Demonstrating the love of God in word and deed
Heidi writes about her recent transfer to a different ministry at Agapé.
I’ve joined GAiN UK (Global Aid Network) which is the humanitarian arm of Agapé UK. GAiN is a worldwide humanitarian relief and development organisation dedicated to bringing hope and tangible help to the poor and suffering. Our mission is to demonstrate the love of God in word and deed.
In the last few years, GAiN UK’s focus has been on a hotspot camp, Camp Moira in Lesvos Greece, where 18,000 refugees from war-torn Syria, Afghanistan and Africa have been living in a camp made for just 2,000-3,000.
In September, there was a fire that destroyed Camp Moira and some of the refugees have been moved to other parts of Greece but there’s still about 7,000 who are in another camp near Lesvos set up by the Greek government. In the past months, we have been collecting clothes and hygiene products from all over the country, hoping this will help the refugees in the new camp.
The photos show the collection from my church here in Wembley and from other individuals in London.
Another dream of GAiN is to have a team of trained international volunteers, who are available to be mobilised on short notice and provide short-term assistance in the wake of a disaster. So, DART (Disaster Assistance and Response Team) was formed in 2012. Currently, my team is doing online interviews with these DART applicants. I’ve been coordinating these online interviews, as well as doing some of the interviews myself, with another staff member recording the interviews. Each interview lasts 2 hours, then we evaluate and do the recommendations. We have 12 interviews to do before the end of the month and we’re praying that from these 12, God will raise up capable and godly men and women who can serve Him in times of disaster.
“We’re praying that from these 12, God will raise up capable and godly men and women who can serve Him in times of disaster. ”
Other things I’ve been involved in during the past weeks are online orientation training for the GAiN staff from South Africa and the UK (right photo), Team partner development, and Bible study with one of our students who became a Christian in 2019.
Upcoming events will be the organising and sending of teams (students and GAiN staff) next year, hopefully during Easter, and probably doing communications for GAiN part-time.
Pray for Heidi in all these different aspects of her new role.
Heidi Helbig
Agapé . UK.
Heidi is supported by Matthew and Fiona Gregson’s Home Group.
