Funday in Oliyamula!!

 Well, today was the Funday in Oliyamula, a small poor village mainly filled with Hindus and Muslims.  We did some carol singing there the other day also and saw it as a good spot for a Funday and for new hope to be shared.  As expected there were a lot of children, we got more than 150 people for this Funday which was quite different from the last!!  It was a good job I bought over 200 snacks otherwise we would have been in a pickle!!

 We had all ages, naughty and well behaved children which made for an exciting chaotic morning!!! We prayed that there would be no rain and there was none, though it was incredibly hot!!  As it had rained the night before the ground was really quite slippery in places which made for a good laugh when some of the children ran through the puddles and slipped!!  They were up for the laugh though.

We were a team of 6 having lost one team member last night and one this morning!! You just never know how many you will really have until the time.. or a little after!!  But it's nice to see some of the same faces and know that they are usually always there and faithful which is nice to know and a good foundation to build on !! :)

  The village was very open to the message that we were bringing them, they participated in the games, and the songs and listened to the story, testimonies and gospel and again many children accepted Jesus and it was an amazing blessing to be part of it. Just watching the kids praying and being so sincere is just so so wonderful!

Also, yesterday, finally after about 3 years of trying and 29 years after I was born... my birth has now been registered in Sri Lanka and I got my Birth Certificate!!!  It was given to me by the man in charge from down South, who came all the way to Colombo to give it me....sometimes it's worth someone thinking that they are your 'special friend' as it's the only way to get stuff done!!!

I hope that you are all enjoying your festivities and I hope that you all will have a wonderfully blessed year 2013 :)

Blessed to be a blessing

  I started the day off by being woken up at 7.30am when I had only fallen to sleep at about 5am due to the firecrackers....with a phone call from the last person I was expecting to call me to wish me a Happy Christmas : the man who is helping my get my birth certificate.  He has quite a high up position in the Southern region of Sri Lanka and is able to get it me, in fact he has done it and I will be going to collect it on 

Friday, but his main aim at the moment it to try and be my ‘special friend’ which is not going to happen!! But it's very exciting about the certificate as it has taken nearly 2 years to get it!!  But... ooo it was too early, I couldn’t even speak properly yet and it was very hard to try and find valid excuses for why I didn’t want him to come and visit me!!! After that I felt I had to open up my presents to make me feel better!  I actually ended up opening them with tears running down my face even though I was so happy to receive so many chocolates, sweets and things, but I was sad to be here on my own again with out my friends and family in th UK!! But then ate my Christmas Lebkuchen Stars present  and it was all ok again!! :)

The other week I was wondering what to do for Christmas, in fact I wasn't planning anything but then I felt like I should invite the people who I give buns to who are on the streets begging.  I thought I am alone here and they are alone on the streets, so if I invite them to my party then none of us will be alone!! 

Sharing the gospel with pictures

 I started a few years ago to just give them buns in order to be able to talk to them a bit and just be loving.  For a while I wondered what on earth it achieves and whether it's just from 'pity' that I was doing it and just because you give to those who beg...but God gave me a genuine love for them and I found that I was able to have really good conversations with them and one lady even accepted Jesus through it... but when I came back here this time, I wondered what I was to do with them and for the first few weeks I was here, I would just pass them and have an urge to do something but didn't know what and  I 

didn't have a lot of money to be able to buy them food all the time, but I felt God saying to me, give them the buns and I will provide for you. So I started to give them again a couple or so times a week and just strike up the relationships again. So this week when I went round to tell them that I was having a party and that they are invited they all got quite excited and just accepted!! 

 I must also say that God has provided for me!! :)

So today I went round collecting them all in tuc tucs around the area I live and along the main road. It was a matter of just saying come and because of the fact that they know my face they just came!! There were about 15 of them.

It was an amazing time.  When I saw the number that might come I asked my good friends down the road whether I could do it at their house as it's bigger and also I live alone...and so they said yes as they don't do anything on Christmas day (pics of people at the end, husband and wife and wife's sister).

