We Got A House

Last Saturday we were told we had to move out of our current by the end of October. By this Saturday we have already booked a house. So, that is Good news.

We will be staying in this house for the next few weeks because we have a man coming from the USA and we could use the 3rd bedroom. So, we are basically renting 2 houses for the month of October - oh well.

The new house has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms (also a 3rd outside -weird). It's very nice and in a great location. It is fairly new although it has been lived in before and has a "worship room" that has been worshipped in. Worship to Hindu gods. Yuck. I really don't like that but we'll pray.

We're very thankful that we have a place to move for the few months remaining til we get into our OWN house. Yay. Thank you for your prayers.

Our own house work has basically begun, - putting in the well for water first and getting permission to take temporary electricity. Building will start very soon. I'll put up pictures when it does. Getting kicked out of this house has had the added benefit of kicking our butts to get our own house work started - at last.

Home Pharmacy

My house smells like a Doctor's office.

We just got through a week of free medical camps. It was sponsored by Operation Bless India. They sent the Pharmacist and all the medicine and we had to provide a doctor.

The Medical checkups and medicine were free for all who came. I never heard a final number but in the course of four camps we treated over 1000 people.

Medical Camps are a great way to build relationships with the community. We kept two camps in our city at both our school and 2 camps in cities nearby where our pastors are working. We didn't have a Christian doctor but we were able to share the Gospel with the one we had and the camps opened the door for us to enter some places more freely with the Gospel.

The team that came from Bless India left us with all the medicine they had left over. The total cost of the medicine they brought was over $5000 and there is lots left - and sitting in my house.

Anyone know any Doctors who want to come to India? - We have the medicine. (see pictures at top)

Waiting For Cake

Cutting cake after church. These pictures aren't very clear, but I LOVE the sight of all those little hands.


In the evening I cut a small cake at home with the kids. They sang "Happy Birthday" to me and then "May Gooo-oood Bless You" to the tune of "Happy Birthday." This shot is from the "May God Bless You" song. It's blurry because they were waving their hands at me in a "blessing" gesture as they sang.
I was truly blessed.

I Ate A Lot Of Cake

As far as birthdays go it wasn't too horrible. I mean, other than going out last night for my Nice Birthday Dinner and the electricity being out in the entire city. I mean, I realize that this is India, but Come On.

We eventually ate at a restaurant that I can't stand because the service stinks, but they had a generator and that meant electricity. Beggars can't be choosers I always say.

Today was church. Having your birthday on a Sunday is nice. We had cake after church, I ordered cake for everyone, so did O. Don't ask. Suffice to say, everybody Ate A Lot of Cake today. I feel a bit ill.

There was a 60th birthday party for a lady we know held after church, I was glad to have the attention off of me.

All in all, I barely cried at all this birthday.

And We're Moving - Again

We got the news this morning that our house owner sold the house we are currently living in and we have to be O-U-T in a month. Lovely.

So, I'm not really too stressed since we are building our own house and hope to be in it in the beginning of the new year. But we are still going to have to find a house (minimum 2 bathrooms) to live in in the interim - which means moving my entire house twice in the course of the next 4 or 5 months.

Almost there - just Almost there to our own home where we will never have to fear being kicked out at a moment's notice.

I heard the news while I was on the way to browsing at the furniture store and the jewelry store. (my birthday is tomorrow) Shopping helped - a lot. I decided to wait on all furniture till we're in the new house and I exchanged 3 pieces of old jewelry for 3 pieces of new jewelry (you can do that here).

In addition to the shopping, I'm feeling pretty OK in general. I had a few moments of stress earlier today where I would think, why do I feel bad? Did I hurt someone's feelings, Did someone not treat me nicely, was I overcharged and cheated on something I bought? Oh no, I'm just internally contemplating the effort and expense of Moving - Again. Sigh.

Grant Approval

We have recently applied to a Charitable Foundation for a grant to complete the 3rd floor of our school building.

Here is a picture of the school taken only hours ago.
The school building actually looks better in this picture than it does in real life. Most of the 3rd floor is just bricks and cement. The plaster is only half done and there is nothing done but the roof on the left side of the building. Even so, we are using these rooms to teach classrooms of children.

Just FYI, the entire school should be that same golden color.

So why do I waste your time with this boring post.

You can PRAY! If God wills it our proposal will be approved. One way or another - we have to get this school completed!

We hope to know the outcome later this month. Thanks.

Shark Shark Baby

This is a scary picture of the inside of E.'s mouth. She is almost 7 years old and her two front bottom teeth are loose. Thank goodness.

However, I was somewhat dismayed to see that her 2nd teeth are coming in - NOT beneath the baby teeth pushing them out, but BEHIND the teeth. For a few days after she showed me I was imagining the horror of having to have E.'s baby teeth deliberately extracted by the dentist. I'm pretty sure none of us would have survived it. Thankfully, the front teeth are now wiggly but I'm not holding out hope that we may get through E.'s teenage years without orthodontic work.

Anyway, I did ask E. if she was related to sharks and when she denied it I kept at her telling her to admit the truth - that she was somehow related to the shark species - I'd have made a great homicide detective - E. continued to deny the accusations. This back and forth banter went on for a while until E. burst into tears, effectively ending the interrogation.

I asked her why she was crying and she replied that she's afraid of sharks.
I have no idea why, she's obviously related to them...

** Update: An hour after writing this post E. came home from school and one of the bottom front teeth is MISSING! Man, we can't help losing stuff over here...**

Stolen And Found

I promised you a story last week. Here it is.

