Lumiere remembers Neil Armstrong

On July 20 1969,  as a little girl of eight years old in far off Welkom in Free State, South Africa, I can tell you exactly what I was doing. I was in the Standard One class, and Sr. Bernadette had done a most thrilling thing; she had called off the class, smuggled in a radio, and we were all clandestinely listening to the most enthralling event. A man was landing on the moon. We sat in tight awed bunches in our polished, uncomfortable wooden desks; pigtailed and school-uniformed, listening to the report of the most wondrous happening of that time.

Little did I know that history was in the making. Sister had us all learning about space travel; daily we spoke of Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins. Further missions to the moon were closely tracked by us. We had large maps hand-drawn by ourselves over the class noticeboards, with coloured pieces of wool on tin tacks tracking the movements of the Apollo missions. Our local garages gave out Apollo stickers and pictures of our heroes every time we bought petrol. Dad was constantly besieged by ourselves to drive more. Why? So that we could use petrol faster, and have to get more, together with the next prized Apollo sticker. Dad sighed.

Sr. Bernadette told us we were living in times of history, and to thank God for the wonders we were seeing. And how right she was. We had learned that it was possible for us to do the impossible; to dream the great; to move beyond the boundaries our humanity had placed before us.

It was some time before the excitement died down. When I left Standard One and went to Standard Two, it was another great year with another great teacher. However, it was quite a culture shock leaving the classroom which was dedicated to Armstrong and the Apollo teams, the plaster moon with its rings which we had made and which had the unfortunate tendency to start melting somewhat during the blistering heat of the Welkom heatwaves, for a moon-free zone in Standard Two. I soon adjusted, and Apollo became a memory.

It was years before I really understood what a wonderful time this had been, and what a great achievement had been made. The Psalmists and King David had spoken of the wonderful creation of the moon at night which lights our way. Jesus the Christ had stood and looked at the moon during his childhood, and His journeys as He preached the Word of Goodness and Light to us. I had looked at that very same moon, a free gift to everyone on earth. And now we had touched its sacred surface. I prayed blessings for all who had helped to achieve that dream. 

Years later I read a story which, in the context of my spiritual journey at the time, I found both touching and inspirational. Astronaut Aldrin took communion in the form of loaf and wine shortly after they landed, in gratitude and respect to the God Who made us. Aldrin poured the wine into the chalice, and in the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine slowly curled and gracefully came up the side of the cup. He then read the sacred writing from John, 'I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit.' He ate the tiny consecrated Host of loaf-bread, and swallowed the consecrated Wine. 

This story has been an inspiration to me, and as minister I have recounted it to many people. To me, it is a celebration and signature of respect by these daring and talented men on behalf of us as humanity, to the God Who made us at the moment of great growth in our journey as humanity. These three took the time before disembarking and placing the first footprint on the surface of the moon, to turn their hearts in silent gratitude and respect to the God of All. I am sure I speak on behalf of all of us who sat breathlessly listening on that memorable day in 1969, to give our condolences to the family of the great Neil Armstrong and our thanks to them for the great act of service Armstrong did for our human family. A candle has been lit by Lumiere in remembrance of Armstrong, and for his family and friends.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1247118--neil-armstrong-first-man-on-the-moon-dead-at-82

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/communion.asp

*Photograph taken in the beautiful Free State by Catherine Nicolette. Please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose
*Name of teacher has been changed

Will you help bring clean water to Rwanda?

Lumiere Charity has received an email from Alexa and Charity; Water. Their dynamic September Campaign to bring clean, safe drinking water to the people of Rwanda is in full swing. The video viewed by Lumiere shows the inspirational work done by the dedicated members of the Charity. Clean water continues to be needed in areas of Rwanda; water is needed in order to deliver safe medical and maternity care; to slake thirst; to maintain life; to keep cool and clean. So many children have to spend hours fetching water. When I worked during one holiday in my late teens as a charity worker in the depths of Africa, I learned to live as the people there were living. That meant using a candle; no electricity. Nailing a piece of cloth over the house window into the wall by means of tin tacks. A bucket with a measured amount of water was for a bath; and it was my task to go and bring water from the pump. I would lift my water drum, walk all the way to the local mission pump, and wait my turn to get the water. I loved the way the village people would congregate and chatter at the pump, the women in gaily patterned clothing, with their babies tied by small blankets to their backs, quiet and happy. The bees would buzz around the pump, coming to drink water in clusters from the water that had dropped into the small basin below the pump left there especially for them. The sun would beam down warmly, a little wind rustled through the thorn trees, and I was happy.

