They say the distance between Cork and Menouf (Egypt) is about 4,000 kilometers, but after Oriel Hosford’s first day at El Manarah school, it feels like she’s stepped into an entirely different world. Here are some of her initial reflections: Day 1: Hello from Menouf! Greetings from the El Manarah special needs school in Egypt! I’ve officially kicked off my 10 days in country , and my heart is already full. I made sure to check with the team first, and they’ve kindly given m

Roger and Linda were delighted to spend an evening last week facilitating a cultural sensitization seminar alongside the local PSNI community police constables at All Nations Ministries. The session focused on welcoming newcomers to Northern Ireland and sparking meaningful conversations on: Navigating Local Culture: Understanding the nuances of life in NI. Cultural Equality: Embracing the truth that no one culture is "better" than another. The Power of Integration: How acti

I was out and about in Bujumbura with a friend one Friday evening and I remarked on the traffic. Bujumbura is not a city that normally has heavy traffic. Chronic fuel shortages means that most people walk everywhere. This particular evening, however, traffic was relatively heavy. “The border with D.R. Congo has been opened” I was told, which is definitely a good thing as it means the conflict just some 20km away has died down for a while. People were going back to visit famil

Upon entering Burundi I get a visa at the airport. As with most countries the visa is limited to 30 days. If I want to stay longer I can renew it at the immigration office in Bujumbura which, because I usually stay for around 6 weeks, I always do. I am more than ably assisted in this by an Anglican Chaplain to the police, called Pastor Alfred, who knows just about everyone in the Bureau de Migration, including the boss. This year there was an entertaining mistake. The new vi

What a year of change it has been! Jenny most certainly rocked the boat when she broke the news, back at the end of summer, that she would no longer be at the helm of CMSI. But even in the stormy waters of the change-over she guided us, and prepared us to move forward, as the strong team, that she had built us into, over the past decade. Her life amongst us as a staff team, and members of CMSI, has been one of integrity, and courage. She has modelled for us how to grapple wit

From CMSI's Shine and AGM on Saturday 14 March 2026 What have I treasured most about the privilege of working with CMS and CMS Ireland over the past 40 years? It has to be all the opportunities to connect with people across the global church. Opportunities to walk alongside churches ministering in so many diverse places, catching glimpses of God’s kingdom on earth in all its wondrous, colourful incarnations, from north, south east and west of this emerald isle to Africa, Asia