The last six months have seen a number of changes to the group. None of the older teenage girls are attending the meetings regularly, the invariable reason is homework pressure. We are, however, still in touch with them and occasionally see one or another on a Thursday.

On the other hand one of the ten-year olds has recruited two friends, and we now have a core group of six girls, aged ten and eleven, who all join in every activity with enthusiasm and seemingly boundless energy! Although their liveliness sometimes makes an hour and a quarter feel like a week or two (!) they are full of genuine questions and have an amazing ability to absorb the teaching in great detail, even while giggling! During the last term we have been studying the travels of Paul and his companions and many of them have been struck by the suffering that Christian's were prepared to go through for the sake of the Gospel.

Sadly Heather has been unable to join us at all this term due to breaking her ankle in the summer holidays. Although unsure of exactly when she will be able to come back to the group, she hopes to be with us again by half term in February. At this point Glenda will be leaving the group as she prepares to get married in April. We hope that you will be able to join us for a time of prayer at 252 Christchurch Road, West Parley, on Monday 24th March at 7.30 pm. May we take this opportunity to thank you all so much for your part in the group through your prayers, and wish you a joyful New Year.

Heather, Glenda and Hazel

Our December saint was Francis Xavier, the first Christian missionary in Japan. This month we celebrate on 6th February the life of Paul Miki and his companions who were martyred in Japan. A few years after Xavier left Japan, the number of Christians was around 2,000 and this number increased considerably during the next 50 years. The Japanese ruler, Hideyoshi, was very angry about this increase and pursued a policy of persecution which extended, as was the custom in Japan, to the dependants of the victim. In all, 26 were killed for their faith: Miki came from an aristocratic Japanese family, there was a Jesuit priest and 2 lay brothers and 6 Franciscans of various nationalities. The remainder were ordinary Japanese citizens and one Korean and included a soldier, doctor, interpreters, catechists and three young boys. All these martyrs had part of their left ear cut off and then were paraded in various towns before the populace in order to discourage any other potential converts. They were then taken to Nagasaki for crucifixion, and after their death, their clothes and blood were treasured by their fellow Christians. This group of martyrs was canonized in 1862. For a long time their feast day was celebrated mainly by Jesuits and Franciscans, but in 1970 it was included in the Roman calendar as the celebration of the First Martyrs in the Far East. A few hundred other Japanese were martyred for their Christian faith between 1617 and 1632.