Updates from India 70

Not many photos this month but will try harder next month.

Please read the comments below, we both feel so strongly that our country is sinking into totalitarianism.

What is happening to the UK?

Those who know me will wonder have I gone all right wing here, no I have not. But I am deeply concerned for the UK, and what it is becoming.

Is there freedom of speech in the UK?

Eamon O'Kelly Jan 11, 2016

No, the UK no longer has freedom of speech.  Paul Mainwood lists in his answer many of the types of restrictions that government may now impose on speech in the UK.  I would like to supplement this by providing some examples of actual, recent cases in which disfavoured speech was subject to criminal investigation and/or prosecution:

An atheist was convicted for placing sexually explicit images of religious figures in the Liverpool Airport prayer room. Atheist guilty over cartoons left at Liverpool airport

Five Muslim men were tried in Derby for distributing anti-gay leaflets. The Crime of Leafleting

A student was sentenced to jail time for posting racist comments on twitter while drunk. British Freedom of Speech Endangered

A Scottish TV personality was subject to criminal investigation for on-air remarks during the Ebola crisis. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-30641705

A college diversity officer (oh, the irony!) was prosecuted for anti-white comments.  Silly English Woman Is Being Charged for Tweeting Rude Things

A reality TV star (whatever that is) was convicted for advocating the killing of children born with Down Syndrome.  Tv star who said anyone with Down's Syndrome should be 'put down' faces jail

A singer was arrested for performing "Kung Fu Fighting" at a beach bar on the Isle of Wight.  Man arrested for singing 'Kung Fu Fighting'

These criminal enforcement actions cannot be redeemed by saying that they involved speech that is "offensive."  The whole point of "free speech" is that it protects expression that the majority of people disagree with or find offensive.  There is rarely any demand for banning inoffensive speech.

Which gets us to a second problem:  Who defines what is "offensive"?  In an age that is characterized by "trigger warnings" and "safe spaces," almost everything is at risk of offending someone with a sufficiently thin skin.  The "Kung Fu Fighting" case illustrates this perfectly (well, perhaps the song offends against musical good taste, but that's a different issue!).

It is the situation in the UK, then, that almost anything you say could cause you to be subject to a criminal investigation, prosecution, and possible imprisonment, as long as someone, somewhere decides to be offended by it.  It does not matter that most people can get away with offensive remarks without being hauled into court; as long as some people are investigated or charged (and these actions are made public), then everyone will be moved to self-censor to some extent.  As further reports of criminal investigations and prosecutions surface, this "chilling effect" becomes increasingly acute.

Neither does it matter that in many of these investigations the defendant is never charged or, if charged, is not convicted.  For most law-abiding people, the stress and expense of defending against criminal charges, as well as the damage to reputation and career, will be punishment enough.  In short, to suppress free speech, the sacrifice of just a few Muslim leafleters or drunken twitterers will suffice pour encourager les autres.

The UK no longer has freedom of speech.

Some other posters have contrasted the current speech regime in the UK with that in the US, where freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment.  It is important to recall that when the American colonists rebelled against Great Britain, they were motivated by what they saw as the suppression by a tyrannical government of their ancient rights and liberties as Britons.  Foremost among these were freedom of speech and religion.  In the debates surrounding the adoption of the constitution, advocates both pro- and anti- appealed to the authority of British free speech traditions and thinkers such as John Wilkes and John Stuart Mill.  The so-called anti-federalists were concerned that the proposed constitution did not go far enough to protect the people's traditional British rights.  It was to mollify such objections that the  first amendment to the constitution expressly protected the freedoms of speech, religion, association, and the right to assemble peaceably.

The modern concept of free speech originated in Great Britain. It was exported to the colonies, whence it spread (however imperfectly) to other parts of the world.  It should be a cause for universal concern that free speech is now being strangled in the land that once was its cradle.

Tommy Robinson why he was arrested?  Source Fb Tommy Robinson.

