Journey: Final Thoughts

In this, my final blog post, I will try to bring together my thoughts to sum up the entire JOURNEY experience. You may remember I posted a video in my first post. Having watched it again after visiting Sri Lanka and seeing the Salvation Army's work with my own eyes the video really moves me as I now know first hand the massive difference The Salvation Army has made to so many lives – as the village elder states in the video, "The place is unrecognisable (from just after the Tsunami)". (The first of two videos showing the SA's initial response to the 2004 Tsunami can be found here if you are interested - length 10 minutes).

The video is posted again below, and shows the communities the Salvation Army works with, particularly around the Hikkaduwa region where we stayed for a number of days. Our team visited the bakery and the community centers, seeing women's and children's groups, and after talking to several of the residents in the houses built by the Salvation Army and visiting the Tsunami photo museum, we can at least empathise, even if we cannot really know, the people's experiences of the Tsunami and its aftermath. The thankfulness that so many have for the SA, and the new hope and lives that they have underlines the fantastic selfless work that the Salvation Army has been carrying out since the Tsunami. Please take a few minutes to watch the video:

In visiting 'The Haven', one of the homes run in Colombo by the Salvation Army, we were able to show the love of God to people who had experienced very little love in their lives, which was an incredible privilege. Because of this experience, and because of the examples of so many of the Salvation Army workers in Sri Lanka, I am continually motivated and challenged to show the love of God to everyone around me. There's not a day has gone by that I haven't reflected upon my experiences and tried to live more like Jesus because of it.

So in summary I am very proud to be a member of the Salvation Army after seeing their amazing work in Sri Lanka. The people working for the SA there were a real inspiration to me because of their dedication and love for God, resulting in their dedication and love for his creation, those people in need. My experiences will remain with me forever, and will help me grow as I travel along the Christian journey. A massive thank you to everyone who sponsored me, I hope that this blog has helped you appreciate some of my experiences. Finally, a huge thank you to The Salvation Army's International Development (SAID) department for helping organise and run the trip, you guys do a fantastic job. 

 

It is only fitting that the very last words to conclude this blog are taken from the Bible. John 3 v16 is the ultimate inspiration for why the Salvation Army Church cares so much for humankind:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

With a love like that, how could we not care for God's own?

If you'd like to find out more about SAID's work around the world or make a donation to one of their projects, then please visit their website here (try refreshing if page doesn't load up first time).

Day 11: Final day

After a very bad night's sleep I joined the others in the minibus at 5am to be driven by Nalin to Colombo Airport. We said goodbye to a very tired looking Sam before we left, who was staying on to work with the projects in Sri Lanka, and Sharon had also got up to see us off. The journey only took a third of the time at this point in the morning that it had taken when we had first arrived – goes to show how bad the traffic actually gets!

At the airport Michelle managed to get her flight transferred to the one the other 4 of us were traveling on (she had initially booked the later flight), something that we had prayed for the previous evening with the disruption occurring in London. The flight was as all flights for me, long, boring, and without any sleep. We said goodbye to Sarah and Helen at Heathrow whilst waiting for Michelle's luggage, before the remaining 3 of us got the tube where we continued to chat over our experiences. Doreen then left to catch her train home, and I caught my train from Kings Cross. It was sad to say goodbye to everyone after sharing in these experiences together for the past 10 days, a period which is sure to live long in my memory. 

I had had less than 1 hours sleep in the past 40, & was shaking from being loaded with sugar and caffeine to ensure I didn't miss my train stop on the way home. Most of the traveling was a blur, though over the following days I thought much over our many experiences on JOURNEY and where God was leading me. One thing I'm sure of is having friends for life, both within the JOURNEY team & with the people we met in Sri Lanka. We don't know what the future holds but we know who holds the future! Surely there can be no better passage to finish the entry than Matthew 11 v 28-30:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

P.S. I am writing this and reading from my Bible opening on the train home – I don't think that before JOURNEY I would have done this, and I have definitely learnt a lot about being a Christian from the folks living for Jesus in Sri Lanka. It is my hope and prayer that the inspiration I have received from my experiences will remain with me forever and shape my future.

Day 10: A second visit to The Haven

As we had our breakfast we heard reports of the widespread rioting in London and England, and with our thoughts starting to turn towards returning home we prayed about the situation and discussed various plans should we need them for places to stay overnight once we arrived at Heathrow.

We once again walked to the Haven, and using the materials Sarah had brought and her guidance we led a craft session for some of the women at Sunshine House using fluorescent paper, glue and glitter – which got absolutely everywhere as some women were decorating themselves with it rather than the paper! It was evident to see that everyone had a great time in this session.

 One of the Majors working at the Haven looks on at the craft session

After a tea break we went outside to the courtyard for classic balloon games resulting in mayhem and a lot of fun! We then blew up the rest of the balloons and handed them out, and the little girl who had spent a lot of time with us yesterday was delighted with it as we played catch. She was even starting to pick up a few English words and delighted in repeating them! (For my part, I learnt that 'balle' is Sinhalese for 'ball'!)

