Statues in La Rambla Street, Barcelona

Visiting Barcelona last year, I was astonished at the site of numerous live statues at the main landmark street La Rambla. It is aproximately 1.3 km long, in the middles is a pedestrian zone, which ends at the Christopher Columbus monument at Port Vell, Barcelona's port.

Walking down this main street anyone can see various performers posing as human statues. These street statues can get pretty imaginative, ranging from celebrities, mythical, historical characters and also imaginary figures.

They stand on small boxes or platforms, wave or wink at the pedestrians (mainly tourists) and put up a small show for a tip.   

So if anyone visits La Rambla have a lot of change in order to give them something for their effort!

Despite Constant Murders, Christians are increasing in Iraq

Despite constant murders taking place this year in Iraq, around 200, Christianity is spreading and Christian believers are increasing.  Iraqi Anglican Canon, Andrew White, explains how his Baghdad Church is 4000 people strong. He states "So many Christians have been killed, yet the church in Iraq is so happy - miraculously happy. The fact that the church is like this is incredible. And they've got a huge amount to teach us". 

Andrew White serves at St George's Church, located in Baghdad's Red Zone, which has grown to become the country's largest church. White believes that about 550 Muslims attend St. George's, however the number could be larger given that Muslims in Iraq face the threat of death upon confessing publicly Jesus as Lord. In 2010 White baptised 13 Muslims. Unfortunately within a week 11 of them were murdered. 

It feels like they are the modern martyrs. When explained that a baptism is dangerous and could result in them getting dead most reply, "We just love and want to follow Jesus". Its important to see if we, who belong to an established Church within the Western world, would react in the same way. 

The Vicar of Baghdad, as Andrew White is also known, does a serious and magnificent job, in a difficult and dangerous region, where not many priests or lay people would visit or establish a mission. Lets only hope that this war and the religious war within Iraq will soon end.