reedster

my goodbye party

2007-06-05T00:37:00.001+05:30

cake break

aumar ready to rock while i mentally imagine my next bowl

caleb and grandpa playing

janna & sara - bff

the party crew

family time

2007-06-05T00:29:00.000+05:30

our jungle survival trainer...

podium finishers

manila bay cruise

our story is so much better than titanic's

designated baby sitters

sailing is soooooo much fun!

caleb w/ uncle ben

more pi

2007-06-05T00:22:00.001+05:30

american war memorial - makati

walking among the dead that are still missing

a small glimpse of the sacrifice paid by the greatest generation

matt & erin castagna going out for dessert

matt & erin, jeff & candy, sara & i

old friends w/ some great stories...matt & i

philippine scenes

2007-06-04T23:44:00.000+05:30

faith alumni breakfast - some of my high school alumni

prayer/bike trip into the hills behind our house

dad & i w/ our machines

street scene from manila - that kid is wind surfing pinoy style

pictures from the philippines 3

2007-04-03T05:38:00.000+05:30

after one year...

we're still in love w/ each other...

& more to come

pictures from the philippines 2

2007-04-03T05:24:00.000+05:30

this is how we do it...pinoy style...

New Years '07

small portion of manila...and the fireworks

candy, candy & jeff, sara & i - friends from high school

sister, janna & caroyln

my bros and pinoy sister

janna, caroyln and sara - asian beauties

bottle rocket danger

one of thousands that night...picture and fireworks

sara is nervous & i'm rockin out...naw, we're in our element

our own big firework display...dragon master

party people

natural high, i swear...'07 is gonna rock

pictures from the philippines

2007-04-03T05:09:00.000+05:30

Christmas '06 Philippines

mom & grandson

caleb & his incisors

dazled by the camera

toys, toys & more toys

watching the little guy

teaching him early...

christmas morning

ccf's christmas service

either we're tiny or the tree is enormous

updates coming soon

2007-02-15T15:58:00.000+05:30

updates sooooon.... i'm not lying, i'm just lazy.

i have countless photos and updates to put up on my blogs from these last couple months. there is christmas and new years in the philippines, the end of sri lanka, and a couple other things i have yet to think about. but once i get home from sri lanka i hope to catch everyone up. just forewarning all of you that hopelessly gave up checking them long ago. there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

soon, very soon. i just have to wait for a steady internet connection. haha seriously...

Sri Lanka 2007

2007-01-25T12:05:00.000+05:30

As Sri Lanka enters the new year after a year that was believed to be the bloodiest in recent memory, there is a collective sense that the nations population is holding its breath to see what this new year brings. In the midst of this I prepare for my impending departure which comes ever quickly on February 20th. Unfortunately for many of the citizens of Sri Lanka they are offered no escape from the violence which adds increasing pressure to the already fragile situation.

Chris Morris, a BBC News correspondent writes a good article summarizing this coming year and how it might reflect upon this tropical island. If you have time, take a look at "Civil War Haunts Sri Lanka Again". Of course I don't agree in his alluding to the stars and how they might contain the answer to Sri Lanka's future but it is the drastic reality that much of the nation is desperately looking for answers where ever they may lie.

It is my prayer that the Church might arise during the midst of this humanitarian crisis, one where countless lives have been taken, to provide answers that lie with the Prince of Peace and the Gospel that He brings. Like many of my former posts, please pray with me for the island of Sri Lanka so that the gates of hell might not prevail and that the Lord's will may poured out upon the land.

crash and burn

2007-01-22T19:25:00.000+05:30

most of you have noticed the poor effort that i have put into keeping this blog up-to-date. its now about to get worse.

after a wonderful holiday vacation in the philippines with my family and gf, Sara, my computer decided to all but quit on me. i say all but because the data is all still there but windows doesnt want to cooperate anymore. not sure if this is a virus, filled that flipped out and corrupted or if when i was compressing my disk space deleted a very important file. i dont think its my fault because i dont remember deleting anything...then again i hardly ever think its my fault.

this can also be considered a blessing in disguise because it forces me to stay on the computer as little as possible because its such a pain in the you know what. i have no sound, video, internet, picture or file modification ability. all i can do is use the microsoft office applications. joy! now i can get all my work done.

for those of you that spend way to much time on the internet or dinking around your computer this is a suggested route to fixing your habit. not saying that i have that problem. haha this is more of a lame excuse of why you dont see any sweet looking pix on my blog from my holidays. till next time or when my computer finally decides it will crash and burn.

excuse to buy a new one! yes...wait, after i get a job that pays.

:)

exit strategy

2006-11-08T11:09:00.000+05:30

i'm back in trincomalee for the next two weeks. its been good to be back even though the monsoon season has just started which makes everything muddy. at the moment i'm working on preparing my exit plan/strategy from my departure from sri lanka in feb '07.

it seems strange to be planning this in nov after being here on and off for the last two years. i have to admit that i'm going to miss many things about sri lanka but i do recognize that its time for me to leave. until then its crazy, i have seven major projects to make sure get transfered over completely to local responsibilities with half of them in the understaffed trincomalee region. at the moment we have three staff and two of them are quiting when i leave so it gives me the daunting task of replacing them, training their replacements and transferring all responsibilities. at least i know that if any of this is successful is sure wont be my work that accomplished it but a miracle from the Lord. so thats a quick little prayer request.

one funny side note before i sign off. one funny thing about trincomalee is that they started major road construction/repair just before monsoon season. now the roads, drainage and the whole works are half complete and the rains have come. that means no work can be done on them until the rain stops and that there is flooding and mud everywhere. its especially fun when you drive a motorbike to work.

i'm reading in Prov 4-8 and was reflecting on the fact that wisdom brings life. that is my prayer for you all, that you might seek after wisdom so that you can live and walk in justice and righteousness. i pray that the same thing happens in the us midterm elections, that men who choose wisdom, integrity and the fear of God are elected by the people instead of politicians who stand for party lines, political reasonings and personal gains.

i'm off to finish my mountain of paper work and then out for some more rice and curry. yum yum

colombo arrest

2006-10-18T18:19:00.000+05:30

i was going to say house arrest but i'm not limited to my house. under colombo arrest...because of the situation.

its ridiculous. another day, another suicide attack, except this one was down south on a navy base in Galle. the rebels attacked the navy base down south, which is largely a singhalese area, which set off a series of riots in the town. sinhalese were attacking tamils and targeting their shops. another depiction of how this problem never ends. there were also riots in habarana where yesterdays suicide bombing took place. it was here that groups of people, rumors have it that police and military were supporting them, attacked vehicles by throwing rocks and beating people up.

its sad because news like this steals the headlines and people dont realize that there have been killings nationwide daily. last night two more civilians were killed in trincomalee by the armed forces, some of these have explanations but many of them go without any investigations or answers. sad really when you are living in the midst of state & rebel sponsored terrorism where people are controlled by their hatred.

this whole situation has the potential of becoming really ugly and very quickly. i pray that this doesnt happen.

***pictures of the truck bomb***

truck bomb - whats left of it

investigation

aftermath...
***pictures thanks to bbc news***

two months till...

2006-10-16T22:28:00.000+05:30

october already and i have to admit, i'm looking forward to december. christmas in the philippines! Lord willing sara and i will be there for christmas to celebrate with my parents, and paul & jen [caleb + 1]. its about time i get to see my nephew, he's going to think that i'm the estranged uncle. besides i miss the pi and i look being reunited to that lovely island. strange fact...actually the philippines has over 7000 islands...anyone want to go in on an investment with me?

but...back to the subject

until christmas time i've got my hands full with sri lanka. i'll be slowly bowing out of my responsibilities and hopefully in a semi-graceful fashion. simply put, i'll be handing over all responsibility and management to the local staff in all the projects. that will be a good evaluation of how well things went there and if i made a lasting sustainable difference. fingers crossed. haha

the thing that sucks is that i still have the physical project implementation/management to do in trincomalee but i also have to train a national water & sanitation coordinator in colombo plus get the children's program running [its a psycho-social program that was suppose to start in nov '05, things are sorta slow out here]. that means i'll be going up and down, up and down. again this was further complicated and delayed today when the rebels drove a suicide truck into a military convoy killing 90+ and wounding 130+ navy soldiers. this took place on the one road into trinco from colombo, the one that i've driven literally hundreds of times. for those of you that have visited me in sri lanka and have gone to trinco, it was after habarana but before kantale...close to the turn off for sigiriya. for more info check out bbc's report. this just adds to the already fragile situation. last week over 120 soldiers were killed and 300 wounded in the fighting up in jaffna. and people complain and focus on iraq?!? we live in interesting times...

for now i'm on hold and restricted from traveling to trinco until things calm down or open up. not like you haven't heard that one before...seems like that has become a regular occurrence. rumor has it that the road to batticaloa and trinco will be shut down for certain parts of the day. anyway, besides driving, buses and road usage there is always the train which i think i will use. that is of course, until the rebels start to bomb the tracks or target the trains. this is funny because i did go to the train station to get a ticket to trinco today [i was scheduled to leave for trinco] but i was told that the trains werent running because there was an 'obstruction'. i found out later that it was actually a derailment which caused this 'obstruction'. i gotta admit, sri lanka is great because you never know what is going to happen tomorrow. literally, this country can be bi-polar at times...full support peace talks and working towards resolutions and then engaging in bitter fighting which is not defensive as both sides claim it to be.

thats about it...i'll be staying in colombo and will be working at the head office and from home. on the bright side of things it will allow me to pour into some relationships that i started with guys here at the methodist and four square churches. i'm praying that we can get a bible study/prayer meeting/accountability group going. so, your prayers would be greatly appreciate too! it also allows me to talk to sara joelle alot more now that we're hooked up with skype. seriously, thats the ice cream sundae of my day and for those of you that know me, i love ice cream! alright, i'm outta here.

more additions to the sri lanka saga...

tea country

2006-10-11T11:20:00.000+05:30

tea...yipee! for all you english out there, what it means to be the real tea-totaler - the truth!

going native - dont worry i didnt sell them into slavery

check out that form - the natural tea picker

mother like daughter - the brawn of tea

the factory - the brains of tea

tea masher...i dared sara to stick her finger in there and now there is some special tea out there

refining my palate - master tea-totaler in-the-making? doubt it

what women do after tea? relax on the lawn and smile...gorgeous!

what men do after tea? run the rapids! ok, i was kidding

*special note*
tea is mentioned a total of sixteen times in this blog...thats almost enough to make me sick of tea

this was actually really cool. i didnt know so much stuff went into making tea, well i guess i always figured it would, but didnt get to see it until now. i sure have to say that tea-picker gets the short end of the stick. they work hard all day walking up hills picking tea and they live in shanty towns. it would sorta be like in the south and cotton picking cept it aint that hot up in the hills.

overall, an awesome trip to upcountry. we got some cool weather, new experiences, good company, and an education in tea. besides found a sweet river that is totally kayakable...anyone interested? dont worry the falls arent that big. gnar thats what sri lanka could use a little more of - good clean fun adventure, no more of this violent war adventure.

atmospheric phenomena

2006-10-09T23:25:00.000+05:30

jelly fish cloud or atomic bomb cloud or atmospheric phenomena - God is really creative and cool

the adventures of polonnarava

2006-10-09T22:35:00.000+05:30

welcome to polonnaruva

5th century ancient buhdda...i dont think there gods moved for the last 1400 years

hot very very hott

dust n' bones - what once was a very elaborate building

who cares about ancient ruins when you have someone like this to take pictures with

no the table is not an ancient ruin...sleeping buddhas - they get tired

kings hall - pretty rad...um, yea

elephants!

