Meet the team - John!

Hi, I’m John, I’m married to Lucy, we have four adult children and two young grandsons. I have worshiped at St Andrew’s church for many years and have been involved in various aspects of church life, but few things have given me greater pleasure, and belief in God at work in the world, than our partnership with Hands at Work.

I witnessed firsthand the effect going to visit and share in the work of Hands in Africa had on my daughter, Jessica, and my eldest son, Oliver, about a decade ago; and have had the privilege of being part of two previous teams in 2022 and 2024. I have been thrilled by the way our relationship with Hands, and our partner community of Mafambisa, have developed and grown over the last number of years.

The visits were humbling, inspiring and uplifting; to see the work of the Hands team, the kindness and dedication of the Care Workers, and the pure unbridled enthusiasm of the children was a real joy. Along with that was the strengthening of the faith we share, seeing God’s love for his people in action and feeling God’s presence amid challenging situations. We prayed, we ate, we played, we laughed, and we shared in moments of difficulty and anxiety, but it certainly made me think again about the priorities of life and what I consider to be important. One of the things that made a great impact on me were the Holy Home Visits; being invited into the homes of people in communities, listening to their stories, however challenging, was very special and something that has stayed with me. Since my return, amidst all the busyness and strains we experience in everyday life, it has made me appreciate things more and be thankful that I am truly blessed.

I’m eager to see what our visit this year may bring; I’m excited about going back, seeing how things have progressed, meeting old friends and new, and traveling with this year’s Team. I’m looking forward to join again with the fantastic work of Hands, and walk alongside the care workers as they cook, visit homes and care for the children of their communities.