#9 - Pakistan - a bit more about Forman for those who'd like to know.....

Hi Folks!
Some had asked for more information on Forman Christian College... so here's something that John wrote! You can also check out the website.. google "Friends of Forman College"..

Forman Christian College was founded by Charles Forman, a missionary of the United Presbyterian Church in 1864. It was often called the “Harvard of the Sub-Continent” and was known for it’s beautiful campus with unique trees planted. It was the only university with a swimming pool. Many of the major political and business leaders of the region were educated there which gave the College a unique position to flourish.. That was until 1972 when Zolfigar Ali Bhutto the head of Pakistan made the decision to nationalize the two Presbyterian Colleges (Forman and Gordon), the Presbyterian Education Board schools, the United Christian Hospital and many other missions of other denominations. Under nationalization, the institutions experienced a long period of deterioration - from 1972 until 2003. Forman had buildings crumbling, students protesting, classes not being held, and over 150 illegal squatters moving into the crumbling campus buildings. The problem with the squatters was that once a family illegally occupied a building, the room or rooms within the buildings that they occupied were then passed on from grandparent, to parent to child... it was nearly impossible to get them to move so that the college could continue it’s mission of providing education within a safe campus. There was no law and order on the campus.

In 1992, the Presbyterian Church opened negotiations with the Pakistani government in a bold move to return Forman College to it’s former place as a premiere educational institution. Led by Dave Stoner, negotiations continued for 10 years as deterioration of the property continued. Peter Armacost (the retired president of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg) determined that negotiations wouldn’t be successful unless the Presbyterian Church had a physical presence in Pakistan. In 2002, Peter moved to Pakistan. In 2003 the college was denationalized and returned to the Presbyterian Church, and Peter Armacost became its President. The campus was in shambles..... windows missing, brick walls collapsed.

The change since 2003 is remarkable. Most of the original buildings on the campus are a beautiful pinkish local brick, but during the government’s reign they were all painted the same yellow which soon began to mildew (You can see this in some of the photos I’ve sent).... then there was no money to clean or repaint. Since 2003, many of the buildings have been sand blasted to remove the old paint and restore the crumbling brick... although there is still more sand blasting that needs to be done. Two beautiful multi-story buildings for science, business, and social science studies have been constructed. Womens’ dorms (hostels) are being refurbished. The grounds are well maintained. Students are flourishing. The entire 110 acre campus has been surrounded by a ten foot high brick wall for security of the students and faculty. During the government times, there were problems with foot traffic which included drug trafficking. One remarkable story involves rebuilding a break in the 10 foot tall brick wall. There was a court order to rebuild the wall but there was an expected stay of the order soooooo the staff filled that break in the perimeter wall that was 540 feet by 10 feet high .. they completed the entire section in 36 hours before the stay. Thus ensuring the safety of the students and staff.

So much has been accomplished though the cooperation and financial support of the Pakistani and US governments, Forman alumni, and many private and church donors. US AID funded a building with a five million Rupee donation. Because the US government stepped up and many in the Pakistani government were Forman graduates, the Pakistani government and the government of the Punjab also made donations. Now however, Pakistani members of US AID oppose the US money going to Forman even though they account for how the funds are used. Another issue is that during the nationalization, Forman’s standing in the academic community faltered so now there are not as many Forman alumnus in the government which weakens the support. It is becoming increasingly difficult to fund campus improvements.

Looking to the future, the campus hopes to construct two men’s hostels, one women’s hostel, a Humanities building, student union, library and a gym. The campus now offers a full Bachelor’s program, and has added several graduate degrees including an MBA. One of the most significant factors is the ability for this campus to facilitate positive relationships between Muslims and Christians... a chance to teach tolerance and acceptance between those of differing beliefs.

When we talked with students, they said they are studying economics, computer science, english literature and other subjects. When we talked with professors, they said they are teaching core values, and creating an environment of tolerance. Professors hope and see happening that with a lot of hard work, students will form an attitude of religious harmony.

Forman was started by Presbyterians and the land is owned by the Presbyterian Church, but what we witnessed was an interfaith community working together to share God’s love, one life at a time.

