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1999 / 2000 /
2001 / 2002 /
2003 / 2004 /
2005 / 2006 /
2007 / 2008
We would like to thank everyone who has encouraged us in our work and
given their prayers, time, energy, expertise and gifts. We recognise that it is
the Lord's blessing and our supporters obedient to God's Word that make the work
of Smile possible.
"Unless the Lord builds the house, its
builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen
stand guard in vain." Psalm 127 v 1
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1999
Top of page |
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May 1999 |
Two 7½-ton trucks of aid taken by Clive, Ruth and the family for distribution to the refugee camps in Macedonia. |
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November 1999 |
17-Ton truck of aid driven by Clive and Derreck Lee-Philpot to Prishtine, Kosova, for needy widows and children. |
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September 1999 |
Beginning of Smile International |
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Christmas 1999 |
Over 500 Christmas shoeboxes of toys sent to Kosova. |
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2000 Top of page |
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February 2000 |
Team of 4 visited school for traumatised children in Prishtine and distributed aid to people living in bombed-out villages near Vushtri. Visited needy widows and distributed aid in the mountain villages. |
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March 2000 |
Smile International becomes a
registered charity |
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May 2000 |
Team of 10 visited school for traumatised children in Prishtine, Prishtine Hospital, and distributed Christian literature to a school in Pestove, as well as visiting work in Mitrovica, Peje and Gjakove. |
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June 2000 |
28-Ton truck of aid sent to International Missionary Board in Peje, Kosova. |
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August 2000 |
Team of 22 repaired and decorated a school in the remote mountain village of Ceceli near Mitrovica, Kosova |
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September 2000 |
Team of 2 made practical preparations for October widows' home repair team i.e. purchasing materials and employing local builders. |
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October 2000 |
Team of 7 repaired and decorated two bombed-out widows' homes near Gjakove. Also purchased 5 cows and 3 calves for widows with large families in the Peje region. |
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November 2000 |
Team of 10 revisited Ceceli school in where they gave a Gospel concert, showed the Jesus video and distributed Christian literature. Visited school for traumatised children in Prishtine and assisted churches in Peje and Gjakove. |
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December 2000 |
Smile provided prosthetic arm for injured Kosovan young lady, who was flown to the UK for 3 weeks for fitting and training, along with her doctor who was able to visit local hospitals during his time here to improve his theatre techniques.
30-Ton truck of aid, school equipment (including 86 computers) and Christmas shoeboxes sent out to the Assemblies of God in Mitrovica. |
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2001 Top of page |
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March 2001 |
Team of 13 helped to finish the repair and redecoration of a needy widow's home in the village of Molliq, Kosova, where she and her family had been living in the barn adjacent to the cowshed. |
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July 2001 |
A 38-ton articulated truck of humanitarian aid, tools and school equipment went out to Macedonia to be distributed to refugees and other needy families by AGAPE and God's Voice Baptist Church. |
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July/August 2001 |
Team of 37 volunteers went out to Kosova to repair widows' homes, care for traumatised children and take part
in the churches' summer evangelism projects. |
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October 2001 |
A further Smile team of 15 volunteers travelled to Kosova to decorate two newly-built widows' homes which Smile have constructed. A further team worked with traumatised children and a visit to Kosova's main prison was also undertaken to ascertain how Smile could help with humanitarian aid there. |
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11 October 2001 |
Berat Musa, the ten-year-old boy who had a bullet in his back, was flown by Smile to the UK for emergency medical treatment to have the bullet removed. |
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November 2001 |
A team of 11 went to Kosova to continue with Smile's housing and schools projects. The team also visited Kosova's main prison where they met both staff and prisoners. |
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December 2001 |
38-Ton truck was sent to Kosova containing aid, Christmas shoeboxes, knitted clothes/blankets/toys, and tools, to be distributed to needy families and schools with help from Partnership For Growth. |
