The Shepherd, November 2007
BUILDING PROGRESS
THE REFURBISHMENT of the Old Mortuary building is now underway. The wing which will comprise the exhibition room and the disabled lavatory has had the previous walls removed and new ones installed, and the two rooms which are to provide overnight guest accommodation have had their doorways re-sited. Unfortunately, we have found a serious problem with damp and had to await a report on how best to deal with it. It seems that a proper treatment of this problem might add about £6,000 to our costs, however it is advisable to deal with the problem adequately now rather than storing up troubles for the future, and the work is presently well underway. Further work has also been done on the hard landscaping around the new house, and most of the minor problems within it have been dealt with except for an on-going one with an ever-expanding floor! We have just ordered candle-making equipment for the new factory from a firm in Denmark who have been extremely helpful. This, D.V., will enable us to begin our candle-production again within a month or so.
PLANTING PROJECT
ANNIE SHAW has drawn up a list of the trees, shrubs and plants that we will need to replace those trees cut down, provide the necessary hedging to protect our privacy and provide a suitable setting for the new house. She has managed to negotiate very favourable terms and, at this stage, we can purchase without VAT because it is all part of a new building scheme. On the church notice board we have posted a list of the plants and their prices, and we are asking supporters to donate sums to sponsor a plant, or several, or even many! Also in the near future we will need some keen volunteers to help with the actual planting. We ask you to help us in both these respects, by donating towards the costs and by helping with the work, and we look forward to your usual good response.
FURNISHING
SEVERAL people have given items of furniture for the new house, and we are very grateful for the gifts which we acknowledge in the insert. Special thanks, however, are due to Chris and Ioanna Georghiou of Guildford who in selling up their B&B gave us seven beds with mattresses and all the necessary bedding, wardrobes and cupboards, - all in good condition and immaculate order. Our thanks again too to George Govorusa for helping to transport these things.
BUILDING FUND TOPS £640K!
AS OF NOW, the Building Fund Total stands at £640,394.13. This is less than £10K short of our original target. In consideration of the damp problem mentioned above and one or two other extra costs, we might well have to adjust our target, but we will inform supporters when we have a clearer picture of the situation. In the meantime, please continue your support. Through the mercies of God and the prayers of St Edward, we have achieved something which is little if anything short of miraculous for such a small community, but although we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel with regard to the first two phases of the whole project (the new house, and refurbishment of the mortuary building) we still have to undertake the re-roofing of St Edward’s Church. Please keep supporting us by your prayers and by your monetary offerings. Let us try and meet the original target, £650,000, by the end of the year!
PRACTICAL TIP
WE LEARN by example from our earliest years, but in the Christian life, we must be careful to assess the examples we are given and to follow only that which is good, which is to our spiritual benefit. This might seem to be obvious, but if we are attentive to ourselves we will find time and time again, we do the opposite. We assume if someone else does something, that we may too. Of course we may, but as the Apostle says: “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient” - that is: not to our spiritual profit. And as the obverse of the same coin, we should always be aware of the spiritual danger to ourselves and to others of giving a bad example.
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