RICHARD PENNER, KIA, Uzbekistan, January 13, 2004

RICHARD PENNER

Seattle Times 

Mennonite Brethren Herald

cbcnews.ca
Mennonite Weekly review 

I had just come out of an all day Director’s meeting to hear the devastating news of Richard, the field director of World Concern, who was based in Afghanistan. The email read: ‘killed in a domestic plane crash in Tashkent Uzbekistan on Tuesday evening, Jan 13th, 2003’.

I sat at my computer in stunned disbelief for a long time. I was not able to keep back the tears. I remembered when I briefly heard the news, on the radio, of the air crash, wondering if anyone I knew was on it, but then thinking that the only person I really knew who had been in-country was Richard and he’d moved to Mazar-e-Sherif, so he couldn’t have been be affected!

He was a dear brother, with a wicked sense of humour and I will miss his wise contributions (and his not so wise, but witty ones!), borne out of years of experience in the field. He was doing a very similar job to me and we were together last November for meetings in Kabul. On that occasion he travelled with his wife, Ann and we’d all had a wonderful time of sharing and good fellowship (and good food) in a friend's house. We easily forget how precious, fragile and fleeting these moments are. I kept thinking it could so easily have been me, it could have been any one of us who travels frequently to board meetings around the world. It got to me very deeply indeed.


I have a prayer from Russia above my desk at work and my eyes were drawn towards it - particularly the second stanza - I share it with you all. It has become my prayer for Regional staff


The prayer of the last monks of the Optina Hermitage

Lord teach me to meet with peace of mind and spirit
All that the coming day has to bring me.
Help me to devote myself entirely to Your Holy Will
Guard and instruct and countenance me,
throughout every hour of this day.

Whatever the news that I receive today,
Help me to accept it in the calmness of my soul
And firm conviction that all is sustained by Your Holy Will.

In all my deeds and words –
be the leader to my emotions and my intentions
In the unforeseen consequence – do not let me forget
That you are the sender of everything

Teach me how to relate to my fellow brothers and sisters
Open and wisely and without hurting or confusing anyone

O Lord give me strength to endure
the fatigue of the coming day
And all the events that are due to unfold today.
Guard my will and teach me
To pray, to believe, to endure,
to forgive and to love. Amen

The Cross of Nails Sibui Romania

The Cross of Nails

Father make us one.
Don’t make ‘them’ like ‘us’,
Don’t make ‘us’ like ‘them’,
But make us all more like You.

The Cisnadioara Prayer© Steven Hughes 1994

Geoff and Gill Kimber have a ministry of reconciliation. As CMS mission partners, they head up the ‘Cross of Nails’ reconciliation work in Sibiu. It is run in partnership with the project they were previously associated with, ‘Ascensium’ in Cisnadioara.

Timothy and I were in Romania to attend the opening. It was a joyous affair, celebrated sensitively with a simple liturgy.

Based in a 3 room flat in the centre of the city, ‘The Cross of Nails Centre’ has a small library and reading room, for teaching English, meetings, and discussion groups.

One of the most encouraging aspects is the Orthodox Youth movement ‘Corpus Christi’, a lively group who use the rooms as their base. Many of them come from the local Seminary.
There is another group based there as well. ‘Darul Vietii’, literally ‘the gift of life’. This small group of Romanian social workers, psychologists, and medics have formed a pro-life group. Their aim is to establish an abortion education and counselling service the city of Sibiu and surrounding villages. They also educate about sexually transmitted diseases in a local hostel. Gill is supporting them as part of her diaconal ministry. They are also linked with ‘Primal Pas’ a similar CMS partner in Iasi (pronounced ‘yash’)

Geoff and Gill seek to establish relations with the Orthodox as well as the other denominations. They have good relations with the Lutheran bishop. But it is something of an ecumenical minefield. Making reconciliation all the more necessary.

Coventry Cathedral

I was also in Coventry the previous month for the CMS Conference. This is the home of the original Cross of Nails, birthed in the post war period, as Coventry sought ways of demonstrating reconciliation, particularly after its body but not its heart had been destroyed in the intensive bombing of WW2. The shell of the former cathedral stands as a moving memorial to this. In addition they started the Cross of Nails centre, which fosters various reconciliation groups around the world.

On the Saturday night of the conference we commemorated CMS’s world mission, starting at the ‘Freedom Tree’ in Sierra Leone, where many slaves were freed. As part of our celebrations, there was a wonderful carnival procession of butterflies, symbolising that freedom. The new creation found in Christ.

One of the most powerful moments was the simple song ‘God is so good’ sung in many languages, by people from many lands. It was real evidence of the ministry of reconciliation found in Christ, who breaks down the walls that divide and heals the enmity between people and nations.

Not so much Mohammad Ali, the world champion boxer’s motto: ‘Float like a butterfly: sting like a bee’ but maybe a motto for the kingdom: ‘float like a butterfly: sing in harmony!

From your own correspondent
Sibiu Romania (and  Coventry England) 
Dec 2003 (Nov 2003) 

Afghans not Afghanis London Oct 2001

‘afghanistan 2001’ (2001) by james nachtwey    © photo james nachtwey/vii agency

Afghans not Afghanis,     London, Oct. 2001

’The people of Afghanistan need a miracle - let’s seize this opportunity to gather together and call upon God on their behalf at this time of global crisis’

Graham Kendrick 25th October 2001 

at Prayer for Afghanistan event at Westminster Central Hall

On the 25th October I was involved in organising an evening of prayer for Afghanistan at Westminster Central Hall, led by Graham Kendrick and Lyn Green of YWAM, and run jointly by Tearfund, CMS and Ichthus.

Afghans 

It was a wonderful time.  We prayed for the country and its people. And at last we felt we were able to DO something positive. 

Afghanis 

This is a 100 Afghani note, no longer legal tender in Afghanistan. It is worthless. It won’t even buy a piece of bread. The smallest note is a 500 Afs. The exchange rate is around 100,000 Afs. to the pound. We often hear people on the news wrongly calling people ‘Afghanis’. The people are ‘Afghans’, the currency is ‘Afghanis’. The currency, Afghanis, has been devalued. The people, Afghans, have not! They are all priceless human beings.

WHEAT & WATER

On the note is a picture of the Serobi Dam, full of water, on the Road from Jelalabad to Kabul and also a man threshing wheat in a fertile valley. It is a picture of what Afghanistan was and no longer is. The country has been devastated by nearly 25 years of war and 3 years of drought. It is a Humanitarian Catastrophe. Millions face starvation. Afghanistan is desperate for basic food Aid.

SPRING & HARVEST

• Pray for Rain. (And for springs of living water -John 4:13-14)
• Pray for Food. (And to the Lord of the Harvest for the bread of life -John 6:31).




From your own correspondent