fredag 7. desember 2012

Speechless

Those of you who know me know that it takes quite a lot to leave me speechless. On the seldom occasion that happens I tend to find something to say reasonably quickly but today I am still speechless about it after six hours. I just don't really know what to say or what to think, nor can I think of a joke or whitty comment about it!

As I was driving to work this morning the presenter asked if we (the listeners) had heard of Black Ivory coffee. It would seem that in Thailand elephants like coffee beans. An elephant sanctuary has been giving their elephants coffee with their usual food and then re-claiming them from the elephant dung afterward. The beans are then prepared and sold to consumers. No, this is not a wind up, it is completely true. Not only that but it is the world's most expensive coffee at 6000 kr per kilo or if you prefer $1100 american dollars per kilo.

They say the coffee has an earthy flavor and is smooth on the palate. I am sure there is a good joke in there somewhere...

If you want to read more follow this link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121207/as-thailand-elephant-coffee/?utm_hp_ref=homepage&ir=homepage

I wonder who thought of trying this for the first time and what makes someone actually do so? There are some strange people out there. You and I aren't strange though. Well, at least I'm not strange, I'm not too sure about you now I come to think about it!





tirsdag 4. desember 2012

Exercise

The temperature is -10 degrees centigrade outside with a blue sky and there would be sun too, except at this time of year it doesn't make it high enough in the sky to get over the mountains. I am sitting inside, close to a warm wood-burning stove, with my computer and a cup of tea. Out of the window there are scores of birds flying to and from the bird table. In many ways it is the perfect traditional scene.



This is a time of year when we allow ourselves a few extra treats. Chocolate and crisps are my weakness. I know I should stay fit and healthy even in the snow and ice but it is just so tempting to stay in in the warm ... Perhaps a walk later ... It is easy to let the days slip by knowing that for my health I should join a gym, go for a walk regularly or go swimming but not actually getting a grip on myself and doing it. My head knows it and I feel vaguely guilty about it now and then but the days just roll past.

I also know that to stay spiritually fit and healthy I need to train my spirit. It is far to easy to think I will just do this or just do that before I sit down to read my bible and pray. The same thinking can happen here too. The days roll by and my good intentions have come to nothing.

I know from when I was at my peak of competing in endurance riding that training is addictive. The endomorphins given out when we train make us want more and so it is lesss difficult to train when we are in a regular pattern of doing it. I remember going on a long ride for 2, 3 or 4 hours in all weathers. I know the feeling of the cold and the snow on my face and my hair turning stiff and crunchy because it had got snowed on; the snow had then frozen to solid ice on my hair so when I touched it, it crackled and crunched. It was not unusual for me to swim a couple of kilometres 3 or 4 times a week too.

It is so much easier to set aside a time for thinking, reading the bible and praying, which includes listening to God, when we have a regular routine. I have huge respect for the people I hear about who get up at 5 or 6am to spend some quiet time with God before the day begins. I realized long ago that I cannot do that: I just do not function well in the early morning. It is all I can do to stay awake and remember what I need to do. I want to give God my best and I am not at my best at that time of day. Some time ago I decided to stop listening to those around me and to work out when I am at my best and give that time to God in prayer, listening, bible reading and worship.

For me it works to have regular time with God. It is addictive too, because when I come close to God, into his presence, I don't want to leave and it is no trouble to come back to him again and again. If I let myself become unhealthy either physically or spiritually then my long-term health and welfare will suffer. I know it in theory ... I think I will go for that walk now!

mandag 3. desember 2012

Coming, ready or not!

What does advent mean to us? It is a time for waiting, waiting for the right time to celebrate Christmas, the 25th of December, or if you are in Scandinavia, the 24th of December. One of my daughters says the reason Scandinavians open their Christmas gifts on the 24th is because Father Christmas has such a lot to do: he has to deliver the "local" presents a bit early.

