More photos! Chillaw conference.

After a long hot day there is nothing quite like a nice cuppa!



Our brief trip to the beach enjoyed by all...even our fearless leaders David and Shanthi.



This guy was dressed like a lady...except he almost lost his dress halfway through!



The fireworks really started when the Sunday school teacher's boyfriend showed up at the classroom.



This is main street in Chillaw - we went and got some umbrellas because of the heat.

Photos Finally!! - Colombo Conference

Bethany running games at the Colombo Conference.




This is Toffa (Harsha) and Asela beginning the conference with a Drama about investing in the right things.



Julie running a workshop outside at the Colombo conference.




This is the team for Sri Lanka 2009
Front row from left to right - Daniel, Asela, Harsha, Krishan, Dulanjalie (Lee for short), Carol, Thanuja, and Shanthi.
Back row from left to right - Sarah, Barbara, Julie, Bethany, Andrea, David and Andrew.

21 August 2009

Bethany started our day off with a great devotion over breakfast about thanking God for everything. We piled on the bus for our first day of the Kandy Conference, to be held in Shanthi's church.

Kandy is traditionally slow to start and this day was no exception. Despite the people still arriving, we began with some singing led by the local team and David launched into his opening keynote talk on the importance of vision. As has been the case with the other conferences, there were lots of young people and also the largest proportion of male delegates present.

Another difference with this conference was having Sinhala and Tamil translation in the main sessions, and we also arranged for one workshop each session to be translated into Tamil. There were a number of familiar faces in the crowd for those who have been to Kandy before...but also lots of new faces which is very encouraging.

Lunch was packets - takeaway rice with a couple of different spoonfuls of some curry on the side, all wrapped in a piece of plastic and then in a piece of butcher's paper - like a packet. We also had some lovely little tubs of yoghurt and some plain cupcakes and biscuits.

We resumed after lunch with a game by Bethany and this time she chose as her 'volunteers' Shanthi and Pastor David...as well as one of the young boys who have been helping with the singing. It was very funny to see them trying to blow a piece of paper off their forehead, and had the whole place laughing.

David concluded his talk on vision...looking at the life of Moses as he led the Israelites. He asked everyone to write down the names of some of the children that they minister to, and then write down the gifts and abilities that each child has. It was a challenging message - to lead children with a view to developing the gifts that each one possesses. We also prayed for leaders of the various children's ministries that were present at the conference. It was a powerful session, giving us all a lot to think and pray about.

At the conclusion of the days teaching we decided to head off in pairs to get various tasks done. Shopping for some, finishing wrapping presents for others. Some folded the washed clothes - and most of us have now caught up on our washing..between the Kidsreach washing machine and the hotel graciously allowing us to use their washing machine, even hanging out or bringing in the clothes for us. Doesn't matter how far you travel, there are some chores which remain. It is a good feeling to get the washing sorted.

As we walked along Peradiniya Road...most of us are feeling more at home here in Kandy...for most of us Kandy has been our favourite place so far in Sri Lanka...we are getting more familiar with the town layout and also feeling like we can venture out with a little more confidence...some of the strangeness has worn off. We also like the cooler climate - makes the day to day living less of a strain - less draining. The people here are very friendly and there are lots of beautiful views - up into the mountains which surrround Kandy, and also the lake which is in the centre of town.

We all met back at Kidsreach for dinner which was purchased by Carol and Julie at the local supermarket. They took a bit longer than expected to finalise their purchases as they had few interesting encounters with the service lift...which was not providing much service and caused a small amount of merriment for the staff of the supermarket. But it's moments like these that make the trip memorable.

We got back to the hotel for an early night....it's nice to have an evening of just slopping around...Sarah and Andrew walked back from town to the hotel around the lake...a lovely end to the day. We are all looking forward to the final day of the Kandy Conference and continuing the work that God has begun here.

20 August 2009

A slight sleep-in and a relatively late breakfast (8 am) started our rest day. Most slept well...although arranging for a second mattress should hopefully make tonight a better night for those who didn't.

