it really all stems from the birth of a baby over 2,000 years ago, born in a similar situation to those Indian boys for all had nowhere to lay their heads. It makes me weep when I realise the thousands of people, and surely it must be something of that number, who are part of our HHI family when you consider all the workers, supporters, destitute and fragile people who have been touched by our little organisation. So I conclude as I began – for I always thank God for you when I pray for you as I do now:

PRAYER. Father God on this celebration day when we remember the Advent of the first coming to earth of Your Son, Jesus, we cannot thank You enough for loving us and giving Him to us to be our Saviour. In our happiness and rejoicing may we remember with deep gratitude all those who comprise our local families, together with our everincreasing HHI families, here and abroad, please bless them and keep them, causing Your face to shine upon them and being gracious unto them. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray. Amen