The Colombo, Sri Lanka airport is beautiful when you come in – high, glass walls, beautiful polished granite floors, moving sidewalks, spotless toilets.\u00a0 I thot i was back in Japan.\u00a0 Then i saw the sign on the wall: “Made possible by a loan from the Japan Government.”\u00a0 That is just the main terminal wing, but when you get to the lobby and outside, you realize you are in 3rd World.\u00a0 Immigration was interesting, as the officer changed his date stamper from the 6th to the 7th just before he took my passport \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
My friend has graciously driven his van to get me, and he takes me to his friend’s guest house where he kindly allows me free use of an empty room.\u00a0 The room has its own shower, and i get an auspicious feeling when with just one whack of my shoe i knock a cockroach off the wall straight into the smallish drain hole in the floor.\u00a0 Gone.\u00a0 Maybe my cockroach destroying skills have improved since leaving Japan to the point where i can represent some country in the cockroach-extermination Olympics?\u00a0 Is that on Animal Planet?<\/p>\n
I’m awakened in the morning by a lady bringing me my breakfast – some kind of drink, and spicy garbanzos with rocks.\u00a0 It is a rude awakening that i’m no longer in even 2nd world countries – this is really close to Indian style!\u00a0 But it tastes quite nice (no, not the rocks, the beans in the rocks) until my taste buds are all worn out and quit making sense.<\/p>\n
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My friend takes me to the SDA publishing house where we talk awhile with the director.\u00a0 He shares an amazing story – that when he took over the publishing house last year in May, that it was running in the red.\u00a0 Thanks to my order for 5,000 Sinhala 1858 Great Controversy Between Christ and His Angels, and Satan and His Angels books, he was able to pay his workers for awhile, and they were able to work to get out of the hole and in a better position where they are today.\u00a0 To think that this book helped keep a SDA publishing house from closing down – wow!\u00a0 Thank you God for using us in this manner, and may you continue to use us as you wish, in your appointed time, in the future.<\/p>\n
My friend here who worked out all the arrangements of finding the translator and getting the funds i sent to the printer, and getting it promoted, finding distributors etc. has taken it upon himself to print 1,000 English 1858 GC books!\u00a0 Wow!\u00a0 I’m sure he is going to ask for funds to do it, but no.\u00a0 Not even no, but he is trying to give me the little bit of funds that have come in from the sale of the Sinhala GC books!\u00a0 Wow again!\u00a0 I refuse, and tell him to use the funds to print the English books.\u00a0 I pray he does a good job, and many souls will be enriched by reading this precious book.<\/p>\n
On Sabbath i give the sermon at English-speaking Shiloh SDA church.\u00a0 The building is a nice, 50s style place, but the seats aren’t even 1\/4 filled.\u00a0 Seems like anyone with any desire to succeed in life tries to get out of this country.\u00a0 Too bad tho, that more don’t stay to help evangelise their fellow countrymen.\u00a0 Many times i hear that: “Sri Lanka is difficult to evangelise”.\u00a0 Don’t believe it.\u00a0 Yes, it is true that once in a while when giving out tracts or going door-to-door that someone will get irate, and maybe even call the police, and they may unjustly beat you up or throw you in jail for awhile, but the people’s hearts are open to the gospel.\u00a0 More open than in Thailand, and much more open than in Japan.\u00a0 But the workers are few, and when i see the small of amount of literature available, and the health magazine from India that is sold by subscription that doesn’t even mention Jesus Christ, i see why our church in SL is not doing too well – there is very little vision, and much compromise with the world.\u00a0 Sound familiar?<\/p>\n
I show the GC animation on a big screen to the 30 people or so, and they seem to enjoy it.\u00a0 In the afternoon i go to Bethel SDA church and give a talk to those gathered for the Adventist Youth meeting.\u00a0 About half the people aren’t youth, and these do all the talking.\u00a0 Bethel is at the Sri Lankan SDA Mission Headquarters.\u00a0 I meet the president and several of the pastors and workers there in the nice compound.<\/p>\n
