Christmas @ The Meeting House

It was an exciting, noisy, busy place on Christmas evening as 75 people from numerous nations, cultures, social strata and religions merged together on the top floor of The Meeting House to share a meal. Their were relatively well off families with little children, expats with distant family, societies misfits and rejects, former high profile individuals that are now lonely and alone. They came and mixed together, supporting and serving each other: sharing their journeys and celebrating acceptance.

Added to this eclectic mozaic that previewed the potential of humanity to be family despite the differences, there was a team of Corps (church) members that had arranged their own family Christmas celebrations to be available to serve the community - and in so doing be Jesus.

We sang Carols together which retold the story of the first Christmas, and listened to a presentation which spoke of the potential for miracles that was still available because of the God who walks amongst us.

This Chruch, The Meeting House, (The Salvation Army - Mt Albert) continues to make me proud - we don't get everything right and never will - but this church, these Christians are introducing the community to Jesus and making a difference - and often with very few words.

The Kiwi and the Mouse

It's been another crazy week here at The Meeting House!

It began with a capacity crowd to farewell to Brenton (Captain) as he leaves us to get maried this weekend, and then moves on to a new appointment in the new year.

It got stranger when over 120 pre-schoolers and their carers came together for the mainly music christmam program with a difference. As the children sang and danced, they heard the story of Christmas through the eyes of a kiwi and a mouse.

This was followed by the weekly community meal: 59 people heard again the message of Emmanuel, and shared together around their tables. This eclectic group continues to surprise and delight us as we look to meet the needs of the marginalised in our community.

Wednesday and following a good attendance at the Drop-In centre, our little experiment: MAKAttack! (a Kids Club) continues to grow with over 30 children meeting to create chaos and hear the real story of Christmas.

The Meeting House is alive and well. In any given week we become home for between 275 and 300 people - many of whom are the displaced and unwanted of our community. If you want to see a church that is committed to it's purpose of Introducing people to Jesus, Meeting Needs and Making a Difference - then, check us out or come and be part of the transformation that is occuring here.

Volleyball Best & Fairest

Volleyball Best & Fairest,
originally uploaded by darylcrowden.

Fireworks

Not too long ago we had the annual dash for fireworks. Here in New Zealand we can buy fireworks for 5 days leading up to Guy Fawkes (November 5). Along with all the other pyromaniacs we bought our box (or two) and for a couple of nights sent missiles flying into the night sky from our back yard.

At almost the same time as Guy Fawkes, Diwali was being celebrated - so by joining the two celebrations together there was a reason for just about every neighbour we have to join the cacophony of light and sound. It's fun - until they let loud one's off in the early hours of the morning.

On the serious side of the celebrations - the fireworks alwas cause problems. We had a few houses burnt down, a few kids blown up, idiots who unfortunately spoil it for everyone. So the government have their annual debate about banning the fireworks, again.

In the mean time one of the major supermarket chains decides that in the interest of public health and safety they will no longer sell fireworks. "It's not safe for kids, and has the potential to ruin their lives".

I wonder if they have considered that the aisles of alcohol, and cabinets of cigarettes that they sell could perhaps cause more harm to children and families!

Diwali

It's the Diwali season. Around our area there are numerous houses decorated with fairy lights and the Indian restaurants and Sari shops are advertising their Diwali specials. This Hindu festival of lights is a celebration of light over darkness, the victory of good over evil, the uplifting of spiritual darkness. (The Sanskrit word Deepavali, literally means "an array of lights": Deepa/Dipa means "lights or lamps", Avali - a row of...)

Having lived and worked in Sri Lanka, Diwali is not new to me and my family. But we were reminded again this weekend of the fact that you cannot out-give a Sri Lankan.

Sandy is the English as a Second Language (ESOL) tutor for a Sri Lankan Tamil lady who has lived through a horrific experience. Physically and emotionally abused as a result of the war in her homeland she, with her husband and four children, have escaped to New Zealand. Here, though desperately poor, she is trying to rebuild her life and provide for her children.

