September 2003

Dear Friends,

One of the headline items in this evening’s local TV news showed 178 British Army Landrovers and armored personnel carriers being loaded onto a ferry in Belfast harbor for a two- to three-week journey to Iraq. The reduction in violence in Northern Ireland over recent years has been matched by a reduced level of patrolling of streets and highways by the army. Hence, those vehicles are considered surplus and are being exported to where the authorities consider they are more urgently needed.

Last week I took six new PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteers around some of the districts in Belfast most heavily patrolled by army vehicles at the height of our civil strife. Our agenda was to see and learn more about the various community projects where they will be serving for the coming year. At one site the director, Ken, told us a story that should make the evening news, but unfortunately won’t. So let me share it with you.

Ten years ago, this center in a solidly Republican and Catholic district recruited six young men to join six young men from a nearby Loyalist and Protestant district on an adventure learning expedition to Canada. Both separate and joint preparation meetings were held in the months leading up to the trip.

As generally is the case, contact between these two fellows was only sporadic once they returned to Belfast. Then one day a couple of years later Liam spotted Andy in the city center in a British Army uniform. Liam was disgusted that this fellow had joined up with a force that he viewed as “the enemy,” and told him so. When he recounted the incident to Ken, Liam said he couldn’t understand how Andy could have done this, given all they had shared.

Years passed. Then, a few weeks ago Ken ran into Andy. Ken asked him if he was still in the army. Andy replied that he was actually home on brief leave after a tour of duty in Iraq. In describing his experiences in Iraq to Ken, Andy said he had found it particularly hard bursting into homes of people who are extremely poor and having to aim his gun at them just in case they might be associated with groups hostile to coalition forces. What came next amazed Ken. Andy told him that after several such experiences he had gone to his commander and said he couldn’t continue on such patrols “because from my experience in Belfast I know that if I could just sit down and have a cup of tea with them and we could get to know one another and wouldn’t have to be afraid of each other or treat each other like enemies.” His commander agreed to a transfer of duty for Andy to a medical aid unit.

How great it would be if, instead of excess army vehicles, more such personal insight from those caught up in over thirty years of conflict in Northern Ireland and now helping to transform it could be exported!

Hopefully such understanding is part of what these six new Young Adult Volunteers will carry away with them eleven months from now. In the meantime, please pray for them and the congregations and community ministries where they serve. Detailed information about the YAVs and their placements can be found by clicking here.

Grace and Peace,

Doug and Elaine Baker

The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 85