The view from our rooms is gorgeous...lush green hills, birds busying them selves in the nearby trees - even monkeys playing on the roofs in the houses in the distance, and the sound of horns tooting down by the lake. Each room has a balcony and it makes the rooms seem a little more luxurious to have that outdoor element.

It is lovely to have a nicer hotel and a fully functioning bathroom, especially because we will be here for 4 nights. Breakfast was lovely...the usual fresh fruit and eggs on toast...made to order. We made our plans, packed our stuff and jumped on the bus to head to the Kidsreach office for the first time. We had a tour of the different rooms and facilities and also got to meet the missing members, who had not been on the tour with us so far. Samantha in the office, Wathsala who is the computer teacher and also translates Sinhala and Tamil materials. Daniel's twin brother Joseph, the caretaker - Paradeyani who is Daniel and Joseph's Dad, and also Chatura, the boy who fell from a tree and has been confined to a bed in the back of House of Hope for the last month and is in a back brace. We all prayed with him and he will start his physiotherapy after another 2 weeks in bed. As the day went on, we noticed that someone from the team kept him company in his little room at most times.

We got to work sending and checking emails, putting together the birthday presents for the final kids camp and doing piles of washing while we had access to a washing machine.

We then all bundled off to see the town, get some lunch and get some last minute shopping done - some of the birthday presents for the final kids camp needed a bit extra.

We also made a visit to Zam Gems a lovely jewellery shop very close to Kidsreach where we got shown a vast array of beautiful gems and settings. I think they were hoping that we were all going to buy lots from them, but in the end only a couple of us bought something...although their prices are generally very reasonable and the quality very good. Sri Lanka is famous for its beautiful gems which are mined in various places around the island.

We braved one of the more western style restaurants for lunch, and when we saw french fries on the menu with bread and butter, we all thought of chip sandwiches...but that proved to be a difficult concept for the waiters to grasp, and the order was eventually brought back which was french fries with little plates of garlic bread. Not quite what was expected but delicious nonetheless...especially with the accompanying homemade tomato sauce. So good in fact that we ordered seconds.

We went on to the government run 'Laksala' - a large shop with handcrafted goods at very good prices. Woven items, basketware, timber goods, brass platters and jewellery. A great place to get some traditional Sri Lankan souvenirs. From there we walked to the nearby central markets...mostly clothing and personal goods, but also a food section as well as fresh foods and meats. The smell was enough for us! As soon as we arrived at the market we got followed by a range of eager sales people, beckoning for us to come to their shop to purchase their wares - which were of a better quality and a cheaper price than all the competitors. It is an experience just to walk through there, let alone to enter into the bargaining process with the shop keepers. We did make some purchases there...but when the time came to meet the bus again, we were all very glad to escape the mayhem and constant harassment.

We stopped for some basic supplies on the way to dinner - the big shopping centre is still being finished. It is has taken 5 years to get to this point and is still mostly empty, but is the most modern looking building we have been in so far in Sri Lanka.

We went to a restaurant on the other side of the lake called History. It is a western style restaurant with a smattering of dishes from the major cooking styles around the world. Indian, Italian, Chinese, English/Western as well as Sri Lankan food. The walls are covered in very old photos and newspaper clippings from the history of Sri Lanka and browsing around while waiting for our food made for very interesting reading. As with most things, you never know quite what you will get when you order food in Sri Lanka, but it was all lovely - despite being a local take on a familiar dish, and we even managed to fit in some dessert after - mostly fresh fruit and ice cream.

Another very full day...and we all felt exhausted...ready to get straight into bed...and ready also to start our next conference....

....wonder what God has planned next.....z z z z ....

19 August 2009

The day dawned bright and clear...we could hear people up and about from about 4am...having showers and walking around...it didn't take long however for the showers to end as the water ran out. Everyone took it in their stride and we all had another lovely breakfast and Barbara led us in a devotion on being thankful...and there is so much that we have to be thankful for.

Despite an offer by David to have a slightly later start and get there for morning tea, we all wanted to get there early and have a wander around the local town of Chillaw. So we all got our stuff packed and on the bus and were at the conference by 9am.

