Ced says...

Sports and games

2011-01-20T10:12:00.004Z

Kids are kids wherever you go. No matter where you travel in the world, and despite many cultural differences, there are some things that never change. One of those is that children love to play. During the orientation visit that I made with soldiers from Portsmouth Citadel to Kyamutwoi (Kenaya) in October 2010 we noticed that the children were playing - but with very different toys to those we see in the UK. We noticed simple hoops and tyres being rolled down the street - toy cars made from wire and old drink cans.

On our final Sunday we saw two young boys playing football - but the ball was not a football as we know it. Theirs was made of carrier bags wrapped around with elastic bands. It reminded us of the many things we take for granted at home.

Telling the story back home resulted in the young people of Portsmouth Citadel determining to raise some money to help buy sports and games equipment. In December 2010 the young people's carol service became a fundraiser for our 'sports equipment appeal'. This event generated just over £300! The employees at Denplan decided they would make a donation to the appeal rather than send Christmas cards to each other - so they added another £76, bringing our total to around £380. In the next few weeks we will be placing an order through our suppliers in Nairobi to buy footballs (£4.20 each), skipping ropes (£1.40) and basketballs (£4.60). We hope these news toys and sports equipment will make a difference to the young people in the Polytechnic and the corps.

New Flag at Portsmouth Citadel

2011-01-20T10:00:00.004Z

In recent weeks a colourful new flag has taken its place on the Portsmouth Citadel platform. Nestled amongst the corps flags that have stood proudly for many years is a bright new addition - the Kenyan flag. Initially purchased by the Young People's corps to mark the special Kenyan Sunday held during 2010 a specially made flag pole has been constructed to enable the flag to stand with the others. Alan Johnston made the flag pole and used his woodworking skills to carefully add a carved 'S' to match the other flags. On Sunday 19th January 2011 the new addition was dedicated and publicly recognised. YPSM Collette Boughton and Marilyn Leggett symbolically presented the flag to CSM Mark Wheeler. It was my privilege to offer a prayer of dedication. The new flag is a permanent reminder of Potsmouth Citadel's partnership and challenges us to pray and work to keep the partnership active and alive.

The new flag not only adds colour and vibrancy to our platform but stands as a constant reminder of our friends in Kyamutwoi.

Deployment diary day 34: Sunday 21st February

2010-02-22T13:12:00.003Z

Tonight I compose my diary entry from the comfort of a hotel suite in Florida. The first leg of the homeward journey is over. As I put my bag onto the huge comfy bed and looked around the room, with its lounge, kitchen and bathroom areas, I couldn't help reflect the contrasts that we take so much for granted. It's probably 4 times as large as the homes families are living in on the soccer ground camp. Standing under the hot shower, and I have to confess I stood there for a LONG time, I remembered the number of times I had walked around the camp and just bumped into people standing virtually naked in the middle of that huge melee of people as they tried to wash from water they had collected in an old tin can. The comfort provided for me tonight is very gratefully accepted but a reminder that it is often our place of birth and upbringing that impacts how we live - not our worth as human beings and individuals loved and cared for by God. The young boy in the photo, playing with his his kite made from an old plastic bag, is just as valuable to God as I am but his opportunities will be far less than I, or my own children, have been privileged to enjoy. I hope I don't get used to my new surroundings too quickly!

As I left Port au Prince yesterday I managed to catch an hour with Paul and John, the incoming team leaders. They had just returned from an induction visit to our satellite projects. A quick handover of paperwork and a run through outstanding emails, then a handshake, a few hugs and off. As pilots say, they now 'have control' and I imagine things will carry on without even missing a beat. That's happened many times during these last few weeks as team members have changed - and that same process carries on today. Actually, far from slowing down, new things are happening even this week. An 8-person medical team from 'Real Impact Missions' arrived yesterday. This group, along with their sister organisation 'In His image' has been supporting our medical work since the beginning of our earthquake relief programme. Today the team will divide into 2 groups and deploy to our satellite centres to set up mobile facilities in Jacmel and Petit Goave. In the south they will be working out of a MASH tent erected yesterday in the corps compound. At Petit Goave they will literally be mobile - visiting camps and conducting surgeries from their backpacks. Remember our friends as this new programme begins.

On Tuesday the team leaders have a private appointment to visit the Prime Minister. They will be sharing details of our work and appealing for his help with some of the practical things that are still a great concern - the need for a warehouse and land for the transitional shelter programme. We pray for them and for the new medical outreach - the programme goes on.

Today marks my last Haiti deployment blog. I confess I have been surprised by the interest shown in these daily, rambling thoughts. Thank you for reading it - it is an indication of your concern for the people of Haiti. I have heard some have used the diary as a prayer point in churches and sectional practice. Just because this blog stops, please continue your prayer support. To those many friends that have sent messages of greeting and encouragement I say a huge 'thank you'. Your friendship is not taken for granted.

Now, two more flights to go - home Tuesday afternoon. Portsmouth here I come. Caribbean diary signing off!

Deployment diary day 33: Saturday 20th February

2010-02-21T01:13:00.002Z

Unlike yesterday - no famous visitors to report! We had some important ones at the camp, though. A team from USAID responded to our invitation to conduct a rapid assessment of our camp and its environmental impact. Bringing 20,000 people together into an informal and unstructured 'village' creates a huge number of environmental challenges. I've already highlighted the problem of lack of latrines. Toilet update: we now have about 170 with another 100 being assembled - but that's not many for such a large number of people.
What happens to the pit latrines when the rainy season comes and the ground floods - essential questions we need to consider and prepare for. I learned today that even before the earthquake Haiti did not have a single sewage processing plant. One of our partners is working to develop a solid waste bio gas project which might help. These are things I never stop to think about at home but important matters here.

The amount of rubbish generated each day has to go somewhere. The canal running through the camp is already an obvious health hazard with garbage clogging it up. But without a formal bin collection service what happens to the trash that every family produces in their 'disposable' age? As I drove my successors around today on their orientation visit to Petit Goave and Jacmel it was good to see so many teams cleaning gutters and drainage channels as part of the many 'cash for work' programmes.

We try to do something good while we are here but today's assessment was a way to help ensure that in our attempts to help people we do it without causing harm either!

In my home country there are regular complaints because we have to sort our trash into different coloured bins for collection and recycling. I wish I could bring those complainers here to see what becomes of all the plastic waste when there is no service to collect and process it. We take so many of our blessings for granted.

I have something good to report -today we had cake for dessert. Cake is reserved for special days - and this evening's meal was celebrated as special as it was my last meal with the team. Tomorrow I leave Port au Prince and start my journey home. It will take a couple of days to get there but the first step starts in just a few hours. I know it must be time to go home - my bottle of hand sanitiser ran out today and I have just one more edition of CSI New York to watch on the iPod!

Deployment diary day 32: Friday 19th February

2010-02-20T01:05:00.002Z

Fame is a very interesting concept. Today we had a very famous visitor at our camp. So famous that he came with heavily armed guards to protect him and a 5-mini bus entourage of team members, camera crew and photographers to chaperone him and capture his every movement on film. The trouble was - and perhaps my kids will say, 'O Dad' when I admit this - but I hadn't any idea who he was. Perhaps I'm getting old, perhaps I just don't keep up with the times. The VIP guest was a very personable young man named Kris Allen, the most recent winner of 'American Idol'. His visit was part of an awareness raising campaign by the United Nations Foundation. He spent the day visiting 4 different sites across Port au Prince and our camp was chosen as it represented both the challenges we are facing and some of the unique ways in which we are responding. If you have cable, please check the programme out next Thursday. You never know, I may even get in on a shot!

One of the innovative things he was here to see was our new registration process. Our programme has received fantastic support from many donors. But one of the best has been the American company UPS. They have assisted by providing free charter flights to move reief supplies and have provided the services of one of their professional logisticians. But theoir most recent contribution has been to design a programme to help us register our beneficiaries and track the assistance we are giving them. They have donated a complete package worth US$20,000 which allows us to issue bar coded ration cards. As we do distributions families will bring their cards which are electronically scanned and checked. The software automatically records what commodities have been allocated and received and prints out a complete list of who has received each commodity. It was revolutionise our tracking process and it something pretty unique in humanitarian circles.

The challenge this week has been to bring all 3,300 families to our camp management office, issue the new cards and check the data. Kris visited the team and even helped process one of the new ration card allocations.

It was good to see him - he was very friendly and he made quite an impact on the families. My hope is that his visit will keep the interest in Haiti alive and help promote the on-going work. Check out the programme on Thursday and look out for The Salvation Army.

Deployment diary day 31: Thursday 18th February

2010-02-19T02:56:00.001Z

Today started badly. Actually it started badly during the night - heavy rain fell. The swimming pool at the hotel, which had been bone dry the day before, had about 6 inches of water in it by breakfast. Having a few inches of water in your dry pool is one thing - but having that amount of rain fall upon your family when you have no waterproof shelter is quite another.

Damaris, our camp manager, told me she woke in the night and ran outside to look up at the sky and said - 'why couldn't you wait another day'? You see today we had scheduled to deliver 3,300 tarps - each measuring 20 feet by 10 feet. It might only be one per family but we knew it would give a little protection and waterproofing. We wanted to get them out before the rains came, but the weather beat us to it!

The distribution itself didn't go particularly well, either. A struggle to get the full number of tarps in place meant that a 2-hour process took about 5 hours. The heavily armoured soldiers of the 82nd providing security for were visibly wilting under the weight of their kit as the sun beat down and the day grew long. But despite all the challenges, by the end of the afternoon every family had a tarp. In the bigger scheme of things perhaps a $25 piece of strengthened plastic sheeting seems insignificant, but for each of those families it will be a godsend as the rains start to fall.

The other downside of the weather was that the camp was like a quagmire this afternoon. If it is like this after one downpour what on earth will things be like when the rainy season really gets going? My successors arrived this morning so as part of thier orientation I walked them around the camp. One of them started out worrying about his clean boots getting dirty. After a couple of minutes he confessed to me that realised this was the least of the problems and an insignificant concern when set against the needs of those who must live there.

We sometimes feel we take one step forwards and two back, but the sight of tarps appearing all around the camp this afternoon makes it all worthwhile. Lord, let it be dry tonight - please!!

Deployment diary 30: Wednesday 17th Feb

2010-02-18T02:06:00.003Z

This week sees a number of new initiatives moving forward - perhaps I can tell you about one of them today. I've long said when conducting emergency training courses, 'if you give someone a tent - unless something better comes along that tent is their permanent home'. We've given out many tents so far in Haiti. Our first order of 3,000 is just about completed and we have another 3,000 en route. That's great news. Living in a tent is better than living without one. But having a tent is not really having a 'home'.

We are not yet in a position to think about constructing new and permanent homes but we have been putting a lot of thought to the concept of 'transitional housing'. Lyle, a team member from the USA comes to us with a great deal of experience of forestry and is blessed with the sort of mind that thinks strategically. He's been working this week with others who are focussed on shelter to come up with a design for a very basic timber frame home. It needs to be more durable than a tent and to provide a better quality of life. But it also needs to be quick and easy to erect, something that could be relocated if necessary and designed to combat the weather challenges of this region - hurricanes.

We hope to secure funding for anything between 1,000 and 10,000 such units. Timber will be treated and cut to size in the USA, packed with all necessary components and shipped as a 'shelter pack'. Teams of workers will be trained and deployed to assist families to build their new homes.

It's a really exciting project and something we hope can be developed and implemented very quickly. There's a sense of urgency as the seasonal heavy rains are expected in just a few weeks.

It may not be 'home' as some are blessed around the world to enjoy - but we are confident these transitional shelters will move us towards the goal of helping families build back a better life for themselves. It's not the final step but another one on the road to recovery.

Tomorrow marks a sign that my deployment will soon be coming to an end - my successor arrives to be briefed and prepared for handover. There's much to do over the next few days.

p.s. it's getting warmer here! Phew!!

Deployment diary day 29: Tuesday 16th February

2010-02-17T14:48:00.000Z

I'm happy to report the success of the 2nd half of the food distribution to the camp today. Another 170,000 meals distributed this morning takes our total to date past the 2 million mark. The most rewarding aspect of today's distribution was that it went very smoothly. When we started working in the camp we knew that we must find a way to work with the local leaders. Having worked largely in Africa I have been used to asking a community to identify their 'elders'. Usually old in age and regarded as significant for their wisdom, I regularly sought their counsel about their community.

When arriving in Haiti I enquired how I might contact the elders and wad told, 'we don't have elders - we have youngers!'. It's the young, the strong and the survivors that take the lead here. They have led tough lives - as a meeting with our committee here will readily reveal. Faces bear testimony to fights and attacks. I'm not ashamed to say we were a little nervous about meeting with them and apprehensive about developing a relationship. Damaris, who is taking the role of camp manager, meets with the committee most days. Although not much older than they are, she speaks to them like a mother - telling them off when they misbehave and chiding them if they make her life difficult. But she's won them over. Their day was made yesterday when I went with her and presented the committee members with red, high visibility jackets (vests) with The Salvation Army logo plastered large on the back. They will wear them when they patrol the camp at night and keep an eye on security.

I suppose it makes them feel that they belong - they are one with us and one of us.

We often speak of building on local capacity when we conduct training courses. I suppose we have in our mind the engineers, doctors, teachers that might be pillars of the community. Here in Haiti we are working with leaders that don't fit our usual mould - but they are doing well. It's their support that helped the distribution go smoothly this morning.

Life is hard for the young here - employment opportunities are limited and now most of the education institutes have collapsed. I hope our time here will give them a measure of hope as they demonstrate their leadership. Pray for Damaris, Agnes and Rodney as they work to improve life in the camp.

Deployment diary day 28: Monday 15th February

2010-02-16T01:33:00.002Z

I find being on duty for the airport run quite a challenge! It's not the driving there or the lack of shade to protect you from the sun while you wait outisde for new arrivals. It's not the fact that there's no such thing as an arrivals board or any public address announcements to let you know whether a flight is in or not. It's dealing with all the people who see the Salvation Army uniform, recognise me as an NGO employee and approach and ask me for a job. I feel so awful when very bright, well-spoken young men with university qualifications approach me asking for work. Most have stories of losing relatives in the earthquake - some show pictures of their small children and describe how hungry they are and how much they wish to provide for them. We already employ around 60 local staff - in various roles from IT support, to translators, drivers and warehouse labourers. I'd love to give them all a job but we only need so many people. As I break the news that I'm very sorry we have no openings for them I reflect on the casual labour rate of US$5 per day and compare that to the cost of my daily hotel room. Life seems so unfair!

On a positive note, I'm thrilled that we are to start an employment programme in Jacmel. We have funding to employ 100 people, who will work in supervised teams of 10 for the next 60 days. So 110 people will have a new, if temportay, job. They will help us to help others in their community with clearing rubble from their homes, preparing plots for better shelter solutions. Whilst helping others, their $5 per day will also help put food on their own tables. So a big thank you to the generous donors.

The food disitrbution to those living in the camp continued well today. The logistics of distributing to 3,300 families is challenging - so we split the camp in two - with half the families receiving today and the others tomorrow. We feared whether this would work. But over the last 2 days our camp team distributed over 4,000 flyers explaining the process and camp committee members went out with megaphones telling everyone what was happening. I'm delighted to say things went very smoothly - 170,000 meals given out in just a couple of hours. We look forward to completing the 2nd half of the camp tomorrow.

Tomorrow is another official holiday here in Haiti - Mardi Gras (fear not - we'll be working as normal!). Back home we celebrate this feast day with pancakes - hmmm - I'll not hold out too much hope!

Deployment diary day 27: Sunday 14th February

2010-02-15T01:39:00.004Z

It's probably just coincidence but for the 3rd Sunday running I travelled to Jacmel today. In convoy with our own truck we headed out early to take 500 tents to our church compound for distribution to those in the community that are without any shelter. We had a good journey but it is interesting to see the deterioration in the roads. Cracks that appeared after the earthquake seem to be worsening. Areas of landslide appear more often - despite the evidence of earth moving equipment and attempts to clear the route.

The Corps Officer and his team were delighted to see us and the tents were unloaded by his willing volunteers in a matter of minutes. Capt Gerson, the corps officer, has an excellent relationship with the local community leaders. In each district he works with the elder who drafts a list of those in need of shelter. Gerson then personally visits to assess the family situation and verify the need. He then calls the beneficiaries to the corps building, one district at a time, to collect their tents. Very organised and very efficient.

Our emergency team, Mike and Blaise, are very happy - although the ocean view and beach front location of their accommodation might be contributing to that! Blaise is using his local knowledge to develop positive community links. He had made an appointment for me to meet with Senator Lambert, the senior government official within the 'Department du Sud Est' region. The Senator graciously agreed to meet with us at his home. When we arrived we had to wait a while - unbeknown to us he was resting in bed and needed to dress. He is still suffering the effects of being buried for 2 days in the Parliament building in Port au Prince after it collapsed in the quake. His arm was in a sling and he was clearly shaky. Despite this he welcomed us warmly and readily. He was aware of the relief aid we had distributed in his region and the links Mike and Blaise are building with the community leaders in Decouze. As we pledged our support to him he requested that we expand our efforts to cover others districts that have yet to receive any assistance. We assured him we would do our best to respond and he, in turn, promised us the transportation resources at his disposal. We left feeling that our strategy for that area is clearly focussed and very much appreciated. The picture shows Mike McKee and I with Senator Lambert.

Tomorrow marks a new week and new team members are anxiously looking forward to managing the distribution of 180,000 meals to families in the camp and recommencing the clinic with a complete new team of staff!

If you will forgive a personal indulgence - today (Valentine’s Day) marks the 14th Anniversary of my first ever deployment - to Bosnia in 1996. That event changed my life and the lives of my family. When I set off on that day I could never have imagined the wonderful opportunities that God and The Salvation Army would allow me to have through emergency ministry.

Deployment is not often something undertaken with ones spouse or family and yet their willingness to release us and support us means they have a very special share in our ministry. On this special day of the year we pray for our loved ones at home and thank God for them.

Deployment diary day 26: Saturday 13th February

2010-02-14T01:45:00.006Z

Today has been a good day here for the team. In some ways it has been an enforced quieter day as the weekend of mourning continued. The usually congested roads have been less hectic and travelling around has been much easier.

The morning started early with taking my friend John Berglund to the airport to catch his return flight home. John and I have shared the 'Incident Command' role here for the last month. While I have been responsible for programme, John has looked after organisation. That's an over simplification - as we have discussed all things together, bouncing ideas off one another. I will greatly miss having his wisdom, experience and friendship and look forward to working together again.

An hour after dropping John at the airport I was back again to collect 7 new team members (5 medical personnel and 2 logisitics team members). One thing about the 'Army' is the immediate sense of friendship and purpose and it has been great to see them settle into their new home today. The pic shows the medical team being briefed by Evelyn. The new clinic team investigated their new work surroundings ready for action on Monday. The logisitcs guys had no rest, loading 500 tents ready for distribution to Jacmel tomorrow and receiving and unloading a huge cargo plane of food to ensure we have enough food for the 330,000 meal distribution planned for Monday and Tuesday.

While they laboured in the hot sun, I was very proud to be among a small group of NGO leaders invited to lunch with Mr John Holmes, the UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator. Mr Holmes heads the UN's emergency programmes around the world - so he's a very senior figure in international humanitarianism. He's on a 2-day visit to meet with the government, install a new deputy UN country relief coordinator and to assess how things are going. There were just 19 of us invited, each representing an NGO that is considered to be playing a major role in the Haiti relief programme. Considering there are an estimated 800 organisations working here I was honoured to be there and feel our place at the table was a reflection of the fine work that The Salvation Army has done here. Whilst we are not regarded by tghe UN as a 'lead' agency I was very encouraged as I learned about the work being done and the challenges faced. I don't know if I should publically confess, but I felt a measure of pride that we have been able to meet some of the challenges highlighted at the briefing. The need to register beneficiaries is key to assessing overall needs. I'm delighted that our local assessment teams visited and registered the 3,300 families in our camp within 2 weeks of the earthquake. Whilst others highlighted the need to start distributions quickly, I quietly pondered the 1.5 millions meals and 2,000 tents we have given away to date. We may not be regarded technically as a 'lead' but I am proud of the work we are doing. There are many challenges; and we would love to be doing more. We certainly have no laurels to rest on but we are grateful to God for the opportunities He has given us to serve and for the support and encouragement of so many which is helping us make some small inroads into meeting needs here.

Today I learned that life in the Caribbean is perhaps a little more 'laid-back' than at home. One of our team had an airline ticket booked to fly home on Monday. Looking at his schedule we realised the outbound flight didn't allow sufficient time to make his connection in the Dominican Republic. So, gathering all his paperwork together, I escorted him to the airport to see if we could change his ticket and fly the first leg of the journey a day earlier. We were taken through the departure area (including x-ray and security) and escorted out onto the airfield tarmac. There we were introduced to a representative of the airline, CaribbAir - a smiling, cheerful looking woman. The conversation went something like this:

'If he flies on Monday as planned, Will he be in time for the connecting flight?'
'Hmm - no'
'Then is it possible to change his ticket and fly to the Domincan Republic a day earlier?'
'No problem - just turn up tomorrow - I'll be here'.
'Do you need to issue a new ticket?'
'No - just turn up - I'll be here'.
'Should he come for the morning or afternoon flight?'
'Doesn't matter - I'll be here'.

We left still bearing the same handwritten scrap of paper that appeared to represent his ticket, thinking to oursleves, 'it's international air travel - but not as we know it!'

Deployment diary day 25: Friday 12th February

2010-02-13T11:11:00.002Z

Today has been a significant one here - the 1st month anniversary of the Haiti earthquake. Officially the day has been kept as a day of mourning. Throughout the city churches have maintained a day of prayer and it has been interesting seeing so many people gather together to uphold those who are suffering loss of loved ones. The streets have been markedly quieter as businesses were encouraged to close for the weekend. Churches were packed - and as we drove out of the city this evening we witnesssed crowds pouring out from services of remembrance. Sadly, life here looks much the same as it did when I arrived 4 weeks ago (except for the presence of many informal camps) - I hope that still will not be the case in another month's time.

