Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Back Safe and Sound
I didn't know this before we left, but apparently Theresa and I have the world's most comfortable bed. We are back in Oregon and although there is some lingering illness from the trip, we are definitely doing well.
Thank you for all your prayers and comments.
We are going to do some more posts of reflection and we have a LOT more pics to put up that, due to the lack of internet availability, we haven't yet.
There might be some more video too.
A couple things we did that I want to make sure we mentioned...
We went to Mother Theresa's finale resting place. We went to her home for the dying and destitute, we walked through a Hindu festival, and spent over 80 hours on a trains in the last week or so.
We will chat about them later, but for now we are safe and sound.
Thank you for all your prayers and comments.
We are going to do some more posts of reflection and we have a LOT more pics to put up that, due to the lack of internet availability, we haven't yet.
There might be some more video too.
A couple things we did that I want to make sure we mentioned...
We went to Mother Theresa's finale resting place. We went to her home for the dying and destitute, we walked through a Hindu festival, and spent over 80 hours on a trains in the last week or so.
We will chat about them later, but for now we are safe and sound.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Internet
Hey guys- lots to say about what we have been doing, but unfortunately we have limited internet access now that we have left Shimoga and journeyed (30 hours on a train) to Kolkota (or Calcutta). It is really crazy here. There is so much spiritual oppression. We have seen parades in the street to show dedication to the idols, we have seen demonic things too. - Details to follow... but where there is darkness, the light shines even brighter!
We went to Freeset- which is possibly the coolest things ever. They offer jobs to women who are entrenched in prostitution. They say in India, women don't choose prostitution, it chooses them.
Freeset, however, employs over 100 women (although there are 40K currently) and they have found a sustainable way to generate income and provide work for these women so that they can get off the streets and out of the brothels. So if you are in the market for a new bag- get one here.
We saw first hand the work they are doing, and believe me it is the Lord's work.
What I found very interesting about their method was the fact they there are self-sustaining. So many organizations rely on donations and they do not. They design, create, and sell their products which provides enough income to sustain their business model. Unlike traidtional business models, however, their emphasis on not on turning profits, but rather creating jobs; so many of the jobs that could be automated are not. This way they can hire more and more workes and in turn get more and more women off the street. REALLY REALLY COOL!
There is so much more to say and even some thing we shouldn't blog about, but please ask us when we get back and we will tell you.
We will leave you with this thought....
1 John 4:4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
This is true.... we know it to be true firsthand.
We went to Freeset- which is possibly the coolest things ever. They offer jobs to women who are entrenched in prostitution. They say in India, women don't choose prostitution, it chooses them.
Freeset, however, employs over 100 women (although there are 40K currently) and they have found a sustainable way to generate income and provide work for these women so that they can get off the streets and out of the brothels. So if you are in the market for a new bag- get one here.
We saw first hand the work they are doing, and believe me it is the Lord's work.
What I found very interesting about their method was the fact they there are self-sustaining. So many organizations rely on donations and they do not. They design, create, and sell their products which provides enough income to sustain their business model. Unlike traidtional business models, however, their emphasis on not on turning profits, but rather creating jobs; so many of the jobs that could be automated are not. This way they can hire more and more workes and in turn get more and more women off the street. REALLY REALLY COOL!
There is so much more to say and even some thing we shouldn't blog about, but please ask us when we get back and we will tell you.
We will leave you with this thought....
1 John 4:4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
This is true.... we know it to be true firsthand.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
My friend
In Indian culture, when men are good friends in India, they are a bit more "touchy" than we are in the states. I cannot remember the last time I hugged, or held the hand of a friend who was male... in fact I cannot remember holding hands with anyone who was not either "A" praying or "B" Theresa...
Being that I am not a touchy-feely guy, this was a surprise to me, but you know what they say, "When in Rome."
