Blog
Welcome to the Samaritan's Purse blog, where we capture some of the personal reflections and stories from our staff as they travel around the world...
Simon Barrington's Video Blog from South Sudan: Day Six
Posted on Thursday May 10th 2012
Simon Barrington's Video Blog from South Sudan: Day Five
Posted on Tuesday May 8th 2012
Simon Barrington's Video Blog from South Sudan: Day Four
Posted on Monday May 7th 2012
Simon Barrington's Video Blog from South Sudan: Day Three
Posted on Saturday May 5th 2012
Simon Barrington's Video Blog from South Sudan: Day Two
Posted on Friday May 4th 2012
Simon Barrington's Video Blog from South Sudan: Day One
Posted on Thursday May 3rd 2012
God is able – the inspiring story of a missional community in Northern Uganda
By Simon Barrington (Executive Director, Samaritan's Purse UK)
Posted on April 30, 2012
What a great name for a missional community : God is able.
This group of Christian’s in Northern Uganda have come together to meet the needs of vulnerable families in their community. Although they have next to nothing themselves, these 20 members of 5 different local Churches have come together to care for 40 families at risk.
Their story is inspiring and motivational.
Having been envisioned by Samaritan’s Purse the community first set about identifying the needs of the community and recognised that there were many widows living with HIV and AIDS and many HIV orphans.
One such widow was Hazel. Hazel lost her husband to AIDS and is left caring for 5 children, the youngest of whom, Grace, also is confirmed as having HIV.
Stigmatised by her home community she was forced to move back to her ancestral homestead. Here she came in contact with the “God is able” missional community.
This community has ensured that Hazel has access to drugs, which have started to improve her health and that of her daughter Grace. Today I saw the community come together to hoe and weed Hazel’s field so that her crop of Sim-Sim (Sesame) and Sorgum. It took them all day to clear the weeds, but now Hazel, who couldn’t have achieved it herself, has the opportunity of a crop and of feeding her family.
As we entered the community, the first thing that the “God is able” group asked to do was to pray. To pray that they may be the hands and feet of Jesus in that community.
I believe they are already being Jesus to people like Hazel and that :
“God is able to bless you abundantly so that at all times in all things, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” 2 Corinthians 9v8
What does it feel like to be a refugee?
By Simon Barrington (Executive Director, Samaritan's Purse UK)
Posted on April 27, 2012
This is the question going round in my brain this morning as I prepare to leave the comfort of the UK for a two week trip to Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan: What must it feel like to be a refugee?
To have everything taken away from you by your own government: your home, your family, your livelihood, your dignity, your community. Devastating. I can only begin to imagine the physical, psychological and emotional trauma at uprooting your whole family and leaving for a staging post at a refugee camp.
Yet this is the plight of 120,000 people in South Sudan right now who I will visit on my trip. 120,000 people who have been forced to leave the Nuba mountains and to find refuge in camps along the Sudan/South Sudan border. Their homes have been bombed and they have been forced to flee.
What makes this situation so tragic is that it is so unnecessary. In a few weeks time the situation will be made worse by the impending rains that will make it impossible for organisations like Samaritan’s Purse to respond to their needs with vital supplies.
As a Christian organisation, Samaritan’s Purse is there helping in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus who himself knew what it was to be a refugee, forced as a child to flee his own country because the King of the time wanted all male children killed. Therefore as we offer help – food, nutrition, medical care, emotional and spiritual support we do it in the name of the one who knows their plight – indeed has experienced it, who ultimately cares and who asks us to show love in His name.
Will you stop now and pray for the people of the Nuba mountains who are refugees in camps along the border. Will you stop and pray for a cessation to violence. Would you stop and pray for the agencies responding to this crisis. Would you stop and take action and share this information widely – to friends, neighbours and governments. We cannot stand idly by. We must raise our voices.
I will be blogging on location from South Sudan in about a weeks time. You will also be able to hear daily reports on UCB and Premier Radio and follow updates on the Samaritan’s Purse website.
Simon Barrington
REFLECTIONS ON WATER
Ian Taylor, Regional Manager for the North West, reflects on two recent trips to Uganda and Liberia - where he saw firsthand the problems caused by dirty water and poor sanitation...
It’s hot and sticky, the odour of open sewerage hangs in the air, children play with huge smiles on their faces and sit on the edge of these open channels.
This informal settlement in Kampala, Uganda had many problems with water and sanitation. Watching children clamber down into a ditch where there was a trickle of water, then using a plastic cup scoop up the water and drink it. It was difficult to find where there was a latrine in most places, so when people needed to answer the call of nature, they would do so. The problem was that when it rained their faeces washed down the slopes and into any of the water courses, this was not good.
Seeing this sends a shock through my senses, what I was seeing could never be right, yet we need water to drink in order to survive, I was seeing people drinking life giving water that would make them ill. But I see a refurbished spring well providing clean safe water in a slum area.
“We are so grateful for what you have done here”’ one resident tells me. I meet Julia, in northern Uganda who smiles as she stands proudly by her Biosand water filter, she tells me that she and her family no longer get sick from drinking the water.
In Liberia, I see a young woman make her way down a steep slope in a village deep in the Liberian bush. She collects what looks like cool clear water, but it’s a toxic mix that will make her and her family sick. I discover that the water gives them diarrhoea and at night they have to relive themselves close to their home, which creates a hygiene problem. Soon the 64 homes here will receive a Biosand water filter, they will still have to negotiate the steep slope to get their water, the filter will give them safe drinking water. Latrines are also being installed in the village.
I’m passionate about changing this situation for the better, because this is so unjust.
THE RETURN
Beth recently returned from her first Discovery Team trip to Belarus. Here she writes about her highlights.
Whilst on my trip to Ukraine I wrote in my journal every evening – just little reminders of what had happened throughout the day. Having just read through my journal I’m sitting here trying to decide which stories to share with you and how it’s best to tell you about my trip without rambling on for 27 pages! We were fortunate enough to be a part of a wide variety of distributions. We visited schools, churches, kindergartens, hospitals, orphanages, village halls and homes. There’s so much to tell I didn’t know where to start but I have now decided to share with you a selection of both the most special and the most entertaining moments.
On the first day we visited an ‘internat’ which is an orphanage. There were nine kids there. This was the first time we’d had an opportunity to open boxes with the children. There was one young boy called Alec who was particularly shy. Now and again he’d peek into his box but he didn’t get anything out to explore or play with. I wanted a way to connect with him and that way turned out to be building a helicopter out of Lego pieces using an instruction booklet. It really drew him out of his shell and it was lovely to see him enjoying his box so much. He then went on to start building the other boys Lego structures!
As a team throughout the week we’d talked about stepping out of our comfort zones and my first opportunity came when we visited a church distribution. At the distributions one of the team would introduce us and tell the people a little bit about themselves, Samaritan’s Purse and the boxes. Alan informed me a couple of minutes before we were invited up that it was my turn! Ira was up there with me, translating. Although I was relieved when it was over I have to say I think it went well – I even managed to speak a bit of Russian!
For me the following story definitely falls into the entertaining category! At one of the distributions, in a village hall, the youths from another church performed a drama. It was a drama of the Christmas story. At the point in the play when the three shepherds decide to follow the star, the theme tune from ‘The Apprentice’ started playing. It was very hard to contain our giggles! The play really was wonderful and afterwards we were told that 80% of the children there had never even been to church before. Now, because of the boxes, all of the children have been told the Christmas story.
In summary, my time in Ukraine with Samaritan’s Purse was eye opening, rewarding and motivating. I come away with an increased sense of the challenges and dilemmas that Samaritans Purse face when distributing shoeboxes as well as the profound opportunities they provide.
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
Beth is on her first Discovery Team trip to Belarus. Here she recollects a moving encounter.
One evening, whilst staying in Yalta, Sergei drove us into the town. I sat in the front seat of the minibus and I can tell you that it was an experience in itself! We were driving on the – I shouldn’t really call it this - but – ‘wrong’ side of the road, along steep, narrow and winding tracks. A quote from one of my teammates – ‘they drive as if they have no fear’! Having said this, I feel I should clarify that Sergei is an excellent driver and kept us safe all week.
I’m thoroughly enjoying getting to know the team and we’ve already had some wonderful and very memorable experiences together. One of my favourite team moments so far has been standing out in the cold learning/practicing the song ‘Our God is a great big God’ before going inside and performing in front of the church congregation. I think by the end of the week we’ll be pretty good!
Coming out here I was most excited to meet the children and although they are all gorgeous and lovely it was quite a shock to realise the extent of the language barrier. In all my previous travels, I haven’t encountered this and I found it really difficult to communicate and interact with the kids. A few days in and I have picked up a couple of words and phrases that are very handy. However, I’m still very grateful that we have Sergei, Ira and Nick translating for us too! On the first day we visited an orphanage and two young boys there used their English to teach us to count in Russian.
One of my most precious moments so far happened when we visited a hospital to distribute the boxes. I visited a little boy and elderly lady - who we found out to be his great grandmother. Through talking with her (with the help of Sergei) I found out that, sadly, all their other relatives had died and now she was looking after the little boy, Nicolei. She was worried about how they would cope as she got older. While the great grandmother was tearfully sharing with me Nicolei was simply delighting in opening his box. He held up some toothpaste and shook it at his great grandmother while excitedly talking. It turned out that they had forgotten to bring toothpaste with them to the hospital and they had been worried about how to get any. It was a joy to see him open his box and explore what was in it. The grandmother told me that they were so grateful and that this box really had made a difference to their lives.
I have loved the trip so far in all its aspects and I’m sure the next few days will be fully packed with even more new and exciting experiences. Watch this space!
By Beth Sandham
For more information, on all our Discovery Teams please, phone or email teams@samaritans-purse.org.uk
LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS
Mark Datson is the OCC International Manager. Read his second blog entry on his trip to Crimea.
DAY 2: 08/01/2012
It’s Sunday morning, and walking up to the third floor of the church building we are housed in, we look out of the windows of our breakfast room and take in the sight. Rooftops of Yalta houses spread out before us and the sides of a steep valley reaching up to the sky just beyond the city’s edge. On the other side of us lies the Black Sea coast. The scenery lifts our hearts to God as we come downstairs to enter the Baptist church sanctuary to join the local congregation for morning worship. Christmas Day is still being celebrated and we listen appreciatively to the choir whose second song is one we can all recognise: Silent Night. Pastor Veniamin, regional coordinator for Operation Christmas Child in the Crimea, greets us and invites Alan our leader to say a few words and then blesses us with a prayer as we go out to attend our first distribution event.
Parents and children have gathered at a local cultural centre where a Pentecostal church has organising a special event for the children of local communities. Up on stage a drama tells how knowing Jesus flows out into acts of compassion, giving hope to those in need at Christmas. A joyful action song following on leads us to celebrate that in God we are one family. Then we, the visiting Discovery Team, got up to lead a rendition of ‘Our God is a Great Big God’, with a line of eager children as volunteers from the audience to help lead the actions! Then it’s out into the hall for the big gift giving event!