I got tasty food packets for them all and made fruit salad and got ice cream to give them, coke and other nice things to celebrate and make it nice for all of us  . Another friend also came too and together we served them, one of them went to get shirts out of his cupboard when he saw what some were wearing and we gave presents to the children and skirts for the women and we talked to them and shared the gospel with them all and prayed and from it all they felt loved and one of them accepted Jesus through tears. It was amazing!!!
Even in the terrible state that they are in, we have to be able to see beyond it (without ignoring it though) and see that there is still hope for them in Jesus and offer it to them.

my good friends

In Habakkuk I was reading in chapter 3 verse13 "You went out to rescue your chosen people", and with it being Christmas Day which celebrates Jesus coming to earth to save us, reminds me again of the importance of needing to GO OUT and seek those who need rescuing and bring them in because they are out there waiting and nothing will happen if we don't, we miss the opportunity to be a blessing. I feel so blessed to be able to have been a blessing for those people today and all it took was to see them, to stop and to share the love of Jesus and He takes it and does what He does : brings abundant life.

and my other good friend

I did get people saying not to do it, not to bring them into our houses as they are dirty and then they will always come and beg and bother after you let them come once and so on. Sometimes we don’t want to do what God asks us to do if it seems stupid and unnecessary through human eyes...so we seek more wisdom and then if it still seems odd we  wait for more wisdom and more wisdom till what God was asking us to do is slightly modified...and becomes completely...sensible and safe...but unfortunately not quite what He asked us to do at the beginning.  But sometimes the things that we are asked to do are not sensible and are risky!! Which is why it has not yet become a normal thing to do...but risk is an important part of being a Christian.  It doesn't mean that we do things without thinking, without wisdom or discernment, but it means that we add to these things courage and boldness..and trust God that He knows what He is doing and that  He will be faithful.

!! Christmas Carolling !!

Well, it was a great Christmas Carolling in the streets today!!!  

People don't really go in the streets and do open evangelism here, but I thought that as it is Christmas there might be a bigger tolerance margin and a great opportunity!! So I managed to get a wonderful team together and we learnt a few songs and as we went from place to place sang and  we took it in turns to share the gospel and testimonies so that we all got a chance to step out and speak and gave out lots and lots of chocolate bars!!  

It was really good. We spent all afternoon till dark going from place to place squashed in a three wheeler and on motorbikes finding places where there were more people.  We were able to go in Muslim areas, Hindu areas and they all came to listen and watch the funny people dressed in red.  We even had some of our children dressed up as Mary and Joseph and the angel!! Haha!!
People were encouraged and listened quietly to the gospel and testimonies and responded.  In one place we offered to pray for all the people and they accepted and joined in the prayer.
Things like that happening you can't plan.  But God shows up and surprises us beyond what we hope will happen!!

It was a really simple program, but it was effective.  I was really encouraged when I heard them all getting so excited  about what they are going to do next year for Christmas and how they will get more people together to do more things like this.
It was the first time they had done carolling and evangelism like this in the street!

After days like this I again realize that something great has happened way beyond me!! That by just taking a hint from God and accepting the opportunity to step out and do it, bigger things are being formed and will follow. When these people join with me and my little ideas and we go out as a team making them a reality, working together each one of us, sharing and adding new and better ideas, participating more and more, being bold, trying new things and  realizing that they have been an important part of what has happened, they get excited and fidgety to do more and see God do more and they see the need for themselves and for others to know God and that they can do something about it. They get excited and see that all it takes is God and a willing heart. It doesn't have to be complicated, it doesn't have to be perfect, but with God all we need to do is listen to him, say yes and do our best, and He helps us to do it and He does all the rest as well and as a result wonderful things happen.

Another Unforgettable Journey to the village and a Funday!!!

The trip to the village was wonderful.  Never before have I been on a train that clean, that smooth ( compared to the usual Sri Lankan trains..not to British trains!! ). I slept longer than I have ever managed to on a train and I was also more comfortable, what a wonderful start to the trek East!!!

We went to the village on motor bikes, my friend who is here loved the journey through the paddy fields and wilderness.  We were able to visit the other side of the village this time and we welcomed very warmly into several yards and given drinks and a small chat. There were some husbands who had come back that I hadn't seen before, so it was quite nice to meet them and their whole family.
We also had a nice time with some kids in the afternoon, most were practising for the Christmas concert later in December, so we saw them later also and were able to have a mini-pre-concert, which was nice.
I realize that there are quite a few differences now in the village now that I have gone round it all, but I feel God just telling me not to modify the vision, but to keep it, keep working towards the same goal and not changing anything out of fear or out of wanting to not get into too much trouble or trying to fit in with the people who are working in the church there now, but also not to go off on a tangent and try and deal with things that I am not to deal with, ie the snake man!!