Eventually it would be my turn, and I would pump the water into the water drum, encouraged by the villagers who found my initial efforts to pump hilarious (it took a while to get the knack!) They would give me a hand. Then came the hard bit; the backbreaking carrying of the heavy water drum back to the mission. I would arrive back, shattered. It is hard work. And the drum cannot be dropped; water is too precious. Dropped water or a failed well is linked to survival; carrying water is a responsibility to the community. So, during that time, I learned deep respect for water. Now we have the chance to help our Rwandan brothers and sisters in our global family have the water they need; please click into the link and assist with the September campaign. In the spirit of Lumiere, let us link hands and help to bring water to those in need.

Please click into the link below;
http://charitywater.org/september

*Picture courtesy of Charitywater.org

Great Barrier Reef under threat - please help

The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area in Australia is a wondrous ecosystem, and one of the wonders of the world. Lumiere Charity received an email from Emma and the Avaaz team asking us to support the safety of this vital marine wonder. They highlight a situation which is close to the Charity's heart - that of conservation of the beauties of the earth God created for us to exercise stewardship over. 


Emma and the Avaaz team apprise that one of the world's largest coal ports could be built on top of this irreplaceable ecosystem, risking the survival of this world heritage site. According to the Avaaz report, UNESCO reported that coal development is damaging the reef. Avaaz has an urgent petition to save the reef. 

According to Federation Fellow Terry Hughes, the great Barrier Reef is slowly declining. In the last fifty years, it has lost half of its coral cover. Many coastal reefs and seagrass meadows have been smothered by runoffs of sediments from land. The number of turtles, sharks and dugongs today are a small fraction of a few decades ago. Coral bleaching due to global warming has occurred twice throughout most of the length of the Barrier Reef, in 1998 and 2002. Skin cancer has been found in Barrier Reef fish.*

The petition will be presented by Avaaz shortly.  Please sign the urgent petition and send this to everyone you know. Please send the information on to your family,  friends and colleagues, and post the link on to your Facebook and share it on Twitter. 
Let us hold hands together in our global village and save the wonderful world our God has made. 


Here is the petition; http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_great_barrier_coal_mine_global/?tta

Click into this link to find out more about the incredible natural beauty of Australia's marine wonder
http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/great-barrier-reef

*Terry Hughes, Federation Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University 
http://theconversation.edu.au/new-marine-reserves-wont-address-unescos-reef-concerns-7638

~Photograph courtesy of Avaaz

War Child need assistance for the wounded children of Syria

War Child UK are assisting the little innocents of Syria. Some of the little children are coming in, vulnerable and wounded to Turkey, requesting assistance in hospitals. The video link sent to Lumiere and viewed by us, show little children and adults being tenderly cared for by compassionate and dedicated health personnel. Reports seem to indicate that the situation in Syria is dire, and that the small and most in need of protection are suffering horrendously. Lumiere has seen the long term effects of war many times. Psychological suffering of civilians and soldiers. Physical suffering, deafness due to bombs falling near the sufferer; blindness; amputees, brain damage; paralysis; facial and body disfiguration; being orphaned; loss of children; grieving, tears and sometimes the personal taking of life under a burden too heavy to carry. If Divine Providence has led you to read these words, please consider donation to War Child UK as they struggle to meet the overwhelming need. Let us link hands together and do what we can to help.

