Power Corrupting Absolutely (Country's name withheld)

Precious gems in abundance, elegant teak trees filling the mountain ranges, gold covered temples, jade spilling out of mines, resources so rich in abundance, making . Burma, or Myanmar as the new military power have named it, one of the richest countries in Asia. Why then is it that everywhere I look I see poverty running so deep that hope has been given up decades before. I see cars so old that they have been repaired and re-repaired for years and years gone by until there is hardly an original part left because of the import bans. Hospitals, schools, shops falling apart while a scarce few boast mansions and riches. This is Burma. The land of intentional poverty and affliction, so that the elect few can rule the country by force and fear. The military took over the country by force years ago, and why are they still in power today? Strip the people into fear and desperation and you gain control. It’s as simple as that. Not one thing happens here without some no-name with a gun or badge clad uniform’s nod of approval. Crossing a bridge, taking a photo, sending, receiving, and buying. One word of criticism of the military power will land you in jail. And if that happens, you are as good as dead. A mobile phone costs US$1000 to limit communication freedom, and if you can afford that, your calls will be listened to at any time. Every email sent in, to or from Burma is printed and filed, yes, EVERY ONE. That is only around a million a day. Every possible form of control here is and has been introduced, even if they gain nothing from it. The people hate it, but cannot escape because in their poverty, how could they ever afford it? And where could they go? I have tried to limit the name of the country in this blog just in case I am denied access to the country again. It has happened to someone else I know. But the people do the best they can. The luckier ones are the husbands who somehow borrow enough money to go and work overseas and send money back to their families and relatives, absent for years and years, sacrificing vital time with their families, missing seeing their children grow up. But they are ensuring a better future for their children. Everything seems so unfortunate. One young guy finished University with 4 HD’s, but could not get the scholarship he deserved because he does not have a national ID card due to his ethnic inferiority. If you crash your motorbike, and don’t even hit anyone or anything else, it could land you in jail, no questions asked. Then you might be up for hard labour with shackled feet, for hours. I could go on but I won’t. It seems like nothing is being done about this horrible situation. People are suffering. Children are hungry. What is being done? The monks were the only ones brave enough to stand amid the risk of death and look what happened to them. They saw it fit to sacrifice their lives just to gain the attention of the world in order to bring peace and fair rule to their country. Hundreds died, but the world has forgotten them and their plight already. Most people wish for freedom from their current country situation, but have already given up hope. I don’t blame them. It’s been happening for 40 years. The only thing we can do is spread the knowledge of the horrible things going on there and hopefully draw attention to it. It is a beautiful country filled with beautiful people just wanting the chance at life that we have had, merely because we happened to be born on a free privileged continent.

Charlene's Travel Tips for Asia!

