MISSION PARTNER NEWSLETTER development so that life improves for everyone. Our visits FROM : JUNE 2010 to the east and north east were made much easier by the newly „carpeted‟ roads on which 100km/hr can be reached. Our life in Sri Lanka is coming to an end. In the last two The roads in the north will be the last to be upgraded. months, we have said farewell to many former students and However, in their hurry to get on with this work many other friends right round the island. We are exhausted of people wonder whether the government‟s contractors are tears (ours and others) and are “farewelled” out! As we have aggravating matters by employing too many non-local said before, there is so much we will miss about Sri Lanka Sinhalese rather than local and Muslims. For and we are grateful for the privilege of serving here. And it example, we noticed that the new fishery terminal at feels strange because our departure plans have changed. We Vallechenai in the east was being made mainly by Sinhalese had both intended to fly back to UK on 16th June. However, workers. This worries many local people who are concerned the institutional development work which has taken so much about creeping Sinhalese migration into traditional Tamil of James‟ time in the past year comes to a natural conclusion areas. In Kilinochchi in the north, people are worried about at the College AGM on 27th July. The new Principal, Rev. businesses starting up which are owned by Sinhalese or Dr. Jerome Sahabandhu, is very keen for James to see it operated by the army. In Batticoloa in the east, a Tamil through, and the result is that James will return on 2nd business woman whose children are all abroad said that she August. So Rosemary‟s good-bye is a real one while James‟ would not suggest that they should return. The future is too is, more often than not, just a “see you”. This new uncertain because the government has not begun to address arrangement is harder for Rosemary than for James because the real issues of institutionalised prejudice and injustice in a she will have to face the challenges of re-entry and furlough reassuring way. However, they added that the playing field engagements alone. James will be available for such should be a level one. They also told us how the systems engagements in September –November. Rosemary‟s last have in the past favoured the Sinhalese: they are both doctors public engagement here is Central District Synod 11-12 June and, when they were training, the Sinhalese had to just pass a in Colombo. There is a list of Rosemary‟s furlough simple Tamil oral exam but the Tamils had to pass O-level engagements at the end of this newsletter. Sinhala and even today all the police work is done in Sinhala. As we have travelled the island on our short farewell tours, we have tried to find out how people are feeling about the future. We have also heard more stories. Everyone is happy that the war is over and the fear of bombs has disappeared. We were told by several people that the relationships between the Tamil people and the police and army are much more relaxed now. We have even seen unarmed police and soldiers occasionally. People are now travelling around as never before with coach parties from the south visiting Buddhist pilgrimage sights in the north and east – our cleaning lady, Chandrani, loves making these trips - while a smaller number of coaches take school children from the east and north to see parts of the island which would have been One of many such signs seen in the North where mine clearing is still too much trouble and danger to travel to while the war was going on and will probably continue for many years. Our experience in going on and checkpoints were everywhere. (One of our Jaffna (see May Newsletter) has indeed been a formative one. orientation students from Jaffna had never seen a hill and More pictures on the website. made herself ill climbing up one in Kandy!) This freedom of Meanwhile at TCL, during their orientation period in movement - any where at any time (i.e. no curfews) - is a April/May, we saw that the new first years will be fine batch. great benefit of the peace and much appreciated by everyone. Rosemary taught them western hymns which they sang with gusto. She enjoyed this, and also sharing in worship with them and supervising them at other times. In the period 4th-7th May Rosemary was Acting Principal and Acting Dean –all the others were away at retreats and synods. James‟ work concerning institutional reform and quality system development continues. The College was awarded significant sums from Evangelisches Missionwerk in Germany and the Methodist Church in Britain for “Administrative and Academic Support” which has funded a teacher training programme for the Faculty and the recruitment of a Senior Administrator. James will also