2006-10-09T22:05:00.000+05:30

...the discovery...

elephants have lightening quick reflexes - actually they are pretty fast

raining elephants sweet!

the true zoolander came from lanka safaries

all smiles when the tourists are happy...hehe

our fearless jeep guide...he got soaked

next years hottest flick - 'when elephant safaris go terribly wrong...'

or - 'when they go terribly right' - try mounting that thropy in your livingroom

sri lanka outback safari

2006-09-26T19:38:00.000+05:30

...the beginning...

feeding time - you should see the ones with big tusks

peacock running from our jeep

blistering barnacles!!! its flaming flamingos

look its an oreo

no elephants yet but look out for the tough face

tough face x2 - what do we predict?

ok, not so tough...prediction? mr. t's famous pain...nope but maybe rain

randoms

2006-09-26T18:43:00.000+05:30

children's club day in trinco - st. joseph college

death to chili crab - wheres my malet and bib

long silence

2006-09-26T06:51:00.000+05:30

long silence...yes, it has been a month since i've blogged...

so now prepare for a barrage of updates and pictures

let there be blog...

colombo zoo - wild safari

2006-08-22T14:56:00.000+05:30

she has no idea

water break + dirty bench % bf = free chair

trust me, it was really cool....

lunch at cricket cafe - sara & i...mrs m...gabby & evi

knuckles range - the people

2006-08-22T14:45:00.000+05:30

jude simion & family - priscilla, jarod

umbrella rock

toothpaste + bitter fruit = bitterer fruit

check it

knuckles range: the up-country weekend

2006-08-22T14:42:00.000+05:30

early morning tea - storm blowing in

sunrise & rain - trinco on the horizon

jude simion & I - my boss outside the office

typical knuckles scenery - tea plantations

transitions

2006-08-17T10:53:00.000+05:30

Dear Friends and Supporters!

Your prayers for Sri Lanka and me are greatly appreciated especially in this time of intense conflict. For whatever reason unknown to me, the Lord has not allowed me to continue my work in Trincomalee with any regularity because the constant violence and tension. Although this saddens me to see the country choose to pursue destruction over restoration, I have all confidence in Christ that His Kingdom will come and in His perfect will. It has been His blessing that He has given me peace and a sense of stillness in the midst of such conflict and confusion.

In the meantime, the Lord has proven Himself faithful and allowed me to become more involved with ministry in the capital city. It’s different than the work I have been doing but I have greatly appreciated the relationships and contacts that I have been able to build as a result of this change of environment. Since my relief/development role is shifting and changing, I was giving the opportunity to get involved at a local Methodist Church young adults fellowship and help out Sunday mornings at a local Four Square Gospel Church. This has been one answer to prayer considering that I wanted to get more involved in an intentional ministry which was difficult to out in Trincomalee. Our Lord is good.

This does not mean that I have completely abandoned my responsibilities dealing with Water & Sanitation. I still am actively involved with the Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka and their development/relief arm, Alliance Development Trust. It just means that my work is now stationed behind a desk in the head office instead of on the field and office in Trincomalee. Much of this work consists of proposal writing, program development and teaching/training a national Water & Sanitation Coordinator plus additional Water Technicians so that in my departure there will be others who understand the program which allows sustainability and continual betterment of the department. Although I like to be in the midst of the action, the Lord is giving me contentment with where He has placed me and I am looking forward to establishing better relationships with some of the guys at the office. He is faithful and sustains me.

Here are the recent prayer requests that fellow Sri Lankan believers and I are praying and fasting for:

1. For the nation of Sri Lanka to know Christ and be released from its bondage of violence
2. For the church to unite and speak the Gospel
3. For NCEASL/ADT staff as they serve the Lord and their fellow citizens
4. That the Lord might use me for His glory and Names sake

I gladly invite you to join us in prayer and fasting according to how the Lord leads you. Your support and encouragement has been a tremendous blessing and uplifting. I praise our Father for the fellowship He gives us in the body.

Recently I have been attempting to utilize my blog and updates in a way that provide a better flow of communication and understanding between those who are interested in the recent events in Sri Lanka and in my life. So if you have any comments or particular things that you would like to see and hear about please let me know with a short email or comment. These could be specific pictures of the work that I am involved in, personal testimonies of the people that I work with, background information on the country of Sri Lanka, personal profiles, and any other sort of interactive information.

Securely His,

Benjamin Reed

kantale relief 3

2006-08-10T17:24:00.000+05:30

three to a mat

those without a tent

unloading the lorry

i thought i would get in on the action

kantale relief 2

2006-08-10T16:38:00.000+05:30

refugee camp [school yard] - now home to 3,900+ people

refugee camp - tents to the horizon

Minister's of Restoration - man in blue was friendly and the one in white to his right was grumpy but they did have nice rides...check out the bodyguards behind them

Muslim woman and children in the school

kantale relief 1

2006-08-10T16:24:00.000+05:30

packing relief goods at the head office - our saturday & sunday

a family pack - 5kg rice, 2kg dhal, 1kg sugar, 500mg tea, 500mg milk, crackers, candles, and matches x 1000 = a whole lot of weight

loading the lorry in cmb when we should have been leaving for kantale

lost in translation...rather lost in kantale, waiting for our WFP contact to show up

midnight relief

2006-08-10T11:08:00.000+05:30

In light of the recent violence in Muthur and the influx in refugees, the National Christian Evangelical Association of Sri Lanka [NCEASL] and their relief/development arm Alliance Development Trust [ADT], decided to put together a flash relief trip. I was fortunate enough to be part of it.

It all started on Monday, August 7th, when we put together a lorry of relief supplies. The relief goods consisted primarily of dry rations, toys for children, bedding, and clothing for the refugees fleeing the conflict in Muthur [South across the bay from Trinco]. We were carrying enough food for five days for approximately 1000 families. Most of the refugees fleeing Muthur are Muslim, Tamil and then Sinhala.

Raju a young man from admin, Edward our IT guy, a liberal Muslim woman Sheen [our contact person] and I made up the team of four which went on this excursion. The plan was very basic and simple on paper. Drive to Kantale, located 40km outside of Trinco where 22,000+ refugees had massed, and drop off the supplies in the lorry and then return to Colombo that same evening. Simple it was not. Scheduled departure time was 9am but when I got to the head office the lorry had still not been loaded which we didnt finish loading until 11.30. This pushed our departure time to noon only complicated by the fact that we were told by the lorry driver that the load was disproportionate and that we had to rearrange it. So we stopped just outside of Colombo and the four of us did that. All this to say it was blazing balls of fire outside and I was sweating profusely.

To make matters worse the lorry driver said he needed to stop and get cloths along the way so I told him he could but he had to make that his lunch break. Up to this point we had been traveling in convoy at about 40 kph but often times much slower than that. For those of you that dont know that is painfully slow and you can imagine how I felt. At that point we decided to drive ahead to get lunch and then pick up some more supplies in Krunegula to load into the pickup that I was driving. By this time it was 3.30pm. We later linked up at Habarana, which is just before entering the jungle section of the road and decided to convoy the rest of the way from there since it was dark and the checkpoints would be increasing in number. We got stopped at the second check point at which one of the policemen was making it difficult extremely difficult for us. They searched us thoroughly. So much so that they made us not just open up the individual family relief packs but they also made us open the commercially foil sealed milk packets to make sure they were indeed powered milk. I was getting frustrated at this point especially when he began testing the wax candles. This check point added an extra hour onto our grueling slow trip. So by the time we reached Kantale it was 9.30pm and then there was the confusion of finding the right refugee camp that we were going to.

Our contact person in Kantale was with the WFP [world food program – UN agency] and it took us about an hour to get linked up with him because of the massive amounts of people and vehicles on the road. So by 10.30 we started unloading the lorry but the only problem was that most people had been unloading all day and were sick of it so they stood by and watched. Since we also had to unload the pickup truck, the Muslim woman and I split from the others and took all the bedding, toys, and cloths to another part of the camp. Its hard to describe what the camp was like and unless you've been in a fresh refugee situation its hard to explain. The one word that comes to mind is, crazy, because this town had no way of cooping with 22,000+ refuges so there were people everywhere. In tents, on lawns, in the streets and its 11.00pm at night. Some were sleeping while others were awake, there were kids without parents, injured, all mixed together as tuk tuks, motorcycles, vehicles, and trucks all buzzed by on the over crowed dirt roads. Quite a sight to see. Everyone including the relief workers looked very tired, dazed and confused. Amidst this chaos it was good to see that the most essential needs were being covered and (i)NGO’s were busy working although the conditions were less than satisfactory. This country is becoming experts in relief. All the previous fighting, then the tsunami and now back to war.

It was just amazing to see the high density of people in one area of all different economic and social statuses. I’ll send pictures when I can download them so that there is somewhat of an idea of what it looked like. Because it was night I wasnt able to get a lot of quality pictures of the grand scale of things and then it didnt help that my camera ran out of batteries 15min into taking pictures. A funny side note. When I was working on unloading the other relief items in the pickup, some ministers came by the refugee camp. These were members of parliament [equivalent to our president’s cabinet members] and they had their military escort and full bodyguard detail. What a contrast these guys made with their brand new land cruisers, tough-guy body guards and full press unit. Some how I happened to be standing right where they were coming by so I got caught up in their big entourage. Through the formalities of this procession I was eventually introduced to them. One minister was much friendlier than the other and we talked for a little while because he was curious as to why I was the only white guy around, especially since it was almost midnight. So after our quick chat they talked with other volunteers, coordinators and made sure their video guys captured everything. It was all very political with me in the center of it, getting my picture taken with the Minister of Restoration.

So with that all said and done we finished unloading both vehicles at around midnight. The relief workers and those in charge thanked us for our contribution and after the formalities [pictures, documentations, etc] we were free to head back to Colombo but we had one more stop at Raju’s cousins house. He had promised to give her money when he came and they also invited us to have dinner at their house. They were all well asleep when we showed up but had dinner waiting for us. Recently, his cousins lost their father a month back when he was shot in Trinco by the military for some reason. Their was no investigation and the few details and things were sorta pushed aside, so really no justice in the end. Sad story but in this part of the country stories like this are not uncommon. Finally, at 1am we left to head back to Colombo tired and sore from our long day. Soon everyone was sleeping and it was just me which was fine because I was just happy that I did not have to wait for the lorry on our way back. It took us over 9 hours to get to Kantale with the lorry and it only took my 3 hours to return to Colombo. No traffic, no cops, nothing. Arriving at 4am I had to drop everyone off so I was able to get into bed just before 5 which isnt to bad considering the circumstance. The next day I didnt show up to the office at the normal time of 9. I heard rumors that they want to send another load on Thursday or Friday. I think I might pass this time or not plan to be the driver.

paradise

2006-08-09T20:12:00.000+05:30

the couple in paradise

text messages

2006-08-03T11:23:00.000+05:30

Here are samples from the last two days of text messages that I get from our security tree in Trincomalee. These are the current ongoing events in Muthur, just south of Trincomalee across the bay.

Contact: +94773……
Date: 8/1/2006 6:45 AM
Confirmed. 18 Soldiers killed by claremore attack on bus, many injured near Kantale on Seruvila Road.

Contact: +94773……
Date: 8/1/2006 2:24 PM
Stay away from navy base and down town

Contact: +94773……
Date: 8/1/2006 2:46 PM
Reported :.Artilery firing at the Trincomalee Naval base from Sampoor continues. 5 suicide boats approching the habor were destroyed by the Navy. 9 cannons fell on the Naval Base.