Even after many years participating in relief programmes there are still things that happen that bring a lump to your throat. This morning we had 7 team members leaving us and one new one coming in. It was sad to see the folks from the USA Central Territory leave. They had been here for four weeks and had worked tirelessly - long days and short nights - to help establish the Army's programme. It was the least that I could do to drive them to the airport and see them safely off. It also gave me opportunity to meet and great our one new arrival today, Agnes. I know what it's like arriving in a strange county and how nice it is to exit the airport terminal and see someone bearing the famous SA Red Shield on their shirt. I was also looking forward to seeing Agnes again - having last worked with her when she was helping to manage the Tsunami relief programme in Indonesia.

While we were waiting for Agnes, Evelyn and I sat in the small park area opposite the airport. After a while 2 young boys came up to us. One of them, I guess aged about 11 or 12 said to me in broken English, 'my parents are dead - please will you adopt me?' It was one of those moments. I've never been asked that question before - how on earth could I answer? Of course, I had to say that this was not possible. He looked at me, 'why not?'

How do you measure the desperation in those few words? In Haiti such a request is sadly not unusual. In our camp we have 32 unaccompanied minors - which, if you remove the technical vocabulary, simply means they haven't a single living relative in the world to care for them. Remember these children in your prayers and pray we might find ways to reassure them they are not alone.

You will remember me saying that our food trucks to Petit Goave got held up by the demonstrations yesterday. They stayed outside the UN compound last night and the distribution began early this morning. We had designed a security plan but the local UN troops decided they didn't approve of our proposal to block the road. They had their own plan. After a short while the distribution had to be halted because the crowd was uncontrollable. A call from our team leader to the senior UN officer in Petit Goave brought another 30 troops and an agreement to implement our original plan. I'm told that it then went smoothly! Nice to know that our experience is teaching us a few lessons. The good news was that around 200,000 meals were distributed, along with water. I think that brings us well past the 1.5 million mark to date.

As this day draws to a close the thought on my mind is not the unknown 200,000 but the face of that young boy and his simple but incredibly challenging question, why not?'

Deployment diary day 24: Thursday 11th February

2010-02-11T23:15:00.001Z

How do you decide if your day has been successful? My friend Bob, who has lived here for some months, assures me that if you set out in Haiti with a list of 10 jobs and you accomplish 1 then it's been a good day. Well, on that basis - it's been a pretty good day!

Last night we had heavy rain. I didn't notice until I left my hotel bedroom at 6am to head down to check email. My thoughts immediately went out to those families living in the camp. Most still have no tents or formal shelters. They must have had an awful night.

We left the hotel at 7.15am to make the 30 minute drive to the United Nations compound where 3 of us were scheduled to participate in a training course for those tasked with 'Camp Management'. En route we found ourselves caught up in the midst of demonstrations. It's now over 4 weeks since the earthquake - patience is wearing thin for those who've still received no aid. The rains last night were the tipping point for many. Inevitably the demonstrations blocked the roads. Our 30 minute rive turned into a 2-hour battle. We arrived late, but the training was good and well worth attending.

At the same time we were in class, 5 members of the team were travelling with trucks containing 200,000 meals to Petit Goave (escorted by UN troops) where a community distribution had been planned. The convoy also became entagled with the demonstration. Their 2-hour journey took them 7 hours! They arrived about 3pm - too late to sensibly commence such a large distribution. The trucks were parked up in the UN compound and the team are now on their way back to the hotel. The distribution will take place early tomorrow. So not entirely successful.

On a more positive note - Ron - our logistics chief - is a happy camper today. We received our new (2nd hand) tractor/fork lift. So he's been out at the airfield moving stock around all day! I told him that he's our own little 'Bob the builder' (the quip passed him by - he's American!)

This weekend is another time of major transition for the team - 7 leave tomorrow and 8 arrive on Saturday. So it's all change and we will be very sad to say farewell to team members who have given totally of themselves. Some leave physically very drained - others have seen and experienced things that will change their lives. We pray God's blessing on them as they head home and for a happy reunion with their families.

p.s. apologies for the odd numbering of these blogs - I'm losing track of what day it is!

Deployment diary day 23: Tuesday 9th February

2010-02-11T10:56:00.003Z

In terms of the social status of those that I have been mixing with today, it has been a day of extremes. This morning I attended an NGO coordination meeting organised by the US military at the forward operating base of the White Falcon unit of the 82nd Airborn. After parking our vehicle we were met, very courteously welcomed by the duty soldiers (who very politely addressed the 3 of us Salvation Army Majors as 'sir') and personally escorted to the tent where the meeting was taking place. We were the first team to arrive. The only person in the tent was a brigade Colonel - the senior officer in charge - who welcomed me warmly and greeted me by name. I have to say that he and his soldiers have been absolutely key in the delivery of our relief programme and we have developed a good working relationship.

The meeting was not well attended - a number had phoned ahead blaming the traffic, others admitted they had other things to do. So as the Colonel commenced the meeting there were just 3 organisations present. The guest at the meeting was the Mayor of Port au Prince - the most senior official in the city. He asked me to talk with him individually - to discuss our programme and update him on our capacity. I did my best to speak on behalf of our organisation and assured the Mayor that our group was at his disposal and would offer whatever support and assistance we could. We left and I followed up with a personal email to the Mayor to confirm our discussion points. We felt honoured to have been given a personal meeting.

When I returned to the office a young man was waiting for me. He showed me his credentials. He had been a school headmaster prior to the earthquake. His school was no more. He had sent his wife and children to stay with relatives in the countryside while he returned to the city to try to find work. He was hoping that The Salvation Army might hire him as a translator - a job which pays a casual labour rate of US$5 per day. I politely explained that we were not in need of additional translators at this time - but he continued to sit by our office door for the remainder of the day in the hope I might hire him. Every now and again he would try to catch my eye - I would try to avoid his!

After lunch 2 very polite young men asked to see me. They are living in a camp not far from the new DHQ office. They claimed to represent their community and had registered the families living there. They told me that their camp has received no assistance from anyone and they pleaded for food - or any help we might be able to offer. I took their details and, without making any promises, told them I would try to get someone to see if we might be able to help. They thanked me profusely - despite the fact that I have done nothing at all for them.

Today our clinic accepted a small child for treatment. The little boy was probably 18 months old. Since the earthquake he had been seen in the road by the market. People had been feeding him - but someone had noticed his stomach had become much distended. It appeared he had no parents and was just surviving in the street. Evelyn, our chaplain, took him on her lap and cuddled him as she quiet sung to him the words, 'blessed assurance, Jesus is mine' - as she sang he drifted off to sleep. Perhaps the first time he had slept peacefully in 4 weeks. No one knows who he belongs to or whether his parents were killed in the earthquake.

Judged by the world's standards it is easy to think that my most important meeting was with the Colonel and the Mayor. Scripture tells me otherwise - and the Bible sometimes has an uncomfortable way of turning things on their head. Psalm 82:3 says, 'Defend the weak, the poor and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed'.

It's hard to get the right perspective sometimes - and even harder to fulfil the teaching of Scripture. Since coming back to the hotel I've taken another call from someone who wants to know if we can help 85 families living in a camp. My prayer this evening is that we will keep our focus right, remember who is truly important and not forget who God has called us to serve.

Deployment diary day 23: Tuesday 9th February

2010-02-09T23:05:00.003Z

Have you ever seen that bumper sticker (or office notice board quip) "I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow is not looking too good either"?

Doing relief work means wrestling with the implications of that sentiment every day. Today I travelled with John and Steve to visit our team in Petit Goave. It's an interesting drive - the first hour is spent battling with the Port au Prince traffic then the road opens out - the coast comes into view and the road runs along by the sea. Other than dodging the huge cracks where the earthquake has split the road, and trying to stay out of the way of the mad bus drivers, it's not a bad drive. The team, Fred, Emmanuel and Simeon are doing well. Since deploying last week they have experienced aftershocks every day. They have worked well to identify 4 small camps which are in varying states of organisation. They have distributed as many tents as have been available so far - but not nearly enough to meet even the most urgent of needs (the pic shows some of the tents in situ). They have been instrumental in getting pit latrines dug and have registered about 1,000 families for on-going assistance. On Thursday we will be visiting to take about 200,000 meals to distribute to those registered. The trouble is - even this number is just a drop of hope in the ocean of need.

To visit one of the camps we drove up a steep road for about a mile into the mountains. On our way down we discovered a hastily erected barrier blocking our path. As we came to a halt a crowd of about 50 people immediately descended on our vehicle. They were pleading for help, complaining that we were passing their community empty handed as we travelled to 'our' camp. Emmanuel (a Haitian officer living and working in the USA) waded into the middle of the crowd and, with a broad smile on his face, managed to diffuse the heat of the situation. Twenty minutes later we were on our way. I confess, it wasn't a pleasant experience and although the crowd remained reasonably calm I was very glad to drive safely away. With apologies to the author of the quote, it's hard to convince a desperate person that we can only please so many in a day - and that today is not their turn. We do our best to respond but there are so many unmet needs.

On a lighter note, I had one of those experiences yesterday I hope never to repeat. John, Ron and I were heading to a meeting - I was driving. We weren't sure of the way but had a general idea we needed to be on a parallel road over to our right. Looking for a right turn we saw a truck turn off the main road. 'Follow that' - said John. I duly did and found myself driving into a street market. The truck continued (very slowly) so we followed - thinking he must surely know the way through. The market became busier and denser and the road narrowed. The stalls were virtually skimming the wing mirrors. Then came the bad news - the truck stopped - the road was blocked by a power line down across the road.

I had no choice but to reverse the whole way out again - with John trying to clear the way - and market holders literally pulling their feet under them so as not to get their toes run over - it really was that tight! Those all around the car were very pleasant - despite the inevitable thought 'stupid foreigners!' I breathed a huge sigh of relief when we eventually emerged. Moral of the story - just because someone else does something don't assume they know what they are doing!

Deployment diary day 22: Monday 8th February

2010-02-09T01:09:00.002Z

It's not often that I can use my blog for a real news scoop but I can today. This morning something of a miracle happened. Here's our official news release:

Evans Ocinia, a 28 year old man, was brought to The Salvation Army clinic after being miraculously pulled from the rubble in the Lionshead marketplace this morning. Two men, digging through the rubble, heard Evans begin to talk and call to them. He had been in the rubble for 28 days following the earthquake. The marketplace is located near The Salvation Army compound in Delmas 2 and the men knew we had a “hospital” nearby.

Evan was extremely dehydrated and has skin wounds but he didn’t appear to have any critical wounds or broken bones. He was able to hold his head up on his own and take some small sips of water from the doctor who accompanied the transport. Salvation Army personnel transported Evan to the University of Miami Hospital which is located adjacent to the airport in Port au Prince.

That's some story, eh? And it also testifies powerfully to the importance of hope, the resilience of the human spirit and the value of not giving in. It must also have some of the search and rescue teams shaking their heads in disbelief - and no small measure of reflection that the official rescue operation was brought to and end over 2 weeks ago.

The story is also another tribute to the work of our clinic and the medical teams deployed there. The lead doctor, at the moment Major (Dr. ) Ted Mahr, attends our daily morning staff briefings. Earlier this morning he had proudly reported that the clinic has delivered 8 babies since the earthquake. He told us at the end of this day that today they treated over 270 patients - and that it had been a 'hard day'.

Ted is supported by a team of doctors from an organisation called 'In His image'. Since the early days of the response this group has deployed medical teams of 12 - 14 people - rotating them in and out every 7 days. We could not have managed without them. Today I honour this fine team - the miracle of this mornings' 'find' is a fitting tribute for their commitment and dedication.

Deployment diary day 21: Sunday 7th February

2010-02-08T01:04:00.003Z

I think it was probably Sammy Davis Jnr that made famous the song 'the rhythm of life'. That phrase has been significant today. Ever since the earthquake relief programme started the team has been working flat out with no days off. I've been so proud of them - but 18 hour days, with hard physical labour were beginning to take their toll. On the basis that even God thought it was a good idea to rest on the 7th day (!) I gave the team the day off today.

John, Damaris and I needed to go to Jacmel and undertake a distribution so we knew we'd have to leave them behind enjoying a well-earned rest. As we prepared to leave at 6.30am others joined us at the breakfast table to catch up with email - so much for a lay-in, eh?

At 7am we drove to the compound to meet our driver and pick up the truck which had been loaded last night ready for an early start. We were taking 23,760 meals, 312 tents, 40 food storage boxes and 168 gallon jugs of water. We were heading for a small community in the mountains called Decouzes, about 20kms before Jacmel. Mike and Blais, our Jacmel team, had met with the village community leaders yesterday. They had been delighted to learn about the distribution and pledged to have everything organised for our arrival. Being a small community of about 500 families they said there was no need for security - their community committee and a couple of local police would handle things!

We escaped the city before the traffic got too busy - with me driving the team car trying to keep and eye on our truck with driver Sergio leading the way. The city opens up to a coast road then after an hour a left turn takes you up and into the high mountain pass.

It was as we entered this road that we all became aware of this 'rhythm of life' being acted out before our eyes. Homes are dotted few and far between, but families were already out - with small children dressed in their Sunday best dresses and coloured plaits - heading to Church for worship. Mothers carried Bibles on their heads, Fathers tucked theirs under their arm - but together they walked the steep hills to meet in fellowship with each other and commune with God. It was a wonderful reminder of this cycle of life which helps keeps our lives in good order. We thought of our families back home and prayed that they, too, would have a wonderful time of worship and praise.

After 2 hours driving we met Mike and Blais coming to greet us. Together we drove to the distribution point. It was already warm, even at altitude. Things seemed a bit chaotic but after a bit of preparation we started. It wasn't long before it wasn’t only the temperature that was hot - tempers caught up, too. After an hour we brought the distribution to a halt - fearing for the safety of those caught up in the melee. The committee, police, and some of our team retreated to the small village police station to draw up a new plan. Damaris and I stayed to guard the vehicles and the stock. Half and hour later they came back armed with ropes and a plan. The area was marked out, roped off and we started again. It worked for a while then things started getting out of hand and we had to close up again. We'd got about two thirds of the stuff out but there were many disappointed faces as we drove away. Fortunately we knew the remainder of the goods on the truck would be very welcome down at the corps in Jacmel - and they were indeed very pleased when we showed up an hour later to unload.

We eventually arrived back in Port au Prince at 6pm feeling that the day had been very worthwhile - if somewhat hot and challenging. We learned that there had been problems on the SA compound while we had been away. A truck had shown up to distribute small bags of water. It had been stormed and ransacked by an impatient mob. The 82nd has to be summoned to help but the mob had thankfully dispersed before they arrived. These events are all reminders to be grateful for the small successes that each day brings in a difficult operation.

As I write tonight's blog the American members of the team are over at the 82nd's base - watching the Superbowl on a large open-air screen. An annual event - and another verse in the 'rhythm of life'. A wonderful end to a great weekend and it all starts again tomorrow!

Deployment diary day 20: Saturday 6th February

2010-02-06T23:50:00.003Z

I've been working in the disaster environment now for 14 years but it's nice to still experience 'firsts'. Today was one of those 'firsts'. One of the partners we are working closely with in the camp is Concern Worldwide. They are speciallists in the water/sanitation sector and are installing latrines for us. Today they had arranged a distribution of hygiene kits. They were nice kits, containing towels, detergent, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other bits and pieces - a nice family box. Our team members were handing them out. In additon we gave out jerry cans and - and this was the 'first' - a couple of strips of condoms. Now, before you ask, they weren't branded with the Red Shield logo! I have to say - as they were distributed the look on the faces of the benficiaries was a picture. I don't think condoms are high on their pritority list just now!! Truth is, HIV/AIDS is a real problem here and condom use is encouraged as prevention.

The distribution went VERY well - the 82nd have got the security system down to a fine art and things went very smoothly. That was until the end. Concern had provided only for those families with ration cards (3,230). Actually, not all the families showed up. So when the last card holder had come through the distribution was closed. Unfortunately, there were probably 50 packs left and the crowd mobbed the remaining truck. A single jerry can was left on the floor and an almighty scrum developed. It's amazing to see people fighting over something so apparently worthless and it just reminds you that values are so different.

That was highlighted as we drove home from the compound to the hotel. I'd been told by one of the others a few hours earlier they had seen someone laying dead in the road. As we passed our new DHQ the body was still there. A couple of bollards had but placed to prevent vehicles running over him - but it looked as if he had been shot. Why? I have no idea - but it was a reminder of the environment we live in here and the value of a human life. We commented that TV shows depicting gunfights are commonplace and sanitise you from the harsh reality of human suffering.

As I worked at the distribution this afternoon I found myself guarding the truck at the end of the row. It was parked next to the worst part of the sewage canal and I found myself right in the middle of all the smoke. Like the others, I was wearing a face mask to try and stop myself breathing in the toxic fumes and keep the smell away. The corps building was just a couple of metres behind me and a lone cornet player was practicing. He was randomly running through hymn tunes. I wasn't really listening but became aware that he was playing a tune we associate with these words:

This is my Father's world,
And to my listening ears,
All nature sings and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world,
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

When we contemplate words like these we tend to focus on mountain views, pictureque waterfalls or rippling lakes. Yet the world of the rubbish dump, the sewage canal and the excreta covered camp is just as much His world. Those who inhabit those toxic fumed streets are just as much His children as any other. As the music wafted over the air it seemed rather surreal - but I thanked God for a timely reminder of His love for his creation.

Deployment diary day 19: Friday 5th February

2010-02-06T01:43:00.005Z

Tonight we have an exhausted but exhilarated team. Another great day of distribution alongside the guys of the 82nd. It seems there's a competition going on between the 82nd Red Falcons and the 82nd White Falcons. The good news is that we are working with both of them and the best news is that the people in need are benefitting. Today 6 of our guys accompanied the Red Falcons and distributed another 154,447 meals (to be precise!). Someone joked this week - 'we only distribute in 6 figures!' They had a great day - the area was about 20kms east of the city and the community had clearly received absolutely nothing. Working out here is all about creating good partnerships and working together.

Our new small truck (see pic) went out with one of our Haitian officer team members (Capt Manny) on its first run yesterday taking a full load of tents and food to a couple of our corps (churches) out east. The numbers don't compare with the big distributions but to be able to get to members of our own church family and show them they are not forgotten is so important. They have been just as impacted by the earthquake as anyone else. He took out 25,760 meals, 330 gallons of water, 1,520 hygeine kits and 184 family tents. That's not bad for a 'small' delivery, eh?

We said farewell to some very special team members today. Yesterday I paid tribute to our volunteer orphanage coordinator Mike. Today I want to honour our volunteer security coordinator, Andre. He lives on the island of Turks and Cacaos. We have a corps officer there who has made great community links - one of these being Andre. When the earthquake hit, Andre said 'I'm going to help'. He made his own way to Santa Domingo by plane, then took a coach, a motorbike taxi and a 'tap tap' (local taxi) to find DHQ in Port au Prince. Andre is open of those folks you simply describe as 'a character'. He's a property landlord, a nightclub singer (of some repute), an Elvis impersonator and a former military soldier. All qualities that have made him a very fine security coordinator. Dressed in camouflage fatigues and a Salvation Army T shirt he has liaised with the military, designed distribution layouts and led from the front when crowds have got 'sticky and hot tempered'. We believe God sent him to us. He has promised to return after a short break at home - we hope and pray he does.

The other ‘departee’ is Craig - a UPS logistics expert and former Chicago Staff Band horn player. Craig has brought a level of professionalism to our operation that I have never been privileged to experience in any previous disaster programme. He's sneaking out tomorrow on the back of a cargo plane - but, shhh - it's a secret! Thanks, Craig, you will never be replaced and the mark you have made on our lives by your commitment, your servant nature and your sheer hard work. Bless you!

Deployment diary day 18: Thursday 4th February

2010-02-05T11:36:00.001Z

This morning we had a lovely start to the day. One of the new team members, Evelyn, has come to fill the 'Emotional and Spiritual Care' role. If the term is new to you, it means that she is our team Chaplain and 'mother' to some of the younger guys. Her other role is to ensure that we spend time in team devotions each morning before we start our days' work. This morning Evelyn started by reading verses from Psalm 63. It starts, 'God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water'. That verse took on new meaning for me as I thought of the intensity in the queues when we distribute water. The way people push and shove in desperation to be given just a gallon jug of water for their families. Evelyn reminded us of our need to approach God in that way for His refreshment - and to do so daily. In this situation, where life is so hectic and draining, it was a very pertinent start to our day.

Yesterday we announced to our team members that we felt we were moving into 'phase 2' of the relief operation. Partly this was because we are moving from short term deployments and seeing new team members arriving who will be here for 2 months. Partly it was because we have transferred our Command centre into the new Divisional headquarters. And the other reason was that we are seeing a change in the distribution programme for us and the NGO community. Our distributions are taking a new shape. Today we took a truck full of food and tents to a number of our nearby corps - places where no aid has yet reached. This will form a regular feature of our programme for the next few weeks.

One other programme I've not mentioned often is our orphanage support programme. We have been blessed with a number of volunteers who have just made their way to Haiti, shown up and asked if we could use their help. One of these is Mike from the USA. He came with a passion to seek out orphanages and see to see if they need help. We thought that was a great idea and asigned an officer to work with him. Together they have assessed a number of sites and we have released food and tents where they are needed. In the last 2 weeks Mike has been able to deliver 45,000 meals to help children who are without the care of parents. They truly are God's children and we honour Mike and his ministry.

You might like to check out the few pics that I have added to the right of this blog - I mentioned the young man scavenging in the refuse canal yesterday.

By the way, many of you were alerted to the work of The Salvation Army through the powerful and emotional news interviews that featured Bob Poff - the Divisional Emergency Director. For the last couple of weeks Vicky, his wife, has been very poorly and hospitalised in the USA. Today Bob received the great news that she is well enough to leave hospital - we thank God for answered prayer.