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2002 Top of page |
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March 2002 |
Team of 7 went to Macedonia where they encouraged local Christians, visited Tetovo, conducted Gospel concerts in schools, visited a Christian medical centre and a
Roma camp. Clive flew out before the team for a fact-finding visit to Montenegro where he met local pastors to discuss future new projects. |
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April 2002 |
Team of 22 went to Kosova where they finished the decoration of a widow's new house and bought her a cow and calf, distributed shoeboxes of toys to Roma children, ministered in the churches and conducted school concerts. Returning with the team were Selvie (accompanied by her brother Hajden) for her medical treatment, and Smile's project manager Berat. |
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July/Aug 2002 |
Ministry team of 49 went to Kosova to decorate a
disabled man's home, work with traumatised children, hold a Gospel concert, with
7 of the team travelling to Montenegro to visit and support the churches there. |
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August 2002 |
Team of 8 went to Zimbabwe to see the progress of Smile's
projects, visiting schools, medical centres and churches. Clive viewed the site
of the proposed pre-school for AIDS orphans at Murewa, where Alfred has prepared
5,000 bricks during the summer ready to begin building. Clive preached in
local churches, and the team visited Livingstone Baptist Church in Zambia. |
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November 2002 |
A team of 30 visited Kosova where they visited Roma families, taught children in the
Roma pre-school, held a "Minister to the
Saints" concert in Gjakove Theatre, and held concerts for over 3,000 children in 6
schools. Two of the team members travelled to Montenegro to support Podgorica
AOG church. |
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December 2002 |
Our 40-ton truck full of humanitarian aid left the UK for
Bulgaria and Kosova. Some of the aid will be forwarded to Montenegro and
Macedonia. On the load were three quarters of the 5,500 Christmas shoeboxes (in
December 2000 we had 400 shoeboxes and in 2001 year we had 2,000 shoeboxes). |
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2003 Top of page |
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January 2003 |
Second consignment of aid and the remainder of
the Christmas shoeboxes sent to
orphanages, disabled homes, and the poor and elderly in Bulgaria. |
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April 2003 |
A team of 41 travelled to Kosova where they
decorated a widow's home, worked in the Roma camp on the edge of Gjakove,
visited homes, distributed aid and held concerts in 3 village schools to over
500 children. Five of the team members flew out 4 days in advance to Montenegro
to visit and support the churches there.
2½-year-old Edmund and his mother returned with
the Smile team for their stay in the UK while Edmund has medical assessment for
his hearing and bronchial difficulties. |
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May 2003 |
Consignment
of aid sent to Romania, Smile's first delivery of aid to that country.
A plot of land was purchased to build the new
Smile centre on the outskirts of Gjakove, Kosova. |
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June 2003 |
A team of 13 travelled to Bulgaria to continue
with the redecoration of the girls' orphanage at Dolna-Banja. |
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July 2003 |
A team of 16 from England, Scotland and Belgium
travelled to Montenegro to carry out building work on Podgorica Pentecostal
Church to increase seating capacity from 30 to 100. |
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August 2003 |
A team of 58 travelled to Montenegro, Kosova,
Macedonia and Albania to minister in churches. In Montenegro team members helped
complete the work on Podgorica Pentecostal church. |
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September 2003 |
Truck of aid sent to Kosova.
Edmund and his mother returned to Kosova, having
completed his medical assessment.
Foundations begun for the building of the
Smile Centre in Gjakove, Kosova. |
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October 2003 |
Our first team of 5 gap year students left for
Kosova. Ministry team of 34 travelled to
Montenegro and Kosova. In Montenegro the team attended the opening of the
newly-refurbished Podgorica Pentecostal Church. Several team members and gap
year students visited Albania.
Basement and first floor completed at the
Smile Centre. The ministry team attended the first communion, held in the
basement. |
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November 2003 |
Second floor of Smile Centre completed. |
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December 2003 |
Truck of aid and Christmas shoeboxes sent to
Kosova on 6 December. |
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2004 Top of page |
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March-April 2004 |
Ministry trip to Kosova including Cycle/Walk
Challenge.