The judge stated that Tommy reading the names of the defendants was contempt of court and risked the trial collapsing.

Tommy read the list in the livestream from a BBC article which was already out in the public domain. The list of defendants is publicly available on the court website! If you search google for that particular case you will find pictures and details of the suspects already printed by nearly every national UK newspaper. So what did Tommy do exactly that nearly every other reporter has not already done?

You have to ask yourself the question - why would one reporter outside a court case reading a charge sheet already publicly available across a number of sources suddenly risk collapsing the case?

Have you ever heard of another case where someone was arrested, tried, sentenced and transferred to prison all within the space of 3 hours? No, because it has never happened before.

Is this our Britain anymore? I may not agree with what someone says but I will defend the right to say it. If it offends then I'm sorry but it seems to me that if you say ‘you have got big feet’ someone will be offended. Our society has become super left super delicate and wrong! Will it help if I say I'm offended by the behaviour of our government?

Homelessness.

About homelessness, 57,890 households were accepted as homeless in England

Homelessness is devastating, dangerous and isolating. Source Crisis UK

On average, homeless people die at just 47 years old.

People sleeping on the street are almost 17 times more likely to have been victims of violence. More than one in three people sleeping rough have been deliberately hit or kicked or experienced some other form of violence whilst homeless.

Homeless people are over nine times more likely to take their own life than the general population.

What causes homelessness?

People become homeless for lots of different reasons. There are social causes of homelessness, such as a lack of affordable housing, poverty and unemployment; and life events which cause individuals to become homeless.

People can become homeless when they leave prison, care or the army with no home to go to. Many homeless women have escaped a violent relationship.

Many people become homeless because they can no longer afford the rent.

And for many, life events like a relationship breaking down, losing a job, mental or physical health problems, or substance misuse can be the trigger. Being homeless can, in turn, make many of these problems even harder to resolve.

How many people are homeless?

There is no national figure for how many people are homeless across the UK. This is because homelessness is recorded differently in each nation, and because many homeless people do not show up in official statistics at all.

Government street counts and estimates give a snapshot of the national situation. The latest figures showed that 4,751 people slept rough across England on any given night in 2017 - a 15% increase compared to the previous year, and more than double the amount in 2010.

Last year 57,890 households were accepted as homeless in England. In Scotland, 34,100 applications were assessed as homeless and in Wales 9,210 households were threatened with homelessness.

Food banks, The Trussell trust November 2017

586,907 three day emergency food supplies given to people in crisis in first half of this year, a 13% increase on the same period last year – 208,956 to children

Foodbanks in areas of full Universal Credit rollout for six months or more have seen a 30% average increase six months after rollout compared to a year before

Foodbanks report serious effects of six-plus week waiting period, poor administration and inability of the current advance payment system to support everyone on no income.

IS THIS THE BRITAIN YOU WANT?

Comments by Kris

May has been an interesting month, my birthday and our wedding anniversary, we plan to go out for a meal to celebrate later in the month when we can both relax and enjoy. The restaurant will be Wok by the Lake which serves authentic Chinese food and is very good, been before so know its yummy.

Prior to leaving the UK to move to India Chris made me a promise, that when we got settled and had some spare cash I could have a bathtub fitted in our home. Yey

The solar water heater has arrived

Well at long last we have a bathtub fitted, bathroom needs completing and tub needs to be boxed in but it is very useable. We have solar water heating on the roof and I never thought I’d say this but we have more than enough hot water for two or three baths a day at least. The best of it is the water is free, heated by the sun. We're having to put a cage around it to protect it when the monkeys jump over it on the roof

The large box is my bathtub 

Solar water heater on roof

Solar water heater complete with a monkey cage

The first bath water was run and I had to wait over one and a half hours for it to cool down so I could use it the water is just that hot. We have a tiny en-suite bathroom so fitting a bath in it was always going to be a challenge, but Chris and a friend-sourced just the right tub for me. I can lounge in the bath and soak all my pain away its great.

