One of the nations I have been involved in for a number of years is Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is an interesting country. The majority of the population are Singalese speaking Buddhists. There has been a civil war in progress since the mid-1980s which has taken the lives of nearly 100.000 people. The minority Tamils, who are in the main Hindus, are fighting for independance or at least autonomy. Looking at the discrimination that the Tamils have suffered this is a worthy cause. However their means are to be condemned.
The liberation group "Tamil Tigers" have been killing civilians indiscriminatly and have forced children into military service. The Buddhist government says that it is winning the war. Representatives of the Indian government have declared that this conflict cannot be won militrily.In the meanwhile, the Tamils have brought the war to the cities in the form of sucicide bombing.
The are Christians among the Singalese and the Tamils. They are though small in number 0,8% of the whole population are protestant and only the half of those are evangelical.Sri Lanka is the only non-islamic country in Asia in which the church is not growing.
The rising fuel and food prices have hit the poor in a devastating way. The denomination that I work with has 50 churches and they are paying their pastors less than US$ 2 per day. They live under the absolute poverty level. But much of the population does too.
If that were not enough, the Buddhist majority persecuted this protestant minority. During my stay a Methodist minister was put in hospital after being beat up by a horde of Buddhists. At a large gathering of Buddhist monks in the city of Galle, it was demanded that Christians leave the southern provinces. And thes mean business too. An Assembly of God Church in the Hambantota district was attacked on June 22nd. A JHU (a political party that supports the president) Buddhist monk gathered 5000 people who tried to enter the church. Fortunately in this case the police intervened and saved his life.
On July 6th the Talahena Calvary Church in Colombo was attacked. The pastor was hospitalized. There is normaly very little legal recourse available through the police as the government as the government is hesitant to challenge the Buddhist clergy.
Let's not forget to pray for these dear people who are suffering.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Once more: Kalimantan
For a number of years, I have been working into West Kalimantan, Indonesia. We have a team of people from a number of local churches in Germany and Australia, that ministers to a group of churches in West Kalimantan.
The people there live under very primitive conditions. We started out by encourging church workers and helping to train leaders. We normally go to a village which is central and hold seminars periodically for two years and then move on. We have been working in this area for four years and during this time 350 people have gone through the process of being trained. Also ten churches have been planted.
However there is a continual struggle to sustain the churches. Demonic activity is strong. Each village has a witchdoctor. This is a real challenge. Perhaps the bigger challenge is financial sustaining the churches. The people are very poor and despite teaching on the tithe, little is happening.
God gave us a good contact. We met a retired German businessman in Malaysia. He is a young Christian with a desire to serve the Lord. "But I can't preach." These were more or less his first comments on meeting him. Why people think you can only serve the Lord if you can preach I don't know. But to make a long story short, he is at present trying to form a cooperative with the pepper farmers in Kalimantan. If it works it will give the farmers a better deal for their work and also generate some funds for our mission there.
The first project that we want to support is a hostel for young people. We are working in a village that is kind of central (it only takes 8 hours by boat to access it form the nearest city). There are schools in the village. Parents send their children to the village to go to school. Unfortunately the children stay in the village until the school goes into recession. The children have no one to look after them and live in what look like larger dog kennels on stilts!
Of course as all young people are, the are mischievous and get into trouble without having parental guidance. But they also lack parental protection. A number of the girls have been raped. And the witchdoctor has a field day in putting spells on the children etc. Most of then, while having enough to eat, are undernourished because they ear mostly rice. They don't drink enough water and are not trained in hygiene.
In "our" village there are 350 such children. We are employing someone to do what he can to serve these children. Building a hostel would provide the protection and we could give guidance and help. We envisage doing training about hygiene, nutrition and discipleship. The cost of such a hostel is around 70 000, which we could raise through the cooperative.
We just hope and pray that this will happen!
The next step is a medical mission. People from the village need to travel the 8 hours by boat to get to see the doctor. Theoretically anyway. The boat trip costs them nearly a month's income. Then they have to pay the doctor.
So we would like to have temporary clinics in a number of villages in West Kalimantan. Around our network, we have made an appeal and asked medical personell to come forward - about 40 people have shown interest. We wanted to start in September but that is proving to be two short notice. We are postponing our start to March 2009. We have four doctors and a medical student who are kind of committed for that time.
The people there live under very primitive conditions. We started out by encourging church workers and helping to train leaders. We normally go to a village which is central and hold seminars periodically for two years and then move on. We have been working in this area for four years and during this time 350 people have gone through the process of being trained. Also ten churches have been planted.