Lately I have had alot of people asking me for travel tips to make traveling go more smoothly, and i have also heard alot of easily avoidable situations. So here is a list of do's and don'ts, travel cheats and other things which will help you travel in Asia------------------ (added 04/08) When on the plane, it is tempting to pig out on food and drinks- if you drink alot of juice or soda drinks you quickly suffer from what I call- 'plane sugar overload' which is when you consume too much sugar and because you are sitting motionless for 12 hours you start feeling really horrible and gluggy. This is easily aviodable by refraining from all drinks except water and the occasional juice. sounds a bit simple but can make your journey much more pleasant. Same goes with food. General:- Do not pay for services until after you have received what you have agreed on. Eg. When I was in Cambodia, some kids said they would guard my motorbike for me if I paid them $1. So I did because I wanted to help them out and they would help me out in return, so I gave them the money and left. An hour later I came back to find them playing in a field near by and only rush back to guard my bike when I was back. Lesson Learnt: If I had said” I will give you 20c now and 80c when I return if you guard the bike”, then they would have stayed by it the whole time, to make sure they would get the full amount. Same with taxi drivers, shop keepers anyone, always try to pay after you have seen/received what you are paying for.- Because you look like a tourist, most locals will triple the price hoping that you’re new to the country and will pay what they ask. When I have no idea how much to pay, I bring it back to half the price and if they refuse, try another one, and then another… if you come to the third one and they say no, you know your asking an unreasonable price so you bring it up to a price you are both happy to pay. Don’t be afraid to smile and say no thanks and find another taxi or whatever you are looking for.- The golden rule though, is finding a price which you and the seller are both happy with and that is all that matters.- I find the most joy in my travels from talking to strangers. Not scary dodgey looking ones, but people on the bus next to me, or a young group of youths standing on the street near me, and don’t be afraid to ask questions and suggest things. I have had ice cream with strangers, have gone shopping with girls my age, and many other fun experiences like that, without any danger because I stay in crowded places and avoid people who look like they want your handbag, haha. They always get a thrill out of it too because it’s a rare chance they can hang out with a foreigner and practice their English.- Be patient in all situations. Nothing grinds me more than seeing stupid foreigners blasting lovely nice locals/staff because of a mix up of times or bookings or simple mistakes- GET USED TO IT because it was your choice to travel to a country who doesn’t speak the same language as you. These things are bound to happen and are a part of travelling. Having a respect for others is a big thing, because a lot of tourists see themselves as superior to the locals. This sets up a lot of barriers between cultures.Register with your Movements with your National Embassy:- If you are travelling to a possibly dangerous place, search for –“Register Travel Embassy” and register what country you will be in in case of an emergency so they know where you are to evacuate you. I have done this for going to Burma soon because there is a risk of civil unrest, and natural disasters like floods etc. I only register if there are actual risks.- For more information see http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/ Communicating:- Use fewer words instead of more words when someone doesn’t understand. I am constantly amazed at people’s efforts to communicate when travelling. Eg. You say to a person who doesn’t speak much English; “I’m going to the shop to buy some fruit”. When they look at you puzzled, most people would go on to say “I'm going down to the shop down the road there on the left to buy some fruit because I’m hungry and want to eat” to try to explain. But you need to cut your words down and speak slower: “I go shop, buy fruit, hungry” then you will be amazed at how easy it is for them to understand.- Body language is vital, use it as much as possibleEg. If you’re asking if someone is hungry, pat your stomach, or if you’re saying it’s too bright, wince your eyes and cover them with your hands…. Easy! Eating:- If you are wondering where to eat out, always look for busy restaurants, they are busy for a reason, because they are good. If there is no one in a restaurant, avoid it.- Water: ALWAYS DRINK BOTTLED WATER WITH A PLASTIC SEAL!- Street food: this depends on the country you travel to. Most decisions should be based on common sense and observation. From trial and error I have found that in Bangkok, a lot of the street food is ok, like smoothies, fruit (which is on ice or looks like its just been cut), or things which are prepared before you. Obviously you wouldn’t buy a bag of chopped pineapple if it was the last one they were selling, who knows how long they’ve had for.- Fruit: if you’re not sure the safest options are skinned fruits, especially thick skinned fruits. Oranges and mangoes are always ok, apples and other thin skinned fruits should always be peeled first.- Boiled beverages are ok to drink- I have been to some pretty hairy places and the tea was the only thing I knew I could drink. Sickness:If you are sick and have vomiting and diahorrea from something you ate these are some things you must remember:- You must drink water, whether you feel like it or not, drink drink drink. Otherwise you will feel even worse the next day when you can’t get out of bed cos you’re massively suffering dehydration.- Do not eat watermelon- everyone in Thailand will tell you this, so just listen to them because they are right. It upsets your stomach more.- Understand why your body is doing what its doing; let it get the bugs out by vomiting and diahorrea, well, to a certain extent.- Charcoal Tablets: buy a bottle of activated charcoal tablets before you leave. Charcoal absorbs the toxins and bad things inside you and carries them out quickly. I usually take 4 or 5 tablets every 4 hours. Sounds like a lot, but I think they recommend taking 10!! 4 or 5 seem to work ok. Activated charcoal differs from normal charcoal as it is made in a way which does not cause cancer. So it’s safe and good for you. Don’t be shocked when it comes out the same colour- Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) sachets are a must, can buy them from any chemist in Asia (they seem to be everywhere) for about 15c each or way less than that. These help rehydrate you, and any time you start losing fluids you should start with these. They have been a life saver for me! I like the orange flavour.