Christ Church Aden, Yemen

Dear Friends

It is good to be back, but it was hard to return. At the simplest level that is because Aden is not an easy place to get to - flights in and out of the city are infrequent and notoriously unreliable. We normally allow two days on either side of the annual church synod in Cyprus for travel.

This time, we chose to return with Gulf Air via Bahrain and Sanaa, Yemen’s capital. There were no delays and the journey back took 22 hours. As we packed at home in Wales, we wondered if we should not have stuck with Yemenia, the national carrier, who for all their unpredictability offer a compensating generosity when it comes to baggage allowances. We weighed every item for Gulf Air and knowing we were over the modest limit approached the Heathrow desk with apprehension. Asked by the smart check-in clerk what took us to Yemen, we explained and she exclaimed fulsomely – ‘O bless’! I sensed we could have got away with 40 kilos apiece after all.

It was also hard to return because, in truth, the time at home was so good. The weather was mostly dismal, but we actually enjoyed the rain as it drove in up the valley obscuring the opposite hillside. It proved ideal weather for interior decorating, of which we did more than we had anticipated. It was lovely being back in our home after almost three years away from it and we loved having friends and family to stay.

We took back our old dog Webster, partially blind, almost deaf but able still to catch the whiff of chocolate or cheese at 50 feet! We enjoyed some memorable, even hilarious times again with him before, shortly prior to our return we laid him to rest in a quiet corner of the garden. He was 15 years old, and a noble dog. Nancy has planted fennel on his grave - wavy like his tail.

Some weeks into our holiday (and our time in the UK was mostly that) a neighbour asked if there was anything in particular we missed from Aden. Our reply surprised and shocked us. It was that we missed not hearing the name of God, almost at all, on the lips of anyone except in the course of worship in the local church. Such a thing would be inconceivable here where, in the course of a morning, ‘Alhamdulilaah’ (Thanks be to God) might readily break from the lips of a grateful patient, a relieved doctor or the owner of the fruit and vegetable barrow glad for the rare overnight shower of rain. It was a sad admission to make in that land of Christian saints, hymnology, chapels and stirring natural beauty, but it seemed for an awful lot of people (and there are some glorious exceptions) God was just not on the screen. A popular, contemporary Christian writer has said, ‘God goes where he is wanted,’ a statement that merits some consideration. And it was hard to return – because we wondered if we had it in us to do another round. We have both received a clean bill of health in the last months, for which we are enormously grateful. But our past sicknesses (and we promise not to give you what Nancy’s mum used to call ‘an organ recital’) of cancer and the Guillain-Barré Syndrome mean there are not great reserves of energy and this remains quite a harsh environment to work in. Still, we are glad to be back. Mansour, our administrator met us at the airport and referring to a diminutive notepad over supper on the way home told us how things had been in our absence. This has become an established pattern, with the Himalaya Indian restaurant the appointed venue for debriefing. What Mansour had to tell us was easily summarised in a word: Somalis. In the 10 weeks we had been away, 548 new Somali refugee families had been registered in the clinic. There had been so many Somali patients that 2 days a week had been declared ‘Somali only’ days. This was necessary because long established local Yemeni patients were staying away, intimidated by the Somali crowds, mostly mothers with many children. The numbers have put a strain on our resources. A stock take of drugs in the pharmacy shows we have distributed the equivalent of half a year’s budget in two and a half months. It has made for long mornings, but for the most part the staff have coped cheerfully and very conscientiously with the flood. There have been a few rare moments of drama and hysterics. Atiyet, our pharmacist, said mischievously, “I always take a special pill on Somali days.” The reasons for the influx are several: In the past we have averaged 50-60 refugee patients each month. The sudden increase owes little to the political situation back in Somalia which remains dire. It seems to have more to do with the reputation of the clinic, unrealistically enhanced in the eyes of needy refugees by our recent help in several emergency cases involving young pregnant mothers who needed operations which we paid for. News of such things spreads fast in the Somali community. Then there is the fact that we give free medicines, and the presence now on site of our own small and efficient laboratory is a further draw. Almost all those who come carry UNHCR refugee status identity cards. Those who do not are awaiting
	interviews to obtain such. Sadly, possession of the card entitles them to little more than the right to remain in the country and be offered limited protection by the UNHCR. In the large urban refugee camp here in town from where many come, there is a good clinic but medicines are few and not free, while in the further camp of Kharraz, two hours east of us, there is a reasonably equipped hospital. There, drugs are free, but again, few. Now, for the moment we are only seeing emergency refugee cases and in the meantime meeting with UNHCR and their cooperating partners to determine exactly what resources are available. It is possible that with their assistance we run here a weekly Somali clinic. We shall see. What is sure is that those who find their way here represent the neediest and most vulnerable of those who in recent years have made the perilous boat journey across to these shores. 98,000 came last year, of these a mere 5% went to the camps mentioned. These camps are seen as a last resort.

