Sew inspiring!

AN Uppermill pastor who visited Israel and Palestine has inspired his congregation to raise money for a charity helping blind refugees in Jerusalem.

Frank Wroe from Ebenezer Congregational Church said his visit last year on a Christian mission was a fantastic experience.

But he was most impressed with Lydia Mansour, who set up the Peace Centre for the Blind in Jerusalem, which offers sewing, cross-stitching, weaving and computer skills to Palestinian women from refugee camps on the West Bank.

He said: “She must be approaching 70 and she set up the centre for blind and very partially sighted women with 200 dollars in 1970s. Now she travels the world raising funds.

“Her aim is to build a residential block where the women can stay. Without this training, the women have no money and have to rely on other people for support.

“Blindness is traumatic for these women particularly mothers trying to bring up children.”

His congregation raised £300 at Christmas services and a carol concert, and by collecting spare change.

During his seven-week stay, Mr Wroe (59), who is married with two children and has been Ebenzer’s pastor for 10 years, helped out at St George’s College attached to the Anglican Cathedral in Jerusalem, and visited members of the Arab and English Christian congregation. He also worked in a school at Ramallah on the West Bank, which teaches Muslim and Christian children.

As well as meeting missionaries from Fiji, India and Jamaica, he also visited sites such as Galilee and Bethlehem.

He added: “It was a real eye opener. Bethlehem may be only three or four miles away from Jerusalem but you are going through check points and soldiers come on the coaches with a rifle pointed at you.”

He also spent half a day at the Dheisheh camp which has been housing refugees since the British mandate ended in Palestine in 1948.