After playing games in the hot sun we went inside for lunch, some much needed refreshments! We then returned to join in reading and playing with the residents, and generally just show them love. It was probably the hottest that afternoon for all the time we spent in Sri Lanka, at one point in an attempt to keep cool I was embarrassedly being being fanned by three of the women with books!

Doreen had brought a box of chalk with her, and we used this in the courtyard for drawing, writing and hopscotch on the concrete. I surprised myself with an excellent picture of a coconut tree which the kids could instantly recognise! 

 The next street artist!

 Some of the women writing with the chalk

It then came time to leave and say goodbye to everyone at The Haven, and some of the women wanted to collect our signatures so we wrote them small thank you notes. We bought some cola and cake and headed on over to THQ to throw a thank you party for everyone that had contributed to our trip. Unfortunately the Community Capacity Development guys couldn't make it, but we said thanks to Commissioners William and Debra Mockabee (the Chief of Staff and Territorial secretary for Women's Ministries), Captains Sharon and Jason Dannock (the Projects Officer and her husband) and their two children, and Major Nihal Hettiarachchi (who had driven us down to Hikkaduwa) and his wife. William Mockabee informed us that 9 of the 25 people invited to the Salvation Army in Colombo from Hikkaduwa for a few days (including attending the Social Services Sunday Service) had made commitments to Christ – Hallelujah! They told us that they were naturally concerned about revealing this to their Buddhist families, and they remain in my prayers.

After saying our goodbyes we headed back to the Training College to freshen up before heading out one last time in tuk tuks for our final meal together. We had been invited round Sharon and Jason's flat, so we popped in before we left. Being from a western background (Sharon is Canadian and Jason is Australian) they had their flat laid out much as those homes we had left behind, with a large TV, DVDs, shelves full of books etc. It was actually a culture shock after visiting the many people in Sri Lanka with their few possessions, and it really brought home to me the stark differences in our lifestyles. How little do we recognise how fortunate we are with all the things that we have, yet it is never enough as our materialistic culture is always on a trend of chasing more. It is a sad truth that we never seem to be satisfied and grateful with what we have, and yet after this time spent in Sri Lanka you realise how little most of our stuff is really worth. This is something that will definitely stick with me.

Over our meal we discussed our highlights and challenging and emotional times. My highlights were experiencing and seeing the behaviours and actions of the CCD team down in the Hikkaduwa region who had been so welcoming and helpful to us, but in who you could also see the love of Christ in the way they went about their work for the Salvation Army when working for the people we visited. I learnt a lot from them. The most challenging aspect for me was seeing the pictures drawn by children after the Tsunami in the photo museum, as I mentioned in one of my previous posts.

On the way back across town to our waiting beds, we were stopped by the barriers at a railway crossing and warning bells ringing for an approaching train. Our drivers informed us, 'should be about 5 minutes wait', in which time we mainly messed about with cameras taking silly photos. After about 5 minutes, the barriers went up without warning and without sight or sounds of a train! The drivers found this very funny (as did we), exclaiming 'No train!' as we drove on.

 Messing about waiting for a train that would never pass...

We rounded off our trip with Sam reading Isaiah 58 v 6-12, followed by a time of prayer. My Bible reading for this day though will be Luke 22 v 24-27 – words from Jesus which have been highlighted by the many wonderful people working for the Salvation Army that we have met, and also are words that we have tried to live out. 

“Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.”

Day 9: Visit to 'The Haven', a Salvation Army home for women in Colombo

After breakfast we made the short walk to the Haven from the Training College, the Salvation Army's home for women. Once there we were briefed on the work of the home, and the backgrounds of the women who wereliving there. There were several different parts to the Haven, the major section being called 'Sunshine House', housing women who had been remanded by the Sri Lankan courts for them to stay until their cases came to trial. Some women could be living in Sunshine House for years whilst waiting for their cases to be heard; we spoke to an 18 year old woman who had been living there for 6 months and still had no court date. 

Another section at the haven was a maternity suite for the women residents, some who would come to the Haven pregnant as a result of abuse. There were a couple of very young babies when we visited, one only a month old that was being put up for adoption. The Salvation Army had counsellors who would come in daily to speak with all the women, and would try to counsel those pregnant to keep their children due to the belief that children are better off with their own parents, but would support the women should they still wish to put their children up for adoption. If the women decided to keep their children, then there were facilities for them to remain at the Haven with their mothers until the age of 5, when they would then be moved to a nearby children's home ran by the Army.

 The dining room at the Haven - exactly 6 foot 4 tall!

Also at the Haven was a small section for up to 10 children aged 3-5 to live in as for whatever reason their parents couldn't support them (the Salvation Army would first see if they could support families to look after their children before moving them to the Haven). When we visited, there were 6 children there, who had sung the chorus, 'Rejoice, rejoice, and again I say rejoice' over and over at the previous evening's Social Sunday service at Colombo Central, much to the amusement of everyone there! We were blessed for them to sing it to us again on the Monday morning!