Deployment diary day 17: Wednesday 3rd February

2010-02-03T23:10:00.002Z

Today marks the end of the first half of my deployment. I can't believe it's only been two and a half weeks since I arrived, so much has happened.

Team news first - the virus continues to spread through the team - more in bed today and others staying pretty close to the bathroom.

This morning we had a very constructive meeting about the clinic. We've had a number of rotations of doctors and medical personnel. Each team numbers 12 or 14 and comes for a week. I really take my hat off to them. They see some horrible sights and deal with them in very limited conditions. They also sleep at the clinic in the compound - sharing a couple of empty classrooms with open sides. They are right in the middle of the smoke and grime of the city - no comfortable hotel room for them. Patient numbers remain high - although they say the number of earthquake related treatments are falling and more general health concerns coming in. The treatment of wounds is a major problem. Every day patients return to have wounds cleaned and re-dressed - but the poor conditions in the camp mean that healing is a slow process.

This afternoon we had a very key meeting with the team from the International Organisation for Migration and UNHCR. These 2 groups are the main agencies responsible for emergency shelter. We've been asking for their help - and fortunately they want to give it as they recognise the situation in our camp is probably as serious as it gets. We have to find a way to move people off the camp, create a drainage ditch around the soccer pitch (because the rains are coming in March) and then put people back into a better shelter. Of course, this will only be possible if we can find more land to re-site some and also find ways to enable families to return home.

I've blogged often about the camp - so I've included some pics of it today.

I've also mentioned the sewage channel that separates our two compounds. As I came back to the compound today I saw a young man scavenging in it. I couldn't believe it! It just reminded me how desperate some people are.

Deployment diary day 16: Tuesday 2nd February

2010-02-02T23:10:00.002Z

Good news - back in the land of the living! Thanks for the messages of goodwill and prayers. Can I ask they continue for the team, please. A nasty virus has got to us. Many have been sick and a few more were in bed today - it's sweeping through. I have to say, if we are struggling, despite the blessing of a comfortable hotel room, running water and flush toilets - what on earth must life be life for those living in the camp.

This afternoon I walked with Damaris through the camp. We've discovered a building alongside the soccer pitch that was probably a changing room. There is a room that Damaris has had cleaned out and which will be her 'Camp management office'. She will meet the members of the camp committee there and the office will be open every day to meet with her. We also found that there are 6 showers. So these will be cleaned out and turned into bucket showers. It was a good find - but think about it for a minute - 3,200 families - 6 showers!!! I have 2 daughters and a wife - I often found it hard to get in the bathroom. I'm not making a joke of it - it really highlights how bad things are in the camp. As I walked round today families are living in makeshift dwellings, fashioned out of scavenged wood and bits of material. Each shelter is about the same size - 2.5 metres x 2.5 metres - with a family averaging 5 people living in there. I saw a young boy, probably about 10 or 12 with his whole leg in plaster - the cast was filthy and he was just lying on the floor. The field hospital has said that they are struggling to discharge those that have been brought in for emergency amputations because they don't have a covered shelter to go home to. Can you even try to imagine that?

I came back from the camp - I felt dirty and smelly and I'd been there 30 minutes. I felt really ashamed of myself for the feelings I had experienced. These are the people we have come to serve - these are children of God, made in His image and no less significant to Him than you or I.

On the plus side, we had some food left over from yesterday's distribution so the 82nd asked if we would send 2 team members to distribute it today. It amounted to around 80,000 meals and Steve said the distribution went very smoothly.

This afternoon we relocated the Command centre into an office suite that DHQ have rented as their new place. The current DHQ is damaged beyond repair and they need to get the organisation of The Salvation Army up and running efficiently as soon as possible. This should make the running of the place much more efficient. The new office has a room big enough for us - see the pic at the top. It will also be away from the sewage canal and the smoke so will be a much better working environment, health-wise. As we move a quarter mile away we just mustn't lose site of the needs of those in the camp.

More team changes yesterday and today - the operation carries on. I'm always amazed at the way people arrive in a situation that is so alien and yet they just hit the ground running. I'm very proud of them.

Deployment diary day 15: Monday 1st February

2010-02-02T11:12:00.003Z

Well today was a bit of a 'write-off' for me. The day was spent in bed recovering. Fortunately, the diagnosis of malaria turned out to be wrong - but a nasty virus has got to a few of the group. A number of the team that returned home at the weekend have reported ill and I wasn't the only one sick here. Conditions here are rough and the long days are hard physically. Good news - by the end of the day (after 2 days of sleeping) I am feeling better.

Whilst I slept the team had their busiest day so far. We distributed 465,000 meals to the camp today - taking our total so far to 1.1 million. That has to be a record for Salvation Army food distribution. The guys from the 82nd are absolute stars and we couldn't manage without them. They regulalry come in and meet with us to see how we can improve our distribution processes.

The UN WFP 'surge' starts this week. The UN finally have food stocks in country and are distributing it through a number of agencies across Port au Prince. There is some debate about it as they are distributing 'first come, first served' as opposed to rations cards. They are also only allowing women in the lines. It makes for a safer line but as the ration they are giving out is a 50lb bag of rice per person it will be very hard for some of the women to physically carry that away. I'm not sure I could carry a bag that size very far.

With the 'surge' happening in the city we plan to start concentrating out efforts in the remote towns and villages. We now have a team in Petit Goave and plan to send a team down to Jacmel in a couple of days to firm up on the assessment work we did over the weekend.

The other good news was that the truck we ordered from the Dominican Republic finally arrived yesterday. Logistics continues to be our biggest headache - limited vehicles and no warehouse make life tough for the team. But the spirit here is good and we look forward to embedding the 6 new team members that arrived today and having some fresh energy.

PS to respond to an earlier comment, 'NGO' stands for 'Non Government Organisation'

Deployment diary day 14: Sunday 31st January

2010-02-01T14:43:00.001Z

Today was a memorable day for a couple of reasons. A small team of us set off for Jacmel, which is on the south coast of the island, to assess the situation there. The road has only just been reopened and cleared for traffic. The journey takes you right across the mountains. It is a hair-raising drive at the best of times - narrow, twisting roads and very high mountains. At the moment it is made worse by the large boulders and land slides that came down during the earthquake and which block the road - reducing traffic to a single file. It is also rather un-nerving when you see the cracks right across the road and wonder if the bit you are driving on will break away and slide down the mountain!

Jacmel is a small town - quaint and historic. It has suffered terribly in the earthquake with 50% destuction of homes. There are few agencies working there so it wil be an ideal location for us to set up a satellite operation. We have a corps there with a school and compound.

I can't tell you much more about the day as I was unable to actually undertake the assessment. I woke feeling ill and got progressively worse during the journey. The officer at Jacmel kindly found me a camp bed and I spent the day sleeping while the team assessed. Needless to say, I was pleased to get home again last night and have the doc check me over. She thinks I have malaria - so I will be staying in at the hotel tomorrow to see if I can shake it off. So tomorrow's blog may be thin.

I should be grateful - I have been doing emergency work for 14 years and this is the first time I have been taken ill while away. Feel a bit of a lame duck today and hope I will be better soon. Prayers for a speedy recovery would be appreciated.

Deployment diary day 13: Saturday 30th January

2010-01-30T23:27:00.002Z

Situations such as these help frame your sense of values, I think. We take so many things for granted at home - running water, food, shelter and a bathroom. Many people are denied these basic things - even without being in an emergency situation. Life for some is just lacking in dignity.

One of our biggest challenges for the emergency team here in Port au Prince is how to care for those living in the camp behind the corps compound. It has become congested beyond description and the small team trying to move things forward are facing many challenges.

One of these is the need to install latrines. The 'rule' used by NGOs in disaster response is that there should be one toilet for every 20 people. We have a camp population of 15,000 - so our goal should be 750 toilets. The limited space we have means we are struggling to hit the 100 mark. Today one of our partners who is helping us came to start the process of installing more toilets. When we went to the site we discovered the space planned for them had been taken over by new arrivals. We sent a small delegation out to negotiate with them - they have nowhere else to go. We expected serious trouble. Instead, when given the choice of moving somewhere else or preventing the installation of more toilets, they willingly agreed to move. They know that for the whole community, having even the most inadequate toilets is better than none at all.

Today just 2 of our team have been in the worst part of this city working with the 82nd Airborn to distribute around 174,000 meals. That's an incredible achievement - particularly in view of the highly volatile community.

Other team members were busy receiving the next supplies of food at the airport and also transporting team members back and forwards to the airport as we said farewell to existing team members and hello to new ones. The medical team changed as usual - the pic shows some of the team. The new team have got straight to work - it amazes me how quickly folks plug into their new responsibilities.

Tomorrow a small group of us will try to make it over the mountains to Jacmel in the south of the country. We want to assess the situation and the possibility of setting up a satellite operation there. It will be a very long day - so keep us in your prayers as we travel.

Deployment diary day 12: Friday 28th January

2010-01-29T23:29:00.005Z

Today was another one of those days when I was really proud to be a Salvationist. We have a great team here - but the official team is only part of the force moving The Salvation Army's programme forward. We have a whole host of volunteers who work alongside us. Links with the corps in the Island of Turks and Cacos resulted in a team of fire fighters and an engineer coming to work with us. Shona, their engineer, has worked unstintingly - particularly in recent days since we were appointed as the official managers of the camp. She is using skills learned on an emergency site planning course (with RedR) to help us plan out the camp. It's a huge challenge and she never stops working.

Our logistics guy, Craig, is an American Salvationist who works for UPS. His company has released him to run our logisitics operations. When he starts talking of 'skids' (that's pallets to the uninitiated!) and other technical things I'm reminded that there are so many skills needed to make a team. I don't have his skills - but he has made them available to us and we would be the poorer without him. Today he announced a project that he and UPS have put together to help us. We have 3,000 families registered in our camp. Each distribution means issuing a ratio card and then checking eligibility when they line up for food. UPS has offered to take our family register and produce Family ID cards with a bar code. So in future, as each person comes through the line, their ID will be scanned and the software will track exactly what they have received and when. Talk about hi-tech relief work - makes me feel a bit of a dinosaur!

The best bit of today was when the Colonel from the 82nd Airborn visited (along with his team of rather imposing officers and NCOs). He congratulated TSA for our work and distribution of around 400,000 meals to date. It was amazing to hear such a high ranking officer speak so highly of our efforts. He talked of the importance of getting food out and then asked for our help. As far as he is concerned, TSA is really doing the business. While others are talking about supplies in the pipeline - we are up and running. He asked if we could possibly help get urgently needed food into areas that had not yet received supplies. Of course, our immediate response was, 'Yes, Sir!' As a result we will be going with the 82nd to distribute 174,000 meals tomorrow. They are desperate to get rations out to help reduce the need. I have confidence that they will provide the security and our distribution team of 4 will help the 82nd make sure food gets where it's needed.

I was so proud of the team and their ability to step up to the plate. I was also thrilled by the response of our support team back in Washington. When we gave them the news that the food stored for this coming week was being given out tomorrow and that we would need more they simply said, 'don't worry - we'll get more to you'. Thanks, folks!

Tonight we welcome new team members - including 4 Hatian officers from other parts of the territory and a couple of new folks from the USA. We pray they quickly feel at home in the team.

Deployment diary day 11: Thursday 27th January

2010-01-29T12:04:00.000Z

As I reported in the blog yesterday, today we went to Petit Goave (which means 'Little Grove') to conduct our first distribution of food there. From a personal point of view, I was really looking forward to it as an opportunity to get out of the Command Centre on the SA compound and take a look at the country of Haiti. My role keeps me very much within the Command Centre. Others are out and about around town and get to see a little of what is going on - so today I had my chance. Plus, Petit Goave is a 2 hour drive, west along the coast road - so I would have chance to see how the towns and villages along that route were affected.

The team started work early in the morning. A work team of 6 went to the airport at 3am to load the trucks in readiness. At 8am a few more of us joined them there to await the arrival of our military escort. While we waited the lead car set off for Petit Goave to check out the site and make sure that was ready. Just before 9am our convoy arrived - UN troops from the Philippines - and we set off. We were a little nervous driving through the city. There have been reports of looting from convoys and, although these have not been substatiated, they leave you a little anxious. All went well and we soon found outselves on the outskirts of the capital. Even though this is a major city there are still sections of road where tarmac ends and gravel sections begin. These are difficult terrain and slow progress down. The other thing that hits you as you drive is that every section of the town is damaged - the whole capital city is suffering.
About an hour after setting off we were beginning to leave the captial and for the first time getting a view of the coastline. It's a beautiful country here - and the contract between natural beauty and the effects of natural disaster and stark. The journey, which would normally take 1 and a half hours, took us 3. In many of the mountain roads large boulders were dislodged from the hills blocking the road. Eventually we arrived in PG at about 12noon. We have driven 3 hours yet every community we passed had been devestated by the quake - few homes remained intact. Every few miles there were hastily made signs saying 'help us, we need food and water', errected by villagers hoping to catch the eye of passing convoys.
On the outskirts of Petit Goave we waiting to pick up our military support group - this time UN troops from Sri Lanka. Nice guys, but not large in stature and certainly not with the presence of the 82nd Airbourne!
The distribution took place in the SA compound. Vouchers had been given to 800 families and we were giving out 170,000 meals - 2 weeks supply of food. I can't say it was an easy distribution - but we left having given out to 840 families.
There is need everywhere in this country - while we had been waiting at the airport this morning doctors working in a field hospital asked if we could supply tents to them for their patients. They are treating seriuously ill people - some are given amputations of limbs. They then send them out to nothing - so we will provide tents so they at least can take some shelter away with them.
Every day brings new challenges but new opportunities.

Deployment diary day 10: Wednesday 25th January

2010-01-28T12:28:00.001Z

We are now into the third week after the earthquake. Amazingly, the media are reporting the recovery of a 17 year old survivor pulled from the rubble today. That's 15 days after the quake - incredible.

Signs of returning to normality are being talked about. It's so hard to get one's head around that concept of 'normality'. I know that Haiti is a very poor country - things were not good here even before the earthquake. Food has always been a precious commodity and shelter for many in the suburbs very limited.

However, when I walk around the camp I find it a very uncomfortable thought that this could even remotely considered normal. Families are living in very basic shelters fashioned with pieces of scavenged wood and material. Some families live in areas not much more than 2m x 2m square. Outside these homes families set up stalls to trade charcoal, sundries and sweets - all to try and make a small amount of money.

Today our focus was on the camp. The biggest challenges are the sheer numbers living there - about 3,000 and how to shelter them. If we are to do anything to improve their shelters (such as giving tents) some very delicate and sensitive discussions will need to take place as to how to move them around. Some will need to be persuaded to move out or move on to create a little extra space - but where do they go? Yesterday Damaris, our Camp manager, and Shona, our volunteer engineer and site planner, met with members of the community to start those very sensitive discussions. They made some headway and will meet again with the group every day.

Tonight our team will be up at 3am to pack food supplies ready for the distribution in Petit Goave on Thursday - 174,000 meals are going out. I'll tell you how we get on tomorrow.

The best news of the day was a meeting with the Colonel from 82nd Airborn. He came with a few of his team to see how they could help us. We are having great support from them and they seem to think TSA are doing a good job, too. Great encouragement for us.

Thanks for your continued prayers. If you are reading this on Thursday offer a prayer for safety for us all at the distribution today.

Deployment diary day 9: Tuesday 25th January

2010-01-27T01:57:00.001Z

So what did the new day bring? After the extremely energetic day we all had yesterday a slightly less frantic day was hoped for. Physically, it was certainly an easier day - and we were all grateful for a breather. But life here doesn't stop and planning for the next relief distribution starts immediately. Tomorrow our food distribution and security coordinators head across to Petit Guave to meet with our satellite team there and ensure all the pieces are in place for a distribution of food tomorrow.We have had young people visiting the community to assess and register the families in preparation.

Our young assessment team in Port au Prince continue their work in the camp behind the compound. They think we are up to around 3,000 families there now - that's probably 15,000 people. The place is just crowded.

This afternoon I walked through the camp and was reminded again how resiliant people are. The children were playing football on the single patch of spare land remaining. Unless we can protect it, others wil come in and make a shelter there - so the kids need to play while they can. I saw a child yesterday flying a kite fashioned out of a coat hanger and a supermarket carrier bag. Yesterday, once we had allocated food rations to all the families with ration cards we gave the rest to others. Children were coming through the line, like these in the photo. They had no bag, so they removed their T shirts and used them as a bag to carry their meal rations!

Children all around the world pick up on things we do and say. In Iraq it was the 'thumbs up' sign. Here, as you walk through the camp, they point and say 'hey, you'. I have no idea who taught them that phrase, but it follows you wherever you go. Either that or 'blanc' (white). They say both in fun and with a smile.

The SA school on the compound opened some temporary classes this week in partnership with Kinder Not Hilfe - the sponsors of the school. It's great to see the younger children going back to class and returning to some sort of normality. Hopefully, others will get back soon.

I know that the media are giving out all kinds of messages back home - those times when difficulties arise will always make the news - but as I walked through the camp today everyone was pleasant and friendly - despite living in appalling conditions and with huge needs still to be met.

The reconstruction of this country will take years - many places will never be rebuilt - many of those could be schools, and the education of children could be another undeserving victim of this awful disaster. Today my hope is that you might spare a thought and a prayer for the children suffering here.

Deployment diary day 8: Monday 25th January

2010-01-26T12:57:00.004Z

Yesterday I started my blog with the phrase 'being an aid worker can be so frustrating at times'. Today I want to start, 'being an aid worker can be so fulfilling at times'. Thank God, today was one of those times and one of the reasons an aid worker packs their bag and heads into the field.

With some great planning by Jeff (our food distribution coordinator) Andre (our security liaison) and back breaking work by every single member of the team and volunteer staff, we managed to distribute 260,000 meals today!! Not bad for a days' work. Of course, it wouldn't have been possible without the SAWSO support team back home getting the stock and finding a way to fly it over to us and, of course, the magnificent help of the US 82nd Airborn. Those guys were superb!

You will see from the picture that the Army compound is actually in 2 halves, separated by a drainage/sewerage canal. From the photo - DHQ is on the right hand side - the school, corps, children's home and clinic are on the other side. That layout enables us to funnel the queue along and through a carefully guarded pathway and to block the entrance and access points off with US Army vehicles. When the distribution ended we lined up along the DHQ side to applaud the 82nd as they left. Incredibly, as those who hadn't managed to get food followed them along the path, even they smiled and waved at us to say thanks for bringing the food into their community. I was fearing a riot - but received just the opposite, It was an amazing experience for all concerned.

Actually, if that's all that had happened it would have been a great day - but in addition to that we also dispatched a team of 2 officers and 3 doctors to the town of Petit Guave to establish a satellite command centre and clinic in that badly hit town. Plus we had a very positive meeting with a couple of NGO partners who are going to work closely with us to help turn a sprawling array of 2,500 shelters into something resembling a displaced persons camp, and then we met tonight with a couple of faith based agencies working in the outlaying areas of the capital to see if there might be possibilities to colaborate and ..... the clinic had its' busiest day so far and treated over 300 earthquake survivors (many of whom were very ill or badly injured).

Great day to be an aid worker - great day to be part of The Salvation Army - and great day to be able to serve God in this situation. Thanks for your prayers.

Oh - and tomorrow is a new day - wonder what that'll bring??

Deployment diary day 7: Sunday 24th January

2010-01-25T13:02:00.002Z

Being an aid worker can be SO frustrating at times. Today we geared up for the first distribution of food since my arrival here. The earlier team had completed one successful distribution and one not so successful one so we went into today with some real enthusiasm and an element of trepidation. The distribution team worked really hard to set things up carefully, making sure we and the beneficiaries would stay safe and that food would be distributed in a dignified way. This would be a UN dry ration distribution - scoops of rice, beans and oil - having to measure out rations of rice, beans and oil is messy, inaccurate and slow. So this added to our concerns.

So - we were a little on edge. Then we waited, and waited, and waited.....

Mid way through the afternoon we contacted the World Food Programme to ask where the trucks were. A simple text message came back 'the trucks aren't coming today' - that was it. What a let down!! We have no idea why they didn't come - but we heard rumours later that the trucks had been high jacked en route between the airport and our compound. We don't know for sure what happened - all we know is we had no food and lots of disappointed people.

As we were wondering what to do we had a visit from troops of the US 82nd Airborne division. You may have heard on the news that the US troops are here in substantial numbers - but they've not been allowed to support the UN Peace keeping forces in the security operation for relief goods up to now.I don't know what has changed - but we've been offered a troop of the 82nd who will help us. They have been assigned this part of town as their patch. Thank the Lord for this blessing! So, tomorrow (Monday) we plan to distribute food to 2,300 families (that's 11,500 people) living in the tent camp behind our compound. The 82nd are going to ride 'shotgun' to get the food to us from the airport and then stand protection to keep the crowd calm and in order.

The disappointment of today was huge - but we think now we have a much better and workable system and hope it will open the door to rolling food out in huge quantity.

My day has been much longer than usual. We have spent the last 3 hours down at the compound with the crew from Fox news. They have been filming our work and planned to do a short piece live on the Jeraldo Rivera 10pm show. They had a few of us lined up for interview - but as the time got nearer things got changed and I was to be the only interviewee. Fox News is BIG in the USA so it was pretty scary - especially knowing that media reporters often try to lead you into supporting their particular message. With a live piece they can throw whatever question they want at you with no thinking time to respond. When we went live I was asked 2 questions - and was quickly closed down before I could say all I wanted. The piece seemed to last just a few seconds and yet preparing for it had used up the whole night. The good thing is that the SA made air time on a huge show and the story is getting out. I hope I didn't say the wrong thing - I suppose I'll know if I still have a job in the morning. Ah well, who said life should be easy???