On Saturday Rani and her husband where on their way to buy a new outfit for their daughter as part of the Diwali celebration when they stopped at our place to deliver a very large basket of 'Diwali Treats'. A basket that must have cost them much more than they could afford - and certainly more than they would be spending on themselves and their children.

From their little - they gave much!

Gifts of Hope

We're coming up on Christmas fast and if you're anything like me you're already starting to sweat about buying that special person the right gift. You know that "socks and jocks" are just not going to cut it again! Don't panic, (don't sweat it), I have the solution for you...

"Gifts of Hope" (link to brochure) is a new initiative of The Salvation Army in New Zealand that gives you the opportunity to choose a gift that keeps on giving to the people of Fiji and Tonga. I've had the privilege of travelling to both these Islands this year, meeting the Army personnel that work there and visiting some of the people who will benefit from your generosity. I can guarantee you that this is a a gift that will make an amazing difference in the lives of truly deserving people who through no fault of their own are in desparate need.

Please give gifts that really matter this year!

Church Camp

Last weekend The Meeting House relocated to a private Island (Rotoroa) in the Gulf. For two and half days 57 people from all walks of life lived together in community - enjoying one anther's company and learning together. It was quite an amazing experience.

It was the first camp for our young corps - but I doubt it will be the last. Amongst the highlights were the bonfire on the beach during which marshmallows were roasted and songs of worship were sung. For the keen campers and early risers morning devotions on the beach also served to centre our minds on the things that matter most. The opportunity for every person to receive notes of affirmation and encouragement changed the experience of most campers.

The weekend theme was "Encourage One Another" and through a number of interactive sessions and meals together I am in no doubt that people were encouraged. Half our group were members of our community ministries - people who are amongst the marginalised and the lonely - people on the fringes of society - and together with the 'regular' members they learnt and ate and played together.

The Camp was proof again that it is in community and through relationship that lives are transformed - not just impacted - but radically and irreversibly transformed.

The Great Wall and the Passionate Remnant

After numerous meetings, and a few disagreements I’m almost at the end of this amazing journey, just one more meeting to go with the ‘brass’ and then I’m on my way home. But I couldn’t be in Beijing and not see that icon of China – the Great Wall.

On my way back into Beijing today we stopped off at the Bandaling Great Wall precinct. It’s here that there is a fortress from which the wall extends for miles north and south. The fortress has now become one of the bases of the Wall Climb, the ticket office and tourist precinct (with the obligatory tourist stalls and Starbucks).

What an awesome sight. I only had 1.5 hours (the unfortunate obligation of work) so went for a walk down the southern leg of the wall. It took us about 30 minutes to climb to the second ‘turret’ thingy which was only the third highest point of the wall that I could see, but that was strenuous enough. The stone steps have been worn down over the centuries and at places are quite narrow, but the climb is worth it – from our vantage point we could see the wall disappear into the mist miles away in both directions.

Tonight I had the amazing privilege of meeting with a number of Chinese Salvation Army Officer’s children. Most of them are in their 70s now: amongst the group was John Yin (the son of Major Yin Hun Shun about whom the book Yin: The Mountain the Wind Blew Here was written), most had seen their parents interned for their Salvation Army allegiance, one saw his mother thrown out on the street to clean and beg. This is ‘the remnant’ of TSA in China and they are so thrilled to see the Army presence in their land again. When we sat around the table and sang together and told some of the stories they were so very passionate and thankful. This was just an amazing end to my journey in China.

Tomorrow I’m in the air back to Aotearoa and family.

There have been many lessons learnt and a few recommendations and decisions to make – but overall The Salvation Army is doing a great thing in Xinghe. There are families that today have more potential for a bright future because of the Army’s engagement. There are women that are receiving medical intervention and hygiene training for themselves and their children, there are men and women who are being helped to develop new skills in agriculture and animal husbandry (raising rabbits and cows). There are people whose lives have been transformed and with engagement with local government officials we are continuing to challenge the structures and concepts of normality that perpetuate poverty and marginalization.

For those that are Salvationists you can be proud of what the Army does in these kinds of places, and you can be certain that your money is well used (all of it).

