Friendships forged, Christian links strengthened and inspiring mission marked an overseas visit to the link dioceses of Sri Lanka.
A team of clergy and laity spent twelve days travelling across the island, having the opportunity to learn about various missional projects set up by the church to help those in need, provide education and share the Good News of the Gospel.
“We’ve travelled over six hundred miles, to the north and east of Sri Lanka,” said the Rt Revd Paul Slater, Bishop of Kirkstall and part of the Sri Lanka Task Group from the Diocese of Leeds.
“It has been a rewarding trip. We have renewed some old acquaintances and friendships, as well as making some new ones and it has provided us with a lot of ideas of how we can to take forward the link.” 
The Church of Ceylon, made up of the dioceses of Colombo and Kuranagala in Sri Lanka, is one of several partnerships that the Diocese of Leeds has with other countries. This most recent visit, made by members from the Sri Lanka Task Group, is one of many that has taken place since the link began around forty years ago.
Talking about the visit, Bishop of Colombo, the Rt Revd Dhiloraj Ranjit Canagasabey, said, “I must take this opportunity to thank the Diocese of Leeds for coming over to Sri Lanka.”
“The link between our two countries continues to be strong and provide fruitful connections between people, organisations and schools.
“We have been the recipients of great hospitality and generosity each time one of our clergy has been to visit you in Leeds. Therefore, I am glad we were able to repay your generosity and that the task group came to root themselves in the ministry that we in our own context, in our brokenness have considered to be important and valuable.” 
Bishop of Kurunegala, the Rt Revd Keerthisiri Fernando, also passed on his thanks to the team for their visit and, "enriching the lives of those in the church of Sri Lanka."
“Our people really enjoyed your visit. As a group of people living in the middle of the country of an isolated island in the Indian Ocean your visit reminded us that we are part of a global family.”
Upon returning to the UK, the team from Leeds reflected on many highlights from their time in Sri Lanka, in particular the warm hospitality they received and the chance to hear about and visit church schools and different missional projects to support those in need.
On the eve of the one year anniversary of the Easter Day terrorist attacks, prayers were offered as the task group visited the Zion Church in Batticaloa, one of the many Christian places of worship tragically affected by the bombings in 2019. A firsthand account of the harrowing events was retold to the team as they met with one of the survivors of the attacks.
The Revd Andrew Pearson said, “We have seen incredible ugliness in the form of poverty both in the city and countryside. But where there was poverty, there was also hope and beauty in the form of creation and the incredible kindness and faith of the Sri Lankan people.” 
Barbara Belsham, a former head teacher in the Diocese of Leeds, also said, “What stood out to me most of all was the importance of children and young people to the dioceses in Sri Lanka.”
“For example, the work we saw at St Paul’s near Batticaloa, where over 200 hundred children go every day after school for food and development and extracurricular activities, was wonderful to see.”
Members from the Diocese of Leeds Sri Lanka Task Group shared their link visit by posting regular video diaries online. Follow this link to watch them and relive their journey across the island of Sri Lanka.
Click here also for more information about the link and a special Sri Lanka Day the task group will be holding on Saturday, April 25. It is an event that will mark one year on from the Easter Day terrorist attacks and that will include stories from the trip to Sri Lanka.