The world of Barro

Urgent help for Burma

2008-05-13T10:13:00.004+10:00

Hi friends,
I received this urgent email from my good mate Ash in Bangkok today, I urge you all to read, click on the link, pray, forward on, donate if you can,
ta Barro

Hi stephen,

Could I ask for your urgent prayers and action for Burma today? On Saturday May 10, I met with Burmese friends here in Bangkok to get the latest news on the Cyclone Nargis disaster and to ask how UNOH could best help with the relief effort. Dr San Aung, Maung Maung and Zin Linn are part of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB). Led by elected Burmese MPs from the National League for Democracy (NLD), this is the peak body of Burmese leaders working for democracy.

But, what can we do? After listening to these Burmese leaders, I believe we can best support the relief effort by supporting NCGUB.

UNOH is setting up a UNOH Burma Cyclone Appeal so that Australians can donate on-line to help the relief effort through NCGUB/NLD Burmese workers on the ground.

For further details, go here

starting over

2008-04-17T22:02:00.003+10:00

Thought I'd try and blog again, this may only last a little while, have tried the myspace thingy, you can visit me here, I have even tried the facebook thing, but haven't been so successful with that despite many promptings from friends.

I have also tried texting, and emailing and even occassionally do this really new thing called face to face where you go for coffee, sit down opposite soemone you know and talk to them, it's kinda cool but not sure if it will catch on

chow

U2 comes to The Passion of Christ

2007-04-13T17:01:00.000+10:00

On a bit of a roll, i came across this intersting clip of U2 playing Vertigo juxaposed to the Passion of Christ, complete with tests, temptations and triumphs. And oh I've just worked out how to get the screen thingy to work as well.

Easter in Bangkok and Melbourne

2007-04-13T16:15:00.000+10:00

Had a bit of a whirlwind last few days. A fantastic last few days in Bangkok teaching both in the morning and the afternoon, a highlight was playing games with waterballoons on the last day with our kids and seeing heaps of adults gathering around and getting them invloved as well. It was great to see something as simple as that bring a communnity of kids and adults together. We finished up with a great time last Friday morning, Easter Friday sharing in a cafe in Klong Toey with the Oz team of 15, the UNOH team and the Ta Rua church leaders all sharing about what God has been doing in their lives.

Left Bangkok Fri night midnight and back in Melbourne Sat arvo, great seeing the family again before getting up at 5.30am for our Foothills annual Sunrise Easter Sunday service at the Arby here in sunny Ferntree Gully.

Apart from all the usual catch ups this week has been great and full with our FTG Community Meals night on Wednesday night which has grown to 45 in my absence. Nandos even bought down and donated the food for the evening much to everyones delight. Thursday night was back to the Family Birth Centre for another Secret Dads Stuff, another highlight working with dads to be then this morning I spoke up at Soul Survivor doing a workshop entitled "Crossing the Street" was great interacting with heaps of young people and getting more great ideas for UNOH's upcoming SURRENDER 07.

So in a nutshell it's good to ease back into life and be prepared to stay up all night for the cricket World Cup.

Godtube

2007-04-13T15:59:00.000+10:00

The latest in Christian multimedia for your pleasure

Hot in Bangkok

2007-04-03T18:34:00.000+10:00

Hi all, on the home run now, we are teaching twice a day, in the morning again this week at Rong Gow and in the afternoon, 5.00-6.30 I am back at Glua Prick. Was great going there last night and having heaps of the kids and adults come up and say "HI BARRO", it is incredibly hot and with not much rest in the arvo, but is amazing to see the way God teaches you things thru all of this, thanks for all of your prayers, great to be here during Easter Holy week.

7 days in klong Toey

2007-03-31T12:26:00.000+10:00

Well I have been here in Thailand for just on a week now, and it feels that this is the first time I’ve had to catch my breath. I’m here again with UNOH as part of one of their ESL short term trips, coordinating the trip for 15 people from Melbourne, and partnering with the Ta Rua church here in the slum of Klong Toey. One of the biggest things you need here is FLEXABILITY. I thought I was going to be with a group taking 50 kids away to a beach side camp, and was so much looking forward to the beach, but in the end have been leading a team in the slum of Rong Gow. I am the person with the most Thai and experience on our team, having no locals at all, which at the beginning of the week I was feeling not real keen to say the least, but God has other ideas. The week has been fantastic with some great relationships with the kids and with the community. One of the challenges we have had is that there has been some kids card gambling right where we do our lessons, which is on a stage directly under a freeway overpass. This is so sad, as well as highly illegal to see 10 year old kids introduced to this EVIL so early on, not knowing the language has been hard as we can’t speak to anyone about the issue there. But our strategy, as well as praying is to offer a better alternative and each day our group of kids has grown, so now we have about 22, 10-12 year olds who love to come each morning. We will go back next week to teach again and at night time teach also at Glua Prick community, a real challenge as the weather here is very HOT so tiring.

