Hospital Progress!

Unfortunately the Internet has been down for the last 30 hours or so which has delayed my posting of entries. Subsequently I have forgotten most of what I was going to write so I will just tell you what I have witnessed relative to the hospital construction over the last several days. I have included some pictures of the structure as it looked when we arrived here last week. They don't really do it justice but trust me when I tell you it is quite a sight. Particularly when you are standing on the top floor and you can look out over the village and basically see everything (and that is without the roof being done which will be 12' higher). As a point of reference for those of you that have been here, you can see clear over the CEM dorm buildings as well as Jaya's house. Throughout the week the crew there has been preparing to pour the slab for the fourth floor, which in and of itself was quite a sight, but did not even compare to what we witnessed yesterday as they were actually laying the slab. This process involved 100+ people, 1/2 of which were on the ground and the other 1/2 up top. I am going to upload the photos of this taking place to my Picasa site as there are simply too many to put here. Please go to the link when I send it to you; it is worth it!

I will share one thing in particular that happened while standing on the upper floor observing this mass of humanity performing one of the most difficult forms of manual labor I have ever personally witnessed. Many of the people were carrying pans of mixed concrete on there heads as they walked from one end of the building to the rear (130 feet) over a maze of steel bound together to provide support for the floor. I could barely walk 20' without nearly tripping 3 times. A majority of the those carrying out this ridiculous task were women that couldn't have weighted more than 75 pounds and the pots they carry with 50!! You can't fully appreciate this unless you witness it in person. I have included one picture as a teaser.

As I was preparing to leave the work sight I saw this women carrying cement back and forth. She looked very malnourished and, as you can see, had severe chemical burns on here face. Jaya told me that the burns were likely caused by some abuse, perhaps from a husband as he said many people here tend to be sadistic. The first couple of times I visited CEM I found myself in or near in tears several times. Since those visits until now the tears have wained as I have become a bit accustomed to the way of life here. However, this women brought me down as I began to relate my life and the "challenges" I think I have. I once again began to understand how vital it is that all of us recognize how much bigger the world is than our own back yard and that the human condition of suffering is endless. For me these moments reconnect me to a reality far greater than that of my daily life back home and beckons me to serve, even when it hurts!

That's all for now. Please visit the link for pictures and you will see what I mean by the work these people perform, oh, and remember it is mid to upper 90s with a humidly near 95%.

This will likely be my last post as I am preparing to leave for the airport in a couple of hours. Thanks to all for your prayers and for taking the time to read a very simple chronicle of some things we have experience here this week. It has been a pleasure having Sal here with me as he is a true brother in Christ and tends to be my calming factor when I get a bit worked up. Thanks Sal!

Building Bridges

Such a large part of what I love to do here is to build relationships with people from the city and village. I have to admit the first time I was to have a lunch/meeting with local politicians I was

a bit intimidated and unsure of how it would go. Since that first meeting I have not only become more comfortable in our gatherings, but I actually look forward to them. This picture is one taken outside a restaurant in the city of Rajahmundry. We did not have any particular agenda, but rather wanted to stay connected with them for a multitude of reasons, first of which is to make sure they know that we are interested in them as people and desire to develop authentic relationships with them over time. The simple fact that we go in with no agenda likely speaks for itself. In this photo is the Deputy Mayor, the Mayor, a County Government Official, an attorney, and local business people. I have met with the Mayor and the Government Official on a few occasions in the past so we are truly moving toward understanding each other and what our goals are. We are doing the best we can to move out into the people and begin to work with them and not to be insular in our presence at CEM. I don't know exactly how God will use this approach but I am certain it is the correct one and all we are required to do is to follow Him in the way He leads us. We will continue to stay connected to these people and to prayerfully show them through our actions that we genuinely care for them.