Deployment diary day 6: Saturday 23rd January

2010-01-24T18:17:00.000Z

Today has been a day where I've been very aware of contrasts. Firstly, I write this sitting in a room of the 'Coconut Villa' hotel. It wouldn't compare with the Hilton back home, but by contrast to the situation around me it is luxurious. I have electricity, water (cold) and, for the moment at least, air conditioning. We even have an internet connection in the restaurant. That's pretty good by anyone's standards. The hotel is one of a very still standing and has suffered virtually no damage. Drive out of the gate and the buildings all around it are completely flattened.

The Salvation Army was one of the first NGOs to send international staff into Haiti. Because we already had a presence here our headquarters identified somewhere for their visitors (us) to stay. Even over the 4 days I have been here I've noticed a change. The place is full now, buzzing with the hustle and bustle of NGO staff and media teams. By the way, I realise that by telling you this I've lost all your sympathy and good will :-)

The contrasts are many. There's the contrast between my current 'home' and the homes of those around me. Then there are the contrasts within our team. Some of our team are doctors. They have chosen to remain in the compound and live in the clinic where they are working. The clinic backs onto the sports ground which has become the camp. One of our doctors, Dr Herb, was telling me this evening that the stench from the camp and the sanitation canal that runs by it, is so bad that he has to tie a facemask over his nose and mouth at night to help him sleep. Yet he stays in the clinic of his own choice to be close to the patients he has come here to care for.

There's the contrasts in work roles. As incident commander my duties revolve around the command centre. We've established something pretty efficient now. A square of desks in the centre of the room accommodate the key command roles so we can easily communicate with each other. Around the periphery of the room are other team members and partner NGO staff who support the SA. My work involves strategy, planning and management of the team. In contrast, some of our team members spend their whole day out and about, lifting and shifting in the very hot temperatures. Some were drenched by midday from the strenuous work they were doing. I thank God for colleagues who are willing to endure such hard physical work to support those who are in need.

Tomorrow is going to be a distribution day, food rations to 1700 families - that's about 8,500 people. I'm apprehensive about it - despite the planning and preparation that has been invested to try and ensure it works well.

But in a place where contrasts seem so stark, tomorrow will be a day of unity. Every one of those who come to receive food will be united in having suffered great loss from last week's earthquake. Every one is now living in a shelter or tent - afraid or unable to return home. And every person represented in our team will be united by the desire to show care and support to them - perhaps in just a small way - in order to demonstrate that they matter.

Your prayers for our distribution will be very much appreciated.

Deployment diary day 5: Friday 22nd January

2010-01-23T13:15:00.000Z

Despite a 2.30am arrival, the most recent team members to arrive were up for breakfast at 7am and ready for work at 8. The routine of the daily briefing at the command centre is being established and the new team took their places around the room eager to learn what the day's tasks were to be.

Immediately after the briefing the newbies were taken on a quick tour around the compound to induct them into life here in Haiti. Following this they were interviewed and assigned their roles. It has amazed me how quickly new personnel have emraced their new situation and role. For folks used to working in North America, life is so different here - yet team members are slotting in and getting things done veryu quickly.

As I look at those families around us I have even grater admiration for their ability to adjust to something new and to cope with it. Life seems to go on - despite the terrible loss and huge adjustments being made. As we drove home at the end of the day (and rather later than usual) we found that the roads had been blocked on one side. People were setting up their beds for the night and preparing to sleep in the street. The level of destruction here is incredible - much more extensive than I have witnessed in earthquakes at Peru or Pakistan. Very few buildings have survived unscathed. The earth tremours continue daily - so it is no surpirse at all that locals refuse to use those buildings that remain standing. Most look severely weakened and reamin vulnerable. So life for most is now a tent or a makshift shelter. Yet they still smile, laugh and carry on with family life.

Our focus for the next few days is very clear:

1. We support our exisiting clinic programme - resiting it into a stronger building which is being prepared and adapted to take it. Occasional we receive an urgent call from the clinic and transport someone to hospital. The medical ship USS Comfort has also been a godsend.
2. Assess and register those who are living on the sports ground, SA compound and plaza behind DHQ.
3. Prepare for some major distributions which will take place in the next week. We have a ration distribution in partnership with WFP for 10,000 prople lined up very soon and then receive our own incoming supplies of 1.3 million meals and 3,000 tents.
4. Assessing of remote sites. A team head out soon to Petit Goave to gather information there and see whether we can set up remote distributions and clinic facilities.

A team of 30 young people from the local corps were involved today with the local assessment and registration. They returned saying how welcome they had been made by the local people. THey saw their SA T shirts and knew you and what they were. This is testimony to the ministry of the Army in this community for over 50 years. Thank God for the fatihful witness of Salvationists around the world.

Deployment diary day 4: Thursday 21st January

2010-01-22T11:55:00.000Z

The feeling of being the new kid on the block very quickly starts to fade here. It's the end of only my second day in Haiti but I feel like I've been here weeks. Yesterday was spent trying to create an organisational system and asigning roles to team members. My good friend John Berglund (from New York) and I are sharing the management of this programme. He's bringing his knowledge of the Incident Command system used across North American Emergency Disaster Services to help shape our organisational structure. I hope I can contribute lessons learned from various international disasters to help shape programme element.

The 6 new team members arrived early this morning (2am) but reported for duty at 8am. They were assessed and interviewed in order to appoint them to their roles. This team have been released for 2 weeks - but delays in getting over here mean we have them in the field for just 11 days. We;ll be going through the same process of evaluation and assignment in less than 2 weeks.

The second half of the new team arrives tonight - they will be slotted into their roles tomorrow.

The clinic here continues to go well - seeing over 250 patients each day. The medical staff are doing a great job with limited resources.

This afternoon we put together a team of 25 young adults to help us with assesing the community. They helped design an assessment form and will launch out tomorrow to find out just how many people we have settled in the camp behind our compound.

Tonight's team meeting was intense. We have our first chartered cargo plane arriving tomorrow in Dominican Republic. Carrying food and water the cargo will be transferred into two trucks and driven across to Haiti. We haven't yet found a warehouse - there are non available here - so we will have to get these goods out almost immediately. That's especially the case as we are receiving two more planes during the next week carrying 1.3 million pre-prepared meals and 3,000 tents. The challenges involved in distributing them are enormous but, if we can get the distributions completed effectively, will mean a huge amount of aid reaching our local community.

Today we have again been reminded of the vulnerability of this part of the world. I counted 4 aftershocks today which were sufficient to have us all running out of the room into the open air. I really dislike these and pray they will ease off quickly.

Have heard that I will be doing a round of BBC radio interviews again this Sunday morning live from Port au Prince. Unfortunately, doing the breakfast show at 8am in the UK is only 3am here - so not much rest saturday night, eh? Thanks for checking in on the blog from time to time - and for the helpful prayer support.

Haiti Deployment Diary: Day 3, Wednesday 20th January

2010-01-20T13:11:00.000Z

First day in the field always feels like a baptism of fire – this morning was no different. It started at 6am when we were rudely interrupted by a severe aftershock. Rated 6.1 on the Richter scale it brought down a number of buildings in Port au Prince. Fortunately, the hotel we are straying in seems quite secure and we were safe.

My work day started with the daily team briefing. Our team is in a state of flux at the moment. Those who managed to get in very quickly after the earthquake are already heading out. The new team members arrive during the next couple of days. But passing over of essential information and ensuring institutional memory is not lost is challenging.

During the briefing we were reminded that life and death are inseparable. During the evening the medical team in our clinic safely delivered two babies – born to mothers living in tents on our compound.

To help understand the situation I was taken around The Salvation Army’s large compound. I was joined by a structural engineer who made a brief assessment of the buildings. The Haitian people refuse to go inside – still afraid of collapse. Looking at the poor condition of many of the buildings still standing, I fully appreciate their feelings. However, some buildings survived with minimal superficial damage so we wanted to assess whether they could be used.

This assessment gave me opportunity to walk through the camp that has been informal set up by the local community. The resilience of the people is amazing. The local economy is getting going again with people setting up small stalls outside their tents. Actually, it would be wrong to talk of tents – most families have cobbled together a shelter using scavenged materials. There are few tents and no toilets.

The water supply is poor – children swarm around asking for water or food. But they do it with a smile on their face and are happy to hold hands with the relief workers as they walk around.

The Salvation Army’s work largely revolves around the medical clinic being staffed by a team of international doctors. During the last couple of days they have treated over 200 patients each day.

Getting relief supplies is still a huge challenge. Flights offer very limited cargo facilities – we haven’t yet secured a safe warehouse and the distributions we have managed to do have been very difficult. Yesterday there was a riot. We had a supply of Croc shoes – the community broke into the storage area and ransacked it. On the plus side – as I walked around the community yesterday there were some very colourful shoes being worn!!

Last night we sent a few of the early team members home and new ones arrived. Today the same thing happens. So by tomorrow the team will have virtually changed. There’s a challenge to ensure all the institutional memory is passed over and things don’t fall between the cracks.

Tomorrow is a new day and we’ll start focussing on finding a warehouse and assessing community needs. The team are all well and grateful for the many messages of support and prayer.

Haiti Deployment Diary: Day 2, Tuesday 19th January

2010-01-19T12:07:00.000Z

The old saying, familiar in military circles, 'hurry up and wait' is so often true in emergency relief work, too. This morning we gathered for our team briefing at 8.30am in our Fort Laudedale hotel to be told to be ready with bags packed at 1.30pm. The plan was that we would drive to Miami and then join a charter flight to take us to Haiti. By late morning word reached us that the flight was cancelled and our rooms at the hotel were rebooked for another night.

When you have a team of relief workers who have quickly gathered possessions and their emergency kit and left home and families at a days’ notice to head for a disaster zone, news that you are spending another day in a hotel is not what you want to hear.

But things are very fluid just now both in the field and as far as logistic are concerned. At 2pm a frantic call came round - a flight had been fixed and we could get 5 of the team out today. Word was ‘you have to be at the airport in 10 minutes’. So a very quick dash saw the 5 selected team members at the small civilian airfield having cases weighed to see if the 8 seater plane could carry us and all our kit. We had 200 pounds free weight to spare so enough room to add some tents and medical supplies ready for a 4.30pm departure.

The 5 chosen included 2 doctors, a Haitian Salvation Army officer now stationed in the USA, a retired but experienced disaster responder - and me!

The small plane has already made 5 round trips to Haiti in the last few days. The pilot, a local Salvationist, knows the score well now. His plan was to get us to the Turks and Caicos islands for refuelling and then onto Haiti to make the agreed landing slot at 10.45pm.

The team headed out with an air of nervous anticipation at what lay ahead, mixed with relief to be actually on the way. Our colleagues left behind will join us over the next couple of days but we carry their prayers and best wishes.

After 3 and a half hours we made the refuelling stop (both for the plane and us) and then a further hour and a half found us landing in Port au Prince to be met on the tarmac by colleagues in 2 cars to take us to our accommodation. Well – we’re here! It was pitch black on arrival and we collapsed straight into bed – so I’ll post more tomorrow when I am up to speed with our relief programme and the news about the community.

Haiti Deployment Diary: Day 1, Monday 18th January

2010-01-18T04:01:00.000Z

Welcome to my deployment diary on day 1 - the calm before the storm! After 4 days of preparation it was good today to set off to the airport this morning and get onto the flight headed for Fort Laudedale via Atlanta.

Having not worn the Emergency Services kit for 18 months it felt really good to put the vest on again - it felt really comfortable to be back in the 'fellowship of the T shirt' again.

The Salvation Army is a wonderful, world-wide fellowship. It's large and big enough to do amazing things - yet so small that we know each other as friends. I finally arrived at my hotel at 11pm (which was 4.00am Tuesday in the UK). As I walked through the entrance I was greeted by a bear hug of a welcome from my dear friend Jerry Larsen. He's just arrived today from Chicago and will be heading out tomorrow as part of the next group of 16 relief staff. Jerry is now retired but he and first worked together in Albania in 1999 and have worked together many times since in places such as Iraq and Pakistan. As I shook hands with others waiting in the lobby to check in there were warm greetings from Bob Poff's son and then from Dave Dalberg's son. Made me feel old when they started talking about my working relationship with their fathers! But how great to be on the other side of the world with friends from years gone by.

The good news is that the IES team that arrived here on Saturday have made it to Haiti today. The plan for us is to depart here at 2pm tomorrow and drive to Miami where we are being flown down to Haiti.

News from Haiti today is that the first SA distribution of MRE's (meals ready to eat) took place safely and peacefully today. Not sure quantities yet but will find out tomorrow.

Tonight my king size hotel bed (!) beckons now - I'll make the most of a comfy nights' sleep before heading out tomorrow. Internet connection permitting, I'll try and keep this blog diary up to date daily - so if you are at all interested in this informal view from the field feel free to look in from time to time.

Before I go - just a thought to close. We often question the value of SA uniform and some are quick to say it has had its day. On many occasions today I've received lovely greetings from fellow passengers who have seen the large Red Shield on the back of my vest and who have taken the time to ask what I was doing and where I was going. The cabin crew on the Delta flight from London came over and said they would pray for us in the coming days. Thank God for visibility and for the wonderful goodwill of so many people towards The Salvation Army.

Standing before our Maker

2009-01-01T21:07:00.008Z

Happy New Year!
After the relative (and I use that word with all its meanings) busyness of the Christmas period, today's New Year holiday has been a wonderfully relaxed and lazy day. A slow start, with brunch at a Port Solent restaurant led into a day of 'West Wing' videos (only punctuated by a brisk 60 mile motorbike ride in the cold during the late afternoon).
I confess I love West Wing and the fast-moving dramatisation of American politics. I know it's only fiction but I'm sure there's lots to be learned from it of the role that America plays in the world order. The story lines are so intriguingly gripping and the writing really draws you into the lives of the characters. I'm working my way through series 5 and have watched about 10 episodes today - just 5 more and I can move on to series 6 and 7! Free time will be severely limited again when we go back to work tomorrow so I imagine it will be next Christmas before I finish them all.
One episode stood out this afternoon. It chronicled the death and funeral of a past President, all played out over the back drop of nuclear testing and Middle East tension. The final scenes saw current President (Jed Bartlett) reading a letter from his dead predecessor, encouraging him to visit the Lincoln Memorial and 'listen'. The programme ended with a shot of Bartlett standing in front of the huge statue of Abraham Lincoln. It was great to see the shots of Bartlett standing exactly where Lyn and I had stood when we visited the Memorial a few years ago (check out Lyn's picture, below, with Lincoln shrouded for cleaning).
More than the memory of a previous visit, I was touched by the image of the fictional 'most powerful man in the world' looking minuscule in front of the imposing statue of his forbear and founding father.
As the credits rolled I couldn't help but translate that image into one of man standing before the Lord - the contrast between His power and majesty and humankind's insignificance. yet, despite the contrast, an awareness that God values us not as inferior and worthless but as valuable and significant. I recalled those well-known verses from Psalm 8 -

3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

As we enter this New Year I give thanks that God values me. That I stand before Him, not as insignificant and worthless, but as one who He wants to have a relationship with and as one who is 'crowned with glory and honour'. I have no idea what the coming 12 months have in store for me, but I pray that I will do all I can to try and learn about Him and listen to what He has to say to me.

Hidden gems

2008-12-27T19:20:00.003Z

Blessings often exist right under our noses, don't they? Actually, having been gifted with a rather large nose (courtesy of the Hills family gene pool) my opening comment might be interpreted as an understatement!
This morning we headed out of Portsmouth to a little village called Wickham. It wasn't far - about 10 miles - but a place we'd never visited before. As we witnessed the lines of vehicles streaming into the city today we were pleased to be heading out in the opposite direction.
After parking up in the village square we took a brief walk around before settling into 'Lilly's Coffee shop' for that most charming of British customs - 'elevenses'. It was a real gem of a place - old fashioned building, comfy decor and a real fire burning in the corner. The drinks, toasted tea-cakes and cakes were wonderful, too. I'd recommend it. Just around the corner but we'd never been there before.
It's often the case that we look for blessings miles away but so often fail to see those that we have right at hand. Tomorrow I return to work (well, briefly, anyway) and I write this blog reflecting on the lovely days I've enjoyed over the Christmas break. It's been great to see Mum, my daughters and their boyfriends. During the next couple of days we'll catch up with more family and I know we'll have a great time. It's easy to take for granted those closest to us.
I've just watched this evening's news on BBC and seen the footage of the carnage in Gaza and the results of air strikes today. I see families mourning for lost loved ones and others living in fear. When I see the suffering it reminds me in bleak tones that I really shouldn't take my peaceful and blessed life for granted.
At a time of year when thoughts all around the world have turned to the Middle East and particularly the town of Bethlehem, the contrast between the evolved folklore of which we have been singing and the reality of life there now seems stark.
With the people of Irael and Gaza in mind, I leave with a prayer for peace composed by a Jewish Rabbi:
This we know:
Fear can yield to faith, hope can reignite
Rage can cease, hatred can be melted. . . .
Merciful One, illumine the sight of your children
To see You in each other's eyes.
Merciful One, spread the canopy of your peace over us,
Over Israel, over Ishmael, over all who dwell on earth. Amen
Rabbi Sheila Weinberg

The sun on your back

2008-12-26T17:14:00.003Z

Boxing Days are great, aren't they? In my 'former life' as a retail manager Boxing Day was the first day of the sales - so Christmas holidays were pretty short affairs. In recent years Boxing Days carried some pretty special memories. It was on Boxing Day 2001 that the city of Bam, Iran, was hit by a terrible earthquake. This prompted some chaotic days over Christmas as we planned a trip out there and tried (unsuccessfully as it turned out) to get a visa to enter the country. I was actually heading out to the airport that year when I received a phone call from the British Embassy in Tehran informing m that the waiving of visas for humanitarian relief personnel had been withdrawn and that I wouldn't get in without one. I turned round, went home, and never did travel to Iran.
Then in 2002 the south Asian tsunami hit - throwing humanitarian agencies all around the world into a mad panic. I don't suppose I'll ever forget those feelings of helplessness as our office found ourselves trying to tie The Salvation Army's international support together and the horrendous days that followed. Ironically, today's newspaper (6 years on) carried a report that the people of Aceh in Indonesia are begging aid agencies to stop building new houses there as there aren't enough people to fill them! This mirrors what we (TSA) discovered - I learned just this year that there were not enough impacted families to take up the new homes and that they were being given to anyone who had been a family connection with a tsunami impacted family! Despite that, it's still reckoned that only half of the money donated to the tsunami appeals has even been spent.
Today life is rather more mundane. I haven't watched the news with bated breath wondering whether my bag should be packed and readied. However, it's not without new adventures. This morning I did something I've been meaning to do ever since arriving here in Portsmouth in the summer. I parked up near the Anglican cathedral and then jogged along the seafront as far as the Royal Marines museum in Eastney and back again. It was a lovely run - about 50 minutes in total. The place was inundated with families enjoying a walk along the sea wall - and dozens of fellow joggers jostling for space between and around the walkers. Jogging etiquette is interesting - there are those who nod and greet as you pass, others who ignore you (their loss, eh?). The run out of town was nice, but running into the sun and with a head wind I found my eyes and nose streaming and walkers just a dark shadow as I tried to jog around them.

Reaching the statue of the marine which marks the entrance to the museum I turned round and headed back again. What a difference - no longer squinting into the sun and with a gentle breeze blowing me along the homeward run was so much more enjoyable. I looked out over the sea and noticed the boats and ferries making their way around the harbour. I could make out the faces of the people walking and enjoying each other's company. It's such a shame when we are so busy sceewing our eyes up to see and with our head down into the breeze that we miss the good things around us.

Reminded me of the words of an old Irish prayer, which I leave for you to ponder and of which I ask for my family and friends today:

An Old Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

New beginnings

2008-12-25T18:52:00.002Z

Well, today is Christmas Day - which means it's 7 months since my last posting. Hardly keeping things very regular and up to date here, eh?
Life has taken a few turns in that time (what with moving home and changing roles) and I've got out of the habit of posting. That's kind of a shame as the habit of trying to see what each day is showing you is a pretty good one to have.
Today's been a good day - a good Christmas Day. Rachel, Rebecca, her fiance - Chris, and my Mum have been with us and the joy of giving and receiving presents has been experienced again. Once again, I've been reminded how much thought and care Lyn puts into making this time of year special for us all. So much hard work has been invested into the dinner and the presents. Nothing happens on its' own, does it?
I suppose that is today's thought - you only get out of something what you invest into it. As I've spent time with my family I'm grateful for the love they have invested into making the family work - not just today, of course, but for years.
We are now in a new era. The girls are making their own lives (since we left them behind and moved south) and today has been a demonstration that they are growing up and becoming independent of us. That's a good thing - it's how families are supposed to evolve. Even just a couple of years ago I couldn't have predicted where we would all be and what we would be doing today. But God has been watching over us and has His hand upon us and I'm very proud of what the kids have become.
In posting today's blog it's a prompter for a new blogging start for a new blogging year! I'll try to get back into blogging mode and put down onto cyber notepaper some of the things I see around me and record (for my own sake more than anyone else's) what's going on in my world.
Happy Christmas!

2008-05-23T21:47:00.003+01:00

We've been back home and at work for a whole week now since returning from our holidays. Amazing how quickly the effects of the break wear off and even memories of a 'holiday of a lifetime' start to dim. We saw some wonderful sights as we toured the Rockies in Canada. Huge contrasts and extremes.

Despite the fact that my job gives me more opportunity to travel than I have any right to, I saw sights in Canada which were unique and amazing.

As we travelled the Icefield Parkway between lake Louise and Jasper, we passed through The Columbia Icefields and stopped off to take the official 'tour'. We were taken by bus up into the Icefield where we boarded a specially designed Ice Bus. each vehicle is hand-made and costs US$500,000. These vehicles cope with the incredibly steep slopes that take you up to the glaciers. As we journeyed, our guide filled us in with interesting facts about the glaciers. At the end of the trail we were allowed to have about 20 minutes walking on the glacier. We were told that the ice here was 400 metres thick.