David began the first session of the day...talking about reaching out to boys, while we put on the sunscreen and our hats and walked out to the main street for an explore of the local sights. Despite being quite early, it was soon apparent that the day would be a warm one. Our first stop was at a roadside stall to buy a couple of umbrellas to help mitigate the sun. At that point half the group decided that the town was a little too noisy and busy for further exploration, so they went to go and explore the quieter backstreets. Andrew, Bethany and Sarah continued on and wandered down through the streets with shops of every description, being greeted with many smiles and calls of "Good morning" as we wandered along.

By the time we got back to the church, we were all feeling a little hot and bothered...and David was just finishing his talk. There were a few less people than the day before...possibly due to the heat, but I think all were glad to have a break for morning tea before the workshops began once again.
The delegates were a little more familiar with us than yesterday, and we were able to remind them of things that had been said or done previously. It was proving hard to concentrate due to the heat, but all in all, we did quite well and after two workshop sessions, we broke for lunch.

What a feast we had for lunch, the Pastor and his team had gone all out and we felt very spoilt by the variety and the amount of food that we found on the table that had been put on just for us. Rice and chicken wings, fish and french fries, vegetables and lots of fresh fruit. It was wonderful...we all ate till we felt we would burst.

The final session was David speaking about the need to be Compassionate in children's ministry. At the conclusion of the time, we formed a prayer tunnel for all the delegates to walk through and we prayed for each delegate as they walked between us. We were then prayed for by some of the delegates...and as has always been the case - though we could not understand the words they used, it did not lessen the impact or the annointing we felt as we concluded the conference. We really felt that it was a momentous and encouraging time together. There were many hugs and well wishes at the end and photos were taken by everyone of everyone from every conceivable angle and configuration. We felt that the time at Chillaw was a real blessing to all. Despite the long trip to Kandy still ahead and as the weather changed and the rain tumbled down, we were all in high spirits as we climbed in the bus and there was lots of laughing and singing as we talked about the great things we had experienced over the past two days.

We reached Kandy well after dark, and had a low key dinner of hoppers (little bowl shaped pancakes) and chicken curry. We were all glad to finally reach the Kidsreach home town and the local team to be able to sleep at home again. We made it to our Kandy hotel, situated close to the lake in the centre of town and after very little ado, crashed for the night...a day of rest, relaxation and final preparations planned for tomorrow. The cooler climate of Kandy was very welcome after the heat of the day...and we all spent a minute or two longer in the shower to wash off the grime of another long but fulfilling day.

18 August 2009

At the end of yesterday's conference we finally got all packed up and sorted out the luggage and headed up the coast to our next conference. We arrived late - around 8pm and dinner was provided straight away. Most of us were not very hungry and ended up heading quickly to bed.

Our accommodation is in a Catholic boarding house, it is a fairly spartan set up but we all fell gratefully into bed...the next conference beginning first thing next morning. There is an abundance of wildlife - ranging from frogs, squirrels, geckos, cockroaches the size of buses and mosquitos not much smaller. We made full use of the mosquito nets, coils, and repellant.

Breakfast rolled round, simple but yummy with lots of fresh fruit and big fat slices of fresh white bread. Sri Lankan bread is so good! We've already bought our own supplies of jam and vegemite to have with it.

The local team left for the conference venue first, to get everything set up and we followed in the next trip. We are meeting in a Lighthouse church called Bethlehem church in a town called Chillaw...about 30km south of Puttalam.

The church slowly filled up...a good mixture of older and younger people...probably more men than the previous conference. David began by figuring out the oldest and the youngest serving person there in kids ministry and awarding a prize...but making the point that we all fell somewhere between them. His first session was to introduce the importance of ministry to children and also a couple of well chosen stories to help people feel at home.

We felt so welcome from the very beginning...the Sri Lankan people have such beautiful smiles. We were spoilt with a glass of cold Coke for morning tea and a lovely rice and vegetable packet each for lunch with plates of fresh fruit to share.

