Norfolk rector the Revd Ben Bradshaw will begin praying at 6pm this evening (Wednesday March 12) – and continue for 24 hours.
The rector of the benefice of St Benedict, in the Broads, will pray for his local churches and communities and for God’s blessing on his family’s plans to work in Zimbabwe this summer.
This summer Ben, and his optician wife Danni, and their daughters 14-year-old Jorja and seven-year-old Bethany, will travel to Zimbabwe to help some of the poorest people in the world.
He hopes his 24-hour prayer vigil in medieval St Swithin’s church, Ashmanaugh, will inspire people to support the family’s fund-raising. They hope to pay school fees for needy children (education is not free in Zimbabwe) and Danni will offer free eye care
“At 6pm I will walk into church, sit down, and simply start to pray,” said Ben.
“I will then continue to pray for the next 24 hours. No breaks or sleep (well hopefully I will stay awake!) However, I will not be going anywhere until I finish my 24 hours of prayer.”
“Please do come along and join me for a few minutes!”
The Bishop of Thetford, the Rt Revd Ian Bishop, will join him at the start of the vigil and the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, plans to pray with him towards the end.
Ben has set up a Just Giving page for anyone able to help and said: “Tariro raises funds to pay school fees for young people in Zimbabwe, therefore I am really hoping we can raise some funds in advance of this trip so that when we go out there I can directly help get some really deserving children into school. The long-term plan is that my congregations will hopefully be keen to sponsor some young people so that we can get them all the way through school.”
Ben will also support fellow church ministers in Zimbabwe and the family will visit and help at the leper settlement where John Bradburne, who grew up in Norfolk, worked before he was kidnapped and killed in 1979.
“Lepers continue to be some of the most neglected people in the world and therefore we are keen to support the current residents living at Mutemwa in any way that we can,” said Ben. “We are inspired by the amazing work of the saintly, John Bradburne, and all that he did to support lepers.
To support Revd Ben’s mission to Zimbabwe visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/revd-ben
