A missionary who had his bag swiped on the eve of departing to spread the good word in South Africa is appealing for the public to find his precious notes.

Elder Kevin Santucci said he will have to start from scratch after spending a month preparing teaching notes for his trip to Cape Town on Friday.

Mr. Santucci, of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Southampton, lost a bible and teaching books, when a thief took his bag from his van at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital yesterday.

He told The Royal Gazette : "I had only been gone less than seven minutes and I was parked in a secured area so I hadn't locked the door.

"But when I came back it was gone. I guess the Lord wants me to speak without a bible from now on. He will speak through me.'' Mr. Santucci explained that the black knap sack stolen from his hospital delivery van around noon contained nothing of any worth to a thief.

But his bible with footnotes and post-it notes represented hours of work.

He said: "I have really been taken aback by the ordeal. There was a lady there who said there was a gentleman casing the joint.'' Mr. Santucci also praised generous supporters who had helped raise the necessary $8,000 in just a month to help fund the trip to start an evangelist campaign and give bible instruction.