The Sphere Effect

Well, we haven’t been here for very long yet, but already I have noticed a few things…

I was here in November 1992, it was cold, grey and drizzly. It hasn’t changed much except that they seem to have recobbled the cobblestone streets. I didn’t feel at all in danger of breaking an ankle this time.

We walked for two kilometres and passed at least 7 MacDonalds.

The escalators to the metro are the longest I have ever seen (think of the really long escalators down to the Picadilly line and then multiply by one and a half).

Last but not least, a lady just tried to give up her seat to me on the train. I thought that maybe I was looking really old or something, but no - she thought I was having a baby! Now, I know I just ate a huge dinner full of beef, dumplings and potato but I didn’t think I looked THAT bad!! Grrrr…. Last time I was in Prague I met a Portugese man called George, who kept telling me that i was lovely and plump! It must be something in the air here or something…..

It occurred to me today that I am now unemployed, and homeless, and am set to be for an unbeknownst period of time….

It also occurred to me that in one way I will always be employed, as I have a ‘forever’ task to do, and my home is wherever I am, if God is there with me.

I finished work with Accenture on Friday after a fantastic night out on Thursday night. Friday was a little bit difficult after my 4.30am end to the Thursday night - but I did get to climb a lion in Trafalgar Square, which was one of those things that I just HAD to do, so I’m ok to leave London now.

I have just finished my last church service at Christchurch church - which was a very sad time - the church has been such a support to me over the last seven months, and I will miss the weekly services and the people terribly. If anyone is looking for a good church in London I can definately recommend Christchurch London, which will be relocating to the Picadilly Theatre in the West End on the 24th September.

Kath and I are off to Prague in the morning, and we will be travelling through Eastern Europe for the next three and a half weeks. This is the first part of our travels, and I hope it will be a relaxing, exciting time, that will enable us to refresh and be able to focus on the future - both of us will be travelling with a hope to help others for a long time from here on in.

I’ll try to pop into an Internet Cafe every now and again to keep everyone updated with all the possibly exciting things that might happen….

Goodbye London… I guess it all begins now for real….

I am often asked with great astonishment why I am going to give up my job, and everything I have, to go and work for little to no pay on the other side of the world, without the comforts and luxuries of Western Life.

It always surprises me a little, because my inner sense is that I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t feel exactly the same way that I do. I’m sure that’s a little silly of me, and I wonder if it’s because a lot of people don’t know some of the staggering statistics that I have come across recently. I’m convinced it can’t be that we just don’t care! Here are some of them!

In 1998, a Human Development Report said:

The three richest people in the world own the amount of wealth equal to the combined GDP of the world’s poorest 48 nations.

Basic education for the whole world would only cost an extra $6 billion a year.
Installation of water and sanitation for the whole world would cost £9 billion.
Healthcare and Nutrition for the whole world would cost $13 billion a year.

Then the flip side

$11 billion is spent on Ice cream in Europe in one year.
$17 billion is spent on pet food in Europe and the US in one year.
$35 billion is spent on business entertainment in Japan in one year.
$50 billion is spent on cigarettes in Europe in one year.
$105 billion is spent on alcohol in Europe in one year.
$400 billion is spent on narcotics globally in on year.
$780 billion is spent on the world’s armed forces in one year.

In 1997, UNDP reported it would cost £80 billion a year to wipe out poverty from the planet until 2007 which is less that one half of one percent of global income , and is the equivalent of the combined net worth of the richest seven men on earth.

Other Statistics about World Hunger

About 24,000 people die every day from hunger or hunger-related causes. Three-fourths of the deaths are children under the age of 5. (The Hunger Project, United Nations)

That’s 1,000 people every hour, 16 people every minute, 1 every 4 seconds.

