Christmas Creativity

The LORD has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.

Exodus 35:35

It has been a while since our last update, sorry about that! This year has contained some ups and downs.

In February Phil’s visa which allows him to volunteer with UMN ran out, and the body that authorises them denied him the usual years extension due to him not having a Masters degree (a few months left before he was due to finish his Master of Arts). We decided to opt for a marriage visa which restricts any form of work, even volunteering for UMN. While this wasn’t ideal, it did mean that Phil could concentrate on his final module for his masters. The extra time that being homebound afforded was invaluable and doubtless a gift from God. Phil was able to complete the module in August and learnt at the beginning of September that he had exceeded his expectations and had passed with distinction! Graduation is in December, so both Phil and Pratiksha will be travelling to the UK and spending the month celebrating Christmas with the family.

Pratiksha is now in her third semester doing a Masters in Transformational Development. She will finish her studies in December 2020. She has been travelling across UMN working areas carrying out baseline studies, reviews and evaluations for different UMN projects. One recent interaction with a young Nepali Muslim girl is below.

Life

Meeting with this young girl, getting to know her a little bit, and understanding her life were the highlights of my trip this time.

Naseem* is 17 years old. As she had to quit school five years ago, she can only do basic reading and writing in Nepali and Urdu. It is her dream to go back to school, and it makes me sad to write that for some girls and boys in Nepal, having a simple dream of going to school never comes true.

I am mad and upset at the situation Naseem is in. I want her to go to school, not get married or have kids before she turns 20, break the marriage she was arranged into when she was three months old, and which she only recently found out about. I want her to be listened to and be able to raise her voice directly with her father and brother instead of having her concerns raised through her 10-year-old brother.

I sometimes wonder what I would have done if I was born into a community like Naseems’.

I want things to change for Naseem and thousands of Muslim girls in Nepal and other places. But I feel helpless. Change has to start somewhere and with someone. Change is not pretty – the process can be hurtful and get nasty. Am I ready, though? I don’t know. Does Naseem want to take the risk? Will she be able to cope? After all, it will be her decision, and I can’t force her.

* Not her real name

---

Sadly, at the end of March Phil’s grandma went home to be with the Lord. Sad for us, but at 99 (and 3/4), a glorious welcome home from her Father in Heaven was something that she had long been prepared for. Phil and Pratiksha flew home for the funeral at the beginning of April but only spent a few days in the UK.

Since completing his master’s course, Phil has kept himself busy by making some images depicting the twelve days of Christmas. This is currently a Kickstarter campaign, which, if fully funded, will consist of Christmas cards, postcards and books being produced. There are only 12 days left to raise the funds needed, and you can check it out here: http://kck.st/2QcfTH1. Buying all the gifts in the carol for your loved one would amount to over £30,000 in today’s money, so this is a significantly cheaper way to show how much you care without the need for a vast menagerie!

Added note: Copies of this, and Christmas cards, can now be bought from Amazon, or directly from Phil’s website: https://philrawlings.com/the-twelve-days-of-christmas/