The next day is time to head out and see the ocean and the city.\u00a0 I get on a bus and get off at Galle Face.\u00a0 There is a long beach with some little shops up on the concrete walkway, and couples here and there, and some people playing cricket in the onrushing waves.\u00a0 The seawater and sand feels great on my feet which have become athletized.\u00a0 They itch.\u00a0 Seeing the ocean from this level is a great experience, and makes one realize the smallness of the land.\u00a0 I walk over to downtown Colombo (Fort), and admire many of the old, colonial-era buildings.\u00a0 Too bad that much of the downtown area is blocked off to prevent terrorist attacks, as the Tamil Tigers are active.\u00a0 The red and white paint on the few painted buildings looks really nice.\u00a0 Colombo has two tall skyscrapers, and several 15+ story buildings.\u00a0 But a lot of it is trashy, and not kept up.<\/p>\n
Many people call out to me to ride in their tuk-tuks (called tri-shaws here), but i politely decline.\u00a0 Then i’m walking down one road, and a man walks past me.\u00a0 In a natural manner i come up about even with him again, and he asks “You’re from?!” like everyone else, but not in such a threatening manner as most.\u00a0 I say “Japan” which throws most people for a loop, but he says he has a brother working in Tokyo, and he is on break from his job for a few hours, and if i’d like, he’ll show me around town to where a festival is going on today.\u00a0 Danny makes a big mistake, one you are never, ever supposed to make – he gets in the tuk-tuk with this man.\u00a0 We sit in the back, and the driver takes us out to a Hindu temple where almost no one is.\u00a0 I’m told to get out and take a pic, which i do, but it is not interesting.\u00a0 Then we go to a Buddhist temple where i do get some interesting pics of the garish insides, and of the big, old elephant.\u00a0 Then we head back to about where we started.\u00a0 While still moving, my acquaintance asks the price of this 40minute excursion, and the driver says “2,300” (23usd).\u00a0 I smile inwardly, thinking i’ve either been swindled big-time, or he made a mistake.\u00a0 I offer 200, and am laughed at.\u00a0 My acquaintance, who said he would pay it all, is arguing about how he will pay the driver with a card if he takes him somewhere, but i know what the game is now – he is in cahoots with the driver, and they are going to split whatever “prize” falls from my wallet into theirs.\u00a0 I offer 200 again, and am laughed at again, so tell the driver to take me to the tourist police.\u00a0 The two of them talk a bit excitedly, and then i offer 500 which they accept, and i walk away with the acquaintance left in the tuk-tuk.\u00a0 I’m upset, mostly at myself for getting into this situation, but am told later that i should have been very thankful that they didn’t take me to some lonely spot and strip me of everything and run.\u00a0 Yes, thank you Jesus for sending your angels to save this “too-trusting” traveller.\u00a0 I want to believe everyone is good, and hate it when i have to suspect everyone, but in this world, that seems to be the only way to keep alive.\u00a0 I miss Japan.<\/p>\n
My sunburn from the little jaunt to the ocean and downtown will stay with me a few days i guess.\u00a0 It doesn’t feel too bad, but i worry a bit about skin cancer, as i have some spots that don’t really heal.<\/p>\n
I spend a couple of days getting caught up on reading and writing on my computer, and walk around a bit to find an internet cafe and some place to eat.\u00a0 I usually eat bread and fruit for breakfast, but like a hot meal at least once a day.\u00a0 No, i don’t mean THAT kind of hot either.\u00a0 One meal was sooooo hot, it felt like blood was coming all out at the tip of my tongue.\u00a0 I touched it with my finger twice to make sure, but nothing red appeared on it.\u00a0 To help put the fire out – eat yoghurt.\u00a0 Fortunately there are many places that sell 14lkr Highland yoghurt, and it is the best 14cent fire extinguisher you will ever try \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 Many restaurants are vegetarian, but not as many as i remember in India.<\/p>\n
