Arriving from Delhi to a brand spanking new Lahore International Airport. Into the city miles of construction, congested bazaars, busy crowds so all the signs of outward prosperity due in some measure to the inflow of US money to 'fight' the Taliban. So it is an ill wind that blows no one good! The dreaded Taliban have left a great legacy here!

A deeper penetration of the society finds little changed in the 50 years since I arrived in 1954 to Multan. The social dynamics of the society remain as they were in 1954. The ruling elites still very much in control; women in much the same position for the most part. The minority Christian community still beleaguered and trapped to some extent in its own mind set. Islam maintaining its spirit of intimidation and lack of accommodation beset by its own pressures of internal dissent as well as economic pressure.

The struggle for the soul of the Islam is very evident. The cry 'Islam is in danger' being the only real uniting rallying call or the nation. The benighted state of Islam in general throughout the world gives credence to the call for greater purity and devotion to restore the pleasure of Allah and with it the expected blessings. Above all to return Islam to its rightful position of world dominance which it lost to the West some centuries ago.

The Church we attended was full 5-600 for the Sunday service 2/3rd of them women. The message and ministry linked to the dominat prevailing needs of this economically underprivileged and socially deprived group. Come to Jesus find help and security was the theme which went down well backed with copious prayer and testimony from those helped. The Pastor was a very experienced man with many years in the Bible College, his background preparation having been in Holland from where he must have brought his Dutch wife. His daughter in the missionary’s school with thoughts of training abroad if not migrating. Given the opportunity many migrate seeing little real future for themselves and their families in this land of turmoil and undecided identity. The area an unscheduled growth place built more like a village with very narrow streets and close quarters. Bahar Colony is 80% Christian in population having over 200 Churches! The Full Gospel Assembly we were attending has big ambitions to build their own Cathedral at a cost of $3 million or so!

Called at MIK, a place with links going back to 1954 for me, things were quiet in this hot weather with significant people out of office. I could not get their phone number so was not able to plan ahead which was too bad. Big Matthew Henry bible commentary published. A monumental work! Heavily pietistic from my experience so no doubt fits in with the Sufi and bhakti traditions here but not sure of its real relevance to the fast paced life developing today. I favor a more Kingdom of God emphasis with impact on the wider society as well as the narrow heavenly groove!

Very encouraging visit at the Bible Society. Anthony Manuel the man who succeeded Khokhar has gone very well putting out a wide range of products in their genre. He is very positive of doing a very good job and has the confidence of all including the RC constituency.

As usual we were welcomed as long lost friends and after an interval of two hours treated to the best of Punjabi kebabs and chicken etc from the back street famous restaurants of the bazaar. Like food favored by locals all the attention on the quality of the cooking with little attention to ambiance or finesse so majored upon in Canada.

We had to see the sights so set off Jahangir’s tomb on the far bank of the Ravi river. Jahangir’s tomb is a cool grand type of place belonging to the world of yesteryear. It remains preserved well in some of its former magnificence.

The much-maligned Taliban a great benefit to this place as huge sums of money have poured in to benefit those who can make use of it or get their hands on it. Little may have filtered down to the benighted masses but those in the middle and upper have done very well. A massive expansion of private hospitals schools etc for those who can pay and there appear to be many. My friend says land lords have flooded in from all over the country to live on their absentee gains. Businesses factories etc proliferated. Yet as the Jihadi events show little real satisfaction or sense of fulfillment or achievement.

The Muslims remain locked into their malaise and lack of identity or means or understanding of how to resolve globalization. The Madrassa group convinced it is a return to the ways of Allah in the form of Shariah but other places show this to be an answer with little prospect of meeting the real need. I sympathise with their protest against the onslaught of decadent western thought. the Church in Canada has little real defense against it either despite all the teaching and programming. Eschatologically we are up against it with only the Remnant concept to hold on to no real hope of doing more than demonstrating the Kingdom of God. Total society change will have to await a coming Lord!

Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi and Islamabad very different places to Lahore as no doubt will be Multan and Karachi if we get enough exposure to find out much. Islamabad and the army give it a more modern approach to the traditional agricultural dominated Lahore. The conflict within Islam is sharper here, Lal Masjid etc. Much less mission legacy around, United Presbyterian Mission has more or less collapsed even Gordon College their old educational institution remains in government hands as a medical college. TEAM stronger but also not much of a force on the Church scene.

Abdul Masih is a highly respected figure who has built up a considerable work from scratch with diligence and integrity, There is a more holistic vision here with attempts made to find housing, schooling employment opportunities etc for the Christian community.

Zarapeth Bible Institute:. The Students are largely of Brethren background. Some from the Baptist areas in Sindh and Rahimyakhan areas to the south. I find myself a little off beat at ZBI lectures. My material is more geared to India or Sindh so harder to get it into the Muslim dominated context. Islam is so rigid and there is no real break through evident at the moment in Pakistan despite the protestations of Frontiers etc. The vision of ZBI and associates is essentially within the existing Christian community which is needy enough to absorb all their energies. E.g work going on in Rahimya khan and that area begun by Keith Jones and others amongst a Sialkot Christian diaspora desperate for work and opportunity. There are these same people around here coming to the city looking for work. Their women are becoming servants in Muslim households with all the vulnerability common in the Gulf.

However also a surprising number of educated Christians in various positions here and there. The community is finding social mobility even if slower than they like. Let them get on with it themselves and they will find ways. Some using foreign resources others their boot straps! They are learning that if they can gain education there is a way up the social and economic ladder.

We are living in a back lane with the Administrator of ZBI . Not that easy, squatter toilet, no TP, limited privacy etc compensated by their joy in being able to offer us hospitality and meet our needs.

Went over to see another of the Bretheren, William Gill,. He is not the favored son of the Germans as he has stayed clear of their tentacles. An ex Pakistan Airforce man so a lot of educational background. His sons went to Manila to the AIT there and another grandson has been to Spurgeon College in London, UK so a considerably wider world than the narrow Panjabi one. The Assemblies are quite conservative and not into social programs. They were able to buy from TEAM a property in Mansehra for 18 lakhs a gift which came in a lump sum from one donor. This group is strongly dynastic in the Pakistani way. Somewhere between his rather village view and a western world view. I think I could work more easily with these people on a kind of consulting basis but don’t want to get into their organization or systems! No even their narrow world view!

Multan:  Woman’s Mission Hospital is almost like going back into another era. Yunis Lal Din, the very capable administrator, has done a superb job building up an institution with known integrity and values. Sensible staff policies lead to internal harmony so difficult to maintain in this environment.

Arriving to meet me one morning was the old man, Lal Din who first welcomed me to Pakistan in 1954 as we descended from the Khyber Mail train on the platform. The Lord has rewarded his integrity and diligence with a family that knows and fears God. We did not get around to see them but here also the work has prospered amongst the mass movement community.

Nostalgia took us to a picnic on the Canal Bank as well as a visit to the old Fort area in the center of the city. Here are the tombs of the ‘saints’ for which Multan is famous. I would have liked to have gone into the tomb of Shah Rukh but our host was not so enthusiastic seeing more the spiritual forces present than the historical building!

Karachi: This sleepy port of the British era which was more significant for troop movements than commerce has been transformed into the commercial heart with industry, export and four major competing communities. The huge influx of people, the initial refugees from India in 1947 at Partition then the rural immigrants from surrounding Sindh and Punjab together with the Frontier people have produced an explosive mixture that erupts into violence at intervals.

Yvonne appreciated Karachi finding it better laid out and more spacious than the older northern cities. The sea breeze at night still blows making 18.00 + a quite pleasant experience even when midday is around 35. Recent heavy cyclonic rains have brought more moisture in one year than all the previous years together so resultant chaos in a poorly drained city.

Dan and Ruth Bavington are the veterans of 30+ years in this turbulent town where they have brought up their family of 6, educated them an seen them settle in UK. Zor Engineers one of the few really viable and successful tent making businesses around. Dan now hoping to retire and turn the business over to an Interserve sponsored management group. In the meantime he is big demand from Petrol companies to design their canopies for the burgeoning outlets. His remain stable. Others collapse with threatening loss of life.