Contact: +94773……
Date: 8/1/2006 7:50 PM
Inbetween pudavakatu and pulmodai area navy and ltte in the sea area are fighting on going confirmed. Msg received 835 pm.

Contact: +94773……
Date: 8/2/2006 6:48 AM
Reported:.Kattaparichchan and palathopur army detachments and Muttur Police under LTTE attack.

Contact: +94773……
Date: 8/2/2006 6:52 AM
Reported:.LTTE advance to government controlled palathopur, Kattaparichchan areas. Fighting in three fronts. Palathopur detachment, mutur police and Kattaparichchan camp being attacked. Shells falling on mutur town and even ali oluva junction Seruvila.

Contact: +94773…….
Date: 8/2/2006 6:56 AM
Muslim leader in muthur advised by elilan that muslims should leave muthur. Fighting is ongoing.

Contact: +94773……
Date: 8/2/2006 7:10 AM
Confirmed: ltte entered mutur town!and tries to capture polis station and jetty.At least 20 injured,number of casualties unknown.civilians gather in public places like schools etc. Heavy fighting is on for last 7hrs

Contact: +94773……
Date: 8/2/2006 9:58 AM
PIN will leave Tco at 1430. If somebody wants to join, can contact me 0773…... Jana

Contact: +94773……
Date: 8/2/2006 10:04 AM
Can you pass on the message that gtz will leave trinco today at 1100 am if other agencies want to join our convoy be at our office at 1030 nepc building inner harbour road and let them contact me: 0773……

volatile trincomalee

2006-08-01T16:44:00.000+05:30

once again the Trincomalee district and the city where i am suppose to work has been victimized by escalating violence. i dont have time to go into all the details tonight so i will post pictures showing where the incident occurred and links to what went on at that marked location.

history was always a subject that i enjoyed very much. so here is a quick geography and current events lesson.

first is a picture of sri lanka. i have highlighted the Trincomalee district where i work, i live in Trincomalee the city when i am not in Colombo [Sri Lanka's capital on the southwest coast]. by the Lord's grace He allowed the Maultsby ladies and myself to be in Colombo when all these things started happening.

second is a zoomed up portion of the Trincomalee district with all the cool little village names, half of which i never even knew existed [click to enlarge]. the area highlighted in yellow represents high tension where there has been physical clashes between the government and the rebels. the red stars represent specific incidents which i will link to a web site. they are numbered according to the basic time line of events. the green star is where my house is located in Trincomalee.

incidents since July 25:
1. the rebels blocked the sluice gate on the Mavil Aaru river blocking water to over 50,000 acers of padi fields and neglecting water to over 60,000 people in government controlled areas. In retaliation the government launched multi-barrel artillery, airstrikes and advanced troops towards rebel controlled area in order to reopen the sluice gate and restore water to communities. rebel leader considers this an act of war. tamilnet article here

2. military bus was attacked by a fragmentation mine killing 19 soldiers. bbc news article here. tamilnet article here.

3. Sampoor is a rebel controlled area that is a focus of Sri Lanka airforce attacks. reports from rebels say 5 cadres killed with some civilian casualties. government reports suggest of 30+ rebels killed.

4. rebels launch mortor and naval attack against Trincomalee naval base. reports of multiple Sri Lanka navy ships damaged, 8 Sri Lanka troopers killed, 9 rebel suicide boats sunk with additional reports pending. tamilnet article here. bbc article here.

5. [green star] this gives perspective to where my house is in regards to all that is going on. if i were to be in Trincomalee i would be able to hear all that was going on very clearly, seperated by only a few km.

i'm sorry this is just a quickie update. i will keep you all informed on what continues to happen and when i plan to return to Trincomalee. at the moment we shall wait and pray for when we shall make our return.

there should be more pictures of Sara, Mrs. Maultsby and i coming up soon. ciao

recent pix.1

2006-07-24T16:10:00.000+05:30

at the airport upon arrival

favorite part of the house

pastor joseph and i

waste system in sri lanka - dont worry it helps tenderize the meat

classic sri lanka english

sara and i teaching kids a song

our first dinner together

the new team - team mangostine

surveys i dont normally do

2006-07-13T00:21:00.000+05:30

i'm not one for surveys but my friend quantamos (on xanga) got me convinced. turned out some surprising results. so thank you amos for your brilliant inspiration and your life long friendship. shoutout to you!

i never thought of myself as a totalitarian but i have to say i've got an interesting mixture of famous people that they relate me too. there was a list of a couple guys and darth vader is by far the coolest dude on the list but thats followed by bin-laden, stalin and 2nd best, pope john paul! strange how they got all those guys together. haha i wonder what that means about me....

anyway, that was a bit of fun for me tonight. now its time for bed. peace!

You are a
Social Conservative
(36% permissive)

and an...
Economic Liberal
(31% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Totalitarian

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid
Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

2006-07-03T18:34:00.000+05:30

gabby - nceasl/adt's batticaloa team leader and i at our friends the de joot's wedding

mahesh - nceasl's missions coordinator and i

watsan work - trincomalee

2006-07-03T18:14:00.000+05:30

end of a hygiene seminar handing out sanitation packs...

taking a break for lunch early on in the drilling process

the crew upon completion - stage 1 - it only took five days to drill 20ft by hand through rock

what a 12 hr day will do to you

the water really isnt brown i promise

this is how we drill in sri lanka

follow the growth...of beards!

2006-06-20T15:11:00.000+05:30

so i pay tribute now to a fellow blogger and prairian on his own adventure. here is a serious shout out to marty penner as i follow the growth...of your beard! as yours takes you to the refined societies in europe, mine is being developed on the shores of a little island obsessed with tea plantations, curry and a vicious ongoing conflict.

ode to the growths of beards...

for all of you out there that want to check out a fellow adventurer, click here.

my tribute to the beard...

time with children workers

2006-06-19T09:15:00.000+05:30

here are some pictures from a while back. Gabby and i were hanging out with ADT children workers because they wereback in the capital for a training series.

unwanted close up

fellows from a young adults fellowship

how we ride

i'm a recovering ice-creamholic

gabby and i

dinner with the children's department

latest sri lanka update

2006-06-19T09:01:00.000+05:30

Many of you have seen the tiny island of Sri Lanka reappear in the international news.

In what seems like a troubling pattern of events, Sri Lanka continues its vicious cycle of ethnic violence which has begun to target innocent lives. BBC formally reports on the most recent attacks involving an attack on a civilian bus and the counterstrikes by the military near a refugee camp. For those unable to follow the links a brief description of the events follow:

Near Vavuniya (a city in the north), a civilian bus loaded with people going to the market was struck by a claymore mine early Thursday morning. The results were 64 passengers, including 15 children dead, and 94 injured. This is the worst attack on a civilian target since the signing of the ceasefire in 2002. The military was quick to respond. Ariel attacks along with artillery and rocket attacks were carried out on rebel positions in Kilinochchi (northeast) and Batticaloa (east), including strikes very near a tsunami refugee resettlement camp. Damages and injuries are considered low but are some what unknown considering communication with hospitals in the area has not been fluid

In light of all the troubles work must continue and we must press forward. The Singhalese in city where I am working, Trincomalee, have called a two day hartal (a public protest similar to a curfew that can often turn violent) for Saturday and Sunday in mourning for those who have lost their lives. This will delay my return to Trincomalee at least until Monday of next week at which point I shall assess the situation and see if it is safe for travel for the ADT staff and me.

This past week the entire ADT staff nationwide was involved in a staff retreat that took place down south at a beach resort. We worked on team building and the vision of NCEASL/ADT, which is unifying the church to transform the nation. It was a privilege to be apart of this planning and spend time with the staff from all regions as I was able to build new relationships and strengthen old ones. There are many faithful and dedicated brothers and sisters serving the Lord in Sri Lanka and it is great to be apart of it.

Some prayer requests:

-the war in Sri Lanka (although many claim there is no war and that the ceasefire remains, I see no evidence that this is being followed out therefore I will refer to the conflict in Sri Lanka not as the ‘situation’ but as the war)

-unity of the church throughout Sri Lanka
-staffing/personnel issues in the ADT Trincomalee office
-upcoming pastor conferences which my parents will facilitate (July 1-15)
-personal health (I’ve been sick this last week)
-progress in ongoing projects because we have faced many setbacks and disappointments in our activities

Thank you for your support and assistance in what the Lord is doing in this country and in my life. He is definitely using this time to teach me of His faithfulness and goodness to me through the joys and trials of my work in Sri Lanka. My blessings and prayers to you all. May you have a wonderful weekend

Enduring in Christ,

Ben

debriefing...the end of a team that use to be

2006-06-08T20:44:00.000+05:30

the last month has been a series of escalating events. unfortunately that has left things like my blog very much neglected. and since there is a great number of subscribers to this literary piece of art...chock...i thought it was about time to put up some pix.

as of monday this week, i am officially the last member of my team remaining in sri lanka. katie, the water and sanitation engineer took off to head back to seattle, leaving me behind to pick up the pieces in her departure. haha i say this because what is left behind is an ongoing water project with us aid and is one quarter behind (three months) its target. most of this is due to the volatile situation, which has leveled out. good news is its not worse but its not getting better. there are on average two to three claymore/mine attacks a week, a couple grenades and some shooting. I think it is safe to estimate casualties on any given week to be between 10-20. enough of that though. back to being alone. :)

meredith, the lady that worked in the children's department left the middle of may. so my schedule has consisted primarily of good bye parties and the formalities that come along with it in a very personal oriented society. i've had my full of cake, pop, candies, snacks and all the other fried goodies formally known as 'short eats' that are so popular out here. you're literally forced to eat them and to not risk the chance to offend down the hatch they go. so i jumped on a scale and realized i gained 3kg in a week. i think thats a lot but i dont really care. i'm not use to kg either.

so here are some pictures of our last moments together..

team debriefing...

yes another cake

never order a chocolate butter cake...its like eating chocolate flavored butter, lets just say i didnt finish

what!? i'm just seeing if it would fit...besides i like flowers

this is doesnt belong to me, it was bought for my friends finance...just a lil to big though

May update

2006-05-29T12:34:00.000+05:30

Blessings and Greetings from the land of tea and curry!

Lately I have had the privilege of practicing being consistent with my communication and dialogue with those who faithfully stand behind and support me. I am very thankful for all that you have done it assisting the Lord’s work in Sri Lanka and enabling me to continue through your prayers, encouragement, financial support and interest in what is happening on this little island in South Asia.

The last couple of weeks there have been limited updates about what I have been doing and the situation in general. In this case, no communication is a good sign as things have leveled out but have not really improved. Initial reports are always shocking and grab our attention but that soon fades and become distant memories allowing us to forget and return to our personal lives. However, the other alternative possesses a similar looming problem. Regular updates and reporting on violence can become tiresome and mundane resulting in a loss of compassion and concern for those suffering and being inflicted. Unfortunately the situation in Sri Lanka helps perpetuate both of these common occurrences. So how do I accurately address and communicate this problem and the needs that it presents?