It's hard to imagine that depth of ice. It feels rock solid - but it isn't. We learned that the weight of the glacier creates pressure on the ice layers beneath. I'm not a scientist, but I think I heard the guide say that this causes the lower ice layers to turn into something like gel, and the glacier actually moves slowly down the mountain, taking sludge and shale with it. You can't see the movement with the human eye, but special cameras record it as it moves.

The other interesting thought is that this icefield is essential for agriculture, economy and ecosystems not only across the whole of Canada but across that continent. Thawing ice feeds the rivers, the rivers irrigate the vast grain fields and stimulate life itself. The sad news is that the ice fields are shrinking/ Gradually, of course, but measurably. One day - not in my generation, I suppose - our world will be irrevocably changed and damaged by this shrinkage.

Science isn't my forte. I don't understand how all these things work. But as I look at such scenes I can't help but believe in a creator-God.

For centuries, believers have looked to nature and tried to capture their wonder and shape their thoughts into words of praise. Enjoy the pic and be encouraged by these verses:

Psalm 90: 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Psalm 104: 13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

Mountain high

2008-05-06T03:15:00.005+01:00

Today's been a good day. This morning we took the Banff Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain. It's about 8,000 feet high, and the cable car ride was pretty scary as I'm not over keen on heights. At points, the cable seemed a long way from the ground! I confess, I didn't think too much of the ride, but when we got to the top it was really worth it. I'll probably blog a few thoughts about the trip over the next couple of days, so will just share one thought today.When you get out of the cable car and into the visitor centre there's another fairly lengthy walk along a boardwalk to the very summit. The walk is not that long, but it's cold and very tiring. There are many steps and the air seems really thin. A number of others were giving up without getting to the top - Lyn and I persisted.Although we are now into spring and the official winter season is over, there was still a lot of snow on the ground. As we journeyed the board way we were joined by a number of goats; fairly large and obviously very hardy. Some were just sitting in the snow, others were foraging for food (and appearing quite successful). A couple decided to go for a walk right along the edge of the mountain - we were sure they were going to fall over the edge! We wondered how on earth they got up there and why on earth they stayed there? It was freezing, icy, damp (from the low clouds) and yet strangely airless.

To us it might seem an odd place to live, but it's what these animals were made for. Their natural habitat. Take them down to sea level and the heat of the desert and they wouldn't last 5 minutes.

It was a visual reminder that we aren't all the same. We feel comfortable in different surroundings and doing different things - because God made us that way. In 1 Corinthians 12: 27-28, Paul writes about the way God has gifted and made us as individuals: Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

I'm grateful we are not all the same and that we are able to respond differently to the situations we find ourselves in. And, by the way, we had a great time on the 'mountain top'!

Cats! This made me laugh

2008-05-03T16:46:00.001+01:00

Unexpected kindness

2008-05-02T23:41:00.004+01:00

Today marks the first day of our 'holiday' in Canada. I say that rather tongue in cheek. Not because we are not thrilled to be on holiday now, but because we have had so much fun during the last few days it would be hard to describe the last week as 'work'. The Emergency Disaster Services conference was asolutely fantastic. About 200 delegates gathered from across Canada (largely from the Prairies and British Columbia). Th conference organisors managed to pull in some excellent presenters and teachers (and I'm not referring to myself there, of course), so we really learned a lot from the classes we took. We met up again with some old friends, which came as a real reminder that the 'Army' is very much a small world with a great circle of friends.
Anyway, that's not really the subject for this post. This morning Lyn and I decided to head into downtown Calgary. Rather than take the car and struggle with strange roads and potentially high parking charges, we left the car at a Park and Ride and caught the train. The fun started when we tried to buy a ticket. It was a brand new train station but the automated ticket machines only accepted coins. No notes or debit cards. We rummaged through our wallets but we hadn't any change. We neede $5 and had less than 50 cents! The station was in the middle of nowhere, so no place to get some change. We stopped a few other travellers but no one had change of a $10 note. Just then, an elderly woman, who didn't appear to be the richest woman in town, came back and emptied her purse into our hands. She had exactly $5 in small coins, just the right amount we needed. She would hear nothing of our offers to find a way to reimburse her. A simple and unexpected kindness for two strangers who appeared in a bit of a tight spot. Started our day off in a really nice way. Wonder when the last time was that I showed such thoughtfulness?

Rising above the challenge

2008-04-29T12:08:00.002+01:00

This week Lyn and I are in Calgary, Canada, attending an Emergency Disaster services conference. There are about 200 delegates - which is a fantastic crowd to draw for the first ever emergency conference in this territory.
On the way over we flew via Chicago, where we had a long layover while waiting for our connecting flight. We found ourselves a comfy spot in the departures lounge and enjoyed a read. While we were waiting, a guy came up with 2 x big, heavy computer bags hung over his shoulders. When he chose his seat, just across the way from us, he bent down and swung the bag straps over his head. It was then I noticed that the sleeves of his jacket were just that - sleeves. He was no arms. He took off his jacket, then proceeded to make some phone calls using his feet to activate his phone and speaking into the bluetooth earpiece he was wearing. (the thought did cross my mind - how would he have coped without a bluetooth headset?). I couldn't help overhear his conversation - and judging by the things he was saying he obviously held down a very responsible job. At one point I noticed he was putting on a watch, using his feet to deftly fasten the leather strap. I don't know about you, but I find it hard enough to do up a watch strap using my fingers!
He boarded the same flight as us. After we landed and headed towards the immigration desk he came past us, heavy bags around his shoulders but walking purposefully towards the counter. When he got there he went to an automated booth; put the bag down, got his passport out using his feet, activated the machine in the same way and was through and away while we were still waiting in the line!
I mentioned to Lyn that I had been impressed by the deft way he had put his watch 'on his wrist'. Don't you mean 'on his ankle' - Lyn replied. Thinking about it, of course it was on his ankle - he hadn't any arms! It was then I realised that whilst his disability had initially drawn his attention to me, the way he himself had found ways to rise above that physical limitation and beat the challenge meant that I was no longer seeing it either.
We all face challenges in our lives - perhaps they are physical, maybe they are emotional or practical. But they don't have to prevent us getting on with life and making the most of what God has given us. If we don't make them an issue, chances are others won't either.
I thank God for the example that young man was to me at the airport and the inspiration he provided to get on with life and rise above the challenge.

Salvation Army video on You Tube

2008-04-12T18:06:00.002+01:00

I realise that I'm a bit behind the times, but I have just discovered a special section on You Tube called 'SalvationArmyvideo'. I found it when viewing a video of a special event that happened recently in Leicester Square, London. For some time FedEx have been good supporters of The Salvation Army's emergency response. This year they have donated 5 brand new canteens to be used in emergency ministry around the world. One canteen has been given to the UK territory. The vehicle was handed over at a special ceremony in the West End, and the film is available.
I've added a 'video bar' to this blog site (see over to the right of the page), where you should be able to click on and view the film. Check it out - it's worth a look (just allow a bit of time for it to be loaded as it's a high quality film - so a large file size)

Facing the future

2008-04-10T19:01:00.005+01:00

It seems a long time since I last 'blogged'. It's been a good few weeks. The last 10 days have been spent in southern India. Along with about 50 others from The Salvation Army we gathered in Kovalam to review how our tsunami response programmes have gone. (check out the photo slideshow on the right of this page)

Amazingly, over 3 years have passed since the Boxing Day tragedy of 2004. The public outpouring of generosity which swept like a wave over us in those early days have seen over US$60 million donated to The Salvation Army. That's fantastic - but also creates a huge level of responsibility to use the funds wisely and well. The conference took an honest look at our programmes; identifying strengths and weaknesses and trying to reach recommendations which will enable us to respond even better should something so terrible ever happen again.

As we spent the week reviewing the last 3 years I was reminded of a journey I made 11 years ago. I was heading to Bosnia to work in a welfare centre in Sarajevo, providing support to NATO troops deployed there. The RAF offered me a seat on a military troop carrier and I remember boarding the plane with soldiers heading for their posting as part of the peace keeping operation.

We were flying in a DC10 plane. The strange thing about these military planes is that the seats face backwards. It's an odd feeling when you thunder down the runway for takeoff straining against the seat belts as you try and stay in your seat. I'm told the seats are arranged this way because it is supposed to be safer. If the plane were to crash there are likely to be more survivors. It might feel strange, but looking back is safer than looking ahead.

Looking back is easy. Highlighting mistakes or picking holes in the way others have worked is no challenge. But having the courage to face the future and make changes based on lessons learned is much harder.

The future is unknown - and that can be scary. But the 'blank page' gives us a fresh opportunity to make wise decisions. May God give us the courage to face the future with determination and anticipation.

After you, please

2008-03-04T18:49:00.003Z

It used to be said that one unique quality of the British was our willingness to queue and to do so politely and patiently. I don't know whether this was testament to good manners, humility or respect. Whatever it was, it seems to be diminishing these days.

Last week I was heading out to Reading. The journey around the M25 was a real drag; hold-ups and delays meant I was running late for my appointment. At the junction onto the M4 the slip way is a 2-lane road which narrows to one lane as it joins the new motorway. The build up of traffic meant there was a tail back on the slip road. A guy just in front of me in his Toyota sports, in the outside lane, decided he would drive level with the car to his left, holding the cars up behind him even though his lane was moving faster. This created a gap in front of him. The cares behind grew increasingly impatient. The young woman immediately behind started shouting, swearing and engaging in a bout of 'middle finger saluting' (if you get my meaning!). Eventually, frustrated and annoyed, she pulled over into the other lane. The Merc who took her place was less patient and tried to force the driver off the road. A drag race ensued and the Merc won, edging the Toyota guy out of the way. As I watched the show it left me wondering what was this all about? No one actually got there any sooner - the traffic was solid, for heaven's sake!

The following morning I sat in prayers at IHQ, taking up my usual seat next to the window so I could look out of the window and watch the world in Queen Victoria Street. After a few minutes a couple of police motorbikes appeared and stopped the traffic. Drivers hurrying to get to work were brought to a halt. A few minutes later a limo carrying someone 'important' sailed around the queue and past the lesser mortals trying to get to work and earn a crust. They didn't look very happy about it!

We don't find it easy to give way to others, yet the Bible (Romans 12:10) talks about 'in honour preferring one another'. That might be easy when we genuinely have respect for someone else, but what about those who we maybe don't actually look up to? I leave you with a couple of translations of that verse. I wonder what this says to you, today?

Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. (the Message)

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. (New Living Translation)

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves. (NIV)

Glowing!

2008-02-22T00:44:00.002Z

Exodus 34: 29 says, ‘When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD’.
This week I had the privilege of seeing a modern day version of that story. I’m currently in Peru with Mike Caffull visiting areas impacted by last August’s earthquake and checking out The Salvation Army’s humanitarian response.
On Wednesday Mike and I headed south east out of Pisco to the smaller town of Ica. In a small suburb just outside of town live about 700 families whose rural homes suffered. Most of the houses suffered some damage, many were completely destroyed. SA relief teams were there very quickly and set up community feeding kitchens. Here we are 6 months later. The kitchens have all but shut but, far from being the end of the story, it seems things are just starting. People in this village didn’t know The Salvation Army before the disaster; there are no corps in this area. So officers and soldiers came in from outside. A team even came for a couple of weeks from southern USA. They used meshing and poles to construct a temporary shelter for the kitchens. It also became a base for starting worship services. Amazingly, people were drawn to the meetings because they saw in the lives of the relief workers something special.
A soldier couple have agreed to stay here for a year. They have a full SA programme going. How about this for statistics:

Adult attendance at Sunday worship – 45
Children and youth at Sunday worship – 30
Soldiers sworn in – 20
Junior soldiers enrolled – 11
Recruits for soldiership – 11

Other weekly activities:
Home League
Junior Soldiers class
Sunday school
Discipleship meeting
Prayer meeting

I quote the numbers because they quantify things, but numbers don’t tell the story. I met with Mari Lou who is the community leader. She and her grown up daughter have become soldiers. As she told me her story, her face positively glowed with a radiant smile. She's in the photo behind Major Alex Nesterenko (seated). Coming to the services has introduced her to Jesus and given her hope for the future. She’s desperate for the Army to stay – no longer giving freebie food parcels but lifting people’s spirits, introducing them to a real and living faith and giving them hope.
I wish I could bring you all to see this group – it would so inspire you. It’s Salvation Army mission at its best and I’m so proud to play a small part in it.

Within these walls

2008-02-21T00:08:00.002Z

This morning I got up at 6am, showered, dressed and by 6.30am was sitting by the pool, drinking hot coffee and catching up on some overdue work in peace and quiet. What a wonderful way to start a morning, eh?
After a while my colleague Mike came and joined me (check out Mike's smiling face in the pic). We joked that we don’t often check our mail by the pool - a lovely change from normal office routine. What was most ironic was that this gloriously peaceful scene took place in the Peruvian town of Pisco, in the middle of a community not long ago devastated by an earthquake.
The hotel was pretty good, the shower had been hot and the bed comfortable. We sat protected by a high wall, completely cosseted from the destruction just a few feet away on the other side. It could have been another world. Not long after (having enjoyed a delicious ‘American Breakfast’ of fresh rolls and jam, more coffee, scrambled eggs and ham) we checked out and headed back into the chaos, dodging piles of rubble as we drove to our next port of call.
Some might say the opportunity to withdraw from reality was a welcome break. And believe me; I don’t for one moment underestimate the blessing of being able to stay somewhere comfortable when most of the population of Pisco are still living in tents, wooden huts or derelict buildings and tarpaulins.

Others might describe it as escapism, of course, and those walls got me thinking. What other walls exist in my world? Am I truly honest about the things of my life? Do people know the ‘real’ me, or do I hide the truth behind a wall of deceit? Do I put up barriers around me to shut out things I ought to face up to and deal with?
It’s nice to shut out unpleasant truth, but unless we confront reality we can’t deal with issues. What do I mean by that? Well, here are just a few of the questions that I need to confront honestly:

How deep and genuine are my relationships?
What do I really contribute to the church in which I worship?
Why is it my personal devotional time gets so easily squeezed out by other things?
Does the public image seen by others truly mirror the ‘real’ me?
Do I actually believe in the power of prayer – if so, why don’t I spend more time praying?
Why can’t I remember what vegetables my daughters like?

I could go on and on. Walls - worth a thought, eh?

Looking back at His leading

2008-02-20T12:48:00.001Z

There’s a saying – what came first? The chicken or the egg?
A thought – does God prepare you for future service by leading you into particular areas or does He take the paths and choices you have made and use the skills you’ve developed for the outworking of His will in your life? Without getting too bogged down in a theological debate that I’ll never be able to answer, during the last weekend I found myself marvelling a the way God seems to have led us in the recent years and how the present is miraculously building upon the foundation of the past.

Last week (Valentines Day) Lyn and I went to see ‘Strictly Come Dancing Live’. It was a great night out. The day marked the 12th anniversary of my very first international deployment. It was Valentines Day 1996 when I drove off in a small Red Shield mobile canteen from Gutersloh heading for Bosnia. In so many ways I drove off into the unknown. I knew nothing of Bosnia, I knew nothing about international military procedures and I had no knowledge about the way IHQ worked and the ministry of the International Emergency Services section. Three months later I returned home having had an experience which changed my life and one which was to impact upon my whole family in a way I could never have imagined. It led to my involvement with the Emergency Services section and subsequent appointment as Coordinator of The Salvation Army’s international emergency ministry. It opened doors to places I would never have dreamed of visiting and situations I had only previously witnessed through TV news reports. It brought me to places around the world I would never have visited otherwise. In fact, I’m writing this whilst sitting in a small hotel in Lima, Peru, en route to visiting the area of Pisco which was impacted by an earthquake 6 months ago.

Last weekend we drove to Portsmouth. We recently learned that Lyn and I are to become the Commanding Officers of the Portsmouth Citadel corps. It means a move of home and a fairly drastic change of work (for me, at least). Desperate to see something of our new home we made a quick visit to suss out the lay of the land. We found the street and then the house that is to be our new home. We felt like spies as we pulled up just far enough down the road to take a peek without alerting the suspicions of the current occupants who might be inside. The girls were in the back seat with heads ducked down so as not to appear that we were looking! We then drove down to the town centre and parked up behind the Salvation Army church building. As we walked around it and took a few pictures we were conscious of trying not to appear too obvious in case someone saw us (isn’t life stupid?)

Having spied out the new land we drove to the Gunwharf Quay outlet mall, wandered around the shops and sat overlooking the bay whilst we drank coffee in the Spinaker Tower café. The winter sun warm bright and warm, taking the chill out of the air. Crowds milled around enjoying the start of the half term holidays and we had a wonderful afternoon. I confess it was idyllic. My mind wandered back just 3 years to the university open days that Lyn and I attended with Rebecca. She was looking for the best Uni at which to study. We went to a number of places and I was the proud parent who went with her to investigate Chichester Uni. This was the place she chose and during the last 3 years we have had some wonderful visits to the area. We found a lovely B&B close to the sea at Felpham and have made it ‘our place’ for weekend visits. As we’ve explored the area we have grown to love it and have often said how great it would be to live in the region. Lo and behold, farewell orders have us moving to Portsmouth. We didn’t apply for that position, we didn’t try and influence the choice, but we now find ourselves preparing to move to a place we have already fallen in love with. Did God know that when he opened the door to Chichester Uni for Rebecca? It seems too much of a coincidence otherwise.

I confess that I’ve rarely been aware of God’s leading at the time – it’s only when I have looked back and seen that a series of apparently random choices have laid foundations for future steps that I could never have anticipated. God has been good and I’m convinced He will continue to lead and guide. I look forward to discovering how this will manifest itself!

Well, I never knew that!

2008-02-11T19:49:00.000Z

Often when I give presentations about the Army's humanitarian work around the world, people often say, 'I never knew we did all that'. This is particualry true about the emergency work we did in Iraq after the conflict. The security situation prevented us publicising things too widely.

Last year we produced a documentary edition of 'All the World' entirely devoted to telling the Iraq story.

If you didn't see it, the good news is that it's available to read online. Click on the link below, check it out - you might find it interesting.

www.salvationarmy.org/iraqspecial

Treading in His footsteps (in the snow???)

2008-02-06T19:42:00.000Z

This morning I arrived home following a whistle-stop visit to Amman, Jordan. I've been away for 3 nights but have only slept one night in a bed. I've had enough of trying to get comfy on overnight flights - it will be nice to sleep in my own bed again in just a couple of hours.

It's easy to become a little blase about the blessings of travel when it's something done so often. Many hotels look the same and it's hard to separate one airport departure hall from another. Yet every journey has it's own special memories.

This week's journey included a few 'reality check' moments. As I headed into Amman on Monday afternoon I looked out of the taxi window to the sandstone coloured, square, flat roofed homes - typical of the Middle Eastern countries I have visited in the last few years. I imagine the rural dwellings being little changed over the centuries. Then we passed a road sign you don't see every day - 'The Dead Sea' (turn right). It made me ponder the significne of this country and it's special place in the history of the Christian church. Not only the Dead Sea, but the river Jordan where crowds winesed the baptism of Jesus and God's sealing of his earthly ministry.

The trip went well - we squeezed loads into one day and it was a very worthwhile, if hurried, visit. As we headed back to the airport less than 24 hours after setting foot in the country, we decided to stop and grab something to eat.

Our good friend and companion, Muntajab, spotted an Iraqi restaurant on the main road. We parked up and followed him into the kitchen. There we found a brick built fish tank, with walls about 4 feet high, brimming with large, fat fish, struggling to find room to swim in the tank. Taking a hand net, Muntajab scooped 2 fat fish from the tank and laid them, squirming, onto the weighing scales. A price was agreed for our dinner. The fish were split head to tail, flattened out and laid into a baking basket ready for the oven.

Just a few feet away a small team of bakers were rolling bread dough into small balls and laying them out on a tray. Another took the dough a threw it against the sides of the clay oven. A traditional bread baking method used for centuries.

We made our way into the restaurant and waited for our meal. 30 minutes later it appeared, 5 steaming, freshly baked flat bread loaves and 2 piping hot, roasted fish. We bowed our heads and prayed (2 Muslims and 2 Christians together) gaving thanks to God for blessing us with this food; then ripped and bread and shared it between us, using it to feast on the succulent white fish meat. The word 'delicious' doesn't do it justice and I don't suppose I will taste a finer meal in many years.

As we got back into the taxi and continued on our way I thought about the footsteps of another who walked these same streets 2000 years ago; One who made something much more miraculous happen with his 5 loaves and 2 fishes!

And the biggest surprise - to find the desert town deep in snow. I'm told for the first time in 100 years. Climate change? Global warming? I don't know why, but I do know I'll never sing 'In the bleak mid winter' in quite the same way again!

Catching the wave

2008-01-28T11:24:00.000Z

My trip to Australia is over - it's good to be home again. But the jetlag! Felt like a zombie since I got home. Still, that's a small price to pay for a wonderful experience and memories that will last a lifetime.

After the 'work' bit was over we stayed for a couple more days and did a little sight seeing. There are some great perks to this appointment, eh? As we know from 'Home and Away', Australians love the beach; actually most live on it. Take a look at the map of Australia and the thing you notice immediately is that all the population is based around the coast.

Sydney has 2 famous beaches - Bondi Beach and Manley Beach. Bondi was closer to our hotel but we decided to visit Manley as this meant taking a half hour ferry ride out of Sydney Harbour. The plus point is that this means a wonderful view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House as you leave the dock side. By the way, a one day 'travel card' in Sydney costs about £7, and includes all the trains, buses and ferry journeys.

The ferry journey was lovely, the nearest I'll get to a cruise! Arriving at Manley there's just a 5 minute walk from the docks to the beach. The main drag is a bit like Blackpool - tourist shops selling tacky souvenirs and boomerangs. The view when you reach the beach is almost breathtaking. Lovely sandy beaches and bright blue sea.