I also received another gift from Chris a plastic duck and ducklings to go in the bath, a bit twee but now I have them I love them to bits. The dogs are not so sure especially when I make them squeak, they just don’t know what to make of them, very suspicious and nervous at the moment

The wood is to rest my bathtub on as it does
not come with any other fixtures

New shower so I can wash my hair in the bath

.

I was so excited to get in the bath at this point and
it was worth the wait, so relaxing

We plan to have Chris’s sister Amba and the family over on Sunday for food and drinks so that will be fun. 5 adults, 5 kids, 2 dogs and my 6 chickens should prove interesting. At the moment the kids all want to come with Amba when she visits so it will be nice to have them all here at once. We may put the sprinkler onto the garden so they can play in the water as its still mega hot here. There maybe incriminating photos in the next blog watch out Chris I may set the hose pipe on you for a change.

 I keep thinking it’s that time of year when the exam results are out and people are applying for schools, colleges, universities and possibly jobs.

Does education matter, well emphatically I will say Yes but we have to accept that some people and kids will always be creative and practical rather than academic. I want to remind all parents that we should love and support the kids whatever their ability, and not place them under too much pressure to be something they are not. For many kids can’t take the pressure and may think the only way out is to kill themselves. Please don’t let your kids be in that position. I pray we value our children’s unique abilities, help them where we can but support them in their decisions and choices in life. I do believe emphatically in Education, but as a creative person I am lucky that I was into academics too which is quite rare, but I respect those that are purely artistic or practical also. I will always encourage our students to do their best and help where I can, but mental health is just as important as general health.

Chris preparing mangoes
for our mango surprise

Below are some photos of the vintage car museum we visited last month, they look better in the photos than in reality.

Well that's all for this month hope everyone is well and enjoying life

God Bless from Chris and Kris in sunny Udaipur

Updates from India 69

Amazing Grace.

What a wonderful hymn and testimony. Written by a man who was a deep sinner, profane and a slave trader who denied God, what changed him, and why the change?

Many people have written about the life of John Newton, his conversion and his work in the church from that time. What happens inside a man when God is finally allowed in? I cannot answer directly for John, but I can answer for myself.

Mine was a life of violence, drug use (class A) and debauchery, loyal only to those about me that I trusted. These were outlaw bikers, the law being an inconvenience if considered at all. I had no faith and frankly didn’t believe a God could even exist. My training was in science as an engineer I saw the universe as a natural phenomenon. Drugs enhanced my life and women were there to enjoy. Parties, alcohol and violence ruled my life. One of my proudest achievements was to be able to throw a knife and hit what I aimed at. This wasn’t a short spell either it was 50 years.

Many times in those years in days or weeks of distress I would call out that if there was a God….prove it to me, make that tree branch fall, change the wind direction, but he never did. Even if He had then I think at that time I would have called it a coincidence.

Then I went to the USA to ride from West to East with a friend. I rode up the California coast into the great Redwood forests of Oregon and to Lake Tahoe. It was a long climb for the bikes to the top of the volcano that has long been dormant but gives a great view from the top. Here I found the Lord. Not in the view but in the ride down the other side of that mountain. It was steep and twisting with only a few places guarded against the sheer drops beyond the road.

My rear brake failed, then the front burnt out trying to stop, the Indian I was riding didn’t change down well and I was afraid that if I tried I could end up in neutral and make matters worse. The speed increased and the bends came faster until I knew the next one was where I was going to crash. I wasn’t new to this, I had been a biker all my life so I prepared to bail off the bike as it hit the ground. The bend swept at me, I leaned into it until parts of the bike were making sparks on the road and it would lean no further. In front of witnesses at that moment, the bike stood up. I couldn’t let go of the handlebars (believe me I tried!) Against all the laws of physics it straightened up crossed the road towards the sheer drops and STOPPED. This was impossible, no brakes and leaning in the opposite direction, this could not happen but it did. I stress this was in front of witnesses who openly stated what they had seen could not happen. Well, I came off that mountain a changed man. Later that week in a small church I told my story, that day I accepted Christ as my saviour.

