For the past 3 years, St Albans Abbey have given Hands at Work a very generous gift from their missions giving support to our work in Swaziland. We would like to thank all those who fund raised.

'We look back and say we were at our happiest when we literally had nothing." There were three waves of the AIDS pandemic. The first wave was when people got infected, called the invisible wave. The second wave was when thousands of people started dying. The third wave is what Hands at Work is involved in now, caring for the orphans that were left behind.

Although this was our third stay with Nomsa it was our first visit to the new centre in Kaphunga, Swaziland and we were concerned to see how dirty and ragged the children were. One of the cooks commented to a young boy about the state of his clothes and he replied that he had no more soap.

 On one of the hills overlooking the community there is a full size labyrinth, marked out with slate, the narrow pathways filled with gritty sand. The idea is to walk the labyrinth slowly, following the paths that lead almost to the centre but not quite, then almost back to where you started but not quite, until eventually, with perseverance and patience, you reach the centre. It is a way of slowing down, of centring prayer,and of praying with mind and body. 

This year, Heather and I had the opportunity to spend three and a half weeks in Africa, split between Kachele Farm in Zambia and the Hub in South Africa. From a personal point of view, we felt this was much needed as it gave us a chance to 'be' rather than to 'do', and also re-charge our own batteries.

he following provides some stories of transformation taken from the second visit (July 22 to August9). Both visits focussed particularly on the charity Hands@Work but included making connections with Mercy Air and Baby Bear.

When Iain and Martin touched down on African soil in February 2013, it was to be the start of something special for them personally, and for their church back in the UK. Long term volunteers, Dan and Jen Waspe invited Iain and Martin to come and see for themselves what is happening through Hands at Work in Africa.

Becky Green is Head of Missions at The Forge Community Church, Debenham, Suffolk, which has been partnering with Hands in Zambia for several years. Here, Becky writes about her experiences during her recent visit with a team from the church:

In March, a combined team from Eternity Church, Guildford, UK and Liberty Church, Johannesburg, South Africa visited some of the CBOs Hands supports in South Africa. One of the UK team members, Tom Fenton, has put together this video montage of the trip. Tom himself is singing.

Becky Green is Missions Leader at The Forge Church, Stowmarket, Suffolk, which has been partnering with Hands for several years. Here, she tells her story about her recent trip to Zambia.‘In April, I had a non-stop crazy week in Zambia with my travel buddy Wendy.

"Is this the way to Amulo?" Sounds like a really annoying song that was out (again) a few years ago. Actually, it was what I found myself saying quite a lot in a car whilst bouncing on roads, that had more potholes than road, just outside Kitwe in the Copperbelt mining region in central Zambia.

'A year ago the opportunity to visit a “Hands at Work” conference and their operations in Zambia was handed to me, a gift which I unwrapped with enthusiasm and the deepest gratitude. They say that Africa can get under your skin. Three years in Kenya in the late 1980s left me with that feeling and so when my church, Greenfinch Church in Ipswich, UK, invited me to lead a team to Chilabula last year, a community in the Copperbelt that our church is now linked with, I offered minimal resistance. But enough of me.

I guess there are just a few moments in life when something strikes you so hard that you feel totally powerless and useless. Cue day 2 of my fortnight in Zambia, visiting homes in Chilabula, the village that our church has “adopted”. The harsh realities of everyday Zambian life hit me today like a runaway freight train.

Kim Burgess, a Forge Church (UK) volunteer, recently wrote to Hands at Work: In 2008 she had an unforgettable experience in Luanshya, Zambia. We'd like to share her story with you here.