Another highlight has been spending time with Celtic muso Sammy Horner, who was with us for 2 days on route back to Scotland. I had never met him before despite having known of him for 15+ years thru John Smith and Sean Stillman and God’s Squad, and played heaps of his music. So was great to hang with him and we got on like a house on fire and he seemed very moved by his experience here in the community as he met Jesus thru the poor. So now is the halfway mark, its also been great seeing old friends, both UNOH workers here, Ash, Anj, Rod, Jodie and Chris as well as many Thai friends that I have met over the years as well, it is a real blessing and privilege to have sisters and brother from this part of the world. Will be interesting spending Holy Week here in a Buddhist slum, attempting to share the love of Jesus.

Community Meal Night

2007-03-14T22:17:00.000+11:00

Tonight we had our first Ferntree Gully Community Meal Night. After about 6 months of planning and talking and procrastinating we finally got underway tonight at the local Ferntree Gully Guides Hall in Underwood Rd. We had sent out flyers during the past few days, spoken to many people, even the local paper would like to do a photo and story on us in the next couple of days.

But the important thing was we met and apart form the volunteers and kids, we actually had some other people turn up, which was great. It was a very relaxed night with roast chicken, mashed potatoes and pumpkin, served with salad, and finished off with some lovely mixed fruit for desert.

The highlight without a doubt was just sitting down all together and chatting over the meal and hearing similar stories of others saying they would normally be on their own for tea every night, which sucks. There was a great sense of community and a few of us were able to pray with one man who came in. I reckon tonight was one of those nights where we met a few angels. Looking forward to sharing with them and many more over the next few weeks. At this stage we’re aiming for every Wednesday night, 6.30-7.30pm, drop in if you’re in town…

Submerge

2007-03-09T09:46:00.000+11:00

The last few weeks have seen the beginning of UNOH’s Submerge course. In partnership with Tabor college, it is a Cert IV in Christian Ministry majoring in neighbourhood transformation to those neighbourhoods facing issues of poverty. We hold lectures each Tuesday night in Springvale and students are involved in 15 hours ++ practical ministry placement throughout the week, plus supervision and peer reflection groups.
It has been great to be involved in helping set this up over the past few months, and I am currently lecturing on Bible Survey during our Tuesday nights. It is great seeing people “switch on” to the Bible and see God’s plan for redemption throughout it. Also get to show the famous lego Bible stories as well.

War and rural America.

2007-02-21T10:31:00.000+11:00

Read this interesting article this morning,

"Nearly half of the more than 3,000 U.S. military fatalities in Iraq have come from towns like McKeesport, where fewer than 25,000 people live, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. One in five hailed from hometowns of less than 5,000. … Many of the hometowns of the war dead aren't just small, they're poor. The AP analysis found that nearly three-fourths of those killed in Iraq came from towns where the per capita income was below the national average. More than half came from towns where the percentage of people living in poverty topped the national average."

Nothing like sending in the poor to do your dirty work for you, go Georgie go...

Run feast

2007-02-21T10:27:00.000+11:00

As the cricket season draws to a close, last Sturday was a good one for the Barro boys, well the younger ones anyway. Rory batting for the seniors in the afternoon,made an unbeaten 52, his first 50 and was a great knock with plenty of boundries including a huge 6 and heaps of singles as well. Jack in the morning also made another 20 retired and is heading his teams batting with nearly 200 runs for the season. Roll on finals...

