The blessings of the Lord make you rich. Proverbs 10

Hi you gems
( Thuzar in Kachin State)
I am so sorry it has taken me so long to do the new blog posting, but it has been very difficult being back and I have been in tears on several occasions. Recalling any of Burma is painful even though I know it is very immature and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to go. If anyone wants photos do email me and I will send a CD.
THIS is the edited blog version but there is another one, so if you want it, you will have to email me and most of you have my two email addresses.

This Sunday (17th) we have the SOUL SURVIVOR Christmas service at 10.30 which is chilled out, great and we serve mulled wine and mince pies DURING the service!!!. Location is Greycaine Road or see our web site. You would be very welcome to come and celebrate with us.

Anyway here I am listening to this amazing track Gelobet sei Gott ( Praise to the Lord) by a relative unknown for me (Knupfer) but no doubt very well known to you music scholars.!!!The track is number 16 on an incredible album by the Kings Concert who are awesome in their quality of recording and value for money.

The title of this blog posting is incredibly apt and the verse for the whole trip is “The blessings of the Lord make you rich” which was splashed across the wall in large letters in a tea shop ( complete with low plastic chairs and one of the great joys of Burma) in Myitkyina Kachin State the northern most state of Burma. Indawgyi Lake also great ( look on a map!!).

There were so MANY wow moments although hardly anything went to plan. I could not find the couple I was meant to be doing ministry stuff with for a week and I could not work with them in remote areas( where they saw loads of miraculous stuff happening) AND I DID not get to where I wanted in Thailand as the travelling did not tie in with my flight back to Burma!! However God opened up so many divine appointments and gave me so many wow moments that I felt incredibly blessed. I truly believe "we remember moments not days" and that was very appropriate on this trip.


So what were the wow moments? I think one was travelling for 9 hours on a road where we just bounced around, sometimes the 4 wheel cut out and the driver had to use a stick to gauge the water and mud level and we were on a mountain in the dark in northern Burma. Awesome, amusing and yet full of peace that all would be well. Thuzar took a video clip which made us laugh as we played it back.

I was in Kachin State ( see left) with Thuzar for the first week as you know, and it was great travelling again with her and to an area I had not been to before. Of course, I love her to bits. She is a perfect travelling companion in every sense. The scenery was awesome and on the 2nd evening we looked up to see this REMARKABLY CLEAR sky full of stars. I have never seen anything like it. The only thing I could think of was Psalm 19 v 1 _ “The heavens declare the glory of the Lord” as we looked in awe for about ten minutes. Unspeakably amazing. Words simply fail to convey.

Other moments included some amazing music as we looked out across a lake that reminded me so much of the Sea of Galilee, two train journeys in ordinary class, taking photos I was not meant to, meeting with Kyi Kyi on several occasions who I love to bits too, meeting her dad for the first time, meeting Moe from Air Mandalay who was graciousness personified, looking out from the Restaurant on Sekura Tower in the company of both Thuzar and Kyi Kyi, tea shops in Burma in remote areas, the last evening with Kyi Kyi, her dad and sister, meeting Soe Soe who has been sorting out my trips for last 3 years but we have never met!, looking across the lake to see the Shwedagon Pagoda, finding a tailor who made me 3 wonderful pieces, a service at the YMCA, meeting Thuzar’s parents, finding a heart shaped stone ( see below), developing the photos with such quality and capturing so many wow moments , J. S Irrawaddy Dream, breakfast, meeting with ordinary people each day, the boat trip to villages, the English lessons at the YWCA, meeting an editor for 20 minutes( who was UTTERLY CHARMING!!!), meeting loads of people working out there and the list goes on.

Most of you have heard me speak of Rachel Hickson and whilst in Burma she sent me an email from the States where she was speaking. She said she had a sense that I had not found my groove yet in Burma but God gave her a picture of a chest of drawers and a person trying to put the drawer in but the runners would not go so they took the whole thing out, put it in and THEN it clicked into place. She said she felt God was saying the more I enter Burma the more He is aligning me into place with His purposes and eventually it will click into place.

One person works at a company out there and TWENTY years ago God told her that she would go to Burma one day but He said “it will be so far in the future that you will think I have forgotten about it”!! Twenty years later, after living in loads of places all over the world, He opened up for her to live there. All those I spoke to agreed it WAS NOT easy living there having moved from Europe, but they would NOT live anywhere else, loved the people so much and learnt so much from them!!!!!

I had also complained about a guy on the plane who was staring constantly but the psychologist might have been pleased with my diplomatic approach rather than telling the stewardess to say “ Hey you jerk, if you do not stop staring we will drop you from 29,000 feet, after the lady behind you has strangled you with the audio cord!!!!! I really DID learn something in those sessions!!!

I also met a poet from Venezuela who was fascinating and whose sister was a famous Cosmologist. Her knowledge of art, people and books left me standing, but she was incredibly gracious and being a writer and translator gave me lots to think about. A divine appointment I think.
We did enjoy afternoon tea at two awesome places, a glass of wine at a hotel with a reduced hour but still obscene in one of the tenth poorest countries in the world and the best chocolate cake ever, at a place 20 floors up with a spectacular view of Rangoon recommended by Kyi Kyi’ sister.
I did go to Chaing Mai in Thailand for 3 days but goodness knows why God took me there!! I thought He had said about going to the refugee camps(!!!!), the Thais were so incredibly rude, aggressive driving,( it took me 8 MINUTES TO CROSS THE ROAD) it was PACKED with so many flipping (!!)tourists and after TWO hours I wanted to go back to Burma!! I got contacts in Rangoon but apart from that, amazing COFFEE AND BOOK stores I think Lord what was that about!! However on the drive to the airport I had a remarkable conversation with a lady who I confess I had not found easy to communicate with. She just poured out her heart and we ended up praying together and frankly I thought “Ok Lord if that is the only reason I went there ( and to sample the delicious food from a local couple whose restaurant was awesome and whose kindness was rare in 3 days) then ok.” I remember skipping inside at the airport as I relished the prospect of returning to the incredibly gracious Burmese!!!