By UK standards, the sea was rough - large waves, probably 6-10 feet high. We sat for a while watching the surfers - not something you get to see too often back home. It was fascinating. The large waves were a long way from the shore. The surfers would paddle out, splashing through the smaller waves as they went. Once in the distance they would sit astride their boards waiting for the right wave to appear. The sea was strange - calm for a while, then on the distance would dawn the start of a large wave. As it drew closer it grew larger. The surfers would wait, eyeing the wave and deciding whether it was big enough to launch out upon. Some waves were allowed to pass, deemed too small to risk. Then, after a while, the right one would arrive - large enough to ride and exciting enough to surf. Paddling quickly, the surfers lined themselves up to catch the wave as it rose and broke - the lucky ones riding it in all the way to the beach.

There are plenty of writers who have drawn spiritual inspiration from such a scene. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but ponder the spiritual parallel. It's no good waiting on the safety of the beach if you want to surf. To catch the best waves you to be out there - no small feat in itself. Once you battle your way through the smaller waves you have to wait patiently for the moment, ready to catch the movement of the tide as it surges towards you.

I did a little search - looking for Scripture which might link to this thought. The only passage I could find was the story in Luke 2 about Jesus' presentation at the Temple. As his parents brought him they were confronted by Simeon, and old man. The Bible tells it like this:

25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

To feel the surge of the Spirit, to sense God's blessing, you have to be in the right place - you need to be 'out there'. It's no good dithering about on the edge, God expects us to battle through the shallow water, past the lesser waves and into the deep. Put simply, I think He wants us to get stuck in.

I hope I might demonstrate the commitment and determination needed to be in the right place to know the wave of the Spirit working in my life.

Belonging - the William Booth way!

2008-01-19T07:31:00.000Z

This week has been full of experiences. Last night I travelled with the delegates of the Emergency Services training course to have a meal and look around the Army's 'Street Level' programme here in Sydney, Australia. It was an experience I will not forget for a long time. For some years the Army has been providing accommodation in down town Sydney for street sleepers and vulnerable young adults. About 10 years ago an opportunity arose to expand the programme when a building became vacant a couple of streets away and so the 'Street Level' ministry was born.
Led by a dynamic officer couple (he runs the accommodation and she runs the drop in centre) the programme now includes a drop in centre complete with cafe, Internet room and welfare centre. In order to maximise the welfare support and give the clients dignity through choosing their own assistance, a fully stocked supermarket has been opened. Goods are exchanged at cost price and the range is augmented from stock donated through the city's Food Bank programme. A daily meal programme provides food for vulnerable people, heroin addicts, alcoholics and many others with chaotic life styles.
We were there for the highlight of the week - Friday night worship. Robyn (the Officer in charge) gave us a tour around the building. As we went, she explained in a rapid, non-stop line of patter, the dynamics of the ministry. You don't need many minutes with her to realsie that she and her husband are true visionaries. They believe in 'community', offering those who come for help a 'hand up' and not just a 'hand out'. They are passionate about the gospel's power to change, transform and recreate. During the last few years around 20 clients who have been saved have progressed through to soldiership and now proudly wear their uniform and help staff the programme.
Preparing us for what was to come during worship, Robyn warned us that the last few weeks had been a bit hairy, with a number of addicts now using the new ICE drug which is sweeping the city's drug addict community. Fights had broken out in the services. 'If a fight starts, please leave it to me to sort out - don't be tempted to try and step in - I'll get it under control', Robyn warned the 15 male officers in our group!
Robyn informed us that worship always followed the same pattern, deliberately to give the clients a sense of routine, something often lacking in their lives.
With this intro we made our way from the reception area to the upstairs hall where a meals was being served. We all took our bowl (with a menu made up of whatever is donated from the Food Bank that day) and a cup of weak orange quash. The hall began to fill. Some were drunk, others high on drugs, but every new attender was greeted by name with hugs and waves. Here was a very special family - the likes of which I hadn't seen before.
Worship, led by a small worship band, was followed by the 'Care and Share' time - or testimony period as we would call it. Around the room hands shot up in the air asking to be allowed to step forward and tell their story. One by one members of this rag tag group of worshippers were chosen and stepped up to the mic, called up by name by Robyn and greeted with a hug as they stood at the rostrum. Scripture quotes flowed (their knowledge and familiarity with the Bible astounded me) - prayers were requested. One heroin user proudly shared that he had been clean for 7 days. Others jubilantly told how they hadn't touched a cigarette for ages - each proud story greeted with cheers from the congregation and all pleading for God's help and asking their friends for their prayer support.
The preacher for the night was giving his first sermon. A drug addict, saved just a few years ago and now transformed from his habit and lifestyle, stood proudly at the rostrum in his uniform. His startling appearance with long beard and shaven head accentuated by the piercings in his nose, ears and lips. He spoke simply but powerfully about the power of the gospel. He and his wife enter training college in a few months to prepare to become SA Officers. As I looked at this new creation in the pulpit I found myself thinking just how much the Army of today needs transformed lives and powerful testimony like theirs.
I came home humbled to have seen God at work; and to witness this ministry of 'belonging' modelled through the commitment of Robyn, her team of helpers and the open arms extended to every one who passed through that centre tonight.
How William Booth would smile if he could see the fruits of his vision still being harvested in Sydney today. How Jesus must laugh with joy at the work being done in the lives of those the devil has tried his best to destroy. Some days I'm so proud to be a Salvationist!

2008-01-14T18:27:00.000Z

Do you ever have those moments when you feel you should pinch yourself to check you aren't dreaming? I had one of those yesterday morning. Leaving the hotel at 6am I went out for a jog in the park. The hotel is situated on the Rushcutters Bay area of Sydney. It's summer here in Australia but the weather is changeable and it was a bright, but cool day with a gentle breeze blowing - just perfect for running. As I ran around the bay (by the way - the picture to the left is a photo of the joging route- nice, eh?) I looked over to my left and took in the view of the Sydney Harbour bridge - the iconic view of Sydney. I thought 'this is surreal - in the middle of British winter I'm jogging on the other side of the world under the shadow of one of the world's most famous sights!' Life's a sacrifice, eh?

Normally I run after work - this time of year it's dark, cold and damp. I occasionally pass another mad jogger, done up to the hilt in scarf and gloves, but the streets of Hornchurch rarely echo with the sound of groups enjoying exercise.

What a difference here yesterday! The park was full of people out enjoying early morning exercise. There were probably well over 100 other folks out there.

But what was interesting was looking around and taking in the variety of exercie choices. There were other joggers ruining alone, like me. Powerwalkers, vigorously swinging little dumbbells in each hand as they pounded the pathway. Then there were groups - people out in teams sharing exercise and encouraging each other on. One group was doing kickboxing exercises, another was being drilled by a fitness coach - doing jumps, squats and other routines. Many were walking their dogs - both enjoying a bit of early morning fresh air. Then others were playing sport (hardly surpising the Aussies beat us in test cricket when they are out practicing their bowling at 6am!).

It was a great atmosphere and having a run at 6am seemed such a natural thing to do alongside so many others all sharing the desire to get fit.

But what hit me was the fact that whilst the overall aim was the same, the way in which it was achieved was very different for each person.

I've been working my way slowly through an interesting book lent to me by our CO - it's called 'releasing your church to grow'. It's written simply and contains lots of useful and stimulating thoughts and I'm really enjoying reading it. But I confess the last chapter has been a bit of a struggle. The author has been emphasising the importance of small group Bible studies - basically arguing that house group are the bedrock of any growing church and if you can't persuade someone to jon a house group then there's obviously something wrong with their Christian experience.

Confession time now- I found the chapter difficult because joining a house group has never appealed to me at all. I have no enthusiasm for joining a group and meeting every week to study the Bible. It's not that I don't want to read God's Word and learn more about Him and my relationship. And it's not that I don't like people (I think I'm not that difficulat to get on with) - but the basic idea of a House group where you meet to go through a passage and all pontificate on what you think it means (despite no one having any more clue than you!) has absolutely no attraction to me whatsoever!

Yesterday's jogging experience reminded me that God hasn't made us all the same. Made in His image, yes, but made the same, no. Even if we might have the same goals as someone else, the way we achieve them can be very different - each according to our personality or nature.

I write this at 5.45am on Tuesday morning - I can't sleep as I'm struggle to get over the jetlag from the journey. In a few minutes I'm heading out for this morning's exercise. The view will be great, I'm sure, and the park will be full. As I run I'll offer up my morning prayers and thank God that He's made me - His own creation - unique and with me own characteristics. And I'll do my best to get a little fitter, too!

2008-01-12T12:48:00.000Z

Further to yesterday's posting, after what seemed like a mammoth journey, I landed at Sydney airport, Australia, tonight at about 8pm. The airport was very swish and welcoming, but I was immediately hit by the elaborate steps taken by the Australian government to protect their country and its' environment. It seems that virtually everything is banned from being allowed in! In fact, I'm amazed they let me in!
Not long before landing we had been given fruit on the plane - but it had to be disposed of in the 'quarantine' bin when we stepped off the plane. No fruit, plants or food in general allowed into Australia.
But even more strangely, there were signs everywhere saying that dirty sports shoes or golf clubs with soil on must also be quarantined. Talk about being careful, eh?
Whilst it might seem a pain (and we are still waiting to learn if our 'soup, soap and salvation' will be released to us for our training course!) it is interesting to see how carefully this country guards and protects itself from contamination. Every step is taken to ensure that nothing which might corrupt or harm is allowed in.
Wonder if there's not a lesson for us in that, too? The little habit, the relaxing of rules held dear, the unguarded action - how easily something conserded inappropirate becomes the norm and takes hold in our lives. It's easy to weaken but the Holy Spirit is surely a more effective protector than and customs or immigration section and stands ready to help us. As the SA song (Soldiers of Christ, arise)says,
Leave no unguarded place,
No weakness of the soul;
Take every virtue, every grace,
And fortify the whole.
To keep your armor bright
Attend with constant care,
Still walking in your captain's sight
And watching unto prayer.

Aussies shun Booth's mission!

2008-01-10T16:16:00.000Z

Tomorrow I have to sacrifice myself and head to the sunshine of Sydney, New South Wales, to help lead an emergency training course for officers of Australia and New Zealand.

As is our norm, the training materials were carefully packed up and dispatched in advance by FedEx.

This morning we had a panic call from our local organisers reporting that Australian customs had impounded our packing boxes. The message said something about food stuff.

We thought about the contents and realised we had packed some small packets of Maltesers (we give them out as prizes) and assumed these must be the problem. The FedEx agent said he would confirm the problem and call us back.

Imagine our surprise this morning when he said, 'the problem is with the soup, soap and salvation!'

I should explain, we start our training by exploring Booth's motto and what this means to us in terms of practical service and ministry. To illustrate it, we take a small packet of soup mix, a bar of soap and a small wooden cross.

It turns out that the soup beaches import regulations for food stuff, the soap might possibly contain illegal substances and taking wood into Australia is forbidden.

So our 'soup, soap and salvation' has been put into quarantine - we can collect it again on our way out!

What would William Booth say about that?

Keep in step all the time

2008-01-05T20:57:00.000Z

One of the blessings of the recent holiday was an opportunity to get some extra exercise in. Guilt over all the extra food eaten during the Christmas festivities was probably as much as incentive as anything else! Still, it was really nice to jog in the light - I normally run after work so it's dark most days.

After a few longer runs during the holiday, and with the return to work looming, I decided Monday was right for a good long run so set on on a 12-miler. I set off down the A127, a bit boring and not the most scenic but with the advantage of having a target point six miles out - the Halfway House roundabout. I've done that route a few times. the only problem with it is that to get around the roundabout you have to run up the slip road, which is really steep. On the last run I really struggled up the hill and decided to take a breather and walk it. As soon as I stopped, fatigue set in and I had to walk the 6 miles home again!

So this week I gritted my teeth and kept going. I can't honestly say the homeward 6 miles was easy but there was a real sense of achievement in getting through the touch bit and knowing that the rest of the run was all in the direction of home.

As I jogged up the hill I realised there was an old Army song playing silently in my head:

Keep in step all the time,
Keep in step all the time;
Don't fall out and rest for a while,

Follow Jesus all the way, and smile

On the homeward leg I found myself thinking of some of the folks that I once worshipped with who no longer do. Most of them didn't decide to leave the church, they simply took a temporary break. They stepped out of the band or came out of uniform (just for a while, of course) - but sadly never really made it back again.

Getting safely home (without stopping) in about 1 hour 45 was a great feeling. Tired, yes, but with a real sense of achievement.

I don't know what this year ahead will hold. Joys, definitely; but challenges too, I suppose. Whatever comes, keeping going is a big part of the challenge. Getting over the obstacles might be hard work, but I'm sure the end result will be worth it.

Room at the inn?

2007-12-24T19:52:00.000Z

Can't believe it's 3 weeks since my last posting - what a busy time Christmas is, eh? Well, it's Christmas Eve and everything's ready for tomorrow. Lyn's been rushing around like mad and I've chipped in every now and again (!) with a bit of emotional encouragement even if not much practical help.

Salvationists are often accused of being so busy throughout December that we miss the real meaning of Christmas. I don't know if that's true - although I would have appreciated the opportunity to go to a quiet and thoughtful service at a church somewhere tonight - to just sit, with no responsibility or part to play and simply drink in the atmosphere of Christmas Eve. Sadly, I can't. Again, for the 6th year running, I have to attend a midnight service at the Army. I don't know why we hold them - we can't do them as well as other churches. Why don't we give our folks a night of and let them bring in Christmas however they want to?

Last week I was in Sheringham to pick up my Mum and bring her to stay with us. Before we left I made my traditional pilgrimage to the sea front to look at the sea. As I wandered through the streets of the quaint town my attention was grabbed by the windows of a local pub - 'the Lobster'. There in the window was a lovely Nativity Scene, with the Holy family depicted in a stable. Seeing it there, taking pride of place in the 'Inn' came as such a contrast to the Christmas story as we know it - 'no room at the Inn'.

It reminded me that amidst all that demands my energy and attention during this Advent and holy season I must make sure there's room for Jesus.

To any who might read this and those who occasionally cast an eye towards this Blog - Happy Christmas!

King of the 'one-liners'

2007-12-01T10:02:00.000Z

Yesterday a group of us from the corps rode up the motorbike show at the NEC in Birmingham. We had a fantastic day, despite having to navigate the return journey home in torrential rain. Fortunately I had bought a bright blue one-piece waterproof oversuit at the show. As the rain fell we made a stop at the services. I sneaked into the toilets to don my new suit. Discovering I should have bought an even larger one than the 2XL I had chosen, I eventually managed (with a lot of breathing in and pulling in of stomach) to squeeze myself into the bright blue outfit. Finally appearing from the toilets I was met by Keith Hall with his comment, 'what do you think you're doing - auditioning for Pan's People?' Good one, Keith!

Respect ( - a postscript)

2007-12-01T09:55:00.000Z

As a follow up to my last posting (or was it a thinly veiled rant?) I report the very positive news that Princes Anne's daughter Zara Phillips received her MBE this week for services to equestrianism. The Daily Mail's reporting of the event was carried under Amanda Platell's column. Commenting on the well earned award Amanda writes 'Zara proves that the dignity of monarchy is hard earned. It is not a birthright'.

Well said!!

Respect!

2007-11-27T21:00:00.001Z

For those who take the trouble to check my blog site from time to time, sorry it's been 2 weeks since my last posting. Today's thoughts have been rattling around since then - but a TV programme last night prompted me to try and put thoughts into words.

The events of Remembrance Day are now 2 weeks old. While participating in the Concert of Remembrance at Leigh on Sea the concept of 'honour and respect' hit me afresh. As I watched the Whitehall Parade on TV the next day I saw thousands of servicemen, present day and veterans, all willing to make a commitment in service of Queen and country. I marvelled at the sense of respect that has motivated service through the years and which continues to stimulate service personnel to lay their lives on the line for the on-going conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The very same weekend I opened the paper to read the all too familiar reports of Princes William, Harry and friends spending what to most of us is a small fortune (£2,500 being the quoted bar bill that night) on a drunken evening out at a night club. I'm neither a Royalist or a Republican, but I found myself wondering whether respect for King and country will be so easily generated by future servicemen and women once Queen Elizabeth is no longer our Monarch?

Last night Lyn and I had the privilege of sitting in front of a roaring log fire at a B&B on a working farm in Norfolk. We watched a programme on BBC called 'The Royal family at work'. In truth, it was a documentary about the Queen; following her and Prince Phillip as they undertook a State visit to the USA last year.

The money and effort invested to make the event successful by both the British and American people was probably far greater than the annual budget of many small nations. No stone was left unturned to ensure things ran smoothly. Plans were laid months in advance, rehearsals took place and people travelled miles just to grab the slightest glimpse of the Queen of England. The sense of determination to make sure everything was perfect was unbelievable.

Bear in mind that this elderly lady possesses little if no power at all (in the political sense) why on earth should the most powerful nation in the world grind to a virtual standstill to pay tribute to an 80-year old woman?

Interviews with stakeholders and witnesses drew widely varying responses, but the concept of respect for the position ("she's the Queen of England"!) - allied with a similar respect for the Queen as an individual ("she's a marvellous woman"), came through strongly and clearly.

Which brings me to my thoughts (and if you are still reading at this point, thanks for sticking with it!!). Is respect something simply bestowed or something that has to be earned? Initially, when elected into a position (such as Prime Minister or Territorial Commander), or inheriting a title (such as Queen or King) one can be treated with respect. Those around show respect for the title, the rank or the position. But I believe this is a different quality from the respect which is earned as a result of continually demonstrated and displayed qualities of character and behaviour.

During the next month Salvationists will be on the streets again, in public view while carolling or leading Christmas concerts. Many who take the trouble to drop a pound in the collecting box will do so out of a sense of respect for the organisation or the work they think we do. Do we warrant this respect - either organisationally or individually? What do you and I as individualls actually do to warant such respect?

I confess, when I read the antics of our young Princes I struggle to generate any sense of respect. Their position should warrant it but their behaviour certainly doesn't earn it as far as I am concerned and I fear for the future of our Monarchy and the corresponding reduction in respect for the English nation.

How about God? His position certainly warrants our respect. His character, demonsatrated actions and displayed commitment to us surely warrant our respect. Despite this, He never demands it - we have free will and the right to choose.

Joshua 24:15 says, 'But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (New International Version)

I've rambled - and probably haven't explained myself very well. Respect? What do you think?

2007-11-13T19:53:00.000Z

Last Saturday I participated in a Remembrance Concert at Leigh on Sea. It featured the united bands of Leigh and Southend Citadel, vocal and cello soloists plus contributions from the local corps of the Sea Cadets. It was superb - probably the most dignified and respectful service of it's type I have ever attended in an Army hall. Despite the quasi military style of our church, the dignity that comes with military pomp and decorum is something we seem reluctant to embrace. Saturday evening's concert was respectful, dignified and yet personal.

During the service the poem 'In Flanders Field' was read. I've heard it many times before. Whether it was the presentation or the circumstance, I don't know, but the powerful words of this poem struck me afresh - especially the challenge of the last verse. Written many decades ago by a medic serving in the 1st World War. I share them with you here and ask, if you have time, to read them through slowly and considerately and ask what they say to us in this generation.

In Flanders Fields

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place;

and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.

Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved,

and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands

we throw The torch;

be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep,

though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army

The good Samaritan is not dead!

2007-11-10T09:44:00.000Z

Last night, as Lyn was almost home, she came towards the traffic lights on the A127. Feeding into the 'turn left' lane she discovered her route blocked by a broken down car. The vehicles in front of her just drove around the obstacle. As she came up to the car she saw the driver, an elderly man, stood by the side of his car, looking helpless. As she pulled alongside him she wound down the window and asked if he was OK. He wasn't!

'I've broken down and don't know what to do', he replied.

Lyn pulled around the corner, stopped the car, grabbed a passer by and the two of them pushed the car away from the busy junction and into the forecourt of Kwik Fit, where they called the AA to come and help.

But that's not the whole point of the story.

A man came past with his 2 young children. He asked what was wrong and if he could help. When he discovered what was happening he gave the driver his Nokia N95 phone, showed him how to use it and said, 'hang on to this until you are sorted. Here's my address, just drop it in later when the car is going again'. And off he went, leaving a £300 phone with someone he had never met before.

Lyn came home, made a coffee and took it, with some cake, back to the driver to keep him going while he waited. When she got there she found he was wearing a nice coat.

'A driver saw me by the side of the road, pulled up, gave me his warm coat and just drove off', said the old guy. He was obviously stunned by this unexpected kindness.

Despite the ignorance of those who had initially just driven around the broken down vehicle without offering any help, I was proud of the way people had then rallied around to help.

The age of the good Samaritan is not dead!

Joke of the day

2007-11-02T23:08:00.001Z

Hi - no 'thought' today - just a quick joke I heard earlier:

A farmer goes out to his field one morning only to find all of his cows frozen solid. As far as the eye can see the cows, are motionless like statues. It had been a bitterly cold night, but he'd never thought anything like this would happen.

The realisation of the situation then dawned on him. With his entire livestock gone, how would he make ends meet? How would he feed his wife and kids? How would he pay the mortgage?He sat with his head in his hands, trying to come to terms with his impending poverty.

Just then, an elderly woman walked by, "What's the matter?" asked the old lady.The farmer gestured toward the frozen cows and explained his predicament to the woman. Without hesitation the old woman smiled and began to rub one of the cows noses. After a few seconds the cow began to twitch and was soon back to normal and chewing the cud.

One by one, the old woman defrosted the cows until the whole field was full of healthy animals. The farmer was delighted and asked the woman what she wanted as a repayment for her deed. She declined his offer and walked off across the field.

A passer-by who had witnessed the whole thing approached the farmer."You know who that was don't you?" asked the passer-by.

"No" said the farmer "who?"

"That was Thora Hird."