If you’d like to know more about Forman Christian College, they have a website entitled “Friends of Forman Christian College”. Take a look!

Best to all,
John and Jean

#8 We've made it to Dubai

Hi Folks!
Just a quick note to let you know that we've made it to Dubai and are safe and sound! Our thoughts are still very much with those friends we came to know in Pakistan. We're so appreciative of your kind words, prayers and good wishes all along the journey!

We've checked into our hotel and spent the afternoon along the "canal" (more like what we'd consider to be a wide river or narrow harbor)..all kinds of interesting boats and birds, ate some wonderful hummus and fresh salad!! YEAH FOR SALAD! It's amazing how quickly we've missed having salad! They have salad in Pakistan but for obvious reasons we had to stay away from it. There was plenty of other great things to eat! We toured the museum at the old fort here and learned how Dubai came to be. Our room looks out over the old fort and a large Mosque... we're up on the 8th floor so we can look down into the fort! Kind of fun! No, we're not staying in one of those over the top swanky places but we did find a comfy place to nest for a couple of nights.

So I'm going to close for now and go take a little nap... we were up at 4:30 am to get to the airport and then a three hour plane ride and then lots of wandering!

Oh by the way, a special shout out to our friends Mel and JP... thought so much of you two today as we flew over the Arabian Gulf (not sure that's the technical name)... the sky was clear and those desert mountains were just stunning, they seemed to go on and on and on!!... bet you two had that same view when you traveled this way a bit ago! Can't even imagine what that might have been like!

Godspeed,

Jean

# 7 - Pakistan.... Visits to the Schools...

Hi Folks!

In one of my past emails, I mentioned one of the big "take away" points for me.. but I wanted to add a bit more to that. I believe the work that Forman Christian College and the Presbyterian Educational Board are doing is critical to peace in the Middle East.. now that might seem like a mighty big statement but if you consider they provide education for both Christian and Muslim students and in a co-educational setting, this is often the only time that Christians and Muslims have to get to know each other on a personal level.. as school mates. You'll remember some of your dearest life long friends are those you made in college or high school or perhaps you had a professor who was instrumental in your life... now what if those school friends or mentor teachers were of a different belief system? I'm just thinking you'd be a lot less willing to blow someone like them up. Also Forman is a prestigious university here (considered to be the Harvard of the sub-continent).. many of the alumni become the movers and shakers in the business and political world..... so the tolerance that they're taught in these educational settings will continue to flow.

Now, I've also said that I've not been afraid and I've really not been afraid.. but yesterday, I was a touch nervous when we were driving out to the schools in the country side.... We had an armed escort.. So imagine two vans with us and the educators from the Presbyterian Educational Board.. then in front is a jeep with a canvas top with probably six guys in tough looking black police uniforms with AK-47's and in the back was another jeep with six guys with tough looking black SWAT team uniforms with AK- 47's... when I asked Veeda (who is the astoundingly wonderful person who is the heart and soul of the PEB) about it, she brushed it aside and said, "oh it's just protocol, they're honored that you're coming".... Yes, part of what she said was true.. the communities where these village schools are located were very honored and so welcoming and gracious (have you noticed that I've used the word "gracious" about a zillion times in regards to the Pakistani people).. but there was a underlying element of tension. Nothing happened, we're all just fine but it's pretty freaky when you swing into this remote village in the middle of nowhere with your own personal 12 man SWAT team complete with AK-47's.... On the drive back, the jeeps of police would switch off as we drove through various districts so in addition to our front and back guards, another jeep would pull along side and while another peeled off.. they were merely changing position but it just felt a bit like something out a movie... at one point the front jeep stopped and one of the SWAT guys who was dressed head to toe in black with his face completely covered, got out of the jeep and with his assault rifle lifted, he looked up and down the dirt road.. don't know what he was looked for but it was unnerving all the same...

