Alliance News April - June 2012

APRIL-JUNE 2012

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE OF SRI LANKA

Finally , A Place to Call Home.

Skandakumar with his family

Written By Deepthi Senanayake

For Skandakumar, his wife Pushpam and their five children Ananthapuram East was where they called home since 2002. However during the height of the ethnic conflict, while fleeing for safety, Skandakumar became a victim to a bomb blast. “I was shattered when I realised I would be maimed for the rest of my life having lost my left leg below the knee.

As I am the sole bread winner this was a big blow to our family. We were at Zone 04 Menik Farm camp for 4 months. In April 2010 we came back to our home and found that our house was razed to the ground” said Skandakumar with tears welling up in his eyes.

“When we came back from the camp we had an additional member adopted to our family – my brother’s son who was orphaned as a result of the final stages of the war” added Pushpam.

Life’s cruelty did not end there for this family; their only son, 12 year old Raja sits in a wheel chair and only responds to music. “He was not born like this.

When he was one year old I took him to hospital for his routine vaccines. There they gave him a vaccine after which his development was impaired” said Pushpam.

As a mother she has had more than her fair share of heartache. Her two youngest children were also disabled through quite unfortunate circumstances. They were not born disabled but the impact of the ethnic conflict had left a sad infliction on these innocent young lives.

Vathani, their 4th child of 8 years, was mentally affected the day a shell destroyed their home. To date this harrowing incident no doubt haunts her, robbing her of the opportunity to go to school with kids of her age. Her condition also affects her walk and even the use of her hands. The youngest, 4 year old Devi, depends completely on her mother. She was infected with >> continued on Page 7

From left to right: Skandakumar’s disabled elder son, Skandakuma inspecting the house, his wife and youngest daughter and his elder, disabled daughter

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Pastors learn how to Live in the Worldly World.

Written By Chandrika Fonseka

Christian Pastors have their work cut out when living and preaching the Gospel in an overpoweringly non-Christian environment in Dambulla. Overwhelmingly, 70 percent of the population of Sri Lanka is Buddhist against 14.3 percent Hindu, 7.8 Muslim, 7.6 percent Roman Catholic and 1.5 percent Protestant.

Churches situated in and around Dambulla are particularly challenged. Historically, Dambulla is recognised as a sacred site for the predominantly Buddhist population of the country. Any perceived threat to the majority religion can manifest in hostility. Recently a group of activists led by proponents of the majority religion demanded that a place of worship of a minority religion, which had been there for more than 50 years, be shut down. One can easily imagine the consequences if a church faces a similar situation.

It is against this backdrop that the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) held their second Standing Strong Through the Storm seminar for the secondary level leadership of churches.

The seminar took place at the Dambulla Family Park on 30th April and 1st of May 2012. A significant 37 participants enrolled themselves for this seminar.

There were a few questions from the participants about whether the church should meet on ‘Sunday’ as Sunday is the Sabbath. There were other questions that pertained to how one should live in society without getting lost in it. These questions were answered with practical wisdom by one of the key speakers. Participants also commented positively on how the seminar dealt with practical issues and were very useful to them in their daily ministry. Testimonies showed how grateful participants were to the organisers of this programme.

Free Medical Camp in Progress at Nuwera Eliya

ADT Gives Free Medicare to Estate Workers Written By Deepthi Senanayake

In June 2011, a needs assessment conducted by ADT’s WATSAN sector highlighted the need to conduct a medical clinic for the workers of Melfort Estate, Pussellawa and Labookelle Estate, Nuwara Eliya. The estate workers are from low income families hence their nutrition standards are very low. The estate Doctors welcomed this medical clinic for their estate workers since there were many restrictions in attending to their sicknesses because of limited facilities available in the estate dispensaries. ADT facilitated a team of Government General Practitioners to conduct the medical clinic on 9th and 10th June 2012 at the Melfort Estate dispensary and on the 10th at the Labookelle Estate dispensary. A total of 95 patients from Melfort Estate and 165 patients from Labookelle Estate received treatment. The most common sicknesses that were treated were skin diseases, gastritis, anaemia, diabetes and asthma. The medical teams realized that in most cases the treatment for the sicknesses had been prolonged due to false beliefs and traditions followed through ignorance.This issue was also addressed by ADT as well as the doctors. The medicines were dispensed free of charge to the patients and the remaining medicines were donated to the estate dispensaries.

