|
December 30, 2007 What we hope is the final update on this situation: Pakistan has simmered for the last two days under a "state of mourning". Frankly, I preferred the State of Emergency! Stores that dare to open to sell niceties like food have to shield their windows, ready to roll down metal shutters in case roving mobs of PPP supporters come by to "enforce" grief on their bazaar. Gas stations are nearly all closed for the same reason, and even the largest ambulance service has temporarily suspended operations due to a lack of petrol. A story on one of the Pakistani news channels last night gave the final totals of grief on Thursday: something like 50 killed, hundreds seriously injured, more than 300 shops looted and then burned, an undetermined number of houses burned, 110 banks burned, 75 train cars burned, 15 petrol pumps, etc. The Pak rupee has lost value, the business stoppage is costing the economy billions, and most plane flights in and out have been stopped by fear of retribution or the simple inability of crews to reach the airport. Oh, and those "spontaneous outpourings" of violent grief have usually had someone pointing out the places and people to make grieve more than they were. The State Department has warned US citizens to lay low until tomorrow, and we will. In fact, every foreign government has warned their citizens in country to do the same. But now, the next test will be whether or not elections will be held, and what kind of reaction there will be to their (likely) cancellation. What does all of this mean to you, as citizens of the US, and Christians? Well, it could mean nothing, except to "tsk-tsk" before you turn the page, or navigate to the next Web site. What I hope you will remember is this - every Christian is your brother or sister. In fact, they are (according to the Scriptures) a part of your own Body: the Body of Christ. Many of you are praying for us, and we thank you. But, do not forget that five million members of the body live here, and are the poorest, and most vulnerable to disruptions in the society. So, may I ask you to do us this favor? However much time you spend in reading about Pakistan (or Kenya. Or Iraq), will you spend an equivalent amount of time in prayer for these places? We certainly want you to be informed; that's why we write. But we need you to pray - pray for peace, pray for mutual understanding, pray for people to develop some type of refection on their actions. Pakistan needs all of you to pour out your hearts to God. And while the Muslim majority here may not be of our faith community, they are still human beings, and are suffering terribly. Pray - and give - and pray some more. It is how you can be positively involved in shaping the news that comes from this place. Marianne Vermeer and Robert Johnson are Presbyterian mission co-workers, serving at Forman Christian College in Lahore, Pakistan. Marianne Vermeer [marianne.vermeer@gmail.com]
December 29, 2007 We started the week with the celebration of Jesus' birth with last minute shopping on Monday followed by a wonderful Christmas Day with Pakistani, German and American friends. We worshipped on campus on Christmas morning and had a relaxing day with good friends and good food. To end the day, we watched the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" and introduced our European and Asian friends to this classic. All was well until Thursday when this country was rocked to its core by Benazir's assassination. Our lives have since been dominated by watching TV, reading online, and pondering what will come next in this tumultuous environment. We have no wisdom to impart: we're watching the same news you are. Our Pakistani colleagues don't have a sense of what will happen either. We've tightened security on campus and closed the college offices until January 2. The main issue right now is that the petrol pumps are nearly all closed bringing transportation to a halt. There were a few pumps open this afternoon and the lines were long. Most shops were closed; several that were open didn't look open, covering the windows and keeping the lights off. That way the shops can close quickly if trouble flares up. We have American friends staying with us (Dr. Scott and Joann Armistead and their three sons). Their plans were to stay with us and have some family time in Lahore. They arrived an hour after Benazir's death was announced and we've all been sharing house #20 ever since. We have five active boys to keep occupied and fed, keeping us all busy! We are blessed with warm sunshine and the large lawns of Forman's campus and they spend nearly all the daylight hours outside. Today we went to the International Museum of Puppetry (bet you never knew that was in Lahore!) and had a lovely lunch in the cabanas and tree house in the gardens. We found a few shops open in our neighborhood market so stocked up a bit for the next few days. Nathan called to make sure the neighborhood pizza place was delivering and that was dinner. We're managing just fine: we worry about those who cannot get out to get food or who don't have shops open in their neighborhoods. We're hoping that things will return to some form of "normal" on Monday after the three days of mourning. We must admit