Little Alex is one of the first to get his giftbox. His family attends the church regularly, and they have invited a neighbour’s daughter to come along to the event. Alex, who is four years old, opens his box and pulls out a blue toy police car. ‘It’s so cool!’ he shouts, and soon it is zooming across the floor with its siren wailing much to Alex and his friend’s obvious joy.
Outside the centre, twelve year old Bogdan is sitting quietly with his parcel, taking his time before opening it. Slowly the lid comes off and Bogdan explores the contents. As I look to see what he finds, a cheerful old lady walks up and introduces herself as Bogdan’s grandmother, his ‘babushka’. Bogdan lives with her because his parents are no longer alive. He lifts up a brand new compass out of the box and shows it to his grandmother. She rejoices with Bogdan, and tells him that this compass will help him find the direction to Jesus! Bogdan, which his grandmother informs us means ‘gift of God’, stands happily for his photo with his new Jesus-direction-finder compass! And big-hearted Bogdan isn’t done yet – before he goes he opens his new tin of mint sweets and hands them round to those watching! He just might be the kind of boy who’d share his lunch of loaves and fishes…
Time is pressing on, so it’s back to Yalta Baptist church for lunch, which includes a first taste of the famous Russian ‘Borscht’ soup! And then it’s on to our next stop, at Gaspra Baptist church just outside Yalta. The church is already packed out to overflowing as a Nativity play is underway inside. More people than expected have responded to the church’s invitation to come to this service! How to organise the gift distribution with no space inside? The solution: bring the boxes outside and give everyone more room! Members of the Discovery team find themselves swamped as they hand out 200 giftboxes to grateful children. Among them are six children who have four other brothers and sisters at home, a grand total of ten! They are cheerful and happy to have their gifts, and are bold enough to try out the few phrases of English they’ve learned at school! One of the younger boys opens his box and finds a pack of football stickers – not long now until the European football championships here in Ukraine in the summer!
The last visit of the day is to a children’s home. Nine children, all TB sufferers, sit patiently on a corner couch in a large room as we, their visitors arrive. A group of Christians from a local church lead off with a song and a flannelgraph story about Jesus’ birth. The children can have no doubt about the reason for the season, and they answer questions about the story with confidence!
The shoeboxes are then handed out with an additional bag of sweets from the church on top! I watch as Discovery Team members share in the fun of opening the boxes and discovering the gifts inside. Balls are played with, lego toys are put together, dinosaur stickers examined. The children chat easily with their visitors, enjoying using their few words of English. We discover that Sasha, aged 12, has been in the home for two years, while Vitaly, 13, has been there for just two weeks. Sasha likes drawing and is happy for the pens and paper he has in his gift box. He wants to be a policeman when he grows up, and would be quite happy to live in New York! Vitaly has aspirations to be a scientist – he thinks it would be great to work with robots! We enjoy the company of these two lively, clever boys. Yet we know their lot is a difficult one. Sasha’s mother cannot look after him, as she is an alcoholic and Vitaly has no parents. But we know God has his hand on them. As Vitaly accepted his copy of ‘The Greatest Gift’, he recognized the cover and said: ‘I know this story!’ Truth is reaching hearts that so dearly need the Father’s care. He will not let them go.
By Mark Datson
FULL OF ANTICIPATION
Mark Datson is the OCC International Manager, read his first blog entry on his trip to Crimea.
DAY 1: 07/01/2012
The day that has long been thought of and prepared for is here: leaving day for Kiev, Simferopol and Yalta. A long day of travel ahead with a scheduled final arrival time of around midnight.
As we begin to get to know one another better over coffee, in queues for boarding and on the planes, we see how God in his wisdom has brought together people from many different backgrounds to share this new experience together. It is exciting to think of what God has ahead for us and how we will support each other and share together this brief adventure into the world of the children we will meet in the Crimea.
“Happy Merry Christmas!” came the greeting across the intercom of our Ukrainian Airlines flight to Kiev. Aren’t we into the New Year, though, we thought? But it was soon explained that we were entering into regions where the Orthodox church remains strong, and in fact January 7th is the Orthodox Christmas Day! On arrival in Kiev, the airport boasted some impressive Christmas lights and Christmas trees. With distributions starting tomorrow, it felt like just the right time to be arriving for Operation Christmas Child.
Late at night, we drew up to Yalta Baptist church in the church minibus driven by our friend Sergei. Our hearts are thankful that we are here, and that our journey has been smooth. Not straight to bed though – our host has kindly prepared refreshments for us, and we gather round the long table to share coffee and tea with bread and cheese or salami and Russian cake. Our thoughts turn already to what awaits in the morning. A busy day ahead! We will join our brothers and sisters in Christ for part of the morning service at the Baptist church, but then we start with the first of three distributions of gifts in and around Yalta.
One distribution will take place in an ‘internat’ - a children’s home, which is also a school. The children we will find there are those who have no family to go to on their Christmas Day. Many of the children have been identified as requiring treatment for TB. They may be orphans or children whose parents are unable to look after them. For whatever reason they may be there, they also are full of anticipation for tomorrow: ‘They know we are coming with gifts!’, says Sergei, ‘They always look forward to receiving guests’. As we close the day with a prayer, we sense the privilege of being here, at this time, to bring joy to these children. May they know that God has not forgotten them this Christmas, and that he longs to welcome them into his embrace.
DEPARTURES: BETH'S OFF TO UKRAINE!
I fell in love with the shoebox idea when I was ten, and eight years on I find myself packing my suitcase to travel out to Ukraine with a distribution team. My name is Beth Sandham and I first got involved with Christmas shoeboxes through my local church. I watched a video of the boxes being delivered and it inspired me to get involved. I was captivated by the idea that the shoeboxes contain gifts that these children want rather than need and that the whole operation is based on bringing joy to the kids.
After a little encouragement from my parents (actually quite a lot!) I began to promote the idea within my primary school. I started small by giving a short notice in a school assembly - asking people to join in and make a box. That first year, as a school, we collected an amazing 60 boxes.
This spurred me on to introduce the concept to my new secondary school the following year where I found myself leading a whole school assembly (900 pupils – yikes!). Each year, as my confidence grew, I managed to create more awareness and therefore collect more boxes. I loved being a part of it.
This year I am taking a gap year and I knew I was really going to miss being a part of it all at my school. That’s why I’m so excited to have this opportunity to see where the shoeboxes end up and actually witness the children’s joy. My local church have supported me a lot, including help with the funding of my trip, which is a real blessing – they’re almost as excited as me!
A few months ago I met the team that I will be travelling with at a training day. It’s true to say I’m the one with the least life experience - i.e. I’m the baby of the group! I’m looking forward to getting to know them better. As this is my first shoebox trip, it’s hard to know what to expect out there but I am confident that it will be an amazing experience from which I will learn a lot. I plan to take loads of photos as well as taking a journal to write in daily as I think there’ll be a lot to take in!
By Beth Sandham
CELEBRATING IN ASIA
Last week I spent a couple of evenings helping in the Woodford warehouse where I met so many amazing volunteers who dedicate so much time and effort to ensuring that each and every shoebox is checked so that every child receives a shoebox in just the condition it should be. I confess that I found checking the shoeboxes to be really quite addictive as it was so exciting to see the different gifts that children had gone out and carefully chosen for the child who would receive their box. Seeing photos and little messages in the boxes reminded me of the individual people behind each gift. There was so much love packed in each and every one of those boxes.
I was even more excited to discover that we were checking shoeboxes which would be crossing the width of Europe to reach the children of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. Just the next day and I was travelling that journey (though thankfully my journey took a little less time than it takes the shoeboxes!), my first ever journey to this beautiful part of the world. It was dark when we arrived and so I waited with anticipation for the following day to see the landscapes. As we drove away from Bishkek I was just about able to make out the mountains which had gone into hiding behind the mist that day. I was a little disappointed but then a momentary clearing of the skies gave me a breathtaking glimpse of the beauty which lay beyond the basic communities built around a rubbish site which we were driving past. It is a picture of the Kyrgyz people – great beauty in the midst of hardship.
I came to Kyrgyzstan to meet with our partners here who volunteer their time to ensure that each of those love filled boxes reaches a child who needs it. Unfortunately it was to be a very brief visit – just a long weekend. But this weekend was special for me not just because of this trip but because it was also my birthday. Lots of friends had commiserated with me that I would have to work on my birthday even though it fell on a Saturday this year. But that was not the way I saw it at all! It isn’t often you get to travel to such a part of the world to celebrate your birthday, or get to spend your birthday with such inspirational people. So I celebrated Kyrgyz style along with our partners.
The Kyrgyz are a wonderfully hospitable people and I quickly discovered that a big part of Kyrgyz culture is drinking tea - so I quickly felt at home. When they discovered it was my birthday I was showered with love and attention and continually fed with meals and cake (and more tea) until fit to burst… and then given some more! I clearly should have packed spare clothes in a larger size to compensate!
On my birthday we spent the morning meeting with volunteers from churches and organisations from across the north of the country who wanted to apply to receive boxes for the many children that they work with. Many of them had worked with OCC in previous years and keep returning to reach more and more children having seen the joy and impact of the shoebox on the individual child, but also the impact on that child’s family and also their wider community. Over 70 people all representing a group of people longing to reach out with God’s love to the children in need around them. It was such an encouragement to meet them and hear their thank you to all the givers in the UK. They are all so grateful for the shoeboxes that they receive and the opportunities it gives them but the meeting also reminded me that there are always more requests received than there are shoeboxes each year to fulfil.
In the afternoon I met with our faithful team of volunteers who work throughout the year to ensure that the boxes will be able to arrive and will find children to receive them. Each of them is from a different church and different background and yet within OCC they work closely together all towards the same goal.
What a privilege to celebrate my birthday being encouraged and inspired by so many amazing people who are so passionate and dedicated to the children of this beautiful country. It is one of the real privileges of my job as Operation Christmas Child International Assistant Manager to meet so many amazing volunteer partners and their teams in the different countries where we send shoeboxes. Each time I go out to visit I hope to encourage and inspire but inevitably it is me who comes away encouraged, inspired and challenged by their passion and dedication to the children of their nation.
By Faith Spinks
PERFECT TIMING
Read Peter’s blog about his time in South Sudan. Here he gives insight into everything from the running of the Samaritan's Purse refugee camp, the life changing projects being implemented and surviving the bombing of the refugee camp.