God's valentine

2007-02-14T09:57:00.000+11:00

Just to prove that God cares about us even on Valentines Day

For God so loVed the world,
That He gAve
His onLy
BegottEn
SoN
That whosoever
Believeth In Him
Should Not perish,
But have Everlasting life."
John 3:16

Foothills 5th

2007-02-13T23:37:00.000+11:00

Last Sunday was a real time of celebration for us at Foothills. We had a morning at our local Arboretum park here in windy FTG where we celebrated with some 80 people the 5th anniversary of Foothills Neighborhood Communities. We also had some other special things as well happening, 2 dedications, for both Jamila and Becca as well as commissioning the Dekker family as they began their apprenticeship with UNOH.

Of course we ended with a barbie and a game of cricket in the park, reflecting on the day afterwards I thought this was a great way of celebrating 5 years of involvement in our local Ferntree Gully community, with celebrating new life and sending out of others into other missional contexts. Who knows what the next 5 weeks let alone 5 years will bring. Thanks to all who have been part of the journey at some level with us.

Bowled Barro

2007-02-07T21:26:00.000+11:00

For some bizarre reason I was asked to bowl first change at the weekend. Bit of a shock as I‘d never bowled with a ball so shinny and new, so my 2 overs had their fair share of wides. But in amongst that I also got 2 wickets, a bowled and an LBW and they were both the openers, and I finished with 2/19 our best figures of the day, but I don’t really expect to bowl next week, I’m keeping myself for the World Cup.

Birthday boy

2007-02-07T21:07:00.000+11:00

Monday was my birthday, normally a day of denial, but I didn't mind this one. You see I turned 43, but most of last year when someone asked me my age I said 43, it wasn't until late in the year did I realize that I was robbing myself of a year. So now to be really 43 ain't that bad.

Helen had the day off so we went down to Knox for the day, a bit of shopping, lunch and a movie. We saw Blood Diamonds, Some movies entertain. Some challenge the way you think, encouraging you to see the world in a different way. And some try to change the way you live. Blood Diamond does all three. I strongly urge you to see it, for me it was all the more special because of my good friend Billy in Sydney who escaped the horror of Sierra Leone, which is the backdrop for the movie.
Finished the day with family tea together, home made pad thai, massaman curry and apple and raspberry cake, now that's my idea of a birthday.

Then there was one...

2007-02-01T09:21:00.000+11:00

Just arrived back home after dropping Ella off at school, her second day in grade 2 at FTG North PS, Jack went off to Upwey HS today, year 8 after transferring from St Joe's, he was excited up early and up to the train station with his mates, Rory has also gone to school for his first day of year 10, Helen is at work, so normality has returned, I have the house to myself and there is peace... for a moment

The Maddocks

2007-02-01T08:34:00.000+11:00

Caught up on the phone the other day with an old friend Geoff Maddock. Geoff, his American wife Sherry and their 4 year old son Isaac are back in Melbourne for a few months. They live in Lexington, Kentucky where they co founded and are still involved in COMMUNALITY, a local missional community. They are back here to check out the Australian scene and are doing some stuff particularly with FORGE and a bit of stuff with UNOH as well. You can hear them at UNOH’s Discipleship Camp coming up March 2-4 in Mt Evelyn with Ash Barker and Michael Duncan. So if you’re around Melbourne make sure you check them out, if your not read about them.

Blood Brothers

2007-01-30T22:47:00.000+11:00

While away on holiday recently I re-read a book that I had read 20 years ago, Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour. Elias Chacour was born in the Palestinian village of Biram in the upper Galilee in 1939. In 1948 after a United Nations resolution, his country of Palestine became the sovereign state of Israel. Three years later, his own village of Biram would be changed forever. In 1951, Israeli soldiers marched into Biram and told the inhabitants that they would have to leave the village temporarily for security reasons. When the inhabitants of Biram returned, they found their houses, their entire village, bulldozed by the Israelis. They have never to this date been allowed to return.

Elias Chacour became a priest in the Melkite Catholic Church, which dates back to the Byzantine period and Constantine. Father Chacour is a man of faith, and is also a Palestinian who has worked for many years at trying to be an agent for peace, justice and reconciliation.

His book and other writings are well worth the read as it presents another side from what we traditionally get in our media about the problems in the middle east today.

Finally some runs...