So everyday, this one kid waves to me and runs over to me and grabs my hand. Then he points to nowhere and we start walking... and I am thinking, "this is really weird, where are we going?" And the answer is "nowhere." We are going nowhere at all, and so I would kinda let it go for a couple minutes and then pull away and play with the other kids. Then one day I thought, "I will just go with it and see where it leads." And sure enough, we went nowhere, in fact, we went in circles. He would lead me by the hand and we walked around in circles. When we would come up to anyone he would grunt and point me out to them like a trophy
And this made no sense until I took an step back and thought about Indian culture. Today it clicked- he was showing everyone there that he had a friend and that friend was me.
Being that I am not a touchy-feely guy, this was a surprise to me, but you know what they say, "When in Rome."
So everyday, this one kid waves to me and runs over to me and grabs my hand. Then he points to nowhere and we start walking... and I am thinking, "this is really weird, where are we going?" And the answer is "nowhere." We are going nowhere at all, and so I would kinda let it go for a couple minutes and then pull away and play with the other kids. Then one day I thought, "I will just go with it and see where it leads." And sure enough, we went nowhere, in fact, we went in circles. He would lead me by the hand and we walked around in circles. When we would come up to anyone he would grunt and point me out to them like a trophy
And this made no sense until I took an step back and thought about Indian culture. Today it clicked- he was showing everyone there that he had a friend and that friend was me.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Sunday, July 8, 2007
5 thoughts so far
Here are five of my thoughts that on things that have amazed me since I’ve been here in Shimoga-almost a week now!
1. In Shimoga, a day is a day. They are not defined by T.V shows, business meetings or subway daily specials. A day is another chance to experience and embrace life. The sun rises and sets, and things are accomplish, but not because it’s a Monday or Tuesday or the weekend…its because it’s a day.
2. When we try to find happiness in too much, we rob ourselves of true joy. We distributed small gifts to each of the children that people at church donated. The gifts were well -used stuffed animals and small happy meal toys. The kids sat in rows on the dusty floor quietly, anxiously awaiting the special treasure we had for each of them. Their eyes lit up as we placed the small gifts in their hands. They politely thanked us, and were overjoyed to have a toy of their very own.
3. This is truly a place of the purest love I have ever seen. During meal times, the kids all sit on the cement floor. A big vat of rice and some curry gravy sits at the front of the room. We pass out all the food as the kids wait patiently for their turn. There is no arguing, no impatient glares or “squirrelly” behavior. Once all the kids have their food, they eat quietly (with their hands, as is the Indian way). What amazes me though is that several of the older kids feed the kids who are of not right mind or are too physically handicapped to do so themselves (remember, all eating is done with hands.) They make sure they are completely fed before they then begin eating themselves. They do it without complaining-they do it as a natural part in caring for each other.
4. After I fed the kids their dinner, I stood back to take in the activity in the room around me- Kids with twisted limbs, drooping eyes, misshaped features of different ages all living together in harmony and love. These kids are the rejects of society- the unwanted, the uncared for, the “abnormal”-yet they are happy and alive, living together each day. They share such unity because they do not judge, they do not gossip and they accept and love unconditionally. Wow…it was a humbling experience to watch these kids in action.
5. Finally, I will end with this-the final thing that has amazed me are the monkeys that are as common as squirrels, the elephants as domestic as horses, and the small ants that bite like fire (hence the name, “fire ants”).
I could go on, but I will stop for now. Love you all…and more to come…
1. In Shimoga, a day is a day. They are not defined by T.V shows, business meetings or subway daily specials. A day is another chance to experience and embrace life. The sun rises and sets, and things are accomplish, but not because it’s a Monday or Tuesday or the weekend…its because it’s a day.
2. When we try to find happiness in too much, we rob ourselves of true joy. We distributed small gifts to each of the children that people at church donated. The gifts were well -used stuffed animals and small happy meal toys. The kids sat in rows on the dusty floor quietly, anxiously awaiting the special treasure we had for each of them. Their eyes lit up as we placed the small gifts in their hands. They politely thanked us, and were overjoyed to have a toy of their very own.
