A visit to Muttur to visit students doing their long vacation fieldwork  We stayed in Trincomalee with Suji, Chrishanti and Henosha April 28th to 30th 2009

In 2007 we went to the north eastern town of Muttur to visit students on fieldwork .  It was extremely hot then and the Methodist Compound was full of refugees.  They have moved on now and the town is settling back to normal.  We visited this year's students who were doing their long vacation fieldwork in the area under the supervision of our friend, Rev. Sujithar.  The students here are Pavakaran, Thiruchelvan, Sasikaran and Jeyakumar.	Living in the Methodist Compound is our fellow Methodist mission partner, David Furnival, who lives very simply there.  It was very good to see him in situ and to understand more of the context in Muttur.  He is pictured here (right) talking with a Roman Catholic priest who lives across the road. Wednesday April 29th 2009
Together with David we visited a small Hindu Temple complex.  Here were met the local Swami who happily gave us tea and biscuits and told us of his life and work.   His wife had been killed in the war many years ago and he ended up in Muttur.  His following is diminishing as the Hindus leave for pastures new, either because peace is providing the opportunity to return to home or because there is too much competition particularly from the large Muslim population.	The town has seen more than its share of violence over the years and there are many ruined buildings bearing the scars of weapon fire and bomb damage.   This picture shows the deserted old cinema.
How people manage to survive let alone better themselves is a mystery.  Here, in the back streets, two women are making clay bowls.	From Muttur, we returned across Trincomalee bay to Trincomalee town to renew our acquaintance with  Rosemary's god-daughter, Henosha, daughter of Rev. Suji and Chrishanthi.  Here Henosha (D of B 21/1/2007) is pictured with her Uncle Denver who will get married in November to the sister-in-law of one of our students.  It is a small world, the Christian one in Sri Lanka.

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