Hello all you lovely folks,
Thanks so much for all your prayers over the last few days, I have so
appreciaed them and feel so encourged by you all. The last few days have
passed in a whirlwind. I am writing from Dushanbe, Tajikistan. To get here I
had to travel through 5 countries in 24 hrs! I arrived in the middle of the
night and the next am headed for a retreat with all the members of my
organisation here. Tajik air was an experience to travel in, cast of Russian
planes which smelt of diesel and sweaat and were covered with gold gilt and
tacky gold curtains.
The retreat lasted for 4 days and has been a good oportunity to get to know
lots of people here. Ive met up with Laiking my tteammate who is exhausted
and very stressed out and was alos glad to meet Jo and chennelle from NZ who
will also come to Bam, ho are lovely and who I get on well with!!! Yipee
there will be a few more newcomers to spread the load especially as Laiking,
our leader is going for 3 months home leave at the start of Jn, so well
effectively be running the show on our own...scary, but the 3 of us all feel
better having voced our concerns eetc.
today we went out shopping in the markets here to learn how to travel around
in little minibusses ettc. Tajikistan is an interesting mx of russia and Asia
and the multiple people groups all look and sound so different with their
different languages and facial structures etc.
I will be here for the next few weeks sorting out visa etc and it feel good
and exciting, if alittle challenging to be here on this new adventure!
This comes with so much love and prayer to you,
Ali
Monday, October 11, 2004
Ali off to Tajikistan before dawn cracks
On Saturday my phone alarm jarred me into wakefulness - 0245. Time to get Ali up and moving since she has a plane to catch. We drove through the darkness across the wild rugged beauty of Northumbria to Newcastle. She flew off to Brussels on the first leg of her trip to Tajikistan. She touched down in Munich and picked up the ticket for the ongoing flight to Dushanbe. There she had to get the visa at 0400 on Sunday. All went well and our hearts were relieved when we received her text - 'Got my visa and now I'm off 2 sleep .... Ali'
She is there for a week or so of orientation and then heads for Iran where she will be based in Bam. This is the city where 80% of all houses were destroyed a year ago with huge loss of Life. We are praying that she will be a 'watered garden' in the middle of the desert.
She is there for a week or so of orientation and then heads for Iran where she will be based in Bam. This is the city where 80% of all houses were destroyed a year ago with huge loss of Life. We are praying that she will be a 'watered garden' in the middle of the desert.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Sitting here in a Computer meeting
I am sitting here in a meeting where decisions are made about the way ahead with Information Technology in OM. Fascinating to get into stuff that I only vaguely understand and yet which will have such a profound effect for the future of the organisation. Like it or not IT and the Internet are here to stay and affect our very lives.
Fortunately, since it is a techinical meeting I have direct Internet access and therefore can be doing this while the meeting is going on.
Thought I would stick up a family photo. This was taken in Cairo when we were there as a family at Christmas time.
Fortunately, since it is a techinical meeting I have direct Internet access and therefore can be doing this while the meeting is going on.
Thought I would stick up a family photo. This was taken in Cairo when we were there as a family at Christmas time.
Monday, October 04, 2004
Copenhagen on the Logos Hope
I looked in awe up at the towering sides of the Logos Hope. This is a SHIP!!
Rachel, my old PA welcomed our team of 20 as we climbed up the gang plank and into the cavernous car deck. So this is the Logos Hope for which we have prayed so long. We bought this ice-class ship and renamed it. The buying was easy - now comes the huge task of stripping it all out and rebuilding it into the amazing ministry centre that we envision. It will probably take a year and more.
It used to run as an ice class ship through the stormy seas between Denmark and Iceland. Now we want to turn it into a place where a million people a year will have some chance to here the good news of Jesus.
I was at meetings about 'Financial Development' in Sweden where we are training more OMers in how to relate to our partners all around the world. We managed to slip away to see the Logos Hope as an extra treat.
Rachel, my old PA welcomed our team of 20 as we climbed up the gang plank and into the cavernous car deck. So this is the Logos Hope for which we have prayed so long. We bought this ice-class ship and renamed it. The buying was easy - now comes the huge task of stripping it all out and rebuilding it into the amazing ministry centre that we envision. It will probably take a year and more.
It used to run as an ice class ship through the stormy seas between Denmark and Iceland. Now we want to turn it into a place where a million people a year will have some chance to here the good news of Jesus.
I was at meetings about 'Financial Development' in Sweden where we are training more OMers in how to relate to our partners all around the world. We managed to slip away to see the Logos Hope as an extra treat.
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