MEMBERS of Okehampton?s Inspiration Church bid farewell to Phil, Hilda and Wami Cracknell last week, as they continue the church?s connections with the African continent. They left Okehampton on Saturday to travel to the Mukinge, in the North Western Province of Zambia. They will be based at the Mukinge Hill Mission and Phil will be working as treasurer to the Mukinge Girls? High School ? a school catering for the education of more than 500 girls. He will also assist with formal bible training, discipleship training, and networking. Hilda will work with an Aids prevention programme. Phil and Hilda will be working in Zambia as Christian missionaries and will be permanently based at the Mukinge Hill Mission. The mission centre has connected to it a hospital, a basic school for 200 pupils, the girls? secondary school, academy primary school, and a services department which caters for the practical running of the school equipment and vehicles. Mukinge Hill Mission also runs an annual bible conference. Before leaving, Phil spoke to a specially held meeting of Inspiration members, telling them that 20% of the Zambian population are infected with Aids. In fact, one million children have lost one or both of their parents from Aids, and at Mukinge more than half of children admitted to the hospital are HIV-positive. Hilda spoke about the Mukinge Aids Awareness Programme, with which she will be heavily involved once she arrives in Zambia. Inspiration?s senior minister the Rev Mike Davies said: ?It will be sad to see such a valued family leave Okehampton. ?Their heart is to serve the people of Zambia. I know we will have regular contact with them and I am sure we will send out teams to support them in the near future.? Phil had worked with the Gilead Foundation, near Okehampton, prior to his departure, and was an active member of Inspirations worship group, Inspiration has been involved in sending teams into Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, Mongolia, and Bulgaria. Mr Davies said he was keen to receive an early assessment from Phil and Hilda to learn in what areas Inspiration could offer support, especially to the vital Aids programme. Aids awareness is of particular interest to Mike as his own brother died as a result of the disease.