Participants in prayer at Family Camp, Dambulla

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General Secretary: Godfrey Yogarajah

Editor In Chief: Roshini Wickremesinhe

Design and Layout: Chandrika Fonseka

Address: P.O. Box 113, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka

Telephone: 00945511358

Email: communications@nceasl.org Website: www.nceasl.org www.adtlanka.org The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) was established in 1952 to serve the national Church. Today the Alliance has grown significantly and is contributing immensely in uniting the Church to transform the nation.

The NCEASL touches the lives of many through its various ministries that include, Missions and Evagelism, Religious Liberty and Human Rights, HIV and AIDS Awareness, Peace and Reconciliation, Water and Sanitation, Livelihood, Children and Psychosocial needs, Disaster Preparedness and Response and Shelter and Infrastructural Development.

Alliance Development Trust (ADT) was established in 2002 to carry out the relief and development work of NCEASL. Through its regional offices in nine regions NCEASL through ADT strives to bring economic sufficiency, social justice, individual and corporate righteousness and public peace to numerous disaster affected and underdeveloped areas of the island.

In a land that was affected by a 30 year civil war and the Asian Tsunami of 2004, NCEASL endeavours to reach out amidst challenges and bring hope to the downtrodden and poverty stricken.

Ainsley and Chaney with their Parents

Ainsley’s and Chaney’s Birthday Gift Written By Chandrika Fonseka

When Ainsley, aged 11 and Chaney aged 9, from Toronto wanted to celebrate their birthday together, they wanted to do something meaningful.

Together with their birthday party invitation promising loads of fun, the two girls sent a photograph of the annual Kid’s Camp hosted in Sri Lanka every year, for Pastors Kids, by The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka’s (NCEASL) Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) with the help of Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) of Toronto . As an alternative to gifts Ainsley and Chaney asked their friends to bring a donation towards VOM’s commitment towards Kid’s Camp .

Over 20 children came for Ainsley and Chaney‘s party in Toronto and their contribution totalled $635.

Ainsley and Chaney did not gift just money; they gifted their birthdays and their love. Little children look forward to birthdays because of the delightful gifts they receive. Ainsley and Chaney sacrificed their birthday gifts so that the little children from Sri Lanka could have a wonderful Kid’s Camp!

The children attending Kid’s Camp do not always have the best of everything. They are children who do not get the comforts and privileges of children from affluent homes.

What Ainsley and Chaney did showed how little children the world over could be taught to practice acts of generosity and kindness from childhood.

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Striking a “Work-Life” Balance

Answering A Calling.

Written By Chandrika Fonseka

Written By Chandrika Fonseka

Being able to juggle a healthy ‘work-life’ balance is what everyone aspires to achieve. This is especially challenging for many pastors. Time with family rates as a priority for many pastors, but some find alarmingly little opportunity to be with their spouses and children.

Pastors live such busy lives attending to the issues of their flock, counseling, visiting parishioners and also translating God’s word into layman’s language that quality family time -including sharing anecdotes of the day or even sharing a meal together- can be pushed to the back burner.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you came to birth I consecrated you; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jer 1:5) 14 young church leaders answered their calling to serve the Lord when they accepted their nomination by their respective churches to attend ‘Emerging Leaders Seminar’ as potential future leaders. The ‘Emerging Leaders’ Seminar‘ organised by the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) is targeted at the emerging generation in their 20’s and 30’s.

Held at Sanctuary House Pamunugama from the 26th to the 28th of June, the seminar addressed topics such as ‘Character for Leadership’, ‘Spiritual Disciplines’, ‘Self-Leadership/ Organising time and tasks’, ‘Mindset of a Leader’, ’Stress and Criticism’ and ‘Discipleship’.

The 14 participants were chosen by their local church elders as leaders who have the potential to impact their communities as well as multiply and contextualise their talents across Sri Lanka as young leaders, years ahead of their time. The Emerging Leaders Course will be delivered to the chosen 14 over a duration of a three day seminar every year for a time period of three years.

