October 20, 2005
Friends,
Welcome to our musings about life in Pakistan! We send out an
email newsletter about every two weeks. If you’d like to
receive these missives, please email me at Marianne
Vermeer and I’ll put you on the list.
So, here’s the news from Pakistan (from the perspective
of one American family trying to understand things in a very foreign
place!).
The earthquake
It’s been devastating and overwhelming for this country
to manage. The influx of people and resources from all over the
world is greatly appreciated because it’s clear Pakistan
and its government were not prepared for a disaster of this magnitude.
We appreciate all the emails inquiring as to our safety. We hope
the word got around that we are fine!
A few stories
As you’ve probably read, many hospitals were destroyed
and doctors and nurses killed, so medical care has been sporadic
and dependent on outside medical teams. One hospital that survived
is located near Balakot, a city that was 90 percent destroyed.
It’s a Christian hospital, and the Christians here believe
that is a sign of witness. When first asked what this hospital
needed most, their response was “coffins.” That was
last week. This week, the response is “medicine.”
A group of folks from Lahore churches delivered food and medicine
to the hospital over the weekend and report that there are medical
teams coming from all over the world to work at the hospital,
including teams of Muslim doctors from within Pakistan. This is
an incredible thing to them: that Muslim doctors will come to
work at a Christian hospital. There is great hope that this witness
will make things easier for the Christians in that part of the
country and that their Muslim neighbors will be more accepting
of them when things settle down.
Shortages and price increases are inevitable: already we are
being warned that drugs like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and antibiotics
are going to become quite scarce and expensive and that certain
foods are in short supply. The cost of transporting goods is increasing
because so many trucks are being employed to take supplies up
north. Certain sectors of the labor market are expected to become
more competitive because those sectors of the labor pool were
largely composed of Kashmiris.
Just as the United States had to face its own lack of preparedness
after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, Pakistan is realizing what needs
to be done differently next time. The newspapers are filled with
articles about what didn’t go right and editorials decrying
the delay in responding to the disaster. Some things are the same
the world over.
And yet, the people of Pakistan have responded in ways that amaze
us. Everywhere you go there are centers collecting money, food,
clothing, and medicine. Foreman Christian College’s own
efforts yielded quite a large quantity of food and financial support
and groups are finding ways to deliver needed medicine and food
to those who are suffering.
Other events in Pakistan
Ramadan is nearly half over. It’s called Ramazan here,
and the ramifications reach into aspects of our life here that
we hadn’t considered. Many of those fasting, for example,
do not swim during the month (there is concern that a swimmer
might ingest some water while in the pool and that would violate
his/her fast), so Nathan’s swimming at school has been suspended,
and only through massive lobbying have we been able to keep the
pool open at FCC for a while longer.
A Ramazan story
Marianne made a quick trip to the pharmacy on Sunday evening;
the pharmacy staff was breaking their fast and asked her to come
back in 15 minutes. She wandered back onto the streets and the
fruit vendor nearby appeared to be working, so she went to buy
a kilo of apples. The vendor invited her to join him for the iftar
(the meal you have after breaking the fast) and was treated to
hot, fresh samosas, biryani, dates, pakoora, and a drink she’d
never had. Her crowning achievement of the evening was that she
asked the host what it was in Urdu and she even understood his
response! The drink was milk and Seven Up mixed together, not
a recipe she’d encountered before!
Hospitality
That Ramazan story is only one of many we can tell you of the
generous hospitality and gracious welcome we have received here.
Here’s another one: We have a favorite bread vendor in the
Main Market, where we do most of our shopping. He lived in New
Jersey for several years so loves to talk about the United States
and the differences in the cultures. The first time we made his
acquaintance, he made us 10 fresh loaves of naan and refused to
accept any money. We were grateful and decided to frequent his
shop more often. And still he gives us the bread for free. This
last time, Marianne indicated that she wanted to pay him for his
labor and trouble and this was his response: “You honor
me by coming to my shop; I consider you my sister from America
and I want you to know how glad I am that you are in Pakistan.”
Once we figure out how to regulate our oven temperature, we’ll
be baking some treats to give these gracious folks in thanks.
Health
We are all doing much better. Robert seems to have abandoned
the Salmonella Diet for something a bit more sane. It’s
amazing how your outlook changes when you feel well! Thanks for
all the prayers and concern shown for us in your emails.
Work
Robert teaches one day a week at Gujranwala Seminary and describes
the trip there and back as “harrowing.” The road is
under construction, and between the rocks, bicycles, donkey carts,
trucks, motorcycles, and cars, his blood pressure has gone up
by the time he returns home! The enthusiastic, energetic worship
services at the seminary, however, revive his spirit and demonstrate
the excitement those students have for their faith and their studies. |