My wife and I had just arrived back from our last school assembly talk of the year and we were due to open our OCC warehouse the next day when the call came. In addition our daughter was due to give birth on the 15th Nov and Eileen was due to go and look after her and our other grandchild – so not the most convenient time of the year. But after prayer it felt the right thing to do to answer the call. I knew the Country Director – he had been the Security Manager in Haiti one of the times I was there. I knew the Deputy Country Director, he too had been in Haiti with me and also my Team Leader at a DART simulation exercise in September. I knew the Head of Operations, as she had been in logistics in Haiti. They were a really impressive team. They needed an Information Office urgently to compile reports, and had asked for me personally, so it felt very right to go. Two days later I found myself heading for South Sudan.
The work Samaritan’s Purse (SP) are doing there is great. Samaritan’s Purse is the only charity working up near the border with Sudan - 6 miles from a hotly contested border. The ethos at SP is that we always go where no one else wants to go. We are feeding and caring for 16,000 people who have fled fighting in the Nuba Mountains further north. They are in a transit camp and SP are all that stands between them and starvation.
SP have many other magnificent projects as well. They have built 470 churches. As many of the pastors and congregation are illiterate, they also have a programme that teaches them to read and write and then straight into a discipleship course. Literacy is 27% in South Sudan but after taking the course, 70% can read and write.
They have drilling rigs that can sink a borehole for a village every 3 days. They provide clean fresh drinking water to 1,000 people a week who before have had to walk miles to a muddy puddle. The wells are in the middle of the village and deliver water as clean as you or I would drink from our taps in the UK. They also train pump mechanics and leave spares.
SP have planted 100,000 trees. They teach villagers and their children how to nurture and use them, some are quick growing for firewood, others are for fruit, shade or medicine.
They have built and run hospitals and distributed tools and seeds to 9,000 families. It just goes on and on.
Perhaps the biggest test for the staff came when the Government of Sudan, north of the border, sent an Antonov bomber over our camp and bombed it. I was with the Country Director in a UN meeting when the news came through. We raced back to the office and the team was in Critical Incident mode. Of the 70 NGO’s working in the country SP were the only one who had submitted a full list of staff and their locations to the UN. We had a good relationship with the UN security staff and so we had a UN helicopter airborne on its way to the camp within 15 minutes of the bombing to evacuate staff should they wish to go. In fact, when the chopper landed two girls and a local Pastor were put aboard but the rest of the SP staff walked away to stand with the local people and continue the work. As the people saw them walk away from the helicopter and the chance of safety there was a very loud cheer and applause.
Four 100kg fragmentation bombs had landed; 3 had exploded harmlessly in the woods, the fourth landed on a school with 200 children. These bombs have a detonator in the nose and in the tail – if either make contact they will explode the bomb. As the bomb was a millisecond away from the ground it struck a tree branch which knocked its tail off. It then landed at an angle which bent the nose detonator. The bomb didn’t explode but ended up buried in the wall of the school. One of the great things about work with the Disaster and Emergency Response Team is seeing God work miracles – well that was certainly a miracle. 200 children would have been blown to bits if the bomb had detonated.
With the main work of feeding the refugees they are transiting from an emergency phase to a longer term programme as the people hopefully move on into camps further from the border. SP needed a reporting and recording system that would enable all the staff, from senior executives to junior staff to know from day to day what was being provided and what was available. One of my tasks was thus compiling a reporting system and formulating spreadsheets for them. I also attended UN and other meetings, gathered together all the information to compile internal and external reports both for local use and for forwarding to Boone. The reports from the ground are important both locally to ensure staff are aware of all that is going on, and to enable IHQ to raise funds and awareness.
I arrived having transited through Kenya and the contrast in levels of development is stark. Even in Juba, the Capital, where I was based there are few decent paved roads and little in the way of facilities. There are many people living in mud and straw huts right in the centre of the Capital. South Sudan has been held back by 20 years of civil war and will take as many years to catch up with its more fortunate neighbours. Samaritan’s Purse are helping save the lives of the refugees but also doing great work helping the people of South Sudan find a way to a better future. Again, I considered it a privilege to work with such a great team doing such vital work.
And what about the warehouse and the baby whilst I was away for 3 weeks? Eileen managed everything magnificently, with our wonderful volunteers, as I knew she would and sent out the first lorry of the year whilst I was flying home. The baby was 2 weeks late and arrived the day I returned so I could go and see him (Luke Joshua 10lbs 3oz) on my way home. Now whose timing was that?
By Peter Ivermee
BECAUSE I KNOW I’M MAKING A DIFFERENCE
An inside peek at what's happening in one of the many warehouses scattered across the UK, filled with inspiring volunteers, busy processing shoeboxes…..
It started as an unusually quiet day at the warehouse, noticeable in comparison to the previous. However there was an underlying excitement as the 10,000 checked shoebox milestone approached. At coffee time, the total was a few hundred under, at lunchtime it was about 50 under. Then by tea time - we'd done it! But this is just a milestone and we definitely haven't finished yet. The two vans were picking up from another 9 locations today and there's more to come.
As the day was a little quieter, we had the chance to ask some of the volunteers why they were coming, often day after day, to this large and airy warehouse.
Here are some of the responses:
WHY?
“Because I love children, it's a small drop in the ocean but at least it is something"
"Because I can't not come now I know about it"
"Because I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing"
"Because I know I'm making a difference"
"Because the shoeboxes mean Christmas"
"It gives me a really warm feeling inside knowing that I'm helping"
“Because it gives Christmas a real meaning"
"I love the whole idea, even that I've giving to children who don't even know me"
"Because it's addictive, I always want to do one more box- one more child"
And there's always one "Because the wife says so" - you know who you are!
To follow more of the happenings at the Guildford warehouse, visit their blog OCCGUArea
8 BRITS, 1 YANK AND A CANUCK.......
Bev Kauffeldt is a mother, wife, marathon runner and treasured member of Samaritan's Purse staff in Liberia. Read her witty insights into a recent trip where team members from the UK watched and participated in projects she runs.
One of the coolest things about living and working overseas is how many people you meet from all over the World. Last week a team from our SP UK office came to see and participate in our Water And Sanitary Hygiene projects (WASH). So I got the tea ready plenty of biscuits and prepared for the 10 hour road trip to Foya and beyond! Now the Brits have a certain way of talking-and I am not talking about their unique accent-I am talking about the words they say that didn't make the trip across the ocean when the first 'red coats' touched down on US and Canadian soil...I am going to try an attempt to slip these little sayings and words in this blog entry to make it a little more culturally sensitive ;)
When we all arrived in Foya the whole lot of us were completely knackered (tired) from the long trip. The next morning after getting out of our jam-jam's (p.j's) and with one last visit to the loo (toilet) we headed out towards the Guinea border-to Yengbemee, a community that we have been working in since early this year. We had a shed load (lots) of tents, bags, food and supplies for the next 2 nights and days-but we all felt brilliant as we arrived.
For the next two days the group built filters and latrines along side of our amazing WASH staff. I was gobsmacked (amazed) at how hard they were working-the people of Yengbemee had never had white people sleep in their village-never mind also work! The team took their bucket baths under the African sky as the nightly storms rolled in-slept in tents (some for the first time!) and had an all around cracking time.
It was great for our supporters to see and experience first hand the WASH solutions that SP are implementing here in Liberia. I have talked a lot about the water and sanitation needs here in Liberia-and how many people suffer from water borne and sanitation spread diseases. I was so chuffed (happy) to once again see what our staff are doing in partnership with the community to bring clean water and access to proper sanitation to the people of Liberia. Here are some pictures of our time in Yengbemee it was the bees knees! (fantastic!)
Our welcome when we first arrived.
Ruth getting 'stuck in' to building her filter!
We helped build the first 4 layers then the owner builds the rest
SP WASH staff and the SPUK WASH team and their filters!
Everyone's filters turned out great (well, except joni's had a little nose crack!) and everyone loved the experience. I hauled Joni's camera around and Jo built filters and latrines-it was a nice switch-but I am no way as good as Jo in taking pictures! In Yengbemee we will have 64 filters and 16 latrines built by our WASH staff, the community members and 8 Brits, a Yank and a Canuck...
Having teams here is always a blessing and encouragement to our staff and our beneficiaries. To have people take the time out of their work, travel on terrible roads for 10-11 hours, sleep in tents, eat rice everyday, bucket bath, get attacked by driver ants (in the shower!), get muddy, sweaty, and just be way out of their comfort zone-takes a special person. They have huge hearts that were broken, touched, and overfilled during their 10 days here. These members also volunteer their time for SP during our shoebox season-spending countless hours speaking at schools and churches, collecting boxes, coordinating other volunteers and doing it every year! Without people like this-we could not do what we do here in Liberia- so THANK YOU you were all brilliant (or as they say in Liverpool 'dead sound'!).
Thanks to the SPUK office for supporting us in our SP Projects here in Liberia-the SPUK office has allowed me to run again in the London marathon and you will be reading more about the projects you can support through my marathon running .
Judy Samuels' trip to Haiti had a profound impact on her. Read about her meetings with women who found hope and courage in the most hopeless of circumstances.
Today is Wednesday. I will be returning to the UK in a few days time, but all that seems a long, long way from where I am right now. I have just spent the day visiting a number of women's community support groups in the Cabaret area north of Port-au-Prince with Ronald Saint Cyr, the Lead Programme Coordinator for the project. These six groups were established under the SPUK project and are being trained in life skills for personal and professional development. The programmes are focused on capacity building among these women, raising them up to be able to share their new learning with their own families and the wider community. They are learning to read and write, developing numeracy skills and receiving training on saving and basic financial management. They are learning about hygiene and staying healthy, about how to make their water safe and the importance of using latrines and washing their hands. They are also being taught God's Word and are learning to read the Bible in Creole.
Each group consists of up to 20 women who were recommended by their pastors. They are all women who have some influence in their own communities and who are most likely to be able to share the lessons they learn with other people. Each group is taught by a Programme Officer and every week these Programme Officers come together at the SP base to discuss the progress of the weeks teaching and share stories of success and joy, as well as sometimes, stories of disappointment and frustration. They pray together and encourage one another along with two Christian missionary ladies from the UK who come once a week to the base to join in with training these women.
Nothing seems to come easy here in Haiti. The classrooms where the groups meet are painfully hot. They don't have electricity and there are no fans, and definitely no air conditioning! In fact, in one or two cases, there were not even any windows to speak of, rendering the classrooms hot, sticky and airless, hardly conducive to learning. After just a few minutes inside, sweat was pouring down my back and face and my head was pounding from the stifling heat and stuffiness. I wondered how the women could learn in such a hot and sticky environment, but they did not seem to be deterred, in fact, many of them were dressed in their best clothes for their lesson, some of them complete with shirts and jackets and smart skirts!
The rooms also have no light, and those which are in enclosed spaces are very dark, despite the sun beating down outside. The evening groups have even more of a problem with light because the sun sets at dead-on six o'clock every evening after which it becomes virtually impossible for their classes to continue. Often they have to miss the last half and hour or so of their lessons because it is too dark to see.
