The Big Question

“‘Tuli Pamo’ is Bemba for ‘We are Together’, our motto for the first 10 years of twinning between Dunscore, Moniaive and Glencairn churches and Lubuto UCZ in the Copperbelt Region of Zambia.

“In 2007, when CoS Faithshare grants allowed us to visit Lubuto for the first time, we truly felt that togetherness – singing, dancing and praying our way to a partnership which brought benefits to all our congregations. Living in the homes of our hosts, we learned more about each other’s cultures than we would ever have done as ordinary tourists. Back at home, we were able to share our experiences, not only at church, but with our local schools and youth groups, who also became involved in the twinning.

“The joyous style of Zambian worship affirmed and strengthened our faith. We were able to help our friends to build a school and sink a borehole. There were occasional visits, back and forwards, but ministers in Lubuto came and went, and communication could be sporadic.

As the 10 year anniversary approached, we felt that a visit might help to renew the twinning. Another Alison and I spent Easter Week 2019 in Lubuto and I cannot begin to describe here the welcome we received. Nationality, culture, language, and skin colour were all forgotten in the joy of reunion – we have a true faith family in Zambia, and a new motto – ‘Tuli Umo Muli Christu’ – We are One in Christ.”

Earlier in the year I had the opportunity to go to visit the Church of South India in Chennai (previously Madras), talk with them and see some of the work they are doing.

“High on the list of personal benefits I suppose has to be meeting new people – contacts which get maintained and grow into personal friendships. Meeting people and being immersed in a new culture certainly allows you to see the issues and daily challenges of life and creates a better understanding of the people living there, their history and background – and questions some of your assumptions about ‘how things are’, and ‘how they should be’. And sharing these insights and questions with our own local church by giving talks and presentations helps to broaden our common understanding of our friends and neighbours.

“Being a church trip, I was able to attend a local church service, and see both what the local churches were doing and what the national church, in this case the Church of South India (CSI) was doing. Our own Church of Scotland could learn much from CSI, especially with regard to climate change and the whole eco debate, and it has also made huge strides in the gender equity debate.

“Locally, problems are culturally different from ours, but arise out of some of the same issues of poverty and exclusion from society. Churches in India are rising to these challenges in ways which are different from what we might adopt, and sharing some of these challenges and solutions with our local church does raise questions about ‘why couldn’t we?’”

“In late 2018 as I returned from a retreat, there on the mat was the World Mission magazine and as I opened It a card about the Behind The Wall study tour fell out. I read it, prayed and instantly had my answer. The journey had begun!

“The preparation the World Mission Council, led by Maureen Jack, put into organising the itinerary was amazing. The care and preparation given to ensuring the group were well prepared and had time to meet and bond was perfectly executed: preparing us not just on domestic issues, but also preparing us mentally and spiritually for the dii cult times which we would encounter.

“Going with World Mission and the contacts that Maureen had, enabled us to do and see things such as spend time with NATO and the British Consulate with the Consulate General, Palestinian refugee camps and Israeli settlements, and most importantly to walk alongside people, to really listen to their stories, to share their laughter, feel their pain and be a very small part of their lives as we journeyed together.

The Very Rev Dr Andrew McLellan brought our days to a close with worship, reflection and much needed pastoral care to enable us to tell our stories and try to make sense of the day. I came home feeling very humbled and privileged not at what I had done but rather for being part of the Church of Scotland who care enough to continue going to the dii cult places so that we may ‘come and see and go and tell.’”

“I was part of a group that visited Nepal in April 2018 to see the impact of the World Mission Council’s Let Us Build A House campaign.

It was a wonderful opportunity not only to visit a beautiful country but to meet Nepalese Christians and see communities close up. We trekked through remote villages, met local people on the way, stayed in their houses, and ate the food they cooked for us. We saw the schools, health posts and other infrastructure restored after the destruction of the 2015 earthquake. We heard about the improved agricultural practices being introduced that increased farmers’ incomes and reduced malnutrition in young children.

I was asked to preach, with a UMN staff member translating. We were able to share fellowship and sang some of the same songs, just in a different language!

“Memorable for me was the fellowship with others in the group, the UMN staff and also with local Christians. I was privileged to gain an insight into what it meant for them living out the Christian life in difficult circumstances. They did this with resilience, yet with a joyful faith. We can become so caught up with our own struggles and problems that we lose sight of what God is doing in other parts of the world. It made me appreciate in a deeper way the many things I take for granted.

“The overall experience encouraged me that we serve a Living God whose Spirit is at work in challenging situations.”

“I had the opportunity to visit the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren three times – once as a delegate to the Preachers’ Conference of the Czech Protestant Preachers Association, and twice as part of an international summer family camp. Those occasions were of great benefit for me personally, for our family but also for the people and the church that I served.

In January 2014 I attended the Preachers’ Conference at the invitation of our Czech partners as part of the international delegation.Besides attending a number of lectures and seminars on preaching, theology and mission during the week, I also learned about the struggles and the opportunities of the church in that country. The Czech Republic is one of the most, if not the most, secular countries in Europe and this has given me an opportunity to reflect on my ministry in our Scottish context which is becoming more and more secular.

I shared my experience with my congregations and with the wider church. Following this visit the mission group in my charge at the time expressed interest in exploring the possibility of a twinning with a congregation in the Czech Republic, which eventually materialised two years later.

The family camps were also great opportunities for our family, together with the other families from Scotland, to make lasting friendships and share in hospitality and faith with the Czech families.

“It was an opportunity for the children to share experiences, to get to know each other and establish long lasting friendships across cultures which are still going strong.”