It is estimated that 1 billion people in the world suffer from chronic hunger and malnutrition, about 100 times as many as those who actually die from it each year. Keep in mind, there are 1 billion people in the world that are obese. (The Hunger Project)

Malnutrition can severely affect a child’s intellectual development. Children who have stunted growth due to malnutrition score significantly lower on math and language achievement tests than do well-nourished children. Preschool and school-aged children who experience severe hunger have higher levels of chronic illness, anxiety and depression, and behavior problems than children with no hunger, according to a recent study.
(State of the World’s Children 1998, UNICEF)

The world produces enough food to feed everyone. World agriculture produces 17 percent more calories per person today than it did 30 years ago, despite a 70 percent population increase. This is enough to provide everyone in the world with at least 2,720 kilocalories (kcal) per person per day. The principal problem is that many people in the world do not have sufficient land to grow, or income to purchase, enough food. (Food and Agriculture Organization 2002, FAO 1998)

SO WHAT WHO CARES!

I care - I really do. I am sometimes overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem but I am going to try and find ways to combat it - and to let everyone else know how they can combat it.

If we in the west really cared, we would do something about it. There is so much that we can do, but it does require sacrifices on our part, which few people are willing to give. Could you give up £100 a month? Let’s see what it would mean:

£25 a week =
2 Takeaway £10
2 Beers £6
3 chocolate bars £3
1 magazine £2
2 coffees £4

A little bit of a sacrifice on our part - could mean that 5 children live. Something to consider don’t you think? To sponsor a World Vision Child costs £18 a month (in Australia about $50 a month). You could sponsor five of them. Or you could take it further - how much do you care?

I am investigating ways we can start putting our money to better use. Please let me know if you are interested to help…

So we finished with a tearful goodbye to Katrina and Mary as I started off on my next adventure to New Wine conference off somewhere near Bath.

I didn’t know very much about New Wine, except that it was a christian conference and that I would be camping for a week with English Cath and Aussie Kath. Haven’t been camping for many years, so was a bit ramped up for that. Also, it seems that up until this point everything was about Greece and meeting Kels and Mary and Katrina. So at this point I was looking ahead and realising that I only have five weeks left in England. Didn’t realise just how terrified I would start to feel at this point. At any rate I was hoping that I could get some special out of the conference, but wasn’t really sure what it was going to be all about.

Well!! It was awesome! Haven’t been to a Christian Conference for years and years and years. Wayy too long. It is so nice to be able to spend time in an environment with people who are like me and where I can totally relax and be myself. And the teaching! Really, really good.

I was actually quite surprised because New Wine is a part of the Anglican Church (Church of England), but whoever said that the Anglican Church in England was dying. I haven’t seen such a vibrant alive group of Anglicans together… well, ever actually! I think there were about 7000 people there the week I went and there were going to be 15000 the following week.

The week was broken up into about 5 talks a day, and two main worship times, one in the morning and one in the evening - Fantastic music - learned lots of new songs - the bands were from Trinity Church and from the Vineyard at Trent - well worth getting the CDs. The main things I ended up getting from the conference, was the call to get out of our comfort zones and commit to a higher purpose in this world. We are the hands and feet of Christ here on earth, and we have been called to give everything we have to those in need, not to live lives of Consumer Christianity. It is no wonder the world thinks that Christians are hypocritical and stupid. In most cases we live lives that are broken up into what we can get out of life, instead of living the extreme life that Christ called us to.

The week affirmed for me that my calling is to go and be Christ to those who don’t know him. To those who have no food or water, or clothing. To those who are suffering from the destruction of their worlds through natural disasters, and man-made greed and conflicts. To those who are orphaned or widowed because of AIDS and sickness and poverty. Those countries who have nothing, and who are raped and pillaged and are dying desparate deaths while we in the West sit back and close our eyes, while we watch our TVs, listen to our MP3 players, go to our expensive Gymnasiums, take our drugs, drink our alcohol, and live lives that are excessive and disgusting when looked at from the eyes of an African Orphan who has nothing.

As one of the teachers said during the week - if all of the food and resources of the world was divided up per year so that every single person on earth had adequate to be comfortable, and healthy - 3 meals a day, then we in the West used up our yearly share in March this year. Since March we have been living on someone elses food, and that person is dying or is already dead.