3. This is truly a place of the purest love I have ever seen. During meal times, the kids all sit on the cement floor. A big vat of rice and some curry gravy sits at the front of the room. We pass out all the food as the kids wait patiently for their turn. There is no arguing, no impatient glares or “squirrelly” behavior. Once all the kids have their food, they eat quietly (with their hands, as is the Indian way). What amazes me though is that several of the older kids feed the kids who are of not right mind or are too physically handicapped to do so themselves (remember, all eating is done with hands.) They make sure they are completely fed before they then begin eating themselves. They do it without complaining-they do it as a natural part in caring for each other.
4. After I fed the kids their dinner, I stood back to take in the activity in the room around me- Kids with twisted limbs, drooping eyes, misshaped features of different ages all living together in harmony and love. These kids are the rejects of society- the unwanted, the uncared for, the “abnormal”-yet they are happy and alive, living together each day. They share such unity because they do not judge, they do not gossip and they accept and love unconditionally. Wow…it was a humbling experience to watch these kids in action.
5. Finally, I will end with this-the final thing that has amazed me are the monkeys that are as common as squirrels, the elephants as domestic as horses, and the small ants that bite like fire (hence the name, “fire ants”).
I could go on, but I will stop for now. Love you all…and more to come…
Roshan
If you were a 22 year old Indian male working at an orphanage might not be your first choice. What if you were head and shoulders above the other men of india, a black belt in multiple martial arts, and a stunt man for Bollywood... You would really have all of India at your fingertips, but what could make you give all of this up and take care of your mom, sister, and 72 orphans and handicapped children? What could possible make you forsake many of your own dreams and ambitions to mop up urine?
Irene Part 2
Continued from this posting.
T and Me with Irene
Before Irene left Kuwait, her employer tried to convert her to Islam many times. They used to prevent her from praying, reading her bible, and even offered her more money, less work, and a better position to simply forsake Christ and become a Muslim.
Irene did not convert, but instead stayed devoted to her Lord; taking her bible with her to the bathroom and reading it there- which was the only place she could.
After Johns Hopkins, Irene took a gigantic leap of faith. She trusted that the Bob and Kristen would actually send the money they had promised to send, but this is only part of the story. The Father of the family didn't want to let Irene leave Kuwait. After all, she was very inexpensive labor that easily earned her keep and by this time, his daughter had become quite attached to Irene, and she was hard worker who never complained. The father held her basically hostage because he controlled her passport, which allowed to her come and go from the country.
Through a miracle of God and the pleading of his daughter, the father finally let Irene go. This is a story in a of itself, but it will have to wait for another time.
After landing in India, Irene wrote a letter to Bob and Kristen that basically said, "I am in India, and I am praying that you were serious about sending the money."
Thank the Lord that Bob and Kristen are people of their word and soon Irene was reunited with her son Roshan and her daughter Reema. They were 13 years older now and different people than when she left. During her time in Kuwait, she was only allowed to see her children once every two years and then only for a day, but now she was reunited with them and they have been together ever since.
Now if I had gone through all of this I would be focused on my family and my own well-being, but not Irene.
She found that with the money Bob and Kristen were sending, she could take care of a couple of the children that the Hindu people would not. The Hindu religion believe that today's life is a product of deeds done in the past lives, so if a child is retarded and handicapped, he/she deserves it because of last life's sins. The religion has no sympathy for such children and Hindus even go so far as to kick their own children out on the street if they are born with a physical handicap or mental retardation. These children are what the bible means when it talks about "the least of these."
Irene talked about her new orphaned children to Bob and Kristen who were already running several businesses at the time. Bob and Kristen were were so touched that soon they had a non-profit up and running in no time.
It was named Happy Home for the Handicapped. Here is Irene in her own words.
"I started Happy Home for the Handicapped in October of 2003. It was a vision for me to start working with physically challenged children. I was inspired by a child named Latifa (author's note- this is the daughter of the family in Kuwait) who was under my care who was specially challenged. I made a firm decision to help these special children and let them know about the Word of God at my home town. Myself and my 2 children and my family have dedicated ourselves to serve the downtrodden."