upgrade the College‟s computing system before he leaves. Female workers make the finishing touches to part of the A4 near Arugam Bay on the east We remain positive about the role of the Church as it is one of the few places where Sinhalese and Tamils can hear each The government is upgrading the roads everywhere. Its other‟s stories. At the Methodist Conference in Moratuwa -a solution to the ethnic injustices that have fuelled the war very Sinhala area south of Colombo- a Tamil woman from seems to be to develop the infrastructure and encourage 1 the east stayed with a Sinhalese family. She was very scared For the record, Rosemary‟s furlough engagements are: because she only knew Sinhalese people through bad June 21st -23rd: Queen‟s College, Birmingham encounters with police and army, but she found her hosts very kind and friendly. This changed her perspectives and June 28th: Meeting a visitor from Sri Lanka in London challenged her prejudices. The Church is full of such stories July 2nd – 6th: North East Somerset & Bath Circuit (more of coming together across the ethnic divide. And there is a details from the Reverend Audrey Simpson) role for the Theological College in all this. The new Principal aims to set up a course to teach students how to create the July 8th- 9th: Methodist Church Headquarters, London safe spaces needed to really share painful stories so that our July 9th – 12th: Goudhurst Parish, Kent students and others can foster better mutual understanding and, over time, a degree of reconciliation. July 15th – 19th: Dorset including Sherborne United Church on Sunday 18th. July 20th – 23rd: Conference for Returning Mission Partners, Whirlow Grange, Sheffield July 25th: 10:30 Wokingham Methodist Church; 15:30 Caversham Methodist Church Gosbrook Rd (talk); 18:30 Gosbrook Rd Methodist Church service. August 1st: 10:30 Trinity Methodist Church, Watford. Please, do try to catch up with Rosemary at one of these venues. Her address between 18th June and 16th August will be: Emmaus Cottage, St John's Convent, Linden Hill, Kiln Green, Reading RG10 9XP. A final newsletter in August Vathsala and Nuwan (centre) at the traditional pre-engagement family will say something of James‟s final weeks in Sri Lanka. get-together. Former student Shelton is the Priest. Since we last wrote, we have been very sad to learn of the There are actually many marriages across the ethnic/language death of Robin Bull, beloved husband of Janet, father of divide and not just in Christian circles. These offer hope for Andrew and Caroline, grandfather of Nicholas, Charlotte and the future. We were very happy to share lunch with the Matthew. Robin was 69 when he died and, although he had families of two students, Vathsala and Nuwan, on the day of been unwell for most of the time we‟ve been in Sri Lanka, he the traditional pre-engagement meeting between the families. had been making good progress recently, and the family were Vathsala is a hill country Tamil and Nuwan a Sinhalese. looking forward to his 70th birthday. Janet and Robin have They are well suited. They both want to become ordained been very good friends to us for nearly 14 years and have ministers in the Anglican Diocese of . been towers of strength since we have been here in Sri Sadly, there is no-one coming out to replace us – there is Lanka. Indeed, all of you who receive the newsletter do so both a shortage of funds in all the mission agencies: the thanks to their kind help Methodist Church World Mission Fund, the Church Mission We ask for prayers/ thoughts for all the people and Society (CMS), and Anglicans in World Mission: USPG, as issues mentioned in this newsletter and: well as a shortage of vocations. We do urge you to continue For the SL President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his new your support of the World Church. Having experienced life government, that they will govern with wisdom, in a different culture within a Christian context – with its ups compassion and justice in the interests of all; and downs - we do still believe in cross-cultural exchanges For TCL as its new Faculty and students begin the new and feel everyone is the winner: both the place that receives academic year on June 18th 2010; Mission Partners and the Mission Partners themselves. For the new administrator at TCL as he begins his important and challenging duties; For Mr. Piyaratne, a college worker, who fell off a roof and fractured a vertebrae – but should, after 3 months careful recuperation, be able to walk again and do light duties; For Becky and Shemil Mathew, CMS Mission Partners in Colombo, who are returning to UK after three years; For Janet Bull and her family as they continue to mourn the loss of Robin; For James as he completes his work at TLC; For Rosemary‟s re-entry to her passport country. Kandy Methodist Church Sunday June 6th 2010 Our farewell from and to the Church and Circuit Rosemary with the Rev. Kamalam Joel who is replacing Rosemary as the ordained woman on the Faculty, but teaching different subjects.

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