- Malaria: Malaria risks are found throughout Asia, some regions more dangerous than others. Unless the area is tagged as high risk from the bad strand of Malaria, you are best off taking precautions instead of malaria medications. Malaria medications are known to have bad side affects, and actually don’t really protect you at all, it just masks the symptoms until you stop taking it, or will just come out a month or two later. If you do get a bad fever, shivering etc while travelling, go and see a doctor straight away and have a malaria test. Its better to go in the country you are in because doctors there will be able to diagnose you faster than in our own countries because its rare back home. Mot of the time you get given medication and in a week you are better again, even though you feel like you will die during the week of recovery, and no, I have not had malaria but have met a lot of people who have.- Precautions against Malaria and other mosquito carried viruses/diseases like dengue fever: These mosquitoes usually come out at dusk and dawn, so make sure your exposed skin is covered and you have mosquito repellent on. Mosquito nets are usually available, if your buying one make sure its been treated if possible. Travelling:- You will find yourself faced with many forms of transport in Asia, from buses and trains, boats, planes, motorbikes, tuk-tuks (motorbikes towing a carriage-like thing on the back which you sit in) and even horses. As much as I love them, motorbikes carry the most risk and should be avoided. Personally I use motorbike taxis (motos) in places which are not main roads, like going through the back streets of BKK, and try to choose ones which have a passenger helmet. I have seen so many motorbikes being crashed into and it’s not nice.- In poorer countries like Cmabodia, there is only one road rule- if its bigger than you, it has right of way. Because there are no traffic rules (well no one follows them), its all about the flow of traffic. if you have to ride a motorbike yourself try to never stop like at roundabouts etc, just flow and merge all together. Stopping causes more problems in a flowing situation :)- Buses are cheap, taxis are safe, more expensive and slower than motorbikes, trains are often crowded, but just judge what will be best for your situation.- Walking is the best way to see the sights in city areas, you miss a lot of detail and interaction when you drive by in a taxi. I once walked one and a half hours back to my hotel from church in BKK and it was great! Accommodation:- A good night sleep means a good days work. I think its fun to find cheap hotels/rooms, but when you get a bad one, it’s bad. Don’t be afraid to ask for your room to be cleaned if its not, in Beijing I randomly booked a $6 room and when the lady walked me in the bed was half made and things were dirty so I asked for another room. They took me there knowing it wasn’t clean but because I asked, they gave me a better one.- If check out is at 10am and your plane is at 6pm at night, all hotels allow you to leave your luggage at the reception until you leave. You can usually request to book out 2 hours later also, just ring and ask. Culture issues:- Every country has its do’s and don’ts which you can learn from either your own mistakes or from other peoples mistakes. Here is a list of my own which I have discovered;- In most Asian countries, it is disrespectful to touch people on the head, as it is the most sacred part of the body. The feet are the least sacred so you should never step over anyone or point/gesture with your feet as this is an insult.- Outside of city areas where things are less modernised, your clothing choices must be very conservative- no singlet tops or short pants. Everything at or below the knee and have your shoulders and mid areas covered. You might think, well, they can just get over it, but it might be the same as someone walking through the mall with no pants on, I know I would be offended, so we must respect other cultural practices.- If you are in a situation where you are offered something to eat or drink which you are not able to consume (eg. I don’t drink alcohol and often get offered things culturally like in Mongolia), so in these situations you can try to refuse with a big smile, but if they insist or look offended, just pretending to sip is enough to respect them, as there may be no way to communicate why you cant.- If you take photos of people especially if you have interrupted them in what they are doing, giving a little something thanking them for taking their photo is appreciated. I always carry food around for this. (only in ultra poor areas.. if you gave something to someone in BKK they would probably laugh at you.)- Remember that gestures are different across the world, so before you get offended, think about this first. When I arrived in Japan, one of the church ladies was gesturing me to go away and I was like, what! But she was actually gesturing for me to come to her. Just have to learn by mistakes!- Beggars: Beggars are a common place encounter, and often make you feel uncomfortable and not know what to do. The truth is that many beggars in tourist areas are actually run like a business. It’s sad because they collect money all day only to have to hand it to their boss, and they only receive a teeny amount if anything, usually just a bit of food and a place to sleep. I’m not going to get into the horrible things which get done to kids to make them better beggars, like burn them with acid and give them someone’s half dying baby to sling around their necks to get money from pitiful tourists. So what I do is carry around food with me, and when if I give something, its food for them to eat there and then, and they are grateful. If I'm in a market place and there are beggars everywhere, you really just have to ignore them. If you give to them, all the others see and swamp you, but if you don’t give to them, you feel bad. It’s a no win situation that you just have to deal with. When I eat out I always over order in Cambodia and get the extra food wrapped up. On my way home I look for people lying in the street, or look like they are starving and I stop and give the food to them.It’s a common mistake to think that just because people are poor that they are totally ignorant. I am constantly amazed at new ways that people figure out to make money, kids who learn English to sell post cards etc.Giving money away makes the receivers dependent. That’s why organisations like ADRA work on helping people help themselves instead of just giving things to people like welfare. But I believe there is a time and place for welfare, so whatever you do, just think it through and I believe that it is our duty to share with those less fortunate than us. Just be aware of scams. Vital items in your travel kit-- ORS sachets- Passport- Pain killers- List of important phone number (emabassy etc)- A copy of your passport photo page (mine is laminated)- Diahorrea tablets- Insect repellent- Ear plugs- Eye mask- Alcohol wipes Well, this is only the first draft of my travel tips, I will keep it updated. Any questions about anything are welcome, most of all, enjoy your travels!