However there is a continual struggle to sustain the churches. Demonic activity is strong. Each village has a witchdoctor. This is a real challenge. Perhaps the bigger challenge is financial sustaining the churches. The people are very poor and despite teaching on the tithe, little is happening.
God gave us a good contact. We met a retired German businessman in Malaysia. He is a young Christian with a desire to serve the Lord. "But I can't preach." These were more or less his first comments on meeting him. Why people think you can only serve the Lord if you can preach I don't know. But to make a long story short, he is at present trying to form a cooperative with the pepper farmers in Kalimantan. If it works it will give the farmers a better deal for their work and also generate some funds for our mission there.
The first project that we want to support is a hostel for young people. We are working in a village that is kind of central (it only takes 8 hours by boat to access it form the nearest city). There are schools in the village. Parents send their children to the village to go to school. Unfortunately the children stay in the village until the school goes into recession. The children have no one to look after them and live in what look like larger dog kennels on stilts!
Of course as all young people are, the are mischievous and get into trouble without having parental guidance. But they also lack parental protection. A number of the girls have been raped. And the witchdoctor has a field day in putting spells on the children etc. Most of then, while having enough to eat, are undernourished because they ear mostly rice. They don't drink enough water and are not trained in hygiene.
In "our" village there are 350 such children. We are employing someone to do what he can to serve these children. Building a hostel would provide the protection and we could give guidance and help. We envisage doing training about hygiene, nutrition and discipleship. The cost of such a hostel is around 70 000, which we could raise through the cooperative.
We just hope and pray that this will happen!
The next step is a medical mission. People from the village need to travel the 8 hours by boat to get to see the doctor. Theoretically anyway. The boat trip costs them nearly a month's income. Then they have to pay the doctor.
So we would like to have temporary clinics in a number of villages in West Kalimantan. Around our network, we have made an appeal and asked medical personell to come forward - about 40 people have shown interest. We wanted to start in September but that is proving to be two short notice. We are postponing our start to March 2009. We have four doctors and a medical student who are kind of committed for that time.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Back from Sri Lanka
I've just spent the last two weeks in Sri Lanka. The situation on the island is very tense.
A civil war has been going on for the past 25 years and I guess somewhere between 80 - 100,000 people have lost their lives. Since the new president has been in power the war has intensified. The government say that they are winning the war by military power. However during my stay a high ranking government delegations from India visited Sri Lanka and tried to make the Lanka government understand, that this conflict cannot be solved by military might. In the meanwhile the Tamil freedom fighters have brought the fighting to Colombo in the form of terror attacks. Suicide bombers blow buses up. Claymore mine line the side of the road and are ignited through remote control. The unnecessary deaths of lots of people is the result.
The Buddhist majority continue to fear that the tiny protestant minority (14,000,000 against 80,000!) will somehow take over the country. Persecution, intimidation and the burning of church buildings is the result.
The rise of the fuel price has not left Sri Lanka unscathed. The poor people were hardly making it anyway, but now life has become unbearable. Fuel prices are linked to so many other commodities. In Asia there has been an increase in the price of food too. This is very difficult for so many who are living below the poverty level anyway.
The economy is at rock bottom and the way up is difficult. Initiatives are largely undermined by the rampant corruption.
We are looking to initiate some projects just to help a few to survive.
There are good things happening and I'll report about these in a few days.
A civil war has been going on for the past 25 years and I guess somewhere between 80 - 100,000 people have lost their lives. Since the new president has been in power the war has intensified. The government say that they are winning the war by military power. However during my stay a high ranking government delegations from India visited Sri Lanka and tried to make the Lanka government understand, that this conflict cannot be solved by military might. In the meanwhile the Tamil freedom fighters have brought the fighting to Colombo in the form of terror attacks. Suicide bombers blow buses up. Claymore mine line the side of the road and are ignited through remote control. The unnecessary deaths of lots of people is the result.
The Buddhist majority continue to fear that the tiny protestant minority (14,000,000 against 80,000!) will somehow take over the country. Persecution, intimidation and the burning of church buildings is the result.
The rise of the fuel price has not left Sri Lanka unscathed. The poor people were hardly making it anyway, but now life has become unbearable. Fuel prices are linked to so many other commodities. In Asia there has been an increase in the price of food too. This is very difficult for so many who are living below the poverty level anyway.
The economy is at rock bottom and the way up is difficult. Initiatives are largely undermined by the rampant corruption.