Advent is a time for preparing. We are inundated with adverts for gifts we might buy so we are prepared with something nice to give a friend or family member when Christmas day comes. The shops, magazines and tv are overflowing with adverts for the traditional foods and treats we will need to buy in in preparation for celebrating Christmas. We prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Advent is about taking time to stop and think about God incarnate who came to live amongst people. He humbled himself and came down to us, to live among us, to be one of us, fully human and at the same time fully God. The light of the world stepped down into the world. We celebrate the baby in the stable. We also celebrate the coming of the Son of Almighty God, the second person of the Trinity.

Advent is not only about preparing to celebrate his coming, it is also about being prepared for his return. In being prepared for Christmas we need to be prepared to meet him in our everyday Christian lives and be prepared for his return. Everything Jesus ever said would happen has happened, therefore we can trust his word when he says that he will return. He is coming, ready or not!

"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him." John 1.9-10

It is hard to wait for something we are looking forward to and each year as advent begins we are challenged to prepare and wait. The preparing is not only about preparing in practical ways but also preparing our hearts, minds and lives to celebrate the coming of God to us. We celebrate that he came - but that was thousands of years ago. The reason it still matters is that he is still here in his people by his Spirit. Not only that; he has promised that he will return. Can we open our eyes this advent time and recognize Jesus for who he is?

Can we set aside ten minutes each day during advent to reflect on Jesus place in our lives? Is our image and understanding of him big enough? Do we recognize him for who he is? How are we going to let our reflections impact our lives in practical ways?









torsdag 5. juli 2012

Tropang Krosang village

We have ridden on a lot of busses on this trip. Pat has been generous to all the weary travellers offering polo mints at strategic time. We think she has an endless supply!

Today started with sunday school teaching for the sunday school teachers. The content was virtually identical to what we had in Prey Veng. Anita and Hans taught the theory.

Anita with translator Dara.

 The story of the lost sheep told with puppets to illustrate puppetry as a teaching method.


The day has been one of the hottest we have had and there was no fan or draught at all in the tin church. It did not take long to become like an oven!

After lunch we went to Tropang Krosang village for health care teaching similar to that which we have had in other rural villages.

Pat teaching

With a eurasion tree sparrow above her head.
Anita came to find me and asked me to join her, Situon and some others in praying for a lady. Of course we did once the church's pastor had been located and invited too. We prayed and she said the symptoms had lessoned, we asked for permission to pray again and the symptoms she had complained of were gone. She then asked us also to pray for another problem / ailment she had. We did  and we saw a partial healing for that. I prayed in english, Situon and the pastor and some VIDP workers in khmer and Anita in Norwegian. The lady spoke no english as she would have struggled to know what was said as we all prayed at the same time. Amongst other things I prayed that she would be filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit. When we had finnished praying she said she felt much better and felt full of joy! Prise God!

The Cambodian children are wonderful, here they are playing with the teenagers in the team.
 Cambodia is a country that is very hard to describe, the feel of the warm damp air, the smell of wood smoke on cooking fires, the sounds and sights that are not usual for us but also the way of life.

Fruit we don't recognise.


Cakes cooked in leaves.

Whole families transported in on moped.


Tuctuc is a moped with a trailer for paying passengers. They are everywhere.

Here is a man with a motorbike carrying chickens somewhere.


Look carefully at what this lorry is carrying, workers on their way home at the end of the day. Cambodians only get one day per month off!


I had an interesting if stinted (due to language difficulties) conversation with the pastor in Tropand Krosang he has a poor homeless family living behind a curtain in the back of his church. There are new people becoming Christians in his congregation and he asks that we pray for the church he dreams of building.

Pastor Chheuy Mit standing in front of the plot he dreams of building a church on. I have promised that we will remember him and his church in our prayers. Will you join me in praying for him to reach even more people with the good news of Jesus and that one day his vision of a church will become a reality?


onsdag 4. juli 2012

VIDP

VIDP is the name of the project(s) which Norkirken supports. We have spent the day in two villages holding a health-care and hygeine seminar followed by treating injuries wounds and disease.

The lady in the picture below told us of how the project has helped her be more responsible for herself and her ecconomy which has in turn improved her quality of life.

