She and her twin sister didn’t weigh very much.  They weren’t doing very well either.  Their malnourished mum couldn’t produce enough milk to sustain them and their dad couldn’t afford the milk supplement to keep them alive.   Thankfully the rural clinic could help and at least they now have a fighting chance.

This week has been an eye-opener in seeing the ‘real Afghanistan’, visiting rural areas, drinking tea with real people.   This is not the Afghanistan the media presents – of roadside bombs, rioting radicals and corrupt officials.  Yes that happens.  But the vast majority of these lovely people just want to live in peace.  To have a chance of a normal life.

Ignored by the media, by-passed by the power-brokers, excluded from the process – they deserve better!

Extensive research into the use of media and access to communication technologies in Afghanistan can be visually explored through a useful mapping tool linked to the most comprehensive survey of media access in the country to date.

Created by media NGO, Internews, the interactive map displays results across each province by use of radio, television, mobile phone and internet, as well as segmented by gender and location.

Can devoted Jews, Christians, or Muslims remain true to their own fundamental beliefs and practices, yet also find paths toward liberty, tolerance, and respect for those of other faiths?

“Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.” Phil 1:7

It’s a good job the measure of our life’s worth isn’t reflected by the number of times our name appears on a google search. That certainly is the case with my dear friend Leslie Edgell, who passed away on the evening of 13th December, 2011 and whose funeral took place in Sidmouth yesterday. You’d be hard-pushed to find Leslie’s name if you searched for him on google, and yet here was a man whom I count to be right up there among the greats. A man of compassion, vision, love for his God and his fellow human-beings with a wicked sense of humour to boot, Leslie’s life impacted a vast number of people across Britain, the United States and the former Soviet Union, my own included. The verse in Philemon was appropriately chosen during Les’ thanksgiving service as a fitting epitaph… a man who loved much and gave much joy and comfort and through his kindness refreshed the hearts of many  people.

“Well done good and faithful servant.”

Building Bridges With Fellow Texans Highlight Video from Northwood Church on Vimeo.

Over 2,500 Muslims and Christians got together at a Church in Texas on September 18, 2011, to understand one another’s religions, build friendships and eat fabulous food!  What a great example of how to build peace and understanding.  No doubt there’ll be criticisms from within both communities – but weren’t we told that it would be so.