Happy Home soon rented a piece of land and now there are 72 orphans and disabled children roaming Happy Home for the Handicapped, but the land is not their own and the Hindu people around the area do not like having this kind of place in their community.
But this is Irene on land that is literally in the process of being purchased by Happy Home. It is safe from others and near hospitals, dentists, and a main road. They are in final negotiations now. Unlike so many things in India, land is not cheap. Pray that God provides the funds and the workers needed for the daunting task ahead.
Roshan and Ben on the land.
Here we are today- if you are interested in helping, click here and sponsor a child!
I can tell you from first hand experience, no pennies are wasted here- and you will be helping those who really need it!!
James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Mathew 25:34-40
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Include Irene, Reema, and Roshan in your prayers. Pray that they will be safe is a place that doesn't like having them here. Also pray that this land deal goes through if it is God's will.
T and Me with Irene
Before Irene left Kuwait, her employer tried to convert her to Islam many times. They used to prevent her from praying, reading her bible, and even offered her more money, less work, and a better position to simply forsake Christ and become a Muslim.
Irene did not convert, but instead stayed devoted to her Lord; taking her bible with her to the bathroom and reading it there- which was the only place she could.
After Johns Hopkins, Irene took a gigantic leap of faith. She trusted that the Bob and Kristen would actually send the money they had promised to send, but this is only part of the story. The Father of the family didn't want to let Irene leave Kuwait. After all, she was very inexpensive labor that easily earned her keep and by this time, his daughter had become quite attached to Irene, and she was hard worker who never complained. The father held her basically hostage because he controlled her passport, which allowed to her come and go from the country.
Through a miracle of God and the pleading of his daughter, the father finally let Irene go. This is a story in a of itself, but it will have to wait for another time.
After landing in India, Irene wrote a letter to Bob and Kristen that basically said, "I am in India, and I am praying that you were serious about sending the money."
Thank the Lord that Bob and Kristen are people of their word and soon Irene was reunited with her son Roshan and her daughter Reema. They were 13 years older now and different people than when she left. During her time in Kuwait, she was only allowed to see her children once every two years and then only for a day, but now she was reunited with them and they have been together ever since.
Now if I had gone through all of this I would be focused on my family and my own well-being, but not Irene.
She found that with the money Bob and Kristen were sending, she could take care of a couple of the children that the Hindu people would not. The Hindu religion believe that today's life is a product of deeds done in the past lives, so if a child is retarded and handicapped, he/she deserves it because of last life's sins. The religion has no sympathy for such children and Hindus even go so far as to kick their own children out on the street if they are born with a physical handicap or mental retardation. These children are what the bible means when it talks about "the least of these."
Irene talked about her new orphaned children to Bob and Kristen who were already running several businesses at the time. Bob and Kristen were were so touched that soon they had a non-profit up and running in no time.
It was named Happy Home for the Handicapped. Here is Irene in her own words.
"I started Happy Home for the Handicapped in October of 2003. It was a vision for me to start working with physically challenged children. I was inspired by a child named Latifa (author's note- this is the daughter of the family in Kuwait) who was under my care who was specially challenged. I made a firm decision to help these special children and let them know about the Word of God at my home town. Myself and my 2 children and my family have dedicated ourselves to serve the downtrodden."
Happy Home soon rented a piece of land and now there are 72 orphans and disabled children roaming Happy Home for the Handicapped, but the land is not their own and the Hindu people around the area do not like having this kind of place in their community.
But this is Irene on land that is literally in the process of being purchased by Happy Home. It is safe from others and near hospitals, dentists, and a main road. They are in final negotiations now. Unlike so many things in India, land is not cheap. Pray that God provides the funds and the workers needed for the daunting task ahead.
Roshan and Ben on the land.
Here we are today- if you are interested in helping, click here and sponsor a child!
I can tell you from first hand experience, no pennies are wasted here- and you will be helping those who really need it!!
James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Mathew 25:34-40
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Include Irene, Reema, and Roshan in your prayers. Pray that they will be safe is a place that doesn't like having them here. Also pray that this land deal goes through if it is God's will.