But they were not complaining about all this. They are all just so excited about what God is doing in their lives and the new skills he has provided them with through the project. In every group a lady would stand up and tell us how grateful they all are that the project is being implemented in their community and how it has given them hope for a better future. Although the groups only began three months ago, the women all felt their lives had already been completely changed by the impact of the training they have received.
I asked each group what would make their experience better and I was surprised at the simplicity of their replies. Four of the groups reflected on their need for eye glasses. Many of the women were elderly and although they are learning to read, they can't see the pages! Other groups mentioned the fact that they would like to be able to have more training once this course has finished because they have developed such a desire to better their lives that they don't want to stop learning! They said they would like to learn about flower arranging, cooking and catering, business start up techniques and interview skills. Several other groups said that their greatest need is for Creole Bibles. Each group has only one, belonging to the Programme Officer, but they long to have more in the group so that they can read along with their teacher.
I planned to spend maybe 10 minutes with each group, but their stories and their enthusiasm kept me longer in each place. They wanted us to know how brilliant their teachers are and how they see changes in their lives and those of their family and friends because they attend these classes. I couldn't help making the comparison with my own children moaning and complaining about having to go to school, or revising for exams. Looking at these ladies, passionate and excited about the skills they are learning, longing for more training if they can possibly get it, made me stop for a moment and reflect on how much we all take for granted back home in the UK. I felt very humbled at the determination, strength and resilience of these women who have suffered so much and who have so little.
In each group I asked them for their prayer requests, and we prayed together for health and strength, God's blessing on their lives, clean water and the end of cholera, and good food for their families. Simple prayers, not asking for anything of monetary value, just for God to protect their lives. Here is a simple, Haitian prayer which I was particularly moved by, first in Creole, then translated into English:
Senye, Si n'ap viv jodi a malgre siklon, granfou, ak maladi, nou dwe di. ‘Mesi, Senye. Nou genle la pou yon bi'.
Lord, if we are alive today in spite of earthquakes, hurricanes, hunger and sickness, we should say, ‘Thank you, Lord. We must be here for a purpose.' Amen!
By Judy Samuels
Ian Taylor is one of our regional manager's for Operation Christmas Child. He recently travelled to Liberia to look into our water and sanitation projects. Here are the first two entries from his journal.....
DEPARTURES....
Friday sees the start of a Water and Sanitation Team to Liberia, West Africa. A group of 8 men and women will leave Heathrow to make the journey into a world which is substantially different to the life we experience in the West.
The team members are Nathan Vidini, Mary Le Feuvre, Margaret Parry, Andrew Winkley, Ruth Pryce, Adam and Maria Duggan and myself. The purpose of the team is to look at the issues surrounding water and sanitation, see the need and the solutions, meet the people and those who have benefited form the investments that people have made into the Turn On The Tap project.
Key facts to remember are 884 million people don’t have access to safe water and 2.6 billion don’t have access to a proper toilet. These will remain at the forefront of the team as they engage in some practical tasks, including Biosand water filters, installing them, building latrines and some work with water pumps, plus a few nights in a village.
Please pray for the team and for their loved ones back home. Pray also for the partners that we work with in Liberia as they give their time and effort to care for the team.
The WASH team left London and flew off into the night, the temperature rose bit by bit as we made our way through the darkness to Roberts Airport, Monrovia. The airport gives the impression of a few ramshackle buildings when viewed in the dark. The impressions of what they should be like are based on our western experience of life and that’s something that the experience in Liberia is hopefully going to challenge.
After a time of rest, it was time for brunch and then our partner Bev provided the team with an insight into the work that had been done by Taya a young Canadian girl who project manages the WASH program in Foya. The possibility of moving there on Sunday and seeing these projects has the team excited about what they will be doing.
Off the team went to bed to rest for the early start, however in the middle of the night there was a huge thunderstorm complete with sheet lightening! Despite that the team set off for Foya, a ten hour journey, mostly over unmade roads cut through the bush.
Up to now the team are doing well, the heat and humidity take their toll on some of the team, but otherwise they are good.
On the journey to Foya the team were able to see a bit of life in Liberia, the poverty was clearly visible as village after village was passed through. There was a degree of amusement as each of the communities greeted us with excitement. Alas it was not for the team, it was for local politicians visiting the area canvassing votes for the elections which will take place later in October!
ARRIVALS.....
The road from Monrovia to Foya was a little tame, however the road from Foya, in the Lofa district to Yengbemi was something else. Once out of the town the team in robust 4x4’s tackles the very rough pathway. We crossed bridges made of tree trunks, narrow muddy pathways up and down steep inclines that belonged on a rollercoaster ride at the fair. We had buckets for bathing and there was no endless supply like we would have at home.
The destination was a small village, deep in the Liberian bush, a village where we would be living and sleeping for two nights, the first white people to do so. Arrival at the village involved the formal greeting by the Chief, which included a greeting from the community who told the team that they were welcome. This village has 64 houses and was to be the subject of a Samaritans Purse project, in which each of the houses was to have a BioSand water filter (BSF) installed, plus they would have 15 latrines in the village.
The team were shown a small pool from which the villagers drew their water, this was at the bottom of a very difficult pathway that was slippy and steep. The water was not good for people to drink and made people feel sick and have upset stomachs. When the rain came, it would wash all of the faecal contaminates down from the village to this pool of water. The rain in Liberia has to be seen to be believed, the team would soon witness the powerful thunderstorms which happen every night with torrential rain.
The team then got themselves busy, cleaning and preparing the moulds for the BSF’s to be made, greasing and bolting them together, as well as placing the internal pipe work into position. Each of the families had agreed to supply the gravel and the sand for the concrete, part of their ownership agreement. Then the concrete was made, team member Adam Duggan (being the youngest and the fittest of the male team members) got stuck into this. Once made the moulds were filled with the mixture, the process of removing the air bubbles commenced. This is simply banging on the side of the mould so that they rose to the top.
Finally, there were 6 more potential filters to add to the 40 already done. The teams moulds full of concrete need then to dry before they could be moulded 24 hours later. Then it was back to the church in the village and time to erect the tents, before scrubbing up and amusing the children who were a little inquisitive. The bigger ones stuck with Adam and his amazing Frisbee. Then it was time for rest at the end of an interesting but challenging day.
By Ian Taylor
SOUL SURVIVOR AND TURN ON THE TAP
A couple of our inspiring volunteers recently promoted Turn On The Tap at the Soul Survivor festival. Here are some of their thoughts on the experience!
Hi we’re Sam and Vicky volunteers from the Chesterfield area who helped out on the Samaritan’s Purse stall at Soul Survivor raising awareness for Turn On The Tap (TOTT). We had a great time and lots of interest in the stand from the young people especially in participating in the game. Our game was 'Hook-a-Duck'. There were 6 ducks, each with a true or false water related question.
The team with the most correct answers in the shortest time each day won a TOTT flask. One highlight occurred when two guys attempted to play the game while on their unicycles and managed to get one duck each. They got quite a crowd around watching them. One of the most memorable moments was on the last day, just when we were about to close! A big group arrived and had a go. We had a good laugh with them and they went on to play the game.
Amazingly they were the quickest time with the most correct answers of the day, so we were able to celebrate with them and give them their prize. It was a great to end our wonderful five days at Shepton Mallet. It was great working with Faith and we are excited about the prospect on doing it again next year!
LOSING LUGGAGE, FINDING HOPE
Fran recently travelled to one of our projects in Kenya. The journey started off bumpy, but losing her luggage gave her a whole new perspective.
This was my first trip to Kenya and I was aware it would be one that would deeply impact me. My bags were ready and everything was in place for me to experience something new…Africa! After a rocky start where I had to dig deep to cope with sleep deprivation, no food and lost luggage, I felt my dependency on God growing fast. He didn’t let me down. I learned a valuable lesson very quickly; that I could do nothing without Him.
Meeting the pastors who work in the slums of Kibera was such an honour. Each one, man or woman had the same compassion and enthusiasm for touching the lives of people living in their communities. The challenges are immense but they face them with such determination despite the difficulties. It was often said by the pastors that they feel a deep sense of inadequacy when they pray for the families but are unable to give any practical help. The purpose of the project is to equip these pastors and strengthen them to be able to support these families in a way that creates a lasting effect. Financial support from the Child and Family Support programme will enable them to increase livelihoods for these families, get every child into school, teach the families to save and become more economically stable.
We had the privilege of visiting a church with a school attached and the bishop had been invited to join us for an informal meeting. We were able to see the impact this church was having on the community. They have empowered the women to form committees and create income generating schemes such as bead making, chicken husbandry and savings groups. There was a real sense of friendship within the group as they collaborated with each other to make their business a success. The group was able to increase their income but also it gave them a strong support network.
We visited two homes in the slums which were accessed along muddy, litter ridden dirt tracks, surrounded by emaciated dogs and young children calling out ‘Mzunga’ or white person. The bright- eyed smiling children cautiously approach you and touch your hands through sheer curiosity. They are receptive to positive attention.
On arrival at the first house we were treated to milky tea and sandwiches which was presented in honour of our visit by the mother of three small children who had a very sad history. A child came in to the 3 x 3m house which had one small window in the roof and she shook our hands and then ran away quickly. I noticed some markings on her hands and face and Nancy the coordinator told us what had happened to her and why she was so nervous. When she was a baby the little girl’s mother felt she had no choice but to go to work as their income was so low they couldn’t pay the rent, so she left the baby with her siblings.
Unfortunately, her sisters dropped her in hot water and she was scalded. Two years later she fell in boiling water again and had to be hospitalised for several months. She was bandaged from head to toe and her skin has healed well but she is badly scared. The mother had to stay at the hospital with her youngest, but there was no bed for her. She stayed by the child’s side as the guilt was overwhelming. The church is working closely to help her forgive herself and make better choices in the future.
There are so many issues in the families that the churches are trying to overcome. These include lack of food, poor parental care, unemployment, lack of education and abuse of children. They have set up schools to educate and feed the children and give the parents the opportunity to go to work and on Sundays the parents are invited to attend Sunday school.
One such church had a crisis while we were there. The pastor had been called away and went to the home of a child in class 4 (age 11) who was about to be sold as a maid. Pastor Fred went to reason with the parents and threatened to take the child into his care if they persisted with the threat. He said he would admit the child onto their school programme and the church would absorb the costs and fortunately the family agreed. This child is safe for now. This is practical love in action. We asked the Pastor about some of the major challenges he has to face and he didn’t specify, but he said “We only exist because of challenges, so if there were no challenges we would not need to be here.” He said they were training the children for life and for eternity. He also made the important point that they cannot teach a hungry child. We need to be practical as well as spiritual.
This was a very worthwhile trip for me as it gave me an insight into the challenges these churches and families are facing at grassroots level. It was not a shocking experience, but it was very humbling. When I was faced with not having my luggage for a third day, I realised something very important; I was lodging in a building with only the clothes on my back and one small bag, but I still had more than many of the people around me. I was very grateful.