I want you to think about what you just read and read the words John wrote. For me life would never be the same. Everything was different, a whole new world about me, a great joy within me filling that part that had been empty for so long.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.

It hasn’t been easy, many times I have been tested, my faith challenged but I know that Jesus is always with me and will be as long as I live. I am His servant and I serve with joy in my heart.

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

  

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

One day I shall go to him not in fear of death but in gladness and peace knowing what awaits me.

I changed from the person I spent a lot of my life as into the person I am now. Now I serve Him in India, my work is among some of the poorest people. I don’t preach, that is not my gift but by example, I hope I show what his love has given me.

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

As John says for all time we will sing His praise, praise for what he did for all of us that accept His way. I was literally saved, and then spiritually saved.

If Jesus can save people like me and John, why can’t you be saved? You only have to ask.



A ride to Mount Abu

It had been decided for some time that a ride to the highest point in Rajasthan at 1220mtrs was a good way to get my back used to riding again. Kris can’t ride with me for a while so this seemed the ideal time. The ride was good and the scenery fantastic. I rode with a good friend Peter and stayed at his aunt's home.

She runs a small school (live in) and is a super person. I met Peters cousins and generally had a great time.

Rode home again the next day with no back issues. Glad to be home, it’s very rare for Kris and me to be separated overnight.

Tea break on the way. 180K

In solo mode

How many animals can you see?

Peter, a good friend who I rode down with.

That's bear claw marks

There are Crocs in that water........fancy a swim!

That's a volcano in the background. In fact, Mt Abu is a huge extinct volcano.

Home produce

20Kg of Mangos stoned and turned to
pulp.
Step one of our mango wine production

Kris can now make our own really nice bread.
the next one is multigrain.

Comments by Kris

Yet another busy month seems to have flown by. Chris is still having his anti-rabies vaccinations so I get to stab him on a regular basis, the last one will be on 30^th April. It is reassuring knowing I can administer these without having to traipse to the hospital on a regular basis. Funnily enough, lots of people thought the news that Chris was bitten by a rabid dog was him joking especially as he posted on April fools day, alas no it was very real, and the dog did die.

We have just returned from Ahmedabad in Gujarat the next state to Rajasthan. It was extremely hot, we had some time to spare so we thought we would visit the vintage car museum which had an excellent write-up and apparently had lots to do including a restaurant. Well, you should never believe publicity or advertising. We spent 45 mins travelling by taxi to get there, we were hot and tired so thought ah first stop the restaurant for a cold drink. Simple one would think and no it wasn’t a language or translation problem.

We went in and were presented with the menu, great lots of drinks to choose from but no although they were listed they were not available, so I asked for cold panni (water), again no not available so I pointed to the fridge with lots of bottles of panni inside. Yes panni but fridge was not switched on so water was hot. But we could have a warm coconut milk, yuk not particularly keen especially warm, so we left as we already had warm panni we were carrying with us. The museum was overrated, yes they have lots of cars, not in good condition and you could not see them properly as access was severely limited at best some you could view the front of the car but not the back or they cars in the row behind as it was roped off with many security guards watching your every move. Yes we were told these cars had belonged to the royal family, but believe me they were not in good condition at all. Some had been overpainted by hand badly, and many were incorrect with additions or pieces missing. I was most disappointed as I have a passion for vintage cars. There was a vintage car ride advertised at Rs1000 around £12per person, as the cars on show were in poor condition we decided to forego the pleasure. There’s a vintage car museum here in Udaipur which we have been told is better so we will visit this when we get time.