Shimoga Driving
Perhaps this is best experienced and not watched, but you have to understand that the video does not show the width of the car... and believe me there are times when we are at most inches from whatever we almost hit.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Thursday, July 5, 2007
quick note-
Comments are now allowed by anyone - so feel free to ask questions or post comments.
I am working on a video of driving around Shimoga- oh my goodness- it is amazing.
I am working on a video of driving around Shimoga- oh my goodness- it is amazing.
Her Story
Irene.
Irene is the mother of Roshan and Reema. She is a small woman, but has faith larger than anyone I have ever met. She shared some of her story with us, and I want to share it with you.
When Roshan was 6 and Reema was 2.5 years old, their father, who was a tall and handsome Indian man, was murdered. The entire city was shaken because he was of such stature that everyone new about him and also about his murder.
Now Irene and he had saved up some money and were living a comfortable life with their family. They had been sending money to his sister for safekeeping. When he was killed, the sister and his family decided to keep the money and sent Irene and Reema out on the street. They wanted to keep Roshan because he “had the look of his father.” Irene, of course, didn’t want Roshan to grow up Hindu, and despite their taunts and objections, she took both her children and left for Shimoga to be with her family.
Around the same time, Irene’s father died and there was nobody to provide for her mother and sisters. There were no jobs in Shimoga that could possibly feed all these mouths, so Irene left for Kuwait. In Kuwait, she basically became a slave to a rich family who confiscated her passport and forbid her from praying or reading her bible. The family was very cruel to her. So much so that they would work her all day and then find more chores for her to do at night. She talked about how one night at midnight they told her to get up, and go wash both of their cars. If she would try and sneak away to read the bible, her coworkers, who were Muslims like the family, would tattle on her to the family and she would get scolded. I got the impression that a scolding was more than just words, but I didn’t ask because the wounds are still evident when she talks about it. She would pray each day to god when she could for deliverance. “How am I supposed to live in this house?” she would ask herself and God. Irene worked 18-hour days and went bed very late. She would wake herself up and pray for two hours each morning in secret so that she could have some time with God.
One day, the family had a premature baby with lots of health issues. On top of her load of work, the family gave the care of this child to Irene. The child had a hole in her heart, crossed legs, and lots of other problems. The child could not eat or sleep very well, so it cried often. Each time the baby would cry, Irene would be scolded by the family as if she was somehow not preventing the baby from crying, but of course, babies cry. Each day on top of her normal work, Irene would have to care for this child. She did love the child, but the family was unbearable.
After many years of praying for this family there was a night like many other nights where Irene was holding the child as she cried and cried. The man of the house came out and called for Irene. She fearfully went expecting to get a scolding, but something amazing happened. He said, I will care for the girl; you go read your bible. This was a sign that Irene had been praying for and an answer to prayer.
Irene was away from her children for 13 years. Towards the end of this the child was born to the family. When it was evident more medical care was needed for the child, they flew her and her caregiver, Irene, out to John’s Hopkin’s Hospital. Everywhere she went, Irene loved and cared for others and they loved her in return. The family forbid Irene from having outside contact with others at the hospital, but nonetheless others took a liking to Irene, and if you met her, you would too.
At the hospital, Irene met Bob and Kristen Roach, who were there to care for their son who was born premature. When they learned of Irene’s story, they decided to send her the equivalent of her salary so she could see her children who she had been away from for 13 years. She took a huge step of faith and went back to India hoping that Bob and Kristen would keep their word, which of course they did. She fed all the people of her family with this money and was reunited with her children.
Now this is where you would expect the story to end, but it doesn’t more to come tomorrow.
How about some more pics of the kids?
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
the Pics!
Check them out
Use the Navigation Bars below and on the side to select the image you want to see and then click on it and the full size will open in a new window... or if you want to see them all click "start slide show" in the upper right.
