Today I went to see Graham Duncan who is the Centre Manager of St Mary's. He has been a great help and inspiration to us at through our re-development project at St Paul's, and has preached and led services for us in his role as a non-stipendiary priest (and is coming on 22nd June).
In the eight years of its existence, St Mary's Centre has grown to a large enterprise with a staff of thirty people. When I arrived I could see that the building was full with conferences and within a few minutes someone arrived to arrange another booking! It was wonderful to see so many people coming in and out of the building and clearly appreciating it so much.
Graham says that the staff have a real sense of doing their work for the good of the church - knowing that profits from the centre are used to do important work in the community.
It does mean that everything has to be done on a very professional basis because the building is competing with other commercial venues. This means that homemade displays, such as might be created by Sunday School children, just cannot stay around - it would give the wrong impression to conference delegates who attend through the week.
Inevitably there are tensions between the needs of the church congregation and of the centre users and these have to be carefully worked out. The centre staff deal with all the cleaning and maintenance and the redevelopment has provided a light, up to date and inspiring place for worship with excellent facilities, but it is easy to get used to all of this!
Most people recognize that the centre gives the church great publicity, both locally and across the city. It is so important that St Mary's is there, doing what is does and that it has a thriving congregation at its heart. But this does not mean that the people who work in and use the building are necessarily drawn to worship there.
At St Paul's we have had to work very hard in our first two years to get things up and running. Graham spoke encouragingly about our progress, recognizing the competitive market we are in.
We are different from St Mary's and will develop in different ways. Our emphasis is more local and we do not have the same connections with the city centre, though some people do travel significant distances to use our facilities.
It seems to me that we will have to keep thinking about our vision as the work develops. I am sure we can make a success of running St Paul's Centre, and that we will find the income needed to maintain and develop our facilities.
The opportunities for change are not huge - we are limited to certain sorts of activities and lettings - but we can still give direction to what we do. I come back to the question we have been grappling with for so many months: 'what is God calling us to do - as individuals and as a church?'. We will have to return to this time and again but I feel sure that, as we do so, the vision will become clearer and we will sense more of the path which God is leading us along.
St Paul's Centre is no magic answer to our needs as a congregation, but it has provided us with brilliant facilities which we can share with our community and place to meet people and convey our faith. Opportunities are there, but we need vision both to use them to the full and to give direction to all that happens in our building.
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Back home again
Just a quick post to say that I am back home again now.
The last few days in Dubai seemed to rush past without any time to blog, but I hope to catch up now I am back. I managed another trip over the mountains and drove up the east coast of UAE - on the Indian Ocean side of the country.
The flight home was good, seeing amazing land forms in Iran, snowy mountains in Turkey and in the Alps. It was a long day. I intended to get up early, but actually was disturbed by the prayer call from the local Mosque, which is soon after 5 am at this time of year! The flight was at 11.40, getting to Paris some 7 hours later (I saw 3 films in that time, has a snooze, listened to music and peered out of the window at some amazing views!) It is much more exciting being able to fly by day!
I got to Sheffield Station soon after 9.oo pm local time, though this was midnight Dubai time - Steve texted me from the airport, he was waiting to pick up another friend! Dubai is a popular place to stay! It has been a fantastic trip, and I hope to find an excuse to go and see Steve again before too long.
The last few days in Dubai seemed to rush past without any time to blog, but I hope to catch up now I am back. I managed another trip over the mountains and drove up the east coast of UAE - on the Indian Ocean side of the country.
The flight home was good, seeing amazing land forms in Iran, snowy mountains in Turkey and in the Alps. It was a long day. I intended to get up early, but actually was disturbed by the prayer call from the local Mosque, which is soon after 5 am at this time of year! The flight was at 11.40, getting to Paris some 7 hours later (I saw 3 films in that time, has a snooze, listened to music and peered out of the window at some amazing views!) It is much more exciting being able to fly by day!