Over the past couple of years and again in recent weeks with our Somali friends, the Gospel incident of Jesus and the Syro-Phonecian woman has often come to mind. On one occasion having given money to two begging Somali women a third spied us and hobbled to the car asking for money. Slightly peevishly Peter said, “I’ve already given to two of you,” to which quite undeterred came the reply, with a smile displaying broken blackened teeth, “And I am number three”! How could we resist? In these days it’s been the disturbing opening words of Jesus to the Syro-Phonecian woman that have resonated as some regular patients have protested, “it’s not right to take our medicines and give them to Somalis.”

By contrast, one of our staff who handles all the patients and registers them said quietly at the end of a morning clinic, “it will be good for the church if we can help these people too”. We agree and will try our best.

“And the rest of the news in brief,” as they say on BBC World:

• While away the laboratory, funded by Suzuki Yemen was opened. It is a great asset, well used and ably run by Kaala.
• The maintenance staff did a fantastic job redecorating the interior of all the clinics, mounting many air conditioners on metal brackets off the ground where occasional fierce rains drown them – and much else.
• Sahl, one of the guards got engaged, while one of the doctors in the medical clinic has declined an offer of marriage.
• Dereje, head of maintenance flies home to Addis this week for a visit. He has not seen his family for 8 years. His return will coincide with his nation’s millennium celebrations.

Sahl relaxing

Deereje and maintenance team on grave business!

• Philippa has returned to South Africa to take up further studies. Her cheerful presence and integrity are much missed. We expect another volunteer, Peter, from the UK to join us in December.
• A new successor, Michael Lewis, has been appointed to succeed Bishop Clive and we look forward with keen interest to meeting him before too long.

Esther

Simon

• Esther, who has been teaching English here, has gone home on leave to Canada. Simon, her colleague has agreed to take on oversight of the distribution of Christian literature and Bibles to foreign Christians in the country - Filipino, Dutch, Ethiopians, Chinese - to name but a few. The Aden customs department are very helpful to us, their only condition being we import no Arabic literature.
• Ramadan fast approaches; the Clinics open an hour later in the mornings, while one of our English classes will be taught from 10-12 pm!
• In three days time Dr Amal returns to us after completing her training in eye surgery in Pakistan. Patients are ready and waiting.

During our last month away different members of the congregation led our worship very well, we gather, while before them the presence and ministry of Revd Rajinder and Lorna Daniel were much appreciated.

It was while they were here that the tragic deaths of the Spanish tourists occurred in the country as the result of a suicide car bombing. There have been ‘rumblings’ in the country since and today there is another large anti-government rally here in Aden by discontented, angry government employees. More are anticipated.
Before leaving, Rajinder and Lorna (from Birmingham, UK) wrote a succinct appraisal of how they had found things: “Ras Morbat provides an opportunity to build confidence and bridges between diverse communities be it nationality, culture or faith. Team spirit is evident both in the Clinics and the Church; trust and belonging without any discrimination.”

We were encouraged by their observations. They admitted themselves at times a little bored and said that Aden didn’t endear itself to them. A hundred years ago an English visitor wrote of Aden, “What a sense of desolation and dreariness Aden presents to the newcomer! And how soon he gets to like the place in spite of it all.” Maybe a few more days would have made the difference.

It’s good to be back.

With our warmest thanks and best wishes in Christ

Peter and Nancy