We are looking to initiate some projects just to help a few to survive.
There are good things happening and I'll report about these in a few days.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Back from the Bush
I have just returned from Indonesia and Malaysia. I spent three weeks there. I taught the Bible in a number of places and preached in quite a number of churches. The most exciting thing to see is that people receive what is being taught and act upon it.
More than 100 people professed to being healed after we prayed for them. The gathering were very lively and moving.
I had a doctor with me and I hope that it will be possible to start doing some medical work in this part of the world very soon.
Travel was very tedious. We drove over very bad roads and used speed boats to take us eight hours up the never ending and winding rivers.
The villages we stayed in and ministered in were very very under developed. Water supply and hygiene was a challenge. But by God's grace and His help we have suvived to tell the story.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
New Motivation To Blog
We took my daughter to the airport last Monday. She's going to spend a year in the USA. She has started a blog in the German language http://www.sarah-my-way.blogspot.com/ Its been good just to read her entries - two up until now. anyway, I got inspired to continue this blog!
I am flying to Malaysia on Friday and then on to Indonesia on Monday. My visa came this morning and now I am looking forward to going.
I am flying to Malaysia on Friday and then on to Indonesia on Monday. My visa came this morning and now I am looking forward to going.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Hello again
I have written anything in my blog for a long time. I don't have anything to report at the moment, but just want to keep it open.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Lets stay with Africa
AIDS is omnipresent in Africa. You can't get away from it. Although we are not working directly with people suffering from AIDS, I think that every project is confronted with the disease.
We are looking into starting some project with AIDS children in India.
Saving Africa
We are looking into starting some project with AIDS children in India.
Saving Africa
Rwanda
In August I went to Rwanda in East Africa. During my journey there, I was reading Merideth's book about Africa's history. It was indeed a strange feeling to read about Rwanda and especially about the genocide that took place in 1994 and now actually be standing on the same spots as brutal atrocity took place.
I have seen "Hotel Rwanda" which moved me then.
The people told me that the genocide was not a theme that people moved people anymore. They want to get on with their lives. However it was a recurring theme as we talked about everyday life.
Although Rwanda is recovering slowly, not only from genocide but also from poor governance and corruption. There is a chance for the country that things could change.
Instead of complaining our friends are trying to change the situation. Its difficult and slow and painful, but they are trying. We are trying to help them. Friends from Germany have helped to built two building that can be used as a clinic. Now we are trying to raise the funding for the clinic's inventory.
We need about 30,000 € to start the clinic and run it for one year.
If you would like to help, you can let me know.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Travels during the summer
I didn't get to write anything in my blog during the summer because I was on the road so much.
Time was very scarce and it wasn't possible to get to the internet.
In August I went to Africa. I went to Kenya and spoke at a conference in Meru. About 4000 leaders and pastors attended.
I was with Edward and Fridah Buria, who lead about 200 churches across East Africa. These are quality people and the churches they oversee are quality churches. Being with them and observing how they deal with people and situations was an eyeopener for me. I was greatly blessed by being with them.
I also met a leader from Ethiopia and one from Tanzania.
From there I took the long and uncomfortable bus ride to Kisumu where both Nehemia and Forum Leben has projects.
Nehemia has a farm and a programme for caring for needy children. Forum Leben has a Bible School there.
The journey to Kampala, Uganda was much less difficult. From there we travelled on to Rwanda. I will write about my time in Rwanda in a later post.
During my stay in Africa, I read a book by Martin Meridith, The State of Africa. This touched me. It is a history book of the last fifty or so years in Africa. It begins with the end of the colonial system and the struggle for self-determination. (By the way, nothing like I learned at school in England. Many of the nations were gaining their independence, while I was sitting behind a school desk).
Meridith goes on to modern times and shows the difficulties the continent is going through. Its difficult to suggest a solution! Corruption and band governance seem to be the main causes of poverty and hardship for the vast majority of people. However it seems that the West is supporting people who seem to be favourable to them, no matter what record they have of corruption or violation of human rights.
The West is still using Africa for eploitation as in the days of the empire.
That doesn't excuse Africans for not keeping their house in order though.
As I ponder what I have written, my thoughts go back to Meru and the confernce... Now there is a group of people who are making a real difference and are working to change the face of Africa (and the church in Africa).
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
THE WORLD'S NEEDS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz99g5Pv0GE
THERE MUST BE A REASON TO HOPE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0ij1Ik9XRU
THERE MUST BE A REASON TO HOPE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0ij1Ik9XRU
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
The Battle of Blenheim
Last Saturday we attended a wedding. It was in Bavaria. It was a nice do.
