TEARFUND works through churches and Christian agencies to open up brighter futures for the world''s poorest communities, and to see lives and situations transformed by God''s love through the generosity of Christian people. It also responds to world emergencies, providing vital supplies of aid and medical equipment to disaster areas, and supplying food and shelter through local organisations to avoid delays.
Gordon and Brenda Wilkinson are the South East Reps, and also sell Tearcraft goods at local events. They have also sold almost 3000 copies of their book, ''Recipes for Disaster''. See them for a copy - they also make excellent Christmas presents, all in aid of Tearfund!

Brenda and Gordon Wilkinson, both Tearfund volunteers from St. John''s Church have compiled a book of recipes from 25 countries where Tearfund operates, in aid of the charities relief work. Recipes for disaster. relief and development is brimming with tasty starters, mains and desserts from 25 countries across four continents. The Wilkinsons had the idea while eating rice and beans for two weeks on a Tearfund study tour to the Honduran rainforest. €˜This book has taken us on an inspirational journey as we set about collecting recipes from friends, contacts at Tearfund and Tearfund partners overseas,’ says Gordon. €˜Most recipes are delicious €“ I love the Burundian green banana and the Bengali fish in mustard sauce €“ but one or two are deliberately bland, to show what life is like where food is limited. €˜You can choose a recipe and pray for the people Tearfund is helping, afterwards or as you say grace,’ says Gordon. Each recipe works for home or church meals, and comes with information about the country it’s from and how Tearfund is working there. To order your copy email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or send a cheque for £7 to B Wilkinson at PO Box 78, East Grinstead RH19 2YW. Of your £7, at least £5.50 will go to Tearfund.

Representatives: Gordon and Brenda Wilkinson 01342 311516

Bribery just isn’t cricket

SNOOKER FANS have been shocked by the allegations surrounding world No. 1, John Higgins. In a classic ‘sting’ operation, Higgins and his manager Pat Mooney were filmed in a Kiev hotel room apparently agreeing to lose games in a forthcoming match in return for £260,000 from an illegal Far East gambling syndicate.

Higgins and Mooney claim that they only agreed to the deal because they were intimidated by men that they believed were linked to the Russian mafia.

The disclosure followed news a few weeks earlier that cricket’s Indian Premier League’s organiser Lalit Modi, had been suspended following a corruption scandal that has shocked  India’s passionate cricket-watching public. Among the allegations of match-fixing, illegal betting, money-laundering and bribery, Modi is accused of pocketing an $80 million share of IPL’s television rights.

Across the sporting world, the threat from match-fixing is now thought to be greater than that from doping. Financial gains from these illegal activities are enormous.

When Brenda and I were travelling with Tearfund in Colombia, police motorcycles stopped our coach to check our travel papers. They said that the documents allowed the coach to go to the destination, but it couldn't carry passengers. A small bribe would allow them to overlook the discrepancy. Our Tearfund partner’s representative was absolutely clear: all the money he had available had come from donations to the charity by people just like those on his coach and there was no way that it could be used for a bribe. We sat on the coach and prayed. Half an hour went by, then when the police realised they weren't going to get any money, to save face they gave us a motorcycle escort to our destination!

Some years earlier, Tearfund sent a jeep to an African country where it was held at the dock because an official insisted on a bribe. Tearfund said that it would leave the jeep there to rust rather than pay the money. Eventually, the authorities needed the space and released it.

Checking on the Internet about how Christians might deal with bribery surprised me: many said that they would be willing to pay up in this kind of situation (http://locustsandhoney.blogspot.com
/2008/01/case-study-in-christian-ethics-bribery.html).

But God is clear on this issue: read 2 Chronicles 19:7 - ‘Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.’

Gordon Wilkinson

Haiti: Churches and individuals have entrusted Tearfund with a staggering £5.3 million towards relief and        rebuilding work in Haiti. Acting on the advice of its local church partners, Tearfund was first on the scene in many remote rural areas and has met the    immediate needs of more than 30,000 people and 25 schools. Tearfund’s   partners have also established a long-term presence in 20 different locations providing more permanent shelters, water and sanitation and trauma     counselling.

Tearfund's Catalyst Roadshow 12th June 2010: Tearfund knows the      potential that inspired volunteers hold to help fight injustice by raising   awareness, prayer support, income, campaigning action and more. That’s why they’re taking to the road with Catalyst. This is a real opportunity to come together with other volunteers and keen supporters to share ideas and to learn more about Tearfund. Our local Catalyst event will be just down the road at St Mary’s Church in Crawley on 12th June from 10am-3pm.

St John's Harvest Service on Sunday 3rd October: We are also pleased to announce that there will be a Tearfund speaker at the service this year. John Archer, one of Tearfund's new Specialist Volunteer Team, will be speaking our 10 am family service.

Please join with us to give thanks for the wonderful support that we have   received for our cookbook, Recipes for Disaster... Relief and Development. We have now reached our target, which was to raise £25,000 from sales of the   cookbook. Thank you to everyone who contributed recipes or tested them for us and especially to Jon Toogood who  donated his design talents and turned it into a publication of which we could be really proud.

For further information, please contact Brenda or Gordon Wilkinson