BUT THE SCHOOLS WERE JUST FABULOUS!!! We were treated like visiting royalty or perhaps like rock stars!!! As we pulled up to each school (we visited three).. the children were lining the way into the school.. all dressed neatly in uniform and they tossed rose petals upon us and played musical instruments! We were given these beautiful lei's made of real roses or sparkly tinselly stuff.. the children put them around our necks and we paraded along the line of the children while they clapped, threw rose petals, played instruments and generally made us feel like queens and kings!! It was just precious and so deeply appreciated! Each school was so touching to see how they make do with such difficult facilities.. one school at Martinpur has an ancient building that they want to rebuild... the walls are cracking.. These properties are owned by the Presbyterian Church USA and administered through the Presbyterian Educational Board. And what a phenomenal job the Pakistani staff does! They are miracle workers with doing so much with so little! Another important point is that they are working on ways to sustain what they have accomplished... for example, one school in Lahore (the major city) is for more middle and upper middle class students who can pay fees.. these fees do help to fund the poorer village schools even though it's not nearly enough to completely run them. Today we also went to one of those schools in Lahore, Kinnaid Academy... it was their field day and what fun they were having! First they did the visiting royalty thing for all of us and we were seated in a prime position to view the foot races, tug of war, etc. We had a wonderful tour of the school... they have some beautiful newly outfitted rooms for science and computers that have been donated by people in the US.

Another project of the PEB is the "SHE project" which is a program for at-risk women and their children... they provide temporary shelter and meals (similar to The Spring in Plant City), vocational training, their children attend the school and are provided with uniforms. What a wonderful project! One of their vocational projects involves making GORGEOUS beaded and embroidered shawls! WOW! We had so much fun choosing shawls to bring home!

I've got to stop now... we're headed out to our final dinner with Peter Armacost (Pres of Forman) and his wife, Mary Linda.. going to a special restaurant that I've been told once housed a brothel but now is a fun place to eat high up on the roof and over look the beautiful Mosque that is lit up at night.. that is if the electricity stays on!! I don't remember if I told you but the electricity goes out several times a day and sometimes for several hours at a time.. doesn't seem to bother us much..

We leave for Dubai in the morning! What a pleasure it's been to know the people of Pakistan!

Love,
Jean

#6 Pakistan....... Allie's words........

Hi Folks!
I'm sending you a copy of a journal entry by Allie Baxter a 27 year old member of our traveling gang! Love how she puts her words together!
Best to all!
jean


The power goes out every morning at 8 A.M. for two to six hours; the main thoroughfares are congested with donkey-pulled carts, rickshaws, motorcycles, sedans, buses, and the occasional armored vehicle; and guards with AK-47 assault rifles flank the entry to a local church: this is Pakistan.

To briefly summarize what I’m doing here in the first place: I’m in Lahore, Pakistan (pop. 9 million) with my mom and seven other people from Peachtree Presbyterian Church visiting the Forman Christian College campus – one of the oldest and most highly regarded schools in southeast Asia that offers baccalaureate, bachelors, and masters degrees as well as a safe haven for students of all religions and social backgrounds. Pakistan being what it is, that Muslim and Christian students study together, side by side, and are best friends and room together and eat naan together, is amazing. Approximately 4 percent of Pakistan is Christian, and not all Muslims are radicals – obviously – but it is still remarkable that such a large chasm can be overcome in the spirit of education. So, we’re here as ambassadors of Peachtree Pres, who is an avid supporter in many ways, to strengthen our relationship with the administration, staff, and students, as well as ascertain what needs to happen to further its growth.

I think bullet points might be the way to go so as not to overwhelm myself or readers with information:

• I have not – not even for a second – felt unsafe here. Not even in the Old Town markets with throngs of people…to give some perspective on tourism here, I’ve seen one Westerner not with my group since we arrived. While we definitely stand out, I do not feel at risk…so that’s good.


• Lahore is a madhouse. Nothing makes sense – there are no traffic laws, the poverty is horrific, there are constant demonstrations on every roundabout – I’m pretty sure people were picketing against Valentine’s Day on Monday. I can’t read Urdu (the language they speak here), but all of the signs had VALENTINE written on them in large letters, and people were waving them around angrily, so I’m just putting two and two together…the protests are all benign, however, with the most negative outcome that I’ve seen being that the streets are shut down and it might take 45 minutes to travel 10km.