This next story is amazing and I would say to this point has been the highlight of the trip (except maybe being with the kids). On my right is Sunil Prasad and on my left is Ganesh Kumar. Sunil works at a local paper mill and Ganesh is an accountant working for himself. Some of you may recall a meeting that we (Jeff P., Sal, Jim) had back in February with 24 Hindu leaders and business people for the simple purpose of getting to know one another and finding some common ground. These two gentlemen were a part of the gathering and were keenly interested in my offer to find ways to work together in partnership to help the village residents. In that February meeting I had posed the question, "what are the three greatest needs of your people", to which they responded, "medical care, clean water, and care for the elderly". Of course my first thought was, "what about the children". As I began to think about this answer, and why they didn't mention the children, I realized that the perception of many third world nations is that people from the West caring for children is almost a given and while the need for more orphanages and child-care programs is huge, it is the most common way we represent ourselves. Subsequently this led me to search within myself in an attempt to come to some understanding as to why we feel this way, and the simple answer is that children are automatically cute, helpless, etc., etc., and all of us that have children will be immediately drawn to this type of serving. That is great and necessary and is certainly following God's heart, but what about other groups of very needy, very deserving people. In particular, the elderly. My suspicions that this group is largely ignored was confirmed at the meeting and lunch with these two gentlemen earlier this week. After our "hellos" and "how are your families" were done, we plunged right into furthering the conversations from last February, particularly surrounding two subjects.

1: Clean water. I asked if it would be a big help if we were to start working together to provide wells in different areas of the village (I know, dumb question). I was surprised, however to learn that it is not the best way and that almost all wells, old and new, provide contaminated water. This is due mainly to the ground water and sewage waste that soaks into the land here and eventually finds it way to the water beds from which well water is drawn. Instead, they proposed an idea (which it sounds like Microsoft is doing in other areas) which is more of a community well or larger water tower that can supply many. The water, as it is in our smaller towns, would be pumped into the tower and subsequently filtered and made available to residents to use. The conversation got way more technical regarding the process, but I will spare you of that. Needless to say it gave us a lot to think about.

2. Elderly care. This is the one that grips me. These two guys showed more compassion for the elderly than any that I have seen in my travels to Dowlaiswaram. They fervently shared their feelings of despair and sorrow for the thousands of elderly people who are homeless and left to die alone. In the middle of our conversation I showed them a portion of a video that Kensington Church did a few years back that told a story of one homeless elderly man and the way that the hospital could help. While watching the video both of them teared up and appeared as though they were struggling not to burst into an all-out cry! It blew me away, mostly because there is such a sense of apathy toward the elderly among many of the people I have encountered.....but not these two. We discussed some possible ways we could partner together to work on programs to address this situation. Again, I will spare you the details as it was a lengthy conversation, but suffice it to say that I am excited about where God will lead in this process and I am also excited that we can work together on this.

I wish I could share more about this but there is simply too much to write. If anyone is interested in joining these efforts please reach out to me. Please pray that as we continue to develop these relationships that we will be sensitive to God's direction and always look to Him first and then act in obedience.

J

The New Church Building Location!

I thought this would be neat for anyone that has been here in the last couple of years. This picture is of the land that, up until recently, had the JEMS building nearest the stage on it. This is the view from near the gate looking back at Jaya's house. For years this building served as one of two building in which the JEMS children met for school. It was recently torn down so that a new church building can be erected. The opportunity to build this church has been made possible by a very generous, anonymous donation.

This building will serve a multitude of functions in addition to housing the Sunday service where many from the village as well as all of the children, MTS, STS, staff, and family of the staff gather to worship. Other programs that will take place are: 4 chapel services per day, MTS training, Graduation ceremonies for MTS and STS, Pastor conferences, Marriage ceremonies, and many other functions as they arise.

Due to the removal of the building there was a need to find an alternate location in which the JEMS program could be located. In typical Jaya fashion the upper floor of the "new" back dorm behind the girls block was retrofitted to accomplish this, and it is great! Below I have posted two photos; one of this retrofit and one of the other JEMS building that remains in its original location (with a new steel roof replacing the straw roof).

