August 2008

Monthly Archive

Right NOW, on the other side of the world…

Posted by on 27 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: New Hope stuff.

Have you ever wondered about what was happening on the other side of the world?

Here’s a report from one of New Hope’s missionaries in India of what is happening over there right NOW:
1) NUN BURNT ALIVE: A nun was burnt to death on 25th, Monday, after an orphanage was torched in at Phutpali in Bargarh district in Orissa during a bandh called by Hindu nationalist parties.Twenty children, who were at the orphanage, managed to escape but a priest suffered serious burn injuries in the attack.

2) RASANANDA PRADHAN TORCHED ALIVE: Another person, Rasananda Pradhan, was burnt to death when his house was set ablaze at Rupa village in Kandhamal district.

3) INFLAMMATORY SPEECHES TARGET CHRISTIANS: During the bandh inflammatory speeches spreading hatred against the Christian workers and the community were given by the VHP leaders. To gain the mass support,the activists have also carried the body of Swamiji throughout the town.

4) CHURCHES BURNT ALL ACROSS ORISSA STATE: Churches were attacked in Khurda, Bargarh, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Koraput, Boudh, Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur and Kandhamal districts as also in the state capital, police sources said, adding 40 houses were set ablaze in Phulbani town.

5) BUSES AND VEHICLES TORCHED: Mr. Mishra Digal was beaten up, while the motorcycles of Mr. R. K. Digal and Jitendra were burnt. Several buses at Gee Udaigiri in Baliguda were burnt.

6) PULBANI CHURCH RANSACKED: The Church at Phulbani,and several other churches at Phiringia were attacked and ransacked. Pastor D. Tatson’s house was vandalized and his property burnt.

7) KAKRIGUMA CHURCHES VANDALISED: Churches in Kakriguma have been targeted by the mob that reportedly damaged the Assembly Of God Church and the Philadelphia Church .

8 ) WORLD VISION STAFF FLED FOR SAFETY: World Vision India office ransacked and the Staff has also fled to jungle for protection.

9) CHRISTIANS TAKE SHELTER IN FOREST FOR PROTECTION: A police camp at Barakhama was also attacked by the Hindu fundamentalists. With several houses being burnt down and people being made homeless, many Christians,particularly from Nua Sahi, Munda Sahi and Suna Tonga have fled into forests for their lives.

10) NUN RAPED: A young Catholic Nun of the Cuttack Bhubaneswar diocese working Jan Vikas Kendra, the Social Service Centre at Nuagaon in Kandhamal was reportedly gang raped on 24th August 2008 by groups of Hindutva extremists before the building itself was destroyed.

11) SENIOR PRIEST AND NUN INJURED: Fr Thomas, director of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Kanjimendi, less than a kilometer away from the Social Service Centre, and another Nun were injured when the centre was attacked. They were taken to the police station in a disheveled state as the armed mob bayed for their blood. The Pastoral centre was then set afire.

12) BALLIGUDA CHURCH BUILDINGS DESTROYED AGAIN: On 24th August 2008 evening lynch mobs at the block headquarters of Balliguda, in the very heart of Kandhamal district, which had seen much violence between 24th and 26th December 2007, attacked and destroyed a Presbytery, convent and hostel damaging the properties.

13) CHRISTIAN BOYS HEADS TONSURED: The mobs in Balliguda caught hold of two boys of the Catholic hostel and tonsured their heads.

14) PHULBANI CHURCH DAMAGED: On 25th august 2008 morning followers of the late Lakshmanananda Saraswati damaged the Catholic Church in Phulbani, the district headquarter town.

15) MOTHER TERESA BROTHERS ASHRAM ATTACKED: Mobs attacked the Mother Teresa Brothers’ residence and hospital in Srasanada, destroyed once before and rebuilt two months ago, and beat up the patients.

16) BHUBANESWAR BISHOP’S HOUSE ATTACKED: On the morning of 25th August 2008, violent mobs made several attempts to enter the compounds of Catholic Church and Archbishop’s house in the heart of the Capital of the State of Orissa . They could not enter because of the police presence. They threw stones at the guesthouse of Archbishop’s House, damaging windows.

17) DUBURI PARISH: Another group of fundamentalists entered presbytery in Duburi parish, managed by the SVDs and destroyed and damaged property. Two priests of the parish are missing.

18) Mr. Jamaj Pariccha, Director of Gramya Pragati, is attacked and his property damaged, vehicle looted and burnt.

19) A Baptist Church in Akamra Jila in Bhubaneswar is also damaged.

20) Christian institutions like St. Arnold’s School (Kalinga Bihar) and NISWASS report some damage.

21) BOUDH DISTRICT [Adjoining Kandhamal]: Fundamentalists enter the Catholic parish church and destroy property. People are fleeing to safer places. But nothing seems safe.

22) MUNIGUDA: Muniguda Catholic Fathers and Nuns’ residence have been damaged.

23) SAMBALPUR: HM Sister’s residence (Ainthapalli) has suffered damage.

24) PADANPUR: One priest is attacked and admitted to a hospital. Hostel boys and the in charge have moved away from the place.

25) MADHUPUR: Madhupur Catholic Church currently under attack.

26) SMALL CHURCHES: Attempted violence on small churches in various districts, including Padampur, Sambalpur near GM College, Talsera, Dangsoroda, Narayanipatara, Muniguda, Tummiibandh, Tangrapada, Phulbani, Balliguda, Kalingia, Chakapad, Srasanranda.

