From:-
TORCH TRUST FOR THE BLIND, Torch House, Torch Way, Northampton Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 9HL, U.K.
Telephone: (01858) 438260, Fax: (01858) 438275, email: info@torchtrust.org
Charity Number 1095904.
I write this during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Prayer is our vital link with God himself, and as it draws us towards God surely it must also draw us closer to each other. The Bible challenges us to make our prayer both constant and fervent.
More than ever, I am conscious of the fundamental importance of prayer in the life of Torch. This is God's work and we are totally dependent upon Him. We need your prayers. Jesus encouraged persistence in prayer and also indicated that agreement in prayer is significant: "If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:19).
I plan to write a biannual Prayer Letter to those who have a desire to pray with us in a more informed way. I will write next in advance of our annual Day of Prayer on 1st May so that you can join with us on that special occasion, then again after our Thanksgiving on 25th October.
For those who have a particular desire to pray for the overseas work of Torch and its international partners, Janet Stafford is starting a new bulletin, "International News for Praise and Prayer", to be sent out three times annually in print and audio.
[To receive the biannual Prayer Letter or the International News for Praise and Prayer, please contact Torch House: Tel 01858438260 or email info@torchtrust.org]
We used to talk of the two arms of Torch: Literature and Fellowship. But Torch's development is such that it's now more appropriate to recognise 4 dimensions to the mission. In each of the four areas we have appointed a leader with a mandate for the development of the work. And there's plenty to do in the year ahead ...
You might have thought the cassette tape died out years ago but for many blind and partially sighted people it is still the favoured audio medium and Torch will continue to offer it as long as the demand remains. However in recognition of the convenience and improved sound quality of CDs we are now planning to offer all our magazines in audio CD format.
To cope with the anticipated demand we have purchased a multi-copier for CDs and now need to buy a suitable multi-printer to print on the disks as they are copied . Although the CDs will not be re-useable they only cost a few pence each and take less time to produce than a cassette.
If you already have magazines from Torch on audio cassette just listen out for the announcement telling you when it will be available on CD. Apart from this magazine, the other titles that will become available on CD during the year are:
Don't forget to tune into Torch's weekly radio programme. It goes out at 9 pm (or soon after) each Saturday evening. So far the topics covered have included an exploration of technology/gadgets for blind and partially sighted people, a Christmas reflections programme, plenty of Marilyn Baker's music, and various testimony programmes such as those of Jennifer Rees-Larcombe and Tracey Williamson where they share how God has touched their lives. By the time you receive this magazine over 20 programmes will have been broadcast.
Some who have missed a programme have asked if they can get copies. We can now offer to send them to you on audio CD. If you are blind or partially sighted these can be sent to you by Articles for the Blind freepost. If however you are sighted we will ask you to cover the costs involved. A donation of £5 annually is recommended. Please use the reply slip on the back of the mailing label or contact Torch House if you wish to be added to the distribution. We are making plans to have these programmes available for download from the Internet later this year.
You can tune into Premier Radio on any of the following:
in the London area 1305, 1332, 1413 MW | DAB | elsewhere: Sky Digital 0123 | Virgin Media 968 | Freeview 725 | Internet: www.premier.org.uk
A remarkable feature of the Bibles that The Gideons distribute is the section at the front that gives guidance on where to look in Scripture to find help for a circumstance or answers to a question. This section is separately published by The Gideons as a booklet, called Bible Helps.
Working with The Gideons International in the British Isles, Torch has produced Bible Helps in braille and giant print. Few blind and partially sighted people have a complete Bible they can access, so the text of the principal references has been included. Iain Mair, Executive Director, comments, "We are delighted that Bible Helps is now accessible to blind and partially sighted people".
Bible Helps in braille and giant print is now available from The Gideons and from Torch House. A DAISY audio edition is in preparation. For more information about The Gideons follow the link on the Torch website.
One of many moving testimonies of God answering prayer on Janet Stafford's recent trip to Malawi...
When we arrived, Mrs Butcha was emerging from a screen made of dry grass where she had been washing herself from a bucket of water. Her skin was still glistening - she had no towel. I took a piece of soap and placed it near her nose; her reaction was explosive: "For three months I have prayed for this," she said. She was so jubilant. (Imagine what it must be like to bath or shower with no soap.)