We drove to the reception to a typical Bavarian establishment on a hill overlooking the Danube valley. After parking the car, we proceeded to go to have a glass of bubbly to wish the bride and groom God's blessings.
I noticed a rock - a memorial stone, commemorating the spot as being the place where the French commanders stood at a battle on 13th August, 1713. This was during the War of Spanish Succession.
I did wonder about that.
When I go home and was able to access the internet, I found out that it was the Battle of Blenheim. Actually the place in Blindheim and that was over the valley and was where the British and Dutch had their headquarters.
It was John Churchill of church, the Duke of Marlborough who was the commander of the British. Later he built Blenheim Palace in England and that's where one of his seed was born, Winston Churchill.
We drove to the reception to a typical Bavarian establishment on a hill overlooking the Danube valley. After parking the car, we proceeded to go to have a glass of bubbly to wish the bride and groom God's blessings.
I noticed a rock - a memorial stone, commemorating the spot as being the place where the French commanders stood at a battle on 13th August, 1713. This was during the War of Spanish Succession.
I did wonder about that.
When I go home and was able to access the internet, I found out that it was the Battle of Blenheim. Actually the place in Blindheim and that was over the valley and was where the British and Dutch had their headquarters.
It was John Churchill of church, the Duke of Marlborough who was the commander of the British. Later he built Blenheim Palace in England and that's where one of his seed was born, Winston Churchill.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Normandy
Just after Pentecost, Elisabeth and I went to France for a few days.
Our first target was Paris. The weather wasn't too good though.
We found our Etap Hotel to the north of Paris and then went out to look at the sites - that we have seen many times in Paris.
The drizzle and the cold turned out to a bit much for us. We got back onto the metro and made our way back to the hotel.
We wanted to spend the morning in Paris and travel on to Normandy on Tuesday afternoon.
We decided to take the car instead of using the Metro.
Off we went to the Eiffel Tower. Although we found a parking spot, it wasn't easy finding out how to pay for it. The meter didn't accept money neither did it accept our credit card, so in the end, after viewing the tower for a short time, we decided to move on to Normandy.
On our way to towards the motorway, we saw signs to Versailles. But that wasn't in our plans. It was good not needing to be anywhere at any special time. We drove into Versailles and went into the palace gardens. It is really lovely there. We had a nice time just walking through the magnificent and very large palace gardens and most important of all - it didn't cost us anything!
Eventually we did move on and arrived in Normandy. We had booked into an Etap Hotel just outside the city of Caen.
Elisabeth needed some fresh air, some sea air. She had been having some trouble with a cough for a few months now and her doctor suggested a change of air would do her good.
We decided that we would go off to the coast. What did we discover? Of course Normandy is D-Day country. On nearly every street corner there was some commemorative plaque.
So we visited a few museums and walked on the beached, where the d-day landings had taken place. It was very interesting for me and Elisabeth beared up to it.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Sri Lanka
Link to photos
The last leg of my journey took me to Sri Lanka.
It was good to fly in from India, because I didn't have any jet lag.
The flight only took two hours and was uneventful, except that I had to wait for my luggage. I had two bags, a case and a rucksack. The rucksack was probably the first off the plane but I had to wait for my case. The plane was going to to somewhere else and everybody else had got their stuff, I was alone. I asked if everything was off and they asked me to wait a little longer. Then as a single piece of luggage my case came onto the conveyer belt and I could leave the airport!
It was about 1,30am by the time I got to bed - getting used to this of course.
The next morning I was awakened by the Buddhist chanting. They have illegally built a shrine just about 20 metres from the front door. Every morning at 6am and every evening at 6pm they begin their chanting. Not that people are chanting, its a recording. It blasts out over two big loudspeakers aimed at the church. It is loud! Sometimes no one is at the shrine. No one understand the chanting because it is in Sanskrit!
Later during my stay I had an even earlier start and heard chanting coming from another shrine at the back of the church! That was at 5am!
My first day started with me teaching at the Bible School, which was going to be my main job at this time round. My theme was Church History and I had to teach 64 hours. It was quite tedious but I enjoyed it.
Only when I started teaching it did I realise that 80% of Church History is European or American history.
The students and there were 18 of them who are nearly all in some kind of ministry, were very interested and asked lots of questions.
We also had an ordination and laid hands on five pastors.