I do not write this as a disclaimer but as a way to articulate what is happening in Sri Lanka. Violence and attacks do continue but under the banner of a cease-fire. In many ways things are calm yet volatile; there is peace but there is war. People say this is a contradictory statement and that it is not possible, but in the land of Sri Lanka oxymorons are realities. BBC wrote a great article that addresses this issue. Living in the midst of this situation I face this issue almost daily and realize that life must go on and continue. The Lord is faithful, He is my protector and I praise Him for the safety that He has given me up to this point and for not allowing me to be fearful in light of the circumstances. I live in the midst of this reality but also in the midst of my own conundrum; where I must remain neutral while life continues forward and presses on but in the midst of hardship and struggles from the political/ethnic violence. In the midst of this I seek to live a life of Christ’s love, compassion and service.

So please pray for me, that I might grow in my intimacy and love for Christ and have the opportunity to share this through discipleship. Recently, I have been given the opportunity to build friendships and connections in a couple of local churches with young men. This has been a blessing and provision from the Lord as it has given me accountability and friendships during a time when I am becoming isolated. Yes, in a matter of days I will be the only remaining ACTION team member in Sri Lanka. Meredith Dean [children’s department] went home on the 19^th of this month and Katie Toop [Water and Sanitation engineer] will be leaving on the 6^th of June. Both have done excellence work out here and it has been my pleasure to serve them in Sri Lanka. They will be missed.

In the meantime, I have been kept very busy. A variety of different tasks, projects and commitments have required all of my attention and focus. A large part of this has been sending off and debriefing Katie and Meredith. The rest is consumed with starting a psychosocial children’s program, planning pastor conferences for my parents when they come in July, preparing to host my girlfriend Sara Maultsby and her mother for two months and then of course, my responsibilities to project and personnel management in the Northeastern District of Trincomalee. In Trinco, which has been a focal point of the conflict, we currently working on an intensive water project and there is need for recruitment and hiring of additional staff for the children’s, livelihood and possibly housing projects. This is compounded by the fact that there is no active District Coordinator and Team leader. The head office has asked me and pushing me to assume this position but it has been my desire from the very beginning to see a local Sri Lankan fulfill this role. This continues to be my perspective. This is one area that I would really appreciate your prayer for; that we can find a local Christian man to become the District Coordinator, who will be able to take charge and will allow me to work and assist him in the development of projects and staff.

One final prayer request is for my financial situation. The last couple months have seen a significant drop in my monthly support. This has been a concern as I will continue to be here in Sri Lanka for another seven months but the Lord has faithfully provided for me in every way in the past. This has come through the faithfulness of my supporters, family and friends. Thank you. I trust the Lord that He will continue to provide for all my needs during the remaining seven months that I am here. However, I also embrace the challenge of doing what it takes in the meantime to budget and work with the situation the Lord has given to me. Part of this is my responsibility to ask and openly explain my actual ministry needs. At the moment, I am on a budget for $1500 a month; including $700 for all personal living expenses and $800 for ministry expenses. I have monthly pledges accounting for $650 a month and with the balance of some previous one-time gifts it allows me some additional funds for ministry expenses for the next couple months. Working with a tight budget gives me a great opportunity to learn personal financial skills and a Christ centered approach to this issue and I look forward to this challenge.

Again, I reiterate my request to you all. It would be a honor and privilege for me to pray, support or assist you in what the Lord is doing in all of your lives. Don’t hesitate to contact me regarding anything or just to send a greeting. As I live and develop in my job, life, and responsibilities I realize the importance of support from others especially in prayer. This is why I extend my offer. May the Lord bless and keep you and make His face shine upon you all!

In Christ,

Benjamin Reed
ACTION Project Worker
ADT Trincomalee Consultant and Advisor

Mobile: 0779116629
32 Ebenezer Place
Dehiwala 10350
Colombo, Sri Lanka

sri lanka crisis update

2006-05-07T20:13:00.000+05:30

Here is the latest:

Sri Lanka crisis report

Explaining the security situation in Sri Lanka is complicated. To most people it doesn’t make complete sense and I don’t always get it. There is a conception that there is a raging war with bullets flying and bombs dropping. This is/was true in one sense but at the same time there is has been no significant aggression pursued by either side. I believe it is best described as a continual system of perpetuating cycles. I have been here since last April, there has been a continual flux in the security situation, especially in Trincomalee and the Northeast. There will be days, weeks, and months of peace where there is no violence or incidents and everything is normal, only for it to flare up again without much of a warning. Trincomalee has been through this cycle many times in the last year and will probably continue in this sequence until a long term solution is found to the root problem.

The major concern over the violence in April was that it was the first time I saw the mob effect and large numbers of innocents affected by the political/ethical violence. I will admit that last month saw probably some of the worst violence the country has seen in the last couple years but then again, like the cycle, the situation is returning to normal. The last week there have been no real incidents and there seems to be a peace returning to the town. Things are getting back to business and most international organizations, spare a very select few, and are back in Trinco working. The landscape will be temporary scared for the moment, there are houses and businesses that are missing and at the moment there are still refugees seeking shelter in schools and churches but that number is diminishing.

Personally I don’t think that this is the last to the political/violence or that we have seen the worst of it but for the moment the situation is progressing towards peace. Please continue to pray for the situation in the country and that the Lord will work in the hearts of the leaders of this country to strive for restoration, especially the Church.

The issue with the visa looks surprisingly positive. Last week I spent a solid two days working on getting all the paper work together and talking with government officials asking them to fix my problem. Upon entry into the country the immigration officer made a mistake which was a problem when I went to get my permanent visa. The Lord did a miracle and I was able to get the government to correct their mistake and provide me with the proper me with correct approval. The office of immigration accepted my permanent visa and is in the process of reviewing it. I was told to come back this Wednesday to pick up my passport. Then I will only know if I have received my permanent visa.

In regards to the rest of my life and work in Sri Lanka these next couple months will be extremely busy. I have a trip to Trincomalee planned for Monday-Tuesday to distribute clothing, mats, and relief items to the refugees in the Trincomalee district. I get to see if my visa application was accepted on Wednesday, a wedding of an associate on Thursday, my coworker Katie comes in on Friday, and then Saturday-Sunday I have debriefing for Katie and Meredith. Somewhere in there I have to write three reports and prepare for the debriefing. It should be fun. Those are all the prayer requests, and then that in the midst of all of this I might remember where my time should truly be devoted too, my Lord and Savior.

I appreciate everyone’s support and prayers it’s been a tremendous encouragement to me. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or give me feedback on any questions or concerns that you might have. I would love to know how I can support and pray for those of you back home so please feel free to contact me anytime via email or via my blogspot or xanga. God bless and hope to provide you with another update shortly. As soon as I find out about my visa!! J

In Christ,

Benjamin Reed
ACTION project worker/ ADT Consultant
24 Ebenezer Approach Dehiwala
Colombo Sri Lanka
0779116629 mobile

trinco press release

2006-05-04T17:00:00.000+05:30

This might shed more light on what took place in Trincomalee during the bloody month of April. Submitted is a press release which was denied by all local news sources approached in Sri Lanka, so where better to place it than on the internet for all to read...

PRESS RELEASE#

CALL FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION ON

TRINCOMALEE SITUATION

A fact-finding team of civil society representatives traveled to Trincomalee on 16^th and 17^th of April 2006 in the wake of reports of civil unrest in the District.

The findings of this mission have left us gravely concerned by the events that have unfolded in Trincomalee over the past week; events which have left over 20 civilians dead, over 30 shops and 100 homes destroyed by fire and over 3000 persons displaced and seeking refuge in schools and places of worship.

On 12^th April, a bomb exploded in the vegetable market in Trincomalee town, leaving five persons, including one child, dead. Within 15 minutes of the explosion, a gang of armed Sinhala persons began a rampage through the business area of the town, setting Tamil shops on fire, and looting goods. According to bystanders, though the gang never consisted of more than 100 at any given time, there was no reasonable attempt made by the security forces to prevent the violence.

Several people have been reported killed in and around the market on the 12^th during the course of the rioting. Some bodies were thrown into the flames of the burning shops. 19 deaths, including of 7 women, have been reported so far; however the figure is rising daily. The burning of bodies has resulted in delays in identification, and has destroyed traces of mutilation and sexual assault prior to the death.

Over 30 shops were burned in all, the majority belonging to Tamils and 2 to Muslims. It appeared that several large shops were specifically targeted – among them were Hari Electricals, the Dollar Agency, the Dialog Company and the Sunlight (Lever Brothers) Agency. The mob also attacked the Hatton National Bank.

Other incidents of violence, including arson and murder took place outside the town. The body of a young Sinhala man, identified as Nissanka, was found in Mahindapura on the 14^th April. He had been missing since the 13^th. Subsequently the Sinhala villagers of Mahindapura went on a rampage in the neighbouring Tamil village Nadesapura and set fire to over 40 homes. The office of the Trincomalee District Youth Development Organization (AHAM) was attacked and several vehicles belonging to the organization were set on fire; the Hindu temple in the village was also attacked. Similar incidents have taken place in Thuwarangkadu, resulting in the displacement of almost 1000 persons, and in Andankulam, where several houses were burnt down. The houses in Andankulam were new, built under a post-tsunami reconstruction scheme.

The violence, as well as the fear and insecurity experienced by the civilians, has led to a fairly substantial displacement. As of the 20^th April, the District Secretariat, Trincomalee, had this figure at 2673 persons (723 families). This does not take into account the large numbers who are residing with family and friends, and those who are simply leaving their homes at night-time for more secure locations. The response to the displacement, even from NGOs, has been slow, hampered by the prevailing tensions and lack of personnel. In some areas government assistance was received only on the 18^th April, despite the fact that people were displaced on the 14^th April.

The speed with which the violence erupted after the explosion seems to indicate an element of pre-planning that is extremely disturbing. Two observers referred to the situation as being reminiscent of the anti-Tamil riots of July 1983. The rioting lasted for over two hours, during the daytime. During this entire period the armed forces and the Police did almost nothing to prevent the violence from taking place. There are several very credible eye witness accounts to the manner in which the security forces stood by and allowed the burning and killing to take place.

Although there is a multi-ethnic Citizens’ Committee led by religious leaders of all communities in Trincomalee town, as well as Peace Committees initiated by the Police at the level of every Grama Sevaka Division, they have been ineffective in the face of the recent incidents of violence. There is a very high degree of mistrust and animosity between the Sinhala and Tamil communities in particular. Groups remain polarized on the basis of ethnicity and there is no structure that has the capacity to bring them together in a positive and constructive manner. Even well-established social activists expressed their fear of taking the initiative to assist those affected by the violence; some of them were already receiving threatening telephone calls.

Given that Trincomalee has always been a flashpoint for ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, it is imperative that civil society organizations in the south concentrate on strengthening existing networks and building new ones, to give a truly plural character to the moderate and peace-loving voices of Trincomalee’s peoples and to ensure that a slide back into barbaric ethnic tensions does not arise.

On the basis of its findings, we wish to highlight the following areas of concern and appeal to the government, political parties, non-governmental organizations and all members of civil society:

q Immediate steps must be taken to ensure that all emergency and humanitarian assistance necessary is extended to those displaced by the violence; rebuilding of houses should be a priority;

q A delegation of senior members of all leading political parties should undertake a visit to Trincomalee to meet with all sections of the population as a confidence-building measure;

q The government should devise some means of accepting accountability for the inability of the security forces to prevent the violence; a collective apology from the state and from southern political parties to the people of Trincomalee would go a long way towards re-building bridges of communication and trust;

q An independent investigation into the violence following the bomb explosion on 12^th April should be undertaken by a team comprising representatives of government and non-government bodies; the investigation should aim at recording the various testimonies regarding the incidents and at making recommendations to the government regarding justice and redress for the victims;

q These measures should take into account the culture of impunity that has prevailed in Sri Lanka, taking on board the experiences of previous commissions, and ensure that concrete steps are taken and implemented by the government to end impunity;

q Civil society organizations should create a ‘rapid response’ network that will make regular and systematic visits to their partners and colleagues in Trincomalee in order to monitor the situation;

q Payment of compensation should be transparent, unbiased and acceptable to all affected parties;

q Institutions such as the District office of the National Human Rights Commission should be reinforced with material and human resources to enable it to act more effectively in a time of crisis such as this;

q The Citizens’ Committee should be strengthened so that it can act independently and with the recognition of the authorities;

We note that the LTTE have been engaged in acts of armed attacks against the security forces resulting in further heightening tension and fear within the community and the Trincomalee area.