We heard from another missionary in Burundi about the needs in Burundi - and about in the Congo, how men and children are enslaved and put in the mines searching for a material called Coltan - and their wives and mothers are shot and raped in order to keep these slaves under control. This material called Coltan is what we use in our mobile phones, laptops and playstations to keep them from overheating. 80% of the world’s Coltan comes from these mines - so we in the West directly affect what happens there. If you are interested in reading more - please check out this site: http://www.johannhari.com/archive/article.php?id=863

As you can probably tell my passion has been raised up another notch, and my determination to try and do my bit to ’save the world’. It’s not a task that one person can do, and I know how difficult it is to try and make a difference, but I cannot, I WILL NOT sit back and do nothing anymore. I will give everything I can … I don’t yet know how, but I am at least going to make a start.

I bought heaps of books and a few cds at the end of the week - One called Healing Rain which is Michael W Smith’s latest CD.

Words that are going around and around in my head today from MWS.

All I have in this world
Is fire from above
All I have in this world
Is you
And all the journeys I have walked
I know you’ve walked them too
All I want is to be faithful
All I want is you

All I have is a love
That set my world on fire
Let it fall, let it burn in me
And oh to be a friend of God is all that I desire
All I want is to be faithful
All I want is you

A silent call from a distant land
Crying for a helping hand, so
How long will it go on?
Ignorance and vanity
Supercede humanity, so
How long it will go on?
I want to know how long will it go on?

We can’t wait any longer
They’re crying out, doesn’t it matter
We can’t wait any longer
No, no. Too long in a slumber
Shake it up, wake it up now.
We can’t any longer. No, no.

Another child is laid to rest
Another day of hopelessnes, so
How long it will go on?
And every day we’re on the fence brings
Another fatal consequence, so
How long will it go on?
I want to know, how long will it go on?

Yuko awezayo kusikia kilio chetu? (Can somebody hear us crying out?)
Twaomba msaada wenu (Somebody help us)
Aweko mwenye kuttuoka (Somebody save us)
Aweko mwenye kutupa uhuru (Somebody free us)

And finally this song from Delirious

40 million babies lost to Gods great orphanage,
It’s a modern day genocide and a modern day disgrace
If this is a human right then why aren’t we free?
The only freedom we have is in a man nailed to a tree.

100 million faces, staring at the sky,
Wondering if this HIV will ever pass us by.
The devil stole the rain and hope trickles down the plug,
But still my Chinese take away could pay for someone’s drugs.

Our God reigns, Our God reigns,
Forever your kingdom reigns.

The west has found a gun and it’s loaded with ‘unsure’
Nip and tuck if you have the bucks in a race to find a cure.
Psalm one hundred and thirty nine is the conscience to our selfish crime,
God didn’t screw up when he made you,
He’s a father who loves to parade you.

Yes he reigns, yes you reign, yes you reign,
For there is only one true God,
But we’ve lost the reins on this world,
Forgive us all, forgive us please,
As we fight for this broken world on our knees.

To see pictures of New Wine (not many I know) please click on the Album Below

I guess I’m a bit of a wally to try and write about a holiday that ended nearly three weeks ago - I should always try and write these things as soon as they happen, but as per usual, I have left it a long time and I am scrambling to try and catch up.

But to try and summarise our holiday to Greece…. I’ll give it a go!

Note: Introducing Gummi - In some pictures you may see a small gummi bear in a koala suit. This is Gummi and he goes everywhere.

Tuesday 11 July
Katrina, Kellie and were already in London and raring to get going on our holiday, whereas poor Mary was still on her way on an absolute killer of a flight - 37 hours in total, as she had flown from Perth via Melbourne (??!?) to Hong Kong and then to Heathrow. We met her at Heathrow Airport in the Wetherspoons Lounge (sweaty and stinky as she was!) and led her off to have a nice comfy shower before she began her next leg. We jumped on our Olympic Airlins flight which was delayed (apparently to be expected) and eventually arrived in Athens after midnight. To our horror, both Mary’s and Kellie’s suitcases had been destroyed (also apparently to be expected) but they were given new suitcases of the same or (in Kellie’s case) much better than the one’s that they had, so that all worked out okay in the end. Finally made it to our squishy room for four at the King Jason Hotel in Athens. Fell asleep immediately.