Perhaps the climax of my stay this time was the dedication of the children's home.
We had bought some land and a house and built another house and have also built up a farm to provide the children's home with food and with a little bit of revenue.
After the dedication we spoke to a pastor who had come from the East and he told us about the great need there. In one district alone there were 17000 homeless children, that had lost one of both of their parents. He himself said that he was hiding a 14 years old boy in his house because the Tigers (the militant breakaway Tamils), were abducting boys in his age to force them to take up arms and fight.
Could we take more children? But how? We were now very full.
As we thought of ways and means, we did think of a way to house more children. We would build another house for the leader and his family who could then move out of the main house, thus making more room for the children.
More children though, mean more costs and now its up to us to raise some support.
Link to photos
Saturday, May 12, 2007
India
Link to photos of India
After leaving Nepal, I flew into Dehli in India. From there I flew down to Hyderabad where I was met by two old friends. They drove me to Chillakallu. It took us longer than expected because something went wrong with the car.
I suppose it was about 3am by the time I got to bed!
It was good to meet Ruth and Prabhudas again and to catch up with them.
I was to spend my time doing pastors' conferences and teaching at the Bible School. I enjoyed both activities. God showed up and the pastors were very encouraged.
During my stay in Chillakallu, we also had Easter. What a celebration. The service on Easter Sunday started at 5am. I didn't get there until 6. By that time there were already about 1000 people gathered.
I felt that I wasn't prepared enough and that my message wouldn't be fitting for the occaision. However when I started to preach, the Holy Spirit took over and what a meeting. During the ministry time, people were healed, filled with the Spirit and others were delivered of evil spirits!
I preached 4 times on Easter Sunday!
I interupted my stay in Chillakallu by going to Rajahmundry. This city is about four hours away. The Nehemia-Team have a project there and I have been asked to give some oversight to it.
Raja and Ebbe lead the work. They have a children's home with sixty children. Raja also looks after a number of churches, some are church plants.
During my stay there we had a pastors' seminar and 150 pastors came to attend. That was a wonderful experience.
The ministry is just startind and lots of things need attending too.
Carri MacFarlane and Horst and Hannah Zimmerman were also there. Carri has written a letter to the children's sponsors (which are too few!), if you read it, you get an impression of how things are there:
NEWS - NEWS - NEWS - - - - FROM NEHEMIA CHILDREN'S HOME INDIA - - - - NEWS - NEWS - NEWS
Dear friends, pray-ers and sponsors,
When I was a child, I had a prayer of Francis of Assisi beside my bed. The words became embedded in my heart and it is my daily prayer that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I will live accordingly. Here it is:
Teach me O Lord, to serve You as You deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labour and not to ask for any reward
save that of knowing that I do Your Will.
Although you have had little feedback, you have faithfully supported these needy children, in whatever way you have been able. Some of you have had to say 'good-bye' to children you have supported. Some have wept tears of sadness. Some can say 'good-bye' with gratitude and satisfaction as boys leave to do a mechanics apprenticeship, and some have continued to support another child.
This is giving and not counting the cost. Thank you, and may God bless you for your tender hearts and commitment. Your prayers and support are more than worthwhile!
I have just returned from India and my heart is full. Horst and his 9 yr old daughter, Hannah, were with me. They are praying about whether to go and serve as a family.
We were impressed by Raja and Ebba's diligence and by how well the children are developing. At the same time we were sorry about the living conditions. The children used to be in two separate houses, one a 10 minute walk away.
Raja, in time, was able to rent three houses next door to each other and move the children. They were then together and could separate boys and girls. He had a house for his own family and guests. The problem - Two houseowners complained that the children were ruining the houses and ordered them out.
Consequently, 60 children are now living in one small house, with two toilets and one shower. This house owner is more lenient and has built two more stories.
The boys are however upstairs under a makshift roof - rather hot at night. The sanitation is overlaoded and Raja had fixed an overflow pipe which rerouted the sewage onto the field behind the house. The stench was unbearable and children were beginning to get infections.
We asked him to have the sewage buried.
Horst gave him money towards the enlargement of the underground tank. This should sort out the problem for a time. Another issue is that boys and girls need to be separated. Raja has searched in vein for larger houses but no one wants children.
He must build.