• I was very surprised when, on our sightseeing day, we were encouraged to go inside the inner sanctums of the mosques, particularly when people were in the midst of prayer – that was definitely interesting…and a tad awk. The Badshahi Mosque, the largest mosque in Lahore, was breathtaking. Also, and this of course is my favorite fact about it, the mosque made international headlines in 1991 when Princes Diana attended formal prayer wearing inappropriate clothing – I think her knees were showing – but she was allowed in anyway. One thing I can say about this: Kate Middleton would never, ever commit such a gaffe.


• Pakistanis are, collectively, the most physically attractive group I have ever seen. Seriously, I feel like such a dud. To begin with, it being a mission trip and all, I did not pack my finest garb and left all of my jewelry at home. Also, due to the cultural customs here, women must have rear ends and shoulders/arms covered at all times, and that’s just the minimum – most people sport these calf-length tunics with baggy pants and enormous shawls; the ensemble is called a salwar kameeze and is worn to school, to the market, to dinner, to parties… see the pic below. I actually got an outfit made upon the suggestion of our group leader, and I have to wear it tomorrow when we go out to some rural villages to visit the schools. It is not my best look, but I will sacrifice my appearance for the sake of not being targeted by anti-Christian radicals; I suppose it’s a small price to pay. In addition to dressing like a total frump, I forgot a hair brush and the weather is eternally damp so my hairs are in a state of perpetual emergency. I’ve looked better, and next to these women, I look straight homely. Seriously, it’s like a bedazzler had a wild night with a deluxe box of Crayolas – I’ve never seen so much color, nor have I seen it worn with such panache. Also, they all have perfect hair.

• My hopes of coming home hollow-cheeked and waif-like are for naught; I love the food. Shocking.


• I am astounded and rendered speechless at least once/day hearing the stories of some of the people we speak to. Here on campus, we’ve spoken to faculty members as well as students about their backgrounds, and each one wowed me more than the last. These people are the hardest working, most motivated group of people I have ever encountered – and it’s not just one or two annoyingly zealous teachers pets, it’s devoted, incredibly intelligent people who want to be able to support their families so they can indulge in such luxuries as having three meals/day.


• To my tall blonde friends (Pal, Pants, JTomm, Kayruh, Yance, Leila, Char, Talbie…I have way too many tall blonde friends to name you all): I might hold off on your own Pakistani adventure. It’s one thing to stand out with my white face, but your white face + blondeness would likely cause riots or similar.


So…yeah. I don’t have pictures yet, which is such a bummer, but I don’t have the camera cord blah blah so my WikiPics will have to suffice for now. Pakistan is awesome, every part of it. I’m having a lot of fun and I also feel like I’m learning a lot – I think it’s turning out to be everything a Mission Trip is intended to be…which, I think, is very positive.

#5 Pakistan

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4.)


Hi folks!

If someone were to ask me what is the one big “take away” from this experience, I think the first thing that would come to mind is that I see more clearly now that the way to create peace in the world is to spend time knowing one another and to do what ever we can do to ensure that everyone has hope to not "merely look out for our own personal interests". We’ve been fortunate to have several former Forman Christian College students come along with us on some of our outings... all of them are Muslim.. all of them are so incredibly kind to us.... so very intelligent.... so very devout in their faith...... they are not paid to do this... they come along to purely look out for our best interest, to help us. I believe they would do anything they could to put our needs in front of their own.... I’m wondering how many of us would do that for some Muslim tourists..........I’m wondering how many of us actually know any Muslim people? Surely God must have some reason to have allowed three major religions to rise up out of the events of the Old Testament... there must be a message for us in that the world community worked out that way...


Yesterday we spent the morning touring the Salvation Army facility here. One of our team member’s mother and father are working here in LaHore for the Salvation Army.. it was wonderful to see the good work they’re dong.... providing orthopedic and physical therapy care, providing bedding, tent shelters, and cooking utensils to those in desperate need during this past seasons major flood. They served us a beautiful tea, of course!!


