It has been a very unsettling time since Easter Sunday.  I have deliberately waited before posting so as to let everything settle down and for the truth to rise above all the speculation and ‘fake news’. In the ten year since the end of the civil war, Sri Lankan’s have lived together peacefully, the terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday came as a bolt from the blue, completely unexpected to civilians and foreigners alike.  Now we can see that there were warnings which the authorities did not take seriously. 

Probably the most important thing is that none of the participants or extended family within the Foundation were hurt and for that we are truly grateful.  Many other Sri Lankans and visitors were not so fortunate, the scars of that awful day will linger for many many years to come.

For us personally it’s a shock to see the Christian community and foreigners so deliberately targeted.  As we fall into both of those categories it’s hard not to see this attack as somewhat personal.  What has been encouraging is the way that Sri Lankans of every faith background have come together to denounce terrorism and to reach out in faith and friendship to all the families who have lost loved ones and have suffered terrible injuries.   

At this stage the State of Emergency is still in place as the security agencies search for the remaining terrorists behind the attacks.  But meanwhile in the cities and towns of Sri Lanka, life goes on.  Business has resumed, schools have reopened, churches are again holding services. The traffic is terrible once again, a sign of normality!  As well as the personal and human toll, the impact on the economy and on tourism has been catastrophic.  I hope and pray that tourists will start to return to this beautiful land and the resilient Sri Lankan people can resume their lives in safety and prosperity.