CMS

We are one of the Link Churches that support the Smith Family in Nairobi.

Supported by the Church Mission Society (CMS), Colin & Anita Smith went out to Nairobi twelve years ago, along with their two little girls. Both Colin & Anita are ordained. Colin is involved in ministry in the slums of Nairobi, specifically in training for urban ministry, where he is acting dean at Carlile College and also director of CUM, the Centre for Urban Mission in Nairobi’s largest slum, Kibera.

Anita is involved with ministry at Nairobi Cathedral and is very involved with the ex-pat community.

Their two daughters Sheila and Sandie are now grown up, with Sheila having just finished A levels at boarding school in England, and Sandie completing her iGCSEs this Summer.

St Mary’s has been involved in supporting Colin & Anita since they commenced their training year, before going out to Nairobi. Anita comes from Mole Valley, and so over the past twelve years Colin & Anita and the girls have been regular visitors to St Mary’s. Over the past three years, our Link Person, Sarah Mackay has been lucky enough to visit the Smith Family in Nairobi a couple of times, with her teenage boys, to find out what their work involves, and to meet some of the wonderful people they work with.

St Mary’s has formed a close link with the Smith family and especially with St Jerome, a parish in Kibera. We have raised money to help set up Homework Clubs for teenagers across Kibera and some of the other informal settlements. When Sarah has visited she has taken out large amounts of sporting equipment, including on this last occassion 54 rugby shirts from Leatherhead and Dorking Rugby Clubs, and 350 medals! St Mary’s has a monthly Home-Made Stall, which raises money to help keep Colin & Anita’s cars on the road, and also helps to fund Sheila’s trips home to Nairobi, for the school holidays.

If you are interested in getting involved in Third World mission at St Mary’s, or would like to hear more about our special link with the Smith family, do contact Sarah Mackay through the Parish office.

The Smith family quarterly newsletter is available for download:
link letter april 2012

There is also a Not the Link Letter November 2011 available from Anita and a blog from Colin called “Mind the Gap”

More photos: