Annual Letter

Some folks have asked for a copy of the holiday letter we mailed to those of you who kindly made donations during the past mission year. Here you are!

December 1, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

This is the season of Advent on the church calendar. It is World AIDS Day on the secular calendar. Both are times of quiet remembrance, hope and gratitude. In two weeks’ time, I will return to Maseno Mission Hospital to resume work as your missionary with that same quiet remembrance, hope and gratitude. It has been a joy to be home with you, my children and grandchildren, and to tell the story of Maseno Missions – which fortunately tells itself. The people of Kenya send their greetings and love; I will take yours back!

Archbishop Rowan Williams reminded folks at Lambeth in June that mission is God’s work, not ours, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu declared years ago, “We are all missionaries, or we are nothing.” So we are all doing God’s work in Maseno: we are all walking in our flip-flops together. I hope you have checked my blog occasionally over the past year to learn more about our ongoing efforts at the hospital, HIV/AIDS clinic, orphan programs and theological college. I hope you have seen the photographs of the beautiful, faithful people whom – and with whom – we serve. Above all, I hope you have prayed with us and will continue to do so.

As I reflect on the year gone by, I remember the faces of our patients and our orphaned children. I hope for a healthier future for them and their families. And I am grateful for the opportunity to return to serve in God’s name and in yours. Together, we have truly made a difference; and of course, we will always have more to do. We are excited about the current renovation of the hospital maternity wing, where we will have a functioning incubator; about the imminent visit from Engineers without Borders, who will address our community’s ongoing problems with power and water; and about the possibility of building a roadside outpatient clinic that will reach more people, more effectively, more of the time.

Tax-deductible donations to facilitate these efforts may be made via PayPal on my blog site or by check to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, PO Box 1287, Edgartown, MA 02539. (Please note “Kenya Mission” on the memo line.) Thank you for your generosity all year ’round and especially in this season of hope.

Advent blessings,
Dianne