Internal fitting of the Smile Centre commenced. |
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May 2004 |
Ministry trip to Kosova
including Walk Challenge and visit to Goran mountain village for their Goran Day
celebrations. |
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June 2004 |
Smile Centre completed to roof, interior
decoration begun. |
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July 2004 |
Team of volunteers went to Kosova to
decorate Smile Centre over the summer. |
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9-23 July 2004 |
Team of 12 travelled to Africa. The team visited the Door
of Hope for abandoned babies in South Africa, went on safari in
Botswana and visited Smile projects and churches in Zimbabwe and
Zambia. |
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2-16 August 2004 |
Team of 14 attended the BWA Youth World
Conference in Hong Kong and visited orphanages and villages in China. |
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20-27 August 2004 |
Team of 63 travelled to Albania, Kosova,
and Macedonia to work on Smile projects. |
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1
October 2004 |
Gap Year Team of 3 – Anna,
Matthew and Sarah – flew to Kosova |
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16–24 October 2004 |
Walking Great Wall of China Challenge
Wendy Doubleday and James Alexander successfully completed this sponsored trek,
raising £12,000 for the clinic at the Smile Centre. |
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End November |
Smile Centre almost completed, apart from stair
tiles, kitchen equipment and furniture. |
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3 December 2004 |
Smile brought Florentina (9 years)
to the UK from Kosova for an operation to correct a hole in the heart. The
operation was a success and Florentina returned home fit and well on 7 January 2005. |
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4 December 2004 |
40-ton articulated truck left for
Kosova with Christmas shoeboxes and aid. |
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December-January |
Team of volunteers went to Kosova over the
Christmas period to distribute the Christmas shoeboxes to those in need. A total
of 11,700 shoeboxes were donated by Smile supporters around the country. |
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2005 Top of page |
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3 January 2005 |
40-ton truck of aid delivered to Heathrow Airport
warehouse in Wembley. The aid was flown to Colombo courtesy of Air Sri Lanka on
5 January. |
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5-14 January |
Clive, Ruth and Gordon Carr visited Sri Lanka.
Travelling from Colombo, they visited Tangalle and Hambantota in the south,
Batticaloa in the east, and Jaffna in the north. They distributed Smile aid,
toys and shoeboxes, and bought food for refugees. They had discussions with
church leaders and aid organisations regarding how best to help in the future,
and, at the request of the Director of Batticaloa Hospital, made plans for
future medical teams to go out to help. |
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25 January |
Sea containers of aid sent to South Asia in partnership
with Blythswood Care, Rochester – 7 to Sri Lanka and 4 to Banda Aceh in Indonesia.
Financed 3 churches in India to help with tsunami crisis refugees. |
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Feb-March |
Smile medical team of 5 flew out for a month to
Batticaloa in Sri Lanka to help with nursing, trauma counselling, aid
distribution, children's work and clearing rubble. |
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March |
40-ton truck of aid sent to Kosova on 19th;
appointed Giyan, based in Colombo, as our full-time Smile Sri Lankan
co-ordinator |
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March-April |
Team to Kosova (30 March-6 April) |
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3 May |
Smile aid sent to Romania, in partnership with
Blythswood Care |
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May |
Team to Kosova (18-25 May) - the team will be the first to stay in the completed
Smile Centre |
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May-June |
Team went Sri Lanka (28 May-11June) to help with
house rebuilding and aid distribution. |
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July |
Smile team to Uganda, Stephen Jota
Centre, and Kenya, decorating an orphanage for the Diocese of Thika |
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August |
Smile teams in Kosova, Macedonia,
Albania |
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September |
Trained 11 gap year students going
to Uganda and South Africa |
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October |
Largest ever ministry team of 46
people to Kosova. Gap year team leave for Uganda and South Africa |
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November |
Aid truck to Kosova with Christmas
shoeboxes |
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December |
Teams went to distribute shoeboxes
in Kosova |
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2006 Top of page |
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January |
Shoeboxes flown out to Sri Lanka for
the tsunami victims |
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February |
Clive and Richard Westbrook
(Ministry Trips Co-ordinator) went to Sri Lanka to negotiate purchase of
property for the new Smile Centre.
Truck of aid sent to Croatia. Gordon
Carr, Clive and Jan Ramsey visited Croatia to distribute aid to the Bayash Roma
families.
Shoeboxes flown out to Uganda for
orphans at the Stephen Jota Children Centre in Kampala. |
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March |
Smile Roadshow in Guernsey,
including broadcasting on BBC Radio Guernsey, pastors' lunch at Les Cotils
Conference Centre, and preaching at Shiloh Baptist Church.
Eleven Smile supporters undertook a
Sponsored Challenge trekking 60 km across the Sinai Desert, sleeping under the
stars and climbing Mt Sinai, raising over £25,000 for Smile's work in Africa. |
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April |
Clive visited Izmir Baptist Church
in Turkey with 5 East European pastors |
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May |
Team to Kosova. Visit to Macedonia
to start first church plant in Tetovo.
Truck of aid sent to Romania.
Clive and Richard Westbrook
visited Stephen Jota Children's Centre in Uganda.
