I sauntered out of our drive this morning to walk to the weekly Jesus Centre site management meeting. I realised that at exactly the same time next week I'll be heading for the train station and Birmingham Airport. So what's it all about?
Part of our commitment to our Multiply International partners is that every three years we'll send a UK team to support conferences. We expect these to be international, and in Africa that's not difficult. But India, and the advent of our 'J Generation' projects has somewhat changed the landscape. The coming India trip includes three conferences in already-familiar centres: Bangalore, Kerala and Mizoram; and two projects in which two of our younger guys will join Colney in Mizoram and Odisha. Then we have a 'first' with a conference in Yangon, Myanmar, and we round off in Abu Dhabi. Still with me?
During May/June's AMEN week, we scoped out the South India programme with Daniel, and the projects in the North with Colney. Then we had just three months to fill in the gaps. I've been battling with flight schedules (including stop-overs, 22 to get right) and teaching material. The Multiply office has been guiding us through visa applications, and dispatching advance funds and conference handouts. In the midst of a hectic summer schedule of landscaping, Nathan's been scraping together donations for outdoor concerts. Sam's been fund-raising for the orphanage in Cuttack. Until two weeks' ago, Steve's been reorganising White and Bishop and its Internet adjunct E-Outdoor. And Colney got married, and passed over the arrangements for Myanmar to John Biak, who's based there.
Let me tell you about the orphanage. Three years ago, Orissa (the name's been changed since) was thick with Radical Hindu oppression against the fragile Christian minority. The underlying motives were complex. Colney's Restoration India Ministry reaches right into these rural parts. Some pastors and Christian workers were killed. Many families fled, leaving children displaced and homeless. Colney's team scooped up about 70 of the boys left adrift, and rented a large property to house them. The project has been fraught with problems: finance, suitable premises, and how to provide the best care. Huw and I visited in November 2011.
The 'house father' nervously recently approached Colney; "The boys have been listening to radios." "How is this?" Colney questioned. "They make them out of electronic components they've scavenged." "Oh," replied Colney; "Then we must give them a workshop so they can do more." So, we want to kit them out with a laptop, video cameras and editing software. The story's immediate appeal has helped to draw donations.
I did a run-though of the itinerary at mid-August's leaders day. The team got together last week to talk finance, medicines and programme content. At this last weekend's Bank Holiday Weekend "Winning" Festival, the four of us were on stage for commissioning.
So what's left to make me lose sleep? I guess that pinning down the technology remains the bugbear. I've bought a dinky speaker that blasts out indecent decibels, because local PA has always been an issue. I hate videos that crash because the player gets indigestion. I'm waiting for my ICT techie 'friends' to calm my nerves. We shall see.
During May/June's AMEN week, we scoped out the South India programme with Daniel, and the projects in the North with Colney. Then we had just three months to fill in the gaps. I've been battling with flight schedules (including stop-overs, 22 to get right) and teaching material. The Multiply office has been guiding us through visa applications, and dispatching advance funds and conference handouts. In the midst of a hectic summer schedule of landscaping, Nathan's been scraping together donations for outdoor concerts. Sam's been fund-raising for the orphanage in Cuttack. Until two weeks' ago, Steve's been reorganising White and Bishop and its Internet adjunct E-Outdoor. And Colney got married, and passed over the arrangements for Myanmar to John Biak, who's based there.
Let me tell you about the orphanage. Three years ago, Orissa (the name's been changed since) was thick with Radical Hindu oppression against the fragile Christian minority. The underlying motives were complex. Colney's Restoration India Ministry reaches right into these rural parts. Some pastors and Christian workers were killed. Many families fled, leaving children displaced and homeless. Colney's team scooped up about 70 of the boys left adrift, and rented a large property to house them. The project has been fraught with problems: finance, suitable premises, and how to provide the best care. Huw and I visited in November 2011.
The 'house father' nervously recently approached Colney; "The boys have been listening to radios." "How is this?" Colney questioned. "They make them out of electronic components they've scavenged." "Oh," replied Colney; "Then we must give them a workshop so they can do more." So, we want to kit them out with a laptop, video cameras and editing software. The story's immediate appeal has helped to draw donations.
I did a run-though of the itinerary at mid-August's leaders day. The team got together last week to talk finance, medicines and programme content. At this last weekend's Bank Holiday Weekend "Winning" Festival, the four of us were on stage for commissioning.
So what's left to make me lose sleep? I guess that pinning down the technology remains the bugbear. I've bought a dinky speaker that blasts out indecent decibels, because local PA has always been an issue. I hate videos that crash because the player gets indigestion. I'm waiting for my ICT techie 'friends' to calm my nerves. We shall see.
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