Women are remanded to Sunshine House by the courts supposedly for their own protection, and are forbidden to leave the site by the courts even though they are the victims. Sunshine House has bars on the windows (due to legislation), and there were three rooms where 20 women would sleep on bunk beds in a room that would be locked at night. The bedrooms were very bare except for the precious few belongings the women owned, although the walls were decorated with drawings and pictures stuck up. The Sri Lankan authorities viewed The Haven as a top example of this type of facility for women, showing it to visitors who came to see their legal system, which was a bit of a shock to our western standards, and we dared not to think what the other places would be like. This article on AlJazeera throws some light on conditions for other reprimanded and jailed citizens, which really puts into perspective how The Haven is such an improvement - that's not to say there isn't room for improvement though, and that's where departments such as the Salvation Army's UK International Development come in, advising and helping the people running these facilities.

One of the bedrooms viewed through the bars

There was a 60 year old women that had been referred to The Haven the previous day by the courts, although she had been granted permission to leave the site should she wish, and she told us that there hadn't been a bed for her so one of the children had given up her bed out of respect and slept on the floor. As she pointed out, this was hardly ideal. It turned out she had used to be a maths/science teacher at a local college.

There are several skill sessions ran at The Haven during the week, from IT skills being taught by a specialist tutor on donated laptops to craft activities ran by a Dutch woman. The items made in this activity would be sold in the Salvation Army's small shop by THQ for around 200 rupees each (just over £1), with half the money going towards buying new materials and helping to fund The Haven, and half to a bank account for the woman who made the item so that they had some money to draw upon when they left. A charity called 'Emerge' ran these jewellery sessions, with most bracelets and necklaces being sold through the Salvation Army in the US.

After our morning tour of The Haven we sat down for tea before joining in with the various sessions being ran, talking to the women and playing with the kids. Doreen had brought some items from her kids work supply in England, including toy cars, modelling balloons and a parachute and beach ball! In an instant, the place was filled with happiness and laughter as the kids and women played parachute games, and I found myself in demand as I could remember how to make balloon dogs!

 Doreen and myself join in with the parachute games!

After lunch we returned to 'work' in the Haven. Helen and I went to the live-in children's section, but left when we saw they were on their siesta and returned to Sunshine House. People were also sleeping here (it was incredibly hot in these afternoons), and we quietly spoke to some of the residents that could speak English. After a time, one of the women got a large washing basin, turned it upside and proceeded to use it as a drum, as they all joined in singing songs in Sinhalese. They asked Helen and I to sing something, so we sang 'Who's the King of the Jungle', and 'Our God is a Great Big God' complete with actions, which they found hilarious! Doreen arrived shortly after, and we proceeded onto all manner of things including 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes', patter cake, etc. etc. They then got the radio out and Helen was all to keen to show her dance moves!

There was a little girl and boy who spent a lot of time with Helen and I, from what I could gather the boy's mother had ran away with her new-born baby leaving him behind, and he now stayed at the Haven. They were delighted to see us and show us around the place, and told us all manner of things – unfortunately we don't have a clue what they were telling us as they were speaking Sinhalese! They acted like any UK kids would, children really do seem to be universal in their actions.

After spending most of the day at the Haven, we headed to 'Paradise Road', an ethically trading shop where I purchased a few hand-crafted items for the family. We headed back to the Training College by tuk tuks again after dinner after a very tiring day. We finished with Uno though, obviously!

It was great to see how just a little bit of love showed by the Journey team had uplifted The Haven, and after such a day 1 John 4 v7-12 and 19-21 seems very appropriate. It was tough, however, to see how in developing countries facilities like The Haven are a positive thing for the citizens, yet they still fall short of our Western standards. This is a challenge that organisations like The Salvation Army are aware of, and are constantly striving to improve. This Journey trip has showed me though how by God's grace and power we can see a need, and then work to meet that need, restoring lives in the process. Praise God!

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us...We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”

Day 8: International Worship with Colombo Central Corps

On the Sunday morning we headed to Colombo Central Corps, which is right next door to THQ, and joined in with their morning worship. The service was held jointly in Sinhalese and English, with a translator on the platform as well as the speaker. The SA Songbooks were in three languages (the third being Tamil), and it was an amazing thing to sing a song together in multiple languages but with the same beaming to our one and only God. The Captain warmly greeted us from the platform, along with a family visiting from Holland. It must be difficult being the officers at the corps THQ staff attend though! 

 The team at Colombo Central Corps

During the service we had a 15 minute worship session led by singers, piano, drums and bass which was very spiritual, and the sermon was delivered on ways to resolve conflict within the Church, such as by setting up house groups. After the meeting we had a cuppa, and we were invited to join in with the Songsters in the evening, and I was invited to join in with the band!

After lunch we got some tuk tuks to the beach front in Colombo, a wide grassy area filled with many drinks stands, a small pier and lots of people flying kites! Doreen bought some for her family, and we 'tested one out' as Michelle had never flown a kite before! 

 The view from the pier

"Lets go fly a kite, up to the highest height..."

Back at the Training College we prepared the item we had been asked to lead at the evening service at Colombo Central – the kid's song, 'Our God is a Great Big God'. Upon arriving at the corps, we were handed songster music and I was given a trombone! 