that we are beginning to wonder what "normal" is here after all the events of the past six months! Thank you for all your emails of concern and prayers for us. We ask you to pray for the people here who only wish for peace and stability in their country. Marianne Vermeer December 28, 2007 Daylight has come to Pakistan, as has calm. Grief, shock and anger over Benazir Bhutto's assassination, however, are still with us. It appears that the wave of rage that washed over some areas in the night subsided fairly early. The three day mourning period for Benazir has begun, and with it, an uneasy truce. However, the potential for violence remains high, so high that the city of Karachi (a PPP stronghold) is under virtual lockdown today, with flights in and out of that city suspended for the day. Here in Lahore, there were small, but violent demonstrations. There were reports in the local papers today of beatings of police officers, and burning of buildings (especially banks), cars, homes and political billboards. We understand that some of this was close by, but things were actually quieter than we have heard in a long time (Lahore comes alive at about six p.m., and perks along until 2-3 a.m.). The future is pretty cloudy right now. Some are saying that Benazir's death also marks the death of the political process in the country. The feeling is that if the Taleban/al-Qaeda have now dedicated themselves to controlling who can and can't participate in the political process,fear will rule in the country (as in Afghanistan). Others wonder who or what will take Benazir's place at the helm of the PPP, or if that party will even survive if there are no Bhuttos to head it. This also means that, at the moment, the only large opposition party that has a head is the PML-N, which is headed by another former Prime Minister (who was no more successful than Bhutto), Nawaz Sharif. Benazir will have been buried by the time most of you read this. With her body will be interred the last few years of prosperity and (relative) peace that has enabled Pakistan to progress up until this year. The next few months will determine what manner of future Pakistan will have. Cast with the fortunes of the nation, naturally, come those of the Christian community and institutions (like Forman Christian College) as well. Please pray for peace, stability, and humaneness in this place. Marianne Vermeer and Robert Johnson are Presbyterian mission co-workers, serving at Forman Christian College in Lahore, Pakistan. Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Dear Friends:
--
The true nature of the Pakistani people is shown in the
trouble they The Vermeer-Johnson Family Forman Christian College Ferozepur Road Lahore 54600 Pakistan
Tuesday, November 6, 2007 Dear Friends; We have received word from Mary Ann Vermeer and Robert Johnson, our two mission workers at Forman Christian College in Lahore Pakistan. They indicate in their communication that they don’t have much news as the only news coming to the folks in that country is controlled by the government. In fact, they had a person call them on Sunday to alert them to what had occurred. Their son in a boarding school is fine as well. They seem to be doing well and not in any danger. We urge you to pray for them in their work and this current situation in Pakistan. May God’s Spirit provide counsel and direction for the difficulties in the country. Here is a part of Mary
Ann’s email:
We are fine, as is
Nathan. We talk to him every day as part of our routine so we are in
touch with what is happening where he is as well. Musharref was
supposed to come to our campus today for the convocation (graduation).
The security has been intense in anticipation and then he backed out at
the last minute. None of us were surprised given the recent events; he
sent word of a $9 million grant in his stead so it was still a good day
for the college. Let's hope he keeps that promise. Thanks, in advance, for your prayer concerns,
Thanks, in advance, for your prayer concerns.
Thursday, October 11, 2007 - Pakistan Unrest We've watched CNN and
Fox this week and the word "war" has been in the same sentence as the
word "Pakistan". We wanted to let you know that the events referred to
in the reports are happening in the tribal areas, particularly North
Waziristan. This has always been a region of conflict and tribal
discord. We don't go there, we promise. It is along the Afghan border
in what is called the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (commonly
referred to as the FATA). The Pakistan army is launching an offensive
to let the militants training and hiding there know that their suicide
missions are not welcome. So far, over 250 people have died and people
are fleeing the area. This is all happening in the last few days of
Ramadan; today's paper indicates that talks to restore peace have failed
and the government is planning a major offensive before Eid (the feast
that concludes the month of fasting), which is this weekend. That means
you are likely to hear more about this in the coming days. It also means
more people will probably die and more will be displaced. A very sad
state of affairs. Your prayers for Pakistan and for the stability of
the country are always appreciated.