War Child UK‏@WarChildUK

You can still help the #ChildrenofSyria though. Text PROTECT to 70444 to donate £3 to our appeal. http://bit.ly/syria8

War Child UK‏@WarChildUK

#Syria's news isn't getting any better. The UN monitors have quit, 2.5m people need aid. Kids like this http://ht.ly/d2Qke hurt every day

*Logo by kind courtesy of War Child UK

DelAgua - Keeping water supplies safe

Lumiere is privileged to have come into contact with DelAgua Water Testing, internationally renowned for the OXFAM-DELAGUA portable water monitoring kit. DelAgua Water Testing Limited was founded in 1985 and spun out of the University of Surrey in 2006. DelAgua distributes and supports water testing and treatment products. University of Surrey and DelAgua have spent 24 years in dedicated service providing a quick and reliable way to test water safety, so local communities can enjoy good drinking water without disease.

The following inspiring Youtube video shows just how well the DelAgua kit works, and how lives are changed for the better by this wonderful piece of equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANb1ZlslAKo

In the spirit of Lumiere, why not fundraise in your community, buy a water testing kit, and donate it to an organisation/ area in need?

Read about DelAgua at
http://www.delagua.org/

Water for Life - giving fresh water to those in need

Water sustains life - do you want to give fresh water to those in need?  Dedicated volunteers and personnel are working to provide wells and a fresh, safe supply of water to people in areas around the world who lack this necessity.

Many of the problems facing people living in the poverty trap are linked to water. Many do not have safe water to drink. Adults and children die as a result of a lack of clean water. Some die from thirst and hunger. Others die from diseases linked to poor sanitation, poor hygiene and contaminated water.

Dedicated personnel at The Water Project helped orphan Bridget to find a new life  and help her fellow orphans, through the gift of water http://thewaterproject.org/meet_bridget.asp

The Fields of Life invited a team to Uganda to witness the need in East Africa for fresh and pure drinking water, easily accessible to local villages. The volunteers have done much to assist people in the area
http://www.fieldsoflife.com/get-involved/the-water-for-life-challenge.php

Wells for Zoe is a sustainable development organization helping communities in Malawi access clean drinking water. The organizations also nurtures organic agriculture and education
http://www.wellsforzoe.org/ .

Water Aid is an organisation that provides clean water for Africa, Asia and Central America. The organisation also provides sanitation and hygiene education to communities struggling with poverty
http://www.wateraidamerica.org/what_we_do/clean_water_for_africa_and_asia.aspx

In the spirit of Lumiere, why not help someone in an outlying area have access to fresh water? Areas in need include refugee camps, squatter camps, favelas, rural areas.

GOOD HEALTH LESSON 3 - SAFEGUARDING WATER SUPPLIES

GOOD HEALTH LESSON 3

SAFEGUARDING WATER SUPPLIES

Water Spread Diseases
A number of diseases are spread by water. Disease in water can be caused by bacteria (germs) which can live in water. 
  Examples of diseases spread by water include typhoid fever, dysentery or diarrhoea, liver disease (hepatitis) and poliomyelitis. 

Other diseases are caused by parasites such as some types of worms, amoebic dysentery and bilharzia. 
  The most effective way to prevent getting these diseases is to boil all water used for household purposes if you are not sure your water supply is safe.

Safeguarding Water Supplies
An effective way of safeguarding water supplies is to keep wells and water holes clean. 
  Do not litter in water areas. Avoid throwing e.g. prams and rusty objects in water, dams or streams.   Avoid throwing plastic wrapper or rubbish in the water. 

Do not allow animals to go near where people get drinking water. Fence the water area if necessary.     Do not allow urine or stools to be passed in or near water supply areas, or water holes. 

The best way to ensure clean drinking water is to have clean water piped in to your house from a reliable Water Supply Department.

Sanitation
Toilets or out-houses should be built at least twenty (20) meters away from water holes, wells or streams. 
  Do not use detergents or soaps for washing clothes in the same place where water is taken for drinking. 

It is very eseential not to allow poisons such as pesticides to run into streams or rivers from which water is taken. 
  Communities should organize self-help projects to protect springs, streams, water holes and wells in order to ensure safe drinking of water.

Test the Water
Water should be regularly tested to ensure it remains safe and clean for drinking. 
There are various cost effective water testing kits on the market, testing for:
- Eschericia coli bacteria in the water (the germ in stools which can cause serious infection in humans if water with the bacteria is drunk)
- Lead
- Pesticides
- Chlorine
- Hardness
- pH
- Nitrates
- Nitrites
- Copper
- Iron

Test your water source to ensure it is safe to drink. If you are blessed to live in an area with a Department ensuring safe and dependable water supplies, enjoy your safe drinking and household water and remember to say a prayer of thanks for those who work so hard to ensure our communities stay healthy and waterborne disease free.

