Mothers’ Union Overseas Links: Report Feb 2022

Links between Coventry Diocese and……..Akot, South Sudan; South West Tanganyika, Tanzania; Aba and Irele-Ese Odo, Nigeria; Cuttack, India; Kapsabet, Kenya. Wave of Prayer: Dec 3rd – 5th

Links between Kapsabet Diocese and Coventry Diocese

Background:

• There has been a companionship link between Kapsabet Diocese and Coventry Diocese since 2017, its vision being: “particularly prayerful, seeking Kingdom relationship and opportunities to learn from and be enriched by each other primarily.”
• Partnerships and potential partnerships between clergy, churches, schools, hospital chaplains, Mothers’ Union etc. For friendship, prayer, greater awareness of each others’ lives – spiritual and practical. Hopefully visits and email communication.
For Mothers’ Union:
• Mutual learning about MU in a different context, global, relationship with the church, community and families.
• Potential links through email and social media
• Focussed prayer

Visiting Kapsabet:

What is the purpose of a visit?

➢ To build stronger relationships between MU members in both dioceses
➢ To learn and understand more about the lives of MU members, family and community life in Kapsabet and share this learning with MU members and others in Coventry Diocese
➢ To encourage MU in Kapsabet, by our visit – worshipping, praying, friendships
➢ For MU in Coventry diocese to pray in a more focussed, meaningful way
➢ For MU to be part of a wider Diocesan Team, thereby being part of the “Companion Links” group and raising the profile of MU in our diocese
➢ To encourage individual MU groups across our diocese to forge additional links, where appropriate
• Jane Hill joined a team from the diocese, led by Bishop John, in 2019. Opportunity to meet MU members, hear about what they were doing, learn about their lives, worship together. Several opportunities followed within Coventry Diocese, speaking at branch meetings.
• Proposed visit from the Diocese to Kapsabet in May 2022. It was hoped to take a wider team including 2 or 3 MU members. However, for various reasons, this team visit is not now taking place, although Rev Richard Suffern and his wife Jacqui (both MU members) will be visiting Kenya.

Possibility?

• It is hoped that a visit to Kapsabet will be planned for 2023, with a wider team from the Diocese, including 2 or 3 MU members.
• So, suggestions in preparation for this are:
o More awareness raising amongst our members, of life in Kapsabet Diocese, particularly MU.

o Possibly a members’ event later this year – day/half day to celebrate and learn more about MU in an international context, and specifically our overseas links.

Jane Hill

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