On a train journey I ended up "stranded" in Bago and unable to get to Rangoon (50 miles away) as they refused to give me a ticket. I, as a foreigner, was not meant to travel in ordinary class which I had done on the up journey!! I told them I was not going to pay $5 and I WOULD stand or sit in ordinary class.I ended up at a tea stall with guys who looked rogues but were delightful and after an hour prayed that God would provide transport back. A few minutes a couple going back to Rangoon stopped and took me the whole way back and were a real answer to prayer!!!!

So I came back slightly late, as Qatar mixed up my tickets and ended up putting me up overnight for free in Doha and of course I was not going to complain!!!! On the plane I saw the new film with Meryl Streep, heard loads of amazing classical Cd’s, they lost my case for 4 days but they are CHEAPER to Burma and quicker than any other airline. Also the chief stewardess came up to me on the return journey as I had been in tears since leaving Rangoon!! I said “I am sorry to be so embarrassing and apologies but I am a Christian and God has given me such a heart for this land and its people and I can normally stop crying after 30 minutes . ( it went on for 3.5 hours)!!!” She was a Christian from Calcutta, went to the Mission of Mercy Church that I have been a member of for 25 years and we ended up praying together in the aisle on the plane!!!!

I would also like to thank the 2 sets of people who provided me with £1000 for the trip anonymously. Of course, I will never know who you are, but God does. May He bless you abundantly for your extreme generosity to me.

So where does it leave me? It leaves my heart behind of course. I visited a school that needs a primary teacher but somehow I DO not think God is in that, but think He might be in the English teaching. There are 2 obstacles and IF He is in this then He will sort out. I said to Thuzar and Kyi Kyi that I love their country to bits, but if He wasn’t in this, then I am not interested.So the heart was found by Thuzar for me in Kachin State and I have been looking for one on and off for 4 years, so very appropriate. The question is “where is home?” and somehow I do not think it is here. I am not talking about an indefinite period but…. I am also wondering whether I should be doing a DTS course with someone like YWAM but again not sure. I think the next 6 months are important for clarity. I will push doors and see.

In the first day of being in the capital Rangoon ( or Yangon now) I said "Lord I do not have a heart for this city and have not had in 4 visits. Please change that." I forgot about praying that prayer, but 48 hours later I knew that God had changed my heart big time and I also got my bearings very quickly in the city. Interesting and probably purely co-incidental as Rangoon is not that big. What a contrasting city!!!!!!!


So this week I am off to Cambridge to see the amazing Claire a member of a remarkable family I have mentioned before, maybe see Beth an old Philosophy student also mentioned on the blog, Alpha, a glass of wine or two at the Grove, Christmas wrapping, the Dorchester who you remember had people drilling last time we met for coffee there!!!,( is it really a YEAR!!) lunch with dear Ali and Val and 2 birthdays. So a busy week and much to savour and value. Lots of love to Ian( Val's husband) on turning 50. WOW it does not seem 5 minutes since we were all at college together!

I saw a job at a local school mentoring 6th formers but the deadline was whilst in Burma and I could not get my application in and frankly I DO not think it is right, even though I could see me doing something like it. I will see if it is re-advertised!

On the Sunday after my return I saw a play in London on Aung San Suu Kyi and the actress Liana Gould looked remarkably like ASSK. Such famous people as Maureen Lipman ( a master at overseeing it), Prunella Scales, Annie Lennox and the Kinnocks all spoke, as well as quotes by Desmond Tutu and John Pilger who was unfortunately unable to attend. I was sitting there amongst a terribly upper middle class audience and only a handful of Burmese thinking “ Lord what is your perspective on all of this? Decent S Blanc too but inaccuracies too!!!!! Also Maureen L the only one to mention God being Jewish then blotted her copy book for me and spoke of “let us have a minute of white light to ASSK” White light!! I ask you. How politically correct is that!!!

So you wonderful people forgive me not returning phone calls. I have just not felt up to speaking to people and to recall the trip is still very painful but I am sure I will get over it. I know it is gross immaturity.

Thank you so much for all those who prayed. I definitely had such a sense of prayer every day. There were 3 VERY difficult days but I will not mention which ones!! Most of the time, despite the frustrations, I felt an incredible sense of joy, privilege and a sense that I was right in the centre of His will, despite not always understanding what was going on. His blessings indeed made me rich.

So much love to you all. Do email me and let me know how you are. I shall look forward to catching up with you all. You gems.
Whilst in Thailand I found the card with the ladies laughing and read my daily reading for the day which was again from Proverbs and from the Living Bible translation:

A mirror reflects a person’s face BUT what they are really like is shown by the kind of friends they chose!!!

I gave this to both friends in Burma on an card here andI am laughing as I send this out to all you amazing people. By choosing you,what does it say about me!! Probably that God has given me such great friends and discernment. IF ANY of you still have issues with me then let us sort it out as life is really too short to let things go on….. I know you know who you are, you gems……. !!!!

Lots of love until December. I really feel this has been a very significant factor in my restoration!!! Thank you Lord.
Flissxxx