This is her herb garden complete with aloe vera.


Wherever we go children gather to look at the white foreigners, the Cambodian children are so beautiful. This group lined up to have their picture taken every time they saw a camera.


Pat treated about 20 people for a huge variety of medical problems. She keeps saying how interesting she is finding it is seeing things that she has not seen in the UK in her 33 years as a GP.



 Pat and Dara one of our fantastic translators.











We then went home to a patient who'd been in a road traffic accident a couple of months earlier and was paralysed from the waiste down. The health team dealt with some bedsores he had and then we asked if we could pray or him. They allowed us to but I have no miracle to report.

The living conditions of much of the population are undescribeable. On comment made to Pat a lot today was that the people do not have enough to eat. Nor do they have access to clean water although they did not complain about it. This is the dam they use and below is a rain water collection pot. We looked into one and found all sorts of insects and even tadpoles living in it although it was used, unboiled, as drinking water. 


The last thing we did today was to teach an english class run by the church. I led a group of 8-13 year olds and had great fun with them.

In the picture below I would throw the ball to each child while asking them a question such as "What's your name?" and they would reply as they threw the ball back "My name is...".  All in all another good day.

tirsdag 3. juli 2012

how do we fit so much into day!

Our days are packed full and when I come to write this blog I can hardly believe so much has happened just since moning!

We started today with a trip to the white dove project.It is a fantastic project working with street children, former prostitutes and drug/alcohol adicted young men. They are having some fantastic results. For obvious reasons we are not allowed to take pictures there but here are some of the shopping bags they have made.



Next it was to the floating village which invilved hiring a boat on which to see the village.







It was fascinating, here is a picture of a cargo trailer the boats pull.
After that we headed back to Phnom Penh which would normally be a 6 hour drive. It turned out to take 8.5 hours as it had rained about 80km from the city and the road which at best is bumpy and made of dirt had been washed to a flooded hole covered mess. We eventually arrived back tired and glad of our hotel.


One prayer that we have had for this team is for unity. We have truely had our prayer answered, we are a great team and even when tired or under pressure we are united. It is a pleasure and a priviledge to be here with these people as we together see the country and serve Jesus here.


Angkor Wat

Today we went to Angkor Wat   http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668/  It was a wonderful trip. We rode on elephants, got caught in a massive storm and saw a lot of Angkor Wat complete with a guide.











In the evening we went out for a meal by water. It was Cambodian style and therefore we sat on mats on the floor and the food was served in bowls into the centre of the seated group. The problem was all the insects which came out as the sun set! They helped us with the food, used us a climbing frames and took a bit now and then to see if we tasted good too. Not everyone in the group was completely happy with this (understatement).


Rain at Angkor Wat.


We returned to the hotel after a very enjoyable day.

søndag 1. juli 2012

A bumpy ride

The day today began early as it does when we are working. The alarm went off at 6am and we were in church at just after 8am. We had been invited to join Situon, Lysom and the students for their morning service. We had a wonderful time. Here we all are wearing out "loved" tshirts.


There was worship led by the students.

Which included dancing.





I preached on Matthew 14 when Jesus walks on the water with Situon as interpreter. I have never preached with bare feet before - a first!



We then said our farewells and headed to the bus and a 7 hour very slow and bumpy ride to Seam Reap. We had two stops on the way. At the first stop there were all sorts of snacks for sale including bbq terrantula! several in the team were very brave and tried a leg, I was not one of them.




There have been many strange and new things on this holiday but Rebekka kissing a LIVE terrantula has to be one of the strangest! I was so surprised I forgot to take a picture!

We then got back on the bus for another couple of hours bumping before our meal. The scenery in absolutely beautiful here and I have not yet tired of looking out of the bus windows.



 In the bus.



We then went on to eat dinner in a wonderful restraunt overlooking what we think was a Cambodian fish farm. There were hammocks to relax in while waiting for the food and when the food arrived it was fantastic!



After a lovely meal we drove for another couple of hours and arrived safely at our hotel.



We have had a prayer meeting and team meeting so now it is bedtime.