Newsletter July 2005

MU BRISTOL NEWSLETTER July 2005

This newsletter is going to focus on the OVERSEAS section of our Action and Outreach Unit.

In April we welcomed Julia Lettey as our new Overseas Rep. Her phone number is 0117 9562957. She is already very knowledgeable about Uganda because she has long been on the Uganda link committee and she is fast getting to grips with our other links. How many, of you can name all our links and find them on a map of the world? (answers on the back but don't look yet!) Julia is willing to come and speak about them and shehas lots of ideas for encouraging our interest.

VISIT OF THE MELANESIAN BROTHERS

One of our links is in Melanesia. Do you know which one? (answer on the back but don't look yet!) On TUESDAY JUNE 14^th we will entertain some Melanesian Brothers who will be travelling from Chester Diocese to Exeter. We will have a bring and share lunch with them and learn something about their work and Melanesia itself. Their mission is to bring peace to the islands. In this year of peace and reconciliation it will bewonderful to hear how they tackle this on a practical basis. Afterwards we will share a service of Holy Communion led by our chaplain, Brendan Clover. Your branch and deanery leaders have details.Do _come and loin us.

VISITS FROM LINK DIOCESES

From time to time we have visitors from other countries or from other dioceses. Julia would like to hear from members who would be willing to host visitors especially at short notice! Sometimes visitors - from Africa inparticular - find it difficult to get visas and we do not know far in advance if they are coming and when.

VISITS TO LINK DIOCESES

Several members are going to visit our links this year and will doubtless be willing to tell your branch all about their experiences in due course. Do continue to make small gifts for our overseas friends. They do appreciate them. We do have a 'Link Fund' which was set up to be used to help fund invitations to Bristol Diocese MU from and to our Links.

Should anyone be visiting any of our Links on a personal or deanery invitation we can provide a small number of MU badges to take as gifts. We also need to keep the fund topped up so remember it in your fund raising efforts as during 2004 we only received contributions from two Branches. Do continue to use your overseas boxes too. Those lp 2p and 5p pieces soon add up if you download them regularly from your purse!

ANSWERS - Banks and Torres in Melanesia„ Johannesburg in S. Africa, Matlosane in S. Africa, Oturkpo in Nigeria, West Ankole in Uganda

THEME FOR 2006-ANSWERING GOD'S CALL

This is a message from Jennie Jones and Fleur Dorrell in the Prayer and Spirituality unit at MSH

Answerine God's Call. It affirms our beliefs that, as individuals and as part of MU and the Church, each of us is seeking God's will in our lives. In an election year it is vital to all of us that we pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we look for members who will succeed others at the end of their term of office. YOU might be one of those people. 2006 is not the year to be looking in your shoes! Instead, make eye contact with the person who is trying to invite you to allow your name to be put forward for an office. Our God is a God of surprises but He will never force himself upon us. Give yourself a chance to be surprised!

MESSAGE FOR BRANCH LEADERS When you get your copies of this newsletter, can you write each member's name on a copy so we know everybody gets one?

My thanks and every blessing,

Rosemary