Lumiere Charity: November 2012

Thursday, November 22, 2012

CHRISTMAS AND THE AGONY OF CRIME

Crime leads to untold agony for both victims and their families; and for the families of those who carried out the crime. It is the deed that never stops giving - pain and deep grief. As a victim of crime on a few occasions, I know the long term results and health costs that arise from crime.
If you are contemplating carrying out a crime and read these words, the best advice is Don't. Just don't.

Right now, millions of children have a mom or dad in prison. Angel Tree have a program that assists these little ones. This Christmas, in the spirit of Lumiere, why not help a little child crying at home for his or her mom or dad who aren't able to be with them.
And if you are in an area where there is no help for children of families affected by crime, why not start a group to assist them?

As Angel Tree tells us, the challenges of a prison sentence don't stop at the gate. When parents go to prison, their children also partake of their punishment, often struggling with poverty, shame, anger, abandonment and loneliness. Prison Fellowship's Angel Tree program delivers Christmas gifts and a personal message of love to children on behalf of the Mom or Dad behind bars.

CEO Jim Liske of Prison Fellowship Ministries sends regular bulletins to Lumiere Charity of the inspired work the Fellowship does. Among the wonderful ways Prison Fellowship ministers, is Angel Tree. Many children have an empty place at the table this Christmas; perhaps Divine Providence is calling on you to touch the lives of one of these innocent ones with a gift that will bring gladness in a season of joy...

For more information on Angel Tree, see link
http://www.prisonfellowship.org/programs/angel-tree/

PJM Angel Tree

Angel tree helping children
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ7RlORvKGk&feature=watch-vrec

Angel Tree

*With thanks to PrisonFellowship.org Angel Tree,Youtube

Hurricane Sandy - a candle has been lit

A candle has been lit by Lumiere Charity in remembrance of all who have suffered and lost their lives in Hurricane Sandy. Devastation and loss have been experienced by so many - in the spirit of Lumiere, is there any way you could help?

Christmas is coming - ideas on how to celebrate!

Desperately in need

Mark holding hailstone which hit the Coronation Camp recently

Christmas is coming soon and Lumiere Charity is gearing up to celebrate! Since the first of January we have been buying items on sales/ bulk offers for cheap prices/ special offers from book stores. Our large cardboard boxes have been packed, and we are packing them ready to go. For a number of years now Lumiere has been sending gifts in the Christmas spirit to children we have been helping over the world; India, Romania, Ireland, Uganda, South Africa. In the spirit of Lumiere, why not pack your own shoebox size gift, or big box if you have the means, and give it/ send it to someone really in need. And sometimes the person most in need may be in your own family, in your neighbourhood or in your village/ town/ city's poorer areas.

Things that are useful for Christmas gift boxes are schoolbooks; schoolclothes; combs; toiletries; books; clothing and underwear; suitable shoes for the climate; fees for the child's schooling or for the older youth's schooling/ graduation/ post graduation education. Food and/or subsidised meals for the child/ family are most helpful. I know that the recession has hit us all hard. But the beautiful result of the recession has been that the oldfashioned values of pulling together as a community, watching out for each other, learning to make do and to be thrifty are thriving and strong. Friendships are growing as we reach out to each other for help and support. If you can afford a small box to help someone in need, please think of this gift at Christmas. If you do not have the finances necessary for this, please support from your spiritual wealth with a prayer, a kind smile or a good deed in the spirit of Christmas. These are emotional and social sources of wealth in our communities.

Among the many projects which Lumiere Charity supports is that of Coronation Park, where Mark van der Walt ministers among the poor and destitute. The people in the area have been suffering greatly in the last few months. Since our last blog post, the camp was hit by hailstones with massive damage being caused at the Camp to the already poor dwellings. The camp has 240 residents with 76 children all in need of assistance; the youngest is three months old.