I got to Sheffield Station soon after 9.oo pm local time, though this was midnight Dubai time - Steve texted me from the airport, he was waiting to pick up another friend! Dubai is a popular place to stay! It has been a fantastic trip, and I hope to find an excuse to go and see Steve again before too long.
Friday, 9 May 2008
Pentecost Service Photos
Top left: Steve with the children before they went off to their classes - a nice touch I thought, he just has a few words with them or tells them a story.
Top right: The Southern Africa table holding hands in united prayer.
Middle left: The Southern Pacific people Middle right: The Americas
Bottom: The Europe table - map, information for prayer, prayers and pictures of people at other global day of prayer events. (Do you reconise these as Gopack tables, just like ours - the same the world over!!)
Pentecost - the nations gathered!
Today is Friday, so it is the big day for worship again here in Dubai.
As I came back from an afternoon out, a huge Sri Lankan congregation were coming out of the front part of the main church (it can be partitioned into two). There were a great many young adults, both men and women, though these are the ages when you are likely to be working here in Dubai. I have heard that many Sri Lankan women work as nannies, though this may be because they can earn so much more than they would at home.
At the back of the main church another congregation were getting ready for worship which seemed to involve a curtained area and carpets to sit on (this may be an Orthodox group who are famous for setting off the fire alarms with their incense!).
Other congregations were meeting in the larger halls upstairs. Both took their shoes off to worship (well either that of they were organising a massive shoe sale!). I noticed that one was divided with men on one side and women on the other - but there were far more men present. This struck me as a real contrast to church in the UK! Though it may be that there were more men because of those who stay in the nearby labour camps.
The meeting room by my room is also in use, so I am unable to get back in until 10.30 tonight! Fortunately, I had been shopping at Ibn Battuta this afternoon and got a bit more food to last me the last few days here, which has had to be turned into my evening meal!
Pentecost Friday Morning Worship at Christ Church
This morning Steve led us in a memorable and moving Pentecost Service centered around the global day of prayer at Pentecost.
Earlier in the week he had mentioned that he wanted maps of the world so I suggested organising his own from Google Earth (like the one I produced to show how far away I am here in Dubai). Steve does not do things by halves, so had the maps specially printed up at a shop on A0 sheets of paper - about 3 foot by 4 foot!
After a short beginning to the service, we gathered around the map of our home continent. The largest number of people present were from Europe, but there were a good number from Asia, the Americas, Africa, Australia and so on - it really is a global congregation! We used the confession and creed to pray over our continents, then we were encouraged to move around to pray for other parts of the world. We could pray extempore or use the prayers that Steve had found in books for people to read out. It was somehow simple, yet powerful and moving.
We sang a mix of hymns and songs, much as we do at St Paul's. Steve had picked out 'Let the flame burn brighter' for us to sing, as he liked the words, but had never actually sung it. I told him how good it was, but did warn him that it was not easy to sing. He has a number of good musicians and is quite musical himself, but I was roped in to help their singers get to know it before the service as no-one has sung it before!
I am very impressed with Steve's creative use of liturgy. We began the service with 'Great is the darkness' (chorus 'come Lord Jesus, pour out your Spirit...'), and between the verses he had inserted some words for us to say, while the pianist played in the background. This worked really well and gave even more meaning to a great song.
I will put the photos on a separete post as that will be easier.
As I came back from an afternoon out, a huge Sri Lankan congregation were coming out of the front part of the main church (it can be partitioned into two). There were a great many young adults, both men and women, though these are the ages when you are likely to be working here in Dubai. I have heard that many Sri Lankan women work as nannies, though this may be because they can earn so much more than they would at home.
At the back of the main church another congregation were getting ready for worship which seemed to involve a curtained area and carpets to sit on (this may be an Orthodox group who are famous for setting off the fire alarms with their incense!).
Other congregations were meeting in the larger halls upstairs. Both took their shoes off to worship (well either that of they were organising a massive shoe sale!). I noticed that one was divided with men on one side and women on the other - but there were far more men present. This struck me as a real contrast to church in the UK! Though it may be that there were more men because of those who stay in the nearby labour camps.
