Sunday, 7 August 2016

latest short text (via Ian)

Hello all

sorry that the blog is still subject to the damage done to the wire by the monsoon! so a brief update...

"Great morning (Saturday) at sunflower meeting.  Anna shared a word which was amazing, great response time, prayer and having fun sharing lives together.  Team on good form, lots of joy.  Ready for a great last few days."

keep praying in that positivity and anticipation - Ian

Thursday, 4 August 2016

further short update

a couple of texts to give a little more information

received 03 Aug 16:05 UK time
"all is good here.  Josh has been well today.  we finished painting the small boys home today.  we then went to the big boys and girls home this afternoon"

received 04 Aug 12:08 UK time
"team seem the most tired and homesick today.  Notably the boys so prayer for energy would be good :)"

and persevering when the going gets a bit tougher is part of this trip - Ian

Tuesday, 2 August 2016

"Poems and prayers" - Sam Harwood 2k16

Some people love to dance
Under the rain
Many people like to sing
Mangoes.
Everyone is having fun
Relishing the joy of the kids

More energy is needed
India.
Silly jokes make our days
Smelly people surround me
In case you're worrying
Okay.
No deaths have occurred

God is always good.
Only the brave survive mission
Ants.

Two people here are married
We love them so much
England is missed
Not. LOL
Twelve people arrived safely
You did not

Sometimes there are tears
Involuntarily.
Xylophones don't exist here
Telephones are rare
Everybody loves the kids
Eggs.
Nobody is struggling too much

See you soon
Sam





Be like.. We're still alive

Hi everyone!
Apologies for the delayed post, we've had problems with the internet and getting onto the blog...
We are half way through our time in India and we have experienced lots of new things. Monsoon season means power-cuts so we have experienced a fair few so far! We have nearly finished painting the shared bedroom in the younger boys home, oil paint is currently our worst enemy... During the week we have been spending the mornings painting at the younger boys home and then in the afternoon we have split between the boys and girls homes. In the afternoons we often play games with the kids and lead devotions - seeing these children interact with God is a true blessing. In the girls home we have also been teaching some English to help them prepare for their exams this week.

Over the weekend we went to visit some homes of the families that are part of the sunflower project - visiting the slums was challenging and quite a lot to take in. The stories of the people we met were incredible and we were greeted with beaming smiles and incredible hospitality. We also went to see a Bollywood movie in the cinema and experienced church in India for the first time. The worship band was made up of some of the kids from the homes and their voices were amazing! We also had some down time at a hotel near the beach, unfortunately it was chucking it down with rain so we didn't actually go onto the beach. We thought the rain in the UK was bad but it's nothing compared to monsoon rain!!

This week we started doing some painting in the girls home and look forward to building our relationships with the kids and Martin and Beena. Prayer for these relationships and good health would be appreciated as Josh has been ill over the past few days with an upset stomach. He's on the mend though and looking forward to coming back out the homes with the rest of the team. Everyone is still in good spirits and we are still learning a lot. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement - it's been really motivating for all of us :)

short text from team

hello all

if anything, communication from India has got a little trickier, even sending a text is proving difficult, so a short text today...

"stuff going well our end, started doing pictures on the girls homes.  stuff is good.  People processing some great things."

Ian's comment... I guess they are painting pictures on the walls?  Anyway, all seems well.  Do keep praying as the team move in to their second week and continue to process all they are seeing and hearing.  Pray for ongoing good health, and strong fellowship.