Speaking of beautiful teas.... we also had tea today with Dr. Peter Armacost and his wife, Mary LInda, at their gracious home. Peter is the head of Forman College.. they live in a beautiful home here on the campus and also keep a condo in St. Pete (he was formerly the President of Eckerd College). Both Peter and Mary Linda have had an amazing time here in Pakistan for about 10 years. If I remember correctly, Peter is now 72 years old and will be retiring this year (with Jim Tebbe taking his place). Peter and Mary Linda both have done incredible work to return this college to it’s former status as a premier educational institution in the sub continent. We heard today that when they first arrived, that Peter had 72 men guarding him because there were so many threats against him when the college was returned to the Presbyterian Church. I’m hoping John’s going to spend some time telling you more about that because it's quite a story!!


This evening we got together with a most gracious group for dinner with the expat community.. those folks mostly from the US who live in LaHore. Most are professors here at the college but some are working in other capacities. One gentleman manages two large dairies for Nestle food corporation... the milk comes from both cows and water buffalos. Another gentleman from Australia runs a company that provides engineering services from a Christian centered perspective and his wife is a medical doctor and mom to their three young children. It was so interesting to go around the room and see how people came to Pakistan and what they’re doing here. I found it fascinating to hear that no one was afraid here.... several were families with young children with them.... they spoke of being cautious but not afraid.


Tomorrow we’re leaving at 7 am to spend some time with the folks that run the Presbyterian Education Board (PEB) and will be traveling with them to visit some of the schools that they run plus their women’s projects. I’ve really been looking forward to this day.


So much has happened and I’m sorry that I’ve not had the time to write as much as I normally like to but it’s just been such a jam packed experience! Every bit has been wonderful and I wouldn’t leave out anything... only might add another week here!


Best to each of you! Many thanks to those of you who have sent me word from home! It's so good to hear from you!

Godspeed,

jean

PS - I’m not going to reread this because I can hardly keep my eyes open so please forgive my errors!!

#4 - Pakistan - 3 Cups of Tea? ..... Nope....More like 40 Cups of Glorious Tea!!!

”The problem is that we humans have a tendency to seem to often want to dwell on what divides us rather than what unites us... which is odd given that what unites us usually vastly outweighs what divides us.” ~author unknown


Hi Folks!

Tea is the “thing” in Pakistan! Folks here are so amazingly hospitable and part of that hospitality always includes tea! Now the tea here isn’t just any old tea.... it is delicious “chai” tea rich and silky with water buffalo milk and sugar crystals... YUM!!! Tea also includes some sort of food.... maybe buttery cookies and cakes or a spread of food that we would consider to be lunch or a light supper. We are so graciously offered tea everywhere we go.


One of my favorite tea times was at our friend Arslan’s house. Arslan is 22 years old of devout Muslim faith. His nickname is Aladdin and yes he does look like Aladdin on the Disney movie. He is a graduate of Forman and has been one of our wonderful group of young guys who accompany us to provide us some extra measure of safety so we’ve spent several days with him. His father owns a fabric shop which has these amazingly fabulous stacks and stacks of fabrics - embroidered, bejeweled, sequined and bedazzled!! (Peggy, you would be going NUTS over the fabrics). So of course, we wanted to buy fabrics and his father opened his shop after hours so we could have some uninterrupted shopping time and boy did we shop! What absolute fun to pull out bolt after bolt of fabulously colored fabrics! Arslan insisted that we come for tea after our shopping and said his mother had prepared a “few things”... we said we only had time to stay very briefly as we were expected at the home of some Pakistani friends for dinner. When we arrived, Arslan took us into his room and we seven women sat around while he brought in first a beautiful assortment of butter cookies.... then sandwiches.. then eggs... then samosas (little triangle fried pies filled with vegies.....then little salty snacks.... then rice pudding.. the cakes....then chicken fingers... then.... and then .... and THEN! It seemed like the stream of goodies never ended! Plus the wonderful chai tea! What was most precious to me was the way Arslan brought in each item and arranged it carefully on the table in front of us... china plates and tea cups with saucers (when’s the last time you drank from a teacup with a saucer?) It was if it was truly his pleasure to have us as guests in his home. HIs mother, younger brother and sister plus new baby sister all came in to sit with us while we had tea. Arslan showed such sweet respect to his mother and just glowed with his beloved five year old sister. It was such a pleasure to sit with a Muslim family and share tea.