Helping 'hands'

2007-10-31T11:54:00.001Z

Our relief team in Peru have been running camps for 100's of families who lost their homes in the earthquake. Running the camp is one thing, but helping them rebuild their home and leave the camp is another thing altogether.
Obviously, the long term solution is a full rebuild. But there are many obstacles to that - not least the cost.
As a temporary measure, the Army are setting up small wooden homes on the sites of original houses. Families can take their tent and pitch it next to their wooden home. This gives them a little more space than before, takes them back to their own area and encourages them to start working on their plot.
The hardest bit of the process is clearing the rubble from the old house and emptying the plot. The Army have created a partnership with an organisation I'd never heard of before - 'Hands On Disaster Response'. They are a group that offers volunteering opportunities. People pay their own way to the disaster area. Once there, Hands On provide dormitory style accommodation and food, then coordinate their work experience. Most of the team members I met were in their 20's. Some were just backpackers who had stopped off to do something interesting. Others had paid their own way especially to help families in Peru. They weren't doing staggering work - just lifting, shifting and cleaning. They were all filthy from days of hard work in awful conditions. But they were smiling, joking and generally making families in Peru feel good that others were standing alongside them. Speaking to their team leader he told me, 'often people who have lost their home feel overwhelmed - they just don't know where to start. We come along and offer a helping hand - all of a sudden the task doesn't seem so daunting'. Perhaps that's something we can all learn from. We might not be able to do anything fancy or grand, but sometimes just being there and helping is enough.
Hats off to 'Hands On' - I say!
I've uploaded a video (shot with my phone - so apologies for the quality) - showing the first of the Module homes being erected by SA and Hands On team members.

Who do they think we are?

2007-10-31T11:39:00.000Z

Arrived back from a quick trip to Peru yesterday evening. It was very interesting - I'll probably blog something about it later. The journey home was really long. I left the place where I was staying in Lima at 7am on Monday and arrived home at about 5.30pm on Tuesday. Where on earth did those 2 days go?

On the long flight I found myself sitting next to a young British woman, probably in her mid 20's. She was just returning from a 2 month trip to Brazil - turned out her family had Brazilian links. She was video editor - very bright, personable and chatty.

When I replied to her question, 'what do you do, then?' by telling her I was with The Salvation Army, her response was, 'I thought that had died out long ago. When I think of the Sally Army all I picture is women in bonnets and long Victorian skirts'.

Once I had told her something about us and what we are now she was really staggered. 'Why don't you advertise?- put something on the telly'.

She was obviously worldly-wise but knew nothing about us. Perhaps our advertising and PR departments need a wake up call.

Just one other thought - I spent 11 hours on this flight, mostly sleeping. We wouldn't go into a hotel and say, 'do you have any people only using half of their double bed - if so, I'll sleep in the other half'. It crossed my mind that it's an odd thing that we are happy to get on a plane and curl up to sleep next to someone we've never met before - even a pretty young woman. Still, life has it's sacrifices, eh?

Somebody or nobody?

2007-10-24T18:38:00.000+01:00

Today finds me in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I arrived this morning after a fairly long (11.5 hours) flight from Heathrow. as you know, air travel is a normal way of life for me. I suppose I fly long haul about once per month. I try to fly with the same airline - it's good for the air miles and means I am now a gold card holder in their frequent flyer programme. It's a great perk - it means you can use the business class lounge when you fly, even when you are on the cheapest economy ticket (as I usually am!). 'My' airline also has a policy of sending one of the cabin crew to greet gold card holders by name once you are on board, just to be sure you are happy and know you are valued!

But the best perk is that you don't have to queue up in the economy line for check in but can go straight to the First Class (or Gold) desk. You avoid the delay, get treated line you are important and don't have to line up with the riff raff.

But here's the problem. It can lull you into thinking you are more important or valuable than other people. You start to expect special treatment. I confess I have used this to my advantage when I turned up late for a flight one day and was told the flight was already boarded. Without getting upset I smiled nicely and said, 'you wouldn't leave a gold card holder stranded at the airport, would you?' It worked - I was whisked through and the person in charge of boarding the flight even held the flight up in order to come onto the plane to tell me my bags had been safely loaded and all was OK!

Last night I wasn't travelling with 'my' airline. I had to queue with everyone else - and it was a full flight and really chaotic. No one came to whisk me past the economy line to a dedicated 'Gold' check in. There was no free drinks and canapes in the lounge - I had to wander around the terminal like all the other poor souls. When I boarded no one greeted me as an honoured guest or came to make sure I was comfortable. Can I confess something awful? I felt frustrated. I felt bad that no one seemed to value me or treat me as significant. What a terrible thing to feel, eh?

I remember watching Will Smith's recent film 'the pursuit of happiness'. It's a fantastic film based on a true story. Will Smith plays a single father of a young child. He's trying to make his way in life, but everything seems to conspire against him. He and his son end up sleeping in the public toilets on the subway. The sense of hopelessness really comes over strongly. Despite all attempts to make something of his life, there seems to be no way out of poverty and desperation. At one point he remembers that a friend owes him a few dollars - so he goes to his home, wakes him up in the middle of the night demanding his friend cough up - even though he's no better off either.

I've watched the film a few times and every time I see it I am reminded that for the vast majority of our world's population life is like that. The poor and vulnerable far outnumber the rich and famous. Many families struggle through life surviving on less than one US$ per day. Even in our work (emergency management) we find ourselves distributing a bag containing 15kgs of rice and 2 kgs of Dal to a family in India who have just lost everything and think somehow we are doing them a favour! Is that really all they are worth? I think it's time for a reality check, don't you?

I remember the story of Lazarus and the rich man - how the values of the kingdom of heaven turn upside down the values of this world.

God, help me remember that the destitute family reaching out in humble gratitude for the meagre ration of rice will one day be the 'Gold card' members in the Kingdom.

'They shall come from the east, they shall come from the west,

and sit down in the kingdom of God.

Both the rich and the poor, the despised and distressed,

and sit down in the Kingdom of God.

And none shall ask where they have been, provided that their robes are clean.

They shall come from the east, they shall come from the west,

and sit down in the Kingdom of God' (John Gowans)

Throwing caution to the wind?

2007-10-23T15:17:00.000+01:00

I've had my first e-bay experience today and it's not been a good one. I bid for some motorbike leathers and was pipped at the post at the last minute. Perhaps my cautious (some might say 'tight fisted') nature was my undoing. My natural inclination is to be cautious; I'm not natually bold and confident. I offered a couple of pounds more than the last offer, but another bidder snatched the prize from my hand just as the deadline arrived.

Rather than trying to sneak in with a bid just slightly above the competition, should I have gone in with a big bid and blasted the others out of sight? I don't know, but the result is that I feel disappointed and cheated that someone else got what I wanted - especially when I discovered the winning bid was an absolute steal and well within the price I would have been happy to pay.

There's a time for careful consideration - but, just like e-bay, there's often a time-out limit. It's got me wondering - what else in life we might miss out on, simply by not having the courage to step out and claim it?

I'm off to Brazil this evening and then on to Peru to check out what's been happening with the recovery efforts after the terrible earthquake. We have been blessed with a very positive response to the international appeal for funds to help. We will be meeting with civic leaders, government officals and UN personnel. Many of the big agencies who arrived shortly after the quake have left already. It's down to folks like The Salvation Army to stand alongside the impacted communities. In our meetings over the next few days I'm relying on Him to bless me with wisdom and 'sensible boldness!' I'll let you know how I get on.

Words of the famous

2007-10-05T19:50:00.000+01:00

A few months ago I received a very unusual gift. A former soldier of ours at Ilford invited us to visit her home as she wanted to pass into my possession something which had belonged to her husband. It sounded a little cryptic and I spent the day wondering what on earth it would be.

Lyn and I arrived and after sharing a cup of tea the gift was unveiled - an old, red autograph album. It looked fairly insignificant - until I started browsing through it. Names of famous Salvationists who have forged our heritage jumped from the pages. Lesser known names were there, too. Verses from scripture, pithy quotes, all written in flowery script with old-fashioned fountain pen.

As I took in the names the significance of the names began to dawn on me. I took it to work the next day, got out a copy of the Salvation Army Year Book and some post-it notes. The first few pages of the Year Book have a chronological list of our previous leaders. I worked through the list of former Generals and tagged them in the album. Starting with the Founder, General William Booth, through Bramwell Booth and through to the present day - General Shaw Clifton. It became evident that this small book, seemingly insigniicant, contained autographs and messages not only from every General but also every Chief of the Staff.

I don't know if there's a market for Sally Army memorabilia on e-bay, but if there is then this would make a fortune.

Reading the book is a moving experience - to think that its pages have been turned by every single leader in our Church's history. Each of the men and women who have led our church have paused for a few moments to pen some thoughts into this small book. The handwriting sometimes takes some deciphering (!), but to read the thoughts or mottoes that have inspired godly men and women is challenging.

Through the ramblings of this blog I'll share some of them in coming weeks. But as a starter I share the thoughts of Arch. Wiggins, writer, poet and author of some of our best loved hymns. His entry to the autograph album, penned on the 8th September 1930, simply reads:

When the one Great scorer comes

To write against your name,

He writes not that you won or lost;

But how you played the game.

A good thought to encourage us, I think. More to follow.

One for all and all for one

2007-09-22T07:48:00.000+01:00

Someone said to me last week, ‘when old people come to the door as I am doing Annual Appeal collecting, they often shout ‘who’s there?’. I reply ‘The Salvation Army’. Wouldn’t they get a shock if they opened it and found all 1 million of us outside’!

We might be just one but we represent the whole.

I arrived in Kenya yesterday, ready to lead a workshop for Emergency team leaders and those who head up emergency work in countries around the world. One of my very special friends, Muntajab, set off on his journey to be here a couple of days ago. He left Iraq, where he leads our partner NGO there. His life is under constant threat because of his work, yet he puts it on the line daily to help people in that country who are poor, marginalised and in need of care.

Because of his sacrifice he was admitted to The Salvation Army’s ‘Order of Distinguished Auxiliary Service’ a couple of years ago. That’s the highest honour that we give to someone who is not a soldier – in other words it’s the lay person’s Order of the Founder. He means a lot to us, individually as a friend and colleague and to our Church, too. Within our organsiation and particularly in Emergency Services circles, he's very highly respected.

He set off for Kenya earlier than others because the journey is difficult, via Syria, Dubai and then onto Africa.

Like the rest of the delegates he needed a visa to enter Kenya. The visa application went in weeks ago. Our headquarters in Kenya had been to the immigration office in Nairobi every day – each visit was met with the assurance, ‘come back tomorrow – it should be ready then’. Sadly the visa never materialised. No one ever said 'no', but they procrastinated so long that our Iraqi friend was turned away from his flight in Syria and sent home.

I can only imagine the embarrassment and even shame at being refused entry to a flight when you have a valid ticket. How upsetting must it be to learn that a country will not accept you as a visitor to a conference? I’ve tried to reassure my friend that it’s not personal – they are not refusing him entry as an individual – my only suspicion is that they have refused his application because he comes from Iraq.

But isn’t that a terrible slur on the people of Iraq – the vast majority of whom are honest, God-fearing people. So many are living lives of huge difficulties – just surviving each day is a huge challenge. Because so many are desperately trying to flee from the violence and bombing, all people are tarred with the brush of being potential refugees. Even a lovely country such as Kenya, who will warmly welcome the other 27 delegates to our conference, feels nervous about allowing an individual Iraqi to enter.

It reminds me that we are rarely regarded as isolated individuals. We represent others. If someone if praised then we bask in reflected glory. But we also bear collective responsibility. If one ‘Christian’ treats someone badly then others may be put off from attending church. I’m sure you’ve heard the accusation, ‘if that’s how Christians behave then I want nothing to do with the church’. One Salvationist does something dishonest – it makes the front page of the local (or sometimes even national) newspapers and the whole Salvation Army is regarded badly.

It may not be the correct way to behave – but I reckon it’s a fact of life. And a lesson I have to remember is that I am a representative of Jesus and of the church to which I belong. I have a responsibility. If I mess up then the fallout may be that others think less of my faith or my church than they should. If I live out my faith well then hopefully others will see me as a worthy representative and my church will benefit. Lord help me guard my actions and my behaviour and be a good ambassador today.

Look up!

2007-09-19T20:16:00.000+01:00

Last Sunday I ventured out at about 6.45am to pop around the corner and pick up my Sunday paper from the local Tesco corner shop. It was a lovely morning, the sun was shining and something prompted me to look up at the sky. It was one of those clear, bright blue skies. But what I noticed was the 3 planes circling above me. We are under the flight path where they stack planes waiting for a landing slot at Heathrow.

I pondered the fact that it's often me sitting in one of those planes, circling around, looking down over Essex. I imagined hundreds of passengers, tired from an overnight flight hoping to land.

It was a quiet morning, no one was about, but there was no sound from the planes. Had I not looked up I would be oblivious to the action going on above me. I thought of the power being generated in order to keep those planes up there; those passengers peering out and scanning the ground for landmarks.

Just for a moment it reminded me that God's presence is with me all the time. His power is evident in the world around me - even when I'm not aware of it. His angels are watching - and I'm sure the saints above are keeping an eye open from time to time, too.

Peru: Update 3

2007-09-02T21:31:00.000+01:00

Arrived home safely from Peru last night. The trip certainly didn't go as planned! Chris's very unfortunate heart attack changed things more than slightly. Thankfully, after a few days in a private clinic in Lima he was feeling well enough to be left, which meant I was able to return to the earthquake zone for a better assessment of the situation.

It doesn't mater how many emergency trips I make, no two situations are ever the same - but I regularly leave feeling humbled by the resilience and optimism of people who have suffered tremendously.

On Wednesday I was in a small village called El Olivo. There are 365 houses there - or should I say, there were. There's only 1 left standing now - and that will need to be pulled down because it's structurally unsafe. I met a number of people - but let me introduce you to 2 of them. Annelle lived in the house that's still standing. She's not there now, of course, but living in a plastic shelter on some waste ground. When the quake happened she was in her front room, standing with her Mum at the foot of the stairs. Annelle ran out the front door - her Mum was behind her but couldn't get out. By the time she made it to the door the frame of the house was twisting and buckling as the earth moved underneath it. The door was shut tight and Luvi, her Mum, was stuck inside. Her house stayed in one piece - if it hadn't then Luvi probably wouldn't be alive today.

As I chatted with Annelle I tried to imagine what it must have been like for her as she ran out of the house, scared out of her life. Trying to find safety, what on earth did she feel when she looked around her and saw every single house in her street collapsing around her? I just can't comprehend what that must be like.

Then there was Juana. In her 20's, I found her with a small group of women working at a communal kitchen, preparing food for her friends and neighbours. I asked where her house was. She walked about 5 metres from the stove, stood on a small piece of ground and said, 'this was where my house stood, and this is the spot where my Mum died in the earthquake'. What words can you say after being told that? (the picture with this posting shows Juana and her own daughter showing Major Alex Nesterenko where their home once stood)

Despite their amazing hurt, I saw something wonderful in Annelle, Luvi and Juana. As we talked they smiled and laughed with me. They talked about the things they were doing to rebuild their lives. Despite everything, they hadn't given up!

People sometimes ask me where God is at times of disaster. I see God in people like Juana, a young woman caring for others when she could allow her own grief to overwhelm her.

I feel hugely privileged to meet such wonderful people.

Going the extra mile

2007-08-27T03:16:00.000+01:00

Update 2: Chris Mulryne. Today has been a positive day for Chris. At the insistence of the insurance company he was transferred from the Clinica Stella Marris to the Clinica el Golf (sounds more like a country club to me!) On arrival at the new clinic he was admitted immediately to the Intensive care unit for observation -but he's stable and doing well.

His progress owes much to the extra mile service of someone who could be described as an 'angel of mercy'. Dr Hernando Garzon is an American Doctor who normally works as a physician in the ER unit of a hospital in San Fransisco. He's the guy on the right in the picture. He deployed to the earthquake zone in Peru last week on a 2-week assignment to help those injured in the quake. It was Hernando who initially examined Chris and found the abnormality in his ECG test. Since then he's stuck to Chris like glue, travelling with him in the C130 plane back to Lima and being a constant encourager every step of the way.

He has vowed to stay with us until Chris leaves Peru bound for home shores. He's been invaluable, for the medical advice he's been giving, the translation services he's been forced into providing (as none of the medical personnel in either clinic have been able to speak with Chris in English) and the simple care and encouragement. He even smuggled a cup of tea into the ICU this mroning because he knew Chris was really missing a 'brew'.

His motto is 'we need to care for our own'.

At first glance this might sound a selfish and misplaced goal - after all, most of us involved in ministry have it drummed into us that we should be going out into the highways and byways to care for those outside. Caring for our own first is selfish - some might try to argue.

But it's been my experience that we often show far better care for those 'outside' than we do for our own. And I've seen many of our own who have become wounded on the way, or have dropped out through tiredness or discouragement, believing that no one cared for them. If I stop even for a brief moment I can fire off name after name of colleagues who used to serve alongside me but who are no longer in the fight, friends who might still be with us had someone just taken time to care.

This week Dr Garzon has been invaluable in his care and concern - but more than that, he's reminded me that perhaps it's only by protecting the valuable but vulnerable assets we already have that we can reach out with compassion to those others' who God places onto our radar.

Expect the unexpected (and keep smiling!)

2007-08-26T04:05:00.000+01:00

If you read my last blog post you'll know that I arrived in Peru on Wednesday afternoon accompanied by my old friend Chris Mulryne. We are scheduled to be here for a week helping the Divisional Commander put plans together for the relief response to the earthquake which has almost wiped out the town of Pisco.

One thing I've learned in my decade of Emergency services ministry is that life is full of surprises. This trip has been no exception!

After arriving we discovered that the Army has a pretty low profile in Peru, largely because the Catholic church is so dominant. The Army's work for the earthquake had been noticed by the media and the arrival of the Army's International Emergency Coordinator had given them an opportunity to try and score a little more media time. So, for the first time ever, I found myself on the first morning of my assessment visit in the make up room of Peruvian national TV, having my face 'made up' in readiness for an interview slot on their morning show. It was fascinating to see how things in the studio ran - and it helped that the interviewer and presenter was absolutely stunning (don't tell Lyn I noticed!).

After the trip we headed off by car to Pisco - after removing the make up of course so we didn't give the impression that IHQ emergency guys turn up in the field looking like a couple of Nancy's.

When we arrived in Pisco Chris told me he had felt a bit unwell during the journey, but that it was probably indigestion. Next morning we started out tour of the Army's relief camps. Chris was still feeling uncomfortable and I suggested he found a way to get a check up. It tuned out that a small group of American physicians working with Relief International are partnering with TSA and providing clinic facilities for those injured in the quake. One of them offered to check Chris out while I carried on with the assessment.

It came as a great shock when I received a call later to say that the Doc had decided to give Chris an ECG and had discovered an abnormality - which meant Chris had likely had a heart attack!

I dashed back to base to find that Chris had been admitted to the local Field hospital awaiting transfer to the military airfield where he was to be airlifted back to hospital in Lima. So less than 24 hours after arriving in Pisco I was at the military airfield boarding a Hercules C130 cargo plane, with Chris laying on a stretcher.

A few hours later Chris was in the Intensive Care Unit of the clinic in Lima, the blood and ECG tests confirming he had indeed had a mild to moderate heart attack. As I write this he's waiting for a transfer to another specialist clinic in Lima, hoping that a few days to stabilise him will allow him to be medically repatriated home again.

I know I told him that the trip would prove valuable experience for him - little did I know what was in store! When I get time I'll tell you about the fantastic physician from Relief International who has not left our side since he first checked Chris over. But for now I'll leave you with the photo of Chris being loaded into the only vehicle we had which could serve as an ambulance - the emergency services canteen!

Spare a moment to pray for Chris and his wife Gaynor, can you? I know they were value your thoughts at this time.

Update from Peru 1 - pressure....!

2007-08-23T12:32:00.000+01:00

Chris Mulryne (a corps officer from Ipswich) and I landed in Lima, Peru yesterday afternoon to help draw up plans for the Army’s longer term response to the recent earthquake. It was a long day. We left our hotel near Heathrow at 4am to check in for a very early flight out to Amsterdam. There we made a quick change and caught the direct flight to Lima, Peru. It was a long flight – although we were fortunate to have a good tail wind which sped us along in 11.5 hours instead of the anticipated 13. Still, one’s backside can get pretty numb after 11 hours sitting in economy. We arrived early in Lima and all our bags arrived, too – which is a minor miracle these days based on the reputations of Heathrow and Schipol airports!

We were met at the airport by Major Luz Nesterenko. She and her husband Alex are the Divisional Commanders of Peru. The country is one division of the South America West Teritory (which includes 4 other countries within it).

It was great to meet up with Luz again. I last worked with them 9 years ago when I was deployed to the Republic of Georgia (former Soviet Union) to run a feeding programme for a month and they were the Regional Commanders. Age must have caught up with both of us – as neither of us recognised the other - not a good way to start off this new chapter in our working relationship!

Alex and Luz are great people. They have 3 kids, the oldest being 14 and the youngest just 4. They’ve been DC’s in Peru for about 3 years and now find themselves leading a response to a major earthquake.

It’s when I come to places like this and see how officers such as Alex and Luz live and work that I understand and see for myself what real pressure is about. They have a nice home, but it’s built on top of DHQ, so they are never away from the work. Life at the moment is absolute frenetic for them. They have 26 officers in their division – Luz wasn’t sure how many soldiers, but they have only 12 fairly small corps so it’s not a huge number. From within hours of the earthquake hitting the town of Pisco, their relief teams have been in place, giving out hot meals, blankets and medicines. They are currently operating 6 distribution kitchens, serving 6,000 people a day with hot food. Early teams were asked by the local authorities to help recover the bodies. I have photos (not suitable for publishing) of SA personnel dragging the bodies from the rubble and bagging them for collection.

Pisco is a town of 120,000, and it’s estimated that over 80% of the buildings have been destroyed. I’ll see it for myself later today as we are heading out there in a few hours – so I’ll post some pics to this blog asap.