The family plays a critical role in any society and is the cornerstone on which future generations are built and learn their basics. Realising the need to build the bonds of the nuclear family among Pastor’s families, The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) organised a conference titled ‘Family Camp’ for 30 families with children from thirty churches belonging to the Pastor’s Fellowship of Trincomalee at the Sarvodaya District Centre on 15th and 16th of June. one hundred participants including 40 children learnt the importance of family life through stories, bible readings and games and special family time, over a period of two days.

Participants at Family Camp,Dambulla

Participants at the Emerging Leaders Seminar

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Strengthening Pastoral Resolve Written By Melanie Pereira

Pastors serving in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka had to face many challenges in the recent past as they lived through the war.

Even after the war, they live in the midst of poverty and many have lost their loved ones, their homes and their churches. As a result of these difficulties, many Pastors in the North struggle to find answers to their doubts and are losing their will to continue their ministry. With the aim of encouraging these Pastors in their ministry, the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) conducted a conference titled ‘The Jubilee Pastors’ Conference’ in Vavuniya. This conference which was held from the 10th to the 12th May 2012, drew 175 participants from Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya.

Sessions at the conference were conducted by Pastor Babu K Mathew of Power Ministry India, Pastor M. Paulus of Body of Christ Ministry, Evangelist Wesley Maxwell and Dr. Arul of Jubilee Ruth Gethsemane. The sessions encouraged and motivated the participants towards building their ministry upon the Word of God. The Vavuniya Urban Council Cultural Hall and the Eshi Full Gospel Church Halls in Vavuniya served as the venues for the conference while accommodation was also provided for the participants. The conference further aimed at providing an opportunity to strengthen the relationship the Pastors have with God and also establish and renew the relationships they have with one another in a relaxing environment.

Participants at Jubilee Pastors’ Conference

Is Microfinance the Answer?

Written By Chandrika Fonseka

Alliance Development Trust (ADT) recognises the benefits of providing capital to people struggling to work their way out of poverty. Over the years, ADT has increased the number of its Microfinance beneficiaries to meet people’s needs. Along with providing more flexible loan products, ADT offers business and personal development training to help people effectively navigate through the hardships they face daily.

The process of choosing microfinance beneficiaries is a three step process. The first step requires the Pastors’ Fellowship to recommend potential benefi Recipiants of Micro-finance Loans

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ciaries to ADT. The second step requires the potential candidates to attend a training seminar of two days on Microfinance and Business Planning, and the third and final step requires them fill a needs assessment and application form by which time they become virtual recipients of the repayable loan.

Within this year alone, ADT has provided 30 microfinance loans to beneficiaries in Jaffna, Batticaloa, Hatton and Nuwara Eliya on the recommendations of the respective Pastors’ Fellowships. In the third quarter of 2012, ADT plans to extend 10 more loans to beneficiaries in the Galle District as well.

Children Identify Disaster Risks in Neighbourhood.

How Christianity and Law can Co-exist Written By Deepthi Senanyake

Written By Deepthi Senanyake

NCEASL’s Religious Liberty Commission conducted a one day seminar for 83 senior Pastors and their assistants (serving) in Batticaloa and Ampara. This was the first advocacy seminar held for Pastors of Batticaloa and Amparai. The seminar was held at Kalavanjukuli on 19th June. The programme covered areas of creating an awareness on laws pertaining to construction of new churches, rights to religious freedom, Human Rights sessions focused on arrest laws, practical tips on how to make police entries, their rights to make complaints and entries in the language they are familiar with (Tamil or Sinhala). The Pastors also had the opportunity to clarify problems they had faced in the past. NCEASL also distributed Tamil and Sinhala Human Rights booklets amongst the participants

The children of the Ratmalana Children’s Club live in a neighbourhood where the water table is very high. Each year the families who live in this neighbourhood face floods due to a poor drainage system and the overflowing waters of the lake that surrounds the village as well as the polluted canals and drains. Further the villagers face a threat from the crocodiles that live in the lake. The children identified these and many more threats faced by their community at the Disaster Risk Reduction Programme held on 29th May

by ADT’s Childrens sector.

At this programme the children were encouraged to identify issues related to disaster in their communities.

The children were divided to senior and junior teams. They found the sessions interesting as the facilitators encouraged the children to find the information by themselves and present it to all the participants.