Wish i could spend some time with the SDA guest house owner, but it just doesn’t happen, and i head off with a group of over 20 people from the church up to Kandy.\u00a0 People tell me it’s in the hills, but i’m thinking mostly junky hills instead of junky lowland.\u00a0 Whoa!\u00a0 Am i ever wrong!\u00a0 This is beautiful, very, very beautiful.\u00a0 Up in the hills above Kandy, there are many tea plantations.\u00a0 Of course these were built by the British, as most everything else in this country, and did they ever do a nice job!!\u00a0 Sorry Japan, and America, these hills look better to me than anything i remember there.\u00a0 I’m sure it is the nicely trained tea plants that are spread out over the hills, with a few tall trees spaced nicely to give them shade that makes it so lovely – like someone has taken an interest in making improvements, and yet it is nature’s green color – Nice!<\/p>\n
We have a Bible camp for 4 days, and i give the first talk.\u00a0 I talk about the symbolism behind the theme of the camp – Throw out the Life Line.\u00a0 Singing with everyone is great, and i enjoy the interaction with fellow believers very much.\u00a0 I’m so happy i was invited to come.\u00a0 Meals are quite late here, as in all of Sri Lanka – breakfast is something very simple like just bread, or just garbanzos, or maybe a tapioca-like pudding.\u00a0 Then lunch is around 2pm, and supper around 8.\u00a0 One evening supper is still not served at 8:30, so i go to bed without.\u00a0 The evening function is called “camp fire”, and is not spiritually-oriented.\u00a0 Still, i’m shocked when the lady hands out the song sheet, and there is one extolling “Jamaican rum”, and “dancing girls” and another one talking about Lucifer lighting up a fag so dandy.\u00a0 Fortunately they don’t sing them, so i don’t have to walk out.\u00a0 But i do get up and leave when the lady says a humorless sexual joke.\u00a0 What’s the point in trying to reach a higher standard during the day, if we reach for the lower standard at nite.\u00a0 The contradiction is so clear, it is no wonder that most of the youth here seem to be indifferent to the gospel messages presented.<\/p>\n
Several people ask me the next day why i walked out, and i’m glad for the opportunity to share a good witness for higher standards.\u00a0 No one disagrees, except the lady who did it.\u00a0 A layman in my room asks me one afternoon to pray for him as he witnesses to the young man in charge of cooking food here at the bungalow.\u00a0 I pray earnestly for around 30 minutes when the man comes back into the room beaming: “He accepted Jesus Christ.\u00a0 He accepted the gospel!”\u00a0 I’m overjoyed, and can hardly believe my ears, yet aware that Christ can work a miracle to save souls all around us.\u00a0 It was interesting to see that only this man took the “Lifeline” theme to heart, and tried to save a soul here.\u00a0 God bless him, and may that young man grow, and come into the fold of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 I gave him a Sinhala GC book.<\/p>\n
Hiking to the top of the hill where the TV and cell-phone towers are is fun, but quite hot.\u00a0 The view is breathtaking.\u00a0 We spend some time there, and i lie down and look up at the puffy clouds.\u00a0 Reminds me of younger days….. We learn some sign language, how to tie knots, and i give my first-ever cricket bat in my hands a might swing which went not very far for an easy catch out – ha!\u00a0 Leeches everywhere make it a harrowing experience to step outside.\u00a0 They don’t hurt when they attach themselves to you, and you don’t even notice them until you look down and see blood all over you leg – gross.\u00a0 They are about 1 – 2 inches long, and not as big around as spaghetti, and dark brownish\/red color.\u00a0 Ticks are a huge nuisance in the States, but don’t seem as numerous as these guys.<\/p>\n
The Lord provides several opportunities i catch, to be able to talk deeply spiritually here, and most precious time is spent one afternoon in reading several chapters of the 1858 GC book.\u00a0 Even a pastor and the layman mentioned earlier are very humble, and receptive when shown some things from Ellen White’s first vision, and also regarding which Bible version is best to use.\u00a0 At one other place too during my stay here, the pastors show humbleness of spirit, something quite refreshing to see.\u00a0 In many places there is this thinking, and i was actually asked this point-blank in Malaysia: “Have you ever been to theological school?” (with the attitude of “What do you know?\u00a0 You don’t have a theological degree hunh!”).\u00a0 Cambodian leaders have very little of this attitude, and i’m very happy to know that Sri Lankan leaders do not have this attitude much either \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
