Missionary Partners
Balerno Parish Church, through its World Mission Team has a strong partnership with Mission Partners in Jamaica in the West Indies, and other Christian missionaries with a connection to the Church in Cairo, Egypt and Mwandi, Zambia.
Roy and Jane
Dodman
Jane and Roy Dodman initially served as Missionary Partners
with the Church of Scotland as Social Workers. Ray subsequently trained for the
ministry and currently serves with the church of Jamaica and Grand Cayman
Islands at Shortwood Parish Church, Kingston, while Jane "juggles" her PhD
studies at Nottingham with a full time remit at the Mel Nathan Institute in
Hannah Town Jamaica.
Both are active in Jamaica's struggle to deal with poverty and the violence and social unrest which prevails there. World debt is crippling and nowhere more so that Jamaica. Their regular letters and visits have cemented a strong friendship. We enjoy a wonderful link with them.
Jamaica Education Support is a company which has been formed to manage the
funding of Roy and Jane`s work in Jamaica. Since the Church of Scotland made them
redundant at the end of last year Jamaica Education Support has taken over this role.
We are principally seeking funding from the Churches in Edinburgh and Perth Presbyteries
which have been `linked` with Roy and Jane over a number of years. In addition we have
had a good number of individuals who have given donations direct to Jamaica Education
Support. Roy and Jane intend continuing their work in Jamaica until Roy retires at the
end of 2010. We are looking to be able to support them over this period. Funding for
2006 is going well and we are now turning our attention to the other four years.
If anyone would like more information about Jamaica Education Support or would
like to support Roy and Jane financially then could you please contact
Bill Black or telephone 0131 449 6707)
Attached is the report of the Trustees visit to Jamaica in 2007 Trustees Report
Jane
Petty
Jane, a member of our congregation since she was in primary school,
currently works as an area coordinator for Tearfund
in Aceh province in Indonesia where she is responsible for a food security programme
as well as the building of some 300 homes.
Since 2005 she has worked for Tearfund in Burundi and DR Congo coordinating food
security programmes, water projects and food distribution as part of the Tearfund
Disaster Management Team. Previously Jane worked for Church of Scotland World Mission
as an Agricultural Development Co-ordinator based at Mwandi Hospital, Zambia; and as
a world exchange volunteer in Malawi.
Jane reminds us that partnership involves working with people, learning as much from them
as you can possibly teach them. A young woman with a passion for Christ and serving him.
Jane's latest newsletter is attached - January 08