In other news, I would like to draw up a Sustaining Life logo. The idea I currently have involves one word on top of the other, with the first 'i' from 'sustaining' and the only 'i' from 'life' forming the trunk of a tree (or other suitable plant). The leaves and twiggy bits would be wound around the top word, or comprise it in some way, and 'life' would be the stronger, lower branches. The idea would be to have only two or three main colours, for impact and for economy! If any of you arty types can visualise that, or have a better idea, then please send your pics to my e-mail addy (on Facebook if you need to find it). Otherwise, this will be left to my amateurish scribblings. I'm sure that any submissions that end up in the final logo will find themselves rewarded with a suitable prize. Closing date - Monday 21st April (short notice out of necessity, sorry!). Watch this space.

COMMITTEE AND OTHER ADMIN STUFF
- Jeff was in contact with our Trustees a while ago when he identified the days of the week which would be most suitable for them to meet. This needs to be followed up very soon.
- Due to the fact that there are potential clients waiting to use the service now (see March entry), it is important that various admin tasks are completed, including sorting out insurance. Apparantly, becoming associated with BTCV (for an annual fee) entitles community organisations to low cost public liability insurance, together with access to useful things like training and funding alerts. This is worth investigating.
Targets: For Jeff to re-establish contact with the Trustees with a view to holding the first meeting by the end of April. For Dith to contact BTCV in order the get certain things, like insurance, in place so that our first official clients can be taken on.

WORKING ON THE PLOT
- The past month saw a quite a reduction in terms of the amount of time spent on the plot. This was due in part to other priorities and has been compounded by the fact that, sadly, Chris' current contract with BTCV has now ended. He will still be in the area, and hopefully not out of the picture completely, but his previous valuable level of input is currently no longer available. Another conequence of his finishing is that I will need to access the tools from another source.
- Due to a chance meeting, I have been offered some glass to replace the missing panes in the greenhouse.
I have also been offered a free shed by our friend Jon.
- Some inital seed-sowing has been done under cover and the potatoes have been put to 'chit' (produce shoots) ready for planting out.
Targets: Begin to plant out the hardy seeds after the last frost has passed and plant the potatoes. Follow up the offer of the glass panes and organise the removal of the greenhouse from its current situation to its new home on the top plot. Take a look at the shed to see if it is suitable. Speak to Matt, the local youth worker, who Chris has told me may be able to loan us tools until we buy our own. Keep in touch with the support worker of our potential clients in order to keep her informed of progress.

OTHER
- Please continue to pray for all of these aspects of the project. I believe that we are entering quite a key time in its development and it is vital that we keep our eyes fixed on the Lord as it all unfolds. I know that I certainly need reminding that he is in charge of all this and that the success of this endeavour is not down to my meagre efforts. It would not have come this far if that were the case, I must not forget that! Thanks again for all of your support.

Dith

Suffice to say, all is going pretty well, please continue to pray. Thanks, and watch this space for a full update as and when.

Firstly, I was approached by a staff member of my 'proper job', asking if I would be able to support one of her cleints to do some gardening. Apparantly, she has a number of people she supports who are 'outdoorsy' and had been ringing around to find suitable activities for them. On speaking to Chris the Eco-Bloke, she found out about the allotment. I have not even 'gone public' with the project yet! As a result, she brought her client up on Thurs a.m. and he appears v enthusiastic. My colleague also wishes to let her other clients know, so I may have a whole new group within the next few weeks. Note to self: Sort out all the background work very soon(insurance, equipment, health and safety etc. Phew!) As an offshoot of this first incident, word is getting around among members of the Mental Health Drop-In where I work. Consequently, there may well be even more interested people coming forward, and my manager has said that she will assist me in letting other staff know what is on offer.

Secondly, I have been offered some greenhouse glass to replace the broken and missing panes in our new-ish purchase. This happened on Thurs a.m., after the meeting mentioned above, simply by talking about the state of our greenhouse to a bloke on the allotment site who then spoke to a passing mate who had some glass available. Note to self: visit second bloke and sort out acquiring glass.

Thirdly, I went to meet a tutor at the local agri college who works with vulnerbale people. He also gave me some food for thought.

Finally, I have managed to sow some seeds under cover at last. One aspect of this was to put the seed potatoes to chit, which means to place them in a light place so that they can begin to produce shoots before planting out. Surprisingly, they had already started this process, without any intervention from me. I love nature, don't you? So full of allegory!

COMMITTEE
- Jeff has been in contact with our Trustees and identified the days of the week which would be most suitable for them to meet.
Target: To have held the first Trustees meeting by the end of March.

WORKING ON THE PLOT
- The routine of one afternoon session per week has been kept up, even in the absence of Chris and the team on a number of occasions this month. (I have got to know Bob the Robin pretty well though.) Four entire beds have been dug over now, which is perfect for beginning our organic crop-rotation system.
- The greenhouse has now been paid for. I have marked up the (remaining!) panes of glass and tidied the contents ready for removal.
- The outstanding amount of plot rental has been paid. Chirs and I attacked the overgrowth of vegetation on the top plot last Thursday, for which I learned how to use a brush cutter. That was fun, and very satisfying!
Targets: Plant tender seeds under cover and begin to sow the hardier ones after the final frost has passed. Organise the removal of the greenhouse from its current situation to its new home on the top plot.

FUNDING
- Jeff has been doing some lay preaching, for which grateful congregations have paid him. We have decided that all such payments will be donated to the project. The first offering has been earmarked (by me) for some potting compost and a retrospective payment for some seeds.
Target: More of the same, please!