With a name like Kandy, you know it has to be good.\u00a0 Well, OK, it’s not as filthy as Colombo, but still not a beautiful city.\u00a0 Stay in the hills far above, where the air is fresh, and the honking horns don’t reach, and no one asks you “You’re from?!”\u00a0 Our Seventh-day Adventist hospital – Lakeside – is situated along the lake at one end of Kandy.\u00a0 The president there graciously allows me to stay for two nites, and while being very thankful, i hope that i don’t have to use the real ward’s services.\u00a0 I guess the cat wandering in and out of the patient’s rooms (12 to a room?) does help cut down the number of other small 4-legged creatures coming in.<\/p>\n
While walking thru the town i see a park near the bus station.\u00a0 The filth and stench is awful, reminding me of one of my homeless friends in Japan who did not like to keep his surroundings clean.\u00a0 I thot about how blessed the homeless are in Japan, as most of them have more income and stuff, and cleaner living quarters than even people with houses in many parts of the world.<\/p>\n
While thinking these thots a 20s man in a orangish robe comes up to me.\u00a0 He is quite nice, and i tell him i’m looking for Cargill’s Food City.\u00a0 He’s going there too, so we walk together.\u00a0 I thank God for the opportunity to talk with this Buddhist monk, and look for an opportunity to share Jesus Christ with him.\u00a0 He has studied Japanese for a year, and we laugh at how we both have this in common – a love for Japan.\u00a0 He asks if i can help him get to Japan, and i have to disappoint him, but instead of deserting me when he finds out he can’t get anything, he stays nearby, even helping me in the supermarket, asking clerks where the soy milk is (not), and where the peanuts are (too spicy).\u00a0 He wants to buy frozen french fries from America, but they have gone up in price, so he buys some jello mix instead, while i buy some roasted gram (garbanzos with a touch of salt and tumeric – turns the inside of your mouth to a desert).\u00a0 The chance to witness is just outside the store, and i give him a Sinhala GC book.\u00a0 He gives me his email address, and i part from him giving a prayer of praise to God for this opportunity.\u00a0 Lord, please watch over that young man as he reads your prophet’s words, and may he be saved in your kingdom at last.<\/p>\n
I stupidly follow a man walking towards the market who has just told me that he has oils and creams at a very cheap price.\u00a0 I remember once buying a tiny bottle of jasmine oil or something like that in Kolkota (was it still Calcutta then?)\u00a0 So i go to his shop where i hear him and another man hawk their wares.\u00a0 I’m not in much of a buying mood, but finally do buy a tub of aloe cream for 200lkr (2usd).\u00a0 Being in these 3rd world countries for a while has steeled me for many things, but the way the man asks after i put the purchase in my backpack: “What’s your income?!”.\u00a0 The gall, the ingratitude to the customer; i force a thin smile and say “nothing”.\u00a0 Thus the deal closes.\u00a0 With this type of thinking, they will never, ever, do well in life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But that was the idea i got from many people in India too, 8 years ago – You are rich, we are poor, so we deserve your money.\u00a0 The sooner you get up and study something and WORK, the better.\u00a0 But that takes EFFORT.\u00a0 That’s right.\u00a0 And it is not encouraging for the Philippines or Sri Lanka, to see them hardly ever reading.\u00a0 But there are some in SL who do work, as i saw many more active at doing something than in the Philippines.\u00a0 My guest house owner, who has spent many years in Australia, may disagree tho, as he was always having to tell his workers over and over to do some work.\u00a0 Wonder why the internet cable in my room was broken, and the water pipe broken, and…….<\/p>\n
