CMS Regional Manager comes to visit!

Adrian Watkins- CMS regional manager for South Asia came to see us - and yes managers do work when away from their UK desks!

Visit by Trinity College Chapel Choir

House Blessing

Any excuse for a party will do! We were joined by most of Mirihana Parish church (Becky's previous parish), plus new friends from St Thomas' College and Sinhala classes. Prayers were led by Fr Jayanth from St Francis' Anglican church - just down the road from us.

More Pics Gurutawla

St Thomas College Gurutawla

The weekend of Feb 7th -9th saw myself, Shemil and a a busload of Choristers embarking on the 6 hour journey up to one of our branch schools high up in the tea plantations.
St Thomas Gurutawla was established during the 2nd World War, when it was feared that the school at Mt Lavina was susceptible to bombings. Gurutawla was a series of farm buildings located in a small village and it was here that the school established itself.
The chapel of St Francis stands at the heart of the school, surrounded by lush forest vegetation. Having spent the past few years in decline, the vision of a new Headmaster and support by the Old Boys Association has seen a greater intake of boys from local villages and surrounding areas. The school seeks to be self-sufficient, acres of land are being cultivated for vegetable crops, there are hens providing meat and eggs, cows are pastured on school ground and there is even a bakery to provide freshly baked bread and cakes for the boys. There is a farm shop on site which provides a small income to the school. Sports facilities include swimming-pool, basketball courts and of course a field for cricket.

However at the moment the school is only just breaking even - teacher's salaries can be paid but there is no extra money for the infrastructure - as you can see classrooms are basic, the teacher's housing desperately needs updating and the school library consists of 4 bookshelves with 50 or so tattered copies of story books.

The school is also in dire need of teachers of English - many schools in Sri Lanka struggle to recruit teachers with good enough English to teach.
I would highly recommend Gurutawla as a good place to do some voluntary work - with its excellent climate and proximity to some of the most diverse eco-systems and abundance of wildlife, you would be given meals - made with local produce and accommodation. The Headmaster is keen to encourage longer term placements, minimum of 3 months.

News from Theological College, Lanka

The Revd Rosemary Fletcher writes:
"One of our students Kamal has heard that his father has been killed in the Wanni. This is the 3rd of our students to have lost loved ones in the War in the last month".
Students are using the internet to find news of people they know, but the photos from the Wanni are horrific.
There is no doubt many civilians are losing their lives and being horrifically injured due to Army shelling and bombardments.
Evidence of children and women whose limbs have been torn apart by shelling.

Please pray for Sri Lanka and especially those in the North-Eastern areas.

The Fate and Freedom of Civilians caught up in the war

The Fate and Freedom of Civilians Caught up in War

The Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera, Bishop of Colombo

CEYLON 090211-1 February 11, 2009

[The Church of Ceylon (E-P) - Ceylon] Two recent incidents of violence unleashed against innocent and defenceless Tamil civilians by the LTTE must be condemned unreservedly by peace loving Sri Lankans of all communities.

The suicide bomb attack at a check point at Surantanpuran killed ten civilians and twenty soldiers engaged in receiving Tamil civilians who had crossed over, and injured many more. The deliberate firing at civilians crossing over from uncleared areas killed nineteen and injured sixty-nine. Many of those affected in both incidents were helpless children and many of the injured are said to be in a very critical condition.

These utterly senseless acts are clearly meant to intimidate the very people the LTTE claim it wants to liberate, and are a brazen violation of the civilians right to movement and life. The LTTE must immediately stop this ruthless suppression of Tamil civilians.

I offer the deepest sympathies of our Church to the relatives of the deceased and the assurance of our prayers to those who mourn and are injured. You are a people that have suffered untold deprivation and oppression over the years, and it is our prayer that there will soon be an end to your misery. May the God of compassion give you strength to face these terrible tragedies and keep you steadfast in mercy and hope.

As this war intensifies and the LTTE becomes even more desperate, the chances of civilian casualties will keep increasing. This correspondingly leads to a growing sense of helplessness amongst all who long for an end to war and human suffering. In these circumstances there are four realities that all Sri Lankans should strive to ensure.

These are:
a) a demonstration of sorrow that war requires the daily killing and death of Sri Lankan combatants, who are none other than sons and daughters, brothers and sisters.
b) equally intensified and sustained policies and strategies as a sacred duty that protects civilians.
c) the democratic space for persons of religious and ideological conviction, committed to non-violent methods of dealing with conflict, to be heard with respect.
d) a prompt and professional programme of reconstruction accompanied by a return to civil administration that offers freedom and dignity to all.

I earnestly invite all communities of our beloved Sri Lanka to work and pray to keep these realities alive during these very difficult and daunting days.

With Peace and blessings to all

The Rt. Rev. Duleep de Chickera
Bishop of Colombo
11th February 2009

Sports Day

The Protection of Civilians

Statement submitted by the Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera, Bishop of Colombo, on behalf of a group of bishops

CEYLON 090202-2 February 2, 2009

[The Church of Ceylon (E-P) - Ceylon] We are deeply concerned with recent reports of increasing civilian casualties in the Wanni war. Recent media reports have indicated that a significant number of civilians, including children, have been killed and many more injured over the past two weeks. These deaths were due to shelling as well as shooting. These incidents are cause for serious regret and cannot be justified in any war, specially in a war amongst the people of the same country.

We extend our condolences to the families of the dead and the assurance of our prayers to the injured. Your prolonged sufferings over the years have been more than those of us who live elsewhere can ever imagine. May God lift up the light of His countenance and give you peace.

As the current war intensifies and the space for civilians correspondingly shrinks, there is a real danger that the rate of civilian casualties could increase even more. It’s precisely in times of war that the right to life of civilians becomes most sacred and requires the uninterrupted attention and protection of all, specially the State.

We therefore earnestly appeal to the GoSL and the LTTE to review their styles of combat that are more likely to endanger trapped civilians.

We also appeal to the LTTE that the presence of trapped civilians should not be used to gain military advantage. There should be no restriction of the civilian’s right to life and movement.

We once again welcome the setting up of the "No fire zone" and thank the GoSL for this initiative . We earnestly plead with both sides to make it work by very seriously respecting the terms of this arrangement and by refraining from battle in the immediate vicinity of this area. Civilians should be assisted to seek refuge in this zone and remain there unharmed till conditions are favourable for them to return to their homes. We also repeat our request that the ICRC, UNHCR and independent Tamil leaders be invited by the GoSL to assist in the monitoring and management of this zone.

We assure all of our prayers and efforts towards a violence free, integrated Sri Lanka.

27th January 2009

The Rt Revd Thomas Savundranayagam, Roman Catholic Bishop of Jaffna
The Rt Revd Rayappu Joseph, Roman Catholic Bishop of Mannar
The Rt Revd Norbert Andradi, Roman Catholic Bishop of Anuradhapura
The Rt Revd Kumara Ilangasinghe, Anglican Bishop of Kurunegala
The Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera, Anglican Bishop of Colombo