OTHER
- I would like to make a specific prayer request at this point. Without betraying too much info, Chris' work situation is in need of some divine intervention. From his standpoint as a self-confessed atheist, he has admitted that 'a miracle' is needed. So lets send up some prayers for exactly that!

Dith

RESEARCH
- Chris has been helpful in managing the plot and filling in the (not insignificant) holes in my horticultural knowledge.
Target: Keep in contact with Chris and put his advice into practice.

COMMITTEE
- Three Trustees have been identified, which I am relaibly informed is a good number to start with. Jeff is in the process of orgainising a suitable date for the first meeting.
Target: To have held the first Trustees meeting by the end of the month.

WORKING ON THE PLOT
- Five beds have now been marked out on the plot, and most of this area has been dug over ready for planting. Chris and his team of volunteers have been an invaluable resource, in terms of people power and tools. We have entered a routine of one three hour session each week, and I even attended yesterday when there was no-one else for comapny except a very freindly robin!
- We are in the process of buying a low cost greenhouse from the Allotment Secretary, which will be very useful for growing seedlings and for plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers.
- I have purchased all the seeds for this year, the majority of them from the little allotment shop for the bargain price of £10!
Targets: Dig over the rest of the veg beds, with regualr help from the team. Sow some of the earlier seeds in modules ready for planting out later in the year. Ensure that the Allotment Sec is paid for the greenhouse, the seeds and the outstanding amount of rent.

OTHER
- The Smallholding Course is still going well. As I did not explain to Ian before now, I should clarify what this means. A Smallholding is basically a mini-farm, usually for people who want to try to be at least a little self-sufficient. Therefore, this course is useful for teaching complete amateurs, such as myself, the basics of farm animal care and crop management. As the long-term plan for our charity is to include animal care, it seemed logical that we should begin to learn something ourselves - it is also great fun!

Thanks as always for your prayers, keep it up!

Dith

I was pleasantly surprised that there was a gap in the torrential downpours we have been having recently, sufficient for our merry band of volunteers to get a good bit of digging done this afternoon. Okay, so I was significantly taller afterwards, due to my mud-platform-boots, but we have made a good deal of progress. There are now five veg beds marked out, about half of which have been dug over. The allotment secretary also dropped by and offered us a bargain greenhouse, also affording me the opportunity to buy a few cut-price veg seeds.

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, there were some clouds in the sky but this was certainly a good form of productive therapy . . . for me, at the very least!

In other news, we have had responses from our potentail Trustees, and now need to plan our first committee meeting. It is all good progress.

RESEARCH
- The meeting with Chris the Environmental Officer earlier this month was a very good one, he has offered alot of practical support and information. (Details can be found in the blog post of 9th December.)
Target: Keep in contact with Chris, continuing to make use of his expertise.

COMMITTEE
- We have approached a number of people with a view to them becoming Trustees for Sustaining Life, the key committee roles to be filled at this stage. Preliminary responses appear favourable.
Targets: To approach those prospective Trustees still outstanding and have replies from everyone by the end of the month. Also, if possible, to have held the first Trustees meeting by this time.

WORKING ON THE PLOT
- As reported, the Environmental Officer has offered to provide man (and woman!)-power and access to tools for preparing the plot.
- We have also agreed with the Allotment Secretary that we will rent the plot above our current one, to ensure a more viable size of working area.
- I have been perusing allotment books and seed catalogues and have a pretty good idea of what to order and where to plant it now.
Targets: Liaise with Chris (EO) in order to organise for his teams of volunteers to come and dig the plots over at the beginning of January. Ensure that Allotment Sec has extra rent for the other plot and take a look at the seeds that he has in stock. Buy some seeds, and possibly other equipment, and begin to plan the layout of the plot ready for planting.

OTHER
- The most notable item this month, though, is surely the suprise donation of £500. (See entry of 19th Dec). This has certainly been confirmation that the Lord is behind all that we are doing, it was incredibly encouraging. So, along with our usaul request for prayer, we would like to ask you to join with us in saying a huge THANK YOU to our Heavenly Father for his faithfulness so far.

\"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. \" Phil 1 vv 3-6

AMEN :)

Until now I hadn't.

What Judith didn't mention was that the person who had donated the money is a non-believer. His parents are church people but he isn't. Now isn't that a wonderful way for God to work?

Some may say that Christians should only accept \"clean\" money. There are lots of places out there that offer money to charitable groups, religious ones or not, but some groups won't apply because of the way in which the money is made.

This provides Christian causes with a very moral problem. Can we righfully accept money to use in God's work from these causes? Is funding from something such as the National Lottery acceptable? Would accepting money from brewers or arms firms be allowable to Christians?

I'll be honest and say that I'm personaly divided on this issue. Part of me says that money obtained through the weakness or suffering of others should be refused. Yet the other part of me wants to use any money that is received to further the work of God in helping others, some of whom are victims of these sources.

Spurgeon said that he'd accept money from the devil if he could use it to further the kingdom of God.

I remember the conference we went to at Caring For Life. There was a section on ways of raising funds for their work. The story was told of one woman who told them that she played the lottery every week. Her aim was to win and then give the money to Caring For Life. In the mean time the money that she paid in could be used by them if they obatined grants from the lottery.

This is where modern charitable giving has been corrupted. People play the lottery because it helps good causes, or goes on things that our goverment should provide from taxation. So they see it as a way of helping those less fortunate, while giving them the chance to win a million or so if they're lucky.

Then I have another thought: how do I know that the money that we're offered in the future is God given? I suppose I would have to rely on such gifts coming unsolicited. If they arrived in this way then maybe I'd know that they were God inspired.

So I've decided that the only thing to do is ask what is the best way forward. I don't expect replies here, as this is more of a pray request than anything else.

Jeff