I take a bus out to Lakpahana.\u00a0 This SDA school, meaning “Light of Sri Lanka”, is the oldest and most well-known SDA school in this country of 19million people.\u00a0 Nearly all of our SDA workers have gotten their training here.\u00a0 It looks nice enough, a bit ragged, cows roaming right near the front steps, and i go in.\u00a0 It is holiday time (New Year’s in April??!) but a few of the workers are around, and they are interested in the GC book and especially animation, so i burn a CD for them right there.\u00a0 They seem happy to have that material, along with all the Spirit of Prophecy material, and Bible software etc. that i added to the CD.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The boys’ dean gives me a tour of the campus, and i hear an all-too-familiar story.\u00a0 It goes like this: Lakpahana used to be run by missionaries, and was excellent.\u00a0 They had a large dairy, 7,000 chickens laying eggs, 100,000 coconut trees, a large vegetable garden that supplied an income besides feeding the students, over 1,000 students, and most important – a healthy spiritual atmosphere.\u00a0 Many missionaries came and went over the years, but it seems the last ones left around 10 years ago.\u00a0 When they left, the school started going down financially, spiritually, and in student count.\u00a0 The location is like exactly something from God’s prophet’s books – out in the country, 45 minutes to the city, plenty of land, good water, everything necessary to train young men and women to serve God in a nice atmosphere.\u00a0 But now?\u00a0 They have no dairy, no chickens, no vegetable garden, only 20,000 coconut trees, and they buy all their produce.\u00a0 The saddest thing tho, is that the students are getting very little spiritual training now.\u00a0 Hopefully someone with vision will come in, and in the power of God, will make the school what it could, and should be –\u00a0 a light to Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n
In the afternoon i have the great privilege of studying the GC book chapter 30 with around 5 people, 3 of which were at the Bible camp just previously.\u00a0 The young girl especially is excited about what the book says, and the mother asks if i can’t stay a long time and teach them more.\u00a0 The boys’ dean is very interested too, and it really encourages me to see some who have a desire to study the truth for themselves, and follow the Lord wherever he leads \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
The next day is for hiking.\u00a0 Kandy is already around 450m above sea level, and we are headed to the highest mt. nearby, around 1,300m.\u00a0 I wait at the train station for over 2 hours for everyone to come, and we go thru jungle, catch a bus, and then to Hunas Falls where we have lunch.\u00a0 It is quite pretty, and we go up thru the tea terraces, finally stopping just a few meters below the tree line, as the last 300m or so of the mountain top is mostly jungle on this side.\u00a0 It is so, so beautiful looking out over half of Sri Lanka it seems.\u00a0 There is a small compound almost right below us, but not close enough to hear the noise.\u00a0 When nite falls the sparkling necklace that appears is gorgeous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The group of 13, mostly teenagers, tries to cook some curry and noodles over the campfire, but no one is too interested to do it correctly, so it takes around 2 hours to accomplish.\u00a0 I finally realize that it is going to be too late, and eat some bread and an apple, and crawl into my sleeping bag liner in one of the tents.\u00a0 The kids are so noisy, whooping it up until after 11, so i poke my head out and ask them to go to bed.\u00a0 They assure me they can’t, and i realize that they are standing watch to make sure the campfire doesn’t go out, so that no wild animals carry us away.\u00a0 There are leopards in them there hills it seems…\u00a0 OK, fine.\u00a0 But the cold (maybe\u00a0 18c?) and the constant noise, and the youngster coughing in my face make for a miserable nite.\u00a0 I leave the next morning, telling them that i’m sorry, but it is too cold, and i must catch some sleep.\u00a0 Also, i thot it was going to be real hiking, but so far it has just been a 2 hour walk, most of it on a dirt\/gravel road.<\/p>\n
I crash at the hospital again, making it all the way back except for the last 500m OK, when it starts to rain.\u00a0 But i have to get a shot of that elephant with the trainer on his back walking along the road.\u00a0 It costs a few extra drops of water on me, but is worth it.<\/p>\n
