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 :)

God's little surprises :)

I know I only wrote the other day....and it's not my usual habit to write quite so frequently ;) but I wanted to share with you this story that happened to me yesterday, because it just shows how God really is there and He does want good things for us and to surprise us, just to make us happy :)

So, it's been quite hard being here so far and yesterday, I was just so tired and had no energy and I just was walking to my friends and I just asked God to surprise me, in any way, just make something nice happen that will make me happy and make it a bit easier for me... and then I went to my friends, had lunch, heard that it was someone's birthday and thought I would go and buy them some chicken so that they would have something nice for dinner and if people popped in they would have something to offer...so I walked up the hill and asked for the chicken.
As I was waiting with my back to the road, someone shouted 'Sister Mary', I turned round and it was the man from the Children's home that I used to go to Trincomalee on the East of the country.
I have to say, that I had been trying to contact him and his family for more than a year and since I had gotten to Sri Lanka I had tried to get his number from people but to no avail. The Children's home in the East had to close and I knew he lived near but I didn't know where.
So the odds of meeting him in the street, on my road were quite slim.  Not only had our paths crossed at just the right moment, he recognized me even though he was on the motorbike!!
I learnt that all the kids are here too, I thought he had had to leave them, but he was able to bring them here, which means, that I am able to still see them all and that I don't have to travel for a day to get there!! It's only 10 kms away and I get to go on the motorbike!! :)
So, that was a really nice surprise from God, it's amazing how He just makes things happen sometimes, and He does listen to us and wants nice things for us too :)

(ps. no my name isn't Mary... he just seems to call me that even though I have been telling him for about 2 years that it's Miriam!!)