The meeting room by my room is also in use, so I am unable to get back in until 10.30 tonight! Fortunately, I had been shopping at Ibn Battuta this afternoon and got a bit more food to last me the last few days here, which has had to be turned into my evening meal!
Pentecost Friday Morning Worship at Christ Church
This morning Steve led us in a memorable and moving Pentecost Service centered around the global day of prayer at Pentecost.
Earlier in the week he had mentioned that he wanted maps of the world so I suggested organising his own from Google Earth (like the one I produced to show how far away I am here in Dubai). Steve does not do things by halves, so had the maps specially printed up at a shop on A0 sheets of paper - about 3 foot by 4 foot!
After a short beginning to the service, we gathered around the map of our home continent. The largest number of people present were from Europe, but there were a good number from Asia, the Americas, Africa, Australia and so on - it really is a global congregation! We used the confession and creed to pray over our continents, then we were encouraged to move around to pray for other parts of the world. We could pray extempore or use the prayers that Steve had found in books for people to read out. It was somehow simple, yet powerful and moving.
We sang a mix of hymns and songs, much as we do at St Paul's. Steve had picked out 'Let the flame burn brighter' for us to sing, as he liked the words, but had never actually sung it. I told him how good it was, but did warn him that it was not easy to sing. He has a number of good musicians and is quite musical himself, but I was roped in to help their singers get to know it before the service as no-one has sung it before!
I am very impressed with Steve's creative use of liturgy. We began the service with 'Great is the darkness' (chorus 'come Lord Jesus, pour out your Spirit...'), and between the verses he had inserted some words for us to say, while the pianist played in the background. This worked really well and gave even more meaning to a great song.
I will put the photos on a separete post as that will be easier.
Thursday, 8 May 2008
Shopaholics Paradise and Desert Surprises!
The main leisure activity here seems to be shopping! There are a number of malls the size of Meadowhall - I don't know how many, but lots. Our local is Ibn Battuta, named after an Islamic explorer who visited Spain, and then journeyed from Persia right through to China. There areas themed around these places, and it is all very well done (though you may detect here my basic dislike of the whole concept!!).
I nipped in one day with Steve, so he could get something for work. Here is the outside of the Spanish area and me standing outside the Egyptian area. Inside the wall painting were truely amazing - reminding me very much of the tomb painting we saw in the Valley of the Kings twenty years ago. But in the end shops are shops, and you can go to Boots at Heeley Retail Park (less glamourous, but the same stuff!) maybe this is a gender thing, because I don't quite get it!!
What I did enjoy most was my drive across the desert to the mountains! I got up at five, so as to cook breakfast and lunch and be on the road for 6.30 - before the traffic jams start building up. The roads were fine and despite taking a few wrong turnings I did not manage to be really lost! I was in the mountain town of Hatta by 8.00 am, and though it was already very hot, I climbed to a small viewing point in a park (though how you can call it a park with so few plants beats me!). You will see that the mountians are totally barren - close too they have no vegetation at all. The hat is not just for effect, the sun was belting down at me and I took the picure of myself which is while I look a little odd!
I then drove over a mountain pass to another valley and came back round on a smaller road across the desert. I had seen some 'beware of camels' signs, and managed to stop and picture this one, but the real shock came later when I came across a really live camel standing in the middle of my side of the road! He had important cud chewing to do, and was not moving for anyone! This did mean I could drive up close to take the picture - without leaving the cool of the car.
It is a land of sharp contrasts. There is rocky desert, desert with yellow sand which us quite flat, then the red sand you see on the camel picture, undulates into dunes sometimes a hundred feet high. Then out of flat plain and the mountains suddenly sprout. But it would take too long to insert all the pictures, you will have to wait for the slide show!
You just have to get used to how hot it is. I was just about OK in the shade at 8.00 am, but by lunchtime it was so hot that I could only sit in the car with a the engine and airconditioning on while I ate. Still it has been an amazing experience. I hope to get across to the east coast which is the other side of the moutians and supposed to be nicer than the coast here, but I am running out of days!