2007-01-30T22:35:00.000+11:00

Well after 8 innings, it finally happened... I made double figures. And not just, actually made 31, second top score last Saturday for the mighty FTGCC 6's .And what's better I did it as an opener, my first time for the season and was also involved in a 55 run opening stand. Not bad when I was just sent in beacause I had hurt my back feilding and the captain thought I might seize up, so get him in early and out early, but 20 overs later was still there.
So I can now retire knowing that I have at least 1 decent score for the year... until next week.

Owens to Sydney, so watch out

2007-01-19T23:13:00.000+11:00

The last few weeks has seen some farewells, and none more sadder, yet celebrated, was the departure of the Owens for western Sydney. I have got to know Jon over the past 7 years after we did our Forge internship together back in 2000. Anyone who meets Lisa and Jon can't help but be encouraged and challenged by the call of Jesus and their obedience. Jon and Lisa are memebers of UNOH and are heading up Mt Druit way to establish a UNOH chapter. I for one will miss them, but know that we will bump into them again later in the year at Surrender.

Last few weeks

2007-01-19T23:04:00.000+11:00

The last few weeks have felt like a bit of a whirlwind. Back in early December we got a call from Helen's great old time friend Suzy, from the Gold Coast to say she had secondary cancer in the brain. Suzy had been thru the ringer with breast cancer last year, so this was a bit of a shock to say the least. Helen flew up for a week immediately to spend some time with her and her fantastic family just before her round of radiation started. We then all flew up late December after Christmas for a couple of weeks, just getting back earlier this week. One of Suzy's wishes was that our families could spend sometime together which was brilliant. We were treated like royalty up there and I played kids entertainment supervisor for 2 weeks. Was great to spend sometime with the family, and theirs. The radiation is still doing it's work so next week she'll go in for an MRI to see what has happened. Please join us in praying for Suzy and the family with us, through this all she has an amazing sense of peace and strength.

Shalom

2007-01-17T07:56:00.000+11:00

Read this great quote today, it seems to me that if ever the world needed shalom it was now, but sadly for many millions it must seem like a fantasy.

The word for peace in both Arabic (salam) and Hebrew (shalom) has the same etymological root and the same breadth of meaning: wholeness, health, safety, and security. It refers to a peace experienced and lived out in the everyday historical situation of life. Peace can be a basis or cause that leads to something else. It is either a prerequisite or a by-product.
- Naim Ateek
from "Justice, and Only Justice: A Palestinian Theology of Liberation"

Christmas day lunch

2006-12-31T19:25:00.000+11:00

A white Melbourne Christmas, who would have thought and our 5th annual Ferntree Gully Christmas day lunch. We had over 150 turn up on the day for a great feast and fun. There were many great and sad stories of people who would normally have nowhere to go. We had an amazing team of volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout the day, the Christmas angel came and brought great cheer (and presents) to all. Many of our kids took part in our great impromptu Nativty play, as we shared the story of God's gift to us in the form of Jesus. All in all a great time summed up by one woman with tears in her eyes as she left saying, "This has been the best Christmas of my life".

Cricket crazy

2006-12-07T00:07:00.000+11:00

Lest I be accused of gloating, or kicking a poor pom while his down, just wanted to say what a highlight last Saturday’s day of cricket was. Firstly in the morning Jack batted in the under 13’s and made 36 not out, his highest score and almost guided his team to victory. He is having a mighty season with the blade and currently averages 55.5, watch out Punter. Rory’s under 17’s ensured their top position and unbeaten run continued with Rory taking a wicket in his 2 overs spell.

The afternoon was the real highlight, our FTGCC 6’s team finally won a game, my first with them. Rory and I again batted together and put together a nice 30 run partnership late in the innings with Rory smashing his way to 28. He topped it off by claiming 3 for 11 with the ball, It’s only the old man whose letting the family down with the bat, although no ducks yet. But it certainly swells the pride seeing the younger Barro’s loving the game and doing so well

The Hope candle

2006-12-07T00:01:00.000+11:00

Last Sunday morning our Neighbourhood Community gathered to share some munchies and look at the Christmas season, what does it mean to us, kids and adults all drew and shared their thoughts. We lit the Hope candle, being the first Sunday of advent and reflected on what it is to have hope in the midst of pain, suffering, brokenness as well as celebration. The sharing was rich and deep and again caused me, and others, to reflect that God calls us into community to share with one another, otherwise it would all be too much on our own, even though our natural inclination is to hide and be the lone ranger. May we all the know the Hope that surpasses all this season…