"My husband and I have been praying to God each day asking for food, for we had none in the house. For almost a week we've had nothing to eat and have been living on fruits and dirty food which we could pick from bins in the market. Sometimes we stayed without food. Your visit today has been an answer to our prayers. Yes, God hears when we cry," said Mrs Butcha.
Both Mr and Mrs Butcha are blind and a godly couple. Hearing what she said, and looking at her face we could see she had lost a lot of weight and her face was swelling. Even though she looked ill, she was so happy and thanked God for keeping her alive. Money for food was provided to them and both of them thanked the Lord for the provision. "Our God is real ..." said Mr Butcha.
A few minutes after we had driven from Mr and Mrs Butcha's house we saw Mrs Butcha carrying a basket on her head - she was off to the nearby market to buy maize flour.
Prayer: Lord God, we recognise you have a particular compassion on the margins of society, the needy, the afflicted, the weak and the imprisoned - and you love them so deeply. Inspire us to uphold the down-trodden and to serve them with that same compassion, justice, integrity and love. Amen.
When you see people wading through rivers that used to be roads, up to their waists in water, it might seem strange to say there is a water shortage, but this is the case in parts of Malawi and Mozambique that have been flooded. Cholera remains a major threat in rural areas. Food shortages and malnutrition have a direct effect on individual susceptibility to diseases, and the level of an epidemic will be directly related to people's access to food and safe water. Floodwater in some areas is already higher than last year and they are only partway through the rainy season.
There are many blind people among the thousands displaced in Malawi and Mozambique who are living today in terrible conditions we can hardly imagine. They suffer from the constant poverty that surrounds them, and now this has been heightened by the recent floods. They wonder where their next meal will come from. They wonder when, or if, help will ever arrive. They have little hope. The large scale loss of harvest will cause shortage of food in months to come.
Lapson Mbewe reports, "I have gathered from brethren in Mozambique, areas which have been affected are Mutarara, Nyang'oma, Khaya and Sena. These areas have many blind people. In most cases floods come at night. Some of the blind people have no one to guide them, no one to stay with them, so where are these people now? How is the situation with them? The Shire Valley area of Malawi has also been affected. Last year it was bad in Chapananga area, other parts of Ngabu and the Eastern Bank. We ask God why this again? But we thank the Lord for we know that He has good plans for us and all those who love Him. Please pray."
To the countries where there is flooding,
rescue Lord, while there is time.
To the countries where food is scarce,
mercy Lord, while there is still time.
To the countries where crops have been washed away,
provide Lord, while there is time.
To countries where blind people are fearful,
security Lord, while there is time.
In the countries where we have plenty,
set our hearts on sharing this time.
In countries where we feel in control,
set our minds on justice at this time.
In countries where we forget those in need,
set our prayers on Mozambique and Malawi at this time.
Amen.
[As you read this a container of goods is on its way to Malawi, which will help in some small way those who have been affected by the flooding. Janet (Stafford) will be going to Malawi on March 17th - please pray!]
Torch has many contacts in Kenya either magazine recipients or members of fellowship groups. Many have been affected by the current unrest and fighting. Our brothers and sisters need our prayers.
New Light - Nueva Luz in Spanish - is the name of the Madrid-based mission that is the nearest equivalent to Torch for the Spanish-speaking world. Spanish is among the most important international languages, but Nueva Luz is very small - with just three staff plus volunteers. Señor Antonio Padilla, an evangelical Christian leader, founded Nueva Luz after he lost his own sight through an accident in middle age. He has developed the work in Spain and established links with many Latin American countries, but is now in his 80's and quite unwell.
We feel led by God to help Nueva Luz at this critical time, despite the cost to Torch. Paul Wood, whose Spanish wife, Susana, is a member of the church where Señor Padilla worships, is to be seconded to work with him. Together they will seek to secure the long-term future of the work which includes running an audio library of Christian books, producing and distributing audio magazines, distributing braille Bibles and running braille correspondence courses.
Please pray for Nueva Luz, for Señor Padilla's health and for Paul, Susana and their baby Lidia as they prepare to relocate to Madrid.
[We plan to include, in each issue of Torch Family News, a partnership country for prayer. This time we hear from David Judson who, with his wife, has worked for many years among visually impaired people in the Middle East.]