I will stop now before the picture placement on this blogger drives me mad - it will not do what I tell it to!!
Sunday, 4 May 2008
Sunday - an ordinary day in Dubai!
It is a bit confusing! Friday is the Sunday out here, which is followed by Saturday, which is like our Saturday, just it comes after the main worship day! (I think that works better!!) So Sunday is like Monday, everyone is back at work and off to school. So I went along for the school run, taking Stephen and Betty to The English College and The Dubai College respectively.
There are rather a lot of large and expensive cars in Dubia. As Steve said the school gates look a bit like a 4x4 showroom. The Jumeira Janes drop off the kids at school, then go off to Spinney's for some shoppping, perhaps have a coffee with friends or go to a nail appointment, then there's only just time to check the maid has done all she should in your large air conditioned home, before picking up the kids again. The trouble is that you husband has to work very long hours, so you hardly ever see him. That's the life out here, some love it, other's don't.
Having no maids or nail appointments, Steve and I took Buddy the dog to the vet for a check up on the way back. As Steve was driving, here are a few views of the newer part of Dubai from the 14 lane highway. Almost all of these buildings were not even started four years ago!
But it's not all like this! The vet's was on a back street, and you could just see Burj Dubai, looming out of the mist - this is currently the world's tallest building. I saw it a bit closer coming from the airport, and was more impressed than I thought I would be. Here is the photo I look, you should be able to make it out, with the cranes still working on the top. The final picture in the meeting room by my room set up for another congregation this evening.
Today was a bit hot. It's only been about 35C (!) as there has been a lot of dust in the air, but that was clearing a bit, and the sun became like a blow torch - pushing the temperature over 40C! Steve had me walking about in that heat visiting a cemetry, and I was really glad to be back under cover again.
And, as it is Sunday, we did have an evening service, really a re-run of the service on Friday, but a different feel, with different people (and not so many because of work committments). But it was good to hear one of the church members trying to set up a scheme to help the men who live in the labour camps - just with simple things like providing books to read and a way of collecting their wages without walking miles in the heat, so that they can send their money home to their families in India etc. After the service I met someone who usually worships at Holy Trinity Cannes - my next exotic destination - isn't it a small world!
Saturday, 3 May 2008
This is looking back on the complex of churches, from left to right they are the Catholic Church, the Dubain Evagelical Church (American in style), Christ Church and another under construction.The forground is sand!
I was awake early this morning so had a walk before it got too hot. Here is a picture of the nearest (and best looking) labour camp, the ones further away are much more scruffy. Men have bunk beds in the cabins and go to central building (far left) to wash and to eat.
It must be quite a grim existence, I saw them pilling into buses to got off to the building sites to work (this was before 6 am), they will not be back till late evening and have to work through the heat of the day. Yesterday was their day off, so we saw hundreds walking about, going to the nearest shops.
Still they seem to be able to send money home to support their families.
Friday - the day for worship!
It is peaceful again today (Saturday)! Yesterday the church was heaving with congregations! To get to my room you have to go through one of the meeting rooms, so I knew that I had to be up and about early, so as to be breakfasted before the first congregation arrived. I then walked down the corridor past the three large meeting rooms on the top floor, the first had people getting ready for a service, and second a had a few people praying quietly, and the third was jam packed with people and had a man shouting into a mircophone at the front. I was please not to be in there, though those I could see of the congregation looked very enthusiastic.
I went down to the main church where Steve was getting ready for Communion. The PA system was playing up a bit (same the world over!), but Royston the wonderful caretaker seemed to manage to sort it out. Steve explained that it is a very good system, he just has not had time to read the instructions - I am with him on that, five years is not long for something as tedious as reading instructions!!
Worship was led by an electic keyboard / organ (it could make both sounds) with a small informal choir. The words of the service and hymns were projected onto four screens around the church - no expenses spared! - and this worked well. Steve is creative and sparing in his use of liturgy.
