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We have found ourselves in late winter, with flurries of snow, chilly winds, and snuggling up to the stove or in our sleeping bags. It seems like just yesterday we were wiping sweat, wishing for an air conditioner in the heat of Africa. Somehow, we have managed to miss the worst of winter, unless we consider a few days in China. . . Then fast forward into summer (Africa), into perfect spring weather (India), and now back to end of winter. Here are some pictures from our village.
An abundance of hot drinks, hot chocolate, teas, and coffee are available throughout the day. Breakfast consists of oatmeal, cereal, or toast with jam. Lunch has been a variety of sandwiches with fried eggs, cheese, tomatoes, sausage, etc, and soup or baked potatoes with all the fixings. The evening meal brings many reminders of home as we enjoy BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, cheeseburgers, French fries, cheesy potato soup, spaghetti, and many other delicious dishes.
Ministry involves a large variety of activities, yet there is flexibility and freedom in choosing what we feel God is calling us to do or go. There are many opportunities to go prayer walking through different villages. Many times these walks lead t
o conversation with babushkas (grandmas) or others in the village. There is almost always a translator with us because most people do not know any English. Others can choose to hang out at the orphanage, helping kids with English or playing soccer. Also, playing soccer in different villages provides an opening to conversations about faith and God. I have really enjoyed the physical labor ministry here at the camp, mostly helping split wood for the stoves. We are planning to work on a few of the babushkas homes in the village, fixing roofs, etc. I’ve also gotten to help out in the kitchen quite a bit as well.
raised over $1 million throughout her life, which ended at the age of 8 years old. But thats not all, 10,000 volunteers continue her legacy by working at 2,000 Alex’s Lemonade Stands around the country every year to donate to cancer research and helping children with cancer.Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease, yet a child dies every 60 seconds from Malaria. The good news is Malaria deaths are down by 33% since 2006, and more lives are being saved every day. Last Thursday (April 25th) was World Malaria Day. A day to acknowledge those suffering and a day to educate people so that they will be inspired to help change the statistics of Malaria.
This disease is caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which then bites humans. Symptoms are typically high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness. The malaria parasite is found in red blood cells of an infected person. So, when a mosquito bites an infected person, it carry’s with it a small amount of blood which mixes with the mosquito’s saliva. When that mosquito bites another person, that parasite is injected into the person being bitten. Malaria can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, organ transplant, or the shared use of needles or syringes contaminated with blood, as well as from mother to child before or during delivery. (CDC)
With that in mind, Malaria is NOT a contagious disease. In other words, it is not spread from person to person like a cold or from casual contact.
Malaria is usually found in tropical and subtropical countries. Occurring in more than 100 countries and territories, about half of the world’s population is at risk. But some countries have eliminated malaria or the type of mosquito is not found there. For example, Malaria in the United States was eliminated in the early 1950′s (although there are 1,500 cases each year, mostly due to traveling).
Malaria can be prevented or treated through the use of antimalarial drugs, mosquito nets treated with insecticide, Anti-Malaria Soap, and early diagnoses.
On our last night of ministry, we had the opportunity to go back to a slum area that we had visited the week before. There is a row of small brick homes, with panels of tin as makeshifts roofs. The women crotch outside their home wit
h their small cookfire that makes up their kitchen. The children are scattered among the homes playing or helping with the meal. Many of these children are from our school, and this is a chance to see a glance of what life means to them. They grin from ear to ear in excitement when we pile out of our rickshaws. Running to greet us and grab our hands, they call for their friends so that they can show us off! Knowing the visitors is taken as such a privilege to these kids. We are invited into their midst and begin the evening singing songs from school.
We perform a skit and share a testimony, your typical outreach routine. It was after the planned segment, that I encountered one of my most memorable moments since arriving in India. We decided to sing, “Hallelujah, Praise(ing) ye the Lord.” The song that requires two groups, one singing the Hallelujah part and the other singing the “Praising the Lor
d” part as well as much jumping up and down! Somehow we were able to persuade many of the men to join us in this song. I stumbled upon pure joy in watching and joining these men and children jumping and singing, especially when everyone would be mixed up and jumping at the wrong times! Although the idea of the song performance was ruined, these men had huge smiles on their faces. Joy and laughter radiated from their face. I couldn’t help but laugh along wit
h them and that joy I experienced continues to overflow within me. Just another reminder that true happiness and fulfillment in life doesn’t come from how much money we have, or how we look, or anything of this world, but only from the one who sacrificed everything so that we could have freedom and eternal life, Jesus Christ!
sell the colorful bracelets they had made. Many families in this area felt forced to make a decision, after realizing that selling their goods would not provide the basic necessities for their families. That decision puts innocent children into the underground market of prostitution.
Not expecting to see the money or bracelets again, Alex was later overwhelmed to be handed 1300 bracelets. Especially after finding out the family was only taking a 20 cent per hour wage.
This month in India has flown by. We have only a few days left for ministry and will then be in Delhi, Thursday thru Saturday. Our days here have been busy yet relaxed. We have a similar routine each day, yet we are always ready for a change in plans! Our mornings begin with breakfast at 8:30am, usually toast with peanut butter & jelly and hard-boiled eggs; sometimes they will serve fried eggs or oatmeal.
The rickshaws arrive around 9:30am for our ride to the school. There are 50 children enrolled in this small, Christian school. Most of the kids come from the slums and very poor families. This is their only hope for education. These adorable little children break my heart. They greet us each morning with bright smiles; their eyes searching for hope and joy. Ranging from three to ten years old, they gather in the one room building. We spend the morning singing songs about God’s love and mercy, sharing Bible stories, making crafts, playing games, and then we help teach them English. I have been teaching the older kids and I love to see the eagerness they have to learn. We finish the morning with exercise and give each child crackers.
The rickshaws drop us off at the base, just in time for lunch at 1:30pm. Lunch and dinner consist of rice or chapatti with lentils, beans or chicken in a sauce. Our contacts have also treated us to meals at their house, including grilled cheese sandwiches!! The afternoons are free, providing opportunities to rest, go to town, and have team meetings. Ministry in the evenings comprise of house visits or outreach gatherings in small communities. We sing worship songs, perform a drama, and share our testimonies. Believers sometimes treat us to chai tea and sweet crackers before we head back to the base. Dinner is served around 8:30pm.
Friday, we traveled to the Ganges River. This river is a very holy place for many religions even though it is considered one of the most polluted rivers in the world. There are many temples and idol statues. We spent the day prayer walking, shopping, and exploring the area. We ate lunch at the Tiptop Restaurant overlooking the river as well as enjoyed popcorn from roadside venders!