Wednesday 12 July
Never travel with someone who is likely to have jetlag! Mary woke up at 6am and got up to have a shower and get ready for the day. Honestly! I didn’t book any tours or anything on that day so that everyone (namely Mary) could have a nice sleep in and get over all the travel of the day before. Having had our sleep in rudely ripped from our grasp, we all decided to get up and go out to see what Athens had to offer. After a quick word with the people at the hotel, we decided to brave the Metro system, and worked our way over to the Plaka and did lots of shopping for things that we didn’t really need, but really WANTED. Had our first Greek lunch in a little restaurant in the Plaka. Returned to the hotel exhausted in the afternoon for a Nana nap and had a quiet dinner at a greek restaurant nearby. Nice lamb! Yummy!

Thursday 13 July
Bloomin eck. 8am Start for our day tour of Athens. Four girls, one shower and breakfast to be had. Once again a 6am start. Once again Mary up and awake and raring to go. Sheesh! So she got the first shower and then it was done in order of the people who take the longest to get ready. I had the last shower as I am the hardest to wake up in the morning and I have getting ready quickly down to a fine art (as I practice it every day in order to sleep in for the longest possible time). We were picked up by a tour bus to start our proper tour of Athens City. We drove through all the sites and stopped at the first Modern Olympics Stadium (not to be confused with the stadiums of 2004). After taking some pictures we were driven to the ruins of the Temple of Zeus and Hadrians Gate. Got a couple of great pics with the Acropolis and the Parthanon up on the cliff in the background. The our bus made it all the way up the cliff so we could walk up the cliff and see the Ampitheatre of Athens (very old) and then the Parthanon which is the temple of Athena. Actually I’m now a bit confused about which bits are which with the whole Acropolis, but it was all very interesting. The best bit of the day for me though, was to go and stand on a hill nearby, which is where Paul was said to have preached his well-known sermon about the ‘unknown God’. We all sat on the hill overlooking the city for quite some time, trying to imagine what it would have been like 2000 years ago, when the Gods that were worshiped were made of stone, and what it would have been like to bring a living, breathing God into that culture or rampant immorality. It was enought to make you think lots.

Back to the Plaka and Monastiriki - more shopping and then back to the hotel for another Nana nap (to make up for the early start). We had to get up before too long however to prepare for our next tour - Athens by night. Unfortunately Mary wasn’t feeling too well, and couldn’t come with us, but the rest of us jumped on our small tour van with a couple of other aussies and drove around Athens and down to the port Piraeus looking at the city by night. Then back to the Plaka for a traditional Greek dinner with singing and dancing. Okay, it was at this point that we realised that all of the time we were shopping in the Plaka, we had not actually been in the Plaka at all. The Plaka was much, much better and bigger than we had realised. I had to groan though as I realised that this would mean coming back to do even more shopping now that we had found the real thing. The dinner and singing and dancing was all great fun, and Kellie and I both got pulled up onto the stage for some dancing and kissing (on the cheek of course). Lucky Katrina got to miss out on that!!

Friday 14 July
Up early AGAIN! When do we get to sleep in on this silly holiday?? Same process of waking up at 6am in order to be ready for the bus at 8am. This time our busy took us west of the city out to Corinth. We were all very excited at the prospect of going to see this ancient city in which Paul lived for quite some time. Oh to walk in the footsteps of Paul and other Christians who lived so close to the time of Christ. Corinth had excellent ruins, however for Katrina and I who had seen the ruins of Ephesus before, Corinth wasn’t quite as exciting. Kellie and Mary had not yet been to Ephesus yet, so it was very exciting to be able to run around and see all of the old building etc.

In the evening we went back to the REAL Plaka for some dinner, and more shopping, and Mary bought a beautiful painting which we expect to see hanging up at her house sometime soon (and not sitting and mouldering in a corner somewhere).

Saturday 15 July
Yawn - Never ends this getting up early business. This time it was to go to Delphi. I don’t think I had ever even heard of Delphi before, but apparently it was a very famous site with an Oracle in times of old. Set way up in the mountains in featured a Temple to Apollo and various other sites and a large museum. It was a very interesting day, albeit with lots of travel - 3 hours there and 3 hours back. Quiet dinner tonight and bed early.