We appeal to the LTTE to:

q Halt these acts of violence and commit to the pursuit of its objectives through non-violent and democratic means;

q Ensure that there are no obstacles in providing emergency and humanitarian assistance to those displaced by the violence and facilitate in creating a safe environment for the implementation of aid work by agencies and individuals;

It is imperative that all political actors are aware of the dangers involved in not taking control of the situation and ensuring that the potential for heightened violence in Trincomalee is curbed. The creation of an environment in which people can return to their homes and their livelihoods should be given priority. In the current climate of insecurity, attempts by some politically motivated groups to incite ethnic and religious hatred should be dealt with immediately and all citizens need to be more vigilant about these manipulations. The fragility of the peace process at this moment calls for a concerted initiative to safeguard the CFA and strengthen the voices for peace in Sri Lanka.

Sunila Abeysekera, Udaya Kalupathirana: INFORM

Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Rohan Edrisinha, Devanesan Nesiah, Bhavani Fonseka, Mirak Raheem: CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES

Ramani Muttetuwegama: LAW AND SOCIETY TRUST

P.D. Gunatilaka: DEVASARANA DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

Buddhika Weerasinghe: FREE MEDIA MOVEMENT

Ambika Satkunanathan, Soundarie David, Charan Rainford, Nimanthi Rajasingham, Sonali Moonesinghe, P. Thambirajah, S. Varatharajan, INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR ETHNIC STUDIES

Nimalka Fernando, INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT AGAINST RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Kumudini Samuel, Sepali Kottegoda WOMEN AND MEDIA COLLECTIVE

Jayadeva Uyangoda, SOCIAL SCIENTISTS’ ASSOCIATION

Rukshana Nanayakkara, TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL, SRI LANKA

Anita Nesiah

Manouri Muttetuwegama

Darini Rajsaingham

Tharumini Wijekoon

Samatha, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Roshan Mendis, LEADS, Sri Lanka

21^st April 2006

# This press release has been refused to be carried by all local media approached

please let may come

2006-04-30T20:08:00.000+05:30

the most recent disturbing news that i have recieved in the last couple days...it is a sms text message from the UN security tree. it says:

Pulmodai army camp is being attacked by LTTE. Fighting ongoing. 350 families displaced to school.

this is alarming because i was talking to one of the trinco office staff on friday about how the ltte might attack and which where the major army bases. pulmodai was the army camp that we were looking at and talking about and i asked him this question just two days ago: when is the ltte going to attack this camp? the army camp in pulmodai is a significant camp and is located near the mullittivu - trinco boarder. this is the boarder between ltte and the government controlled area. this would give the ltte much more access to the trinco region not to mention provoke the government to furthur action. its interesting considering this is the last day of april and for over a year some people in sri lanka [primarily tamils in trinco] have been saying the war will start in april. the national public celebrations for may day, set to take place tomorrow in colombo have been cancelled as well, cited were security reasons. interesting, will keep you all updated.

since the escalation of violence starting april 11th more than 6,252 families, totalling 21,554 people have been displaced from their homes. pretty staggering numbers to account for the last half of april. good thing april is almost over...please, let may come. so how do we help in this situation? especially if there will be continual adding to those numbers? hopefully not by sitting in colombo...

situation update

2006-04-28T17:25:00.000+05:30

the government has stopped bombing and has reopened the boarders to LTTE territory even though they are blocking medical supplies, food and relief supplies. there is limited movements into these unclear territories.

ADT was planning on taking over a truck load of food for the refugees that have moved into Trincomalee town proper which i volunteered to organize and drive over. the last two days i've been working at getting price quotes for all the food items: 5kg rice, 1kg dhal, 1kl sugar, 0.5kg tea, 0.5kg milk, candles, matches, biscuits; arranging transportation and fitting it all into the limited budget that we are working with.

the plan was to leave saturday morning at 9am and drive over and distribute the food to two refugee camps located at a Four Square Gospel Church and another at Thuvanrankadu School. on friday at 1700 hours i received news from ZOA [another ngo] that another organization Caritas [catholic ngo] had taken responsibility for that area. its a miracle ZOA didnt call five minutes later because our office would have been closed and i wouldnt have been able to halt our plans. leaving us with over a $1200 worth of food that these camps didnt need.

sooo...plans got put on hold. i dont go to Trinco this weekend and missed the opportunity to go to the Methodist Church young adults fellowship camp in Kandy which i was planning on going before this trip to Trinco; instead i get to stay in Colombo. its a little frustrating because i'm expected to continue work and plan relief for Trinco but it is impossible to do so on the other side of the island! sure it is a little more dangerous to stay over in Trinco but so is walking across the street in this country. i probably have a better chance gettin hit by a bus or rabid tuk tuk than caught in the ethnic violecne. the last two days in Trinco there were coordination and planning meetings at the UN headquarters in Trinco which put together the plan-of-action for relief agencies. since ADT was not present we were not apart of the process and thus missed out. to often i have worked to organize and get something going only for it to get cancelled in the end due to the lack of communication or limited in the range of my work. this is where this work gets exhausting and frustrating for me.

there is just a better way of doing things. i dont like sitting on the sidelines or working in the dark. i know the Lord is in control and that is what keeps me sane. the only cool thing about staying in the capital is that i'm gettin the opportunity to build relationships with tuk tuk drivers that sit outside of my apartment. there have been some neat opportunities to share the Gospel [who cares about the anti-conversion bill] and they have to listen to me until they drop me off. often times these conversations come up when they ask me questions about what i think of the country's situation; if i have a girlfriend and want a sri lanka girl; if i want to go to casino or a club; and why i came to their country. a couple times our talks have even continued after i got to my stop. i enjoy it, its quality and it offers me the opportunity to share some truth with them. well, gotta go catch a tuk tuk back home now...

typical text messages

2006-04-28T17:12:00.000+05:30

the typical text messages that i get during the course of a day...thanks to all the drama. of of these are taken from the afternoon of Friday April 14th:

14:46
"Has been a claymore attack in Ales Garden targeting SLA vehicle. Two army people injured and 3 to 4 civilians."

15:50
"Disturbances reported in Ambuvelipuram and cemetery road. UN"

17:25
"INGO staff in Ambuvelipuram confirmed tamil houses burning. He and many other families displaced, SLMM informed."

17:34
"Report received, local news: nearly 50 sinhalese youth gathered at the Mihindapura-Varothayanagar-Ambuvelipuram junction. Threat of attack to Ambuvelipuram. People displaced to safer places. Nadezar Kuvil at Kanniya road is burning, people displaced to Varothaya Nagar. Just now police deployed"

17:43
"Tension reported in Linganar and houses set on fire in Ambuvelipuram and Mihindapura. Displacement reported in Ambuvelipuram and Linganagar. UN"

18:44
"Curfew has been called in Trinco. UN"

18:50
"Info reported by UN staff in Linganagar: Now the situation relatively calm. SLA has been deployed around the church area. Few families who were living in the border area are refugeed in the church."

this isnt quite a typical day but unfortunately them come quite frequently. all of this took place in Trinco town and shows you the rollercoaster ride of north eastern sri lanka. at the end of the day its nice to see the situation relatively calm. shows its time to get back to normal activities, surfs up!

how do you respond to terror...

2006-04-26T16:21:00.000+05:30

obviously not the way the sri lanka government did. in response to the recent suicide bombing in the capital, which the rebels have denied any involvement in, the military has launched an intentional assault on ltte controlled areas in muthur. this preemtive attack on muthur was carried out by air strikes from the sri lanka air force and artillery/gunboat bombardments from the sri lanka navy. the result so far: 12 bodies of civilians recovered so far with estimates that the death toll will rise dramatically, a preschool and college damaged, a transit camp constructed by unicef hit by an artillery shell, and reports of over 15,000 tamils fleeing muthur to seek refugee for the military attacks.

i am not stating this to support the suicide bombing or the violent plight of the ltte, they are messed up in their heads and use a reign of terror, extortion, and wickedness to force their agenda on the innocent.

BUT

in the same manner i am sad to say that the military warrants similar actions by intentionally targeting communities of civilians. yes, it was an ltte controlled area but the continual mistreatment and assault on civilians that continues to happen in the trinco district hardly complies with the rules of warfare [then again who said there were any rules in warfare, interesting idea to think about] set up by 'established' western society.

My main point is, that what is happening in sri lanka is a series of tragedies and offenses committed by both parties who's unwillingness to forgive each other continues to spin the country on a merry-go-round of destruction and demise. As pride and selfishness continue to prevent this country from dealing with tragedies so often afflicted upon it, it will never fully be able to break free of the bondages that violence and hatred hold. Healing will never be afforded under such circumstances and the suffering of innocents will continue. Solution:

A church that is centered and grounded in Christ, willing to take up the sufferings of the cross and proclaim Christ until He comes again.

Matthew 22:38-39
"Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God will all your heart and will all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

I pray that the Lord's will might be done for this country. That He might empower the church with His grace and mercy to pour out His love on this country and grant it healing and restoration for the souls of many.

***endnote***
makes me think about our other wars on terror and the justifications for our actions...this is directed towards the church and is not a political statement
***

interesting development

2006-04-25T15:08:00.000+05:30

for those of you that have followed the news in sri lanka recently many of you will know that until now most of the ethnic conflict has been focused in the northern and eastern districts of sri lanka. but today a bomb went off in the capital city colombo but it wasnt just in the capital, it was at the army headquarters.

in the initial reports there is word that Sarath Fonseka, the army commander is seriously injured, and that six people have died. it is being said that it was the result of a suicide bombing, a lady. we are are awaiting further information and developments in the situation. currently an investigation has been put into place but there is little to doubt who might be responsible. it is dangerous to imply and conclude before the facts are presented but reviewing the last couple months history it is fairly convincing evidence. this comes on the tail of the ltte [tamil tigers- the rebel faction w/in sri lanka] canceling the next round of peace talks that were set to take place today in geneva.

this is an interesting development which i'm sure will have some response. i will keep you all informed of what that might be...

birthday party

2006-04-25T14:45:00.000+05:30

so it was a special day because it was katie's and jon's birthdays this last week. so happy birthday guys! we celebrated with a night out at excel world which is the closest thing you'll get to an amusement park in sri lanka. we had dinner, a game of lazer tag and then played some arcades. its great to be young...:)

katie is in the green and jon is the second guy in the white shirt...going left from katie.

we played team tag, it was the ladies and i vs. the three other guys. we rocked the hiz-house. final score: us 5421 to -255. challenge anyone...it really helped that katie was invincible, her vest didnt pick up any hits

this was the hottest game of air hockey i have ever played. it must have been 100 degrees in this arcade. i was playing against meredith. of the four games we played i won four of them. who says i'm competitive. sori mere, you beat me once but not again! :) jk

cooling off in the coffee lounge. i prolly lost about ten pounds of sweat from those air hockey games...seriously you hardly have to do anything out here to get a workout. i should start my own video series.

land of peace?