The hospital cafeteria lady refuses to serve me, so i eat crackers, vegemite, gram, and some cookies for supper.\u00a0 That’s fine with me.\u00a0 Just so glad to have a place where i can bathe and sleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Deciding to save money, i take the 3rd class cars back down to Colombo.\u00a0 Big mistake.\u00a0 Sometimes it is worth paying an extra 40 cents to be able to sit down for 4 hours.\u00a0 Maybe i’ll learn one day.\u00a0 The train is super-crowded, and it is difficult to stand up straight.\u00a0 The kids near me are interested in me, and i happily take their videos.\u00a0 They like to practice their English too, making the time go a bit quicker.\u00a0 Of course the train isn’t air-conditioned, and sweat just pours off me.\u00a0 After about 3 hours the man near me moves somewhere, and i can seat half of my body on the edge.\u00a0 The vinyl bench is made for 2, but we have 3 1\/2 on it.\u00a0 The scenery is spectacular in places, with Bible Rock being the hilite.\u00a0 Looking down tho, you see trash and filth and other things you wish you hadn’t seen.<\/p>\n
I make it back to the guest house by myself, catching bus 138.\u00a0 Another nap.\u00a0 I never used to take naps, but they are coming more and more naturally these days \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 In the evening i happen to come across two of the young man who were at the Bible camp.\u00a0 They invite me to come to their DVD rental store.\u00a0 Harry Potter, Return of the Living Dead, Witch of Endor (joke,,,i think!) etc.\u00a0 Hmmmm.\u00a0 Maybe that helps explain their total lack of involvement in the program, and their complete silence when discussing spiritual themes?\u00a0 Sure do pray they can get away from this stuff.<\/p>\n
For the weekend my friend takes me up to his parents’ place.\u00a0 It is north of Colombo along the coast, in a very humid, heavily Catholic area.\u00a0 It was funny while driving up here.\u00a0 All over Sri Lanka you will see the Buddha statues in public places enclosed in glass cases.\u00a0 Going north, we started noticing very similar things, but with statues of Jesus or Mary or some saint in them.\u00a0 I make a joke about it being “Battle of the Idols”.<\/p>\n
His father is a retired pastor, and is the one who translated the Sinhala GC for me last year.\u00a0 He knows the material very well, and i’m very happy to meet a strong brother in the Lord.\u00a0 I give the sermon at the SDA church, and while expecting a “small village church”, am surprised to find a large church with loudspeakers and around 80 people attending!\u00a0 God gives strength, and i talk about the 3 Angels’ Messages with freedom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After the service i have a very good talk with that man, his son, and the pastor of the church there.\u00a0 We talk about Ellen White’s first vision, and they are all quite excited about it, and even the pastor is humble enough to say he would like to have more information on it.\u00a0 It is wonderful to see them humbly accept what Ellen White wrote as from God \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
We go to the beach in the afternoon.\u00a0 The waves are quite high, and the beach narrow, but the sand and sun and palm trees – everything is very beautiful, and i thank God profusely for this wonderful time in his nature.\u00a0 My toes enjoy it tremendously too!\u00a0 The tsunami hit mostly the eastern part of the island, but they say even here on the western side that it came up quite a ways, maybe 100m to the road even, pushing all the fishing boats etc. along.\u00a0 Of course the people are interested now in tsunami warning systems!<\/p>\n
Back in my guest house i stay stuck on internet.\u00a0 They help me get my own computer set up, so i can surf and write in Japanese – yea!\u00a0 God gives a great opportunity to witness to two of the workers there, just by showing them my computer screen where i have Jesus’ Coming as the wallpaper.\u00a0 But showing them the animation of the Great Controversy chapter 1 – that really grabs their attention.\u00a0 Both of them say they wish to go to heaven.\u00a0 One of them has been going to church for a year, but her mother is Hindu, and her father Catholic, and they are against it.\u00a0 I must remember to pray for this precious soul, who is so hungry for someone to lead her to the truth – to Jesus.\u00a0 She cried when i left.<\/p>\n