Mongolia-sheep herder visit

I have set foot in many countries, but I have never felt this way before. There is something about Mongolia, as you step off the plane and look around you at the mountainous yet abundantly open spaces, which makes you feel something deep inside, a kind of peace or gut feeling that this is a special place. It’s not a ‘wow I love this place, it’s so beautiful, I want to live here’ kind of thing. Its more of a profound yet mysterious satisfaction to have the privilege to be a silent witness to the great power of raw nature. To be in a place where time stands still, where eagles spend their days soaring under bright sun-touched clouds, and where urbanisation seems to have given up hope of finding a resting place- this is Mongolia. After two days out in the rural province of Zavhan, visiting project sites and seeing so many people who were once ultra poor, now have businesses up and running thank to loans from ADRA, I finally had a couple of hours to myself before the sun set. I had waited two days already to shower seeing the water only came out freezing, so waiting another couple of hours wouldn’t hurt while I took a walk over to the river nearby. Being thankful for the sun setting around 8 or 9pm, I wandered across the rocky excuse for a road and headed across the plain towards the mountains. The river was running and birds were splashing around in the side streams, so beautiful. In the distance I could see Gers- traditional round white dwelling places covered with animal skins and or other material. I read about how Mongolian people are very welcoming friendly people, and so I thought I would wander across the plains and just see what would happen. As I neared the first couple of Gers a few hundred metres apart, I saw some people outside the second Ger doing something. As I got closer, I saw the forms of two sheep with two men bending over them. Yes! I was right; they were preparing the sheep, and had only just killed them minutes before. Thinking that I had nothing to lose, I timidly walked towards them hoping not to be seen as an arrogant tourist with her camera. As I neared them, they all slowly stopped what they were doing and acknowledged me. I greeted the lady closest to me with my best rendition of “Sem be no” (hello). She smiled and nodded as I gestured whether or not I could take some photos of the slaughter. I had arrived just in time; an older man and younger one were starting to slit open the belly line of the sheep. They laughed at my curiosity at what to them was a common task, and I took lots of photos. Then I happily heard a voice behind me asking’ wher you fro? English! Yay! I could now communicate! I told the man in his late 20’s that I was from Australia. I was amazed at how easily the older man was stripping the sheep of its skin with his bare hands. In about 20 mins, the whole sheep was ‘done. I won’t explain how because it was pretty intense, I’ll let you watch my video clip of it. The whole family was involved, the young kids watching as their grandma emptied the intestines, the aunt emptied and washed the stomach, and while their grandpa scooped out the blood and insides into a big bowl. Nothing was wasted. The English speaking guy asked me if I wanted to try some yoghurt, and even though I knew the taste would be disturbing, I jumped at the opportunity to be welcomed into a Ger. As I stooped to go through the door which came only to my shoulders, I was delighted to see the Ger filled with old ladies, young babies sleeping and other family members, dressed in their traditional dress. The following day was the sister’s wedding, and I could see the ‘cake’ on the table. It was made up of a base of terraced bread stick/waffle kinda things with all different cheeses on top. Of course, the staple milk curd was on top. As I sat and interacted with all of the family holding babies and taking lots of photos, the guy made me some yogurt, goat milk yoghurt. I had a taste and it was as I expected, and could only handle two mouthfuls with a smiley ‘i'm trying to enjoy it’ face. I was then offered a nice little bottle with a cap and was told to sniff it. So I did. I asked why and they communicated that when you say hello and someone hands you a bottle, you open it and sniff it. I couldn’t put my finger on the aroma….minty yet floury. Who knows what it was. (i later found out it was a Snuff Bottle willed with powdered flavoured tobacco)Then I got handed a shot of Vodka, I laughed and gently gestured that I can’t drink alcohol, and they were cool with that. By this time, there ere around 15 people in the Ger which belonged to the grandfather who apparently is a famous herder in Mongolia. It was getting dark so reluctantly I said I must go home. The grand father grabbed my arm as I got up and gently pulled me in to kiss me on both cheeks. But it wasn’t a kiss, it was more of a planting lips on the cheek then sniffing quickly, so weird for the first time, then I realised it must be their way of kissing. Everyone “kissed’ me on my way out, and I ended up with wet cheeks anyway from an old lady who gave a sloppy kiss/sniff. As I walked away, the man told me to come visit them next time and to send him the photos. I walked the rest of the 20 mins back to my hotel grinning from ear to ear in gratefulness of the rich once in a lifetime experience that I had just had. Beautiful people, beautiful country. Other Experiences from my trip: -Riding a horse through the mountain lined plains/sandy dunes (i cantered for the first time! hadnt ridden for around 10 years...) -Being forced to drink fermented horse milk, potentially one of the most disturbing things that has passed my lips- was when i visted a household of one of the project beneficiaries, it was her wedding the day before... the milk tasted like off milk and yogurt, mixed with heaps of alcohol, and carbonated..... but the disturbing thing was it was just horse milk! -The cloest ive come to being mauled by a dog, ran inside a building and hid in the shadows while a lady threw herself in front of the dog (the dog's owner think)...funnily enough, i wasnt scared..more like.. wow, i almost died! haha - turbulence at its best..felt like a 4 yr old kid was holding onto the plane going "look how fast this plane goes mum, zoooom..up down up down ,rooooarrrr..." - longest ive ever gone without a shower of any form- living in a Ger for 4 days..no water supply at all! was actually not as bad as i thought... but still heaven to shower when i got back today - trying to milk a yak but it was looking at me the whole time knowing i didnt know what i was doing, and as i tried to grab its teat, it kicked me over and i spilt milk all over myself and everyone laughed at me. i would have laughed too... stupid yak -scenery like postcards in every direction, 24/7.....unbelievable so much more to say..... sorry i write so much all the time :)

Everyone's Got Thorns

I have a thorn in my flesh It often causes me alot of pain I have tried to get rid of it by myself by reasoning how it got in there, by force, by using all of my strength, I only ended up lying helpless and hopeless on the floor. So I asked God; "God, why do i have this thorn in my flesh? Sometimes i can hide it well under my clothes, but other times it causes me so much pain that people see me in agony and come and ask me what is wrong. I can't tell them about my thorn. God why?" God gently replied to me; "If I gave you a rose, what would you do with it? You would hold it for a time and thank Me for it? You would smell the sweet smell occasionally but then once you got used to it, you would lay it aside. you would forget about the One who not only created the rose but put together every intricate part of you. you would feel no need for help from a loving Saviour and would walk the path of life alone. But in my infinite wisdom, I allowed you to bear this thorn. to remind you of your need for a saviour. to ever draw you closer to me. It is not so big that it will bind you, only stay close to me and you will not be overwhelmed with the pain. it is in fact a blessing in disguise. may you praise God for the thorn in your flesh, not because it will save you, but because it will keep you humble and open to My voice. I love you, that's why."