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Preventing Malnutrition Among Children Written by Deepthi Senanayake

The doctors who conducted the tests identified some common problems - low levels of hemoglobin (anaemic), skin and dental problems. The parents thanked ADT for the care and concern shown to their children. The parents stated that they could never have afforded to consult a specialist for their children and valued it very much. The medical checkup was conducted by ADT’s Child Centred Community Development Programme.

Nearly 58 per cent of infants between 6 and 11 months and 38 per cent children between 12 - and 23 months are anaemic.

Free Medical check-up for ChangeMakers of Ahangama

A medical checkup was conducted by ADT for 22 children from the Ahangama Change Makers club on 16th June 2012. The children (selected) from very needy families were in the ages of 3-8 years. The children accompanied by their parents travelled to Hemas Hospital, Galle where the medical checkup was conducted. The medical checkup included the child’s full blood count, urine and stools report, ESR report, checking on the height, weight, vision, hearing and a general physical examination.

>>Continued from Page 1 chicken pox when they were in the Menik Farm camp. Her sickness obviously did not receive proper medication in the IDP camp; now her feet are lifeless and cannot support her. Her mother carries her to the montessori and back and even at other times she clings on to her mother making it very difficult for Pushpam to carry out her daily household chores.

“We got to hear of ADT through our pastor. This year ADT officials gave me a prosthetic limb which has really helped me to get back into a livelihood. Now I drive a 3 wheel auto to support my family. In January this year, NCEASL offered Skandakumar’s old home

to rebuild our house and in April we moved in to a brand new 2 roomed house built on our own premises. For 2 years we lived in a temporary shelter with the roofs and walls made out of tin roofing sheets. It was very difficult since there were no basic facilities for us especially for my disabled children. But finally now we have a place to call our home!

We have no words to describe our gratitude to NCEASL for coming to our aid and helping us restart our lives. We could never dream of building a house on our own as we live in adverse conditions” said Skandakumar.

Skandakumar’s house was a gift by NCEASL.

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When storms threaten the most desperate, to whom will they turn for help?

Written by Melanie Pereira

Duraisamy raised his eyes to the heavens to watch the clouds gather. Duraisamy and many others had endured years of scorching heat at the Zone 1, Anandha Kumaraswami camp for those displaced by the ethnic conflict for many months now. The wind turned aggressive suddenly and Duraisamy ran to attend on a tin roofing sheet which came off exposing his family’s little shelter to the wrath of the skies. It was precisely 6 p.m. on the 31st of March 2012, when the storm hit Menik Farm battering the temporary shelters where these families took refuge. The tin sheets that once sheltered the people now turned against them in the hands of the strong winds. The temporary wooden structures crumpled like matchsticks exposing the families huddled together to the hail stones which pelted them mercilessly. Screams were whisked away in the strong winds and that night brought back memories of nightmares of the past.

Duraisamy’s little son was injured by the hail stones and had to be rushed together with the other unfortunate victims to the hospital in Chettikulam.

This storm which raged through Anandha Kumaraswami camp had created much damage.

According to reports we received on the destruction caused by the cyclone from , 942 of the 1031 temporary shelters were damaged. 01 death was also

reported from Zone 1 while 49 persons were injured.

The few belongings of those seeking shelter in Menik Farm were ruined while the rain water completely spoiled their dry rations leaving them with nothing to eat. Alliance Development Trust (ADT), the Relief and Development Arm of the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka, responded to this situation through its Humanitarian Response Division. Relief packs containing food, non-food items, clothing and hygiene needs were distributed among all 1031 families victimised by the cyclone. Immediate assistance was provided by pastors and volunteers who worked under the directions of ADT’s Regional Office in Vavuniya as well as the head office in Colombo.

“We lost the little food and clothing that belonged to us in one night” exclaimed Duraisamy. “When we returned from hospital, we found our tent damaged and there was nothing for us to eat! We are so grateful for the immediate help and the relief pack we received from ADT.” It is the aim of ADT that the 1031 families, who were psychologically fallen after this incident, could return to their day-to-day activities by providing for them their basic material needs as well as encouragement and support them in their time of need.

Havoc wrecked by the Storm at Menik Farm, Zone I, Anandha Kumaraswami Camp

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