By Fran Sutton-Smith
Ruth Kneale recently returned from co-leading a HIV/Disability Summer camp in Ukraine. Below are her first two blogs on her journey!
FROM THE UK TO UKRAINE...
Entry 1On Saturday our team of 11 leaves for the city of Poltava, Eastern Ukraine to run a summer camp for 50 children affected by HIV or disability. The children will have fun with stories, singing, activities and craft – regardless of their illness or disability. We will be also be involved with home visits to children affected by disability; children who may be unable to leave their homes or go to school.
I’ve been involved in a number of summer camps (Kosova), an OCC distribution team (Romania) and a HIV/orphan and vulnerable discovery team (Kenya) but this is a big step up for me as I’ll be co-leading the team. We have a great team, many have experience of working with vulnerable individuals, some have professional skills – I’m so encouraged that God has brought together such fantastic people.
How am I feeling? Excited, daunted, nervous, a bit anxious – in all honesty a mixture emotions. I feel privileged to be part of a project which will allow us the opportunity to experience the ongoing HIV related work that Samaritan’s Purse is funding through its partners, working with volunteers from the local church action groups.
For the last couple of months I’ve been juggling my full time role as an office manager at the University of Nottingham whilst planning with our Ukrainian partners. As ‘d’ day approaches there’s still a lots to do: planning craft and activities, changes to itineraries, who is taking what. Unusual conversations and translation abound – ‘can we get wellies in Ukraine’, ‘what are marshmellows’, ‘can you bring some Crunchies?’!
Definitely praying for some very nice British Airways staff to check-in our heavy bags without charging extra!
Entry 2
We did indeed get a very helpful BA check-in lady. After explaining what we would be doing in Ukraine she quickly booked in our pile of luggage. We caught her at a good moment as she whispered she was waiting for George Clooney to be checked in at her desk. Alas we didn’t see gorgeous George but we were very pleased to book in our bags without incident.
On the plane chatting to an air stewardess about the camp (whilst procuring some BA children’s activity packs!) we mentioned Operation Christmas Child. She told us that she used to do a shoebox whilst at Guides. She remembered Heather Young, one of our area-co-ordinators and Hayden, one of our team members, was encouraged by Heather to come on the camp – small world!
We landed at Kiev to 30 degree+ temperatures and high humidity. It’s a straight yet bumpy road eastwards; you can see ongoing work prior to the Euro Football Championships next year – let’s say they’ve got a way to go yet! It’s easy to see why Ukraine was called ‘the breadbasket of Europe’ with endless fields of corn and sunflowers. After 14 hour journey (5 hours by road) we arrive at the Poltava Christian Centre at 11pm, hot, sweaty and very tired.
By Ruth Kneale
JUDY GOES TO HAITI
Today is Sunday and I am enjoying some peace and quiet after a week full of hard work, long journeys, death-defying mountain climbs, strong emotions, computer failures, helicopter rides and rice and peas! On Wednesday morning, we drove from the Global Outreach base near Port-au-Prince to the second base, Jax Beach near Léogâne or Leyogàn in Creole. Léogâne is a town in the Ouest Department of Haiti and was at the epicentre of the disastrous earthquake that took place on January 12, 2010. Up to 30,000 people died in the town and an estimated 90% of all its buildings were flattened. As we entered the town in the vehicle we passed a large sign which read ‘Please help us, we lost everything’.
My trip to Jax (which it is colloquially referred to by the regular inmates) was arranged so that I could go and spend some time with the WASH Programme Manager, Michael and look at possible opportunities for us to develop a new WaSH (water, sanitation and hygiene) proposal for funding by SPUK. The need for clean water is pressing throughout Haiti, but nowhere is this more evident than when you go out into the rural mountain communities. More than one million people fled from Port-au-Prince following the earthquake, making their homes in more rural areas where the already limited supply of clean potable water and appropriate sanitation facilities were overwhelmed by the sudden influx of people. The unsanitary living conditions and general lack of knowledge in basic hygiene practices complicated an already dangerous situation and within months of the earthquake, perhaps unsurprisingly, Cholera hit Haiti.
Michael explained how increasing access to potable water, along with improved sanitation facilities and hygiene practices, were probably Haiti’s most pressing need at this time and are urgently required to stop the spread of cholera and other water borne diseases. Together with Anthony, the national WASH programme manager, we took our first trip out deep into the rural areas close to the epicentre of the earthquake in Grand Goave and Petit Goave. Michael had explained to me that there had been a lot of success using spring catchment systems to provide safe potable water at a relatively low cost to the communities in the remote mountain villages. These work by finding the source of the mountain springs and building a box over them to protect them from contamination as they come down the mountain. The clean safe water is then piped down by gravity with water points being built at communities along the way. Along with the provision of clean water, training in safe hygiene behaviour is provided to help ensure the water is kept healthy.
Our first visit was to a community high in the mountains delightfully named Rosalie! We followed the mountains to the source (a precarious and dangerous climb) and saw the existing box and piping. Anthony explained how the target community of 500 people had actually done all the work themselves, carrying all the raw materials to build the box and piping up the mountains on their heads. Since we had literally had to hang on to the vegetation to climb up the mountainside, I was intrigued to know how anyone could have got up to the top with anything on their head! On the way back down, Anthony showed us the water points that were connected to the box (see photo 1). There was even enough water available to irrigate a field of beans. We got to meet the leader of the community water committee who proudly showed us how the water system worked.
After showing us how successful such a relatively simple system could be, Anthony took me to another community where there is a system in place that needs rehabilitating. The water catchment box itself has been damaged by the earthquake although it is still functioning. This stream has a very high volume of water leaving the source, and the system has been built in such a way that many important social elements of the spring have been preserved. Because the flow is so great, an overflow has been provided alongside the catchment pipe which means that the stream itself continues to flow down the mountains. Whilst we were there, women came to do their laundry and chat together and sing while the kids played in the cool refreshing looking water! I was really pleased to see that although the water is being piped down the mountain to the communities below and is being protected by a box, the community life for the ladies at the top of the stream has not been destroyed by the water all being channelled away. I was also very tempted to get into the fast-flowing, cool looking mountain stream myself! In this case, hygiene education is very important since the stream is left to flow normally, people need to training to understand that the water in the river is not safe to drink, and only that which comes from the pipe is potable. I felt very excited to see this particular spring because it has the potential to serve more than 1500 beneficiaries whilst retaining important community and environmental aspects at the same time. The main requirement for this system is a complete rehabilitation of the piping. Due to the volume of water leaving the source, the piping is too narrow and some parts of it have been earthquake damaged. I am hoping that SPUK will help to rehabilitate this spring water catchment system and bring healthy clean water into these communities. On the way back, we measured the distance people were walking up the mountain to collect their water from communities where the piped water is not functioning. Many women were walking up to three miles on steep mountain roads, and Anthony told me they will do the same walk several times a day! (See photos for spring catchment and ladies washing)
So that’s all for now. I am going to be doing a devotion at the staff evening service tonight at the Global Outreach base, and I am going to talk about the wonderful opportunity we have to work together as a team here in Haiti. I have never been more reminded of 1 Corinthians 12:13-26 as I have been here, everybody is needed in the recovery of this devastated country and everyone has a special and unique role to play as part of the process.
By Judy Samuels
SAMARITAN'S PURSE CHANGING LIVES IN UGANDA
Dokolo is a small, relatively new town about 45minutes from Lira. Despite the rain over the last few days it is still relatively warm and humid and the work continues.
As we arrive at a HIV testing session not far from Dokolo we are greeted by a sea of faces - its a lot busier than expected which is good news. The testing session has been organised by Samaritans Purse and works in partnership with the Ugandan Ministry of Health. SP field staff encourage people to come and find out their status at one of these testing sessions. Here they are given some basic education of HIV and Aids, they are then given a free test to find out their status where they can find out the results within 20mins. Samaritans Purse also provide counselling for all those that are tested.
I am asked whether I want to get tested too and before I know it I have joined the queue to register my name. Initially, my fear is of giving blood (not being a big fan of needles I don't usually volunteer to have a needle put in me if I can help it!). As I sit there and wait my turn I acknowledge the silent faces around me also waiting. Most of them are women right from the age of 2 to 80 years and older. There are not many men. The reasons, I am told later, is that they don't want to know as it may jeopardise their reputation and are fearful that their wives will leave them.
After I have given blood I begin to anticipate the outcome, despite being fairly certain of what it should be, fear gradually sets in. What if they mix up the results and I actually end up with someone else's? What if I am found to be positive? I realise that I am not alone in my thoughts and feelings but actually they are perhaps a fraction of what all those around me are questioning. I realise that many of these women are taking huge risks to get tested. They too are perhaps fearful of the needle, anxious that the tests may get mixed up and more importantly afraid of the result of their status that could infact change their lives forever and those of their families. It saddens me to know that many today will indeed find out they are positive and they will have to come to terms with that.
Samaritan's Purse is however encouraging those that have HIV that they can continue to live positively. The Community Mobilization Programme offers support to those that are living with the virus or who are affected indirectly and bring the message of love and hope through both verbal and practical ways.
By Ruth Sanders
UGANDA: GETTING READY TO GO
My name is Ruth Sanders and I manage the Discovery Teams programme with Samaritan’s Purse (SP). I have been involved in the programme coming up to 4 years and its been a great privilege to enable so many people to visit SP projects overseas and to experience it all for themselves. Coming on a team is all about a journey in more ways than one. In August, I will be leading a team for 18-30 year olds to Uganda. I hope to share an insight into my journey and experience with you in this blog. In some ways, my journey has already begun!
Uganda is a beautiful, fertile country with mountainous landscape and banana plantations as far as the eye can see. In the past I have been fortunate to live there and visit a number of times. As I start to dig out the various travel items that I have gradually accumulated I am once again excited to return knowing that each visit will seek to amaze and impact me in some way or another.
The team going on 2nd August is a small team of 5 and for most of them this will be their first time to Africa. We met together back in June - an opportunity to get to know one another and find out what we will be getting up to for the 2 weeks that we are in Uganda.
Our first week will be spent in the west of Uganda, towards the Rwenzori mountains in a place called Kawenge. Here we will be learning about and getting involved practically with a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme that Samaritan’s Purse is implementing. Our time will be spend visiting people in their homes as well as helping with the construction of water filters. These are wonderful gadgets which provide clean safe water for life and are literally life savers. Read more about them here.
During our second week we shall be travelling north to a place called Lira, spending time in the local villages and supporting the church in various ways as they seek to look after and empower the most vulnerable in their communities. This is a Church Mobilisation Programme supported by Samaritans Purse and often involves working with those that have been affected by HIV and Aids in some way or another.
