ICMDA World Congress

19-26 July 2014, Rotterdam

This was a fantastic conference with 910 delegates from 99 countries, writes Vicky Lavy. Some 60 CMF members came, including nine students who had been given grants by CMF. Our Dutch hosts did an amazing job, accommodating 550 people with host families around the city.

CMF raised £24,640 though our bursary appeal, which funded 50 of the 200 bursaries given. This large number of bursaries meant that there was very good representation from resource-poor countries. All bursary recipients and a number of other students and people from resource-poor countries were given a free book pack containing seven CMF titles, a Confident Christianity DVD and a free download of John Stott's 'Serving Christ in Medicine' talks.

Some comments from the British students who went:
'A fantastic experience, it gave me a far bigger sense of what God is doing in medicine throughout the world.'
'Seeing the South East Asian delegates sing on the last night, with a slide show of previous medical missionaries playing in the background was something that will stay with me. It made it all seem worthwhile, that the harvest of all their hard work was here in front of us.'
'A huge faith encouragement to see how God's work is so much bigger than our small world.'
'Being taught by people from many different cultural and Christian backgrounds made me appreciate the breadth of the gospel.'

Power of the printed word

An important outcome for the ICMDA congress: our staff team returned with a heightened vision for the importance of CMF literature for building up of sister movements, especially set in places where resources are scarce. One African delegate at Rotterdam saw our literature and immediately had a vision for making our books available. So we're giving £200 worth of CMF books and resources to the CMDA conference in Kenya in December. We would like to do this more, and it'sthe sort of project our members might prayerfully consider offering gifts to make this happen.

Homecoming

Chloe Ross (Birmingham) from Madagascar
Charis Bignell (Newcastle) from Cameroon
Vic Parsonson (Birmingham) from Madagascar

Outgoing

Katherine Fawbert to Honduras
Jonathan Fletcher (Birmingham) to Thailand
Jessica Hudson to Uganda
Chris Lowry (Sheffield) to South Africa
Katie Mayers (Leeds) to Uganda
Richard Mayers (Leeds) Uganda
Rachel Nunn (St George's) to Ethiopia
Timothy Nunn (Royal Free) to Ethiopia

Obituaries

Mary Bancroft (q Manchester, 1953); John Dale (q Bart's, 1961); John Frame (q Glasgow, 1949); Robin Jameson (q Durham, 1957); Irene Thompson (q Belfast, 1947); Peter Wallis (q King's, 1965)
Dennis Fox MBE (q Bristol, 1951) based for many years at Tockington. Died 4 June 2014.
William Michael (Bill) Gould OBE (q Manchester, 1958) a missionary surgeon in Nepal, 1965-77, a GP in Devon for 17 years, then Director of Health Services with the United Mission to Nepal. Died 13 July 2014.
Prof Stewart Hillis (q Glasgow, 1967) pioneer in sports medicine. Died 21 July 2014.
Prof Norman Nevin OBE (q Queen's Belfast, 1947) died 28 June 2014. Genetics was his lifetime work, begun when it was a fledgling discipline. He contributed almost 300 peer-reviewed publications. CMF notified 30 July 2014.
Martin Plumptre (q Bart's, 1957) died 11 November 2014.
Katherine Sheila Pring Hill (q Trinity College Dublin, 1947) worked in South Yorkshire with the Schools Health Service and afterwards senior medical officer for the Sheffield Health Authority where her responsibilities included the childhood vaccination programme. Died 17 January 2014.
Vivian Seif Said (q Royal Free, 1953) died 19 April 2014. CMF notified 12 June 2014.
Geoffrey Stanley-Smith (q Cambridge, 1948) missionary doctor at the church hospitals of Buhiga and Matana, Burundi. Died 6 June 2014.
Thomas Harold 'Martin' Warburton (q Bart's, 1953) died 4 September 2014.

Accent on neighbourliness

'Who is my Neighbour?' Reading (18 October). A great event with 46 people showing up for a morning workshop. CMF can offer a half day version of 'Who is My Neighbour?' (morning, afternoon or extended evening - the choice is yours). Some groups might find that more appealing than organising a whole day. Next up for 'Who is my Neighbour?': Dundee on 24 January 2014.