Security in Dubai and Dodoma
An email from Alan Sully in Dodoma (Country Director in Tanzania ) FYI and prayers
There was an attempted break in at Compound B last night. Praise the Lord, He protected the guards and the guards protected us. This particular break in could have had very tragic results. Thank the Lord the guards were vigilant and after hearing a sound one of the guards shone his light into a tree that overhangs the fence. There he saw three men one of whom had a large rock (about 10Kgs) and a rope was tied to one of the branches. It is clear that the intention was to attack the guard with the rock. Had they done so the guard would have been very badly injured or killed. The two guards did exactly the correct thing, one made a lot of noise while the other looked in other areas to make sure it was not a diversion. The noise woke three male member of IS who came out and the would be thieves ran away. (I was not one of those members, I slept through the whole period so when I complain of noise and a bad night’s sleep please remind me of this.)
In the short term I will be asking Lukinja to put an extra guard on Compound B at night. Against all logic, thieves here seem to return and try again so I think it would be a sensible precaution as it would keep any would be robbers guessing. In the longer term we will need to do a security review of both compounds. This may or may not change what we do at present. The only thing I will say is that surrounding ourselves with a wall is not the option as lasts night’s incident proves.
As the Bible says when you have wisdom to know that all things are in the hand of God: ‘Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.’ Proverbs 3 Verse 23 and 24.
This in its self might be considered a one off but in the last week we have had Marieke Verboom accosted and frightened at a local market and a guard murdered at a compound only 20 metres from compound B where the incident took place last night.
Please give our praise for God’s protection but also ask for prayer that He will protect our minds and spirits and that we will continue to rely on Him.
Travel Advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
There is a high threat from terrorism. We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE. Attacks could be indiscriminate and could happen at any time, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers such as residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests. You should maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places.
You can get up-to-date advice from http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/united-arab-emirates/
Please pray for protection for the folks in Tanzania and for ourselves as we travel out there! This really brings home the safety advice we heard at the Briefing Weekend.
The Briefing Weekend
This time last Sunday I had just finished my cold shower in the dark and was knocking on the door of the proprietor of Inchinnan Christian Conference Centre to ask if the trips had blown or did we have a power cut!
On Friday morning 6th June, after a last minute dash to the railway station for one of those very flattering passport photos (NOT!), I drove to Gatwick and parked then managed to sit down on the muddy bank while pulling my case out of the boot. Dirty clothes number 1! After a quick change in the loo I was straight though security, as I only had hand luggage, and into departures. They didn’t seem to be bothered when three tubular pieces of metal showed up on the X-ray – my flute.
The Easy-Jet flight was very quick, just over an hour and I was in Glasgow. A bit different from the coach journey when I went up for the interview – 14 hours, but there was no sense of travel and I missed the views of the glorious Lake District Hills.
Andy Martin, Scottish Volunteers manager, and Peter Robinson picked me up and dropped me off at the Necropolis so I could have a walk before the others arrived at the MAF office at 6pm. This is a hill covered with tombs and very large and intricate gravestones, as Andy said, very handy as its opposite the hospital and cathedral and the city fathers built a bridge to connect them up – hatch, match and dispatch! Interesting and often sad, whole families of children dying young and the young officers of many wars and workers in tropical countries succumbing to disease, just like Africa but the people there have no great monuments to the dead, life just goes on. Made me think, what do we leave behind us, what will people say of usThen a wander across the bridge to the cathedral and a peep at St Mungos tomb. You’ll have to find out the story of the fish, the princess and the ring for yourself!
Andy picks me up again and we drive to one of the stations to pick up Nick, an aeronautics student from Liverpool University and Kirsty, a trainee nurse, but she is at the other station so she gets a taxi to Challenge house and we arrive to find every one busy making tea.
We pile into cars and drive out to Inchinnan which is literally 3 minutes from the airport. There are 8 volunteers for the trip, five men and three women ranging from students to those of us who are mature in years! Jill and Pete who have been on a previous trip to Dodoma and Ruth Box, who worked until recently as MAF Scotland’s Youth Officer and has been on previous trips are there to lead and guide us along with Andy.