2006-04-14T23:00:00.000+06:00

? its interesting to see how the Lord works in different ways. the day i left to return to Sri Lanka i find out that Trincomalee, the city that i work in, has been hit hard by violence. currently there is a dusk till dawn curfew imposed by the police and all government and private business are shut down. this follows on the heals of continual mobish behavior and many different attacks within the city.

this is some of what has happened since april 11th, chronologically:

11th
-11 Sri Lanka army men were killed and 8 seriously wounded when their bus was hit by a claymore blast
-two British nationals NGO workers were injured when their vehicle was hit by the bus after the claymore blast
12th
-two policemen killed in claymore blast
-claymore blast outside of public vegetable market killing at least one Sri Lanka military man and injuring many civilians
-widespread violence ensues resulting in the burning of 20+ Tamil and Muslim business and shops within Trincomalee town by 'thugs' assisted by the Sri Lanka military
-results in 19 deaths and 45 serious injuries [mixtures of Tamil and Sinhala]
-continual looting in Trinco
-dusk to dawn curfew imposed
13th
-clashes between Tamil and Sinhala mobs reported
-reports of additional blasts, most likely grenade and possibly claymores
-additional police force is brought in to calm situation
-dusk till dawn curfew still imposed
14th
-claymore attack on Sri Lanka army bus
-two military troopers were injured along with three civilians
-government and public offices, business closed
-after body of missing Sinhala youth was found mobs burn a number of Tamil houses
-peace talks in Geneva scheduled for the 19th were delayed until the 24th or 25th
-curfew continues to be imposed

please, dont be alarmed by my sharing this. yes there is urgent need for peace in not just Trincomalee but in all of Sri Lanka and the healing of serious ethnic wounds. but this is shared to state that the Lord is working, often in ways that we do not understand or recognize. i plan to continue to work in Trincomalee but will probably not be able to return until next week. dont worry i am safe and i have the Lord to look out for me. He does a far better job than i or anyone else can do. :)

with that said, please continue to pray for the work that the Lord is doing in Trincomalee. that through it, many might come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and that the church might represent Christ love and compassion. thank you.

for continual updates in news pertaining to Sri Lanka check these websites:

tamil net -- pro-tamil news source but a good balance to western news and gives accurate on-the-ground description of events in north east sri lanka
bbc news -- look specifically under 'south asia', gives an excellent counter to tamil net and provides a more political but also well balanced view of the ongoing ethnic conflict

fittingly ended - peace out

i have returned

2006-04-14T13:13:00.000+06:00

i made it to sri lanka and this time they gave me an entry visa. the correct visa needed to obtain a permanent visa. yea! i must say that this return trip to sri lanka was much better than my flight home. northwest finally got their act together and somehow my long layovers in tokyo and kuala lumpur were much shorter.

my time in seattle was amazing. i spent it with family, Sara and her family, and friends. sometimes it great to be sent home for two weeks, it was precious even though i got a nasty cold or the flu. whatever it was it wasnt very fun and i felt miserable. tired to not let it affect me but it took a lot outta of which made things interesting. just getting over it when i flew back.

not much is happening this week in sri lanka because its Tamil/Sinhala New Years which means everything closes and there is nothing to do. so my first day back in the country was pretty simple but something i needed to do for a long time...goes to show you how tired i was. i ended up sleeping for 15 hours, not bad considering i dont really feel anymore of the effects of the cold/flu.

quick list of prayer request:
-situation in Sri Lanka: there have been more attacks, specificly in Trinco
-ACTION team: Meredith and Katie are preparing to return home, so debriefing matters
-parents vist: my mom and dad are coming May 22nd
-pastor's conferences: two upcoming pastor conferences that i will have to plan
-Maultsby's visit: Sara and her mother are planning on coming out to visit/work for two months sometime June onward...maybe sooner

visa update

2006-04-11T11:19:00.000+06:00

~news flash~

i've received my entry visa for sri lanka so i will be returning april 11th and will arrive on the 13th. all that is left is for me to get my permanent visa.

i am looking forward to my travel. my flight plan is as follows:
seattle-tokyo-sinagpore-kuala lampur-colombo= 35+ hours of flying and layovers!

thanks for all your support and it was great to see all of you when i was back in seattle. if i didnt see you well to bad you'll have to wait till dec '06. God bless everyone...i'm off!

~end~

canlis cabin

2006-04-11T07:32:00.000+06:00

while being back in seattle i was able to see Sara again which was a blessing from the Lord. we were all able to go up to the canlis cabin for a weekend and spend time together. its was great to have my brother and sister around as well as her mother. the Lord is good...here are some pix from our couple of days.

nothing like a lil walk along the beach. part of my physcial training to get ready to go back to sri lanka. Sara is good and whipping me into shape...

she was nice enough to give me a break, for which there is always time for a pose. it was a tad cooler than the beach in sri lanka

family rocks! or shall i say family on rocks! b-e-a-utiful

chicken tortilla soup. it was a group effort although the women were the masterminds behind it. chicken, corn tortillas, chilis, avocados, garlic...a mexi-soup feast, what more could you ask for at a cabin.

for those of you that didnt know...i like her

mariners opening day

2006-04-04T13:30:00.000+06:00

it's opening day for major league baseball! i had the opportunity to go to the Mariners opening day game. Brian had an extra ticket and brought me along which is awesome cuz its the only game in the '06 season that i will be able to see. i say this cuz the Mariners are going to win the world series. haha i wish but i say that every year so i continue to say that with hope...

best place on earth to watch baseball: Safeco Field

opening day starting line-up: angels vs mariners

not much more patriotic than this

play ball!

take me out to the ballgame, let me some eat carmel corn

ichiro...nuff said

back in seattle

2006-03-26T19:38:00.000+06:00

so the visa problem has come to an end. there is a resolution. it requires me returning to seattle long enough to obtain an entry visa. so i leave today, the 26th of march at 2100 sri lanka time and arrive the 27th of march in seattle at 1330 pacific coast time. i'm home until the 11th of april if all goes as planned. if my visa is not secured then i will have to delay my trip longer, which i hope doesnt happen.

so to all of you in seattle. family, friends, those that want to be friends i will be home soon. i do not have a phone number any more as i cancelled my woeful verizonwireless connection. they are terrible by the way, so no one use them. if you want to get ahold of me for coffee, dinner, chit-chat, or some good ol' fun you'll have to email me or call my hot sister. for those of you that dont know it, use my email.

look forward to seeing as many of you as i can in the next two weeks. i will be busy cuz i'm going to be spending a lot of time with my sis, bro and this girl named sara. pretty sweet! gotta run cuz my plane is boarding...ciao

adventures of sigiriya

2006-03-18T13:56:00.000+06:00

***content not appropriate for all ages***

one of the many pools where the king watched his 500 wives bath, with sigriya rock in the background. these are 5th century ruins of an ancient kingdom in sri lanka. the kings winter palace was on top of the rock and it is a historical landmark and a huge tourist attraction in the country. it is also only one hour out of the way from the road i take between the capital and trinco.

climbing my way to the top...if you look closely you will see no photoshop or special camera techniques were used to take this picture...i was free climbing cuz i didnt have my gear with me ;)

on top of sigiriya rock. jonathan, his japanese friend yasu and myself. overlooking the kandy range in central sri lanka and the king's pool below us.

a view of below...300 meters below...the king's gardens and pool you can only see half of them and they continue into the trees, the whole compound is surrounded by a moat. notice the tiny dots which are people walking along the main pathway.

some of the king's wives. also, one of most famous archeological finds in sri lanka. painted halfway up the rock in a secret hallway.

my personal hero on this adventure. tourist you gotta luv em...just look at the roll on that shirt, fabulous.

on top of the world...well not really...just inside of the kings ancient bedroom. thats what the lil tourist guide said according to the experts they call archeologists. they figure that out some how even though its 5th century ruins.

warning, do not attempt this stunt at home. we did not actually throw anything off, we're not that rebellious. we wish...although after we got down i was about 10 meters from a couple of rocks that were thrown off by some lil punks. good thing they werent closer otherwise i would have given them a lil piece of my...think about. 300 meters + gravity + falling rock + hitting someone = serious damage! we werent to happy. ironically we were the ones that took this pic one hour ealier.

on the way down from the top. we didnt climb down cuz it would have taken to long. *cough* i mean we didnt want the other tourist to feel bad. one thing i did like was the rusty railings. sri lanka standard for safety. i wonder if those are 5th century artifacts? you better not be woozy with heights either cuz if you go over that rail then its a looong drop to the bottom. i'm glad they have weight restrictions on that thing too...oh wait, its sri lanka i forgot. good thing we ran before breakfast and had that super huge climb earlier.

well this was jonathan's, yasu's and mine adventure. the adventure called sigiriya rock. see sri lanka is rad! anyone wanna come visit....

the weekend

2006-03-17T09:17:00.000+06:00

a picture of a couple of my closer friends in sri lanka. jonathan - works for mission to the world, his japanese friend yasu; meredith and katie - ACTION project team members; and gabby marcus - OM and ADT volunenteer. we are at barefoot, a restaurant in the capital that has live music every sunday. good place to sit and talk. i dont know who the dude in the background is but he's pretty chill so we thought we'd include him in the picture anyway.

i obviously dont get something

at the best ice cream shop in sri lanka, Illgelato, they make the best sorbet there. if you cant tell katie hates her picture being taken and everyone was taking her picture. i had a really funny one of her on my phone that she is trying to delete.

really wierd pic of me but thats ok cuz katie is attacking me. eventually i gave in and took the picture off my phone. the next one i'm going to post online for everyone to see. no mercy katie so you better be aware. ;)
what happens when you surprise me with a picture...of course i'm not mad...there was just a really bright flash that i happened to look at and couldnt see a thing after that for 5 min. katie still in defiance over picture taking. i wonder why

high speed

2006-03-12T22:52:00.000+06:00

one of my favorite things about being back in sri lanka is dial-up internet! i connected today at an all time high speed of 12.6 Kbps. ok so if i'm lucky i can connect at 33 Kbps and when i'm in Colombo our office has a form of high speed but it crashed half of the time. otherwise i've got sub 20 speeds. technology hasnt quite progressed as fast as it has in the west. i'm still amazed to find in a remote village north of the small town i live in an internet cafe. they only have solar power up there and run the internet off of a sms based cell phone coverage. the antenna is on top of a 30 ft bamboo pole. only in the third world. i'll have to send a picture of this place. its epic.

so i love all of ur pix but sometimes it takes 5 minutes to load the google search page. i'll put up pix when i'm back in the head office and since i work on the west coast and its on the east coast that might only be once every other week. the organization, alliance development trust, wants me to manage projects on both coast which will mean i get to have a mobile office. in the back of a van. fun times...super sport rally! i've got to go to bed...have to leave tomorrow. peace.

visa trouble

2006-03-08T19:27:00.000+06:00

a week and a half into my trip in sri lanka and i've already run into problems with the government. it sounds a lil bit crazier when i put it that way. so dont get excited everyone...there was a lil oversight in my hasty (yet three month delayed) return to sri lanka. i was suppose to enter the country on an entry visa. the problem was that i entered on a tourist visa. when immigration time comes and i have to renew my visa for a working/permanent visa, only the entry visa can transfer...meaning that my tourist visa isnt valid and i have to leave the country and start over. this is the problem that i am faced with.

