TCL

Everything in south Asia has initials, TCL is the theological college of Lanka. I am here for two days to meet staff in this partner organisation and the two mission partners who work here, Mannie and Lynn Jacob, and the two MPs who are in circuit, Mervyn & Claudette Kilpatrick. Conversation is stimulating and relevant as college life should be. The students come from both communities and all over the island so there is real engagement. They enjoy visitors who come to teach for two or three months and hope more British ministers might use their sabbaticals in this way. Steve

New Life 2

Rev Nishante pictured here has just returned from training at the Asian Rural Institute on a World Mission Fund scholarship to be the director of New Life and is full of enthusiasm to rebuild the centre. There is an enormous need to offer vocational training to the young people here, there are no jobs and nothing to do but there is plenty of unused land, so courses in organic farming will soon be on offer to young people from both Sinhala and Tamil communities. There is a huge task of rebuilding but Rev Nishante is busy planning and brimming with ideas.

Steve Pearce | Partnership Coordinator Asia and the Pacific | World Church Relationships

Christian Communication, Evangelism & Advocacy Cluster | The Connexional Team

020 7467 5161 (Direct line)

 

The Methodist Church

Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5JR | 020 7486 5502 [Helpdesk]

www.methodist.org.uk  Registered charity no. 1132208

New life 1

Navajeevanam means New Life, something that is needed in northern Sri Lanka. The complex with that name was founded by missionaries 60 years ago and until recently was a thriving farm, children’s home, vocational centre, Methodist church and Christian community. Then LTTE fighters took over the area and the inhabitants fled. As the war neared its end they left and destroyed every building to prevent their enemies using them.

In front of the ruined church you see Rev Prinsan, who has been minister through those difficult years, and his daughter Priyanjalee. He will bring the ruined church back into weekly use this coming Sunday at 0800, he says the local Methodists are determined to worship there regularly again. The sign at the entrance says, ‘Ready for both service and sacrifice’.

The manse has been rebuilt with the help of a grant from the Methodist Church in Britain and as the sun set I sat outside it with the families now living there, and they told stories of those frightening days when they fled, moving from place to place whenever the fighting got too near, being shelled, losing husbands or sons and finally taken by the army and kept in huge refugee camps, where they were fed and clothed but kept behind barbed wire for a year or so.

Steve  18.1

Steve Pearce | Partnership Coordinator Asia and the Pacific | World Church Relationships

Christian Communication, Evangelism & Advocacy Cluster | The Connexional Team

020 7467 5161 (Direct line)

 

The Methodist Church

Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5JR | 020 7486 5502 [Helpdesk]

www.methodist.org.uk  Registered charity no. 1132208

Destruction

I have spent two days seeing and hearing about the destruction that war causes. It has taken a great deal of spiritual energy just to listen to the personal stories. The physical evidence is all around - these piles of wrecked vehicles, bombed or shelled in the final weeks, all represent the deaths of sons or daughters, limbs mutilated, children traumatised. In Kilinochi I have been listening to women who have lost children and husbands, some who still do not know if their men are dead or held by the government. One woman walks miles to labour in the fields for less than £2 a day and at home looks after five children, her parents and a sick husband. She gave up a day's work to come and talk to us. People are moved that the British Methodists care enough to send someone to hear the story first hand and through my tears I have promised your prayers. But we must do more. The number of traumatised children, who no one knows how to help, is distressing. Many families have no house and their villages have no water. People need to find ways to make a living. Children need schools. Their government must do more but we as faith groups must do more too. I am glad we have a Buddhist in our small group. For myself, I need time to weep and pray for the people I have met today. . Steve 17.1

Beauty

This is such a beautiful place. Driving to Mullaitivu I have seen peacocks, pelicans, parrots, kingfishers and stunning lakes of water lilies. It lifts the spirit after conversation of destruction and hardship - of which more anon - but is also a sign that in the end there is always the possibility of beauty. A powerful and necessary sign as we look out now on the site of the final battle where 40,000 people died. Steve 15.1

See the full gallery on Posterous

In the village

Very different conversations today. An eight hour drive say our small group in meetings with local villagers set us by the army. The stories were of displacement at some point since 1986 and returning during the last two years to find homes and temples destroyed and fields and gardens reclaimed by the forest. There is no water or electricity here and while some permanent houses are being built many are in flimsy huts. Development only happens through the army and some of the few NGOs have given up. The government is building roads, especially in the south, but progress is slow up here. The church is of course already present in the community so doesn't need government permits but it must work with the army; and well intentioned local officers often assist. We are hopeful of finding ways to partner this. Steve . Tuesday 15.1

What makes a Great conversation?

Arrived in Sri Lanka today. Immediately whisked off to have tea with one of the country's Buddhist leaders. Five of us from three continents, two religions, three denominations. A shared passion to explore ideas, time to listen and rich experience were part of the recipe but more ingredients were probably involved. Some great Methodist/Buddhist work has seen young people from the two sides of the divide learning, eating and dancing together, people who would never have talked to each other otherwise. This sort of education is vital if peace is to be built after 20 years of civil war. Tomorrow is a six hour drive to see the hard reality that is the fruit of such a grim conflict. The churches are best placed to do much of the work, we will be looking at how. Steve
Monday 14.1