On a really positive note I got a days painting in when Chris and a friend Peter rode to Mount Abu. I really enjoyed it just did some watercolour practice pieces which turned out quite well. Really looking forward to doing more painting. I have also been practicing making my own bread, it’s a bit hit and miss at the moment as you can’t buy strong bread flour here, but it is really tasty and better than the bland sliced bread you can buy. Chris and I love home made bread and as my hands are not up to kneading we invested in a bread maker which makes things easier for me.

Work has been hectic, we’ve had a university inspection and COA (Council of Architecture) inspection in the last month so its stressful all round. Were still teaching Workshop with the first year and this semester were again teaching Landscape to the third year, so its never dull.

Chris and I often comment on how beautiful the drive is to college and how lucky we are to work in such natural surroundings. Of course its not very green now summer is here it looks kind of barren but come monsoon it will become very verdant again. Its amazing how resilient the plants and grass are to the harsh heat of summer and lack of rain.

Our tomatoes are now at an end, we’ve had bumper crops of cherry tomatoes for which our friends have been very grateful to receive.

I was just thinking over the last week how many people I now know in the city and how nice it is to go to their shops and stalls to buy my everyday needs. It’s like it was when I was growing up in New Brancepeth an old mining village, everyone knew everyone and if you went to the shop they knew you and what you wanted to buy. I now have that here there are many shops I go to where I chat and pass the time of day with the owners and staff, even the stall holders who sell vegetables know me. It’s kind of nice when I haven’t been for a while and they ask if I am ok. I really feel like part of the community and they don’t treat me as a tourist. I know some of their families and have been invited into their homes by many. Some practice their English with me and they help me with my Hindi or I use google translate when it gets really tough but you need to be careful as it doesn’t always translate accurately which can be quite funny. Body language and sign language help too, but they appreciate I try to use Hindi where I can. It’s not so easy as you get older to learn a new language but I will keep trying. (Hum Koshish Ker rahe he- we are trying). I often get offered chai (tea) which alas I refuse as it’s made with cow’s milk and I’m lactose intolerant. I have even been offered chai when I have gone to fill my scooter up with petrol at the local garage. I chat to the guys dispensing petrol about the IPL cricket as I have got very interested in 20/20 cricket here, it’s interesting and not boring like test matches.

At long last I am to get my bathtub, hopefully, more on that next month.

Well, that’s all, for now, hope you’re all well and having a reasonable summer.

Take care and God Bless

Chris and Kris in Udaipur

Updates fro India 68

Hi all, really sorry the blog is late. You know what it's like when you have one of those months with not enough days in it, well we just had one.
Normal service back soon!


Easter.

The most important time of the year for many Christians. But why? Our faith is predicated on Jesus having been crucified and then rose from the dead.

That’s quite a statement isn’t it?

I sit here today in India writing this post not for my Christion friends or for the Atheists out there, but for the others, those of you who haven’t made up your minds about this whole religion thing.

I am not going to preach at you, if like me before I was saved you had people knocking on your door, coming up to you in the street, all with one message….The word of God, the good news, whatever they called it. It doesn’t take long to become immune and just pass them bye hoping they don’t pick on you. I had a friend many years ago who got so tired of ‘evangelists’ at his door every month that he made a crucifix, painted it black and hung it upside down in plain sight of his front door. They never called again. Please be quite certain I am not disparaging the efforts of anyone to bring people to Christ, I am just telling it as it is for many people.

But why do we do it, why do we spend our time praising a God that we can’t even prove is real?

Ok, let’s look at that. I cannot by any scientific method prove that God is real, but to me there is no doubt whatsoever that He is as real as the morning sun. Why do I believe this?

 Let’s look at the core of my faith. Jesus and his crucifixion.

There are many secular historians who lived in the century after the death of Jesus Christ who confirmed his existence. Here are some of them:

There are many Non Bible sources that you can read for yourself.

 Flavius Josephus

 “Titus Flavius Josephus (37 – c. 100), was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 70.”