The good news - Despite land prices rocketing ( we looked at several plots all out of our range) the Indian government has returned the 2 acres land at the original price, which they had bought off us in order to build a canal. The canal did not go through the land as anticipated, but behind it. A huge pile of earth from the dig out, heaped across one corner of the land can be removed at a price. The government will allow Raja to use the strip of land along the canal for planting vegetables, until further notice. The 2 acres are enough to build the children's home, a guest house, the 'John Mac Farlane Memorial School' and a church. An Indian architekt has drawn up simple plans and has suggested buying the small piece of adjoining land as a playground for the children.
This is all progress! Now patience is required once again, as we pray and seek the Lord for funding. Bob Hatton, our new Indian Team leader, is attending seminars in order to be able to apply for German government funding! This is a long and tedious process.
Raja is champing at the bit because the situation with the sanitation and the 'too little space' will not improve til he moves. He is not allowed to build before permission is given, but has errected a protective fence, two sturdy gates and a small hut for a watchman to keep squatters at bay. Next the long awaited well will be dug and electric cables laid. Then we must wait! This is the lesson God has been teaching me over the last 4 years. It's not easy, but those who do wait on the Lord will rise up as Eagles... Hallelujah!
Please join us in praying that this will all happen faster than estimated. Several boys have left to train as mechanics and girls have left for various reasons. Relatives move and wish to take the children with them. Two children have been adopted by relatives. One teenage girl had to leave in order to look after her parents buffalo. Please pray that Raja will be given official permission to keep the children until they leave school. Until then, he cannot override the wishes of family and relatives. It is tradition in the villages to intermarry. Our hope is that these children will finish school and be able to train on site. The longer the children are in Raja's care, the more likely it will be for them to enter Christian marriages. Already some girls are hoping to marry pastors. Please pray for this too. When children leave, their places are filled immediately.
The need is great.
We witnessed Mothers bringing their children to Raja asking him to take them in. They are unable to cope. One elderly widow begged Raja to take her in. She had lost not only her husband but all her children. She was lonely, and saw no way forward. She turned from Raja to Horst and cried pitifully on his shoulder as he held her frail frame in his strong arms. Compassion takes over and one can understand Raja's heart.
It is easy for us to criticise the unconventional, even chaotic way of going about things, but for Indians it is nothing out of the ordinary. They are grateful to have food, a roof over their heads and to be given hope and a future. Raja longs to be able to help more families but his hands are tied.
Please bear with us as we venture forward, often not knowing how best to help. Our team is small and we contend not only with lack of funds but also lack of knowledge about this extremely different culture. It is a daily struggle learning to communicate so that each party understands the other. Both sides have made mistakes leading to frayed nerves and tension but with prayer and by the power of the Holy Spirit, guiding and teaching us, we have made steps in the right direction. We still have a long way to go and so please know how thankful we are for each one of you who have taken an interest.
We need you! Don't hesitate to call or email us if you wish for more information. We will do our best to answer your questions.
Carri Mac Farlane (for the Nehemia India Team)
Link to photos of India
After leaving Nepal, I flew into Dehli in India. From there I flew down to Hyderabad where I was met by two old friends. They drove me to Chillakallu. It took us longer than expected because something went wrong with the car.
I suppose it was about 3am by the time I got to bed!
It was good to meet Ruth and Prabhudas again and to catch up with them.
I was to spend my time doing pastors' conferences and teaching at the Bible School. I enjoyed both activities. God showed up and the pastors were very encouraged.
During my stay in Chillakallu, we also had Easter. What a celebration. The service on Easter Sunday started at 5am. I didn't get there until 6. By that time there were already about 1000 people gathered.
I felt that I wasn't prepared enough and that my message wouldn't be fitting for the occaision. However when I started to preach, the Holy Spirit took over and what a meeting. During the ministry time, people were healed, filled with the Spirit and others were delivered of evil spirits!
I preached 4 times on Easter Sunday!
I interupted my stay in Chillakallu by going to Rajahmundry. This city is about four hours away. The Nehemia-Team have a project there and I have been asked to give some oversight to it.
Raja and Ebbe lead the work. They have a children's home with sixty children. Raja also looks after a number of churches, some are church plants.
During my stay there we had a pastors' seminar and 150 pastors came to attend. That was a wonderful experience.
The ministry is just startind and lots of things need attending too.
Carri MacFarlane and Horst and Hannah Zimmerman were also there. Carri has written a letter to the children's sponsors (which are too few!), if you read it, you get an impression of how things are there:
NEWS - NEWS - NEWS - - - - FROM NEHEMIA CHILDREN'S HOME INDIA - - - - NEWS - NEWS - NEWS
Dear friends, pray-ers and sponsors,
When I was a child, I had a prayer of Francis of Assisi beside my bed. The words became embedded in my heart and it is my daily prayer that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I will live accordingly. Here it is:
Teach me O Lord, to serve You as You deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labour and not to ask for any reward
save that of knowing that I do Your Will.