Arslan had also been with us on the day that we toured the old city.... Our group entered the courtyard in front of the historic Mosque just as the call the prayer began. Arslan quietly went to the pool of water in the center of the courtyard to perform his “abulations” or traditional washing before prayer, then quietly entered the Mosque and began his prayer time. I was so impressed that at a time he might have felt uncomfortable with praying in front of others or simply chosen to pass by his prayer time because he was busy with our group, that he didn’t.... he stepped forward in devotion to his faith. I found such admiration for the young man that he is.


I forgot to mention that when we entered his father’s fabric shop, it was during prayer time.. his father was praying when we entered and he continued until his prayers were finished. I found it so wonderful that he didn’t quit just because we were there but as his son did, he continued in his devotion to his faith..


What a day!! Started out at 8:30 this morning with training to participate in the student’s English language assessment. So these unfortunate :-) students gave an oral presentation in front of not only their two English professors but also in front of two native English speakers - so after only four months of English instruction, they have to face assessment by four adults! I think I would have been in tears! It also wasn’t a memorized speech but more off the cuff remarks on a selected topic and then with the professors quizzing them on the subject. Two of the students talked of their fears of bomb blasts.... it’s hard to think that these young people even need to consider the idea that their life could be taken suddenly ... or the life of their loved ones. The students here are very serious about their education and many talk about continuing with Masters degrees... These students are learning tolerance, well spoken and intelligent.. they are just the kind of citizens that their country needs!


We then met with a group of Muslim and Christian faculty members for a discussion about Forman, how they came to be there and what they saw in the future for the university. What an impressive, intelligent, and passionate group they are! One of the big take aways from the discussion was their commitment to religious tolerance on the campus.. there may not be a lot of religious tolerance in the city but on the campus it is alive and well.. It was particularly interesting to speak to a professor who is a member of a small Muslim sect that has under gone extreme persecution to the point of being threatened with death. Many saw Forman go through the government take over and then have been a part of the work to return Forman to it’s former glory!


In the midst of all this conversation and assessment, here comes more tea ... Wonderful chai tea complete with cookies! The students handle their tea cups and saucers like old pros!


Then an hour of conversation (and more tea) with Christian students on campus.. they expressed such hope for their future and their joy at receiving an education at Forman, but also such fear of continued bomb blasts. It must be an incredible challenge to wake up each morning not knowing if today you’ll come face to face with a suicide bomber.


Then MORE tea and some time with a group of about thirty female students both Muslim and Christian to discuss what life is like on Forman campus for a female! They are an extremely intelligent and well spoken group! We discussed arranged marriages (some will have an arranged marriage and some will not - all stated that they would obey whatever their parents decision was), their pleasure in being able to have both Christian and Muslim friends.


After all this excellent conversation, it was off to the Liberty Market in search of handicrafts! OH MY GOODNESS!!! Once again we entered the bedazzled zone!! Row after row of little stalls filled with sequined and embroidered fabrics of every imaginable hue.... plus “bling” on every other conceivable type of surface.... purses, shoes, picture frames, hair accessories.... every kind of glitzy bauble you could think of! Even the mens shoes have elaborate beading.......Just gorgeous to see! My absolute favorite was a tiny shop with a tiny basement accessed via a tiny steep staircase.... both floors were covered from counter top to ceiling with stacks of bangle bracelets...sold in sets of twelve bracelets.... zillions of designs, rhinestones and pearls and beads and electric colors and jewel colors and, and, AND!!. Bangles are just “IT” for girls in Pakistan! They may be wearing scarves covering their heads and loose fitting tunics and pants but they sure know how to put on the peacock display of fabulous color and ornamentation! WOW


One final note... I’ve just been so impressed with the Forman students that we have met... both Muslim and Christian .... what a very generous, intelligent, hospitable and tolerant group they are!!! I’m really going to miss Zohaib, Adeel, Hafiz, Haider, and Arslan ... plus all the other young women and men that I’ve had the privilege of spending time with.