Sitting near the front I was not able to count the congration, but it felt like getting on for a hundred. In the picture above, the core of the congregation are having a drink at the back of church, but they were less than half who had been in the service. As you can see it is an eclectic mix of nationalities!
In the service we heard from a visiting priest from South Africa who told us of her work amongst very needy people, many of who are suffering from AIDS - which is supported by the congregation here. Steve also preached, urging us to look forward to our celebration of the the coming of God's Holy Spirit.
I enjoyed chatting to people afterwards. One man lives in Dubia but works in Saudi Arabia as a chemical engineer. He prefers to commute as he can at least come to church. In Saudi it is even against the law for Christians to meet as a house group - they did so, but always in fear of the authorities.
Steve is a busy man - after the serive he was bombarded with questions, while trying to get ready for weddings at 12.00 and 1.00 - he had already taken two earlier in the week! I stayed for the first in which a German man married a Chinese woman. Steve coped with considerable international chaos with remarkably good humour and spoke passionately about the need for us all to carry on expressing love to one another in our marriages.
After the wedding I found a second service blocking access to my room, but eventually I got in and could make my lunch! - but did not have much time before service 3 and 4! I invited myself over to Steve's house and later drove Steve, Jo, Stephen (16) and Betty (12) to a gathering at a church member's home some miles away. This worked well, as Steve was able to coach me on the perils of Dubai driving (including an experience of a 14 lane motorway!) and he could have a glass of wine at the party (driving with any alcohol in you system is against the law!).
It was lovely to sit out late in to the evening, though I did go into the house to cool off for a while!
Thursday, 1 May 2008
Arriving in Dubai
At last, I am here! And yes it is hot!
The journey went really well. I set off from a very wet Sheffield station soon after three on Tuesday afternoon and enjoyed the views of the Peak District as I sped through Hope and Edale valleys. The trees were amazing, bursting into a profusion of greens as the English spring worked it's magic yet again. Being an English spring the views were set against leaden and angry skies which doused us a number of times before we got to Mancester Airport.
I had plenty of time to check in then wait around for my flight to be called. It was a relatively small plane to Paris, where I had an hour to change to a much larger one to Dubai. I just love flying, so I had secured a window seat to take it all in. The surge of power as the engines catapault you down the runway it so exhilarating, and the views of Manchester were good. We then broke through the clouds and entered the soft evening sunshine which reached orange across the billowing cloud-fields!
We were soon on our way down to Paris where the towns lay as clusters of jewels picked out in sodium street lighting. It was an eiry experience walking through the corridors of the, by then, deserted airport as I trecked from one terminal to another - hoping that I was going in the right direction - Charles de Gaulle is huge! When I arrived at section 2F, I was unerved by an entrance sign which said 'staff only'. Clearly this was a notice that the French knew to ignore (or more likely would not even notice!!).
We set off around 11.30 French time and the seven hour flight did not drag too much. I watched a film, listened to music, saw the sun rise about 4.00 am and even slept a little because breakfast was suddenly in front of me at around five - and I was hugry and pleased to eat! We touched down at 6, but this was really 8 Dubia time, and your body soon gets used to it being daytime again.
Steve ferried me the twenty or so miles from the airport past Dubai city to thier home near Jebel Ali. In the four years since I was here last, the place has grown enormously. The cluster of towerblocks in Dubai has spawned a number of other clusters - including one at Jebel Ali Marina not far away. Steve tells me that none of these tower blocks there would have been even thought of in 2004. Slowly more and more of the sandy scrub is being covered with concrete. First a yellow crane sprouts from the ground, followed quickly by grey contructions which are finally glazed to produce yet more offices, apartments and hotels. If you think there is a lot of building going on in Sheffield, you ain't seen nothing!
We drove past the massive Burj Dubai, which is, for now, the tallest building in the world. It is in various stages of contruction, looking almost ready at the bottom, but with cranes still working at the top. I muttered cynically to Steve that it was a modern day tower of babel, and he went on to say that it was just for show as the saleable space does not match the huge construction costs - imagine the problems of pumping concrete over 600 m up in the air - that's not far short of half a mile straight up! I have to say, though, the more I looked at the tower, the more impress I became.