Several of us were going to an out of town meeting last Wednesday and we were all going in our car. We were to meet at our school/church at 5:30 and go together. When I arrived at school I looked over from the car and saw people in the compound but no one was coming to the car. After a couple minutes I got out and walked over.

I asked where everyone was and was pointed up to the 2nd floor. As I reached the top of the steps I heard this voice say, "Everyone come up here fast, I found something!"

At that, several people (who were supposed to be getting in the car and going with me) went rushing past me up the stairs. I caught one of them who was lagging behind and blocked his way.

"Somethings disappeared hasn't it." I asked.

"Yes, Madam." And off he went.

It turns out our (very expensive) LCD projector was "missing." (think: stolen) Oh dear, that's not good.

But whoever took it, did it during the day and hid it on our school roof where construction was going on. It was hidden under some construction materials. The thief would return in the night to smuggle it away under cover of darkness.

By God's grace our Choir team was leaving on Thursday morning to sing at a conference and we were taking all our instruments and materials - including the LCD - with us. Our sound guys knew immediately that it was missing. It must have been spirited away during the school hours when the church was open and someone was working inside.

Needless to say, Everyone was VERY relieved. And our Ministry President, Mr. Praveen, was crowned hero of the day for the quick thinking to check the roof and actually find the projector.
Whew.

This entire situation was made worse since it came immediately on the heels of the court case, etc.

Over 1000

I noticed the other day that my profile views passed 1000. That was very exciting for me. Yes, I have a thing about significant numbers.

God's Two Choices

A beloved 6 year old relative of mine in the US prayed this prayer after hearing about our recent difficult situation.

"God -- You have two choices: Either kill those bad men or make them love Jesus."

I don't think I even need to comment.

Court Hearing Whatever

When I talked to O. about the Court appearance on Tuesday he said he basically had to stand before a woman and then two people were character witnesses for O. and our school principal. Then the court lady said that Our People were to have no contact with The Other People for 6 months. Any kind of altercation between the two parties would result in them being thrown in jail.

We pretty much knew that was coming, and it sounds fine. but The Other People are cunning and ruthless and have no problem lying about us. So, we are now all being very careful not to ever be in any situation that The Other People could use to drum us some stuff about us.

We continue to keep the situation before the Lord. But the satanic attacks (and God's deliverances) just continue on. We had a very expensive piece of equipment stolen (and found) yesterday. I'll write about that in another post because it's a good story.

Stinkin Internet Connection

After writing my "Please Pray" emails and posting my "This is what is happening over here" posts my Internet went down. It was out for the count for about 2 1/2 days. It came up this morning, but while it was out I was a little uneasy knowing that people were praying for us and worrying about us and there was no update. If you haven't already noticed - I'm communicaty. I get a little shaky when I feel like I should, or just downright, want to communicate.

I'm thinking the whole no Internet thing was part of the spiritual battle going on.

Satan shuts down the lines of communication, yet, unwittingly keeps people praying for longer than they may normally would have, hence, God's purposes prevailed? It's possible.

Oh, other than being communicaty, I'm also an optimist.

Sweet

G. came in the house the other night with this in her hand (and mouth.)
Earlier that same day E. came home from school, picked up (a sleepy) G. and G. conked right out.
Little mommy.

The Court Case

The school problem is going to court tomorrow morning. The time in the US EST will be about 9:30Pm on Monday night. Please pray for us this problem progresses on.

The other people are claiming that we have attempted to beat them and that we are here only to change peoples' religions, etc. Lies.

I take comfort in David's words to Goliath:
"I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty."

Please keep on praying for all the people involved. Thanks.

Men Of Action

The situation I wrote about previously continues and we pray. I think it is harder for the men to wait on the Lord than us women. They want to be doing something.

Sending Emails

When an Urgent Prayer Request needs to get out fast, I send out emails. I LOVE email. I lived abroad long ago in the dark ages before Email was a household commodity - when letters from home took 2 weeks or a month to reach me. And, of course, they only ever came from Mom. (A month is FAST compared to the Real Dark Ages when missionaries would plan 2 months in advance just for a phone call!)

Back to the point - writing urgent emails (so urgent that I just realized I forgot to spell check and I KNOW there were spelling mistakes in there - dang.)

We (meaning our family and our ministries) have been threatened by a Hindu family of 4 brothers for the last 7 1/2 years. They spread all kinds of gossip about us and what we do. They talk to lawyers and attempt to bring court cases against us. They get the Police on their side. They threaten us (and our co-workers), often, with bodily harm - all this because we are Christian. They'd love to just be rid of us.

O. makes plans to ship me and the girls out of the country on a moment's notice - just to be ready. (Not like that's likely to happen, but he likes to bring it up every so often.)

Through this and the various other disturbances that we have been facing in our ministry over the last 7 days, we keep our eyes fixed on our Living God and repeat to each other that He has Already Won the Victory and for us to stand still or step backward is a victory for Satan and that is something that we are not willing to do.

2007 Students

Group shot of our 2007 Bible Students and their Principal and In Charge. They're holding their new Bibles. I finally got a pictures of them all together - my camera works much better than E.'s Spiderman one...

If you pray for us, pray for these students - as they study the Word of God as well as a new language. Pray for those of us who teach, as well, that we would be usable for God's purposes in these lives of these young men.

Old Testament

I taught my first class in the Bible College today after a hiatus of 9 months. Previously I taught English, I am now the Old Testament teacher.

This is exciting for me and intimidating at the same time. I love the subject matter yet I look out at my students and see 14 eager young men who are really, really weak in English. They'll learn, but man, I just look at myself and see how incapable I am to teach these guys.

Thank goodness the Lord is on our side. 'Cause this surely would be impossible without Him.