Oh.. forgot to mention that “Hafiz” is the nickname for Hassan who is among a special group of people who have memorized the entire Quran! He told me that it took him two years and he continues to practice so that he wont forget. The word Hafiz is a special word for a special person who has accomplished this great feat of memorizing the entire Quran.


So the adventure continues! Tomorrow is a bit of a lighter day so I’m planning on finding some more time for journaling! I’m sorry that I’ve not been able to send you an email every day! We’ve not had internet service for two days and it just came back on tonight and it’s 10:30 pm..


I would appreciate prayers for Cheryl Burke our fearless leader and Dean of Students for Forman College. She’s doing incredible work with the students here.... that Micah 6:8 thing... “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God”... she’s living that.


Best love and a big "shout out" to our Mema in South Carolina!!


Much love to all,
Jean

"As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. " Nelson Mandela

HI Folks!

John and I are doing wonderfully here! I hope no one has been concerned about our safety! It's just that we hit the ground running about 9 am each day and get back to our home away from home about 10:30 or 11:00 pm.... it's all just been fascinating and beautiful to be a part of and I wouldn't want to miss anything we've done but it doesn't give me any time for journaling! It's 11:35 pm here and now I'm just starting to write! I'm going to skip yesterday which was filled with wonderful site seeing in fabulous historic places.. one highlight was the palace that was built for the queen that the Taj Mahal was built for .. the Taj Mahal is her tomb and this palace was built specially for her... but she died before she could ever live there.. after the birth of her 14th child. There are huge staircases for the royal entourage riding elephants to enter the courtyards, large pools with fountains with specially built platforms in the middle for the musicians and dancing girls to perform, a mirror and precious stone encrusted pavilions, specially built streams of rose scented water feeding into the pools and fountains. All this built up high above the city to enable fresh breezes to waft through the marble screens all hand carved like filigree or lace to allow the breeze to blow through. From that a contrast with the old market with donkey and horse carts, tiny stalls with people crafting all kinds of items, conical shaped piles of fresh spices, nuts and dates, beautiful oranges in great heaping piles, giant red carrots (that they make into a fabulous dessert!), look up above and ancient crumbling beautiful wood work around windows and balconies and hundreds of strands of electrical wire all in a tangle.. Live chickens, sheep and goats. fabulously colored and mirrored and beaded shawls and fabrics.....look down at your feet and there is mud and sludge and bits and pieces of life strewn about........ so that was just a tiny view of yesterday!!

Many of you have been concerned about our safety so I wanted to describe our living situation.. We are staying on the Forman Christian College campus in a home that is used for visiting faculty. I'm guessing it might have been built maybe in the 1960's or so.... the faculty housing is lined up in a row with tall brick walls all around them... creates a courtyard effect in the front with a green steel gate large enough to drive a car through. In the back there is a high, high brick wall probably 10 or 12 feet high. There are decorative iron grates over all of the windows and the screened porch. No one is getting in here! Forgot to mention that the entire college campus is surrounded by those same high brick walls with guards manning the front gate that have a little mirrored gizmo on a stick to check for bombs under your car when you come in. Plus guards stationed through out the campus. Back to the house.... it reminds me of squarish building blocks stacked up... flat roof, yellow paint that is kind of mildewy, five rooms and two bathrooms, the floors are concrete, the ceilings must be 15 ft high. The bathrooms are interesting.... the shower is just placed along one wall so you just stand in the room and turn on the water.. so there is no tiled part at the bottom to catch the water as it goes down the drain.. so the effect is that you are washing the floor every time you take a shower....You're provided with a squeege to push the water on towards the drain... a pretty efficient way to do things I think! Oh, another interesting thing is that the electric power goes off at least once a day and sometimes twice a day... and sometimes the gas goes off too. So far it's not really been a problem as we have flashlights and eventually it comes back on.. sometimes it might be off for hours at a time with no warning.

