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13.01.12 - Ron's Half Time Report

Since leaving the UK on Oct 20th, the five flights so far have got me very smoothly to Bangladesh for the last of my Autumn visits.

The first major stop was Delhi, to attend a conference on Gender Violence. One session was on Acid Violence, the victims of which I am heavily involved in Bangladesh and Cambodia. At this session two Indian survivors of such attacks spoke very movingly of their experiences. Such was the effect on the 300 delegates, many of whom were senior Judges from all around the world, that there was hardly a dry eye in the room. Another of my visits in Delhi was to spend some time with Dr Santhosh Mathew, the chief executive of Emmanuel Hospital Association, an amazing Indian Christian organization of some 20 Rural Hospitals and 30 Community Health projects scattered across the poorest areas of North India - all previous mission Hospitals but now under Indian leadership. First I joined in the morning office Bible study and prayers. We then discussed a new outreach within EHA to care for the many poor victims of burns and found that we are of one mind to move into this area of witness and service.

 The next visit was to the EHA Nav Jivan Hospital in Jharkhand, one flight and a bumpy 4 hour journey by 4WD from Delhi.  I have lost count how many times since 1982 that I have visited this busy 100 - bed hospital in the middle of jungle - about 26, I think. This was their Golden Anniversary and the retired American missionary, Dr Mark Kniss, who started the hospital with a clinic under a tree in 1961 was present with three of his four children who had grown up there. In the early days they had to light a fire at night to keep the tigers away. Although 84, and suffering badly with his back, he held up well and was an inspiration. The occasion also featured the ceremonial laying of a foundation stone for the small Burns Unit that we have been praying and working towards over the last 12 years.

And so, after a week, back up the long bumpy road to Ranchi and on by air to Kolkata. There I met up with Ellen and her three Action Team companions, Naomi, Harriet and Joshua.  Harriet was a bit poorly with the flu at first but was recovering fast when I left two days later. They all seem to be relishing the challenge of noisy, dirty, bustling Kolkata and were busy renovating a very old building, scraping, reputtying and repainting the rickety window frames. Ellen looked well on it all and is in good heart.

Now I am in Dhaka, Bangladesh, my second home, getting ready for the many suffering patients who will present at the Acid Survivors Foundation Medical Unit nearby and at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital Burn unit on the other side of this city of 16 million people.

Today is the last day of an annual three day Eid festival holiday which celebrates the sacrifice that Abraham offered. We can be so grateful for the Supreme Sacrifice for all. This Abrahamic tradition is a gruesome spectacle of many cows, goats and sheep being ritually killed on the streets all over the city and was seen early yesterday morning. The meat is then divided into three equal portions and distributed to close family, extended

family and the neighbourhood poor. I am told that the annual import of cows from India that usually occurs and enables this to be so widely practiced, has dried up. The price of cattle has escalated and is making it likely that fewer families will be able to afford it in the future,

How the time is flying! Thanks for your prayer support which, as usual, is palpable. See you soon. Two flights to go.

Love from Ron.