It's a year since we retired from our work with Middle East Christian Outreach. After 40 years serving in Lebanon, Egypt and latterly in Larnaka, Cyprus, our return to the UK has brought many changes. But the Lord has been faithful. In Jeremiah one morning, we read, "The Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do", and that very day we put in an offer for a house and committed ourselves to be part of a new church plant in north-east Leeds. We've also been able to link up with the Leeds Torch Fellowship Group, so our connections with Torch continue - these started back in 1970 when we were part of the first Torch Fellowship Group in Birmingham, and over the years we have appreciated the fellowship and prayers of the Torch Family.
We are still concerned for the work amongst the blind people in the Middle East. Last March we had a farewell trip to Beirut, and had wonderful reunions with staff and former pupils of the Evangelical School for the Blind. The work continues under the new name of BLESSED - The Benevolent Lebanese Evangelical School for Special Education and Development.
In Egypt, the work of Shams el Birr, the "Sun of Righteousness" Society, now includes other handicaps as well as visual. Dr Morcos was greatly encouraged by his visit to Torch House last summer and returned to Cairo with new ideas. Over 60 young Egyptians are being cared for at the Centre in 6th October City, an amazing new city in the desert outside Cairo.
We rejoice in the Lord's faithfulness, and praise Him for the ongoing work. Retirement? There's still plenty to do for Him!
The Torch singers have been out and about a fair bit recently, on average about once a fortnight. Each occasion is different, and each has had its own purpose and blessing.
We have supported Clive Leakey at churches and blind clubs in his work of starting new fellowship groups in Coventry and Bedford, and in setting up new ones in Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough.
And we don't just sing. We all speak about the particular role we play in Torch, so between us we manage to cover most avenues of our mission. It has been exciting to see people getting involved with the local groups as a result.
Choirs are always busy around Christmas - and no exception for us! At the beginning of December the Bridlington TFG invited us for the weekend. We took as the base for our Christmas programme the J John booklet, "What's the point of Christmas?". Having whetted the appetite of people, we were able to give each blind person a copy of it to take home with them, either in braille, giant print or on cassette. Sadly the sighted people suffered discrimination as we didn't have any standard print copies! Emmanuel Church, where the group meets invited us to take part in their morning worship - the church sees the Torch group as a vital part of it's mission, which is great.
Music can soften us, and after the programme often people tell us that they have been drawn closer to Jesus. That is always good to hear.
We are excited and delighted to announce the appointment of two new Regional Coordinators in Northern Ireland. Stan Lightowler and Ian Wilson have both kindly agreed to help assist Cecil and Irenee Bingham by supporting our current network of Torch Fellowship Groups in the province. Both Stan and Ian are already actively involved in Torch Groups; Stan at Coleraine and Ian with the Young Adults Group.
Stan will cover the Groups at Belfast, Coleraine, Glengormley and Lisburn. Ian will look after those at Craigavon, North Down, Fermanagh/West Tyronne and the Young Adults Group. We wish them every blessing and encouragement in their new roles.
Do you have a concern for blind and partially sighted people?
Do you want to see churches more welcoming and inclusive of visually impaired people?
Do you feel comfortable speaking in front of groups of people?
If the answer to these three questions is "Yes", then you might like to prayerfully consider becoming a Regional Coordinator for Torch. The role is voluntary so you can give it as much or as little time as you feel able. We do consider it to be a vital role in helping support our regional work.
Currently we have 16 Coordinators around the UK who are doing a fantastic job. But we do have several gaps where we are not represented. Therefore we are looking for Coordinators to help particularly in Devon, East Anglia, Wales, Newcastle upon Tyne region, the Midlands and the South East.
If you think the role might appeal to you and are interested to know more, then please contact David Palmer at Torch House: 01858 438272 or email: DavidP@torchtrust.org.
It was early Boxing Day morning that Jan Turner, wife of Dennis, Torch's buyer and member of the library logistics team, experienced a wonderful healing. Jan has been blind from birth, and still is; but she had an additional disability that meant she has been a wheelchair user for 23 years.
Jan recalls: "During the night, I was just reflecting on a comment made by a disabled friend that she and I would always need to use a wheelchair. Then I thought, 'Unless God changes anything.' All at once I felt a burning warmth through my body followed by a tingling sensation. Then there was ... nothing. Just peace, and the pain I had endured all those years had gone. I knew God had healed me. I got out of bed and quite literally jumped up and down."