When we traveled to the old city and the market, we are told that if strangers approach us and ask us where we're from, we're to say from Canada.. the big joke is that we decided to say we're from Southern Canada.. the deep south of Canada.. or maybe we're from Northern Mexico! So far, no one has asked us. We are the only white faces in the market and so we do attract a lot of attention, I smile at the women and girls and cast my eyes down when near the men. Yesterday we had six Pakistani men walking with us. Four of them were former Forman students all devout Muslims in their 20's so were great fun to be with! They position themselves in the front, along the sides of us and in the back... they're very careful with us and so appreciative that we've come to visit them here.

The other security measure and also respect measure is that we are dressing in the traditional Shalwar Kameeze or at least some long tops with a scarf draped over our shoulders and fronts. The women dress just beautifully! The fabrics are all the brightest exotic colors with beautiful embroidery, sequins, mirrors and every kind of sparkle and spangle you can imagine! You do see burkas from time to time but most are in these very elegant Shalwar Kameeze - long knee length tunic, loose pants and a coordinating scarf. Women are not required to cover their heads except in the Mosque.

This morning we attended church at the largest Presbyterian Church in Lahore.. I was surprised to learn that there are several Presbyterian Churches here! The Pakistani pastor received his masters and doctoral degree from the seminary in Louiville, Kentucky so is much in demand for his training... I was stunned to find that the church is surrounded by more of those 12 ft high brick walls. You pull up to the large steel front gate and on either side are two men with AK 47 rifles.. they're there to guard the congregation.. they look at us and open the gate and we drive into the church compound. It's a large beautiful church built of a pink sandstone type brick. We park and begin to walk up to the church steps... I look to my left and there is a guard standing on the top of a ladder holding an AK-47 and peering over the top of the wall. That's his station and he stays there the entire time we're in church. Far to the right, I see another guard with another rifle peering over the side of the wall on the other side of the church. I was shocked and saddened to realize it was necessary for us to have that kind of protection as a minority in the country. The pastor here has made some amazing progress in reaching out to the Muslims in the community. He now has large events for the families in the neighborhood and invites all the Muslims... the first time he tried it, he had about 35 attend and only the men. Now he'll have 500 Muslims attend and bring their families. This is not any kind of attempt to convert Muslims, it is only to get to know them.

The youth choir is made up of about 20 people accompanied by a harmonium, tabla drums and a keyboard. The hauntingly beautiful sounds of singing and instruments included the words of Psalm 4 set to music..... the words and the sounds and the experience of the edge of violence brought tears to my eyes.

Psalm 4

1. Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. 2. How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? 3. Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when you call to him. 4. In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. 5. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord. 6. Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, Oh Lord. 7. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. 8. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, Oh Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Before we left home, John asked one of the residents of Florida Presbyterian Homes about what her purpose had been when she was a missionary to Pakistan for many, many years. I don't have this as an exact quote, but Mary said that their goal was to help Christians be good Christians, to help Muslims be good Muslims and to provide opportunity for the two groups to know each other and to work side by side..... it seems that Forman has done exactly that.... they very often provide the only place that Christians and Muslims can work side by side and become friends. Although it is a Christian College, the majority of the students are Muslim of a wide variety of sects.. they are provided a Mosque and a Chapel for prayers. Nothing but respect for others is allowed.

I have to stop now.. It's 12:30 am and we're helping with student assessments in the morning and have to be at our assigned spot at 8:30 am for training.

Special message to the former missionaries to Pakistan! Everywhere we go people ask about you all and remember you here! Mary we've met several of Carl's former students and they speak of him with such reverence! He must have been an amazing professor! Rowena we had dinner with Jeanie and Winslow Albert. (I hope I have the names straight). Jeanie spoke of square dancing with you and Winslow spoke of his fondness for Bob! We met a man at church today who opened his wallet and showed us a folded up yellowing piece of paper that was a receipt for a bicycle that he had bought from Bob. Charlie many have spoken so fondly and kindly of you! You all made such a difference in the lives of these people and countless others.

There is just so much to say but I can't keep my eyes open!

love to all!

jean

PS... many, many thanks for the comments from home that I've gotten! It really means a lot to me to hear from you!!