St Peter's School 'Skyped'

The miracle of technology means today I was able to chat to pupils at St Peters CE primary school in Fulwood live on their big screen in the school hall!

3 pupils had questions about a traditional Sri Lankan Christmas - we have Christmas trees, but no Christmas pudding or turkey for me this year!
Sri Lankan people love to visit one another over the Christmas period, with relatives returning from overseas to sit and chat with one another for hours.

Thanks St Peters for all your prayers and support!

Photos from Nepal

CMS People in Mission Conference Nepal 2008

What a wonderful week of worship, prayer and fellowship! Stories were truly inspirational - there are some really amazing people involved in mission work. I met Mission Partners from all over Asia; India, Nepal,Thailand, The Philippines, Singapore, S Korea and Japan. I was privileged to meet some co-mission partners from Mizoram in North India, 5 young men and women who had dedicated their lives to serving Christ and were now on their way to different locations, one to Bangalore to work for Kergyma Youth ministry, others to teach in schools and work in hospitals. Bible study was led by Chye Ann Soy, the theme being 'Christ at the heart of Mission' and developing a Christ centered mission spirituality.
A text that particularly spoke to me was from Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 12: 1-10, "Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities for the sake of Christ: for whenever I am weak, then I am strong."
Thank you Chye Ann for this precious gift.

Photos: Phil Simpson - CMS Asia Director with member of Sundar Dhoka (Beautiful Gate) Church.
Pam (MP Japan), Chye Ann Soh (Outgoing CMS Asia Director), Adrian Watkins (Regional Manager for South Asia).

Elephant War Victim!

At the well known tourist destination, Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage we came across this poor girl. As you can see her foot and part of lower leg are missing, blown off by a land-mine. She moves surprisingly quickly on 3 legs and surprised us by coming down to the river, approx half a kilometer away to join the others for bath time.

Spiralling Violence

Spiralling Violence

A Statement by the Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera, Bishop of Colombo

[The Church of Ceylon (E-P) - Ceylon] The assassination of Parliamentarian DM Dassanayake and his MSD bodyguard Mr Ratnayake adds to the long and unending list of utterly senseless killings that continue to engulf us and must be condemned. In today's chaotic culture of contending power struggles, this could well be the work of any one of the several armed groups that operate with impunity. Yet, the greater probability is that it is the work of the LTTE.

We offer our Church's condolences and prayers to the families of Mr Dassanayake and Mr Ratnayake. May the God of consolation share your burden of grief and deliver us all, victim and perpetrator, from this brutal cycle of violence. We also offer our prayers for a speedy recovery of the several other MSD personnel and civilians who were injured.

The abrogation of the CFA, the desperation of the LTTE and imminent elections in the East will clearly lead to a further escalation of violence in the Country. We are fast heading towards the option of chaos and destruction that only the few on both sides who manipulate our political destiny do not seem to mind.

Recent events such as the assassination of Mr Mahesweran and the intimidation, now, of media personnel connected with the State-controlled media, reveal that the enemy has always been dissent, no matter from where or whom. As one source of dissent, community or group is dealt with, the next will be taken on.

We must all take responsibility for this trend that threatens to swallow all that stands in its way. None, either within this culture in North or South, who imagined they could draw a line and share the spoils with clean hands, or outside this culture in North and South, who imagined they could draw a line and complain that the "others'" hands are dirty and then do nothing, can be exonerated. A people receive a political culture that they have, one way or the other, created.

Our strongest hope for a return to normalcy and peace is a collective people's return to common sense. All is not well. The signs are clear. Yet, may we never give up hope for our beloved Sri Lanka. May we return to our senses and pray and work for peace through change. May the God of creation and change encourage our visions of peace and inspire and accompany us.

The Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera
Bishop of Colombo 10th January 2008

Look who's come to visit!

My Mum and Dad have come to see me!

New Link's

Many thanks to all those supporting me both individually and through their local Church.
May I extend my thanks to the following new link parishes:

All Saints, Hunmanby and Muston (Vicar: Jeff Hattan)
St Margaret's, Ingol (Vicar: Mike Hatton)

Please continue to send me your prayer requests...

Enough is Enough

Assassinations and Bombs - Enough is Enough

CEYLON 080103-1 January 3, 2008

A Statement by the Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera, Bishop of Colombo

[The Church of Ceylon (E-P) - Ceylon] The assassination of Parliamentarian T Maheswaran and one other on the first day of the New Year, tragically in the premises of a place of religious worship, and the bomb that killed four people including two children, on the second day of the New Year, must be condemned outright. They are both terrible demonstrations of the continuing hatred and revenge that has permeated our society and killed numerous political leaders, thousands of security force personnel and militant cadres and tens of thousands of civilians. They are much more a demonstration of the inability of our leaders and people to resolve our differences in a civilised non-violent way and live together with mutual dignity.

I convey the condolences and assurance of prayers of the Clergy and Congregations of our Church to the families of the bereaved. May God whose mercy endures forever, enable you to bear this unimaginable loss and give you courage and strength to be living examples of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Horrific human initiated incidents like these jolt and remind us that the promotion and justification of war through the promise of an illusive peace is immoral, misleading and counter productive. They reveal that a society saturated in violence for decades and that has lost its vision of a just peace, cannot be redeemed with more violence even in the guise of war. We simply cannot sow seeds of a war culture and expect to reap peace.

Consequently I once again plead with the political leadership of the country to harness our systems and resources and immediately put a stop to more killings and destruction. The bleeding and cries of the people cannot go unheeded and cannot be compensated with counter allegations and political rhetoric. It is your responsibility to rise above negative political rivalry and differences and serve the people. It is your responsibility to lead the people out of this culture of violence and pursue sustainable peace through negotiations. Even though time is running out it is still possible to return to and act on a consensual political will that could still save us all. Your mandate as elected leaders leaves you with no other option.

When this is done with dignity for all, the people of all ethnic communities will back you and undoubtedly judge and isolate the LTTE and other militant groups if they refuse to co-operate and remain intransigent.

The fuller challenge the country faces is to work towards sustainable development and nation building, so that the people can get on with their lives in an atmosphere of trust. Most other nations, some of them not as resourceful as ours, have forged ahead and have honoured the trust their people have placed in their leadership. We can only hope to do so when you as leaders have adequately and justly addressed this destructive trend of violence of sister and brother against sister and brother.

With Peace and Blessings


The Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera
Bishop of Colombo
3rd January

End of Ceasefire Agreement

The Sri Lankan government has given 2 weeks notice to the Norwegian foreign minister that they are withdrawing from the Cease Fire Agreement brokered in February 2002 by Norwegian peace mediators.
This is devastating news as security is increased yet further.
Please see:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7169145.stm


Please keep Sri Lanka and her people in your prayers.

A New Year of fighting and increase in violence...

1st January 2008 saw the brutal killing of a Tamil member of the Sri Lanka Parliament, shot dead at a Hindu Temple in Colombo.
He had been critical of the government's policy towards the Tamil minority.
See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7166560.stm

2nd January 2008 There has been an attack this morning on a military bus near Hotel Nippon in the commercial district of Colombo.
http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmHome.aspx