Finances have become so tight for Mark and his team of volunteers that they are battling to honour their commitments to the families they support. As well as assisting at Coronation Park, they assist in other areas, including;
Tearfull Eye - a creche which looks after children so that their parents are able to go and work
Doulos Ministries - care for ill and terminally HIV/ Aids positive children in Meyerton, South Africa
St Laurence's Children's Haven
Avril Elizabeth Home
Further blog posts will tell you more about these deserving ministries.
Why not make a donation towards Mark and his team's work this Christmas? Funds are tight and many are in need, especially children at their most vulnerable.
You can contact Mark at email
markvanderwalt@telkomsa.net
or
lumierecharity@yahoo.co.uk

*First photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette with permission, second and third photographs from
Mark van der Walt

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Breaking News - Pro-Life Rally Castlebar County Mayo

Massive Pro-Life Rally in Castlebar County Mayo
Today Lumiere Charity represented our dedication to the sanctity of life by taking part in the massive Pro-Life Rally in Castlebar, County Mayo in Ireland. Coaches, buses, cars streamed in from all over Ireland bringing people to the beautiful city. People with health disabilities came by wheelchair and with carers, braving the cold wet weather to take part in the Rally. Despite the icy cold and lashing showers, the crowds stretched in all directions as far as the eye could see.

Those to whom I spoke were from Kerry, Dublin, Mayo, Donegal, Monaghan, Knock, Galway, Ulster, Leinster, Ballinasloe, Maynooth. I was told by other people at the Rally that there were representatives from every part of Ireland.

As we were about to begin the Rally, I noticed a little boy of about six and his sister who looked about four, standing in front of me. The little girl said to her brother, "What are we doing here?"
Her brother looked down at her and answered, "Protecting all life."
The little girl considered this gravely for a few moments, and then said "Oh."
She gave him her hand, and the two of them turned to start walking alongside their parents in the Rally.
Ireland still has her greatest wealth; her children.

Walking the roads of Castlebar - only a tiny portion of the crowds

God has created each one of us - the beautiful words of the great prophet Jeremiah

Rally in the streets of Castlebar
The Rally took to the streets of Castlebar, wending through the streets. There were so many people that traffic came to a standstill. Posters showing the sanctity of life were everywhere. People prayed and sang as they walked. Speakers then spoke of the proud heritage of Ireland through the centuries; the decency and respect for life that has always been the hallmark of Ireland. People gave strong voice to their approval of this wonderful legacy.

Many groups were represented at the Rally. I had the privilege of speaking with Mrs. Carmel Waters who gave me the DVD entitled 'Prolife testimony and the Rosary of the Unborn.'
Please see the link below for the testimony.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43QfeVAmN2s

The ecumenical website for Pro-Life can be found at
http://www.prolife-humanlife.com/

In pregnancy crisis?
If you are a mother in pregnancy crisis, and not sure what to do, why not watch the following video. When making decisions, the best decisions with the most balanced consequences follow from knowing all the facts. Factual evidence shows that a baby's heart starts beating some days after conception. The baby already shows personality in the womb, such as sucking a favourite thumb. This little being inside you is a person, your son or daughter, albeit in very small form.
At the moment the sperm fuses with the egg, new and unique DNA is created, a tiny human being. From the very first moment of conception, the DNA begins growing at a rapid rate. Where there is growth, there is life. This is your little son or daughter.
At this great moment of conception, there are not only two people involved; Almighty God is involved in the great act of creation too. Each human being is gifted at the moment of conception with a unique soul, the spirit; that part of yourself which makes you unique, and which continues living for eternity after your human body completes its normal human cycle here on earth.
The conception is not just a random few body cells with no life in them; it is a human being with a soul gifted by the Divine in His own Image and Likeness, destined for an earthly life and an eternal destiny.

For development of your little baby in your womb, please see the following link;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoisqOGQIVE

The Adoption Option
If you need assistance, why not consider the Adoption Option?
The contact as given below is
Holy Love Information Centre
Knock County Mayo
Tel; 094-9376900