Mothers Union in Blackburn Diocese

The Mothers' Union is a worldwide Christian organisation with members in 71 countries

We support each other in the daily 'Wave of Prayer'

In Blackburn Diocese we have links with Shyogwe in Rwanda; Nsukka & Ibadan North in Nigeria; Sekondi in Ghana;  Bloemfontein now the 'Free State' in South Africa.

We pray regularly for these members and their families and maintain contact at Diocesan, branch and individual level.

Worldwide Update from Elizabeth Swarbrick

I have continued to send mu news to all our Links, but still I have not received any correspondence except from Free State. In November I received a letter from Mrs Delysia Hoehne, a member of St. Margaret’s Mothers’ Union (which is about three miles from Bloemfontein Cathedral). Delysia has been asked by Matito to be our correspondent and I have now had two letters with details of the projects which they are involved in and about their meetings.

Matito, the Free State MU worker, takes six copies of the mu news and has them translated for various branches. They used the Wave of Prayer service this year, so they were joining with us and praying for us all as we were using the service here. Matito has also sent their love and deepest sympathy to Bishop Alan, and to all of us, on the death of Mrs Jennie Chesters.

I have received Matito’s report for 2010 and thought that this, one of many stories, would be of interest. I shall share others in subsequent issues of mu news.

A Mothers’ Union member writes:

“There are many problems within the communities in South Africa. One of them is prostitution.

In Virginia, in the Goldfield’s Cluster, the mothers came across such a problem in one family, next to where one of the Mothers’ Union members is staying. It was one of the child-headed families, both parents are dead and the children are on their own. The eldest, who is a girl, is a prostitute. Unfortunately for her, she conceived and had a baby. She was also infected with the HIV virus.

The Mothers’ Union intervened, the Social Worker was notified about the whole incident and they came on board. The children were given a social grant and the older girl is now going for counselling.

She was given a domestic job by two members of the Mothers’ Union, Mrs Mafabatho and Mrs Mosikatsana. She is working different days in these two homes. She has left prostitution and her siblings are at school. They now have hope of a future.”

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