Colombo Central Band with Jason, myself and Johnson playing

The service was for 'Social Services Sunday', celebrating the Salvation Army's Social Work in the Sri Lankan territory. It was great to see people at the corps that evening such as Dinuka and Lakmal, as well as a whole host of people, many not Christians, who were those in the various homes and projects that the Salvation Army ran. (Present at the service were 25 non-Christians from the Hikkaduwa area, who had been personally invited by the Community Capacity Development team to attend, and much prayer had been said for them, and will continue to be said). Each group had an item prepared, ranging from drama to singing to a march from the band ('Down the Street'). There was also Congregational worship, and the Territorial Commander gave a short sermon. Colombo Central Songsters, aided by myself, Doreen and Helen, sang 'Christ in Me' – a beautiful song. The songster leader, Johnson (also the bassist in the band) was a very friendly bloke who turned out to have lived in England as a child! 

 Colombo Central Songsters, plus guests

Our kid's song went very well, though it was nerve wrecking singing in front of 300 people, and we got some of the kids to come up and join in with us for the actions.

After the service the band master said to me, “Two trombones tonight, you were very powerful!” - fantastic! We also spoke with Commissioners William and Debra Mockabee, the Chief of Staff and his wife. They were wearing gold stars as one of their sons had been killed in action in the Hurricane Katrina disaster when serving as an officer in the Salvation Army. They were obviously very proud of his service. To finish the day, we went back to the Mews café we had gone to on our first night in Sri Lanka, before I finished the day handsomely losing at Uni!

The team with the Territorial Commander and his wife, and the Chief of Staff and his wife (the Territorial Secretary for Women's Ministries)

The Social Services Sunday really highlighted the many lives that the Salvation Army has reached out and touched (with much help and support coming from the International Development department of the UK territory (SAID (UK)), and in turn from people's donations), and I am extremely proud to be a member of the SA. A video montage was shown with music during the service, photos being shown of the various projects being run in Sri Lanka, and it was in complete contrast to a SAID video I had seen previously at Territorial Music School showing the needs of so many in the world which brought tears to my eyes. The montage instead brought tears of joy, showing the Army doing a fantastic work for God and meeting these needs – may we never lose sight of that! I get the sense I will end up working for the Army one day, though in what capacity I cannot tell – my calling from God is certainly to be a teacher for the next few years. I fear a mundane life, but I do not think that that is what God has planned for me!

With a day of international worship, I will end with Jerimiah 3 v17a:

"At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD."

Days 6 and 7: Turtles and Elephants!

Friday was a much more restful day after the previous two where we had had quite intense experiences. We spent the morning chilling out on the Hikkaduwa beach. The sea was lovely and warm, but also strong – swimming out 50 meters was incredibly tiring! Later on in the morning Dinuka and Lakmal picked us up, and we checked out of our hotel to return the 100km back to Colombo.

On the way we stopped at a turtle sanctuary, where the owner very proudly showed us his work in turtle conservation. He would buy turtle eggs from local fisherman that had got caught in their nets, bury them until they hatched, then keep them in a tank for three days before releasing them to the sea. There were two tanks full of baby turtles, two and three days old with the latter to be released later that evening. We were able to hold these amazing creatures which were about a third the size of my hand! 

Michelle and her new friend

He then showed us round his other tanks, including a turtle with a miss-formed shell. We were also permitted to hold the other turtles he had, including a large leatherback which would start to slap with his flippers if he felt he had been held for too long! 

 The owner holds one of his turtles

Sam was handed a 40kg turtle to hold after being told it was quite naughty. After posing for a couple of photos the turtle decided he would like to be back in the water, thank you very much, and started flapping its flippers wildly. Sam, in alarm, lowered it back in to the tank only for it to launch a huge wave backwards and completely drench her!

 The naughty turtle, see the look in his eyes! Before...

And after! Sam is completely soaked, the wave can still be seen in the tank!

We completed the journey back to Colombo and moved back into the training college. Later on in the evening we headed out into the city to a roof-top restaurant, travelling by tuk-tuk – this was quite an experience! These 3 wheeler cabs would dart around the streets, squeezing through the gaps in traffic apparently oblivious to the other traffic – at one point I looked right to see a motorbike come to an abrupt halt less than a meter from me! Back at the training college we played the now nightly fix of Uni, then headed to bed. It had been an enjoyable day, filled with the beauty of God's creation. One reading in particular comes to mind, Jesus' words from Matthew 6 v26:

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Day 7: Saturday 6^th August, Elephant Orphanage, Pinnawalla

On the Saturday we got up early and Nalin drove us inland to Pinnawala, a two hour headache-inducing journey on the Sri Lankan roads. Pinnawalla is the location of Sri Lanka's Elephant Orphanage, and when we arrived we walked down to the river where we were greeted by the sight of at least 50 elephants watering! 

 The elephants at the river in Pinnawalla

As we watched, the elephant keepers started herding the elephants back through the town to the orphanage, some of them being ridden bare back. It never really struck me before, but elephants are really bizarre creatures! Their trunk is amazing in the things it can do, and the elephants' skin is sort of rubbery (we were able to get close up later in the day at the orphanage).