As the final few arrangements come together I am looking forward to be meeting up with the team again and am thankful to those that have supported all of us to get this far. I am excited by all that God has got planned for our journey together as a team as well as individually.
UGANDA: FIVE DAYS LATER....
We are five days into the trip and Heathrow airport is becoming a distant memory. Meals of Motoke (cooked bananas, a Ugandan speciality), chips, beans and rice are becoming regular features of our daily diet. We have just returned to Kampala after spending a few days in a village called Kyampangara, approx 45mins from Kamwenge, where we have spent our time involved with a WaSH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) programme.
After meeting Maurice, the Water programme manager we spent the first of our days in the home of Laban and his wife Patience. The Water project has selected their house as a demonstration home in order to show other villagers simple constructions that could significantly improve the basic sanitation and hygiene of the family. Before we knew it we were getting our hands dirty sawing wood, digging holes in order to help with the construction of a bathroom shelter which was to be the new addition. Along with the bathroom shelter they already have a tippy tap hand washing device (pictured right), a drying rack and a Bio Sand Water Filter (BSF).
After our labour, we were shown the water source from where Laban and his family along with other villagers get their water. The water was dirty and polluted with excrement from cows and goats that share the same water. These are common characteristics to many of the water sources in the area. Before they had the BSF Patience explained that they had no choice but to drink the water knowing that it might make them sick. They would try and boil the water but charcoal is expensive.
However, soon after receiving the BSF Patience started to notice a difference. She was no longer getting diarrhoea therefore getting sick less often. Laban, however was not yet convinced from drinking water from the filter. Patience joked with us that for a while she had to pretend that the water had in fact been boiled by switching the water in the pan to water from the filter. This went on for some time until she finally confessed and Laban could not believe that he has been drinking the water from the filter and he had not got sick!
The next day we were involved in the construction of the BSF right from start to finish which involved the washing and preparing the moulds, mixing cement and hammering out air bubbles! The materials are all paid by Samaritan’s Purse but the beneficiaries are encouraged to take part in the construction of their water filter so that they take some ownership of the one which will eventually be installed into their home.
In the afternoon we went to install one of the pre made water filters into a home. This was the home of an old lady called Virginia along with her daughter Anna. Virginia has had 8 children but has lost 6 of them along with her husband to various illnesses. Only two of her children grew to adulthood and she helps look after her grandchildren. Virginia’s eyes lit up as the water started to flow through the spout of the filter. She explained that she has been looking forward to this day and is really excited to receive a water filter.
Her nearest water source is over 2km away and when she manages to get the water she is not even sure if it will make her and her family sick. She hopes that with the new filter she will be able can drink clean water and along with her small grandchildren knowing that they won’t become ill.
It has been great to spend the last few days working with this project and seeing peoples lives being changed in small practical ways! Tomorrow we head to Lira in the north and looking forward to the challenges this will bring!
FAITH IN MOZAMBIQUE
FROM SWAZILAND TO MOZAMBIQUE
From Swaziland we drove across the border into Mozambique. We had another early morning start, but this time we were travelling almost 4 hours from the city of Maputo up into the Gaza province in the rural area around Xai Xai for the final two OCC distributions of the year.
We were welcomed with a late breakfast / early lunch when we arrived by the local mayor who is very keen to support and promote OCC in the region in any way she can. Then we were back in the car to drive out to our first distribution at a little church which appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. Outside there were several lines of children from the surrounding community singing typical Mozambican greetings and they kept singing as they filed in to the church and sat down.
When we came to handing out the shoeboxes I was asked to hand out the first box. A young boy came forward and took his box. I asked him his name but he didn’t respond. He just stood there clinging on to his box and staring at me so I tried again wondering if it was just the accent of my Portuguese which was confusing him, but even as others spoke to him he just stood and stared up at me totally overwhelmed by the gift he had received (and probably this strange foreign woman with a dodgy accent in front of him). After a while I led him back to his seat where he sat and just stared at the box in his hands, more than he had probably ever received before in his life.
As we distributed the rest of the boxes my attention kept getting drawn back to a girl in a wheelchair sat right at the front. The beautiful big smile on her face had not broken since the moment she had come in through the doors and her eyes were alight with joy and anticipation as she watched the other children receiving their boxes. It hardly seemed possible, but as she was handed her shoebox the smile grew even bigger and she looked at me, grinned and enjoyed a moment’s giggle. She patiently held her box while watching the others and waiting for everyone to receive one. As the children all closed their eyes to pray someone noticed that she had been given a boys box. The shoebox was quietly lifted from her lap and taken away and yet the smile on her face never broke. At the end of the prayer she was given a new girls box and she received it much as she had the first box. As she opened it and looked through the contents her eyes were full of amazement. She motioned to me to come over and just kept touching her gifts, giggling and smiling at me in gratitude and whispering “obrigada” (thank you). The look on her face is a memory I will treasure.
As all the children were opening their boxes and excitedly showing each other their gifts I noticed a little boy struggling to get his box open. Before I could get there to help he managed to get the tape loose and open up the box. He lightly touched one item after another, picking some of them up a little bit, but removing nothing from the box and moving nothing out of place until he found a packet of Chewits. Clutching the packet of sweets he looked up at me open mouthed. He looked back down at the box and then around at everyone else. Very carefully he put the lid back on his box, secured it beside him and then opened the sweets. As the other children continued excitedly showing off their gifts he sat quietly in a little world of his own enjoying his sweets, and no doubt processing in his head the other amazing things he had touched in the box. It was as if he couldn’t quite believe that all of these things were really for him, but sweets he could cope with.
We returned to the cars and left behind the excited noises and travelled to the second distribution at a community centre in a neighbouring area where they offer support to children and their families. The children attend the centre during the day and get cared for with food, extra help with school work and general family support. There were about 400 children of all ages there that day. Many of the older children had younger siblings with them who they were carers for. The children were smiling and excited about our visit and as we arrived were keen to demonstrate for us some dances they had been practicing.
As we gave out the shoebox gifts there was a sense of excitement and disbelief that these gifts were for them, but also a sense of desperation to receive a box in case the dream suddenly came to an end. Once we had made sure that all children had received a shoebox they all opened them together and the noise was just incredible. Having worked as an infant school teacher I am well aware of children’s capacity for noise but even though we were out of doors the noise of joy and excitement was overwhelming. Children were running up to me with a look of wonder on their face showing me gifts. One 9 year old boy came to proudly show me a colouring book he had received. I have spotted this same colouring book in a shop since I have been back in England and so know it was not an expensive gift - but to this boy it was worth so much more than whatever price it might have cost. He was delighted with it.
I approached a group of girls who were now enjoying discovering what each other had received and I asked them what out of their shoeboxes their favourite gift was. One girl came forward and rummaged around in her box producing a tube of toothpaste and then 2 toothbrushes. She was so excited because they could not afford toothpaste, but even more excited because there was enough that she would be able to share with her family. The box was hers, but it would also bless her whole family.
It was a long but amazing day and I was so sad to leave behind the excitement of the children to face the long drive back to Maputo. These were just a few of the children who stood out for me but there are so many other stories from that day which I could have shared of the amazing impact which those shoeboxes had on the children and their families. The look of joy and excitement on their faces is a picture which will long stay with me.
By Faith Spinks
You can see more pictures from Faith's journey on her Flickr account
FAITH IN SWAZILAND
We got up early while it was still very cool (it is winter in Africa at the moment!) and drove out of the city to visit a school where the children had received shoe boxes last year. As we left behind the main roads and drove along the dusty tracks it was exciting to think of the boxes that had taken this journey before me. It was a long way out to this school and we were finding some of the roads difficult even in the dusty dry season. How much more challenging to be in a big lorry driving through the rainy season mud! I was shown the spot where the shoebox lorry had got stuck in the rainy season mud, and then the bridge which had been impassable forcing him to do a tight turn and retrace his route to find a new way through.
As we drove there were many children walking to school. Often these children can walk as far as 5km to get to school each day for an 8am start, some without shoes or breakfast before they leave because their homes have no money for these things. As the children spotted our truck they stopped by the roadside, and then they recognised and remembered, and their faces broke in to smiles of joy and they gave us animated waves. With their reactions to us I began to feel a bit like royalty. As we got closer to the school we were visiting we made several stops gathering children in the back of the truck. They got a break from their walk to school this morning.
At the school the morning bell rang and the children all gathered, standing in their classes in lines in the playground for their assembly. The school prefects led the singing and it was a beautiful sound as they all joined in praising God for this new day. As we talked to the children they remembered their precious boxes which were still kept safe and loved at home a year on. They told me of their excitement as they had opened the boxes and discovered all the treasure that was inside them, listing to me the contents with their faces shining in gratitude. I could tell that the children were grateful that the lorry driver found a way through the mud to them, and that they were especially grateful to those in the UK who loved them without ever meeting them and sent them such wonderful gifts.
When I asked the children if they had a message for those who had sent the boxes they said simply:
“We want to thank you. We ask the Lord to bless you and we love you very much”.
Then they sang a song in Siswati for all those who had sent shoeboxes which said:
“What shall I say unto the Lord.
All I want to say is thank you.
Thank you Lord, thank you Lord.
All I want to say is thank you Lord”.
By Faith Spinks
FAITH'S FIRST TRIP!
Hi, my name is Faith Spinks and I have been working with Samaritan’s Purse for 9 months now. I began my time here working in the International Projects department, but since April I have been working with OCC International. Over the years I have bought toys and gifts for and packed many shoeboxes for the Operation Christmas Child campaign so it is really exciting to now also be involved with the international side of this amazing programme.
At the end of June I am travelling to Swaziland and Mozambique in southern Africa to meet with our OCC partners there. Although I have been involved with missions in various places around the world this will be my first time tavelling with Samaritan’s Purse and my first time to both Swaziland and Mozambique. I have visited the cosmopolitan Cape Town in South Africa before but this will be my first taste of the more traditional and rural sides of Africa, and I really cannot wait!
In Swaziland I will be meeting with our national partners who coordinate OCC across the country. These volunteers are inspiring people with a passion for the children and people of their country and I am looking forward to meeting them face to face. I will also be lucky enough to hear from some of the coordinators from the Lubombo region where shoeboxes were distributed this year. I am looking forward to hearing their reports and hearing stories of the children and lives impacted by OCC. But I think the highlight of this part of my trip will be a visit to a primary school out in rural Swaziland. To meet the children who received the boxes and to be able to talk to them about the difference it has made in their lives will be such an honour.
After just 4 days there I will drive across the border into Maputo in Mozambique to meet the partners there. I am especially excited about visiting Mozambique as I have studied much of the national history but have never until now had the opportunity to visit. So I am looking forward to discovering the land I have read and heard so much about. I am also hoping that my Brazilian Portuguese will help me to communicate well and connect with the people there. Unfortunately the containers got delayed on their long journey to Mozambique but this does mean that I will be able to join one of the very last distributions of the 2010 shoeboxes there. I am so excited to be a part of this and I know that this is an experience which I will always treasure and which will inspire me further in the work I do with OCC.
