BOLTON AND ROCHDALE METHODIST DISTRICT

________________________

HOME I  MISSION_STATEMENT  I DISTRICT_LEADERSHIP_TEAM  I CIRCUITS  I SYNOD REPORTS  I  DISTRICT_DIARY I EVENTS THIS MONTH I  YOUTH & CHILDREN I  EVANGELISM I MISSION  I NETWORK   I  TESTIMONY I EMPLOYMENT  I TRAINING I WORSHIP RESOURCES  I LINKS I FAIRTRADE I FRESH EXPRESSIONS I CONFERENCE I  PRESIDENTIAL VISIT I  METHODIST NEWS  I METHODIST CHURCH STATEMENTS I MRDF I ECUMENICAL NEWS & EVENTS  I  ANGLICAN-METHODIST_COVENANT  I INTERFAITH I

GRENADA

Newsletters from Andy Dye who started serving in Grenada in January 2010

Grenada July Prayer Letter

Grenada June Prayer letter 

March 2010

andrewldyeuk@yahoo.co.uk

Methodist Church Office, Lucas Street, St. Georges , Grenada  

One of the activities that I regularly help with here is the homework club at Bethel church.  This club was started by Rheta and Inez, both retired but active women in the congregation.  When the examination results for Grenada secondary schools were published last year, they read, as did others, that Grenada had some of the worst results in Maths and English in the region.  They felt they had to do something, so they prayed about it and then began the homework club.  It runs for a couple of hours after school each day for students in the local area to come to.  When they began it was just themselves and a few students.  Now others, some with backgrounds in teaching some without, have come on board to help and as many as 20 students can come along in an afternoon.  They have even received interest from other organisations who have donated text books and a couple of laptop computers for the students to use.  There are plans to provide snacks in the afternoon to keep students energy up and to further build links with the parents to encourage them in their sons and daughters education.  It is not a huge, costly project but it is effective in what its doing and it is good to be a part of it.  I think Rheta and Inez give a great example of seeing a need in the local community, praying and doing something practical to help.  I hope its an example I can learn from.  

Obviously one of the things that is different for me here is food.  I really enjoy buying and trying out different things. Also friends and neighbours give me fruit, vegetables and meals that are sometimes new and exciting to try.  Here are three recipes, two that are local and one that is mine in response to the heat!  

1.    Get a block of rolled Cocoa from someone who has a tree (it has cinnamon, bayleaf and nutmeg if you get if from the shop).  Grate it in to some milk. Add other spices to taste. Boil for a lovely Cocoa drink.  

2.    Take some fruit.  Make sure it is really ripe.  Perhaps a banana that has gone black or a melon that is soft.  Peal it (banana) or slice it up in to thin pieces (melon), put it in a plastic bag.  Pop it in the freezer.  Wait!
Now when it is hot you have a ready made tasty fruit-cical!  

3.    Take a yam (a bit like a tough potato), grind it and dry it.  Warm some milk.  Stir in some yam powder to the milk.  Now stir in some Grenadian chocolate. You now have a very filling Yam Chocolate porridge.  

My favourite food story is about the fish I bought.  It is my favourite story because the fish were very low in food miles! People in Cornwall are very fortunate because you can get all sorts of good food near to home.  Its similar in Grenada , the soil is rich so can grow lots of things and the sea is all around for fishing.  So one day this month, while I was down by the harbour going to get my car taxed, a small open boat tied up and a man began blowing a Conch shell like a horn.  This was to attract people to his boat, to get fish, just caught.  I had to try some! So I got a few, about 50cm long and thin, looking like a small sword fish.  After cleaning and cooking (20mins, 200C, foil, olive oil) they have been a very tasty meal. Total food miles...about 2 or 3.  

On Saturday mornings I have started doing football training with some boys at Wesley college.  For those who know my skill levels, don't worry another teacher is doing the training,  I am just helping. We start at 7.30am because of the heat and go until 10.30. Even though it is early I still get burnt which tells you what the sun is like here.  Anyway the football pitch is by the school but is also home to a bunch of goats who do the job of keeping the grass cut.  They do a great job but it can be a little off putting running along being watched by goats!  

Prayer points:  

·        Give thanks for Rheta and Inez in responding to a need with practical love, pray that others in Grenada may be inspired by their example.  

·        Give thanks for a continuing good response to youth meetings at Bethel church, pray that they would feel and experience that the church is theirs.  

·        Continue to pray for Haiti, that the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and Americas may continue to provide good support to the Haitian Methodist People in their work helping those in need.  

·        Give thanks for the recent showers which have stopped some of the bush fires but please pray for those still suffering from a lack of water, especially the most needy in society.  

·        For the staff and students of Wesley College as they take a break over Easter, that they may return for the long summer term refreshed.