Some thoughts

Well, I’ve been back in the UK a few days now and it sort of feels like I’m in limbo. I suddenly realised today just a week ago I was in Muree, in the mountains with all the team. I got back to the UK into total insanity; I had so many things to do and ran around like a headless chicken for a whole two days. Rushing home via York on Saturday and then spending Sunday at church and celebrating my parent’s anniversary I have reached today feeling pretty deflated and a bit lost. So it seems like as good a place as any to evaluate the last month or so.

Going to Pakistan was an incredible experience. I learnt a huge amount about myself and my world view added a whole continent. I hadn’t realised that in my mind there was Europe, America, and Africa, but no Asia. The Muslim world had become in my mind a little like eastern europe was to many people under communism. A block of uniform states behind a fairly inpenetrable wall. It is horrifying to realise this as I have always considered myself to have a good world view. Studying Muslim culture before we left and experiencing the Asian form of it in Pakistan really opened my eyes to the incredible variety and individual cultures I had lumped together as one. I was confronted with an incredibly beautiful country, full of life and energy where news reports would speak of extremism and fear. I felt so privileged to be able to visit. Wearing the clothes, literally, also taught me a lot. I found myself acting more like a Pakistani lady when wearing the charda, at once more restrained but at the same time more confident (fitting in more I suppose).

Coming back to the UK - to western clothing, quiet streets and supermarkets, is very strange. It is cold here! There are less expectations of me here I suppose. When I walk down the street no one notices me. When I speak, everyone understands. People expect me to be myself, the same girl who grew up here. And I know I am changing, have changed and will be changed in the future and feel a little lost surrounded by everything familiar.

There are little birds in the garden, and we have a Japanese visitor. I haven’t been to the cinema since I got back and the only books I have any interest in reading are archaeology ones (that part of me at least is unchanged!). I am enjoying catching up with people, though many old friends do not seem to be around here anymore. And perhaps limbo is not limbo at all but rest.

Back in the UK

Have returned to sunny scotland. Please continue to pray  - still need it. Sorry to anyone else who mysteriously didn’t get my emails throughout my time out there. Drop me a line so I know…

Pakistan

This is probably the last post that goes up before we leave for Pakistan… so don’t be suprised at the lack of posting. If you would like to get update emails on whats going on just send me an email at CoralieAcheson@aol.com.

Thanks everyone!

Casualty

Well I just returned from A and E where the lady from NHS Direct forced me to go just to have the smarmy doctor be really annoyed with me for not having a medical degree… Meh! Like I wanted to be there either!

For anyone totally lost this would be the saga of the possibly broken, but now definitely not broken arm…

It still hurts a lot.

 

Lack of posting

Um, exams are evil evil things. Life is crazily busy at the moment. We got our visas on Thursday, which is very exciting. I also got a shalwar chamese (which I have to admit was more exciting at the time than the visa…). In less than three weeks I shall be in Pakistan! In less than 24 hours second year will be over. In less than 48 hours I shall be in Ireland. And I move out of my flat a week today. So in the meantime here is a picture of the pretty balloons from Olivia’s 21st on Saturday and a little reminder that, no matter how stressful and annoying life can be, no one can be uncheered by a balloon!

Ash ness bridge

 

This is where I want to be right now…

Exams and randomness

So sorry for not writing anything. I have an exam tomorrow and two more after that, so don’t expect anything for a while…

Yesterday I escaped the tedium of studying for a couple of hours and went to see Iron Man (which was very good!) It made me feel so mischievous and childlike - it was like running away to hide from the revision. Does that sound messed up? Clearly my brain has turned to mush…

On another note I discovered that when House (MD, not any other kind…) diagnosed this lady with having a tape worm in her brain this was not as unlikely as I thought. Apparently evidence from the imprint the brain leaves on the inside of the skull, from the Ertebølle people (c3000BC) shows that many of them had fish tape worms in their brains… I just thought I’d share that random, and disgusting, archaeological fact with you!

Pakistan

As many of you know I am heading out to Pakistan this summer as part of a small team who are going out to teach English. We want to build meaningful relationships, have good conversations, and most of all, love people. I would really appreciate your support and prayers for myself and the team as we prepare to go out; both practically and spiritually. Specific practical prayer issues are visas and fundraising, and health and safety while we are out there. Spiritually we need inspiration, passion and protection.

If you would like to help there are several things you can do:

Buy a piece of art: I will take some photos of the work I’m selling as soon as I get new batteries for my digital camera and upload them here. Send me an email telling me which picture you would like, what size (A5 = £10; A4 = £15 - will make each individually), and your address.

Buy a photo. Choose a photo from my flickr account (http://www.flickr.com/photos/coralfrog) - the best ones are in the sets rather than just on the photostream. Send me an email telling me which photo you would like, what size (6×4 = £5; 5×7 = £10), whether or not you would like it glossy or matt, and whether you would like it mounted on card, or sent just as a photograph. I will also need your address to post it to you.

Come to an event if you are in Glasgow - check out my facebook or send me an email to find out more.

Buy miles of my journey to Pakistan (£1.50 for 10 miles).

Please make cheques payable to SIM and post them (just email me if you would like my address).

Put a link on your blog to this post (pretty please!!!)

Thank you so much. Most of all I need your prayers.

If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Matthew 25

Health warning: This is a generalised piece - it is not meant to criticise people in general but trends in the western church.

I wept for the world today. Does the church realise that Satan must be dancing? When we pray for the world, for HIV patients, for the victims of genocide, for the poor on our doorsteps, do we realise that we are the answer? Imagine a family who decide to build a mansion with a swimming pool , acres of grounds and beautiful furnishings rather than use that money to pay for the drugs their baby daughter needs to survive. When will we ever have enough; when will we be satisfied with what we have?

“I was hungry” said Jesus as a breastfeeding mother in Niger. The church took an offering for a respected charity and went for an expensive lunch in a trendy restaurant.

“I was thirsty” said Jesus as a child whose drinking supply had been poisoned by mining. The church gave a few pounds to build wells  and went on to discuss its plans for a coffee shop ministry in their area.

“I was a stranger” said Jesus as an asylum seeker. The church continued, never hearing his whisper.

“I was naked” said Jesus as a trafficked twelve year old forced into prostitution in London. This was too painful for the church to cope with, and they quickly erased her from their memories.

I was sick and in prison” said Jesus as a drug addict. The church gave money to support work in the prisons so they didn’t have to visit him themselves.

He who strips a man of his clothes is to be called a thief.  Is not he who, when he is able, fails to clothe the naked, worthy of no other title?  The bread which you do not use is the bread of the hungry; the garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of him who is naked; the shoes that you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot; the money that you keep locked away is the money of the poor; the acts of charity that you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit

St Basil

 

Polaroid help

My friend Emma is travelling to Uganda in the summer as a photographer with the charity Fields of Life in the summer and she needs your help. Please read her blog here:  http://emmsy.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/get-involved-polaroid/

I really need prayer and support with my own fund-raising also - please pray.