Kids running home as the skies have just opened !!

The weather there was amazing.  Never can I remember a time when I haven't sweat a river, or when I felt a breeze there, but this time, the breeze was so strong it could easily be called...wind... unheard of!! And it also was raining a bit also. It was wonderful!!

It's nice to be able to go back to the village and just revive the old acquaintances and just be a familiar face there again.  The church workers seem to only function in the church building and in church peoples houses, so there is still a lot that I can do there seeming as I tend to be working with the non-Christian folk. I was wondering when I saw the four new workers there what there would be for me to do.. but now I can see that with this situation in mind, most of the village still needs me to be there. So that is good!!!

I actually had a translator this time. Well... I had arranged for him to come with us when we would go see the people and everything, but he just wanted to watch the concert practise and hang out with his pastor friends there... interesting. Ok then!!!

We were going to get the train back in the morning... but late in the evening I was told that all the trains from Batticaloa were on strike for three days. Interesting. We were Thursday evening I had to be back on the Saturday for a Funday. 'It's ok' the guy said 'just take the bus in the morning, it's quicker and it's good.' Well there didn't seem to be another option, so I said great. I don't take the bus because I get travel sick.  Since then...the time when I was oblivious to the realities of such a long bus trip,  I have many more reasons for not taking the bus!!!

It all started out fine.  The bus was packed, but we managed to get two seats.  As we raced down the roads I didn't actually feel sick or anything it was wonderful. After a couple of hours we seemed to be going rather slowly in fact so slowly that... we had finally stopped... the dream journey...had come to an end.

The bus had broken down. After several failed attempts at getting anywhere we all squished out of the bus and waited by the side of the road for another bus.  Buses heading to Colombo would race by, not hearing our little whimpers wanting them to stop!  After a little while another one came, everyone piled on, my friend not used to the 'pushing' that is done here got further and further away from the bus door and finally the bus left with no room for us in it, so we waited for another that came shortly after. Great!  We got on that one and managed to get a seat also... but after a short while... this bus also broke down. The driver wouldn't give up though so we chugged along for a bit but then came to a halt and again all got out in the blazing sun and waited quite a while for another bus.

 Finally one came. But it was packed full. Not packed as in all the seats are full, but so packed that there was practically no where to stand either. I had no idea how long it would take us to get back. But we stood at the front of the bus, I was trying to stand on this ledge thing which had a few bags and things on it limiting my space somewhat and meant that I could only stand on one leg at any time and usually was bumping into the woman sitting behind where I was standing.  The driver of course not caring about my precarious situation dodged and dived in between all traffic, on coming, whatever... he was having a fun time, we were not...
I looked out through the window to see if I could recognize anything, stupid move, my head hit the side of the window with another of his bad driving moves.. ouch..!! Suddenly an emergency stop was required as we found ourselves on the wrong side of the road with a lorry right in front of us and the lorry on our side didn't let us past so ... we all lurched forward.. just one of the many many many times...

You can never lower your guard... you have to be constantly alert otherwise you get thrown somewhere you were not intending to be thrown, you can step on people... you can fall... you can hit your self on something...  so for 4 hours I was hanging on for dear life wishing that we would nearly be there...and then despair fell.. I saw a sign... still more that 60 kms left.. at the rate we were going in this traffic... it was going to take forever...  I looked back at the people in the bus... most were sitting... sleeping... They were so so lucky!!! They had no idea of the pain it was to be standing for all this time being jerked, my insides were feeling like loose change being shook around in a  money box.. How people who had paid the same amount for a ticket... had such different experiences of the journey!!! I wished someone even if just the last five minutes would be generous and kind and offer me their seat...just for a little while and then I would gladly give it back... it never happened....
What should have been a shorter journey ended up being a much longer, much more uncomfortable, much more tiring,  an unforgettable... incredible...unforeseen... horrible experience.