Sunday 16 July
SLEEP IN DAY! NOTHING ARRANGED! NOTHING TO DO! WHAT BLISS! Slept in til lunch (with a scrappy getting up to grab some food and then back to bed). Then decided to brave the public transport to see if we could find our way to Voula Beach which is apparently one of the ‘nicer’ beaches in Athens, although it is a private beach which you have to money to get into (shock). Took us two hours to get there, only to find that the beach was CLOSED! Was really difficult to find as well as everything was written in Greek (it’s all Greek to me) and Voula looks like it is spelt ΒΟΥΠΑ. With the genius of Kellie and Katrina (and perhaps Mary, but definately not me) we worked out where we were going and were a bit disappointed with the public beach we ended up at. Greyish sand, dirty water, and thousands of fat greek people everywhere. Actually it was quite fun, and I felt very thin. There was no-one speaking english and we felt very greekish ourselves.

On the way back into Athens we had dinner at a beachside cafe and watched the sunset and got chatted up by a very arrogant Greek man who thought he was God’s gift to women. We were too kind to correct him….

Monday 17 July
Slightly later sleep in the morning - didn’t have to get up until 6.30am YAY! Then picked up by our own private taxi driver and taken to our Cruise Ship for a five day cruise around the Greek Islands. Happy, happy, Joy, Joy!! If you have ever pictured a cruise ship as a nice relaxing lay around by the pool and do nothing kind of holiday, then don’t do the trip we did. My goodness, I think I got to sit next to the pool once in five days. Spent the first couple of hours working out where everything was on the ship before we got to our first port - MYKONOS! Not quite was I was originally expecting, very rocky, but gorgeous once we got into the town. Absolutely like the picture postcards, lots of whitewashed walls, and cute little grottos and churches, and lots and lots of SHOPPING! Bought a gorgeous pair of pewter shoes, ones I had invisaged in my mind for months but had never actually seen in real life. We walked all the way through the town to look at the picture postcard windmills, and then left Katrina to spend a little time on her own, while Kellie, Mary and I went to have a cocktail in a sunset bar. Very, very expensive sunset that one, so we decided to enjoy it for all it was worth. Kels and Mary had a wine or two, and I ordered a cocktail without realising there was rum in it. Rum is very yucky! So I gave it to Kellie and Mary who both got a bit pissy! Was very funny for me, although a bit less funny trying to get them back to the Cruise Ship by 10pm in time for a massive dinner. YUMMO!

Tuesday 18 July
Will this never end? Up at 5.30 as we had just arrived in Kusadasi (Turkey) and our day tour out to Ephesus started at 7AM!! Madness! Where is the relaxation in that huh? So Kellie, Mary and I (Katrina stayed behind) made our way out to our bus and went hurtling through the countryside to the ancient ruins of Ephesus. I have been there before but was still very excited to return, but it was thrilling for Mary and Kellie. I think it is one of the most interesting ruins in the world. Unfortunately we had very little time and got rushed through the entire thing in just under an hour and a half and were given no time at all to go exploring. It was amazing to be able to sit in the ampitheatre, and to know that Paul had preached down there. To walk the streets knowing that the Apostle John and Mary, Jesus Mother had live there for a time. So much of it is still in tact and it is stunning! We were quite upset to arrive back in Kusadasi Port to find that we had been rushed through so that they could take us shopping to try and tempt us with Turkish Carpets, leather jackets etc. Everywhere you go in Turkey you get harrassed by shopkeepers so I was quite glad to get back on the boat - particularly as both Kels and I had booked a massage.. ahhhhh….

In the afternoon, our next stop was Patmos Island where John was given the vision which became Revelation - the last book in the bible. Apparently he was given this vision in a cave which has now become a Greek Orthodox Shrine. Wasn’t too much into the shrine - was a bit gaudy for me but was quite happy to stay outside and think about John wandering through the hills. Katrina was very useful in Patmos, as she arranged for us to get a taxi for a very small amount to each of the places of interest instead of paying the exorbitant amount for the local tourist buses. Well done Katrina!

Big breakfast, dinner and lunch today. Starting to feel like I am really putting on weight….

