The 7th annual IRFF - UK Pilgrimage! - United Kingdom

O on 29th, 30th April and 1st May. This year 2017 we decided to raise £4000 and to give half the money raised to Destiny Junior School towards much needed new classrooms and a library. (Destiny school was built by IRFF volunteers during 2009-10 and currently has about 120 pupils and 10 staff; it is located in the village Pilgrims’ way through the meandering We decided to keep walking in the community of Kibiri, Uganda.) The wetlands surrounding the river Itchen, a evening through the hill country and other half of whatever we are able to nature reserve. Along the way we saw were rewarded by the first sights of raise will support a small team of deer and many kinds of animals, fish skylarks and their songs. We stayed in a WAIT volunteers who are travelling in and birds and stopped at several bunk room at the Mulberry, an Inn on July to work with young people along with other NGO’s in the Philippines in churches to reflect on our task. We the Pilgrims’ Way in Farnham. were joined by a seasoned pilgrim, Day 2 began with an interfaith meeting their HIV/AIDS prevention capacity Steven Gough, Russel’s brother, for outside Farnham railway station from and highlighting and exploring ways of part of the walk and had our lunch where we set off 40 strong on the 2nd preventing sex trafficking. together in the open air. Later in the leg of our journey. Many thanks to the day we met a kindly retired general in families and friends who joined us, and Bishops Sutton who invited us round thanks also to all those who raised for tea in his beautiful garden; we were sponsorship money! The Sunday walk so grateful for the unexpected was as always memorable for the hospitality as we were all quite tired as camaraderie and the beauty of the we neared the end of the day! Thank country; towards the end of the walk you to the Redheads. we had our traditional silent walk, a time of reflection and communion with nature as we walked through the hills and the bluebell woods. Everyone Thanks to our perennial transport co- enjoyed the lunch of chips and ordinator Simon Rosselli the five 1st lemonade in the garden of the ‘Good day pilgrims arrived in the early Intent’, an inn that has stood for morning at St. Swithun’s cathedral, centuries in service to travellers along Winchester to start our walk with a the Pilgrims’ way. Reluctantly it was prayer of dedication for the children in time to part with many who were Africa and the Philippines. The 1st part heading home while 15 of us needed to of the journey leads along the ancient set off into the forest in time to set up

camp. Thanks to Marshall and Susan pilgrimage and learnt about creating a In conclusion, I want to mention 2 for bringing down the tents and dome of invisibility (!) and how to things: first the fact that several of the supplies for the wild camping leave a campsite without leaving a children at Destiny school were fasting experience; it meant we only had to trace. In the end, our walk we decided as well as all the school community carry the heavy equipment a few miles! was really about love for all of nature, who prayed, both Christians and For the 3rd year in succession we found as well as all people. Muslims, for the success of the our campsite untouched and quickly We set off towards the river Wey in pilgrimage; if only all the world could everyone got to work setting up the glorious sunshine and had our follow the example of these humblest tents, collecting firewood, building the traditional farewells at the footbridge of children and their teachers. fire etc. all of which accompanied by beneath St. Catherine’s chapel. 11 Secondly, we would like to appeal to gentle rain. It was a great bonding pilgrims walked the 3rd day through the one and all that you can still donate to experience, an adventure for us all, hill country towards Dorking, the causes mentioned above and remind greatly enhanced by Achan’s mind communing with horses, rabbits and you that IRFF UK is proud of its record bending riddles! It started to rain harder mice, stopping at St. Martha’s Church that 100% of all donations go directly late in the night but by then everyone on the hill, also having chips again at for the most needy in the world who we was ready for sleep. Newlands corner as rain and a cold serve as we are a small NGO run by Early in the morning it was almost wind blew, all part of the experience! unpaid volunteers and over the last 10 miraculous that after some heavy rain Many thanks to Tony and Hildegard years have been able to cover all in the night the sun rose into a clear and Adza for support with making sure expenses ourselves and through the blue sky and the dawn chorus like a all the volunteers reached home safely. help of Gift-Aid, a UK scheme symphony woke the sleepers, also the We especially want to thank everyone whereby donations by taxpayers are embers were coaxed back to life for a who either walked part or all of the way complimented by government. cup of tea before setting off. We stood and all who were able to give a and prayed in a circle round the fire, donation, thank you again. reflecting on the meaning of our .