Although you have had little feedback, you have faithfully supported these needy children, in whatever way you have been able. Some of you have had to say 'good-bye' to children you have supported. Some have wept tears of sadness. Some can say 'good-bye' with gratitude and satisfaction as boys leave to do a mechanics apprenticeship, and some have continued to support another child.
This is giving and not counting the cost. Thank you, and may God bless you for your tender hearts and commitment. Your prayers and support are more than worthwhile!
I have just returned from India and my heart is full. Horst and his 9 yr old daughter, Hannah, were with me. They are praying about whether to go and serve as a family.
We were impressed by Raja and Ebba's diligence and by how well the children are developing. At the same time we were sorry about the living conditions. The children used to be in two separate houses, one a 10 minute walk away.
Raja, in time, was able to rent three houses next door to each other and move the children. They were then together and could separate boys and girls. He had a house for his own family and guests. The problem - Two houseowners complained that the children were ruining the houses and ordered them out.
Consequently, 60 children are now living in one small house, with two toilets and one shower. This house owner is more lenient and has built two more stories.
The boys are however upstairs under a makshift roof - rather hot at night. The sanitation is overlaoded and Raja had fixed an overflow pipe which rerouted the sewage onto the field behind the house. The stench was unbearable and children were beginning to get infections.
We asked him to have the sewage buried.
Horst gave him money towards the enlargement of the underground tank. This should sort out the problem for a time. Another issue is that boys and girls need to be separated. Raja has searched in vein for larger houses but no one wants children.
He must build.
The good news - Despite land prices rocketing ( we looked at several plots all out of our range) the Indian government has returned the 2 acres land at the original price, which they had bought off us in order to build a canal. The canal did not go through the land as anticipated, but behind it. A huge pile of earth from the dig out, heaped across one corner of the land can be removed at a price. The government will allow Raja to use the strip of land along the canal for planting vegetables, until further notice. The 2 acres are enough to build the children's home, a guest house, the 'John Mac Farlane Memorial School' and a church. An Indian architekt has drawn up simple plans and has suggested buying the small piece of adjoining land as a playground for the children.
This is all progress! Now patience is required once again, as we pray and seek the Lord for funding. Bob Hatton, our new Indian Team leader, is attending seminars in order to be able to apply for German government funding! This is a long and tedious process.
Raja is champing at the bit because the situation with the sanitation and the 'too little space' will not improve til he moves. He is not allowed to build before permission is given, but has errected a protective fence, two sturdy gates and a small hut for a watchman to keep squatters at bay. Next the long awaited well will be dug and electric cables laid. Then we must wait! This is the lesson God has been teaching me over the last 4 years. It's not easy, but those who do wait on the Lord will rise up as Eagles... Hallelujah!
Please join us in praying that this will all happen faster than estimated. Several boys have left to train as mechanics and girls have left for various reasons. Relatives move and wish to take the children with them. Two children have been adopted by relatives. One teenage girl had to leave in order to look after her parents buffalo. Please pray that Raja will be given official permission to keep the children until they leave school. Until then, he cannot override the wishes of family and relatives. It is tradition in the villages to intermarry. Our hope is that these children will finish school and be able to train on site. The longer the children are in Raja's care, the more likely it will be for them to enter Christian marriages. Already some girls are hoping to marry pastors. Please pray for this too. When children leave, their places are filled immediately.
The need is great.
We witnessed Mothers bringing their children to Raja asking him to take them in. They are unable to cope. One elderly widow begged Raja to take her in. She had lost not only her husband but all her children. She was lonely, and saw no way forward. She turned from Raja to Horst and cried pitifully on his shoulder as he held her frail frame in his strong arms. Compassion takes over and one can understand Raja's heart.
It is easy for us to criticise the unconventional, even chaotic way of going about things, but for Indians it is nothing out of the ordinary. They are grateful to have food, a roof over their heads and to be given hope and a future. Raja longs to be able to help more families but his hands are tied.
Please bear with us as we venture forward, often not knowing how best to help. Our team is small and we contend not only with lack of funds but also lack of knowledge about this extremely different culture. It is a daily struggle learning to communicate so that each party understands the other. Both sides have made mistakes leading to frayed nerves and tension but with prayer and by the power of the Holy Spirit, guiding and teaching us, we have made steps in the right direction. We still have a long way to go and so please know how thankful we are for each one of you who have taken an interest.