Our next stop was a tour around an elephant 'poo factory', where they took the elephant dung, dried it out and used the fibres to make paper, and from this paper a great many items from calenders to boxes. We then proceeded to a craft shop, full of amazingly carved elephants, Buddhas and a whole assortment of other things.

 Nothing else to be said!

We finally got to visit the orphanage, and see the elephants up close. They were munching their way through what appeared to be a forest of leaves laid out before them, making for some stunning photos with the mountains in the background. 

 The Kandy mountains loom large over the elephants

There was a huge black elephant being watered with a hose in an open hut, who turned out to be blind as a result of hunters shooting him trying to get his ivory. The keepers let us stand right next to this powerful creature for photos (terrifying! These animals could crush a man I'm sure if they put their minds to it!), although it turned out the keepers expected to be given donations afterwards for the privilege. 

 The blind elephant being hosed

 I moved out of the way very quickly after taking this photo!

We had lunch overlooking the river, where there were still a few elephants feeding below – one of the most spectacular locations I have ever eaten! After our dinner, the awesome sight of the elephants marching back through the town to the water greeted us, some stopping and taking an interest in the watching tourists as they walked! The keepers were able to get them moving easily again though, as the elephants are terrified of the sharp sticks they carry. 

 The march of the elephants

We returned to Colombo mid-afternoon, a hold up on the way back sadly turned out to be a fatal road crash. Back at the training college in the lull after a tiring day, I suddenly felt far away from home after the adventures and experiences we had encountered. It seems strange to say, but I also felt I had not spent enough time in prayer with God despite what I had seen, so I spent the time before we went out to dinner praying in my room, in order to be closer to God both for the remainder of the trip and for my life in general!

We discussed a multitude of topics over dinner, and I consider it a privilege that I was a part of a team of such caring people, and we have all helped each other out in a number of ways over the past few days. There are a couple of similar readings I could finish with here, but I've chosen to go with John 14 v27, words which really spoke to my heart at this time:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Day 5: The Tsunami's devastating impact, and more on the Salvation Army's continuing response

After breakfast we were once again driven by Dinuka to the nearby Tsunami photo museum at Telwatta, a dutch funded initiative to collect and display photos of the devastating event from Boxing Day 2004 and the aftermath. The museum was in a woman's house (she had separate rooms to live in) not 25 meters from the sea, and had had to be rebuilt after the Tsunami as only the foundations had remained.

The Tsunami Photo Museum (photo taken from their website)

Viewing the photos and reading the many stories was extremely moving. There were photos of the Tsunami closing in, sweeping past the houses as if they weren't there, photos of the train wreckage caused by the wave and photos of volunteers and the recently made homeless helping clear up the area in the following days. Yet the three things that stick in my mind are the stories of parents losing their children as they tried disparately to cling on to them, the photos that would never be shown on TV depicting human bodies as they were recovered, and most poignantly of all, the drawings done by children of their experiences, showing the destructiveness of the wave and the bodies as they floated along. That a child should have such images in mind to draw brought tears to my eyes. I wrote in the visitors book, but when it came to the 'comments' section, words completely failed me so I left it blank. 

Some of the messages in the museum included, 'Before 2004 we had no idea what a Tsunami was'. 'We lived because of the sea, but the sea came and took our lives away. Now, we must return to the sea to live. 'When you were born you were crying and others were smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you are smiling and others are crying.' The museum's website can be seen here, should you wish to find out more.

We drove away in silence, lost in our own thoughts. Ironically, our next stop was a glass-bottomed boat trip to the coral just off the shore, where we saw Tiger-Fish and others – the peaceful side of the sea. Dinuka had brought some crackers for the fish(!), which they absolutely loved and ate from my submerged hand! This trip did lift the mood somewhat.

 Tiger fish enjoying crackers!

We then drove to the Hikkaduwa to see the Divisional Headquarters and local corps, and Major Shelton Fernando who had been travelling with us invited us into his home for more cake and juice.

 Sam, the Major and Dinuka. It turned out the bed is the one the founder of the Salvation Army in Sri Lanka slept in - 120 years ago!

 The local corps meeting hall

 The Major and the CCD (Community Capacity Development) team

We went to the beautiful city of Galle for lunch, passing the international cricket ground there. Our restaurant was overlooking a beautiful bay. At the end, there was even a green lizard that popped in!

 Part of our view from the restaurant

The Green Lizard

We spent the afternoon at a children's club for Tsunami affected families ran by the Salvation Army in another community centre built by them. As always, we were warmly greeted, and presented with leaves and flowers by the children. We sat and watched as they had an English lesson, before we went outside and joined in with their games! These included many games that we recognised from our own childhoods such as 'Big fish, little fish', although playing them in another language was somewhat of a challenge! 

 Michelle and Sam join in one of the games

After the games the kids offered us all juice and biscuits. Then it was our turn; earlier we had popped into a shop and bought chocolate, pencils, drawing books and stickers for all the children and it was fantastic to be able to give something back to people who had taught and given us so much. The kids were delighted, and as they left one of them came and touched all our shoes as a sign of respect – very touching. There was just time for a quick bit of cricket with Dinuka and Lakmal! The minibus, which had escaped many miles on Sri Lankan roads unscathed, couldn't survive Dinuka batting however who dented the back with a firmly hit straight drive (with a tennis ball!).