Xinghe

Spicy fish heads, with fried rice and some other vegetable dishes was on the lunch menu today. The fish actually tasted very nice, although I couldn’t eat too much of it.

Today I had the privilege of bearing gifts made possible by The Salvation Army Missionary Fellowship (Auckland) and a family in Australia. With their US$300 I was able to buy sports equipment and pens for the Beiguan Primary School in Xinghe. The school caters for children of the immigrants and locals; there are about 635 students in what most of us would consider pretty awful circumstances. But today, after they had participated in their morning exercises they received soccer and basket balls, badminton equipment, skipping ropes, Chinese chess sets, hacky sacks and hoola hoops – and a new biro each. Needless to say they were very excited, and the chaos was wonderful for me, not so much for the teachers.

The school visit was the highlight of an otherwise exhausting day of visiting local government departments and stakeholders. Drinking copious amounts of Chinese tea, and working through two translators gets tiring after a while.

To bring life into perspective a little we had the opportunity of visiting a few families in their ‘homes’ and again being treated generously to tea and their stories. Most of the people were forcibly removed from the ancestral lands in the mountains and relocated here for their benefit. Now, in a region they don’t know, unable to participate in the lifestyle they have known all their lives, unable to be self sufficient they do life tough. Stripped of their self-respect and their self worth the immigrants now battle to make sense of their lives – and yet strive hard to establish normality for their children and their elders.

Having the opportunity to walk with these people for this short time is both a privilege and a burden. There has to be more we can do for the millions who exist in poverty – but what little we can do – let’s do with excellence.

Tonight we’ve been invited out to dinner with one of the Government officials, so the white guy is on show again – watch him struggle with his chopsticks, and force the local delicacies on him. I have a feeling that I’m in for an interesting night.

Freezing...

I made it to Xinghe. It is now 0 degrees, and it's only 9pm. They tell me it'll get down to about -3 tonight. And the heating has not been, and can not be, turned on in the accomodation yet. Had my first really disgusting meal, but I'm going to spare you the details.

Time to get some rest though. 5 Meetings to attend tomorrow, a group discussion to fascilitate, and some house visits to make.

The Train to Zhangjiakou

The morning started early with a 30 minute taxi ride to the North Railway station. A humungous structure in the Northern suburbs that is the hub for trains traveling to the North – we braved the dodgem track which is the Beijing traffic, only to discover our train was delayed.

We waited in a hall the size of Eden Park with what seemed like the whole of China’s population, (must have been at least 1,000 people) for over an hour: but when the announcement was made and the gates opened the dance began as people of all shapes, sizes, smells and sensitivities; carrying bags and containers of all sizes and fragilities, waltzed to the train. We were being spoilt today – the team had booked a sleeper for each of us. So with the other 120 people we squeezed into cabins with two sets of triple-decker sleeping berths, and thanked God that I was not one of the ‘who knows how many’ that squeezed into the ‘no number limit standing only’ carriages.

So I am now sitting on my berth watching China go by. Other than the extremely loud Chinese ‘elevator’ music being piped through the carriage it is very pleasant, although stuffy and I am starting to absorb some strange smells. The landscape is comprised of huge mountain ranges, numerous long dark tunnels, and every now and then a little village or and industrial complex of some sort. The trip will be about 4 hours – give or take.

After our arrival in Zhangjiakou we will do some shopping for the project before heading in the project car for another 1.5 hours to Xinghe which will be home for a few days.

Church Passport

There are a number of churches, amongst them are the ‘Three Self Church’ which is the state sanctioned Christian community that caters for the Chinese Christians, and operates only in Mandarin or other local dialects. But if you are an expat and want to attend church you have to go to the International Church, where you are required to produce your passport to get in, or a number of other 'smaller' fellowships.

Chinese national are not allowed to attend this church due to government policy that Chinese people can not be taught (in churches) by non Chinese people. This apparently is a much freer church, along the AOG model, as opposed to the Three Self Church which I ma told is quite formal, predictable and controllable.