Bishop spends the morning with children and animals
The Bishop of St Albans and children from St Mary's School, North Mymms admire a piglet
The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Dr Alan Smith, has launched an appeal for the people of the Poipet region of Cambodia, who are still recovering from the effects of Pol Pot’s regime in the 1970s. He has chosen projects run by relief agency Tearfund in partnership with CHO, the Cambodian Hope Organisation, as beneficiaries of his 2011 Harvest Appeal.
Bishop Alan said: “It might seem a bit early to be talking about harvest, but as I want to draw attention to people acquiring pig rearing skills and as this is the farrowing season, it seems appropriate.”
He continued: “We rightly speak with great appreciation of the benefits of living in a free society. As we have just been to the polls, it is timely to remember the effects on people of oppressive regimes, built on ideologies alien to us.
“The freedom we enjoy has Christianity at its heart. Now is the time to embrace more deeply those values. The restoration of the broken and the oppressed to wholeness and freedom is something we can take part in with pride.”
Bishop Alan launched his appeal with the help of children from St Mary’s school, North Mymms, at Willows Farm Village, London Colney, Hertfordshire, where he could show the children recently born piglets and explain to them how much care was needed to raise them and care for them.
The people of Poipet were acquiring self suffiency again after more than two generations through acquiring new skills being taught by CHO, including pig rearing, sewing and market gardening.
Bishop Alan concluded. “We must pass on the habit of restoring broken lives and showing compassion to the next generation. That is why I am delighted to be launching my 2011 Harvest Appeal at Willows Farm Village with the children of St Mary’s North Mymms and some delightful saddleback piglets.”
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