Dear Friends,
First of all, we wanted to send this Newsletter at Christmas to express our gratitude for all your contributions and prayers in recent weeks and months. It has been very gratifying to discover that Margaret Lawson’s painstaking work, assisted by Pat Moran, has re-established contact with many who have been supporting PCDC’s work, sometimes for many years. Margaret, together with husband Steve, who is now getting settled in as our Treasurer, are determined that we shall do everything we can to keep our records up to date.
| Continued uncertainty
In our last Newsletter we shared the tragic news that Mahmoud (our ‘ambassador’ on the spot in Palestine) and his brother had suffered the horror of having their homes demolished by Israeli soldiers. We explained that this is sadly not an unusual experience. We (particularly Malcolm) have been in touch with all our schools in the last couple of months. We are constantly amazed by the stamina shown by teachers and children, despite the uncertainty brought about by the war in Gaza, which has ground on for month after month. Our friends in Palestine are very grateful for our continuing support, including our prayers, whilst this situation continues. |
Practical Compassion Providing financial support for destitute families has always been at the heart of our mission. At times like this, people are not always able to reach their places of work, some have lost their jobs, some haven’t been paid for weeks or months. The trustees met in October to consider, child by child, what we could do in the current school year. Many of the grants we agreed have now been sent to Palestine. We had to reduce the amounts of many grants this year. As we reported in our last Newsletter, PCDC’s income has been dropping in recent years, as supporters from the beginning have died or their circumstances have changed. We are hoping that the situation is now stabilising or even starting to improve again. Hope: the greatest Christmas gift When those of us who participate regularly in Christian worship gather at Christmas, we hear the word ‘hope’ a great deal. The search for hope began centuries before the birth of the Christ-child in Bethlehem. Life in this world which God has created for us has been beset by trials and difficulties, largely because human beings prefer to pursue our own way rather than trusting God’s ways. So one of our principal tasks as God’s people is to work together in creating hope. I give thanks for those who launched PCDC almost thirty years |
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| ago, as a way of bringing hope to children and families in Palestine. | |
When I look at Christmas cards or cribs with their pictures of the holy family, shepherds, or wise men, I try to see our work in PCDC as a continuation of those stories, bringing the wonder of the first Christmas into 2024, into the present reality of the Holy Land. |
Thank you for all that you contribute to that hugely important task of creating hope in today’s world. I hope you will enjoy Christmas with friends and loved ones, and begin the New Year ready to continue the never-ending work. With my love and prayers, Richard Hill Canon Richard Hill became Chair of PCDC in 2023. You can contact him on 07597 933 367 or by email at collis.rick@gmail.com |
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