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International - India
UP-DATE COMING SOON
Pakistan
There is a strong two-way relationship between WCC and churches in Pakistan. Our first visit to Lahore in 1999 was to visit friends and relatives of our church members. Since then we have welcomed more Pakistanis into the church and made several more visits to Pakistan.
We have visited wonderful churches in Karachi planted by Airan Javaid. Other cities where we have visited churches include Peshawar, Mardan, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Wah. In 2008 several Christians were killed by a bomb at the munitions factory where the church meets in Wah Cant.
There is now a Salt & Light church in Lahore led by Khurram and Shahbaz. At the moment they meet in an open courtyard so are subject to disruption by the weather but we have just raised enough finance to help them buy a permanent meeting place. We held a leaders' seminar in Lahore on 22 & 23 March 2010 where Vic, Yaqoob, Steve & Esther took part. We also launched the Urdu translation of "Discipleship" by Stanley Mehta. Please, ask for details of the book and recorded messages.
The Pakistani influence is now felt throughout the church and we can usually offer Urdu or Punjabi translation when needed. Suleman & Tabea came to Walsall as WEC missionaries and Yaqoob and Esther are active workers in the Asian community.
Dubai & Sharjah
We make regular trips to visit and encourage small groups of Christians in the UAE. We cannot give too much information about people or places as believers can be imprisoned or deported. For instance, meetings in homes and baptisms are not tolerated by the authorities. Most church members are migrant workers from India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Suhail Peter leads a church of expatriate Pakistanis which meets at Holy Trinity in Dubai. Ashley & Roxan Mcatee lead Crown Community Fellowship. Steve & Carl are planning to visit in March 2010.
Nigeria & Ghana
Nigeria - Our links with Maranatha Christian Centre in Kaduna began when Mike Ola (pictured left) attended Wolverhampton University in Walsall in 1993. Mike and others made WCC their church while they were in England and later extended an invitation for us to visit the church in Nigeria.
Mike & Joyce and their children Seyi, Tosin, Seun and Mike (Jr) have become great friends to many of us in WCC.
MCC runs a large school for Christian and Muslim children and is reaching out into the surrounding villages with much needed health programmes. Vic Gledhill and teams from WCC have been able to give support to these programmes and encourage other acts of kindness. Hannah is pictured with a group of village women on a recent team visit.
One or two visits are made to Kaduna most years. We have also been able to travel with Mike to visit churches as far as Ibadan, Abuja, Zaria and Damaturu. The main language of northern Nigeria is Hausa (illustrated).
Ghana - Daniel Salifu (pictured) spent some time in Walsall and is our main contact in Ghana. So far we have only made one visit but our friendship and communication continue.
Kenya
Vic has been travelling with small teams to Webuye and remote parts of western Kenya for a number of years. Following a recent visit to Eric Mudenyo's church Vic reports, "Over 200 gathered daily. Discovering how Jesus defeated Satan through the cross and resurrection led to an unforgettable spontaneous release of joy; some standing on their seats waving and shouting......five minute wave of harmonized spontaneous singing.......impregnated with the presence of the Holy Spirit.... leaders and people were healed and freed in heart, soul and body."
From Nalondo Vic writes, "Stephen with new wife and baby moved recently to plant a 'church with a difference' as he puts it. Two years ago he returned from our Mumbai Bible school (ATC) sick but infected with the burning vision to plant a church on the foundation 'Love God & Love Neighbour'. He has started."
Andy Bretherick (pictured giving out worming tablets) says, "It really was a great experience travelling with Vic to Webuye and Mt. Elgon. A brilliant chance to apply principles of loving people and loving God. These trips are always of two-fold significance....not only do those who are being visited benefit and receive much....when you go and open yourself up to the whole adventure of loving people, it gives God an open door to work in your life in as great a capacity as those you've gone to."
