"Lord Christ, your saints have been the lights of the world in every generation. Grant that, we who follow in their footsteps may be made worthy to enter with them into that heavenly country where you live and reign for ever and ever. Amen" (MU reflections for November.)

Sheran Harper has been our World-Wide President from 2019 until 2024. Summing up her journey she said, "Called and Chosen for this Season of Change". "Soon after the historic Worldwide Council 2019 in Rwanda where 70 global leaders met to listen to God for direction, the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic hit the world. The impact was tremendous, but it also signalled the birth of something new for Mothers' Union. Sheran held firmly to Isaiah 43:19. "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up: do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland"

We are part of "Change" in Mothers; Union both in our own diocese as well as nationally. We must be ready to review our priorities and build up our reserves.

Mothers' Union has a major campaign at the moment entitled "Illiteracy Doesn't Make Sense"

480 million women around the world cannot read or write! This is something we take for granted but, not being able to register the birth of a child, read a medicine bottle, open a bank account or gain independence, is something the campaign hopes to change and transform their lives.

Our branch meeting for October at the home of Peter and Janet Likeman was an informal gathering where we caught up with each other's news ( holidays etc.), heard from Jocelyn news received from the diocese of forthcoming events which we hope to attend and report on in further magazine entries, received menus and details of our planned Christmas lunch from Veronica and Jenny, asked everyone to think and bring to the AGM in January ideas for next year's meetings, outings etc. We then had a "Just Desserts" quiz with well-known puddings to be unravelled from anagrams. Most of the anagrams sounded more delicious than the answers!

We ended our meeting with prayers and notice that our next event is the Autumn Gathering on the 19th October and our Deanery Patronal Service at All Saints Westbury on Wednesday November 6th at 2.30pm. We thanked Janet and Peter for their hospitality and departed for home in brilliant Autumn sunshine. 

Enid Holbrow.