For those who do not know what JEMS is, it stands for Jaya English Medium School. The word Jaya means "victory" in Telegu and is not some egomanical attempt by Jaya to get his name on everything :) JEMS is a private school held on the campus of CEM in which children from the surrounding village can send their children at rates much less than many of the local private schools. These children are either Hindu or Muslim so it is a great opportunity to have them around observing the rest of the children and staff that are followers of Jesus. Currently there are more than 165 children enrolled. Wow!

Perfect Religion

I am sure when you read the title to this entry many of you, as I would have, shuttered and thought "uh oh, here we go with some fanatical ideology that will be forced down my throat". This is largely because the word "religion" carries with it several negative connotations and its definition is ambiguous at best. However, it wasn't always that way and Jesus had a few thoughts of His own as to what "it" should look like. We are also given some food for thought in James 1:27 where the writer tells us that "religion our God considers perfect and faultless is this, to care for orphans and widows in their distress...". The above picture gives a tangible example of this "religion" in practice.





Many of you are familiar with GCH (grace children's home) which is a home for children who have been orphaned or in one way or another left to fend for themselves. This home has been providing care for these children for several years and it continues to be blessed and serve as a light in a very dark place, particularly for this people group. There are a few very special, gifted, loving, and serving staff who daily look after all 225 children. This number, while seemingly large, is just a drop in the bucket when considering that recent statistics point to nearly 12 million homeless/marginalized children in the country of India. That number is staggering and could lead a person to say, "what is the point". The point is that Jesus teaches us in several passages how he feels about children (Mark 9:37, Luke 10:21, Matthew 11:25) and also tells us that in all people groups, including children, "whatever you do unto the least of one of these brothers of mine, you do unto me, (Matthew 25:40). Mother Theresa was also quoted as saying "if you can't feed a hundred people, feed just one", and "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop".




As I have traveled here several times and have gotten to know several of the children quite well, there attitude and gratitude never cease to amaze me, particularly in the midst of what is often personal trauma. I am always a bit suprised when I come back to learn that some of the children I have come to know are no longer living in GCH. Often times they get to an age where some distant family members will come to claim them because they are old enough to work and make money for the family. Other times they will return to a parent that has found work and can afford to feed them. Whatever the circumstance I sometimes feel saddened as though someone has taken one of my children away, and, while they are likely in an environment that will better serve there need for true family, it still tugs at my heart.





The change in the children rostered here has changed more on this trip than any in the past, due largely to the fact that many of the children are getting older. In fact the total number of children who have left the campus since I was here in February is 32! That is a huge number and it came as a big shock to me and to Sal. I talked with Jaya and tried to get as many of the stories as possible but that didn't ease the pain of missing them. However, I also learned that there are 45 new children now living here with an ever-growing waiting list, currently at 50 children. It goes without saying that the need is endless.



I thought it may be good to share a few specific stories of some newcomers:




This is M. Durga Bhavani Devi and N. Divya Kumari. They have recently joined GCH as they both lost their fathers to disease and there mothers, untrained and with no particular skills, are unable to feed them and keep them clothed. They told Jaya right in front of me that they would go several days without food. The most amazing thing is that they are so gracious, full of smiles, and worship so fervently that I am ashamed of my own apathy. It is funny how we can be motivated to grow by the most unlikely of people.




This is Anjali and B. Siddadha. They are brother and sister and have also recently moved to the campus. There story is a bit different in that their mother recently died from disease and their father, upon her death, disappeared and abandoned them at their home with no warning or explanation. They too have an amazing spirit that can only be explained by God's grace.



This precious gem is Mounika. I connected with her intensely the very first day I was here. She has such an amazing spirit and the joy she carries with her certainly surpasses understanding. The circumstances that brought her here were a raging alcoholic father and a mother that has been forced to do manual labor and other work in order that the father can drink. Not an ideal environment for such an amazing child with so much potential.



