Annual Public Benefit Report April 23- March 24
Since its inception, Mizpah Trust has had to adapt its working methods in order to make its ministry more effective. We reach out to men, women and children by
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Teaching the Word of God
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Distributing the Word of God to those who want it
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Sharing basic humanitarian needs
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Mentoring youth in Christian Ethics and morals
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Care for the Refugees who have come from Arabic and other lands to Europe
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Reaching out to Jewish visitors to their heritage sites in Greece
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Informing interested groups and individuals of the needs
Since April 23, our volunteer workers have continued to work in the Refugee camp at Verea and also at the Alexandria camp when needed. They continue to provide medical and surgical supplies to those who need it and to bring people to and from Drs, dentists and hospital appointments and also a few who need glasses to opticians. This finance is provided by Mizpah Outreach doners. Counselling of women has been especially required often and help with filling in paperwork from the Greek government, or for the government of the country that the refugee is hoping to be transferred to. This is very important for them, as wrongly filled in paperwork often results in their applications being refused!
Those refugees who have decided to settle in Greece and now have homes, continue to get visits to ensure they have all they require, and to advise on various things about the country and culture that will be helpful for them. Hospital visitation has been allowed in circumstances where spiritual help has been requested, or is deemed to be necessary for the patient.
Clothing was distributed as needed to all the refugees and including Ukrainian refugees, who are mostly women and children. These Ukrainians are still coming in and are mostly given temporary homes and places to live. Those who have to be in the camps require a lot of help, as they really don’t want to be there.
Our field workers in Greece, due to Brexit rules, had to spend 90 days in and 90 days out of Greece throughout the year, meaning an increase of costs of travel back and forth. Services were taken, and people were informed of the progress of the refugee work and the youth camp in Greece. A Gospel Tent Mission was arranged in the summer in Northern Ireland, where souls were reached and comforted, counselled and helped with their spiritual and emotional needs.
Pastoral visits have been made to a local hotel in Greece which offers physical therapies and spa care to physically and mentally challenged guests who come from Germany & Switzerland. This help has proven very acceptable to the clients and has resulted in many asking for return visits. Some have even been able to attend the church services on Sunday mornings in the local church, with translation.
As usual church services were visited and taken in both Greece and Northern Macedonia as well as in UK, with the purpose of encouragement, comfort, counselling and help in
understanding the complexities for refugees living in a foreign country, and to raise awareness of their situation.
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Hundreds of New Testaments were provided in various languages for the Spiritual and emotional comfort of people who asked for them. [900]
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Other literature was provided to answer questions or help solve problems faced by the refugees and other interested peoples. [2000 pieces]
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Literature was provided for visitors arriving in Greece and Northern Macedonia [1100]
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Grief counselling was provided for those who had suffered bereavements, were given terminal diagnosis, or suffering from any other mental, emotional or physical ailment. [30 families/25 couples received pre-marital counselling/400 individuals]
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Information letters and documents were printed and provided on a 3-monthly basis to inform people in the United Kingdom of the various works going on to help others in Greece and Macedonia. [1200 people x4 times per annum - £3595.65]
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Where church services and close contact venues were not able to be used for preaching or informing others of the situation in Greece and Macedonia, drive in and zoom meetings were carried out to make sure people remained informed for the purpose of praying for and helping those in need. [many hundreds of individuals in various church/social venues, or online]
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A two-week Gospel mission was held as a tent mission in Cookstown, Northern Ireland in July 2022, giving all members of the local communities the opportunity to hear the message of the Gospel, to seek spiritual and emotional help and to be informed of the needs in the lands we have outreach into. [hundreds of people nightly, [in tent, over loudspeakers and also online.]
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We could not do our work without the help of our volunteers. We have Greek volunteers helping with the refugee work and also with the upkeep of the camp, but without any form of recompense [except hospitality where needed, when they are working]. Other volunteers, mostly from Northern Ireland pay their own flight tickets and work very hard in Greece, helping to finish the camp and also by speaking, testifying and providing entertainment at various churches in Greece and North Macedonia at the weekends and in the evenings. They receive no payment, except a hire car to get around in, accommodation and hospitality when they are with us in Greece. We are so thankful for their commitment and help in these ventures.
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The Discipleship camp for the training of young persons in the Ethics and moral expectations of life is reaching completion. We have had teams this year and will continue on a maintenance basis, when we hope to finally get the necessary permits to operate on a voluntary basis from the Greek government and be able to officially welcome groups to the place in 2024.
Summary of costs: Literature given and posted: In Greece and UK, Including administration expenses £3595.65 Refugees, £4636.92 Vehicles, £20,618.74 Travel for field workers, fuel, ferries, etc £10,919.63 Personal allowances £16,400 Health insurance & Trustee Insurance £16441.77 Accommodation when in UK £989.50 Camp supplies, sundries and food £28,224.96 Initial payments for Greek surveyors and permits £3250.50 Total costs for the year £ 105,078
I certify that this is a true estimation of the help given through the Mizpah charity during the year April 1[st ] 2023 and March 31[st ] 2024.
Thomas David Lyttle [Field worker]
Robert Martin Bell [Chairman]