Brought 7-year-old Kosova girl
Shkurta to UK for fitting of false eye. |
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June |
Truck of aid and two ambulances sent
to Kosova
Well dug at Kralan School in Kosova
Truck of aid and two ambulances sent to Kosova. |
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October |
Eleven gap year students sent to Uganda and South Africa.
Fully-equipped fire engine donated to Gjakove Fire Brigade, Kosova. The engine
was driven out by Gordon Carr and two firemen from Buckinghamshire Fire Brigade
who donated one of their ex-training vehicles.
Alternative gifts catalogue “Gifts With Love” launched. |
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December |
Team of volunteers in Kosova during Christmas period distributing aid and
shoeboxes – total of over 10,000 boxes were donated by Smile supporters. |
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2007 Top of page |
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January |
Shoeboxes flown out to Sri Lanka for
the tsunami victims |
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Smile Centre, Sri Lanka – work began on building the new accommodation block at
the Smile Centre, Hambantota – office, bedrooms and bathrooms.
Smile funds enabled building of new classrooms at Doubleday Educational Complex
in Ghana.
Sent truck of aid to Valea Lui Mihai Church in Romania.
Theological student, Chris Milton, from Moorlands Bible College travelled to
Kosova on a 4-week placement. |
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February |
Team of 7 volunteers undertook sponsored trek through the highlands and
rainforests of Sri Lanka, raising over £15,000 for the Smile Centre in
Hambantota. The remainder of the team decorated the Centre and worked with the
children. Team distributed Smile rucksacks full of school stationery to the
children. |
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March |
Sea container of aid arrived in Gambia with supplies for Banjul School and
computers for theological students. |
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April |
Lisa Wong flew to Uganda on a 5-week career break to work at the Stephen Jota
Children’s Centre.
Emily Doubleday and Tim and Chris Browning braved the freezing cold and took
part in the Adidas Half Marathon at Silverstone racetrack in Northamptonshire,
raising over £1,000 for Smile’s work.
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May |
Appointment of John Matiza, Smile’s new Project Manager in Zimbabwe, who flew to
Zimbabwe to oversee Smile’s projects.
Pastors’ conference held at the Smile Centre, Kosova.
Sponsored Fence-a-thon at Eltham College, which Tim Doubleday took part in with
the fencing team, raising over £2,000 for Smile’s work.
Gordon Carr flew to Sri Lanka on a 2-month career break to oversee the building
of the new classroom block at the Smile Centre in Hambantota, along with
Caroline Jackson, on a 5-months career break working with the children at the
Smile Centre. |
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June |
Ladies’ meetings at the Smile Centre, Kosova – agricultural training for widows
learning to cultivate their land, and a fun day for the children.
Team of volunteers visited Romania, visited Valea Lui Mihai church, distributed
shoeboxes at a Kids Day at the Roma Church, and attended the first Roma
Christian wedding in Curtuiseni.
Team of volunteers visited Hope and Faith School in Zambia where Smile has
started sponsor a child and sponsor a widow sponsorship schemes. Took the
children on an outing to play and swim at Adventure Park. |
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July |
20-foot sea container of aid sent to Ghana.
Three Peaks Challenge – Richard and David Adams and friends from Christ Church,
Chislehurst in Kent, raised in excess of £2,000 for Smile’s work.
Mark Stothers flew to Sri Lanka on a 3 months’ career break to work at the Smile
Centre, Hambantota. |
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July/August |
Team of volunteers went to help at the Stephen Jota Children’s Centre in Uganda.
Took the children on an educational outing to Entebbe Airport and the Weather
Station.
Steve Garvey, Smile volunteer, travelled to India to help Pastor Samuel with his
work. |
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August |
Smile Centre, Sri Lanka – new classroom block completed, under the supervision
of Gordon Carr, enabling Smile to educate and feed many more children.
Smile brought 3 Macedonian young men to the UK to attend Soul Survivor to enjoy
fellowship with over 10,000 other young Christians and encourage them in their
faith. |
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September |
Kralan School, Kosova – laid pipes from their well to the school building to
provide washing facilities and flushing toilets.
Ray Avenell and Peter Ball, horticulturalist, flew to Kosova to visit the widows
on the Smile sponsor a widow programme.
Clive Doubleday led a team to Bangalore, India, to help Pastor Samuel with his
ministry in the slums, and held pastors’ conferences and a women’s meeting.
Brought supplies and sports equipment to Ooty Convent School under our Gifts
With Love scheme. Took food aid to the families living in quarry.
