Gracemead Church has a heart for missions work partly because we believe from the Bible that the Father has a heart for those in need/those who do not yet know Him, and partly because Missions runs through Pastor Heather’s veins. Before she & Mike married, Heather was involved with YWAM for 10 years including leading teams to Africa several times for three months at a time.
Although we still have contacts in Africa, currently Gracemead Church’s main missions focus is in north-eastern Romania. We have been involved there since 1996, with our current emphasis being under two main headings:
Ever since Pastor Heather was in Romania in minus 30 degree winter temperatures and saw children running around in the snow with nothing on their feet (because their families were too poor to buy clothes or shoes), we have ‘shipped’ aid several times a year – mainly boxes of children’s & adult’s clothes and some medicines. If you have anything you want to donate (please wash clothes before passing them to us), please let us know via the “Contact” tab on the Website. We have developed really good contacts out in Romania, and so you can be sure that the aid will go to those in genuine need.
Our involvement with the current project started in 2006. While in Romania, Pastor Heather Dyce was taken to visit a centre working with families with children who have disabilities. The organisation running that project was called “Star of Hope” and it was evident that unless they had more help this wonderful work could not continue. After prayerful consideration we decided to get involved, and so as a church we made a commitment to partner with “Star of Hope”.
We work closely with two wonderful ladies, Loredana who is a psychologist and Camelia who is the centre co-ordinator and social worker. They work with the children and their families counselling the parents with the many difficulties they face, and helping the children to develop and prepare for independent life.
Over the years, this work has developed in many ways, as we have provided support – both materials for the centre and finances to provide everything from transport for the families to & from the centre, and even…