Tuesday, September 10, 2007 - On a Lighter Note..... Things are Just Different over Here!
Tuesday,
September 4, 2007 - Update from Robert Johnson Once again, bad things in the news from Pakistan. And, yes, we are as tired of this as you are. Today, 20 people (and counting) killed in a bus explosion, and more in a market bombing. This time, the explosion was in Rawalpindi, which is right next to Islamabad, the capital. Rawalpindi is a big military city, and most of the people killed (so far) were military employees, or soldiers. I don't think this is something that will be widespread, but I do think random attacks will continue against military and government targets here for the foreseeable future. More is the pity, of course, but the militant tribes, and the foreign al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorists in the western areas (Rawalpindi is very close to this area) are determined to bring Musharraf down. There is little chance of this, I believe, but it won't stop them from trying. So, please continue to pray for Pakistan. Last night, I was watching CNN, and a report came on about India's poorer classes. A reporter came on at the end of the story, and said something to the effect of "All these people want is a better life for themselves and their children." I thought back to the many, many times I heard that line in television reports when we lived in the states. It always seemed like a throwaway line to me: something that you say that sounds warm and fuzzy to "humanize" the humans you see on the screen in one of those places you hope you never have to go to. Since moving here, and living in one of "those" places, I have discovered that it is not a throwaway line at all - it is what you actually feel when you see a little girl covering her bearded and prayer-capped father's face with laughter-scented kisses, or when you see a little boy peeking shyly out from behind a burqa-clad woman's legs - and seeing the smile in her eyes (because you can't see anything else). The Pakistanis are not some bizarre sub-species of human beings, and, yes, their desires are much the same as yours and mine. So, I say pray for Pakistan not because the Pakistanis need to discover how desperate their situation is becoming, but to pray for them because they are as worried as you would be if you lived here, and this were your nation that seemed to simply move from crisis to crisis. After all, my loved one, all they want is a better life for themselves and their children. Love to All, Marianne Vermeer
October 2007 Forman Christian College Update: A $250,000 commitment from St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Newport Beach, Ca., combined with gifts from La Cañada (Ca.) Presbyterian Church and a donor, Chuck Ford, will fund two new mission co-workers, Marianne Vermeer and Robert Johnson, at Pakistan's Forman Christian College.
Sunday, June 4, 2006 ~ Letter from Marianne Vermeer With all the orientation and reading we did before we came here, we were simply not prepared for some aspects of life in Pakistan. One of the most difficult things for us has been the matter of employing household staff. I've been raised in the strong Dutch Calvinist tradition of hard work and self-reliance; my parents have always told me that my first sentence was "I do it myself!" And while our flat with 12-15 ex-pat teachers in Cairo where I taught as a young adult was carefully tended by Abdel Zaher, he was employed by the school rather than us personally. Here, there is an expectation that the ex-pats will provide much needed jobs to poor Pakistanis as housekeepers, cooks, gardeners, or drivers. Within hours of our arrival, we were presented with people who needed work. And they keep coming. There isn't a week that goes by that someone is not at our gate with papers or appearing in my office seeking employment. There is lobbying by relatives for jobs for their family members, heart-felt pleas from people recently returned from working in the Gulf, inquiries from people working elsewhere and looking for a better job. Some are clearly looking to play on our sympathies; others are obviously honestly desperate. We cannot possibly employ them all nor are there enough jobs available among our ex-pat colleagues or on campus to solve the unemployment problem. Most of those coming are Christians, for several reasons: because Christians are among the poorest people here and often make a living as household workers; because they want to work with Christians or Westerners (who are assumed to be Christians) and because there is more job security on the Forman campus than many other places. We are living in a context where middle class families almost always employ one servant. And that's what they call them. The houses on campus have "servants' quarters" attached to them. We have to admit that terminology has made us squirm. The fact is, as well, that labor saving appliances are in short supply over here. There are lots of unemployed people desperate for work and housework is so time consuming and demanding that in pure economic terms, there is plenty of supply and demand to go around. And so it is that we have come to employ a cook and a housekeeper. There