And i did leave two days later.\u00a0 A European lady guest came and got this worker and i one evening, and we went into her room where two cockroaches were mating on the wall.\u00a0 She said “They’re alive, don’t kill them” when i raised a shoe to kill them.\u00a0 The worker got some spray, when this lady’s friend came in from a different room, and tried to grab them by a towel and throw the towel out the window.\u00a0 Well that fortunately didn’t work, as the cockroaches started running wildly all over the towel so he threw it into the bathroom.\u00a0 The lady is screaming “Spray them!”, so i do get one, but the other gets away.\u00a0 What a farce.\u00a0 You don’t want to smash them because they are living things, but it’s OK to spray them dead?\u00a0 huh???\u00a0 Typical evolutionary, save-the-planet, mother-earth, we-are-one satanic-thot.<\/p>\n
My last day in Sri Lanka is spent madly emailing all my Japanese friends, as this may be the last time in a long while i can converse in Japanese with them.\u00a0 It is so nice to know that someone, somewhere does care about you \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 Last nite was spent with the A\/C on, and i slept soundly, but realized during the nite that 28c is a touch too chilly.<\/p>\n
The man we gave the Sinhala GC to last week and asked to get it into PDF or RTF format for us returned it, but it is unusable.\u00a0 The Publishing house cannot even use it.\u00a0 So we decide to have the workers there spend a couple of days fixing up the mostly-displaying-correctly book as it is now, and then saving it in Microsoft Word instead of PageMaker.\u00a0 Pagemaker should export to PDF with no problems, but it doesn’t have the correct fonts, as the book was typed in on an old Mac.<\/p>\n
In the evening i’m taken to a SDA lady’s house, who is of Japanese descent.\u00a0 It is nice to talk a bit in Japanese, but my Japanese is probably a bit better than hers.\u00a0 She has lived in Sri Lanka all her life, even went to concentration camps during WWII.\u00a0 The stories she has to tell…. She worked for the Japanese embassy in Colombo for 32 years, and was given the 5th highest medal of honor, being only the second Japanese woman in Asia to receive it.\u00a0 She said that medal is bothering her, as she doesn’t know who to bequeath it to when she expires.\u00a0 Some of the Japanese traits of keeping things clean, working hard, being a gracious hostess etc. shine thru.<\/p>\n
I go back to the guest house for a few hours, read the Bible a bit with the worker, sleep for around an hour, when a taxi comes to pick me up.\u00a0 My plane leaves at 3:30am, making this a long nite.\u00a0 My friend paid for many things for me while i was in Colombo, but i gave him my last big Sri Lankan Rupees at the store we dropped in on while going to my guest house.\u00a0 He protests, but i insist.\u00a0 Because his van is having timing belt problems, he informs me i have to take a taxi, and what do you know – he gives me the exact same money i just handed him.\u00a0 This is too unbelievable – that the amount i gave him of the last of my money was exactly enough to cover the taxi fare.\u00a0 but at 1,500lkr, it is quite a large amount – almost 1\/5 of a month\/s income for many people on this island.\u00a0 It is interesting to see how God worked this problem out so everyone can do what they need to, and no one is pinched.<\/p>\n
There is heavy security at the airport.\u00a0 Seems like there was a huge attack here around 7 or 8 years ago where many commercial airliners were destroyed by the Tamil Tigers.\u00a0 I’ve forgotten to place my pocket knife in my check-in luggage, so have to open it at the airport.\u00a0 Must remember to do that properly in the future…<\/p>\n
The beautiful new wing of the airport beckons, and soon i’m in the Air Sahara plane bound for Chennai, India.\u00a0 It was an interesting time Sri Lanka, and i believe you’ve helped me pressurize properly for India.\u00a0 Thanks to my wonderful helpers, friends, brothers in the Lord.\u00a0 I pray your work of spreading the 1858 GC book will go forward, and that you will be a great light in your country.\u00a0 Thanks for letting me stay with you for a few weeks \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
NOTE: Post written May 8, 2006, but should be placed before the preceding “in india 2006\u00a0– i”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Colombo, Sri Lanka airport is beautiful when you come in – high, glass walls, beautiful polished granite floors, moving sidewalks, spotless toilets.\u00a0 I thot i was back in Japan.\u00a0 Then i saw the sign on the wall: “Made possible by a loan from the Japan Government.”\u00a0 That is just the main terminal wing, but …<\/p>\n