Burundi with YWAM - Alison Gill

Alison's Prayer letters

Alison trained to do mission work in Burundi, Central Africa. Having completed an MSc in Therapeutic Counselling in 2007, she undertook a Reconciliation Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) in Belfast which ended in May 2008. In September 2008 she moved to Paris to do a French course at Les Cedres Christian French Language school as French is the second language in Burundi. At the end of October she returned to Belfast to study at Belfast Bible College whilst doing further staff training and Burundi team development with YWAM. Alison moved to Burundi in Spring 2009 to work on a YWAM team there. She is making excellent progress learning Kirundi, the local language. She hopes to help lead a small team within YWAM, training Church pastoral workers in churches around the country, in trauma listening skills and Christian inner healing methods. Burundi has suffered years of ethnic conflict and there is a great need for people to come to terms with the past. The church is asking for training in how to assist people in the process of healing, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Sierra Leone

On Monday 18th December 2006, a team of 8 people from St Wilfrid's church Horley went to Sierra Leone, West Africa for a Christmas with a difference, to make a difference.

Their ages range from 16 to 75 and they joined 4 others from Mission Direct and St Georges Foundation who have long-term project links with Sierra Leone.

St George's Foundation and Mission Direct make a difference to many lives in Sierra Leone. It is estimated that there are 3,000 children living on the streets of Freetown with twice as many boys as girls. What makes St Georges different to other street kids programmes, is that they focus on the most vulnerable; those under the age of 14 years.

Instead of traditional Christmas in church celebrating the birth of Christ, the team from St.Wilfrid's , Horley were demonstrating his love by working in Sierra Leone to show these children that they are not forgotten by the rest of the world. They will be giving of their time to help build additional accommodation such that 100 of these children per year can be taken off the streets, counselled, receive medical attention and re-enter education.

Your prayers and support would be welcomed for this and other ongoing projects in Sierra Leone.

Mission Direct 

Mission Direct is a Christian Charity enabling volunteers (like you!) to travel and bring practical help and spiritual hope to those in desperate need. Those we serve have profound needs and sometimes the poverty is overwhelming. Yet together we can impact the lives of individuals and communities making a real difference.