are those reading this who will probably think : isn't that elitist? How can you feel good about that? Honestly, we don't know some times how we feel about it. In the end, however, we believe on the whole it is part of what we need to do here. We are providing a living for two families who are truly grateful for the wages we pay. We treat them with respect and value their work; from what we hear, that in itself is a blessing to them. It's required us to think of things from a different set of eyes and humbled us in ways we could never have imagined. Here is one story as an example: I came home for lunch one day and was sitting in a chair in the living room, reading the newspaper after my bowl of soup. Saddiq and Sam, our household staff, came to see me to express concerns about something. They stood, I sat. Offering them a seat is always met with polite refusal: today was no different. And then Saddiq said: "You know, Madame, you Western people do not understand. It is a matter of honor for us to serve you and to show you respect. We show you respect by always standing in your presence. We honor you by respecting your things and treating them as if they belong to us. We take care of our own things so we will take care of your things. It is our duty to cook for you and to clean for you. You pay us a salary and treat us well. We are happy working for you. We do not need to sit on your furniture; our place is to stay in the kitchen or outside. We will come to your living room to cool off in the heat and to rest, but we will bring our stools from the kitchen or stand quietly. We have learned to honor you by showing you respect in this way. This is the way we Pakistanis do this." I was humbled... they really do see things from a very different perspective and in their very honest and humble way, they were showing me what "servant leadership" is all about. And I was reminded of this passage from Ephesians, chapter 6, beginning with verse 5: Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; 6not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. 7Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, 8knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free. 9 And, masters, do the same to them. Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and with him there is no partiality. This has always seemed an anachronistic passage to me, one that had only allegorical relevance in my modern American life. Here, it is real and alive. While Sam and Saddiq are not "slaves" in any sense of the word, substitute "servant" or "housekeeper" in the passage and you will perhaps read it as I do now. They render service with enthusiasm; they seek to honor God and us in all they do and they live simple lives in service as a testament to their faith. They are walking sermon illustrations every day. And so we ask you to pray for them, just as we did when we wrote about them last month. Saddiq's wife is not in good health and he has injured his shoulder in a fall. Sam worries about how he will pay for his daughter's wedding and his son's education. We value their dedicated service and daily support of our lives here. We only hope we are treating them as we are admonished to do in the passage above. And in other news, Robert Johnson is now the Rev. Dr. Robert Johnson, having received his Ph.D. on Saturday, May 27. He returned safely to Pakistan on May 30 and we're glad to have him back! The boys' school is out for the summer and we are working hard to find ways to keep them busy. They will be doing some fund raising in June for our planned trip in August to Azad Kashmir to help rebuild a school in a village devastated by last October's earthquake. We are excited to be able to help as a family in this small way. We'll join a group of 40 Forman students, fellow faculty members, and residents of the village we plan to help as we build a simple structure that can serve as a school, mosque, and community meeting place. The entire village is living in tents, about 9 km from the Indian border. We'll live in tents, too, washing our clothes in the river and experiencing first hand what it is like to rebuild when you have lost everything. Just prior to our trip to Azad Kashmir, we'll be in Murree for the month of July, studying Urdu full time. We've found we just cannot dedicate the time and attention to language study with full time jobs and family needs. We'll be gone, then, a total of six weeks, all of it spent in the mountains of Pakistan where the average temperatures are well below 100 degrees F! Since we have edged up to 115 degrees F with lots of rain and dust storms recently here in Lahore, we are looking forward to having at least part of the summer at higher altitudes! We'll have limited access to email from July 1 through August 15, so please be patient if it takes us a while to respond to messages. We hope the summer brings a chance for a change of pace for you as well. We appreciate your concern and interest in our work and value your prayers and good wishes.-- Marianne Vermeer __________________________________________________________________________________ March 2, 2006 8:19 a.m. Dear Family and Friends |
|
Presbytery of the James |