These are just a few of the many stories of the children at GCH which likely represent millions more across the country, and, while it is such a privilege to be able to help in any small way available, there remains the need for dedicated followers of Jesus to be willing and obedient to whatever part they may play in the lives of these people as well as all worldwide who need Him. Please continue to pray for Sal and me as we continue to have amazing encounters and conversations with people like the lunch we had with two Hindu gentlemen where we discussed several options for partnering together to serve this community. What an amazing experience that I will share in an upcoming entry.

Serving,

Jim

Hello from Dowlaiswaram, India!! I have been attempting to post the first blog but the unstable Internet environment has made it difficult. Now that I seem to have few minutes of connection time I am excited to share some things with all of you. Before I get ahead of myself the photo to the left is of Keerthi Grace, Jaya's youngest adopted daughter. This is the little angel that Craig dedicated in February of 2008 after her mother abandoned her, post delivery. She is a spark and a joy to be around.

For those of you that are not aware, this trip is not a "team trip" but rather one of the interim trips that I make in order to accomplish several things, most importantly continuing to develop an already amazing relationship with Jaya, his family, the CEM staff, the Children and GCH, and several Dowlaiswarians (my word). As there are several things to blog about this week I think it best to choose a topic or two for each blog, rather than attempting to shove a ton of information into one or two entries. One point of interest is that we arrived here to learn (or remember) that this week the Hindus are celebrating the festival of ganesh and the Muslims, Ramadan. For those of you that have been here, imaging the prayers from both groups over the loud speakers that take place throughout the day (and night) and multiply it times 6......Ambien is my friend :)

Let me first say that Sal and I are fully appreciative of the prayer and support of all who have been involved and aware of our trip. We have felt a covering and a peace about everything we have encountered to date. Moreover, we have been able to witness some amazing things that God is doing here through the faithful, diligent efforts of Jaya Sankar and the many committed staff members. Over the last couple of years they have become family to me and I feel (and am) so welcome here to the point where I almost don't understand it. After all I am no one special but these people certainly have a way of making you feel that you are.......

Of the many items to cover, I will first begin with the STS (Sewing Training School) program. As many of you know for years there has been a program available to widows and single women where for one year they are trained in the vocation of sewing/tailoring. Upon completion of the program they are given a new sewing machine in order that they can both make clothes for themselves and their families, and have the opportunity to earn an income to support themselves. There is much I could say about how widowed women are marginalized in society but suffice it to say that the opportunities to support themselves are few and far between and the need for programs such as this is great.

At any given time there are around 25 women enrolled in the program. Now the really cool stuff....presently there are around 60!!!!!!! In the ever visionary mind of Jaya, he has opted to open up the school to women outside the village and to offer those traveling from greater distances to take up residency on the campus and attend the school during the day. This has caused exponential growth in enrollment for very little cost, but that's not all. The program is now bi-vocational in that half of the day they are trained in sewing and the other half they are in a Bible program. The most amazing part about this is that all of these women are of Hindu upbringing yet because of the generosity of the program (no cost to them at all) they are open, willing, and wondering what this whole Jesus thing is all about. Way to go Jaya! I asked Jaya to have them line up for a photo today so that I could share with all of you this amazing thing that is happening here. As you look at this picture, imagine a nation of beautiful people (1.2 billion expected to reach 2 billion by 2020), and some of the most gracious people I know, a majority of which are suffering from a multitude of diseases, hunger, homelessness, prostitution, child abuse, and many other atrocities that make most of us uncomfortable to even talk about. As followers of Jesus we are commanded to honor some very specific directives if we are to call ourselves disciples of his; to love God and love others. Jesus, by example, gave us many ways in which we can love others. In particular Jesus had a special sense of mission to poor and oppressed people of which there is no shortage here.

Thank you for taking the time to read my rant and please continue to check for new entries each day until I return. (9-20)

Jim Mayes

Things to come in the next few entries: Hospital update, MTS, Some new ideas, etc.....

PLEASE PASS THE LINK TO THIS BLOG ON TO ANYONE YOU THINK MAY ENJOY OR BENEFIT FROM IT.