I look forward to encouraging our international partners who work so hard on behalf of the children in their countries, but I know that I too will come away touched and encouraged by all that I see and hear. I hope that others too will be encouraged as they hear the stories I will bring back with me.
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE
On a recent trip to Swaziland Andy Ransberry spoke to a group of women impacted by HIV and AIDS. Here were their thoughts on their inspiring journey thus far.
We are a group of women living with HIV and AIDS. We found it proper to come together to find ideas on how we could serve our community. Having HIV did not make us lesser human beings. When we got over the 5 stages of shock we asked ourselves ‘where do we go from here?' Our dream showed that people with HIV and AIDS are as good and the same as other people. All of us tested and all know our status. We have trained care givers amongst us. We go home to home to encourage people to test. We help people in the community who are HIV positive by training them how to eat properly and take care of themselves as well as supporting them emotionally and spiritually. We have a small candle business which is symbolic because it brings light. We sell the candles and use the money to feed the local orphans. We have many plans and dreams of what we want to do. We want to complete a small structure to work in when it is raining - right now we can only work in the dry. We want the children to take up the work - they have seen it's importance. We want to change the level of poverty in the homes in our village and challenge others.
Is there a stigma around your illness?
Initially the stigma was very bad. People have been educated in an amazing way. The problem is we as women are almost always the first to test and if you come back home and say you are positive then it is you that is responsible for bringing it into the home.
Are your husband's supportive?
Initially it was difficult. However, now our husbands (if we have them) test with us.
What are the reactions you had to being told you were HIV positive?
First everything in the body conspires towards death, your heart seems to fail you, then fear that you are going to die, and that thinking changes - everyone is going to die anyway and this is just how I'll go. The third reaction was about people's perception, people assume that HIV is got through promiscuous living, and people hold that perception - that is painful. The next reaction is for our children - we want them to have an education - we grew up herding cattle, you had to ask someone who had read something. Then you want to learn from this and gain an understanding.
What hopes would you have for your children and those you take care of?
Those who cannot go to school, they can learn the power of unity and go on to do great things. Our prayer for the children is they live an HIV free life. Love your life enough to be jealous of who you include in it. We hope that they understand it is not simple to get a job without doing well in school.
PRIDE & PAIN IN SWAZILAND
It's rare to arrive at a place that has the dual-ability to take your breath away and clear the clutter from your mind in a matter of minutes.
Shewula Mountain Camp in the north-eastern corner of Swaziland is such a place.
Elevated above the Shewula Nature Reserve, it provides a spectacular panorama. The expanse is so wide that it takes the brain a while to process; before you sweeps a brilliant variety of African scenery from rugged mountains through rolling hills and jungle to its centrepiece - a vast plain fed by the Mbuluzu River, home to many a crocodile and hippopotamus.
What a place for our Discovery Team to end our time in Swaziland.
As I stood in awe of the scene, I recalled some of the situations we'd witnessed over the past week.
I thought of how AIDS is robbing so many children of their parents and how they have to lead household's way ahead of time. The team felt a desire to protect them, especially girls entering teenage years, vulnerable to those with sinister intentions.
I thought of an eleven year old orphaned boy being cared for by a relative suffering from breast cancer. How he beamed with delight at the gift of a tennis ball.
I thought of eleven young mothers who had the courage to admit they were HIV+. They didn't need or want sympathy. The strength in their eyes was defining. They're confronting the disease head-on and educating the next generation. They're also providing a living for their babies by making candles. I brought a number of those candles home; they're being saved for a special occasion.
I thought most poignantly of the nine year old boy born with HIV attached to a drip at the Government Hospital. His parents have died and his Grandmother is caring for him yet her words were resilient, "Our hope is in God".
I thought of the Samaritan's Purse workers pouring themselves out for the needs of others and I felt humbled. "How on earth do they keep going?"
My concentration switched back to the awesome scenery before me and I was reminded of Genesis 1, "And God saw all that he had made and it was very good".
I had an answer to my question. Their belief in God isn't dictated by circumstance but by faith; faith in a creative God who "is bigger than any of Swaziland's problems". That's what keeps them going and before me was evidence of that God.
We received far more from the people of Swaziland than we could ever give. We witnessed a country with enormous physical need but spiritually we saw change in people's hearts, we saw true hope.
The words of SP country director Wandy Shongwe came to mind as the sun plunged deep into the African sky, "When the pain gets bigger than the pride, then the work can begin".
By John Paul Davies
COURAGE IN MGULULU
This week I was one of a team of six who visited the community of Mgululu in Swaziland to witness the work of Samaritan's Purse.
We met a Pastor and his wife who are surrogate parents to thirteen orphans as well as their own children. The Pastor's wife opens her house to tens more orphans every lunchtime to ensure they get at least one good meal a day.
We also met five ladies in their 20's and 30's who three times a week take from their own extremely sparse resources to give another fifty orphans lunch. They risk the wrath of their husbands in taking the food yet the sense of need overrides a fear of reprisal. As one of our team said, "These ladies are angels".
We met another eleven ladies, all with babies, who are HIV+ and caring for other orphaned children. These ladies make candles and sew to try and make a living. Their workplace is an open field with no shelter from sun or rain.
What struck me was their resilience. The stigma of HIV/AIDS is such that admitting you have the disease carries with it the risk of being shunned by the community, although as the disease spreads relentlessly across the land attitudes are changing. These woman face uncertain futures as do their young children yet, we saw in them a spirit of courage and humour. What a combination in such difficult circumstances and one that left us feeling warmth and admiration for them.
The team ended the day with an overriding sense of hope. Desperation is driving people to God which is prompting a change in hearts and minds. One of the ladies echoed the mantra that was unmistakeable throughout the day; "God is greater than any of our problems"
I asked Pastor Joseph how he dealt with the sadness evident in the eyes of some of these orphans. He replied in a soft, reassuring lilt, "These children have sadness inside but when they also have Christ inside, everything is fine. The storms rage outside but inside there is peace".
By John Paul Davies
AN OCC DISTRIBUTION IN CENTRAL ASIA
We drank tea together before splitting into three groups to do home distributions for the disabled children around the town. One of the local "SP HOPE" committee members has a vision for supporting them. Often these children are seen as shame on their families, and never even get out of their houses. However, today, despite the fact they are often left indoors, most of them seemed to be out! Good news for them, but not so good for the team!
But we went to one home, where a babushka was dressed in black, mourning the death of her husband. Being at a loss to know how to respond to her, we were relieved by the distraction of a neighbour carrying a little boy into the courtyard. He looked to be 10 or 11 but turned out to be 14. He was lame from birth, but through injections, massage and strong medication he managed to stand on one leg. He was totally unfazed by the unexpected arrival of three foreigners to his home. With sparkle and enthusiasm, he looked clearly into our eyes.
"My name is Aktan!" he told us in the brightest and most energetic of voices. We gave him our standard spiel. "We have brought you a gift from children in England, who want to say God bless you". "God bless them too", he replied. "They want you to know you are not forgotten". Without hesitation came his reply. "And I won't forget them either," he said. We were told he had gained access to the school, and achieved straight A's in all lessons. "What do you want to do when you leave school?" I asked him. "I'm going to be the President," he said, clear bright eyes still gleaming with life. "What, as soon as you finish school?" I asked with mock amazement. "Yes" he said. Not a hint of irony in his voice.
By Alan Cutting
MY SWIM BLOG
( A few of the team that took part)
Well, Team SPUKI has done it! We have swum the equivalent of the Channel! Actually, due to everyone's hard work and dedication, the team swam the equivalent of the marathon, further than I had ever hoped!
Sunday morning dawned, and I was up and out before my girls noticed I had gone. Arriving at the pool, slightly nervous, but with my Mum there to steady me, the first swimmers arrived. I did my distance much more quickly than I expected to, which added a pleasant surprise to my day. I received my first text message from a swimmer to say they had done their distance, and we were away! My Mum was a star, counting everyone's lengths, and keeping them updated as to how far they had swum.
At lunchtime on Sunday, the last few swimmers got out of the pool. And again I was a little shaky, realising that the crazy notion I had last year had come to fruition!
Everyone put so much effort into this, and everyone matched or exceeded their personal goal. Two of our members swam over 140 lengths each, which really spurred everyone on.
It was heartening having the support in the run up to this, and on the day, receiving people's texts telling me their distances, and amounts they had managed to collect!
I have to say a thank you to Loughton Pool, who allowed everyone participating there to swim for free, which was a bonus.
The webpage total currently stands at over £2,000, which is fantastic, and it will remain open until August, so you can still give! The link is below.
I need to include a big thank you to those people who volunteered to swim because they know me, rather than having any links to Samaritan's Purse themselves. These people were Nick Haslam, Louis Clark, Dave Brain, Lisa Kliszat and Emma Thetford. These people were a huge part of the team, and supported me, by training with me, raising funds, and being there on the day!
Personally I want to say thank you to Team SPUKI, supporting me and raising money, the hard work was yours not mine.
I have already got my thinking cap on for the Swim 2012, if you have any ideas, please let me know!
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TeamSPUKI
By Gemma Pearce
SANIBONANI SWAZILAND
I write this at the end of a weekend where, for the first time in a while, hope is the overriding emotion here in the UK. The Royal Wedding was a joyous day and the heart of a nation seemed to reconnect with the Monarchy, reflecting its enduring importance to the British psyche. On Tuesday, I'm privileged to be part of a Samaritan's Purse discovery team travelling to Africa's last remaining absolute Monarchy.
From the moment I heard about Swaziland two years ago, I felt drawn towards the country's plight. It has the highest prevalence of HIV in the World and the lowest life expectancy as a result of the dual-epidemic of HIV/AIDS & Tuberculosis ripping relentlessly through this beautiful land
We will meet people suffering with AIDS and children orphaned by the disease. How will our team of six respond to that?
In 2006 while filming a similar SP trip to Mozambique for ITV, I was largely able to protect myself from the raw emotion caused by the effects of the disease by reverting to ‘work mode'. This time, there'll be no hiding place.
I'm so blessed to have three sons and anticipate my instinct, when spending time with orphans, will be to try and ‘fix it'. Yet, the trip is not about ‘fixing it'; it's about drawing alongside the people of Swaziland and we'll be humbled if able to share a little of their struggle. All the guys on the team have children and there is an understandable sense of apprehension about seeing the plight of these young ones.
Yet as I recall previous trips to Africa, I recall the feeling I sensed in London following the Royal Wedding. Despite its many problems, I have always left the continent with an overwhelming sense of hope.