 I think that I am going to stick to trains... if I can that is....

Needless to say that we did get back in time for the next morning though it was difficult to get out of bed in the morning.

The Funday was great. We had about 30 kids come.  We had games and songs on the beach which was not too hot and when it started to rain we did the story in the shelter outside a friends house and continued.  We had David and Goliath story told and acted out with the help of the kids, testimonies from a couple of leaders, the gospel shared and again at the end all the children put their hands up to receive Jesus, so that was great and we were able to pray with them.
There were also a few onlookers, including one Buddhist lady who I was told usually is quite angry but she watched the games, we gave her a snack also and she came back to listen to the story and everything, so hopefully she went away with something extra and further conversations can be had with her also as she seemed quite happy with it all :)

the Funday

One of the leaders enthusiastically demonstrating the game!!

 For a little break we spent Monday at the Elephant Orphanage :)

Pinnewala

Buddhist wedding by the elephants

The Village :)

Well, finally got to the village!

I was quite excited to be going again after such a long time and to be able to revisit everyone and walk through the village was wonderful. 

There have been quite a few changes there, for one there is a small team of four boys in charge of the church things there now.  They have been there for a few months now.  They are actually so young I was quite surprised.  The youngest was 17 and the oldest is 23!! Although they all say that they didn’t speak any English, with my small amount of Tamil and their English, we managed quite well and a couple at a time followed me wherever I went and joined in with whatever was happening, so that was nice!!! I hope that we will be able to work together in the village to make a difference.

The second big change is that there seems to now be a snake man living and doing witchcraft in the middle of the village!  I was quite surprised to hear about that!  There have been a couple fights and hostilities around this matter and the church boys are a little scared after having had stones thrown at the church when they were praying for him to leave in the night and the snake man running after them with the cane when coming from one person’s house! So it’s going to be quite interesting to see what to do around this knowing that the Hindus and the Muslims are going to him a lot and trusting his powers.

It seems like the devil is doing all he can to stop people coming to Jesus there.  But, I’m back now :) 

 I believe that the foundations that we have been able to make the last couple of years will allow for  more trust between me and the villagers to be able to talk and help them and convince them that the snake man is not the best person to help them, but Jesus is.

In the afternoon I was able to have a fun afternoon with the kids also and just reignite the relationships with everyone which will make going there again a lot more easier and effective. It was a good opportunity for the pastors to also come just as people rather than with a role and just show the people that they are quite normal!!  They work with the Christians in the village so relationships with the people of other religions haven’t been made yet and there is a big divide.

I realized this when I went to the teachers house, who usually when I come is very excited and we have a nice time.  But this time, I was with the main pastor and it was really hard!!  I tried to make conversation with my Tamil and break the ice but it wasn’t really working and it was really quite awkward... so seeing that it was going nowhere, I suggested we leave and I invited her to come with us to the children and she came and as soon as there is fun, people are open and barriers breakdown and we ended up having a really nice time and it’s a step in the right direction.

I will be going again at the beginning of December and doing a Funday there too, so it should be good.  It will not be in the church but on the school grounds, so a lot more children and adults will come, I’m looking forward to that!!!

And back to the West!!!

The Unforgettable journey... ;)

Off on another journey to the village.  The journey is a new adventure in itself, each time a new travelling experience.

Out of practice I am slightly apprehensive and a little disorientated. From the top of the bridge I see that the platform is swarming with people, I had expected it to be nearly empty. I see the new blue seats on the platform and there are two free.  I sit on one.  A lady sees the one next to me is free and calls her sister.  There is only one seat though for the two ladies...dilemma... so one of them sits on me... as you do...and so as expected I get up and move down the platform. 

As I stand watching a screen on which an eagle is flying over mountains, a beautiful sight, I feel a warm splatter on my left arm.  I think I swear and take a look at the gunk. Of all the people on the platform, it decided to poo on me... unbelievable...It also splattered my bag that I was carrying on my front, good job as my clothes are practically spared. I get my wet wipes out,  only one man has noticed, he doesn’t  seem bothered.  It’s just another day at the station.