Teach a Man to Fish

Teach a Man to Fish… By Charlene Luzuk, International Programme Coordinator, ADRA NZ Please imagine the scene; you have just embarked on your first trip to Asia, and your taxi from the Phnom Penh airport in Cambodia has dropped you off outside your hotel. It looks quite different to the brochures you saw when you picked it, but as you gaze around you cant see any better looking ones around. As you step out of the taxi, you feel the wave of heat roll over your body, and you stop and think, wow!! If this is what its like all the time, I think I’ll overheat and die! As your forehead starts to gather beads of sweat, you check in to your hotel. Your room is simple, but it has an air conditioner! Putting your bags under your bed and taking anything worth of value with you, you wander out of your hotel with your trusty Lonely Planet Guide book and head for the nearest markets, not even attempting to pronounce the name. The air is dusty, and as you are looking up at the sky, listening to the drone of countless motorbikes zooming by, close enough to touch, your foot knocks into something and you stumble. Looking down, you are shocked to see that you have walked into a crippled man on the pavement. He is looking at you with his head at a peculiar angle, and he holds out a dirty cup with a few small crumpled notes in it. You continue to look at his body, avoiding his gaze and you see that his legs are, well, how can you say, one is twisted up behind his lower back, and the other one is half formed and supporting his body, folded in front of him. The sight is rather disturbing, and after all of these thoughts and images pass through your mind in a split second, you say your sorry and walk away hurriedly. As you continue to walk, your conscience begins relentlessly nagging you saying ‘Do something! Stop and go back and help the man! Give him some money!’ but you feel so uncomfortable and don’t know what to do. Someone must look after him though, you try to reason with yourself, I have heard about beggars begging because its good money, and its actually their job and they work for someone, but what if he is for real? So you stop in your steps, retrace your footsteps and reaching into your bag as you approach him, pour all of your loose change into the mans outstretched cup. You see your packet of chips and you leave those next to him too. Feeling relieved, you walk away, noticing the man didn’t say thank you, but happy that your conscience was quiet. You think about your act of welfare, and how now, because of your actions, that man can eat for a day or two. You gave him hope and help. What a blessing. Now the spanner gets thrown into the works. This illustration (although quite a realistic one) is an example of welfare, but ADRA over the past 20 years has moved away from welfare to focus on development. How can this be? Let’s first distinguish between the two terms; Welfare: Aid in the form of money or necessities for those in need (Merriam- Webster) This sounds like ADRA doesn’t it? Indeed, but have a look at the definition of development: Development: a state in which things are improving; it meets the needs and aspirations of the current generation, without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs. (unisdr.org) Many people think that ADRA’s work involves a lot of going around giving out free things to the poor and needy. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for that like in emergency relief situations. But welfare, when looking at the bigger picture often does more damage than good. It promotes dependency and can only be short term in impact. Take a look at this amazing Chinese proverb- Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day; Teach a man to fish and he eats for a life time This is exactly what ADRA is about. By teaching a man to fish, instead of just giving a fish to him, he is educated, equipped and skilled to go out and feed himself. This way he is empowered to work and be responsible for his own future, and doesn’t have to stand in line every day, waiting for a fish to eat, he can go and feed his whole family because he has been a part of effective development. In Bangladesh and the Solomon Islands, ADRA NZ has projects which do exactly this. Women are trained to read and write so that they can then manage the family finances, and the loan which they receive to start a business to support their family, leaving them self-supporting, educated and empowered. This could never have been achieved by giving them food every day, because soon enough the funding would run out and they are left exactly as they were found. Throughout the Bible, there are countless texts referring to the poor and how we are to care for them and be welfare driven towards them. It is our duty to help our brothers and sisters when we see that they are in need, so please note that I am not discouraging notions of welfare in our lives, but merely explaining that the most effective way to help lift people out of poverty on the big scale of things is by looking to the long term solution, and the most practical. By concentrating on lifting up a community by development like educating the children and teaching the parents how to farm, the effects trickle down even to the poorest of the poor. So as you continue to support ADRA, know that your money goes to helping people help themselves, changing the world one life at a time.

The Body of Christ (ADRA)

The Body of Christ By Charlene Luzuk, I want to introduce to you, Mr. Lorn. He is a proud father of three children living with his family in a village in rural Cambodia. He will tell you of his past if you ask him, how he has always been poor, struggling to support his family to survive. He speaks of how he could not gather even enough rice for his family to eat at each meal. Schooling for his children was not an option because even the small fees are too much to support even one child. But in 1997, something changed his life. ADRA came into his village with the purpose of developing peoples livelihoods. They started up an agricultural project to promote the growing of vegetables in the village. Mr Lorn jumped at the opportunity to attend the training sessions and learnt many skills and knowledge to use to help his situation. He works very hard in garden development, and is producing enough for his family to move from one meal to two nutritious meals every day. With income from his produce, he saved money and has recently built a bigger house for his family, 5 x 7 metres, giving his old house to his sister and her family. With his children enrolled in the local school, his family’s future looks bright and promising, as they continue to sustain an income and receive education. He will tell you of how ADRA has inspired him to raise himself and his family out of poverty and unfortunate living conditions, to a new life of hope and empowerment. I could introduce you to thousands of people who have been touched by ADRA, not only touched but have had their lives transformed, empowered and inspired. As SDA church members, it is because of your support that these lives have come into contact with ADRA. Our motto here at ADRA is “Changing the world, one life at a time”, and that is exactly what we focus on. We focus on the destitute and marginalized those who are on the fringes of society who are not numerous enough to be helped by others. It is a mistake to think that because we may not be able to measure the results of education and empowerment, that there has been no effect and changes in lives. It is a mistake to think that because we do not require a commitment to Jesus before we serve them, that we are not furthering the work of God. Jesus met the needs of the people before he ministered to them. At ADRA we see ourselves as the ‘development arm’ of the church. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 Paul speaks of the body of Christ and the many parts of the body, how they must all work together, each in their different roles in order to successfully serve the Lord and follow the will of God. While the Literature Evangelists are out knocking door to door searching for hungry souls, and the pastors are preaching to their congregations leading members to commit to a closer relationship with God, and while each individual church member is shining the light to those who work around them, ADRA is strengthening the hands of the weak and needy, ADRA is the arm of the body of Christ reaching to those who are in despair and need, with no where to turn. Mahatma Ghandi once said; “There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread” So may it be that as ADRA helps people to feed themselves, as they eat the ‘bread’ of their harvests, may the name of ADRA be a constant reminder of how the Lord has touched their lives.