Telling the story at a Torch House chapel time, Jan drew our attention to "... him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine ..." (Ephesians 3:20), and encouraged us to look out for the "more than" moments when God touches our lives.
In April 2008 the standard rate of Income Tax reduces from 22p to 20p. This means that the Gift Aid Torch can reclaim will also be reducing from £28.21 on every £100 given to £25.00 - a drop of over 11% in income from this source.
However there is opportunity to more than replace this. At present only around one fifth of Torch's donation income is Gift Aided. To Gift Aid all the donations you make is very simple - just request from Torch the simple form (it's in large print), complete, sign and send it back. We may even be able to claim back tax on past donations too. You may have little control over what tax you pay, but you do have control of where at least some of it goes!
Legacies income has become a very important part of Torch's financial support. If you are considering including Torch Trust in your will we can now provide, by request from Torch House, a helpful information sheet. We are enormously grateful to those who in past days chose to make a bequest to Torch.
Steve was born and educated in Liverpool where he was converted in his teens. He trained at what is now the London School of Theology where he met Brenda, his wife of over thirty years. They have two children, Paul and Ruth, and three grandchildren.
He has held pastorates in Buckinghamshire, Leicester, London and Bournemouth. He serves as Principal of Moorlands College, which trains men and women for Christian service in the UK and overseas. He has spoken at conferences and conventions throughout the UK and abroad, is a Trustee of the Keswick Convention and Chair of the Association of Bible College Principals.
He holds a PhD degree in theology and is the author of King of Heaven, Lord of Earth, and All You Need is Christ, Keswick study guides to Colossians and Galatians respectively. A keen sportsman, he hates gardening and has an unrepentant attachment to Everton Football Club!
Dr Elaine Storkey, Rev Derek Tidball, Rev Roy Searle, Ven Richard Atkinson, Rev David Coffey, Mr Jonathan Lamb, Dr Steve Brady, Rev Malcolm Duncan.
Torch welcomes a new chair for its trustee board. Marilyn Baker shouldered this responsibility at the beginning of the year following on from Rev Ron Wells who has been chair for 10 years. Marilyn is supported in her role by the appointment of a vice chair, Dr Clive Dilloway.
Marilyn, who has been blind from birth, is well known as a singer and songwriter. She formed Marilyn Baker Ministries 25 years ago and now has a diverse ministry that includes running Rest and Renewal breaks that are a blessing to many, including quite a few blind people. Marilyn says, "It's a privilege to serve the Lord in this way. I was helped so much by Torch in earlier years". Looking ahead Marilyn enthuses, "It's an exciting period, with next year being Torch's 50th. We plan to use this opportunity to raise awareness, not just of the work of Torch, but also of the needs of blind and partially sighted people who sometimes feel a bit left out at church." Marilyn presents Torch's weekly radio programme on Premier Radio at 9 pm each Saturday.
Clive enjoyed a long and successful career with BP, from which he is now retired. For a number of years he served as a trustee and then chair of the Bible Society; he now chairs the Chichester Diocesan Board of Finance. His wife, Kate, is among Torch's most prolific volunteer braille transcribers.
Ron has overseen the work of Torch through a period of great change and we record our deep appreciation of his prayerful and careful leadership. To ensure a smooth transition, he will continue to serve as a trustee until later this year.
Please pray for the Torch trustees (listed below) - they carry a heavy responsibility.
Marilyn Baker (Chair), Andre Clowes, Dr Clive Dilloway (Vice Chair), Carol Eddon, Revd Glen Graham, Dr Mike Townsend (Technical Director), Revd Ron Wells, Heather Williams.
Why not come on a Torch holiday - to Torch Holiday & Retreat Centre or on the other holidays that Torch runs. If you are sighted, we are always seeking helpers and guides to join in and ensure blind and partially sighted guests get a great holiday. Ask for our 2008 brochure.
Contact Gail on 01273 832282 or email: torchholidays@torchtrust.org
This year Torch has its own stand at Butlins, Skegness, throughout the Spring Harvest convention on the Lincolnshire coast. If your plans include Spring Harvest do come and see us. We plan to launch our "Foursight" campaign to raise awareness of blind and partially sighted people within Britain's churches with a new brochure and exhibition stand design.
Don't forget the Torch Prayer Phone, which can keep you updated with current prayer requests. Just ring 01858 438277.