Bethany started us off again with the balloon stuffing game which was again very funny and then David spoke about the conference theme and issued the challenge for afterwards. We were due to have a concert and each team was to come up with a skit that would describe how NOT to run a Sunday School class. Sri Lankans are such good actors and storytellers and we knew that they would not let us down. The Anzac performance might not be so good...but we knew they would more than make up for it.

So with afternoon tea done, we all sat ready to be entertained...and we didn't need to understand the language to see the humour in each skit. We had a teacher who kept getting phonecalls from her boyfriend and who ended up showing up with a rose in his teeth. Another team had a man dressed as a lady teacher complete with clip on earrings. They were very good...and great examples of what not to do with a Sunday School class....gotta go for now but more again soon...with photos I promise!

17 August 2009

So here we are at the end of the day...and what a day...seriously it feels like two days in one.

The Conference went very well...a full house...even more than a full house...about half an hour into the proceedings chairs were added to the stage and that is where the Aussie's and Kiwi's sat for the rest of the day.
The conference began with a presentation to David from the Combined Pentecostal churches of Sri Lanka for his many years...more than 18 years...in the service of children's ministry in Sri Lanka. He was given a very impressive plaque...it was wonderful to see him being recognised for all the work that he has put in for such a long time.

There were lots of younger people in attendance - mainly women but some men also. They were all very keen and seemed to get a lot out of all the various sessions.

Pastor David spoke on the conference theme...INVEST!...and the local team went with a drama that David had written but they really brought to life. The main character 'Toffa' may have been played by a different actor to previous years, but Harsha really outdid himself.

It was all mild chaos in the change from morning tea to the workshops but finally we found places for everyone to gather and they proceeded. David spoke on the challenges in reaching and teaching boys. Julie's workshop was on the ministry to parents of pre-schoolers. Barbara spent some time going through some basics on how children develop and Carol looked at some creative teaching strategies for keeping kids learning. Sarah and Bethany led a group of young people on the importance of being a young leader and how to lead kids to trust in Jesus.
And that was just the first session!

The second workshop time started straight away...people shuffling to their preferred topic and we launched off again...it was such a privilege to speak to so many awesome children's ministry leaders and workers. They gave us their full attention and it is our hope and prayer that they were blessed and encouraged by our various workshops.

Pastor Sujith provided an amazing lunch for us...and a little air conditioned room to retreat to. Who would have thought that standing and talking could be so draining!? Boy was that room a welcome treat! With lunch done, Bethany ran a couple of hilarious games with the delegates, one involving men wearing dresses and stuffing balloons all over, and the second was sticking paper to your forehead and huffing and puffing to blow that sheet off. It gave us all a very good laugh...especially to see David trying to put a dress on! Also, a big thank you to the pregnant lady who donated the frocks.

17 August 2009

A quick word just as our first conference begins....early start, lovely breakfast...all onto the bus and a quick trip across town and we find ourselves at Pastor Sujith's church. Mirihana Calvary Church is in Colombo and David has been coming here for many years.

Pastor Sujith has a huge heart for reaching and teaching children for Jesus.

As I write this, the beginning worship time is in progress...we are all worshipping God together. Despite the language differences, there is no barriers between us when we are all praising God together.

Everyone has their part to play...The local team have worked hard all morning to set everything up - the bookstall looks great, the team from Calvary church have worked to bring all the local children's ministry people together, we have prepared our workshops, Asela has prepared all the conference materials and graphics, Thanuja and Dulangelie are leading the singing time ably accompanied by Krishan, Harsha and Daniel on the drums and guitars. Shanthi has been working tirelessly to make sure that each conference is arranged and people in the local churches are aware and able to come.

Even though we only met yesterday, we have been a team for a long time....and God is the one who is directing the whole thing.
As this day begins, it is our prayer that he will bring all the planning together for the result that he has already planned.

Our conference theme is "Invest". We know that God has invested in each one of the team and in each one of the delegates...and that this conference will be just one more deposit in God's big bank of what he is planning for the nation of Sri Lanka through the children.

I shall get some photos up soon.

16 August 2009

The calm before the storm? Not really...but this is the day we have to get our heads sorted and ready for what is to come.