Darfur, Sudan (some content may affect readers)

Darfur is currently one of the most dangerous places on the planet. It is the site of the world’s largest humanitarian operation. Since the Darfur Peace Agreement in May 2006, attacks (beatings, rape, robbery, assassination) against peacekeepers and humanitarian workers has increased nine-fold. We hear a lot about Darfur in Sudan and the conflict that is going on, but rarely do we hear exactly what is going on, only the names of the places and the number of dead. I was shocked into thoughtful disturbing silence when I looked into the Darfur conflict as to what it is, and felt that the situation needs to be brought into light in the West, because the media so easily influences how much we hear about things which are so important. A quick background, Darfur is a region of Sudan which is mostly made up of Africans and Arabs. When the British granted Independence in 1956, they handed power to a minority of Arab elites, who in various groupings have been in power ever since. This caused the south to mutiny against the north, starting the North-South war which ended in 1972. Peace was signed under President Nimeiry which only lasted a few years as the government kept ignoring the peace treaty, and there was a shift towards forcing political Islam on people, the discovery of oil, extreme droughts and famines and to cut the history short, years which followed which saw the National Islamic Front overpower the democratically elected government, and the proclamation of Jihad (holy war) against the south. The regime was home for several Islamic fundamentalist organisations, which provided a home for Osama Bin Laden from 1991-1996, when the US forced him out. At present, the Janjaweed fighters (militia used by the government to fight wars for them so they can claim they have nothing to do with it) have been deployed out to attack and subdue “rebels” who have sprung up from poverty-stricken, marginalized Darfur in two main groups; the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). These groups have worked together and attacked government airbases, garrisons and other targets, running circles around the government. So any village ‘suspected’ to have links to the rebels have been attacked by the Janjaweed. This is where the horrific scenes of rape, torture, ruthless slaughter and other atrocities have been poured out on innocent people, in an already harsh unforgiving setting of deserts and famine. Sexual violence against women is occurring on a massive scale in Darfur, Amnesty International calling these mass rapes a weapon of war. “In Darfur, the Arab militia and military make a point of abusing women in front of their families or entire village. Raping a woman is such an effective weapon because it affects an entire community, for decades…Children who witness it are traumatized, men flee from their partners in shame, and women become ‘damaged goods’, sometimes literally if they can no longer have children because of the violence. Through raping wives and daughters…they target the ‘real enemy’; the men behind them. Having to have your enemies baby goes one step further and turns sexual violence into a tool for ethnic cleansing.” (New Internationalist, June 07) Victims hesitantly tell of rapes, one young girl raped by five men, the sixth cut her vagina with a knife. Another 18 year old girl, Hawa, tells her story: ‘one Friday night, gunshots awoke me, I saw other villagers running from the attackers; men with Kalashnikov rifles riding horses and camels. Jinaweed. I started running but two men caught me and another girl, they tied our hands together and raped us.’ Hawa fled to Camp Kalma in South Darfur. It was three months later but she was still being reminded of the rape every day, not only because she suffers pain in her stomach and can’t sit for long, but because the rapes are why she lives alone in her hut built of sticks and plastic bags. The uncle and aunt who raised her ignore her: a raped woman isn’t worth much in Darfur. She asks plaintively; ‘who will marry me now?’ I’m not telling this story as a shock method, but because this is what is happening right now, over and over and over again, and how can we keep ignoring it? It was not until the 1990’s that rape was taken seriously as a war crime. Male dominated international institutions, prosecutors and researchers preferred to concentrate on more ‘serious crimes’ like murder. But for the mass raping of women to come to an end, and for all these atrocities to come to an end, there has to be an end to freedom from punishment for rapists and those who incite them. Until the perpetrators can be sure that they will be held legally accountable, they will continue. The struggle to bring peace to Darfur is proving as ruthless and rugged as the conflict itself. But that doesn’t hide the fact that justice needs to be delivered to those who have the right to it. Since 2003: Over 400,000 Darfurian civilians have died- an estimated 150,000 from violent attacks, 250,000 from disease and starvation 2.8 million people have been displaced from their homes and villages 250,000 have fled abroad, mainly to Chad where they face further violence anyway 90% of the villages in Darfur’s targeted ethnic groups have been destroyed Jinaweed militia and government forces have been responsible for 97%of these killings 3.6million people are dependent on international humanitarian assistance A third of the people in need are beyond the reach of the 14,000 humanitarian workers.