Andrew Pool flew to Sri Lanka on a 5-week career break to help with the final
building preparations of the new classroom block at the Smile Centre in
Hambantota. |
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October |
15 gap year students left for Kosova, Uganda, South Africa, including 2 Global
gap year students.
Youth Conference held at the Smile Centre, Kosova with 75 attending the evening
worship and 55 attending the day conference.
Pam Beech flew to Sri Lanka on a 6-months’ career break at the Smile Centre,
Hambantota.Official opening of the
Smile Centre in Hambantota, Sri Lanka. |
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November |
Clive Doubleday went to Kosova to visit medical centres to ascertain the medical
needs for those with cancer.
2 gap year students left for Zambia to work at the Hope and Faith Community
School in Lusaka.
Belinda Ramsay flew to Kosova on a one month's career break at the Smile Centre. |
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December |
40-ton truck of shoeboxes and aid sent to Kosova, and a 20-foot sea container
sent to India. Over 12,000 shoeboxes were received this year.
15 December - Host day for disabled children and
their parents at the Smile Centre Kosova, in conjunction with "Place of Hope"
18 December - Host day for widows at the Smile
Centre Kosova, where they enjoyed fellowship, encouragement and support. |
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2008 Top of page |
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January |
Smile began project to buy a Bible for each child
at the Stephen Jota Children's Centre in Kampala, Uganda, which Pastor Jota runs
on Christian principles, and where Smile has a Sponsor A Child programme.
Many of our sponsors bought a Bible for their child, as well as for other
non-sponsored children. Pastor Samuel
established a pre-school at his church in Jalahalli, Bangalore, India. |
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February |
Margita came from Romania to UK for several weeks
for medical treatment on a tumour behind her eye. The treatment has proved
completely successful. Truck of aid sent to
Romania, in partnership with Blythswood Care and Coney Hill Baptist Church. |
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March |
Smile sponsored Golf Challenge raised valuable
funds for the Smile Centre in Hambantota. The team in Sri Lanka was accompanied
by Pastor Samuel from India, to learn about the Smile Centre and thus be able to
oversee similar projects in Bangalore. Aid distributed in Gambia, including computers
for Kumasi Bible Seminary and shoeboxes.
Clive Doubleday and team flew out to witness
the drilling of a well at Kubatana School in Zimbabwe, providing a permanent
clean water supply for 2,000 pupils. More wells are planned. They also
distributed aid, theological books, sewing machines to provide employment, and
Gifts With Love chickens to widows in the village of Fungai Vamwe. The team also
visited Molife School, and delivered aid and computers. |
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April |
Palliative Care Conference held at Smile Centre
in Kosova with Dr Anthony Smith, who was also interviewed on local Syri TV.
Widows' Day held at the Smile Centre, a time of
fun, food and fellowship, as well as a presentation on Smile's work and
distribution of aid parcels for the widows.
Simon Hawkes and Steve Garvey ran the London
Marathon for Smile, achieving good times and raising valuable funds.
Rebuilt house for blind deacon Shaip and his
family. |
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May |
4x4 vehicle arrived in Zimbabwe, enabling Project
Manager John Matiza to travel more widely, as he oversees Smile projects and
distributes aid. Smile sent out Graeme
Thompson to deliver finance and oversee the drilling of a well and construction
of a water tower at the Doubleday Educational Complex in Ghana. The well was
financed by Graeme's fundraising activities amongst friends and
church members over the past year. He also saw recipients of aid from the sea
container, including sewing machines to provide employment for the women in Konogo Achiase village.
Truck of aid sent to Kosova.
John Sickel and Hamish Summers undertook a
Smile Sponsored Challenge to climb Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, raising funds for
Smile's work.
Gospel recorded onto tape in Goran language
under the direction of Kenny McKee from Language Recordings. This is to be
distributed with wind-up cassette players to the Goran people who live in the
mountain regions of eastern Kosova and northern Albania. |
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June |
Paul and Angela Maxfield took up their posts as
Centre Managers at the Smile Centre in Kosova.
Annual Smile Celebration held at Christ Church,
Chislehurst, with guest speaker Pastor Astrit Morina of Eternity Church in
Gjakove, Kosova.
Refurbishment of the shop fronts at the Smile
Centre in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, in order to use them for an internet café and
Christian bookshop. |
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July |
Ray Avenell, Carol Groves and Peter Ball
continued with the agricultural training and micro-financing projects to help
the widows in Kosova become self-supporting. |
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