Back Row: Andy Martin: MAF Scotland Volunteers Manager
Middle Row: Peter Robinson, John Torres, Nick Durston, Chris Rossi
Front Row: May Barr, Kirsty Holt, Derek McQuaker, Yours Truly.
Dinner goes in the oven and we get down to the nitty gritty of getting to know each other, bonding and finding out more about the practicalities of the trip. We were interviewed in two groups so some of us have never met before. My head hurts from the concentration of listening too and attempting to translate into English so many Scottish and Northern Irish accents, only joking folks! We attempt our first song in Swaheli and learn more about the MAF set up in Dodoma.
Saturday whizzes by with more information. We must always go out in mixed groups, never alone or single sex groups. This is going to be hard for me after the freedom I had in Uganda where I was often out alone but Tanzania is a different country and we must respect the experience of the MAF folk out there.
We have about 10 hours stop over in Dubai and Arab Emirates have given us complimentary hotel rooms. We then stay a night at the Lutheran Guest House in Dar Es Salaam then an all day bus journey via Moragoro, where we get our first chance to experience local loos, to reach Dodoma.
May, Kirsty, Chris and I will be involved in the children’s work for each afternoon of the first week. It’s down to us now to find the theme and get on with preparations. All the craft items need to go out with us. Good thing we have a 35K luggage allowance!
A weekend of youth work with Annie Larson then the chance to go into the bush to carry on with the airstrip preparation work that the others did in the first week. Literally in the bush in tents or local huts, no loos! Must buy a few long cotton skirts, useful for conserving privacy as we are warned that the sight of a white backside is like a beacon in the bush!
We have some good times of praise and worship alongside getting to know you and eating together. Jill and Pete, and Ruth’s mum are great cooks and the washing up helps with bonding as does the football game on Saturday evening!
Then the power cut on Sunday morning! We did think that this was an initiative test by Andy to see how we would cope without electricity. Mr McNeill dug out an old gas heater and we managed to do the essential- boil a pan of water for tea and we ate breakfast by torchlight. We had communion together and it felt like a group of friends celebrating together.
No powerpoints for today’s final session, just all gathered round the battery powered laptop upstairs where the sunlight was brightest. Then the power came on in time to cook the steak pies for dinner, excellent timing!
Andy dropped me at the airport to catch my plane and as we took off I looked down for the Conference Centre but couldn’t see anyone but I guess they were all inside doing the washing up that I missed out on!
Back in Margate in time to catch the benediction at the end of the evening service after a hair-raising two attempts to land at Gatwick. Wheels nearly on the ground first time when the engines fired up again and we climbed up steeply! Had to abort landing due to ‘operational needs’! I think back to the monkeys running across the airstrip at Kajansii but don’t think that’s Gatwick’s problem. The cabin is silent as we circle for ten minutes then come in to land perfectly this time.
It was great to begin to get to know these folk that I will be spending three weeks with shortly, and very humbling to hear of their journeys and gifts but exciting too.
Fund raising progress update
I am very pleased to tell you that shortly after the launch of the initial website pages describing the trip to Tanzania, donations & pledges of money in support of the mission trip started comming in.
It is truely amazing the way God has provided in this – Money coming from many sources both local and far afield. The final figure for te fund raising is not know at the point fo writing this Blog entry but the intial target of £1600 has been achieved – Praise God!
Thank you to all for your generocity and continued prayerful support.
Next steps, the training & preparation weekend……
MBC Support for Overseas MAF mission to Tanzania
Margate Baptist Church is Supporting Nicky Biddall after her selection by MAF HQ to be part of a team to go to Tanzania in 2008.
This is a self funded activity and MAF expects each member of the team to raise enough funds for the, flights & the three week placement.
How you can help is pray for the venture, the people going, the people they will be helping and God’s hand to be in it all.
If you feel able to help financially please talk with Nicky or you can donate directly via MAF UK in the following way:
Please Write Nicky Biddall - Tanzania 2008 on the reverse of the cheque
any cheques should be made payable to MAF – UK & sent directly to
Mission aviation Fellowship, 29 Canal Street, Glasgow, G4 0AD
Please let Nicky know ( in person or my e-mail below) that you have donated so that she can keep track of the fund raising.
If you would like more information please speak to Nicky or e-mail MAFintanzania@margatebaptistchurch.org.uk
