By Alan Foster
‘Mary was always dependably herself – never false, always caring, straightforward and practical. She never pretended to be something she wasn’t. She was humble and gentle, serious minded but with a ready sense of fun. Like most people who loved animals she was protective, thoroughly kind-hearted … and an unfailing, loyal, sincere friend to those who knew and loved her.’
This was sent to Echoes for them to include in their magazine.
Mary had come to know the Lord Jesus as her Saviour as a teenager, through the children’s work run by a local Christian in her own village, West Midlands. She was deeply touched by the martyrdom of the five missionaries in Ecuador and knew God’s call to commit her life to serve Him. Over a period of several years God prepared her for the work He would call her to. She had four years working in a shop, trained with the National Children’s Homes and went to Capernwray Bible School. Mary joined the staff at Sakeji School, Zambia in October 1967 where she worked on the home side. She was a quiet and gentle person who had a genuine love for the hundreds of missionary and Zambian children she cared or and helped in the dormitory for 28 years. She was a very practical person and her skills and abilities were much used in the home-side of the school. She organised the laundry and took her full share of responsibility in the kitchen. She took care of purchasing local produce and during the school holidays she oversaw the buying of bulk food supplies.
Mary will be remembered by many for her love of animals and for the help and encouragement she gave the boys and girls as they cared for their pets. Although she was serious minded she had a ready sense of fun and was easily approachable by the children. She was able to help with a number of school activities like games, PE, gardening and handwork. She took her share of evening prayer-times and for
many years had a village Sunday school through which she made many valuable friends and was able to help them in a number of ways.
Mary returned to the UK in late 1995 and for the remaining year of her life continued to reach out to young and old alike. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2005 and through the treatments and uncertainties this
Wednesday, March 28th, was a special day for the piano students. Each student had an opportunity to perform in front of the whole school. They were a bit nervous, but all did very well!
Last week at Sakeji we had the birthday party, to celebrate all the birthdays that term. The theme was the wild west. We had birthday cakes that corresponded to the western front with cowboys, Indians, buffalo, guitars, and even a little settler village.
See some of the guests we had from the wild west!
Yes, the birthday party was an fun time. Mr. Mark Ronald was the MC, and the program was informative, interesting, and closed with a message about the gospel coming to the west.
You can just imagine all the exclamations when we uncovered the Queen of the Termites, whose only function is to produced thousands of termites to eat our papers, books, doors, cupboards, and anything else made out of wood in the dorm. There are a lot fewer problems with her removed, thankfully.
Do these pictures of life in the dorm now, bring back memories?
Main sitting room from outside; main sitting room inside; in the dorm under nets.
Do you remember the pool at Sakeji? Well, there were so many cracks, it didn’t hold water any longer. It took us about a year and a half to build the new one, but here it is. Would you like a swim?
We enjoyed a refreshing swim with the seniors yesterday, on a hot and sunny afternoon. Bring back memories?
Greetings from Sakeji!
Welcome to what we hope will be an exciting new way for us to be able to communicate with all of you. Please feel free send me e-mails and updates that you would like to see posted to the blog and I will do my best to see that they are updated.
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(Photo by Jim Bell. Submitted by Clement Kroeker.)
1. Margaret Hess
2. Stephen Raymond
3. Tim Raymond
7. Philip Kroeker
14. Colin Reed
15. Neil Reed
17. Patrick Long
18. Michael Watson
21. Ruth Wright
22. Anne Bowerman
23. Jo Wright
24. Rosina Want
25. Rosemary Kaye
26. Sandra Watson
29. Ruth Bell (nee Barham)
35. John Bowerman
38. Peter Salisbury
39. One of the Logan girls?
40. Anne Wilson?
41. Stina Baker (nee Hammerstrom)
44. Rosemary Atwell (nee Morse)
45. Gita Hammerstrom
46. ?Prescott
48. ?Paul Hess
49. ?Helen?
50. Edwin Horton
52. Charlie Perrin
55. Robert Horton
56. David Reed
59. Stuart Kaye
61. Paul Logan
62. Clement Kroeker
2005 – I can see several faces that I can recognise, but I can’t put names to many of them. Names like John Bowerman, John and Mearal Porter, Norman Bier, Birgitta Hammarstrom come to mind, but who is which? – Steve Raymond
July 2006 – Thanks to Ruth Bell (nee Barham) for identifying a few more faces.
(Photo by Jim Bell. Submitted by Clement Kroeker.)
Left to right:
1. Ann Wilson
2. Stina Baker (nee Hammerstrom)
3. Edith Stephenson
4. Daphne Nelson
5. Pauline Bier
6. Rosemary Atwell (nee Morse)
7. Rosina Want
8. Helen Perrin
July 2006 – Thanks to Ruth Bell (nee Barham) for identifying the remaining girls in this photograph.