We need you! Don't hesitate to call or email us if you wish for more information. We will do our best to answer your questions.
Carri Mac Farlane (for the Nehemia India Team)
Link to photos of India
Friday, May 11, 2007
Nepal - India - Sri Lanka
I was away for six weeks in all. This was quite a long time. The time past for me very fast and I seemed nearly always to be busy.
The first two weeks I spent in Nepal and I have written quite a long report of my time in the mountains down below.
From there I went back to Kathmandu, the captial.
I was to stay in a hotel which was on the other side of the city from where we had to go to pick up my luggage. That shouldn't be a problem.
But it was. Some people group were protesting because they thought they would not be properly represented in the political talks that are going on. Therefore they closed the border with India. That's were the fuel enters the country.
We couldn't find a taxi to take us because of the shortage of petrol. In the end we offered to pay a taxi driver double and he was willing to take us.
So the second round of seminars started.
Just as in the village the people are hungry and open to God's word in Kathmandu. It was thrilling to see about 150 people gather and listen to my preaching and teaching.
As we have now experienced many times God baptised them in the Spirit.
That was very encouraging for me.
The two day seminar with the Eternal Life Church went by very quickly. I preached on Saturday (the day when the churches have their regular gatherings) in a small church outside of Kathmandu. The church met in a home that had been converted into a meeting place. There was no sign for the church and we had to walk quite away after getting of the motor bike (I haven't been on a motor bike for ages!). This just reminds us that Nepal is by now means an Christian country and sometimes the Christians are treated with hostility.
Sunday was a free day. I used that day to do some more preparation for my teaching in Sri Lanka.
My friend Satya came to see me on Monday and introduced his wife to me. Satya had travelled with me the last time I was in Nepal. He is a good friend. He had been a fervourent anti-charismatic until Jesus baptised him in the Spirit. Now he is an ardent charismatic! Because he has a job, he couldn't come with us this time.
We spent the morning together and then they accompanied me to the airport.
I was so encouraged by seeing them.
They encourged me to write down the teaching so that they could translate it into Nepali and circulate it around the country. I really should do that.
The first two weeks I spent in Nepal and I have written quite a long report of my time in the mountains down below.
From there I went back to Kathmandu, the captial.
I was to stay in a hotel which was on the other side of the city from where we had to go to pick up my luggage. That shouldn't be a problem.
But it was. Some people group were protesting because they thought they would not be properly represented in the political talks that are going on. Therefore they closed the border with India. That's were the fuel enters the country.
We couldn't find a taxi to take us because of the shortage of petrol. In the end we offered to pay a taxi driver double and he was willing to take us.
So the second round of seminars started.
Just as in the village the people are hungry and open to God's word in Kathmandu. It was thrilling to see about 150 people gather and listen to my preaching and teaching.
As we have now experienced many times God baptised them in the Spirit.
That was very encouraging for me.
The two day seminar with the Eternal Life Church went by very quickly. I preached on Saturday (the day when the churches have their regular gatherings) in a small church outside of Kathmandu. The church met in a home that had been converted into a meeting place. There was no sign for the church and we had to walk quite away after getting of the motor bike (I haven't been on a motor bike for ages!). This just reminds us that Nepal is by now means an Christian country and sometimes the Christians are treated with hostility.
Sunday was a free day. I used that day to do some more preparation for my teaching in Sri Lanka.
My friend Satya came to see me on Monday and introduced his wife to me. Satya had travelled with me the last time I was in Nepal. He is a good friend. He had been a fervourent anti-charismatic until Jesus baptised him in the Spirit. Now he is an ardent charismatic! Because he has a job, he couldn't come with us this time.
We spent the morning together and then they accompanied me to the airport.
I was so encouraged by seeing them.
They encourged me to write down the teaching so that they could translate it into Nepali and circulate it around the country. I really should do that.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Links
Have a look at my photos from Nepal:
http://bobhatton.typepad.com/photos/trip_to_nepal_2007/2007_nepal_indien_sri_lanka_209.html
http://bobhatton.typepad.com/photos/trip_to_nepal_2007/2007_nepal_indien_sri_lanka_209.html
Links
Here's a link to some photos of the Children's Home in Sri Lanka
http://bobhatton.typepad.com/photos/sri_lanka_daniels_childre/
http://bobhatton.typepad.com/photos/sri_lanka_daniels_childre/
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