I have a spacious room in the church flat with efficient air conditioning and I am gradually getting used to the shock of the heat hitting me when I step outside. The church building is about six year old and is a very international place. This evening I can hear a very livley Indian service gettting going in the room next door, they are singing worship songs in English with a loud band and even louder worship leader who are equipped with a massive PA system (for a room no larger than our Old Vestry).
You can visit the church web site by clicking on: http://www.christchurchjebelali.org/index.html
You will see a number of pictures of Steve (and he did look even more like Jesus when he wore his hair long!) of the church. Just look at the number of congregations listed!
I have met three people from Russia, a Philippeano pastor and his wife (who are staying in the room next to mine) and seen many people from Asia and the far East.
Tomorrow, Friday, is the big day for worship. Being the Muslim holy day, the weekend here is usually Friday and Saturday. Steve will have his main services tomorrow, with a smaller one on Sunday evening.
Steve has also found me a car to borrow! And not just any car - its a Volvo S 40! I think it might be the same as Graham Blakey's. So I will be getting out and about once I have bought a map to help me navigate the nightmare road system.
The church is in a cluster of places of worship for other religions (than Islam) - most of which are churches. They sits beside a walled complex of homes for the wealthy ex-patriates, which is where Steve lives. There are a number of British living there, but also people from all over the world. On the other side of the churches are labour camps. These are fenced groups of portacabins for the labourers to live in - most of whom come from India. The contrast between rich and poor is very stark.
This afternoon I visited the rich. Steve invited me to swim in the pool in their complex (and admitted that this would ensure I gave him a lift round to his house! - it is often too hot to walk very far). It was amazing to dive into warm water in an open air pool, and glorious to swim looking up into a blue sky dotted with light cloud. The sun had by then sunk beneath a larger bank of cloud on the horizon, so I asked if that meant the weather might change. "Well," said Steve, "that means it will be hot and sunny tomorrow!". A pretty safe bet!! It did rain a bit last winter but some years it doesn't rain at all. The major change is the amount of dust in the air, which usually softens the full blast of the sun.
After a very muted sermon (last night the preacher was much more vocal) the service is coming to it's last songs - lively again. I am not sure if they are singing in tongues, or if that is their native language. Anyway they will be finishing by 10.30, according to the caretaker, which is in about 20 minutes. It is very dark outside now, but will still be warmer out there than in here - and I am warm enough as it is!
The church wireless network does not seem to connect fully to my computer, so I am having to borrow a machine in the church office (one of three!), so you may not get posts very often, but I will try to take my camera with me tomorrow, so that you can see what it is like out here!
The spell checker does not seem to be working today, so appologies!
Best wishes
The journey went really well. I set off from a very wet Sheffield station soon after three on Tuesday afternoon and enjoyed the views of the Peak District as I sped through Hope and Edale valleys. The trees were amazing, bursting into a profusion of greens as the English spring worked it's magic yet again. Being an English spring the views were set against leaden and angry skies which doused us a number of times before we got to Mancester Airport.
I had plenty of time to check in then wait around for my flight to be called. It was a relatively small plane to Paris, where I had an hour to change to a much larger one to Dubai. I just love flying, so I had secured a window seat to take it all in. The surge of power as the engines catapault you down the runway it so exhilarating, and the views of Manchester were good. We then broke through the clouds and entered the soft evening sunshine which reached orange across the billowing cloud-fields!
We were soon on our way down to Paris where the towns lay as clusters of jewels picked out in sodium street lighting. It was an eiry experience walking through the corridors of the, by then, deserted airport as I trecked from one terminal to another - hoping that I was going in the right direction - Charles de Gaulle is huge! When I arrived at section 2F, I was unerved by an entrance sign which said 'staff only'. Clearly this was a notice that the French knew to ignore (or more likely would not even notice!!).