Bangkok: May, 2007

In the middle of Bangkok > I have been loving walking around such a big and interesting city, swimming in the hotel pool while enjoying the heat, eating fruit and drinking coconuts (this is while im not working from 8 to 5 every day.. hey, i am working here, well, being trained in monitoring and evaluation... : ) ) Bangkok. I would probably have named it sin-city, but i spose i wasnt around back then. Positioned high up on the 27th floor of the 5 star Imperial Queen's Park Hotel just off the busy Sukhumvit Road on Soi 22, a street crammed with open walled pool bars, restaurants from Japanese to Italian, from Indian to Thai, along side internet cafes and laundry shops, massage parlours competeing for customers who walk by by saying 'wel-come, wel-com, you like massage, i give good massage madam, sir you like massage'.... all of them smiling, well, no, some of them smiling, some of them sitting looking insanely bored of being out in the hot all day... i suppose they could go in and watch tv next to a fan, but they would go home with less money in their pocket. I have spoken to so many people here...mostly women in massage parlours or just in passing them sitting outside bars... a place where they work 12 hours a day and only get the equivalent of $4...plus 50c in tips if they had a good day.... or for the majority of them, their income relies on whether they get picked to go home with a stranger..... might happen once or twice every two weeks. One girl, a nice 30 year old who i could have sworn was my age said she had been working at the pool bar for only 5 months. she used to work as a receptionist at a golf course, but it was such a low paying job so she followed her friends advice and got a job as what i would call a company girl....not quite a prostitute, but pretty much. Sh says she has no choice. she has an 8 yr old son, and her 44 yr old husband died 3 years ago. people think that because she works in a place like that, and dresses skimpily, that she is a 'bad girl' but she says its not true. she just needs more money. Another one, Pim, at a Japanese bar used to work in a sewing factory, such bad conditions, got 10,000 Baht a month. now she gets 30,000 a month. She can get paid up to 3000 a night when she has to go home with one of the usually older Japanese men that frequent the bar. She is used to her life, but doesnt like it, but its good money. she dreams to save enough money to start a thai restaurant. i asked her abouth her first night on the job and her face fell and she said it was horrible as she put her hand over her heart and didnt want to talk about it. just in my street there are hundreds of these women. in massage parlours too, they do dodgey "special massages", but they get paid 1000 baht to do it..it is their own choice whether they do or not.... the more i hear what these ladies tell me about their lives the more i move away from my initial naive thought of, 'how can they live lives like that and do such things' to more of 'far out, i am understanding that poverty has driven them to do these things and live lives like this, being cheapened by the day. what would i do in their situation? there is such a demand for these services here in Bangkok, its so easy to get into, and i know that i have never been burdened by poverty, i dont have a kid and live on $4 a day and have to pay for taxis, new clothes and food, and rent..... of course they turn to that option, what is their choice? compromise themselves and survive easier, or stick to their low paying, over working jobs...hmmmmm.....it makes me angry at sin and its clutches....that pull people from other countries to this place for the ever increasing sex-tourism that runs rampant here' Every time i go walking i walk past old men from all backgrounds with a young/ beautiful thai lady on their arm... who tells them they are handsome and charming and gives them what they want in exchange for gifts and money...both parties may be 'happy' but i dont care. its not right. it shouldnt be that way. Hmmmm. im venting in my blog, sorry if it doesnt make sense, but its just what i feel when i walk around here. But amoung all that junk, there are smiling happy faces and genuinely lovely people. I suppose the moral of the story ..or should i say the 'immoral' of the story is that money talks. its as simple as that. Poverty afflicts. souls searching for something. people trying to fill that unexplainable void inside with entertainment, sex, money, materialism, even human company, but really they will not be filled unless they find God. God fills the void. Bangkok needs God bad. I hope I can show at least one person God in my life and the way i live. I hope you can too..

Vietnam 04/07

Trung Khanh, Nthn Vietnam Current mood: tired Category: Travel and Places Out in the field 17-19th April- One night in the semi large city of Cao Bang, then to the Trung Khanh district where our ENSADE II project is being implemented. It's a reproductive health focused project and is going well and meeting its objectives so far.. ADRA staff there were good, met Thai, the project officer who was fun. One afternoon when we had a couple of hours free they drove us out to a massive cave and we walked through it. It was different from caves in Aust and NZ cos there were no barriers (as expected!) and you could walk anywhere and touch anything…which I did, haha. Spent two days attending commune activities and trainings... and as a part of the monitoring we went to a village health workers home for a bit of a chat, and I must admit, I was struggling to stay focused cos it was so dirty and muddy, mosquitoes and bugs, and the tea cups they gave us to drink tea from were teeny, and were so old and stained and who knows when they were washed…. (grin and bear it Charlene, they're lifestyles are different to yours)…its all a part of a days work for adra. I feel a constant wave of feelings as I travel through Vietnam, or any developing country….i see a bunch of chickens running across a street or into a house,and it makes me laugh cos they just look funny. 5 minutes later I see a man plucking a chicken alive and think about how much I hate human cruelty. Then I see some gorgeous kids and I'm smiling inside again, but only until 5 minutes later when I see an old lady struggling under a heavy load in the hot sun or in the rain and wish that her life of harsh realities could be swapped with mine cos she wouldn't waste her life like so many of us foreigners do on countless meaningless things. I see a man riding a motor bike, one hand steering, the other holding up a massive tv antenna as if he was driving around trying to find some coverage, and I crack up at the sight. 5 year old kids working out in a field all day, or stacking bricks when they should be playing with other kids, being 'normal' but have to help their families to survive day to day, hand to mouth. But what is normal? How can I put my stamp of normal anywhere near their situation? Normal for them is to have a pig pen in their house and listen to pigs squealing instead of a blaring tv. Normal is getting sick and living with it instead of going to the cupboard or handbag and grabbing pills and medicines to stop the pain. Numb the pain. Escape. That's the difference. We can choose to escape. They cant. But who am I to say they want to. Who am I to say 'us' and 'them'. Why do I separate myself so much from the situation? Because when I can escape from it, then it stops being my problem. When I go back to NZ, then I am allowed to forget about all the times my heart was stirred and cramped with the misfortunes of those I came into contact with. I do want to tell everyone about what life is really like, but who will listen? And if they do listen, they might think about it for a minute, have one pulse of sympathy resonate through their bodies, and then escape to their every day lives where they don't have to do anything about it. It reminds me of a quote: "I saw the horror of the Rwandan crisis on tv. It was so unspeakable in its scope and sadness that I knew as a human being that I had to take action. So I switched channels." Quoted in 'Symposium on Mission and social action' 1997 But what can you do? Give money? Is it really going to help? First of all, yes it does help. The more money we get, the more people we can reach, its as simple as that. But its an attitude thing. It's the way we live which determines how the rest of the world lives. There are so many things we can do to help others in our own sphere. Do a fly-and-build to build a classroom for an orphanage, help run a soup kitchen, if your attitude is right, and you are driven by a passion to help people, the way will be made clear on exactly how to do it. Ask God how you can serve Him by serving others. It's a blessing. What do you think?