In Africa, the sky somehow seems bigger, inhibitions are easily cracked open, human values that seemed a thing of the past are alive and well and the really important stuff of life fits swiftly back into its rightful place. And so, we look forward with anticipation to arriving in Swaziland
And so, the team have had their jabs, bought their mosquito repellent and have packed their bags, complete with ear-plugs in readiness for our trip - Ear-plugs are essential kit as there are always couple of team members who possess a mighty ability to snore! Establishing snorer's corner will be one of our first tasks on arrival! Learning a few local phrases is also on our list of things to do so, for the next seven days, ‘hello' and ‘goodbye' will be replaced by ‘Sanibonani' and ‘Hambani'.
Seeing the work of Samaritan's Purse close-up is a privilege. Witnessing the sacrifice and love of the people who work for the charity has left a deep imprint on me in the past. There is something hugely compelling and reassuring about the way they gently deal with people in difficult circumstances. All six of us on the team are thankful to be able to spend a week working alongside them.
I hope the plight of Swaziland will become engrained on our hearts. I hope we'll draw closer to God and I hope we'll become better husbands, dads, sons, friends and colleagues as a result.
Hope invites change.
SP's country director in Swaziland Wandy Shongwe explains the ethos of the trip far better than me, "Come ready to encourage, uplift, share your hopes and fears and join hands in bringing the Love of God to a desperate peoples, also come ready and in eager expectation to see God at work in the hearts of your team. Some will return home never to be the same again!"
By John Paul Davies
(Photograph by Simon Poote)
DISTRIBUTIONS IN CENTRAL ASIA
This afternoon the team is attending an outdoor OCC distribution in the poorest end of town, Kyzyl Sas. It really is poor, quite chaotic, and despite being in the heart of Central Asia, it actually reminds me of a typical Eastern European Roma settlement. A few shady men lurk at the fringes, watching with menaces, there are as many babushkas as mothers, and the children look dirty and bewildered. The typical footwear for all ages is plastic sandals, in a choice of either pink or yellow, presumably a job lot that has made its way to the village. Most of their homes appear to be derelict mud wall barracks, their gardens are dust, and their children's playgrounds are rusting machinery.
As a community, it has a distinct geographic identity. I've asked about its history. Apparently this was the place that criminals were released to when their sentence was almost over, and on more than one previous visit our host and local church pastor has had his car tyres slashed.
A couple of years ago the local Moldo (the Islamic spiritual leader who is the main authority around here) had been very hostile towards the church, but through the kindness and relational approach of the church, last year he had at least softened his attitude a bit. But this year, today, after some dance and games led by young people from the church, he is actually leading the distribution, carefully checking his list and ensuring that each child gets the right box. Apart from a small fight that has just broken out between two old men, both drunk and one riding a donkey, and some trouble with the precarious PA wiring, the distribution seems to by passing peacefully. I love the way this church reaches out to its community!
By Alan Cutting
CENTRAL ASIA: A SPECIAL BOX
After experiencing the tremors of a minor earthquake in the night, we've woken to another cold but sunny morning. Hopefully it will be a clear day, because the route we are taking this morning, east, east and east again, nearer and nearer to the Chinese border, takes us through the most fantastic scenery; long straight roads with gracefully sleek and slender poplar and birch trees, young lads on horseback skilfully herding their sheep, dramatic snow covered mountains and a deep azure blue alpine lake.
We are due to meet with Samaritan Purse partners who are doing some great work in their community - led by a women pastor who's quote I often use. "My vision used to be for a bigger church" she told me once, "but now it's for a better community". We are also due to do an OCC distribution for the children of police offers - it might not be strictly legal but often love and kindness overrules such legalities!
Yesterday I had a personal highlight - it was giving away the box my wife Bela had packed in the UK months ago. It was to a boy in the orphanage, a thirteen year old lad called Akdulbek. As he fingered every item in the box an awe-filled smile remained fixed to his face. He absolutely loved it.
After exploring the box and its contents, we had a chat. "I came here five years ago when my father died" he told me. His voiced tailed off and he held his head low as he added "I don't know where my mother is." Then, as though he had suddenly remembered something, his face brightened up and he proudly told me "but I have a grandmother". In truth, the children left here at the orphanage this weekend (which is the biggest festival of the year) really don't have anywhere to go that they can honestly call family. But well done Bela, you certainly gave him some genuinely happiness this holiday season.
By Alan Cutting
CENTRAL ASIA, DAY ONE!
I can't believe that we've been here less than 24 hours. It's Friday evening, and so far today we've landed in two different international airports (i.e. intentionally - not as a result of pilot absentmindedness), slept for a half a night at our first guest house, had an orientation session with one of the local OCC leadership team, toured the capital city, and taken part in an OCC distribution at the National Children's Oncology Centre. We've also driven 90 minutes out of the capital city, heading east, and are now staying at the accommodation of a bible college, presently unused. A local church sends a ministry team into the National Children's Oncology unit twice a week, and has done so for years. In fact, for several years they were only permitted to clean the toilets. But despite this being an Islamic country, such is the trust this amazing spirit of servanthood built up with the staff, parents and children, these days they are permitted to visit quite freely, and even to share the gospel and pray for patients and their families. We sat in on a concert (drama, song, dance, games etc) that young people from the church performed, before giving out shoeboxes to the children.
Some of the children were well enough to watch the concert and wait to receive their gifts afterwards, but a few of our team members were invited to go into wards where they distributed another thirty or so gift boxes. It was with mixed feelings that the team climbed back into the minibus. On one hand we felt we were intruding as strangers into intimate and painful moments of these families lives, but on the other hand, fuelled by the appreciation of the accompanying parents, we also realised that even strangers could express credible levels of kindness, love, hope and dignity to these precious lives.
By Alan Cutting
AN INTRODUCTION TO ALAN CUTTING......
I'm Alan Cutting, Regional Manager for Eastern Europe and Central Asia with Samaritan's Purse. It's a foggy morning at Heathrow, and I'm travelling again. This time it's with a team of nine faithful volunteers and another staff member (also faithful!) on a Discovery Team to Central Asia.
Until a few months ago, I headed up the Discovery Team programme for SP UK, and investing in volunteers by taking them to meet the people and see the places we serve is still very close to my heart. I've visited Central Asia frequently in the last decade, and we have sent shoeboxes there from the UK since 2004. These days we support other initiatives in the region as well, particularly by partnering with the local church as it finds new ways to serve the development of its communities.
This week's trip is primarily to show our UK volunteers how OCC works in Central Asia, but we also plan to visit other friends in order to get a broader picture of how life is in those parts, and how SP seeks to support its partners. That's why we call the programme "Discovery Teams".
The team - who have come from all corners of England as well as a couple who have come all the way from the Faroe Islands - have planned well, attended an orientation weekend back in January, have paid their contribution to come, and are right now very excited. As we await our flight, which for the next ten hours or so will fly us east over six time zones, we already feel indebted to friends that many on the team have yet to meet, but who have invested many hours of their precious time and resources to make this trip possible.
By Alan Cutting
MY EXPERIENCES IN JAPAN
On Thursday I travelled with nine others on a distribution to the tsunami-hit town of Ishinomaki. As we rolled into the town and closer to the coast, the devastation became more and more apparent. From buildings having to clear mud from houses, we eventually reached areas where houses had literally been ripped from their foundations and dumped wherever the wave eventually stopped.
As we drive through the town, we stopped at a junction next to a house that was a complete wreck and a thought hit me - the absolute best case scenario for the owners of this house is that they would have lost their home, their car and likely their job as the local economy has been destroyed. As shocking as that sounds, that is the best situation they could be in.
We eventually reached the shelter, formerly a school (below), where the majority of our items were being distributed. Over 1500 people were in crowded, cold, miserable conditions: effectively living the life of a refugee. Hygiene kits, kitchen kits, underwear, tarps and blankets amongst other items were gratefully accepted by the officials in charge of the shelter.
As we were leaving, local emergency services had begun to remove the body that had just been found right behind the school. The grim reality of the situation became apparent; death was on the doorstep of every household here. Nobody from Ishinomaki will have gone unaffected by this tragedy and life returning to normal will take many months or even years.
I have included a video and some images in this entry but it is so hard to accurately capture the destruction here. There are things you cannot put into words: the stoic atmosphere, the smell of a fishing town infested with mud, the sounds of crushing metal as excavators clear plots of land from pieces of debris the tsunami left in its wake.
Samaritan's Purse is responding through meeting essential needs of the people of Japan at this time, working with local church partners. We hope the relief we are giving provides some hope and peace for the future and strengthens the standing of the local churches in their communities.
By Alex Day
My SWIM BLOG!
Team SPUKI consists of 25 people. We are swimming the equivalent distance of the English Channel, which is 22 miles, or 1408 lengths of a 25 metre pool, in total.
We in the developed world have enough clean water that we can use it for leisure. We throw a load of chemicals into it, so we wouldn't want to drink it anyway, and then splash about it in. We get out, and shower the chemicals off, in more clean water!
In developing communities the people sometimes have to walk for 4 miles to collect water which may still be dirty. Whole families can be affected by one batch of water containing disease.
SPI aim to help as many people as possible by bringing clean water to these communities through boreholes, wells, biosand water filters, toilets and education.
Team SPUKI came about because it was important to me that everyone felt they could take part. Many people said they wanted to help, but "could only do 10 lengths, 20 lengths etc". My view is that any contribution is a positive contribution. No one on the team is "only" doing their number of lengths. 32 lengths of a 25 metre pool is half a mile after all!
My training so far has been a steady build up to my contribution towards the team goal (2 miles). I have a very young family, so can only swim in the evenings. At my local pool this means starting late, at 9pm. I help run a Ranger unit, and have to make time for my very tolerant husband! On the evenings I lose motivation, having a husband who is prepared to "kick" me out of the house, and the support of my brother (also taking part), knowing I have to report to him the next day with the results helps! Also whilst I am pounding up and down the pool, keeping in mind the people who will benefit from the fundraising is a great motivator. The weight loss doesn't hurt either!
On 8th May I am dreading turning up at the pool and receiving 24 text messages to say that everyone is ill! Or being ill myself! Or a freak snow storm! But at 2pm on 8th May, being able to do 2 final lengths, climb out of the pool, pull on my SP t-shirt, and cheer because Team SPUKI has done it! It will be an amazing feeling. I will then probably start thinking about the next big swim to raise money!
I have to say a huge thank you to the people who have come forward as volunteers to swim. I never thought the response would be this big. These are the people who are actually doing it. I am just a facilitator, these people are Team SPUKI, not me!
Setting up our sponsorship page has already given me a huge lift. It hasn't been live for a week, and we are nearly £200 towards our £1,000 target! It would be really great if we could break the target to smithereens! £48 buys a water filter, which could last up to 15 years, providing clean water in a family home.
Why not sponsor us £50? You will buy a water filter, give us an important phsycological boost towards the 8th May, and have fluffy feeling inside!
Our page link is http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TeamSPUKI
Thank you so much for helping us to Turn on the Tap!
By Gemma Pearce