His most important works were The Jewish War (c. 75) and Antiquities of the Jews (c. 94).  The Jewish War recounts the Jewish revolt against Roman occupation (66–70). Antiquities of the Jews recount the history of the world from a Jewish perspective for an ostensibly Roman audience. These works provide valuable insight into 1st century Judaism and the background of Early Christianity.

Josephus was a Jew who did not believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God or Christianity. In The Antiquities of the Jews, book 18, chapter 3, paragraph 3 the famous historian Flavius Josephus writes:

“Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works—a teacher of such men as receives the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”

Later Josephus writes:

“But the younger Ananus who, as we said, received the high priesthood, was of a bold disposition and exceptionally daring; he followed the party of the Sadducees, who are severe in judgment above all the Jews, as we have already shown. As therefore Ananus was of such a disposition, he thought he had now a good opportunity, as Festus was now dead, and Albinus was still on the road; so he assembled a council of judges, and brought before it the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ, whose name was James, together with some others, and having accused them as law-breakers, he delivered them over to be stoned.”

Josephus considered one of the greatest historians of antiquity, independently provides proof and evidence that Jesus was a real person who did exist and also confirms the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross under the orders of Pontius Pilate, thus confirming the Biblical account as well.

   

Tacitus

Cornelius Tacitus was a Roman Historian who lived from 55-120AD.  In 115 AD, P. Cornelius Tacitus wrote the following passage that refers to Jesus (called “Christus,” which means “The Messiah”) in book 15, chapter 44 of The Annals after a six-day fire burned much of Rome:

“Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.”

Despite the fact the clearly despised Christianity as a “mischievous superstition”, Tacitus no less confirms once again the existence of Jesus and His crucifixion on the cross, it also states Pontius Pilate as the procurator who oversaw the crucifixion again giving non-Biblical proof of Jesus’ existence as recorded in the Bible.

Pliny The Younger

Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, (61 AD – ca. 112 AD) : “better known as Pliny the Younger, was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. According to Wikipedia:  “Pliny is known for his hundreds of surviving letters, which are an invaluable historical source for the time period. Many are addressed to reigning emperors or to notables such as the historian, Tacitus. Pliny himself was a notable figure, serving as an imperial magistrate under Trajan (reigned AD 98–117).  Pliny was considered an honest and moderate man, consistent in his pursuit of suspected Christian members according to Roman law, and rose through a series of Imperial civil and military offices, the cursus honorum.”

In his correspondence with the emperor Trajan (Epistulae X.96) he reported on his actions against the followers of Christ. He asks the Emperor for instructions dealing with Christians and explained that he forced Christians to curse Christ under painful torturous inquisition:

“They were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and bound themselves to a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft, adultery, never to falsify their word, not to deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of a meal–but ordinary and innocent food.”

So not only was Pliny aware of Jesus Christ, he also provides description of the activities of the early church. In a later writing he details persecution against Christians:

“Even this practice, however, they had abandoned after the publication of my edict, by which, according to your orders, I had forbidden political associations. I therefore judged it so much more the necessary to extract the real truth, with the assistance of torture, from two female slaves, who were styled deaconesses: but I could discover nothing more than depraved and excessive superstition.

In the meanwhile, the method I have observed towards those who have denounced to me as Christians is this: I interrogated them whether they were Christians; if they confessed it I repeated the question twice again, adding the threat of capital punishment; if they still persevered, I ordered them to be executed. For whatever the nature of their creed might be, I could at least feel no doubt that contumacy and inflexible obstinacy deserved chastisement. There were others possessed of the same folly; but because they were Roman citizens, I signed an order for them to be transferred to Rome.”

So here we see that not only did Pliny not follow the Christian faith, he was torturing Christians and threatening death against them. And he even records that under threat of execution (just for believing in Jesus Christ as God) the early church members refused to deny their faith in Jesus. This is remarkable evidence of Jesus’ existence outside of the Bible.