 Us and the children - we had already sat through about 10 photos at this time, hence some of the bored looks!

 Salvation Army cricket bat!

We returned to Galle and spent the evening walking around the walls of the old Dutch fort watching as the Sun went down. We watched the sea waves crash against the rocks. Beautiful yet powerful. 

 Waves crash over the rocks by Old Galle Town

We went to a restaurant back in Hikkaduwa, inviting Lakmal, Dinuka and his wife along to say thank you to them. They very proudly showed us photos of their wedding, as Sri Lankans take immense pride in their families.

To finish the day, we once again discussed and prayed for the day's events; Sam read God's promises from Revelation 21, with the ultimate hope for humanity once this life passes. I'll finish with verse 4 here: 

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

The experience at the museum today really put into perspective the huge impact the Salvation Army has had on so many people's lives since the Tsunami, and how God's love has shone through them.

Day 4: Beneficiaries of the Salvation Army's post-Tsunami work

After we had talked with the family in the previous post, we visited their neighbours to see how they earned a living. The mother and daughter were producing rope, and from the rope items such as doormats, with use of a machine that her son had made. The machine used a ceiling fan to spin the two hooks, which in turn spun the fibres from coconut husks into the rope. The two women then walked backwards whilst the fibres were spun, then the mother would walk forwards with both ropes in her hand so that they spun together. This whole process took about 20 seconds. It's great to see how people have managed to get back on their feet after the Tsunami.

 Our group and the women making the rope

We headed back to Hikkaduwa for lunch, before proceeding to a road-side memorial to the Tsunami victims. The atmosphere at the memorial was the same as you find at any of the WW2 sites in Northern France or Belgium, peaceful and sad. We were required to remove our shoes out of respect to walk on the memorial and read the inscription, and as can be seen in the photo there was an amazing carved mural behind the memorial.

 

The memorial

The mural

For our next stop we visited a bakery the Salvation Army had constructed, where the baker met and spoke to us. Several local people were employed to work at the bakery, and the oven shown could hold up to 300 bread loaves at a time! The baker was very proud to show us what the Army had provided him with, and he in turn provided vital food for the community.

 The baker and his oven

We then walked the short distance to the home of a man described to us as a 'big helper of the Army' because of how they had helped him. Even though he was a Buddhist, he frequently let the Salvation Army use his house for Christian prayer meetings. With Dinuka translating, we got his story. Once again, we were warmly welcomed into a home, with juice and homemade cakes. He and his family had lived in the same location for the past 30 years (the new house constructed for him by the Army was in the same place as the previous one), except for the two years after the Tsunami when they had to live in one of the Tsunami camps. On the day of the Tsunami, he heard shouts so ran to the hills with his family, and so avoided the disaster, at least physically. He told us he had never heard of the Army before the disaster, but now was happy to help them however he could because of how they had helped him. His daughter was one of the 25 people from the area who had been invited to the Salvation Army in Colombo at the coming weekend (9 of these 25 made commitments to Christ as a result of this visit, praise God!).

After this meeting, we visited a rope production plant, where we met another business and group of people who the Salvation Army had helped get back on their feet. The rope production is as follows: Coconuts are cut down from trees and then the husks are removed (by leaning over a big blade in the ground!). These husks are then ground down into their fibres by a special machine, which the Salvation Army paid for. These fibres are then spun into rope as described above, and sold to a variety of buyers. 12 people were employed on this plant, and several children were also present, playing and helping. 

 The man just to the right of center is removing the husks from the coconuts

 The fibres are spun

We then drove up a hill to a beautiful spot to one of the meeting halls constructed by the Army. Here we were warmly greeted by the women's group, who were having their monthly meeting, with bouquets and hand-crafted badges. This group enables the women of the community to learn important skills together (in the meeting we witnessed, one of the residents was talking about cultivation of home-grown food, and a growing competition was started with two teams!). After the meeting the women offered us plates of food, along with sweet Sri Lankan tea (think black tea with about 5 sugars). This was entirely for our benefit, as the women only ate after we offered them the food they had offered us! Incredibly humbling hospitality once again. One of the plates was filled with pan-cake rolls, which tasted incredibly nice and consisted of coconut and cinnamon wrapped with pancake.

 Us and the women's group

We headed to a restaurant back in Hikakduwa, complete with serenading band who sang such hits as “My Bonnie lies over the Ocean,” to Boyzone, to “We have no Bananas Today!” much to the amusement of a large table of tipsy Germans!

To finish off the day, we had a team debriefing session back at the hotel. Sam shared with us the Widow’s Offering reading from Scripture, and of the two blind men being healed by Jesus. We discussed our thoughts and feelings of the day, very challenged by the complete generosity of the residents and the many stories we had heard. There was also hope through the day though, as we could see the clear and definite impact that the Salvation Army's work had for people in order to demonstrate God's glory. She explained to us the process of firstly seeing & understanding need, then experiencing compassion, then acting in faith before experiencing God's power. On this day we had certainly experienced the first two steps, and we talked about how we could move on to the last two, something which has occupied my thoughts ever since. What is the best way for me to act in faith so that God's power can be shown? I'm certainly on the lookout for opportunities, and pray that God will reveal to me the paths he wants me to take.