we were currently trying to pull some strings and get around the law the legal way. if that works. it is a third world country and the people you know and the amount of money you are willing to pay can help determine what laws can or cant be bent. i didnt feel comfortable compromising the reason why i was here or the testimony of the Christian organization...although they were saying i could go ahead and pull longer strings. so i've decided to leave the country and re-enter once ADT has their documentation in order. this should take a couple days, possibly a week.

here is what i need prayer for. at the moment i dont believe i need to return to my country of origin. if that is the case then it would really hurt me financially. i would have to raise enough for another ticket which sets me back $1600. right now i can just leave the country. what i would like to do, Lord willing, would be to go to thailand and bangladesh with my friend Jonathan. there is a pastor's conference in bangladesh and we'd visit some ministry sites. this would be awesome because it would allow me to do ministry while i wait for my visa to get processed. otherwise i'd have to go to the maldives or something and do a surf trip. :) thats the second option. i'm praying that the Lord opens the door to bangladesh. a number of things have to happen. i'd have to first be able to afford the trip which will probably cost in the end, close to $500. with support being low it might be tight. then i'd have to get a visa for bangladesh which takes five days to process. all this would have to be done by the 25th of this month which is when i need to leave the country. so if you could pray for this situation i would be very thankful.

its been great cuz its allowed me to rest in the presence of our Lord. its an unexpected expense that has come up and i know He will provide for my every need. the trip to india or the maldives might be cheaper but i would love the oportunity to go on the ministry trip and partcipate in a pastor's training and then have a chance to visit ministry sites with Jon. fun times... we'll see what God does

back in sri lanka for '06

2006-03-08T19:05:00.000+06:00

many of you know by now that i'm back in sri lanka. its offical...i'm back for the rest of '06 unless some unfortunate circumstance forces me to leave the country. its been great to get back to the warm humid climate, i'm one of the few people who enjoy it, and the adjustment hasnt been that bad. besides the fact that many people here have noted how white i have become.

favorite comment by anyone so far. this came from a pastor that works down south. he was talking about how it was good to have me back but something was different. he said: "Ben you have changed, you look like a boiled prawn." classic

gotta luv it. its great to be back with the people and to get my hands dirty again. although i've been involved in mostly meetings and assessments up to this point. soon i'll be able to get to the field and get to work with the guys.

thanks for the covering of prayer. it is a great encouragement because there are many projects and issues way out of my ability and control. God bless you all and let me know what i can be praying for all of you.

picture in a mirror - the boiled prawn

some advice my uncle gave me

2006-03-07T22:47:00.000+06:00

so i talked with my uncle john before i left cali. he told me an interesting quote. i have to say i didnt think him to be quite the romantic that he was. here is some of his wisdom and knowledge that he imparted on me. thanks uncle john. ;)

love is like an ember...distance is like the wind; it either kills it or makes it a wildfire

go figure. so i get to be in sri lanka for the next 10 months...

cali pix - part 2

2006-03-03T10:32:00.000+06:00

dessert at the little door

great spot for dates

ghetty knoll picnic

my view

two fast...too furious

cali pix - part 1

2006-02-26T12:30:00.000+06:00

goodbye dinner

los angeles sunset

at the ghetty museum

on the ghetty knoll

a day at the race track

return

2006-02-26T12:07:00.001+06:00

so the adventure has begun. i'm on my way back to sri lanka.

technically it started back on the 21st cuz that is when i left seattle for los angeles. i was there until the 24th which is when i left for sri lanka. for those of you that still dont know whats in los angeles. no not disneyland, not hollywood, not even beverly hills or the star power. take a look at the last couple entries. there was one person, one star worth seeing - Sara Maultsby. i wont write about my four days quite yet cuz it would be a novel but i'll make mention to it and throw up some pix of our time together.

i've made it as far as hong kong. i'm sitting in the airport with an 11 hour layover tryin to be productive. its interesting... checked myself into a travel lounge so i was able to take a shower and have all the food and internet that i need. gives me a quite comfy place to rest as well and it included a massage. not a bad way to spend my day in the airport. so with about 14 hours left in traveling i'm past half way. it just means that it'll get better.

well to all of those back home, where ever that may be. the Lord bless and keep you. now that i'll be back up and running in sri lanka its my hope that i will do a better job updating this. the reedster is back on track. more to come soon...

goodbye's

2006-02-03T07:42:00.000+06:00

so i had to say goodbye to sara. who for those of you dont know is the lady in the last couple of pix and is an astounding woman of God. she was back this last weekend for four days to meet my parents and get to know a lil bit of the family. we are courting each other and exploring God's calling in our lives. its an exciting time of life and it was sad to have to say goodbye and send off such a blessing. the hardest goodbye will come when i leave for sri lanka. which if everything goes as planned i will be purchasing my ticket tomorrow to depart on the 23rd of february after a day or two in los angeles with sara.

here they are...

at the airport...

all smiles and tears :)

birthday

2006-01-30T03:59:00.000+06:00

i had a wonderful birthday. it was prefect. was able to spend it with family and those that i loved. started the day moving my grandpa into a assisted living home where my grandma has been staying. most of the aunts and uncles were there and it was an amazing opportunity to serve and enjoy the blessing God has given to me in the form of family. we all went to a burger and shake joint. i love the fact that my family never grows up and it was wonderful fellowship and full of laughter.
cuz my parents are still recovering from jetlag it allowed sara and i to have our own lil birthday dinner. she took me to a wonderful lil greek resturant in seattle. it was beautiful and i'll definitly be going back there again. yummy food and a cozy lil family style enviornment made it the perfect place to celebrate my birthday. we had a wonderful time and we had the most perfect table tucked into a window where we could just enjoy each others company. you know its quality when everything is written in greek and you cant understand the waitress.

sara and i - tired and full

sri lanka new source

2006-01-14T03:57:00.000+06:00

if any of you are interested here is a great local site to find out relative news to what is happening in sri lanka. because i work in trincomalee, which is in the northeast, with a tamil majority many of the current problems and violent conflicts are happing in my area. this gives a great local perspective to the atmosphere and offers news that sometimes gets over looked by the bbc's and cnn's. bbc is pretty good but only holds major stories and cnn isnt worth looking at because its a terrible source of news.

so check out tamilnet for news pertaining to the sri lanka peace crisis and issues concerning the tamil people of sri lanka. enjoy and may this give you a burden to pray for this country. God bless and hopefully i can join the chaos at the end of this month.

xanga blog site

2006-01-12T06:06:00.000+06:00

for those of you that have xanga blogsites i've joined that also. i cater my information to what you like to use best. so hopefully this helps communicate all the fun that i'll be having in sri lanka this coming term and what the Lord is doin in my life. so click here for my xanga site.

looks like i'll be headed out to sri lanka this coming february 1st or 2nd. so the adventure begins again. especially since there is an escalation in violence due to the civil conflict. for more check out this cool bbc link.

all this to say i'm excited to be heading back...

new years

2006-01-06T11:52:00.000+06:00

new support letter

2005-12-28T10:25:00.000+06:00

Happy New Years!

I trust that you all have had a blessed and wonderful Christmas with family and friends as we remembered Christ’s birth. Many of you know that I am back in Seattle for the rest of this Holiday season. I returned to Seattle after spending the past seven months in Sri Lanka and since have been preparing to head back to continue my work in the city of Trincomalee.

Being home my schedule has been full of events, I first had the privilege of attending my close friend’s wedding in California. November offered me an opportunity to spend two weeks in Canada, on a very uplifting ministry trip, where I was able to speak with students and faculty about what the Lord is doing in Sri Lanka and share some of my experiences. This December I spent Christmas with both the Reed and Jespersen families while the rest of my family celebrated their Christmas in the Philippines with our new addition. It was their first Christmas with my sister’s son, Caleb Daniel Tanchi!

My parents, Nelson and Linda Reed, will return to Seattle on January 24^th for the International Council meetings at Action International Ministries.

During this time I will be in meeting with my father and other ACTION leaders to determine ACTION’s long range goals for the work in Sri Lanka. Therefore my new timeline for returning to Sri Lanka has been delayed until the end of January or early February. My plan is to return for an additional eight to twelve months as Alliance Development Trust’s District Coordinator of

Relief and Development in the Trincomalee area. Before doing so, there are still many things that need to be accomplished, such as, an established support base of $1500 per month ($12,000-$15,000) and continual prayer partners in this ongoing ministry. There are many additional ministry needs such as, a housing program, safe water source development, and various children programs. I would love to share them whenever possible and if you or anyone you know is interested, please contact me immediately so that we can schedule a time for this.

As the New Year approaches, I pray that the Lord may continue bless each and every one of you. May we dwell in the presence of the Lord so that His grace may abound so that many might come to know our Heavenly Father. Please pray with me for Sri Lanka that the Spirit might go before us and bring peace and restoration to a broken and hurting nation.

Blessings in Jesus Christ our Lord,

Benjamin Reed

Benjamin’s contact information:

benjamin.reed@gmail.com
www.benjaminreed.blogspot.com
206.920.3114

merry christmas

2005-12-12T09:08:00.000+06:00

wish you all a merry merry christmas and a happy new year. the next couple pix are available in personalized greetings cards. for you order just send me an email. ciao

2005-12-12T09:06:00.000+06:00

2005-12-12T09:05:00.000+06:00

formal wear

2005-12-10T05:48:00.000+06:00

what i wore to my bro's goodbye party

back in black

2005-12-03T05:36:00.000+06:00

most of you know that i'm back in seattle...temporarily...retooling to go back to sri lanka. yep for another 8-12 months of post-tsunami development with ADT. i'm exciting and want to get back there asap. here are a couple pix of my sister's new baby. yes, i'm offically a real uncle. thanksgiving with the reed cousin's, and what its like to be back in snow for christmas...a lil different than sri lanka. in town for about a month longer. have time in my schedule so give me a call if you want to get together for a hott drink.

2005-12-03T05:34:00.000+06:00

paul and jen's beautiful, caleb daniel tanchi

thanksgiving

2005-12-03T05:32:00.000+06:00

all the cousins minus a couple and our grandparents

2005-12-03T05:26:00.001+06:00

stuck in a tree....

2005-12-03T05:26:00.000+06:00

2005-12-03T05:25:00.000+06:00

2005-12-03T05:19:00.000+06:00

snow ball fight!!!

2005-12-03T05:18:00.000+06:00

a lil colder than sri lanka

home at last

2005-10-25T00:30:00.000+06:00

i made it back to seattle. i have only been back since the 14th and have already been to a wedding. it was in cali and i should have pix up for it soon. good times...

now i'm focusing on raising support and funds for the ongoing work in Sri Lanka. theres alot to do and i'll have to raise over $12,000 of personnal support and then theres about $500,000 for project funds. my hope is that i can be back in Sri Lanka after Christmas. we'll see what the Lord does. so if you all could pray for that it would be very much appreciated.

inbetween all of that i'm getting to spend some quality time with my bro which is awesome. its been a pleasure to spend time with him and i'm impressed how he is choosing to follow the Lord. its going to be a great next couple of weeks that i get to spend with him. i'll put up some pix of our escapades.

coming home!

2005-10-13T15:24:00.000+06:00

yes, my time in sri lanka...well for these last six months...has drawn to a close. i'm headed back to seattle. i'm excited and i'm actually looking forward to the 25 hours of flying ahead of me because this i will get time to rest. these last two weeks have been incredibly busy but they have been profitable. hope to see you all! tc

2005-09-23T14:04:00.000+06:00

the trinco team!