Wednesday 19 July
Docked at Rhodes at 7 this morning - but knew that we had the whole day there so we decided to sleep in just a little longer until at least 7.30am. Katrina however was up and ready and out to see if she could save us some more money (Go Katrina). Apparently to get a bus to the places we needed to go, was going to cost us 45 euro each. But she got us a taxi all to ourselves for the whole day for just 120 euro - 30 euro each. Definatley the way to do it if anyone else is thinking about going to Rhodes. Rhodes is the home to one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the world (which is no longer there). It also has a large medieval fortress, more temple ruins, pottery, and St Paul’s beach, where apparently St Paul came into Rhodes at once time (he really did get around, our Paul). So we drove around, looked at things, went for a swim at St Paul’s beach but decline to climb up a cliff to see more temples (we had seen enough). Then back to the ship for more food (the kg are starting to show now).

Tried to get Kellie and Mary to go dancing with me tonight, but everyone was too tired!! What is with us all? Are we getting old??????

Thursday 20 July
Another blooming early morning as we arrive at Crete to go and see the Palace of Knossus which would have been fascinating had we not already been ruined out. Home to an ancient civilization which were much more civilized than the Romans - absolutely fascinating. Apparently the whole things had been covered with Ash when the Santorini Volcano blew itself 3000 years ago or so. Then off to the museum which was interesting, but I had had enough by then, so back to the boat for us.

In the afternoon we stopped at Santorini. Now this is an interesting Island situated on a volcano. Had to wait for an hour to catch a cable car up to the town, and an hour to catch it back down again. We were only there for four hours, so that was two hours gone. We spent most of our time trying to get a photo of the typical blue domed, white washed church. After an elusive search for over an hour, we finally asked someone, only to be told that they had just white washed all the blue domes and turned them white. Typical! We returned down the cable car at sunset, and got to see our last incredible greek sunset. Beautiful.

After yet another large dinner, we decided that we were finally going to brave the dance floor, only to find it covered in 15 to 22 year olds. Yick! Decided to give the whole dancing thing a miss and admit that we really are just getting older. Walked out of the disco to find a young girl throwing up all over the floor - twas lovely! Last night on the cruise Back to London tomorrow.

Friday 21 July
Last early morning - 5.30am start to be off the boat by 7am. Then picked up by our taxi driver to go straight out to the airport. A bit disappointed as we got there by 9 and our flight wasn’t until 2pm - but we got there so early that they put us on the earllier flight leaving at 10am. YAY!! Well it was yay, until we went through the security check to find out that I had put my brand new Swiss Army Knife (a new present from my best friend Marianne in Perth) in my carry on luggage. It got immediately confiscated, and I got immediately into tears. They were very nice and agreed to put it back into my hand luggage and put that through checked in luggage. So I got to keep my knife, but lost all of my books etc for the flight home. We got back early enough that Kels came back to Putney for the afternoon (and to do some shopping) before heading back to the airport for her flight home that evening. Oh the tears. I miss her still

Saturday 22 July
Mary and Katrina were still staying at my house all squished into my bedroom. We got up 1pm - watched tv all day, did nothing. It was great!

Sunday 23 July
Goodbye to Mary and Katrina (more tears and sadness) - and then off on my next adventure. To be continued……

PHOTO ALBUM - To see a few more photo’s of our trip - check out our photo album.

So much has happened over the last three weeks that it’s a bit hard to know where to start. So I am going to start at the beginning of my three week holiday.

My sister Kellie arrived at the airport on Saturday afternoon, and it was a long and teary hug that first hug. I hadn’t seen her for over 15 months which is the longest we have been apart in our lives. She was met by both myself and my cousin Pippa and we all jumped in the car and headed down to New Milton, Hampshire. This is where my other cousin Niki lives with her husband Phil, and her son Ben.

We had come together to pay our last respects to our grandmother, who passed away in December last year. We are the four granddaughters of our marvellous grandmother, and we met together on a cold, windy morning to scatter her ashes out to the sea that she loved so much.

It was a happy and endearing weekend, with a lot of talking as we endeavoured to catch up on years of news. Pippa and Niki were both born in England, with Kellie and I born in Perth, so you can imagine we had a lot to talk about. If you click on the photo below, it will take you to a photo album of our time together.