Global Ministries

After the trip to Colombo with the school group was over but for going back to Karainagar, we didn’t.  We took an early train headed for the interior of Sri Lanka – and mountains!  We were excited to be heading for mountains – the area we live in is hot, humid and flat, and we wanted to spend time in the mountains to see if there are any real lumps and bumps in Sri Lanka.

We are Andy Jepson and Lindley Kinerk from central New Hampshire volunteering in Sri Lanka for what we hope will be two full years.  Andy is a retired UCC pastor and Lindley is also retired, a math teacher.  We arrived in Sri Lanka in October to work with the CACM (Church of the American Ceylon Mission), a Christian church working among the Tamil population.  We found that the relationship between this church and the American missionaries is a long, close one dating from way back in 1816.  Over the years the partnership between the Americans and the Sri Lankans has been one of mutual respect and sharing of responsibilities and faith.

Global Ministries partner, the Church of the American Ceylon Mission (CACM) shares about their Children and Youth Empowerment project in Uda Pusselawa, Sri Lanka. They received an Otto per Mille grant for this project.

Hello from Sri Lanka, in a small town in the Jaffna district, way up north on Sri Lanka, 20 minutes by train from the Indian Ocean.  This is one of the areas where the Tamil people live, and it’s the area to which the early missionaries from New England came almost two centuries ago – anniversary celebrations have already started!  We’ve been here only since October 2, and we are settled – temporarily – at the Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) of the Church of the American Ceylon Mission (CACM), our partner agency.

I have been in Sri Lanka for a little over two weeks and things are going well.  I am staying at the seminary.  Everyone has been very kind and all of my needs have been met.

A short video created by Julianna Nitz featuring members of the local congregation.

Lectionary Selection: Amos 7:7-17

Prayers for Sri Lanka:

Uniting God, it is in You that we are all able to come together as your people, without hierarchies, boundaries or divisions.

Help us seek out ways to better unite our communities.

Urge us on our journey to be your disciples.

Persuade us to reach out to that unknown or unfamiliar person in our midst.

Cheer us onward when we stumble.

Guide us in times of uncertainty as we seek to stretch our comfort zones

And bind us God, bind us ever closer to You and to one another as we seek to create Your kingdom here in this place.

It is in our love for You that we pray, Amen.

Mission Stewardship Moment from Sri Lanka:

Last month at Jaffna College in Northern Sri Lanka, student athletes were invited from the surrounding provinces to participate in sporting events ranging from basketball and soccer, to netball and field hockey. This event is one of many such efforts taking place all over Sri Lanka to help promote community building and cross-cultural acceptance in the country’s younger generation.

Though the war has ceased, division and suspicion still endure across the different peoples of Sri Lanka. In our Global Ministries school partners, special care is taken to counteract these habits and instead promote equality and community across cultural lines, language barriers, and religions.

As Jesus sends us out to blaze new trails of Christian brotherhood and share the good news, we are called to reach out to our neighbors, all our neighbors, in love and in peace. Today, may we remember the important lesson our Sri Lankan neighbors teach us in how to rebuild God’s kingdom.

(Prayer and Mission Moment by Julianna Nitz)

Global Ministries International Partners in Sri Lanka:

• Church of the American Ceylon Mission
• Ecumenical Institute for Study and Dialogue (EISD)
• Jaffna College
• Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India
• National Christian Council of Sri Lanka
• Uduvil Girls College

More info on Sri Lanka: http://www.globalministries.org/sasia/countries/sri-lanka/

Global Ministries Missionary in Sri Lanka:

Julianna Nitz, a member of Central Christian Church, Lexington, Kentucky, serves as a Global Mission Intern with the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India in Sri Lanka. She will works as a music teacher at the Uduvil Girls College, Christian Theological Seminary and Jaffna College.

This week both Uduvil Girls’ College and Jaffna College celebrated their annual Sports Meets; an afternoon filled with games, music and friendly competition.