Hello everyone! This morning I was at an inspiring service which reminded us of One World Week and what it is about. Ken Dransfield, a retired headmaster and local preacher led the service with the assistance of a young adult Daniel and with guests from three different countries. He said that his sermon was their lives, which they shared with us. His first interviewee was Mr Patel who was a Ugandan Asian, who worked as an accountant until he was expelled from Uganda by Idi Armin and had to come to England with nothing. Ken’s son wanted to do something for the refugees and thanks to Ken’s and his son’s intervention five families were relocated in Harrogate thirty two years ago. Mr Patel had come to give thanks even though he was missing his Diwali celebrations today. What struck me about him was that could not understand why everyone in this country did not go to church to give thanks for all that we have and do not value. He was also careful to point out that his family had never depended on benefits and his four daughters all had jobs and his wife still worked from 5pm to 7pm each day at the hospital even though she was now 70!!
The second person we were introduced to was a young man of 30 from Tanzania who was working as a technician in a local secondary school. He was on a work placement at the school for a year. As a primary pupil he had to walk miles to school, but he was bright and worked hard and went on to secondary school and university at Dar-e-Salam. At university he was awarded a scholarship to study in the UK. His comment was about the lack of discipline in the school and in particular the disrespect towards the teachers shown by pupils who talked as the teacher talked and played music and had mobile phones in class!! This was a contrast to his experience of school where all pupils were keen to get an education and were used to discipline in schools.
The third person he introduced to us was Teng. His parents and grandparents were Chinese who lived in North Vietnam near to the border with China and they were expelled from that country and moved to Hong Kong and eventually to England. He had four sisters and one brother. He travelled to America to visit his aunt and one of his sisters. He travelled with his parents and two sisters and his brother. As they were travelling from his aunt’s house to his sister’s they were involved in a serious car accident, in which his parents, brother and two sisters were killed and he was seriously injured. Ken explained how they were all praying for him as it was thought he might not be able to walk again. He is now 17 and studying in a Harrogate secondary school and living with his cousin’s family. I really did feel sorry for him, as the memory of the loss of his family made him wipe tears away; he was so courageous to share that.
The last people he introduced were a couple, who like me have joined Wesley after Oatlands Chapel closed. It was a special day for Ray and Mary Pullen on October 20th when they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They had got married in Wesley Chapel and Mary had been christened there. It made the whole service special.
BRIGHT LIGHT 