Brass For Africa

BFA site   Web

News update -- 5 July 2004 bulletin

Ongoing Support for Congo:
July 2004 Visit by BFA representatives

As last year’s visit by Congo Evangelist Archdeacon Ise-somo and Bishop Masimango drew to a close, they met with the Brass For Africa Committee to talk about future plans. They made a request that some of the BFA committee visit Congo in the middle of 2004 before their proposed return visit to Australia in 2006. This was thought to be a good possibility for encouraging the church there, but it was not known then whether it was going to be feasible or not.

In mid 2003 requests for assistance to set up a dental clinic came from Aru in NE Congo. The Health Centre at Aru, is run by a missionary doctor, Francesca Elloway.

Fundraising...

With the kind assistance of Greg Hebblewhite and the Bird Yard Big Band, a fundraising CD was recorded in November 2003 and the Halas Dental Supply ordered 9000 copies as a 55th anniversary gift for dentists and technicians around Australia and New Zealand. Halas covered the not-inconsiderable costs of producing the CD’s plus went the extra mile and provided $15,000 worth of dental equipment.

Off to Congo...

In mid July, Graham and Wendy Toulmin & Gordon and Sally Andison will complete the project when they pick up the equipment which will be freighted to Kampala (the capital of Uganda) and then fly with the dental equipment into Aru in North Eastern Congo. They will then go on to Butembo to visit friends there and to Butembo to visit friends.

• Graham and Wendy were CMS missionaries in Congo (when it was known as Zaire) establishing the Anglican Dental Clinic in Butembo in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. They are founding Members of Brass For Africa which is an energetic ministry of Springwood and Winmalee Anglican Churches under the leadership of Senior Pastor Graham Crew.
• Gordon is an administrator, a Church Warden and one of the Church representatives on the BFA Committee and Sally is a BSF administrator and Graham’s indefatigable Senior Dental Nurse.

Special Thanks from the BFA Committee go to...

• Kerry and Christine Bartlett, Local Federal Member of Parliament;
• to Tony Stamboulie from Pack & Send;
• Gordon Anderson and the Halas Supply Company for the huge boost in getting this project off the ground not least the gift of $15,000 worth of dental supplies.
• Steve Jennings from Adec for the portable equipment at greatly reduced price;
• and to the members of Bird Yard Big Band for doing the CD (and to anyone who bought it). Get your copy by ordering it online or ringing in Australia 02 4751 9036 (before July 7 or after August 1) and asking for DENTAL AS ANYTHING.

Pray:

1. Please pray for the dental equipment to get there safely.
2. For the visit of the Toulmins and the Andisons to go smoothly and safely and that it might be a great encouragement to the suffering people of Congo.

Published in Blue Mountains Gazette:

• Dental as Anything Wednesday, 16 June 2004