Use the Navigation Bars below and on the side to select the image you want to see and then click on it and the full size will open in a new window... or if you want to see them all click "start slide show" in the upper right.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
1 Cor. 1:27
"God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise." (1 Cor. 1:27)
--This verse spoke loud and clear to me today; The caste system is alive, and has the hearts of many people here imprisoned. --
As we sang some worship songs yesterday in Irene's living room, unknown to us, our Bus driver, Kumar, heard us and asked to sit in on it today. He is a Hindu and grew up with his heart chained down by the caste system (I assume he is in one of the lower castes). He just sat and listened while we sang. Afterwards, Ben, our leader, prayed and professed the freedom of knowing Christ. Roshan translated to him. When we finished, Kumar told us that he recognized that Christians are all equal;there is no division among them. That is what stuck out to him, because in Hinduism, one person is considered above another. He shook all our hands and Rosham gave him a Bible to read. Pray for dear Kuman's heart, that he would realize , trust and embrace the saving knowledge of our God.
Psalm 96:
Sing a new song to the Lord!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord...
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations...
He is to be revered above all other gods.
The gods of other nations are merely idols,
but the Lord made the heavens...
O nations of the world, recognize the Lord....
This is my prayer for today. May our actions be an example to others of the freedom we have in Christ.
.theresa
--This verse spoke loud and clear to me today; The caste system is alive, and has the hearts of many people here imprisoned. --
As we sang some worship songs yesterday in Irene's living room, unknown to us, our Bus driver, Kumar, heard us and asked to sit in on it today. He is a Hindu and grew up with his heart chained down by the caste system (I assume he is in one of the lower castes). He just sat and listened while we sang. Afterwards, Ben, our leader, prayed and professed the freedom of knowing Christ. Roshan translated to him. When we finished, Kumar told us that he recognized that Christians are all equal;there is no division among them. That is what stuck out to him, because in Hinduism, one person is considered above another. He shook all our hands and Rosham gave him a Bible to read. Pray for dear Kuman's heart, that he would realize , trust and embrace the saving knowledge of our God.
Psalm 96:
Sing a new song to the Lord!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord...
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations...
He is to be revered above all other gods.
The gods of other nations are merely idols,
but the Lord made the heavens...
O nations of the world, recognize the Lord....
This is my prayer for today. May our actions be an example to others of the freedom we have in Christ.
.theresa
Day1 (techincally day 2 sine we lost a day traveling)
Day 1….
So the traveling is complete and we are here at HHH.
How crazy is it that you can be half way around the world in just 24 hours. We are in Shimoga, India under the care of Irene, Roshan, and Reema.
These people are more than hospitable. Roshan came 5 hours by bus last night to meet us at the airport and then 5 rode the 5 hours back in a crowded bus. During the drive I figured out where the phrase "My life flashed before my eyes" comes from. We are being passed by a bus, in a bus, with a bus coming toward us in the opposite direction. There could not have been more than a couple feet of clearance. It takes a special kind of driver to drive around here- the kind with no fear of death, no regard for others, and nerves that a Texas-Hold’em champ would kill for. Theresa and I will stick to foot traffic.
Now HHH is a couple buildings 1. A School/Meal Hall/ Classroom and 2. A house for Roshan, Reema, and Irene. As soon as we got here, we met Reema, Irene, and Esther (a worker here). When you get here, you are family and you are greeted and treated as such. A hug for everyone by everyone.
Now I know that some of you are checking this blog to see if we are ok/ alive, but lets not lie to each other, many of you want copious amounts of images of the precious kids…..
These kids are an example of Christ’s plan for a fallen world. This is the Redemption part of the Creation-Fall-Redemption cycle. These children were orphaned, kicked out of their homes, or just left by parents that could not afford the care of a special needs child; but now they have a chance to grow up, be loved, share love, learn, become educated, and make something of themselves. From what I have observed, the children here are not pitied, but instead they are loved and cared for. They are obedient, well behaved and full of smiles. I am not really a “kid” kinda person, but these children are so sweet and innocent and they love so freely- it is truly something to behold. It is such a pure, selfless love. I think this is a glimpse into the father’s heart.
