Dear Friends,

September and October are the times of year that many churches remember Harvest in their calendars and we will be having our Harvest Celebrations on the weekend of 1st & 2nd October. Harvest is a time to thank God for His goodness and provision to us.

Yet, if you are like myself, you will have found yourself shocked and saddened by the news and images we have seen of the impact that Hurricane Katrina has had in America. There are many who have lost their lives, and many who have simply lost everything: their homes, their jobs – everything. According to reports, it will take a long time for people to recover. And at the same time, on the other side of the world, there are still many people struggling to recover from the Tsunami tragedy last year.

So what can we do? Well, we must not let these natural disasters, however inexplicable and senseless they seem to deter us from our faith in God. It is our faith and hope in God that reminds us that there will be a time when “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). And it is because of our faith, that there are Christian organizations, amongst the many relief organizations providing help and assistance to those in need now.

Let us this Harvest time, simply thank God that we have a roof over our head, we have enough food to eat, enough water to drink and we do not take this for granted. Let us this Harvest keep praying for those who have been affected by these tragedies and provide help where we can such as making a donation. Perhaps then those affected will be encouraged and strengthened to know that they are not alone and that above all God is there with them too.

May God bless you.
Paul Wood
Captain