The Gloucester Methodist Circuit
 

Methodist International House Newsletter

MIH: Still Sharing and Caring in the 21st Century!

Welcome to our latest newsletter in this our 50th Year of looking after International Students, providing a good quality, clean, safe and homely environment. Perhaps I should make it clear it is 50 years of “MIH” looking after, not either myself or the staff team personally! Looking through the archives it is quite humbling to realise how much love and care, as well as personal sacrifice, has gone into sustaining MIH over the years. The Church ought to be proud of how well the people who have worked or volunteered here, have fulfilled Christ’s ministry of love and service. They have done so on shoestring budgets, unselfish giving and often against indifference or the disinterest of various fractions in the establishment. Fortunately there have been Ministers of vision and commitment who have steadied nerves over the years and without whom, who knows what fate what would have befallen the premises that make up the brick and mortar. To all who have in the past contributed to MIH survival, and all who continue to do so and will do so in the future, a heartfelt thanks. Without you, we could not do our part.

I reproduce below your personal invite to join in our celebration events. Obviously we do not expect (nor to be honest could we have space for) everyone to attend everything, but we hope that you might be able to join in some. God is good, so let us celebrate this fact together!

Mark [Warden]

Dear All,

We are pleased to announce that Methodist International House is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The Management Committee, Warden Team and the Friends of MIH are planning a series of events to mark this very special year. MIH would not be what it is without your contribution, so please accept our invitation to the following events:

 

The Bristol New Rooms (John Wesley’s Chapel) are also organising a programme of events in 2007. These are to celebrate the 300th Anniversary of Charles Wesley and the 200th Anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. Events include:

Sidmouth conference

Last year in November, the group of students and staff went to Devon to join Methodist For Word Mission South West Conference at Sidmouth. One Friday afternoon we loaded a car and full of expectations headed to south coast.

Maurizio, Chayma, Sonia and me had some picture of what it would be like thanks to Mark and Sheila, but still were a little bit worried what kind of contribution could we make at the conference called “ON THE EDGE” – “Exploring how the Church in Britain can catch the vision and fire of the World Church”.

Our worries disappeared as soon as we reached the welcoming atmosphere at the Sidmouth hotel and beautiful south coastline. Rev. Tom Stuckey was the main speaker talking not only about his exciting journeys and missions around the world but also about different faces of faith he came across while travelling. We met a lot of inspiring people at the conference who make huge amount of contribution to community life around England. Just to mention some of the great events they organize at their local churches, I cannot forget about organizing trips for elderly people and disabled, Sunday services for families and teenagers, mum and toddlers groups and much more. I discovered the other face of Church at Sidmouth, the one which is not necessarily so formal and centralized within the church as a building itself or within the family, but rather lively within the community with the focus on helping to each other. At the end, that is what makes life worthwhile – ‘ investing into others’ .

Zuzana (Deputy Warden).

{Editorial comment: Investing into others is what MIH does best, as do other specialist houses like Bristol’s Hodgkin House, although we do it slightly better of course.}

 

UPDATE.

Since the September Newsletter there have been various things happening in the life of M.I.H.

Only three female students attended the Victoria Barn Dance in October, more had planned to go but failed to turn up! The buzz around MIH for at least a week afterwards was that they had managed to dance with Mark (The Warden!). What, of course they did not know was that Sheila and Mark used to do a lot of Barn Dancing in our early courtship and newly married years!

The Conference at Sidholme, Sidmouth was again a success and Zuzana has written her observations on it. Since the last newsletter she has been promoted to Deputy Warden, so congratulations to her.

In February Ubah Osman one of our assistant wardens left our employment to settle into a new life ready for her second child joining her family in April. She could have had maternity leave, but chose not to as she wished to travel to Africa soon to see her relatives. We wish Ubah all the best for the future and thank her for her contribution to the staff team at MIH. We never know, she might return to work here again at some point in the years ahead! At the time of going to press we have advertised for a replacement and ask for your prayers that we might appoint the right person. We had eleven enquiries to date.

For those who remember reading the report on “Operation Phonex” in the September issue, you might want to know that the November exercise door guard role was played by Tjardy, a lad from the Netherlands. The score now is Girls 2, Boys 1.

MIH has been granted a Licence under the new House of Multiple Occupancy regulations, although we have been given a year to rearrange and modify our self-catering kitchen facilities. Please pray that we get this right when the work is done in the summer.

2007 got off to a damp start when on January 2nd a hot water pipe burst in the ceiling of The Warden’s Flat’s lounge. Water damage caused some of the electrics to fail on January 27th and some rewiring had to be done. It was the end of the month before the lounge was restored to normal, only to have the water come pouring through the ceiling in another place (but on the line of the pipe) on the afternoon of February 1st! Staff just could not believe it.

This second flood has done substantial damage to the room and major restorative work has been necessary, due to be completed by mid-March. Mark, Sheila and Peter have now been “camping” in the lounge for the whole of this time and desperately long for normality to return. One amusing story, though, relating to it took place on Thursday 15th February. We were told that most of the furniture would have to be moved out within 24 hours and the workmen would be here to shift it. Fortunately, with the daughters having left home we do have a spare bedroom in the flat and so it was the obvious choice for as much as possible. The area outside the room is our coat and shoe storage area. Once the workmen had gone and the corridor to that bedroom completely barricaded off. Mark asked for his shoes. Yes, you have guessed, all of his shoes were in the far bedroom, along with coats, St John uniform, and so on. Fortunately, Sheila had remembered to get a suitcase out for their holiday. Mark had to dash downtown in the gardening Wellington boots in order to buy a new pair of shoes. As of 14th March Mark still hasn’t yet been able to retrieve the originals…

Thank You Card Received.

Agneiszka (from Poland) recently left MIH after an eighteen month stay. She wrote:

“Thank you very much for all these nice moments making my stay at MIH very special and for all you’ve done and bring into my life!”

Friends of M.I.H.

"Friends" is an informal linking of individuals and groups who take an interest in the life of the House and work together to express this in active support, financial gifts, prayer or all three.

There are three main ways in which these aims are furthered:-

Who can be a Friend?

Anyone - an individual, family, church or group who is in sympathy with the aims of M.I.H. and wish to show support for a year or longer period.

Friends are invited to make an annual subscription which entitles them to attend and participate in the A.G.M., receive periodic newsletters as well as to contribute ideas and support for the various planned events. If you wish to join please return the form below:

Rodney House
Clifton Down Road
Bristol BS8 4AL
0117 9735170

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