As we approach the end of another exciting year let me update you on what has been happening in LightForce International around the globe. Thank you for your emails, letters, donations and prayers for the work we are privileged to do.

I am writing from northern Uganda, enjoying the 30degree seasonal afternoon heat with fans blowing in the office and the occasional dust cloud blown around the compound outside. A team from Belgian television has just left and our trucks are sitting loaded ready to move with supplies to former displaced people at 7am tomorrow.

It is amazing to reflect on the opportunities we have had this year to serve the needs of people less fortunate than ourselves. It is surely not a sacrifice to give our time to those in need but rather an honour. How can we ignore the needs of the suffering when we have the knowledge, experience and opportunity to make a difference in their lives?

LightForce International has a number of partners in different parts of the world. We are happy to stand with these friends in their work and thank you for the practical support you send to them through us. If you want further details on any project please contact me.

• Kenya – Mombassa has been the scene of many challenges as Glyn & Jane Davies have pressed on to develop school facilities in the face of extreme and threatening opposition. What a joy to see the pictures of the walls built around the site and the slab of new classrooms being cast. Pray for them – they need it! With your help we support almost 100 children in the nursery section of the school. Despite the opposition this program is impacting 100’s of lives every week through education and feeding programmes.

• India – Vision Rescue feeds street children 6 days every week and provides one hour of basic education beforehand. The project has now expanded and at the end of each day the bus goes to the beach in Mumbai and provides food and counselling support to the drop outs and drug addicts who spend their days there.
• Serbia – Pau & Sandrine Pasula have for a number of years run children’s camps in association with LightForce International. We are planning to support this program again in 2008.

• India – Chennai it was good to have a visit from Jacob and Jabez Williams in the UK during September. They were catching up with friends and supporters before moving across to the USA with the same purpose. The children’s home projects which many of you support are valuable resources to the poor and orphaned children they cater for. Please don’t forget these children.

• Albania – Rachel Wilson and Skendije continues to reach children in the Shengjin area of northern Albania. Rachel has been responsible for organising children’s projects in the capital this summer as well as running children’s camps. We will be supporting Rachel’s camp programme in 2008.

• India – NICOG the rural village outreaches of NICOG include medical missions and the opportunity for good news to be shared with occupants of remote tribal villages. Many people are trapped by superstitions taught from childhood, curses from witch doctors and cultural beliefs. Caring outreach workers bring hope to such people. This project needs our support. A number of people who faithfully supported this project for years have now stopped and new donors are needed. Can you help? It costs £20/month to support a worker.

• Andrew Shearman a long time friend and trustee of LightForce International is based in the USA where he is involved in significant projects motivating young people to serve people of other nations. Andrew travels 1000’s of miles every month reaching some of the world’s needy places. His life has been dedicated to mission and he was a significant part in shaping the vision of LightForce.

We don’t always like them but they happen! Here are some that you should know about:

• Jenny Duncombe has been the voice at the end of the phone and has dealt with your enquiries at the LightForce office for a number of years. Whilst we were all running about Jenny was the listening voice. Alas, with an ageing mother and other demands on her time, she left us in the summer. We appreciate her great support and wish her well.

• Web site is being worked on. Week by week there are changes being introduced thanks to the efforts of Dayo and Rachel. Those wanting to volunteer should find all the information they need about opportunities in India and Uganda.

• LightForce Centre, Albania – for a number of reasons we are actively seeking to sell the Centre. It has served us well but we would like to develop a new project in Lura where we began our work in 1993. The poorest of Albanians are still in the mountains and we will continue to serve the needs of such people. The plan includes the creation of a new facility for children’s and youth activity. We have a number of interested parties.

• Humanitarian Aid – at present we are NOT receiving aid. Most of our activity is in Africa and India and shipping is expensive when compared to purchasing goods locally. We will let you know if the situation changes.

• Contacting us since Jenny departed. Finance is still handled from the Milton Keynes office but general enquiries and correspondence by email is being handled from the Uganda office. Letters and applications sent to the UK office will still be processed from there. As a general contact point use: grr@lightforce.org.uk

It has been possible with the help of millions of dollars of international funding and the assistance of organisations and private individuals to accomplish an incredible amount during the past 12 months. Just to give you an idea:

• Renovation of 17 Health Centres and 15 staff houses

• Distribution programs benefiting over 45,000 households – over 211,000 people

• Transportation of over 1300 families back home

• Distributed 77,425 mosquito nets

• During floods supplied water purification tablets for almost 7million litres of water

• Monitoring of 24 health centres & presentation of comprehensive report to District Health Director

• Working weekly with 510 physically and mentally challenged children

• Constructing a new school including classrooms, kitchen and toilets in a remote village to open January 2008

• Providing medical care and nutritional support for babies and children

• Distribution of: 100,000 each of blankets & cooking pots, 75,000 tarpaulins, 40,000 each of buckets & basins

• Distribution of: 80 tons of soap, 200,000 each of mugs, plates and desert spoons, 25,000 jerry cans

• Distribution of: 450 bales of clothing

• Emergency flood response to 8,380 households – 36,405 people

• School Uniforms to 16,500 school children & school resources to 27,500 school children

• A number of children were sponsored to attend school and receive mobility aids

We have enjoyed the support of UNICEF, the Belgian Government, Memisa Belgium, District 1110 Rotary, Charlton House Catering, Hastings High School – Burbage, Greythorn Primary School - Nottingham, St. Hilda’s School – Harpenden and the Uganda Team from CCC, Denver, Colorado, USA. This is not an exhaustive list and we want to thank everyone else who has contributed. We have benefited from the field visits and professional medical inputs of Tim Miles (Milton Keynes) & Jan Conde (York) who prepared an excellent comprehensive report on Health Centres in Lira District.

INSTEAD OF A GREETING CARD: we have decided to support two particular projects. It costs just £2 to finance the cost of hospitalisation for a child or the safe delivery of a baby at a mission health centre. We would like to support hundreds of children and babies in 2008. Would you also consider supporting a child/children? Perhaps this Christmas you would help us by sending your gift marked “children/babies 2008”. Thank you.

With best wishes for 2008

George R Ridley
LightForce International
Director