Well I could go on quoting different sources but that just gets boring doesn’t it. Note one thing here though; these statements were made by men alive at the time of Christ, but who were not Christians. There is NO doubt that as a historical figure Jesus existed. The crucifixion was also recorded by both Roman and Jewish historians (who on the whole denounced him as a blasphemer) as a fact.

Well that leaves the resurrection doesn’t it.

I am not going to argue faith here but I am going to ask you two questions:

Why would many many different people (Hundreds, not just one or two) claim and never deny even under torture or pain of death that they had sat talked or had eaten with the risen Christ?

Secondly;

Why did His disciples and others over the next 40 years die rather than deny Him as Christ?

Well forget faith; let’s just use a little common sense.

Would you die? I have to be honest, if it was a scam, lies or conspiracy I would NOT die to continue it, nor would I sustain days of pain and torture and the whole time stand by what I had said. It just doesn’t make any sense to me to say they were not being totally honest in their story. Perhaps the best common sense approach I have ever read from a modern reporter comes from;

Charles W. Colson

“I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Everyone was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren't true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn't keep a lie for three weeks. You're telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”

At this time, Easter I only ask that you consider what Christ did for me and can do for you. He gave me a new life, filled me with the joy of knowing him, forgave my sins (there were many) and all just because I let him in. No charge, no conditions, just love. I am not the person I once was, violent immoral and drug addicted, I have been as it says in my bible ‘Born again’.

I am today another person since that time and would die before denying Christ just as many others before me have.

Think about that fact for a moment, I don’t know about you but to me the very fact that I would willingly die rather than deny Christ means I am either, mad, deluded or saved, you decide which.

God bless you all. Believers, atheists and all the rest of you who don’t yet know Christ as your saviour, I pray one day you will.

In other news

A trip away.

We were planning a trip away this month but life interfered.

A friend (good friend) had a silly argument with his friend (girl but not girlfriend). Our gate was locked and so having borrowed my phone because his was flat he climbed over it, fell on his face splat and bust my phone! Laughed till I cried.

Anyway trip money bought a new phone. He wanted to pay but he is a very good friend so I told him to pay me in beer!

Also

I got bit by a rabid dog two days ago, the dog died! 

That’s what happens when you mess with the Welsh. 

More details from Kris.

Isn’t life interesting.

Building work

We are joining the house to the dividing wall to form a long ‘shed’ connected to the servant’s quarters that will now be a work shop. In the monsoon or summer the bikes can park under cover. Because this side of the house never gets direct sun it is much cooler in there so working on the bike will be better now. No more bringing it in for the A/C luxury.

 

The door in the background is to the servants quarters, all 12'x6'
of it. The covered area is 25' x 10' joined to both the house
and the property wall.

Bench supports.

Gardens

Looking good but heat now starting to burn crops so shade going up to protect them and lengthen the cropping season.

The lawn is starting to burn
Daily temperature now 40deg C and rising.

Comments by Kris

Well its that time again folks.

I have been reflecting on the time Chris and I came to India to live; our feelings of anticipation, excitement, concern about a new culture, new jobs etc. The reason for this reflection now is simple; a colleague has just left her job and has just moved to Canada to see if she can build a new life there. It made me think about our decision to move to India, yes it shocked family and friends. Some didn’t think we’d make a year out here but God is good and he just knew the plans he had for us. Yes we have had difficult times, health issues and house moves (on the same colony thank goodness) but God has been so faithful to all his promises. It’s also Easter when we remember all the Lord has done for us. Would I still come here if I knew all we would have to do to build a new life, Absolutely so long as Chris and I are together. Do I envy our colleague her adventure in Canada, no I don’t but I am happy for her to experience new things. As for me and Chris, the Lord still has adventures for us here in India and he continues to guide us along our journey.

