Send Magazine - 3rd Quarter 2010

Bloodshed, Tears and Hope for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has been called many names over the centuries, including “Island of Gems,” “Isle of Delight,” and “Land without Sorrow”— a name that rings with irony in light of its long, bloody civil war.

Two main people groups live on this teardrop-shaped island in the Indian Ocean. The Sinhalese, mostly Buddhists, account for 74 percent of the population. Tamils, a mostly Hindu minority, make up 18 percent. Sinhala and Tamil are the official languages, with English widely spoken and understood.

After 450 years of colonial rule, Sri Lanka won its independence from Britain in 1948.

Tourism was a major industry for the new nation, with its ancient art, beautiful beaches and rare wildlife.

In the ensuing decades, ethnic tension between the Sinhalese and Tamils grew, fueling the dream for a separate Tamil homeland. From 1983 to 2009, civil war raged between government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LT TE) separatists. More than two decades of fighting claimed the lives of more than 80,000 people and drove millions from their homes.

Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries working in the country were also affected by the fighting. Some had to seek safety in refugee camps. One GFA Bible college came under attack after it was falsely accused of being a training camp for the insurgent Tigers.

In December 2004, a massive tsunami swept across a large part of Sri Lanka, leaving tens of thousands dead and more than a half-million people homeless, orphaned or without jobs.

Recent flooding caused by Cyclone Laila devastated regions of the island nation, killing dozens and displacing hundreds of thousands.

Whatever the challenge, GFA-supported missionaries continue to faithfully minister to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the people of Sri Lanka. The churches they pastor, which number more than 100, are beacons of hope for those who have faced suffering and despair.

Visit www.gfa.org/countryprofiles/
srilanka for more information.

Sources: World Factbook, United Nations

Nothing Strange

All who attend Manu’s church are first-generation Christians who still endure harassment because they gave up their traditional religion to follow Jesus. Neighbors taunt and criticize them each week as they make their way to the church building to worship.

Then there are those who have experienced a healing touch from God in their lives and long to worship their Savior, but other villagers try and stop them from attending church. They’re surrounded by people who speak against Christ and the church, discouraging them from following Jesus.

Although the believers hear these biting words every day, their pastor hardly ever hears anything from these accusers.

“They don’t scold me to my face or try to
offend me,” Manu says. “When they meet me,
they smile and they speak to me.”
But Manu’s life is not completely without
opposition. When he first started his ministry,
people in the area gave him a difficult time.

Anti-Christians came to one prayer meeting he was leading and attacked the house where the believers were gathered, throwing stones and severely damaging the building. They even physically attacked the Christians.

But the Christians
don’t just pray; some
also go with Manu on
his outreach to nearby
homes. They pile on a
trailer attached to a hand
tractor—their normal
mode of transportation in this rural, inland
region—and begin the journey of reaching out
to their lost neighbors. With Gospel tracts in
hand, they stop at each house scattered along
the dirt road between the paddy fields, banana
groves and coconut trees, visiting with villagers
and inviting them to prayer meetings and church.

The believers of Manu’s congregation have also taken an active role in assisting the construction of their church building. Manu never needed to ask for help. These men and women wanted a beautiful building, a place that would demonstrate the permanency of their faith to their community. And so they willingly dedicated their time, efforts and funds. Whatever materials they had on hand, they gave.

“When you look at this building, it’s impossible for one person to put up a building like this,” Lal comments. “I can tell you that these poor believers over here, they have contributed.”