A late start...after a pretty late finish...breakfast of fresh papaya and then eggs cooked to order with lots of toast, tea and coffee.

A trip out to a local supermarket to buy some team supplies...tea for David, Vegemite for Sarah, bubbles for Barbara, bananas for Carol and other similar essentials. The traffic is loud and constant, the weather is hot and wet.

The Sri Lankan team arrived at around lunchtime and we spent some time getting to know them and also practicing how to speak through an interpreter. Lots of laughs and fun.

We then headed out into the tumult on our bus to one of the fashion shops to pick up some bargains.

Dinner with the whole team was at a restaurant called Green Cabin - loads of different fried rice and devilled beef, chicken and seer fish. Early bed because tomorrow is an early start...breakfast at 6am and all packed and on the bus by 7am....goodbye to our hotel...they have been very accomodating and we really enjoyed our time here by the beach in Mount Lavinia.

15 August 2009

When you enter the world of the airport its like being caught in a giant washing machine...you get agitated for a long time and then at the end you're rung out and dumped unceremoniously in a heap at the other end.

Things could have gone terribly wrong when David gave his travel documents to the Australian Federal Customs agent at Sydney Airport, along with a misplaced comb...and the guy was bald! Kevin it seems is a bloke with a good sense of humour and we all had a bit of chuckle before he stamped our passports and we moved through.

Our first leg was on the Airbus A330 - the pride of the Singapore Airlines fleet and a great experience. Lots of legroom, service was great, a huge choice of entertainment options - I even started to learn basic Italian!

Singapore was a blur...we had half an hour to get from one Terminal via monorail to another and get onto the next plane...barely time to find the amenities. But who likes waiting in airports anyway?

A short hop across and we arrived in Sri Lanka...middle of the night - hot, wet and surprisingly quiet. Rendevouzed with Asela and our beautiful blue bus and spent what seemed like an eternity bouncing around trying to find our hotel...there are still road closures here due to the military checkpoints.

Finally touchdown and and quick shower before collapsing into bed at 3am ready for our first day ....late breaky, meeting the team here and a spot of shopping.

All are well...relieved to be here...trying to cope with the heat and just general strangeness of a foreign country but excited to be here and keen to get going with it all.

So for now Ayubowan!

Sri Lanka Mission Trip 2009... Here we go!

Welcome back to the KidsReach blog for the latest mission trip to Sri Lanka.

Basic facts about the trip that we know so far...

We will be away from 15th August to 1st September.

The trip will include 4 Conferences, 1 Children's camp as well as a number of other speaking and ministry opportunities in churches as we go.

Conference 1 - Live Out Conference - Colombo (1 day conference for 150 leaders) 17 August
Conference 2 - Children's Ministry Leaders Conference - Puttalum. (Residential conference for 100 leaders) 18-19 August
Conference 3- Children's Ministry Leaders Conference - Kandy (2 days/150 leaders) 21-22 August
Conference 4 - Children's Ministry Leaders Conference - Badulla (2 days/150 leaders) 24-25 August
Children's Camp - National Camp for Children suffering from Abuse. 25-28 August

You can see a presentation of what is going to happen on YouTube also...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmumy-xdXt8

As the trip progresses we will keep you updated via this blog and also emails. Generally - the text of the blog will be what gets sent via email, the blog will have photos where and when we can upload them. If there is a chance we will send more personalised emails as we go, but you never can tell till you get there.

The one thing we would ask at this stage is to pray for the success of the trip. We want to impact the lives of the people in Sri Lanka, and to bring encouragement and hope to children and children's workers all across Sri Lanka.

Please pray that we would be safe and healthy as we go.

Please pray for unity as most of us will meet each other for the first time at the beginning of the trip.

Please pray for Shanthi and the local team, that they will be encouraged by our visit and spurred on to continue doing the work
that God has for them in Sri Lanka.

Please pray that God will begin and continue to do a mighty work in the lives of children and people in Sri Lanka.

That's it for now... I will post more as we go and photos as well.

Regards - The KidsReach Team 2009.