We set off around 11.30 French time and the seven hour flight did not drag too much. I watched a film, listened to music, saw the sun rise about 4.00 am and even slept a little because breakfast was suddenly in front of me at around five - and I was hugry and pleased to eat! We touched down at 6, but this was really 8 Dubia time, and your body soon gets used to it being daytime again.
Steve ferried me the twenty or so miles from the airport past Dubai city to thier home near Jebel Ali. In the four years since I was here last, the place has grown enormously. The cluster of towerblocks in Dubai has spawned a number of other clusters - including one at Jebel Ali Marina not far away. Steve tells me that none of these tower blocks there would have been even thought of in 2004. Slowly more and more of the sandy scrub is being covered with concrete. First a yellow crane sprouts from the ground, followed quickly by grey contructions which are finally glazed to produce yet more offices, apartments and hotels. If you think there is a lot of building going on in Sheffield, you ain't seen nothing!
We drove past the massive Burj Dubai, which is, for now, the tallest building in the world. It is in various stages of contruction, looking almost ready at the bottom, but with cranes still working at the top. I muttered cynically to Steve that it was a modern day tower of babel, and he went on to say that it was just for show as the saleable space does not match the huge construction costs - imagine the problems of pumping concrete over 600 m up in the air - that's not far short of half a mile straight up! I have to say, though, the more I looked at the tower, the more impress I became.
I have a spacious room in the church flat with efficient air conditioning and I am gradually getting used to the shock of the heat hitting me when I step outside. The church building is about six year old and is a very international place. This evening I can hear a very livley Indian service gettting going in the room next door, they are singing worship songs in English with a loud band and even louder worship leader who are equipped with a massive PA system (for a room no larger than our Old Vestry).
You can visit the church web site by clicking on: http://www.christchurchjebelali.org/index.html
You will see a number of pictures of Steve (and he did look even more like Jesus when he wore his hair long!) of the church. Just look at the number of congregations listed!
I have met three people from Russia, a Philippeano pastor and his wife (who are staying in the room next to mine) and seen many people from Asia and the far East.
Tomorrow, Friday, is the big day for worship. Being the Muslim holy day, the weekend here is usually Friday and Saturday. Steve will have his main services tomorrow, with a smaller one on Sunday evening.
Steve has also found me a car to borrow! And not just any car - its a Volvo S 40! I think it might be the same as Graham Blakey's. So I will be getting out and about once I have bought a map to help me navigate the nightmare road system.
The church is in a cluster of places of worship for other religions (than Islam) - most of which are churches. They sits beside a walled complex of homes for the wealthy ex-patriates, which is where Steve lives. There are a number of British living there, but also people from all over the world. On the other side of the churches are labour camps. These are fenced groups of portacabins for the labourers to live in - most of whom come from India. The contrast between rich and poor is very stark.
This afternoon I visited the rich. Steve invited me to swim in the pool in their complex (and admitted that this would ensure I gave him a lift round to his house! - it is often too hot to walk very far). It was amazing to dive into warm water in an open air pool, and glorious to swim looking up into a blue sky dotted with light cloud. The sun had by then sunk beneath a larger bank of cloud on the horizon, so I asked if that meant the weather might change. "Well," said Steve, "that means it will be hot and sunny tomorrow!". A pretty safe bet!! It did rain a bit last winter but some years it doesn't rain at all. The major change is the amount of dust in the air, which usually softens the full blast of the sun.
After a very muted sermon (last night the preacher was much more vocal) the service is coming to it's last songs - lively again. I am not sure if they are singing in tongues, or if that is their native language. Anyway they will be finishing by 10.30, according to the caretaker, which is in about 20 minutes. It is very dark outside now, but will still be warmer out there than in here - and I am warm enough as it is!
The church wireless network does not seem to connect fully to my computer, so I am having to borrow a machine in the church office (one of three!), so you may not get posts very often, but I will try to take my camera with me tomorrow, so that you can see what it is like out here!
The spell checker does not seem to be working today, so appologies!
Best wishes
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