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Martin Neil

Wandering down under

By | Blog | No Comments
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How bizarre to come to the other side of the world and yet find ourselves in familiar surroundings. We are staying at a community called Berakah (valley of blessing) retreat near Warkworth on the North Island. Six generations of our host’s family have been on this land since 1874. The original settlers in this county were from Northumberland, UK, and as we travel around we have found many street names taken from places in North Northumberland. We have had an amazing couple of days hearing stories about this land and sharing stories from our Celtic heritage.

 

Too many words?

By | My Stories | No Comments

Many Western cultures are very word based and are very suspicious of silence. Yet for the Japanese, in some cases, less talk says more as the pauses and silence communicate much. Some would say that they are even suspicious of words as they are more concerned with actions.

In New Zealand, in certain circumstances the Maori people will meet for discussions on a marae (a community gathering place) in a wharenui (meeting house). There, a speaker will stand and deliver his talk and then sit down and there will be silence, to allow others to contemplate his words before the next speaker.

I once heard a wise man talk about the many words used in religion, he said “Church is a little bit like a swimming pool – all the noise comes from the shallow end.”

Sing to the Well (Tanzania)

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People photos ….  Instrument pictures …. Donate to this project …. Village pictures …. Hear about the drum

In 2005, Martin and Rebekah Neil were recording in a rural community in Tanzania. Now, “Sing to the Well” brings the people’s story home to you. The CD & extra DVD present a musical glimpse of the sounds, songs and rhythms of a beautiful people, the Wagogo. The harsh realities of their lives do not stifle them; they retain their creative passion to sing, dance and give thanks to God.

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Be transported into the heart of the Wagogo community and experience for yourself the atmosphere and spirit of hope.

Best of all, as you enjoy the music and the story, you will be directly supporting the construction of wells in the village and a medical unit, as all monies go back to the village.

100% of sales go straight to projects in Mnase village when you buy the Sing to the Well CD and DVD Read More

CCAM pictures

By | Cambodia | One Comment

The Idea is to go back maybe in Jan 2010 to help them tell their story through their arts. We will partner with them by recording their traditional Khmer music, their new songs written by the students and filming their cultural dances (our good friend Jerry Curd, a cameraman is available for the adventure). CCAMS have a dream of opening up an arts centre just outside Phnom Penh in Kompong Chnang (they have purchased land there) which would be a facility where they could grow their own food and have multiple buildings for school, auditorium and housing, enabling them to take in more children. 100% of funds from the sales of the recordings will go back to them to help in this endeavour to provide a new home for the community.

CCAM

By | Cambodia | No Comments
CCAM school

This trip was to visit CCAM, a place of refuge for many children who have fallen on hard times. All are youngsters from difficult backgrounds – orphans,  street kids, children sold into slavery, kids who were members of gangs, poor children whose families could not feed and educate them, abused children, abandoned kids from broken homes, teenagers on their way into prostitution, etc. Read More

Cambodia

Cambodia

By | Cambodia | No Comments

Power struggles, war and genocide have devastated the Kingdom of Cambodia in recent decades. After French colonization, a pro-western Prime Minister Lon Nol seized power and his opponents went into hiding and formed the Communist Khmer Rouge.

Following the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam in 1975, Pol Pot (their leader) and his followers evacuated all cities and towns; for the next 5 years between 1.5 and 3 million people died from execution, enforced hardships or starvation. The legacy is a very poor country where 50% of its inhabitants are under the age of 18.

Pictures ……
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Hong Kong 2

By | Asia | 2 Comments
Menu you try and avoid!

I have always had a rule when eating in a new culture …. Never ask what it is you have been given!!!  Our first night we ate out, check out one of the pages of the menu we found … it made me laugh so much. What on earth is Black fungus edible frog !!!