27) VILLAGE CHRISTIAN HOUSES ATTACKED: Houses attacked on forest hamlets of Balliguda, Kanjamandi Nuaguam (K.Nuaguam), Tiangia (G.Udayagiri), Padangiri, Tikabali.

28) KALAHANDI DISTRICT: Houses burnt even though the district is more than 300 kilometers from the place where Swami Lakshmanananda was killed.

29) PASTORS’ HOUSE BURNT: Pastor Sikandar Singh of the Pentecostal Mission beaten up and his house burnt in Bhawanipatna.

30) KHARIHAR: 3 Christian shops were looted and burnt. Pastor Alok Das and Pastor I M Senapati beaten up.

31) AAMPANI: Pastor David Diamond Pahar, Pastor Pravin Ship, Pastor Pradhan and Pastor Barik beaten up and chased away with their families.

32) NAKTIKANI: Mob surrounds village to attack Christians.

Think you have it rough? How would you like to live like this?
Pray, my friends, pray.

Festering Blister on My Big Toe

Posted by on 22 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: my life., random.

[NOTE–No photographs are provided to spare you the gory image]

As I’ve mentioned a few times, I have been running a lot recently in preparation for a the Fort Wayne certified half marathon the end of September.
About a month ago I bought a new pair of shoes.

Then I went camping and I think broke (or at least sprained or bruised) a metatarsal (bone on the top of my foot).
About a week after this, I had a nagging arch pain, and I feared I was developing fallen arches, so I put arch supports in my new shoes (I probably mis-identified the broken metatarsal pain as falling arches, but I never put two-and-two together until now…)

In the past two weeks, I’ve been running five times a week, and five times a week I have a blister on my big toe.
It hurts!

So tonight is one of my days off, so I’ll let it heal, and then I am taking out the arch supports for Saturday’s 10-miler.

We’ll see how my big toe does.

It’s just a big pain in my BIG TOE.

The AP Olympics

Posted by on 20 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: random.

So I’ve been watching the Olympics. Just about every day.
I really enjoyed the first week or so, Michael Phelps style.

But now, the AP Olympics just don’t compare.
AP=After Phelps

What do you think?

I’ve been running lately.

Posted by on 07 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: my life.

So I’ve been running a lot more lately, getting ready for the Fort Wayne certified (that means it counts) half marathon.
Last weekend Isaac and I went out for a long run, and it was the first time I’ve been out over an hour in two years, I believe. It felt great!
We are looking forward to another long run, 8 miles, this weekend. Should be greatly enjoyable! We’re planning on putting in the long runs in the morning so that we can get our bodies at least partially used to running in the morning (the half marathon starts at 7:30 a.m.).
Tomorrow morning at 6 a.m., I’m getting up and putting in a run with Jason. That should be a challenge! I haven’t been up that early since I don’t know when.

Hope you’re going to join us at the half marathon! You don’t have to run all that hard, you know. You can walk as much as you want–exercise is good for you, your body and your heart.

Poll: How Green Are You?

Posted by on 07 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: polls

So are you green? Not at all? Dedicated greenie?
Well, here’s your chance to vote on it!

How Green Are You?

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Poll: How do you check your Email?

Posted by on 06 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: polls

This week’s second poll asks, how do you check your Email? Do you use a program, and if so, which one? Perhaps you’re using your iPhone or an Internet website…
I’m curious, what say you?

How do you check your Email most often?

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How Green Can Indiana Get?

Posted by on 06 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: random., thoughts on life.

Article from the Sound Bend Tribune: How green can Indiana get?

Switching Back to Microsoft Outlook (from Thunderbird).

Posted by on 05 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: my life., Tech Stuff.

This week as I rolled out a new Microsoft Exchange service for our Email (here @ New Hope), I knew I would need (if I wanted to fully use the available functionality) to switch back from Mozilla Thunderbird to Microsoft Office Outlook 2007.

It is still taking me some getting used to for sure! Nothing is quite as simple and straight-forward as it was in Thunderbird.
But I am thankful to have a calendar program that syncs to my phone and my Email all in one place.
Now, I just need to relearn Microsoft Office Outlook 2007. (Don’t you just love that long name?)

Last night’s roll out took me somewhere around 3 1/2 hours, and I’m tired today. I guess I need to go for a training run!
(p.s. I still miss my T-bird.)

This Week’s Poll: How much do you check Email?

Posted by on 05 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: polls, Tech Stuff.

How many times on average do you check your Email per day? (Count all Email accounts...TOTAL!)

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Our New Pet Dog

Posted by on 05 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: my life., random.

This week, Emily and I adopted a new pet dog, Fido.

We got it from Emily’s brother Joel.

At first, Emily loved the dog, but she’s since become a little freaked out by the way the dog seems to stare at her while she’s dressing. She says Fiedo gives her the ‘heebie jeebies’.

Anyway, here’s a photo of our new puppy dog!

Our New Dog

Exercise.

Posted by on 04 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: my life.

I’m curious…do you get enough exercise on a daily (or weekly) basis?

I’ve really been trying to exercise more this summer, and it comes and goes. I have done a better job of walking to work (8 minute walk one way), and also have been running (for the Fort Wayne certified half marathon in two months).

I think they say we’re supposed to get 15-minutes of vigorous activity at least 4 times a week. How are you doing?
Another question: How are you exercising? Walking? Running? Biking? Swimming? Basketball? What say you?

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