2005-09-23T14:02:00.000+06:00

where's waldoo...i mean the five white people

post ems

2005-09-22T18:58:00.000+06:00

i've posted a couple new pix. sum of them i put back at their respective dates. aka the surfing trip. so some times if you look through the archives you'll find new pix. i'll try and give a heads up on that one. peace

2005-09-22T17:48:00.000+06:00

mini-hawk...an experiement

2005-09-22T17:47:00.000+06:00

water quality testing is so fun!

2005-09-22T17:44:00.000+06:00

field work in our ride...

support letter

2005-09-19T16:24:00.000+06:00

i'll let you all look at my support letter. i had to take the graphics out of it cuz i couldnt get them to work on here. let me know what you all think. if you'd like a hard copy send my your address and i can attach you on the mailing list. i do have a mailing list...although at this point the subscription rate is low. haha no new yorks best seller for me. blessings....

Dear Family and Friends,

Time in Sri Lanka has flown by more quickly than I had expected. In the same way it turned out to be much different than I had planned. The Lord has used the last five months in Sri Lanka to bless me richly with relationships and work experience. It has also provided me with a great opportunity to serve the local people and help rebuild into the fractured communities.

Many of you know that I was coming to Sri Lanka with a couple different job responsibilities. I was serving as team leader for three amazing women who also came to work with Alliance Development Trust [ADT]. Although one has already gone home, they have done a tremendous job in developing and assisting ADT create a national child’s program and water/hygiene/sanitation program. The ladies have been very gracious with me as I have learned how to serve and lead a team of three women. I will continue with this responsibility while we are still in country. [picture: Meredith, myself and Katie at a local wedding, Jan had left by then.]

My second major responsibility was managing the water department in Trincomalee, a town severely affected by the tsunami on the East coast. This changed when I was asked to take over as the ADT Trincomalee Team Leader in May. For the last four months I have been the Trincomalee Coordinator and have been responsible for all of ADT’s projects in the Trincomalee district. In this district, ADT is working with tsunami affected communities in permanent housing, water and hygiene/sanitation, income generating projects, and the development of children and sport clubs. This has been a very rewarding but challenging task that I have accepted. It is my prayer to see ADT Trincomalee develop into successful field office and become completely operated by empowered local staff. To accomplish this, it will require me to spend additional time in Sri Lanka developing the Trincomalee office. [picture: on the field doing community work]

Therefore, I am planning to extend my contract till the summer of 2006. During this period of time I would focus on leadership and staff development, in the hopes of transferring my position over to a local Sri Lankan. To make this possible it will require me to extend my support, since I have only raised enough to stay through my departure date this October. I appreciate all the support that has been given to me at this point; so, I am presenting the opportunity to extend it to you as well. I will need to raise $1,500 a month of personal support and an additional $3500 for project/travel funds for my time in Sri Lanka.

It has been my privilege to share this adventure and calling in my life with so many of you. Without your help and support none of this would have been able to happen. I realize the limits that prayer letters have on sharing the true experience so for a detailed look at the ministry and my life experiences in Sri Lanka you can visit my blog at: www.benjaminreed.blogspot.com .

May the Lord keep you and bless you in the days to come.

Sincerely,

Benjamin Reed

Benjamin’s contact information:

benjamin.reed@gmail.com
www.benjaminreed.blogspot.com
+94.077.911.6629 mobile
+94.026.459.5272 office

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Benjamin,

__ I (we) want to be a ministry partner with you.

__ I (we) will pray for you __ regularly, __ weekly, __ daily.

__ Please put me on your mailing list(s).

__ I (we) want to help you financially: $ ______ monthly, $ _______ one time gift.

__ I (we) want you to speak to my group and share your mission ( __ church, __ school, __ small group, __ friends, ___________ other)

__ I (we) would like more information about: __________________________________________________________________________________

__ I (we) can not be involved further at this time.

Name: E-mail Address:

Address:

City: Zip:

Phone:

Please return coupon to:

Action International Ministries

PO Box 398

Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043-0398

USA

Make payments payable to Action International Ministries; do not write on the check memo line, but attach a post-it or write on another piece of paper that the donation is designated for Benjamin Reed, Post-Tsunami Development Project Worker, Sri Lanka. A tax deductible receipt will be returned to you. Your coupon will be forwarded to Benjamin. Thank you.

sibling respect!

2005-09-17T15:40:00.000+06:00

just wanted to let everyone know that the coolest bro and sis out there just had a birthday, September 17th (steve) and August 17 (rebecca). HAPPY BIRTHDAY steve and becs. proud of you both...man we're all getting old. you'll have to wait till i get back till i hook you up with a party and cake.

so if any of you have a chance, drop my bro and sis sum respect and serious bones. God bless you both and i wish you a year full of His blessings and guidance.

life up till now

2005-09-15T17:27:00.000+06:00

so since my mini vacation surfing, life has drastically changed.

it got busy...and weirdly enough not just busy but actually productive which can be a bit of a commodity in developing nations. this last week, we've been working on the legal side of securing a new office. we've been blessed with the opportunity to move into a newly built place and use it for our office. its quite nice and well below the current market price. God is good.

of late the housing program in Trinco has really taken off. we're building 120 houses but starting with 50. we're doing it through community empowerment where we mobilize the community to make the changes and decisions. they will organized into units and each unit will be responsible for building the houses of their particular members. most of the community have been effected by the 20+ yrs of civil war and by the recent tsunami. we are giving them a chance to rebuild their homes and establish their roots again. its moving along very quickly and the community and government are excited to see this type of development taking place. its great to be a part of. currently we're lacking a bit of funding...our head office gave our funding to another region because they had didnt have any and supposable were ready to start...bummer eh? sooo, if any of you have 240,000 to drop on building houses for poor people in Sri Lanka you could really be a blessing. ahahaha for the rest of you, could you just pray that the Lord will provide enabling us to be a blessing to the nations? thanx

i leave to return to seattle on the 14th or oct. so anyone there that wants to get together with me start booking appointments cuz its almost all full. oh wait...not quite. i'll be home for one-two months for some work and rest before its time to head back out to Sri Lanka. it sorta feels weird to be coming back to seattle....but i like it.

my dad comes out here at the end of this month, so it doesnt give me any excuses. i've really got to be working now. it'll be great to have his company for ten days. he'll be doing a pastors conference, which will be sic. all of ya'll should be there.

anyways, this week has absurdly busy. my brain is a lil fried and i dont think straight. when i stop everything else sorta gets blurry and flies by. not literally but close enough. i'm going to go run. take care and blessings to you all. God bless.

2005-08-29T17:59:00.000+06:00

i dont know if he made it...

2005-08-29T17:56:00.000+06:00

i'm on a big rock so the wave looks small, its really big!!!

2005-08-29T17:54:00.000+06:00

surf adventure

surfin

2005-08-29T17:28:00.000+06:00

so i had a mini vacation over poya day...which is a national holiday for the new full moon, sum buddhist holiday...so i went SURFING. its was awesome. a friend, jon iverson...not that any of you would know him...and i drove down to arogon bay which took us 8 hours. the funny thing is its less than 300km away. the roads just suck.

surfing was great. we meet up from guys the work for christian surfers intl. solid guys. the waves were pretty good, just over head. the biggest we prolly saw was nine ft. but most of em were around five or so. the first wave i tried to take, i got started late, so i was right on the lip when the wave decided to break. had i been any good i prolly could have pulled it out and ridden it off. but i wiped out. it was a good one cuz when the wave broke it threw me off so i was going head first into the water. my board got sucked over the top and it pulled me in. yea, i got destroyed but it was refreshing. it was the biggest wave i caught this weekend and the first one...a nice way to start.

there were a number of other pretty sic wipeouts from me. that was my specialty that weekend...i did manage to surf a couple. haha the other sweet story is that on the third day due to a large number of surfers on the main break we deciede to look for a new 'secret' break. some locals told us of another good wave thats 40min from town and where no one goes. so jon, mark, daniel, two aussie guys that we meet [the were gnarly], and i went on a lil exploration trip in my crewcab. we had to drive through a national park, this is where the story gets funny, cuz we meet a buddhist monk walking along the road. he wants a ride so we pick him up. theres six of us in the vehicle...thats a nice limit. well one guy was hanging on the back but with the monk we were seven. monks in sri lanka get very special treatment. so he was expecting to sit upfront but my friend didnt clue in to that and all the guys were pretty chill and were like, hey brah...jump in [by in they meant the back of the truck]. the monk gave it another thought but since it was blazin hot and he was walking in his full robe he decided to not chance his luck. but i got one of the aussies to get out and let the monk sit in the back seat.

it all changed when he got in. this dude must not have taken a shower for a long time and prolly was walking all day. i couldnt breath it stunk so bad. sorta funny. so we were all laughin cuz we couldnt breath and he didnt speak english. he thought we were funny to cuz he was cracking up. good times. bout a min. after he got in the vehicle an alarm started to go off. the dude had an alarm clock in his robe. so we asked him what was going on through broken singala and many hand gestures but he didnt get the point. i think he was deaf. trust me you dont want this guy on ur gestures game...you're team would lose. he was pretty outta it, something to do with walking in the hot sun. right before we dropped him off, out of his goodwill, he wanted to give us a token of his appreciate. so he gave something else from his robe. a nice small warm bottle of yellow liquid. we really wanted us to have it, even though we tried to get him to keep it. the aussie guy next to him got it worse cuz the monk wanted to see him drink some of it before he left. so he took on for the team. i dont know what it was...but it was yellow, warm and monks do strange things when they take vows or are walking in the blazing sun in the middle of no-where. i guess it was sweet but i stopped asking questions after that...

so we surfed. it was a great spot. no one except six tourist camping out on the beach. they were smoking sum serious local grass cuz they were out of it. but the wave was our own and it was a pristine spot. i'll have a pic or two.

at dusk we decided it would be smart to head home, back through the national park. which means you can see leopards, elephants, peacocks and other crazy animals. we just saw peacocks and elephants. cuz we didnt have enough adventure already we decided that it would be cool if we drove out into a paddy field to get up really really close to the elephants to take a picture. i got half way before the bumps were to big and i decided i should prolly be smart. its not really my car. so we got closer pix of the elephants but those werent the last elephants we saw that day. while we were driving through a very dense part of the park i came around a corner to the nice surprise of an elephant trumpet. it sounded like it was right next to us but we couldnt see it cuz the jungle was to thick. you figure it out...what do six guys who have nothing better to do end up doing...we had to go back to check this thing out. so i turn us around and head back. we find the elephant in a lil clearing. he doesnt really like us there cuz he's flapping his ears. after a number of beeps from my horn i get him to trumpet again. the only problem is he starts to come in our direction. this elephant is big too, it has mean tusks. pictures of the elephant rolling our truck and goring me with its tusks flash through my mind before i get the car moving. we didnt stick around to really see if it was charging us. we knew it was angry, its first step was towards us, and we couldnt see it [cuz the jungle] but we could hear it. that was enough to send us home. then we were really hungry and had excellent thai food. a spicy ending to a awesome day. sorry the ending wasnt that cool...like we werent able to subdue the elephant and ride it back into town and have it save a little child in a well. but elephants dont do that...get mad at him not us. :)

the end

2005-08-16T13:49:00.000+06:00

gq? right...

2005-08-16T13:46:00.000+06:00

harry and i

2005-08-16T13:43:00.000+06:00

this is not my kid

2005-08-16T13:41:00.000+06:00

weddin in cmb