Many people have lost their homes and have no where to live. Others still have something but are afraid to live in it because of the aftershocks which continue till now. The relief teams have been given some rooms by the local authorities and are staying there working 20 hour shifts.

Today a team of reinforcements arrive from Chile. They are expecting about 12 Salvation Army volunteers to arrive to provide some relief to the teams who have been working non stop for a week now. But these reinforcements will themselves increase the pressure on Alex and Luz – they will need meeting, organising and accommodating. And of course, Chris and I turn up too, adding to their logistical problems. My prayer is that we’ll be an asset and not a burden!

Alex didn’t get home till midnight last night – he left Pisco at about 8pm to start the 4 hour drive back to Lima. As Chris and I had already been up 24 hours we retired to bed after dinner so will meet Alex this morning and discuss the way forward. We have been asked to do interviews with the State TV station this morning before we head to Pisco at lunchtime.

In the midst of all this chaos, Alex and Luz try to keep family life and routine going for their 3 kids – doing the school run and maintaining ‘home’. When I look at this lovely family I see what ‘pressure ‘ really means and realise that my life is an absolute doddle compared to theirs.

If you read this blog today perhaps you could offer up a quick prayer for Alex, Luz and their 3 sons, that God will watch over them and help them through these day.

Man looks at the outward appearance......but....

2007-08-13T18:17:00.000+01:00

Image is everything - or so we are told. That concept was turned on it's head for me over the weekend. On Sunday morning we travelled about an hour north to lead worship at a small corps in Hertfordshire. We arrived really early and found ourselves waiting outside the hall. Well, we thought it was the hall. There wasn't anything which said it was The Salvation Army. the lettering which formerly made up the sign had either been vandalised or just deteriorated. There were only 3 letters left - T E A. At least that summed up what we are famous for, I suppose!

After a few minutes of waiting I began to think we might have the start time wrong. So I went to check the sign on the exterior noticeboard and found it was actually an appeal to help find a missing cat. Having never visited the place before I felt rather discouraged by this downbeat exterior. I even said to Lyn, 'the Army is going down the pan'.

After a while, the officers arrived and we went inside. The place started filling up. By the time we were ready to start the (smallish) hall was pretty much full. And what a great atmosphere - young families and small children mingled with older members of the congregation. The worship was well received - people joined in really nicely. After the meeting we were invited to join in for after meeting 'tea and fellowship'. Guess what, nearly everyone did! They chatted, they laughed and they enjoyed each other's company. I learned the stories of families who had been attracted to the church by the warm welcome and the care of the officer in charge. The 'upbeat' buzz about the place was in complete contrast to the exterior. To me, this was real church!

Being honest, I'd have liked to have seen a nicer exterior and a more welcoming appearance. I would have liked to see the place given a touch of paint and a new sign. But the lesson for me was that church is much more than snazzy posters or fancy slogans. It's about the family of God; Christianity in community. Despite the peeling paint and lack of external SA Shield I'm pretty sure this place will continue to attract new members. If this is what 'going down the pan' looks like in reality - then I hope other corps catch the habit.

It cheered me up, anyway!

2007-08-03T21:52:00.000+01:00

After a pretty difficult week, this joke (rather un-pc, I'm afraid) really cheered me up:

A mother takes her five year old son shopping during a busy lunchtime. They end up in in a queue behind a very large woman in a business suit complete with pager. As they wait the little boy says rather loudly, "Mum, she's really fat!!".
Embarrassed, the mother bends down and has a quiet chat with the little boy.
A few minutes pass and the little boy spreads his hands as wide as they can go and says even more loudly "She must be this wide..!!!"
At this the business woman turns round and glares at the little boy. His mother gives him a telling off and tells him to be quiet.
After a brief lull, the large woman reaches the till. Just at that point her pager starts bleeping.
The little boy yells out, "Run for your life - she's reversing..!!!!"

It's a fair cop

2007-08-03T18:31:00.001+01:00

What sort of week have you had? I confess mine has had it's real 'ups' and 'downs'. We started our week 'up north' leading the funeral of an old friend. As odd as it sounds, this was one of the 'ups'. He had experienced a full life, the church was packed to the doors and there was a real spirit of celebration for a life lived to the full.

Returned to work and spent the rest of the week feeling like we were under attack and fighting a rearguard defence every day. They were the 'downs' - but even in dealing with those some positive results have come.

Last night topped the week off nicely. As I rode home my mind was full of all the garbage I felt I had been dealing with during the day. I wasn't concentrating as well as I should have been. As I made my way down the outside of a traffic queue I followed another biker around a Keep Left bollard (on the right!). I didn't realise 2 police motorcyclists were following me. You guessed it, immediately pulled over an an on the spot £30 fine. It's the first time I've been nicked and the copper was nice enough about it, but it wasn't a great feeling.

As I rode away I was kicking myself for getting caught. If only I had checked my mirrors. On any normal day I would have done - but the hassle of the day distracted me. Strangely enough, despite having just committed an offence I felt no remorse for breaking the law - only annoyed that I got caught. As I rode carefully away afterwards I was passed by many other bikers, all taking the same (illegal) route around the bollards I had been taking earlier. Made me even more annoyed seeing them on their way home while I pottered along obeying the rules.

It made me think. Is sin wrong only if we get found out? Or does Christian integrity mean trying to do the right thing - even when no one's looking?

I don't believe it!

2007-08-01T20:20:00.000+01:00

I was visiting a corps 'up north' recently (no names, no pack drill). Standing outside, I was looking at the notices at the front of the hall. The first thing I noticed was how nicely made they were - I hate poorly produced posters. Note only were they well produced, they were themed 'we are the church that listens'. Matching format - so far, so good.

The first poster said, 'you told us that you wanted parent and toddlers even during the holidays. We listened - we now run parent and toddlers even through the holidays'. Wow, commitment to meeting needs. Still good, I thought.

The next poster said 'you told us that Sundays are a busy day. We listened - so we now have worship every fortnight'. WHAT!!!!! I suddenly went into my Victor Meldrew mode - I called Lyn to loook whilst doing my, 'I don't believe it!' routine.

Am I really turning into a grumpy old man, or what? Now I'm all for valuing family time. The old days of 3 meetings and 2 Sunday Schools every Sunday now seem like a form of torture. But worship every fortnight! Do I assume that Parent and Toddlers are more important than Sunday worship? And we wonder why the church is declining! I'd be interested in your comments - let me know what you think.

Well said, sir!

2007-08-01T20:10:00.000+01:00

With all respect to the sensitivities of those poor folks who suffered the flooding recently, I came across a great quote last weekend.

One of the casualties of the flooding in Gloucester was the local football team. Under a few inches of water the pitch was unplayable. On the verge of a new season this was obviously a terrible blow to the club.

In response, their manager was quoted as saying, 'we face many challenges; it's not the start to the season we were hoping - but at least the players remain buoyant!'

Yeah - goal !!!!!

The f*** word!

2007-07-28T19:08:00.000+01:00

I've just come back from a walk around the corner to get a bag of chips. On the way home I was followed by a guy who was using his mobile phone. The conversation was liberally sprinkled with the f*** word. I don't think I'm an old prude, but am I the only one who finds the way this word has become common language now really offensive?

Last week I saw and heard a father telling off his young son. The lad was probably about 4 or 5 - yet Dad berated him, shouting the f*** word at him. It won't be surprising if that youngster grows up thinking it's an OK thing to say.

I thought Rod Stewart's recent comments at a concert (he said that if he swore on stage he would give every member of the audience £10) were great. I wouldn't allow people in my house to use the f*** word - but even the mainstream TV channels regularly feature programmes with strong language and swearing.

How about a campaign to stamp out swearing? It's not cool, it's not bright, it's not nice, it's not really how we want our kids growing up, is it?

Through my window

2007-07-26T16:52:00.000+01:00

Morning prayers happens at IHQ every Thursday. Now I'm not saying I'm a creature of habit - but I confess that I always sit in the same seat - back row, right in the corner against the window. Those of you who are familiar with the new IHQ know it is a beautiful glass building. If I described it as transparent that would be an understatement. There's no hiding - everyone can see exactly what is happening as there are no walls - everything is glass. So when I sit in the corner I am just a few feet away from the pavement of the very busy Queen Victoria Street. If prayers are a little boring (I know it's hard to believe but even at IHQ we occasionally have some less than stimulating meetings!) it means I can amuse myself watching what's happening in the street. The flip side is that we are rather like goldfish in a bowl and I often wonder what people passing by make of us - we must be a strange looking bunch.

Sometimes tourists come right up to the window and take photos - which can be a bit embarrassing. Commuters heading to work cast a furtive glance - they want to see what's going on but don't want to stare - Brits don't like to appear rude, do we??

But the vast majority actually just pass by without giving us a second glance. Despite the unusual sight of about 50 people in funny uniforms, singing, clapping their hands, or sitting with eyes closed in prayer at 9.15 on a Thursday morning, as they head to work or go about their business passing within feet of us, we are a complete irrelevance - an odd group bothering no one in their own little world.

I confess I find myself wondering 'Is that actually what we've become - just an irrelevance'? If so, I don't feel too happy about that. So what am I going to do about it? What do you think?

Others

2007-07-25T17:48:00.000+01:00

When William Booth (the founder of The Salvation Army) was on his death bed, he was visited by one of the managers of the telegraph system of London. The man asked Booth if he had a last message he would like to send to his Salvation Army officers around the world. He said, "If you have, whether it is long or short, we shall be glad to send it free of charge." Looking up, the General smiled his thanks and said just one word: "Others."

This old story has been recently revived. That word 'others' was used as the theme for the Salvation Army's ROOTS conference this year. I received a very flash, glossy brochure this week advertising the Hillsongs European Conference which takes place in London in October. They have taken the same theme and quote that old story. It's quite challenging to see how one of the world's largest and most dynamic churches are finding inspiration in the example of our Founder.

But what does 'others' really mean? In a mission sense it has been used to challenge church goers to live a life of influence and impact. But I'd like to give you a real life example.

Yesterday Lyn and I heard that Alec had died. Alec was a soldier at one of our first corps appointments. He's been in a nursing home for the last year and his passing, though very sad, came as a release for him and his family. Alec was one of the churches unsung heroes - he knew and demonstrated the meaning of the word 'others'. He was a hard working man - a former coal miner. His hands, hard as leather from years of mining and gardening, were the tools of a christian who lived out the life of a servant of Christ.

When Lyn and I first moved to the small village where Alec lived we found a community struggling to come to terms with the closure of the coal mine which had been the life-blood of the village for many decades. The village had no gas supply - we all relied on coal and coke boilers. The problem with coal is that you have to keep the fire burning - when you go away the fire goes out. In the 4 years we lived there we never came back from a holiday to a cold house - Alec had been in to clean out and relight the fire - making sure we had a warm welcome back. Regularly I would come home after a morning out and about visiting the 'flock' to discover that Alec, without any prompting, had loaded his lawnmower in the boot of his car and come around to cut the lawn and tend the garden.

The surprise of finding a bag of newly harvested vegetables from Alec's allotment and left as a gift on our doorstep meant we enjoyed the cream of the crop every harvest time.

Alec wasn't a public speaker but his life spoke volumes about his understanding of 'others'. Conferences may never be held in his memory but he enriched my life greatly and the church on earth will be a much poorer place without him.

Tuesday thought for the day (3)

2007-07-24T19:03:00.000+01:00

Our emergency service teams have been working in Rwanda for the last few months, supporting a group of 70 refugee families who were recently forced to return to Rwanda after a decade living in Tanzania. We've built individual latrines for each family and installed a borehole and safe supply of clean water. The place has been transformed.

We are now hoping to construct a community centre on the site - from which education programmes and a health post can be run. It will also pave the way for a new corps.

I received a report from the team today. last Sunday they held a worship service on the ground that has been donated by the Mayor for the new worship centre. 197 people attended (135 adults and 62 children). When the appeal was made at the end of the meeting 25 first time seekers came to the 'mercy seat' to claim salvation!

And still I hear people question how Emergency Services contributes to the mission of The Army!!

Tuesday thought for the day (2)

2007-07-24T19:00:00.000+01:00

Appropriately named places that I pass each day on my way home:
'Hair Force One' - ladies hairdressers
'Fulfilled' - local sandwich bar
'O my Cod!' - guess, that's right - local chip shop.
'The good intent' - local pub (wonder how many people have gone in there and said 'just one for the road' - and staggered out a few hours later?)

Tuesday - thought for the day (1)

2007-07-24T18:59:00.000+01:00

While on holiday in Crete last week I discovered that the average Cretan consumes 1 litre of olive oil per month! How much????? What do they do - wash in it??

(Pr)air miles!

2007-07-23T18:57:00.000+01:00

So many things that we take for granted in The Salvation Army were actually years ahead of their time. We had women vicars before they became fashionable, and William Booth's 'In Darkest England' was published decades before Iain Duncan Smith started thinking about social justice.

But what about the humble 'star card'? It was years ahead of its time. If you ever attended Sunday school at The Salvation Army you will remember the star card. Every week when you attended Sunday School you had your card stamped with a little star (hence the name). In the 'old days' we went to Sunday School in the morning and then again after lunch. The star card was so important we even took it on holiday so that we could get our stamp when we went to Sunday School at the nearest corps (church) - something we had to do before we were allowed anywhere near the beach, of course. It was important to get your stamp because the number of stars you had determined the quality of 'prize' that you were given on prize-giving Sunday. As Brucie says 'points make prizes'.

Today my Star Card has been replaced by my Emirates frequent flyer card. I carry it whenever I travel and make sure I present it when I check in. My regular journeys mean that I am the proud holder of a Gold card! Whoooooo!! It means I get better treatment than those who only have a Silver or a plain old Blue card. When I board a plane the cabin crew come to my seat, greet me by name and welcome me back. Why? I'm special - and my Gold card tells me so!

I reckon if William Booth was still around he would resurrect and update the humble Star Card for this post-modern age. We would not only get points for attending on a Sunday but extra points for things such as putting a Bible text on your blog site, or sending one of those 'show a friend how much you love them' emails. Sitting in the balcony would earn you miles + 25%, on the platform and you would get miles + 50%! Responding to the invitation to pray in the meeting would also earn bonus points - regular participants would move up from Blue to Silver, then Gold. A Silver Card would guarantee you priority seating - your preferred seat reserved on the front or back row - in the Holiness meeting. Gold Card holders would have their own dedicated Lounge where they could have their after-meeting coffee away from the 'common people'. We could call the new scheme 'SA Pr-air miles'.

Don't like the idea - well how about an S.P & S Ltd Clubcard then?

Just a thought.........

Do I know you?

2007-07-22T17:50:00.000+01:00

This 'Facebook' thing is a bit confusing. Since signing up less than a week ago I've spent hours checking the site, only to see who has become friends with who, who has 'poked' who, and what photos have been added by people I know. But I have a confession - I can't work out what the whole purpose of the thing is - all I know is that it's a very public window into the private world of friends where I can see exactly what time of day people are doing things at their computers. It seems like a nosey-parker's paradise. Have you noticed the very odd times that people make changes to their pages? Don't people ever sleep? The only good thing is that I am encouraged that my list of 'friends' grew very quickly - it's still not a huge number but at least it' nice to know I have some!

Over the weekend an odd thing happened, though. I received a 'friend' request from someone I don't know. What a dilemma! Is there an etiquette to these things? Should I blindly accept, knowing that this so called 'friend' will be invited into my world? I'm not sure that I want someone who I hardly know looking into my world. I could easily reject the request - but what will that do for the esteem of the person who wants to be my friend? In my work I travel all around the world and meet many people. It could be someone who has met me on one of my trips. They might think we already know each other as friends - they might be mortified to discover that our meeting left no impression on my life whatsoever!

It raises a thought - are our relationships as deep and meaningful as we think they might be? I've heard many people drop names into conversations to show how well connected they are - perhaps I've done it myself from time to time - but what level of relationship do we really have?

It had me wondering, is my relationship with Jesus as real as I think it is?
21-23"Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.' (Matthew 7:21 - from 'the Message')

Potter mania hits the Hills house

2007-07-21T09:41:00.000+01:00

Well it's finally here - the thing we've all been waiting for. I'm speaking of the latest (and last?) Harry Potter book. I'm not sure whether I'm a good Dad or a 'mad Dad' but at 10pm last night I headed off for Lakeside to take Rebacca to join the queue outside Waterstone's to pick up her copy. Rachel came along to show sisterly support. We expected a crowd to be there already and were surpirsed to find ourselves only about 15th in the line. But as the time drew nearer the crowds grew and the line snaked around the Debenhams end of the shopping centre. I don't know what I expected - but it was surprising to see the age of the waiting throng - older teenagers and early 20's -all those who had grown up and spent their teenage years with 'Harry'. If JK keeps her promise and makes this the last, will life ever be the same?

Waterstones did the waiting throng proud - free sweets, games and even magicians on hand to entertain. The magic guy was brilliant. Some of you may know that I have turned my hand to a little magic over the years - this guy was superb, with sleight of hand stuff so slick that he left us literally 'spell bound'. Midnight arrived and staff tried their best to whip up some excitement with a countdown. By 5 past midnight Becky emerged triumphant with her personal copy. She's determined to read it before she goes to church on Sunday (700 pages!!!) so we expect a nice, quiet day.

Frustrations at the Harvester

2007-07-19T19:37:00.000+01:00

Isn't it frustrating when you spend 15 minutes carefully looking through the menu, the waitress comes to take your order, you give it and she says, 'we don't do that any more'. Ahhhhhh! If they don't do it any more why don't they cross it off the menu. Sounds simple to me - just takes a felt tip pen - not too hard for anyone.

You don't get that problem with Ronseal - it always does what it says on the tin. Simple! I'm having my next meal out at B&Q!

A seemingly odd habit!

2007-07-19T15:20:00.000+01:00

I have a habit - well one of many, actually! I thought it was one that most people had but I am beginning to wonder. It started about 25 years ago when I was working as a trainee manager for Curry's (a national chain of electrical retail stores). I discovered that if a customer sent to head office a letter mentioning you in a positive light you received a rich fruit cake (in a tin) on the next delivery lorry, along with a note of commendation. On the very few occasions when I received an unexpected 'thank you' bonus it really made my day.

As a result of this I developed a habit. Over the years my kids have poked fun at me often for it. My habit is that when I receive good service in a shop, from a company or even another department at work I try and remember to drop them a little note of thanks. This habit has had interesting results. A few years ago I bought a new CD player for my car at Halfords. A special tool was needed to remove the player fitted as standard. Rather than sell me the tool, a young salesman offered to remove the old radio for me using one of the shop's tools. It saved me a few pounds and did me a favour. When I got home I went on-line and sent a note of thanks to the Halfords Head Office, mentioning by name the young man who had helped. Later that day I visited the retail centre again and parked up near to Halfords. The young lad recognised my car and ran out to tell me that the message had been immediately forwarded to his branch manager and he had been presented with a large bottle of Whiskey! Whether that's better than a rich fruit cake depends on your personal tastes.
It's nice to receive a thank you. I'm not always good at it - and particularly bad when it comes to writing thank you cards for Christmas and birthday presents. My brother and sister in law put me to shame every year. A few days after each birthday or Christmas we receive lovely handwritten notes thanking us for gifts we gave them. They have even trained their children to be as thoughtful and each of my nephews and nieces send similar thank you cards. I should learn to be more thoughtful in showing my gratitude to family and friends for what they do for me.
This week Lyn and I returned from our summer holiday. We had a wonderful week in Crete - the sun shone gloriously every day, we relaxed and unwound in a setting that can only be described as idyllic. The hotel was wonderful, the flights ran on time and all for what we thought was a bargain price. I decided to drop the holiday company a note to say 'thanks'. What has happened since has rather surprised me. Within 24 hours of sending it I've had 2 e-mails and a personal telephone call from different staff at the travel company all thanking me for thanking them. They all commented that customers only ever write to complain - a word of thanks seemed so unusual.
Are we such a miserable lot that all we ever do is complain? I think that's kind of a shame, really, and it's made me more determined to try and show my gratitude more frequently.

Thursday morning musings

2007-07-19T13:34:00.000+01:00

Thursday 19th July: Enjoying my last few days of holiday (at home) I decided this morning to go on a motorbike ride. Lyn had to go to a funeral - so it was a great chance to take my newly cleaned and polished Blackbird out for a spin. Heading out through Brentwood I took the road to Ongar - not a road I use often but a great back road for a Bike. I was rather surprised to see a sign for the 'Secret Nuclear Bunker'. It wasn't a 'hidden' sign but one of those brown, tourist attraction signs. Seemed a bit odd, I thought. Surely if you advertise something on a brown, tourist attraction sign you can't call it 'secret' any longer. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to rename it the 'once upon a time was a bit hush hush, but now known by millions nuclear bunker'! Not content only to advertise the secret, the next sign directed me to a car park to accommodate all the people wanting to see the 'once upon a time was a bit hush hush but now known by millions' bunker.
I pondered this as I rode (as you do) and wondered if they would get as many customers if it wasn't advertised as 'secret'. If it was any old bunker would people want to see it? Probably not, eh? I thought some more - riding a bike is a good stimulus for thinking, obviously, and wondered if this is perhaps the same attraction which makes gossiping so interesting. If you are reading this thinking 'I don't find gossiping interesting', I'm afraid I don't believe you. We love it when we have a secret which we can share (confidentially, of course) with others. If the secret is a bit 'juicy' then all the better. It's my experience that the church is certainly not immune to this attraction. I thought some more (that's 3 thoughts in one day - pretty good, eh?) - and recalled the advice I was given when I joined the Rotary Club a few years ago. Rotarians call it the '3 way test'. Actually, it's the 4-way test (I almost forget one of the tests, sorry).

These are:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL & BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
It's not a bad test for all church members to sign up to, is it? Perhaps some of our secret 'bunkers' should actually remain that way?
Anyway - that's my Thursday morning 'ponder' - I share it with my friends (and I'm pretty chuffed to know that I have 6 since setting up my Facebook page!!) for your edification. Have a nice day!