Ensure drinking, bathing and household purposes water is clean and safe.

Mosquitoes
Don't allow mosquitoes to breed on water surfaces. Mosquitoes require water in which to complete their life cycle. 
  I have seen acres of water across which mosquitoes hummed and in which their larvae thrived. 
  If unchecked, mosquitoes cause grave health problems by causing the disease malaria. 

Mosquitoes lay eggs on the water surface. Their larvae live in water and come to the surface to breathe. 
  Larvae develop into pupae, and finally into adult mosquitoes. 
  New adults rests on the water surface in order to dry.
  This enables their bodies, newly emerged from their pupae, to harden. 
  Mosquito wings need to spread out and dry properly before they can fly.

Malaria
The malaria parasites spend part of their lives in the red blood cells of certain female mosquitoes (Anopheles), and another part in the red blood cells of humans. 
  A female mosquito carrying malaria parasites bites a human and sucks blood. 
  The bite thereafter itches, and looks like a small inflamed (reddish) bump on the skin. 

The mosquito has a characteristic humming whine as it waits for an appropriate opportunity to bite.    The bitten human can then develop the disease malaria. 
  Another Anopheles female mosquito can then bite the infected human, and suck up the blood cells which contain malaria parasities. 
  These malaria parasites then develop and increase in numbers in the stomach of the female mosquito. 

After approximately ten days the parasites move into the mosquito's salivary gland, and can be passed on to another person. 
  If you receive a bite from a malaria carrying mosquito and become infected, you can start showing signs of malaria two weeks after being bitten. 

Treatment of Malaria
Prevention
Firstly, prevent malaria by ensuring mosquitoes don't breed on water. 
  If you know you are going into an area where there are many mosquitoes and malaria occurs, make sure you visit your Doctor and receive a prescription for special medications to prevent malaria while you visit the malaria endemic area. 

Reliable Treatment
If you have contracted malaria, immediately go your Accident and Emergency Unit or visit your Doctor and receive the correct medication to treat the disease. Don't wait - it is treatable. 
  However, as with all illnesses, the quicker the diagnosis and treatment begins, the better. 

Tips to prevent mosquito bites
During my field trips with the Charity, I have been in many mosquito-infested areas.
Deterrents are:
- Wear sleeves to the wrist
- Wear clothing that buttons up to the neck 
- Keep the full body covered  
- Wear trousers to the ankles. 
Salwar kameez clothing is wonderful for keeping mosquitoes at bay while travelling. 
  Socks prevent mosquitoes from biting feet.
A scarf or dupatta around the neck is another deterrent.  
  I carry a small spray bottle of Safari Strength Insect Repellant  which repels mosquitoes, ticks, black flies, biting midges, sandflies, chiggers, fleas and stable flies.
I apply the repellant to my skin as per the instructions, especially on face, hands and feet - avoiding my eyes and mouth. 
  I find it invaluable for repelling insects and mosquitoes. 
  Ask your Doctor or Pharmacist for a reliable brand, and directions how to use the repellant safely and correctly.

Insect Repellant Mats
In one malaria prevalent area Charity workers gave me a little device with insect repellant mats.    The device gets plugged in (there was electricity in the area I was in), the little mat gets placed in the device which lightly heats up and gives off an odour which is not noticeable to humans but repels mosquitoes. I always use it as I find it effective.

Night Light
The most helpful I find is the following: if I keep a small night light on, this invariably deters mosquitoes for some reason. 

Want to help?
Possibilities to consider:
- Fundraise and sink a well in an area with no water
- Organise water testing kits to test water in squatter camps/ refugee camps/ areas where it is unsure whether water drinking wells are safe
- If you are a water engineer, why not donate some of your valuable time pro deo to an area that needs assistance in achieving safe water
- Sponsor the education of a water engineer student.

Please note that the information contained within this blog post

is not meant to replace Doctor or Health Professional Care