At this point I'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone who sponsored me, the 'extra' money raised through your giving has been donated to the Salvation Army in Sri Lanka, who hope to run an education project for a whole year in the slums in Colombo with this! The aim is to teach children who don't attend school Sinhala, Tamil, English and Maths at two of the slums - a fantastic project.

Once again, I will end with Mark 13 v41-44:

'Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” '

Day 4: A Moving Tsunami story

This next post is from the first part of day 4, as it deserves to be told separate from the rest of the day's activities.

After waking up in my 5^th bed in as many nights, I joined the group for breakfast which our hosts at the hotel provided for us – toast and eggs, very nice. We then prayed for the day ahead. We were picked up by some members of the Community Capacity Development (CCD) team, including Dinuka who ran it. We drove the short distance to the village of 400 homes (100 constructed by the Salvation Army) for our tour of the area. Fist of all we were shown one of a number of community centres the Army had built, to allow communities to meet together and take group actions, such as in holding celebrations (as mentioned in my last post), but small groups such as women's and children's meet at certain times as well (we visited some of these groups, watch this space!). A local leadership team from the residents would be instated so that it was a community led (rather than Army led) facility.

 One of the community centres

We drove on a bit before stopping at the location of the Salvation Army houses. Residents of the village were being employed by the Army to construct the roads past their houses, which I think is a fantastic idea – providing both work and the means to directly improve their environment. We were called along the part-constructed road by a woman (Thushari) to come and see a small fish pond her brother (Pradeep) was keeping. Pradeep was keeping the fish with the hope of selling them (Doreen suggested that as a fisherman before the Tsunami, he was going back to what he knew). I should point out here that the land donated to the Army to build these houses was a number of kilometres from the shore, yet the residents had lived by the sea prior to the 2004 disaster – quite a change in their lifestyle. With Major Nihal translating we asked them their story.

The family stood beside Major Nihal

This story is ultimately one of hope, yet contains great tragedy. Both Pradeep and Thushari had lost their marriage partners during the Tsunami, and Thushari had been 9 months pregnant when the wave struck. She had clung to a tree to avoid being swept away, and she had lost parts from two fingers as a result of this (apparently she is the woman from what was one of the 'iconic' images of the Tsunami as she clung to avoid being swept away). She had found it too difficult to raise her unborn child due to the trauma, so the child was now living with Thushari's mother. Pradeep's son appeared a bit later on, and he had a big scar on his arm as a result of the train crash caused by the Tsunami. His son was maybe 9 years old, so must have been a toddler at the incident. 

Thushari and Pradeep invited us into their home where they had lived for the past 5 years. Pradeep showed us his beautiful artwork he had painted, which can be seen below. The beauty of these works is staggering, and I find them incredibly moving because of the emotion they invoke. 

Pradeep's moving masterpiece of the Tsunami and his wife

The woman in the paintings is his wife, and the text reads on the left hand side of the below photo along the lines of, 'I'll never forget you, you'll always be a part of me'. He also had a tattoo of his wife on his right shoulder. What followed was a staggering act of generosity. Pradeep presented us with the photos of him and his wife as gifts for us to remember them by – this family had so little, and it was incredibly challenging to be given such items (their possessions in the front room consisted of a small tv and a table, with very little besides).

The paintings Pradeep presented us with

We were then asked if we wanted to try 'the purest water in Sri Lanka', and were each presented with a coconut cut open in order to drink from. The water inside was clear and slightly sweet, and very welcome as it was a hot day. Not only had this family invited us in and given us incredible gifts, they even saw to our human needs! One of their family members had gone and cut down the coconuts as we were talking to the brother and sister.

One of the family members uses a machete  to cut the coconuts open

Thushari had married since the Tsunami (her husband was at work when we visited), and she had two young daughters who were flitting in and out of the room we were in. Sarah had brought some gifts with her, and presented the children with paper and pencils which they were delighted with. It was great to be able to give back even in this small way to those who had given so much more. 

Our JOURNEY group and the family who did so much for us

This is a story of hope, because this family was slowly rebuilding their lives with the help of the Salvation Army, who had given them a home and a fresh start. I guess some hurts may never heal but the Army is there for those than can be.

Later on that day Sam read us Mark 12 v41-44, which seemed extremely appropriate given how we had been generously treated:

'Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”'

Days 2 and 3

Day 2: Monday 1^st August

After the tedious 14 hour flight we were welcomed at Colombo airport by Major Sharon Dannock, the projects officer for the Sri Lankan territory, and Nahat, our driver for some of our visit. Whilst we were at Colombo airport we heard 'Amazing Grace' being played on the PA, and we reflected on what an opportunity we had before us to experience God's grace. This was promptly followed by ABBA's 'I dreamed a dream,' so make of that what you will!