Bangladesh-sick day and field day Category: Travel and Places 25/2/07 Biral/Dinjapur Bangladesh Compared to SE Asia, Bangladesh is such a hard, tough and male dominated society. I find it saddens me because of the lack of reaction you get from giving a simple smile- blank empty eyes. But just thinking about it now, this kind of environment makes love and kindness seem so amazing, so strong when it is revealed. When someone does smile, it is so much more to appreciate here. Today, out in the field visiting the ladies groups as a part of the HRDP project, they really touched me. Not their stand-offish fascination with white people, but their deep and expressive eyes and smiles which cover up lives we couldn't even imagine. Struggling to find somewhere enough food to give their families at least one meal a day; working hard to keep the house spotless in case God comes and their house isn't found messy; trying to save their kids from dying from simple curable health conditions like diahorrea and dehydration. This was before ADRA came to their villiage. They still struggle but their condition of living had improved so much and they are not living a hand-to-mouth lifestyle any more. They are able to save minute amounts of money, well, in our eyes, to prepare for a crisis in the future so they are not left bound to a high charging money lender. My memory of the day was when we were leaving the second group we visited, quite a poor one, and I was pulling faces and playing with the kids who were following a few feet behind me, and holding out my hand to see which one was daring enough to take it (It's a hand-holding culture, as a sign of friendship), a young girl around the age of 15 came through the group and boldly took my hand and led me on, back to the car through the walkways between the mud brick houses and cows and chickens. Its hard to describe the feeling of being accepted temporarily into a culture like that, kind of a peaceful joy brought to me by someone who knows the struggles and realities of life so much more then I do, she was young but I felt like the child being led by an adult. I felt I had so much to learn from this girl with broken English but not a broken smile. So many goats. So many ducks. So many cows. So much hard labour. Too many near misses. So much to take in. Adra office, WDO meeting, shawakamise shopping and tailoring, power going off all the time, saying goodbye to groups by having to touch everyone's hands. 28/2/07 No diary entry yesterday because I spent the entire night before vomiting and having diahorrea from food poisoning I got from eating two grapes and a little apple-like thing, all of which I shouldn't have eaten. Bythe morning, my bathroom visits had pretty much stopped, but the entire rest of the day was just as bad because I felt so sick and tired and exceedingly faint. I slept all morning and at 2pm tried to toughen up and go to see the drama show that the project ran out in the field. About 25 mins into the puppet show and music, I couldn't even sit up cos I was so weak and faint, not having eaten all day and still dehydrated. So I asked to lie down in the car for a bit but they took me home, via the doctor, I felt bad about making everyone leave. I told them I didn't need to go to the doctor, that I would just sleep it off and be better the next ay, but they took me anyway. The doctor was funny, he was like 'you have no problem, no bad condition, it is good for you to experience what my people have to struggle with every week'… it was funny. Went home and slept and each hour I would wake up all through the night to drink saline solution or try to eat something, like forcing down a spoonful of cold rice. Learnt a lot about what to do if I ever got in that way again…which I no doubt will. At the puppet drama there was a lovely 16 yr old boy who stayed by my side all the time, he could speak some English, which was good. I'm so glad I feel much better today, will put in a good productive effort. Can also try on my shawakamises that I bought and someone dropped off to me today. I bought an orange one and a black one. They are beautiful. The drama was very effective because it drew a large crowd and educated the people in a humorous way. Lots of songs and laughter about what foods are good and why you need to be healthy, but the one yesterday was about the importance of saving money for an unexpected time of crisis in the future so they don't end up getting financially indebted to a local money lender. The title was 'dowri' and the puppets wer sary looking! Haha. 1/3/07 Yesterday was great! I woke up feeling quite well and functional, but still totally non-appetitious! (I made up a word) Went to two more groups today, one of them a sewing class. Came back for lunch at the ADRA office, careful not to touch the fruit this time… After lunch we went upstairs to present the sewing course certificates to those who had completed it, shook their hands, took a photo, you know the scene. Irene, one of the WDO's (Women Development Officers) came up to me and gave me a beautiful black hair clip that she had for me, and I treasured it. The others then rushed up to me and painted a dot on my forehead like the Hindu women have, and fussed over me. Had a long photo session with each of the WDO's then we all moved downstairs where as soon as I walked in the door I noticed all of the WDO's in one room, beckoning me to come in secretly. As I came closer, one reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me inside and they shut the door behind me. They were all so giggly and whispering excitedly, and as one of them latched the door, latched the men out, they all erupted into laughter and shouts and in their broken English they were saying to me 'Sing! Sing! Lets sing and dance!' so they started singing and gestured for me to dance, but I had no idea how to dance like them and so another two ladies started traditional dancing, which was so cool!!! I was copying them and they were all laughing at me, adding my own alterations and moves. By the way they were laughing, I'm guessing what they were doing was a bit secretive and sneaky but so fun. I was imagining Alan and they guys outside wondering what the heck was going on inside, LOL! After about 10 minutes of song and dance I said I had to go because we were pushed for time, and they all urged me to please come again in exactly a year, no, come to live!! Haha. I gave them all a NZ hug (pretty much teaching them how to hug unawkwardly, which they found funny…in Bangladesh the only affection they show is holding hands with everyone). It was an experience I will never forget, the hidden joy of Bangladeshi women, normally subdued by such a harsh culture. And I was able to be a part of it for a short time. As soon as the door opened they quietened right down and we all said a sad but happy goodbye. It really touched me. That afternoon we took a trip out to a small but amazing temple made out of bricks,each one individually carved to tell a story. Then when we got back, Alan and I went for a rickshaw ride into town and bought some food. Ok, so I admit I bought instant baby food porridge stuff because I was desperate for something that did not have curry or oil in it!!! Went back to my room, ate, watched an episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun until the power cut off, and went to bed. I was tired anyway.