The train comes in on time.  Everyone pushes and jumps on the moving train even though it will eventually come to a stop. People push me, but I stand my ground. We get in the train with our tickets in hand ready to find our seat numbers and suddenly...the lights turn off!  Not so convenient for finding our seats that is for sure. They come back on and I find my seat by the window. I sit and breathe and calm down.

The train leaves the station with a huge effort and shudder. A man sits beside me and another in the seat in front.  He asks me if we are in the right coach...doubt suddenly enters my mind! But it’s ok, after checking with the man in the green uniform, I don’t have to move.

The man next to me opens his food packet, it smells delicious, I look at it too long and my stomach rumbles, I didn’t have any dinner, I only have my pack of Tipi Tips (light weight puffy crisps).

I am happy to see that there is an arm rest in between us.  It means no waking up to a man sleeping on my lap...it’s happened too many times!!

Something suddenly crawls up my leg.  I definitely swear this time and squash it away with my other foot before it goes further up my leg.... my heart races. I wish I had worn jeans and not three quarter lengths, what was I thinking!

I sit with my bag on my knee knowing that sometimes dodgy water dribbles down the carriage and wets them... water, pee, stuff...and so I take necessary precautions.

The man next to me has finished eating, he throws the remnants of his dinner in front of me and out of the window. I know what is coming next but still try to think that he is a gentleman and won’t do it.  But he does. He leans over me to the window. I move right back into my seat as the man in front has reclined his so there is little space.  My neighbour then proceeds to get his water bottle and washes his hand.  Thanks to the wind from the train going along, the water splatters back in and on me. He doesn’t care so he carries on. He then brings his hands back in and drips the water all over me and my bag.  Thank you not so kind sir. He is so not bothered.

The train is so loud and is so uncontrollable it’s like a rodeo ride. Sudden jerks take me off guard but I gradually relax and just go with the flow. Suddenly the jerks turn into bounces and thoughts of a better time fill my head of  not that long ago, when I used to play on the trampoline at my friends house, I would sit on it and she would jump and I would bounce all over the place and laugh uncontrollably...so fun on the trampoline, not so fun on the train...

The man next to me falls asleep. I smile and gently push his arm off the armrest, it’s finally mine!! I take out my diary and start dreaming.

From time to time sellers come through the aisles shouting ‘copi copi copi’ or ‘milo, bunnies’ waking people up, but they go back to sleep quickly and I am left giggling to myself each time he says 'bunnies' instead of buns!!!! It never gets tiring hearing 'bunnies'!!

I can’t sleep yet; it’s only 8.30pm so I look outside at the pitch black scenery.  

In twelve hours I should be at destination where a motorbike should be waiting to take me to the village... where the next adventure will begin...

!!Funday!!

Well the Funday was a great success I think!! We had about 50 children and some adults come also.  It was quite a bit less than the last time, but it was a good number!!

As usual the games were chaos, doesn't matter how many there are.. it's always chaos!!!!!  And so my whistle was most appreciated and very much used!!

These children come from a very poor neighbourhood called Nayur.  Their houses are built on old paddy fields and so they are radically sinking, and their 'streets' are flooded very often and don't drain for weeks and weeks. After the huge rains the last few weeks, their houses are very damp, squidgy and muddy and you have to wade through the streets to get to the houses.

We played games, had snacks,sang songs, and told re-enacted the Daniel story with their wonderful participation, told the gospel and had testimonies.

The ones that came today were a majority of Muslims and Hindus. All of them stood up to accept Jesus and pray, adults included :) They also came to see us at the end for prayer with all kinds of requests before leaving, so all the team were busy but happy and looking forward to hearing how the prayers have been answered!!

We were one man short, but an extra surprised us when he came along, so that was a big help!! The team were really good and are all willing to help with the next one...provided it's not too far away :)

It seems like no one else or very few are doing Fundays or things similar for children outside of the church, yet it's very much needed. These kids and families live in terrible circumstances, poverty, family turmoil, living difficulties... and if no one shares with them the hope and    love we have... then it is very sad.

Myself and a couple from the team will be going to the area this week to catch up with them and keep the relationships going in order to be able to keep sharing Jesus with them and encouraging them and to see if we can help them in other ways also to make their lives a bit easier....  The Fundays open a lot of doors, and it's better to go through them whilst they are still wide open.




So, all in all it has been a really good and  encouraging Funday :)