After a 90 minute drive we arrived at the Training College – the traffic in Sri Lanka can only really be described as organised chaos, with very few rules for drivers. It seems to be: Drive on the left (unless nothing is coming the other way), if you see a gap between two vehicles then drive straight through it, beep your horn so that others know you're coming through and finally, on the rare occasion you see a policeman, follow his directions.

Typical driving! This is tame in comparison to some maneuvers we saw

I could write so much about the minibus journey alone – the endless tuk tuks (3 wheeler vehicles) darting along everywhere, motorbikes squeezing through the smallest gaps, pedestrians taking their lives into their hands as they try to cross the road. At one point we passed a shanty town beside the road, and suddenly Sri Lanka wasn't looking quite so bright. Nearby was walking the skinniest man I've ever seen.

Once we reached the Salvation Army's Training College in Colombo, we moved our stuff into our rooms where I discovered that my entire bottle of aftershave had come open and emptied in my suitcase, and I spent a good while washing my overpowering clothes! After this we headed our for a meal at a nearby restaurant...and promptly ordered Italian! It felt like the best meal ever after airline food. 

The view from outside our rooms of the Training College/THQ staff compound

As I'm writing this jet lag is catching up on me, so I'll conclude with Mark 10 v28-31:

'Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “No-one who has left home or brothers and sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – and with them persecution) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”'

As I re-read this scripture having returned from Sri Lanka it strikes me just how many brothers and sisters we have seen and made in Christ as a result of our visit, and how true Jesus' words really are.

Day 3, Tuesday 2^nd August

After waking up in my short bed, we met for breakfast and drove to Territorial Head Quarters where we joined the staff for their morning prayers. After this we were given a tour around the offices by Commissioner William Mockabee, the Chief of Staff (he had finished the prayer session by saying, “Let's have a good day of hard work because we're doing it to help people and glorify God”). The staff were all very pleased to greet us. After this we were shown around the THQ compound, which as well as containing the offices, was home to Colombo Central Corps, two women's homes, an injury rehabilitation centre & a pre-school. It was wonderful to see something familiar, having recently spent time in a primary school, as teachers let pupils in a colouring in session. In the rehab centre, there was some basic gym equipment which 3 gentlemen were using, including a bike and a hand-rail to aid walking. We then looked round the hostels, which are viewed differently to in the UK and were seen as a suitable place to live long term – one woman had lived at the hostel for 30 years! The residents paid rent from their jobs to live at the hostel, with basic facilities in their rooms and a communal TV. We then ate a meal in a hostel consisting mercifully of non-spicy rice, chicken, noodles & ice cream.

 Sri Lankan THQ

After lunch we returned to the training college and repacked as we were heading 100km south along the coastal road to Hikkaduwa to see the post-tsunami work the Salvation Army was doing – one of the range of projects part financed by the International Development Department of the UK Salvation Army. It took at least 30 minutes to drive out of the suburbs of Colombo, and in this time I finally put my finger on what looked odd about the buildings – almost all were in a poor state of repair (eg peeling paint) as people cannot afford to repair them, yet shops display brightly coloured Western-type adverts and name boards which looked odd against the run-down buildings. Captain Sharon Dannock informed us that the SL territory has to spend up to half their project money purely on building maintenance due to issues such as termites.

Major Nihal drove us the 2 hours to our Hotel at Hikkaduwa, the 'El-Dorado' which had surprisingly good facilities (better than the boy's accomodation at Territorial Music School!), and very friendly hosts. We sat down as Nihal briefed us on the work of the Army in this area, in response to the Tsunami in late 2004. He talked us through the village the Army had helped construct, how they had pushed for it to be self-sustained (by installing councils to be responsible for the running of the community and for organising/fund raising for community events), and had had tremendous success at this – for a recent celebration held, the community had raised over 80% of the costs themselves as the Salvation Army was stepping back and letting the residents take ownership. The Army will withdraw its funding entirely either at the end of this or next year (I can't remember) so that the communities will be self-standing.

 Our hotel in Hikkaduwa

We were also told the sad story of two sisters who had lost their mother and younger sister in the Tsunami, and only last week had lost their father when he got knocked off his push bike. Nihal told us the Army were now looking for the way to best support these girls having lost both their parents.

In terms of the spiritual impact of the Army's work, we were told about the upcoming Social Services Sunday in Colombo to which 25 people from the nearby communities were invited to attend the Salvation Army on the Sunday and stay for a couple of days, and to see why the SA really cares so much. These 25 people had been prayed for daily for a month by the staff at THQ (we learned before we left that 9 of these people had made commitments to Jesus as a result of this – Praise God!).

We then walked to a restaurant on the coast, which was a beautiful setting as we ate metres from the waves on the sea. This restaurant had a mark on the wall by the entrance showing where the water level was after the Tsunami struck.

The Tsunami line, about 7 foot high

To finish the evening, we played Uno and tried to avoid the overly-friendly dog who had taken a particular liking to the terrified Sam! Up until now the experience has been mostly touristy, exploring new places, meeting new people and eating out. I suspect that that will change tomorrow as we visit the SA's work. At the moment though, I am more appreciative of Western things such as being able to drink tap water and being on safe roads! 

In preparation for the days ahead, the reading I will end with is Philippians 4 v4-7.

'Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'