I was thinking about how well I manage the shopping with my minimal Hindi, English and sign language. I confess when I get really stuck I use google translate and images from the internet, and on rare occasions I ring a Hindi friend to translate for me. Yes I wish my Hindi was better, and yes I do practice but when you get to my age learning a new language is not so easy. I had a funny conversation with some of our students recently. They asked if I cooked and if so did we eat Indian food. Well yes, both Chris and I cook and we love Indian food but sometimes we like a good old fashioned roast dinner. We even have Indian friends coming to eat foreign food (Western food that is) with us. Students also asked if we ate mostly at restaurants or got take aways, no we rarely eat out, yes to the occasional takeaway, so they were convinced I did all my shopping at the large supermarket. But I told them I bargained at the local veg mundi (vegetable market) and shopped locally, I can’t remember the last time I went to the supermarket, probably over six months ago. However there is a new one opening this weekend not too far from us (about 3to 4 kms) which I will try.

A Hindu friend suggested some time ago I stop Chris from drinking alcohol by telling him not to go to the English Wine Shop (only place to get alcohol outside a restaurant or hotel) in the hope he would not drink anymore. I said he doesn’t go to the English Wine shop, I do. This does raise some eyebrows as women don’t go to these places or buy tools from toolshops but I do and I have to say I am very well accepted and treated with respect when I do. I have no intention of stopping Chris drinking, he doesn’t drink daily or to excess and I myself like a Bacardi and Coke. I believe Jesus has no problem with it after all he did turn the water into wine at the wedding. She also wanted me to get Chris to cut his hair and shave off his beard, oh no, then it wouldn’t be the guy I married as I have always known him with long hair and a beard. Why would I want to change the man I fell in love with and married to someone he is not.

It’s been a busy month, I was going to get new chicks but that has been put on hold till next week as there are a lot of holidays so the agricultural college is closed where I get my chicks from.

Also we have builders in doing some work in Chris’s workshop, building a flower bed at the entrance to our home and building a car port for our bikes at the side of the house. To say there is mess everywhere would be an understatement and these guys work clean and tidily, but the dust just gets everywhere including inside the house. They may take another two days to complete but it has been worth it. Somewhere to protect the bikes from the heat of the sun and the monsoon rain. We decided that rather than do the work ourselves we would employ someone, which I think was a magnificent idea Chris.

We have had a fantastic yield of cherry tomatoes this year and they have been yummy all organically grown. Our friends and neighbours have been pleased to receive them too.

Chilly has had her sterilization operation and has coped surprisingly well, the wound is healing and she’s bouncing around with Blue’ in the garden. Unfortunately whilst building work has been ongoing they have been confined to the house whilst the workers were here, but they loved jumping and digging in the 2 tons of sand we had delivered.

The other day one of the street dog puppies came into our garden when the builders were here, so frail and thin you could see its little ribs, no we can’t have another dog I said to Chris it would be too much. We happily fed it though and kept an eye out that it was okay. I carried it back out into the street from the garden. I was so very lucky. Later that day it bit the neighbours daughter and several other people on the colony and the next day bit Chris on his hand. Animal Aid came to collect it as it was becoming very aggressive and they notified us that the animal was tested positive for Rabies and died shortly after being collected. Ahhhh poor dog and everyone who was bitten by the Rabid dog, so off to the hospital for anti Rabies injections. Rabies is a killer and if Chris does not get his 5 injections over the next month it will kill him too. First injection at the hospital and as I’m a nurse I can give the other 4 injections on specific dates this month oh what joy for Chris. Well he can add another disease to his list out here, I’m thinking of quarantining him as he keeps making howling noises and scratching his ear (he does it for a joke, which secretly I think is funny but don’t tell him as he will just do it more)

Easter Monday we fasted till evening and then sat down to Roast Turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes, cabbage and green beans, yummy, alas no Yorkshire puds as the milkman came too late.

That’s all for this month

Hope you all had a Happy Easter

God Bless

Chris and Kris in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India