So the traveling is complete and we are here at HHH.
How crazy is it that you can be half way around the world in just 24 hours. We are in Shimoga, India under the care of Irene, Roshan, and Reema.
These people are more than hospitable. Roshan came 5 hours by bus last night to meet us at the airport and then 5 rode the 5 hours back in a crowded bus. During the drive I figured out where the phrase "My life flashed before my eyes" comes from. We are being passed by a bus, in a bus, with a bus coming toward us in the opposite direction. There could not have been more than a couple feet of clearance. It takes a special kind of driver to drive around here- the kind with no fear of death, no regard for others, and nerves that a Texas-Hold’em champ would kill for. Theresa and I will stick to foot traffic.
Now HHH is a couple buildings 1. A School/Meal Hall/ Classroom and 2. A house for Roshan, Reema, and Irene. As soon as we got here, we met Reema, Irene, and Esther (a worker here). When you get here, you are family and you are greeted and treated as such. A hug for everyone by everyone.
Now I know that some of you are checking this blog to see if we are ok/ alive, but lets not lie to each other, many of you want copious amounts of images of the precious kids…..
These kids are an example of Christ’s plan for a fallen world. This is the Redemption part of the Creation-Fall-Redemption cycle. These children were orphaned, kicked out of their homes, or just left by parents that could not afford the care of a special needs child; but now they have a chance to grow up, be loved, share love, learn, become educated, and make something of themselves. From what I have observed, the children here are not pitied, but instead they are loved and cared for. They are obedient, well behaved and full of smiles. I am not really a “kid” kinda person, but these children are so sweet and innocent and they love so freely- it is truly something to behold. It is such a pure, selfless love. I think this is a glimpse into the father’s heart.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Basic Itinerary
So here is the basic plan for our trip
1. Leave PDX
usually a good start to a trip.
We leave at 1:20 PST and Arrive in Frankfurt, Germany at 8:35 AM (which is 11:35 PST)
We are flying Lufthansa, which I though was Lufthwaffe for a while until I was shown that the plane was not made of cloth nor flown by Baron von Richthofen.
2. 3 hours between flights
3. 11:35 am - Leave Frankfurt to head to Bangalore, India. We arrive at 11:50pm India Time. (which is 11:20 pm PST *yes it is a 1/2 hour different*)
Then we are done.... ACCEPT for the sweet 7 hour bus ride from 1:00 am (12:30 pm PST) to 8 am (7:30pm PST).
So to recap
We leave at 1:20 pm and arrive at 7:30 pm (but one full rotation of the clock later)
So about 30 hours of travel, or as I refer to it, 1.25 seasons of 24.
After we get there
2 weeks at HHH (that will be our abbreviation for Happy Home for the Handicapped)
On the 13th we head back to Banglore to catch a train to Kolkata which I have seen typed Calcutta. A Lot more to come stay tuned.
1. Leave PDX
usually a good start to a trip.
We leave at 1:20 PST and Arrive in Frankfurt, Germany at 8:35 AM (which is 11:35 PST)
We are flying Lufthansa, which I though was Lufthwaffe for a while until I was shown that the plane was not made of cloth nor flown by Baron von Richthofen.
2. 3 hours between flights
3. 11:35 am - Leave Frankfurt to head to Bangalore, India. We arrive at 11:50pm India Time. (which is 11:20 pm PST *yes it is a 1/2 hour different*)
Then we are done.... ACCEPT for the sweet 7 hour bus ride from 1:00 am (12:30 pm PST) to 8 am (7:30pm PST).
So to recap
We leave at 1:20 pm and arrive at 7:30 pm (but one full rotation of the clock later)
So about 30 hours of travel, or as I refer to it, 1.25 seasons of 24.
After we get there
2 weeks at HHH (that will be our abbreviation for Happy Home for the Handicapped)
On the 13th we head back to Banglore to catch a train to Kolkata which I have seen typed Calcutta. A Lot more to come stay tuned.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
