we wont be satisfied until the earth looks just like heaven

As we are closing up our time here in India we are doing a bit of debriefing. Yesterday, we sat around and told testimonies of things God has been doing in and through our lives over the past 3 months.

All the glory to God who has used us in mighty ways.

There are so many testimonies that I could share.  Little lives that have been raised from the dead. Salvations. Miracles. Healings.

We’ve seen it all.

In and out of the hospital.

We’ve worshipped in the streets and interceded in the corridors of the hospital.

We are a team of midwives, of healthcare providers- but God has not limited us to serve only in healthcare.

We have delivered 218 babies

We have prayed for 4,688 people

And shared the Gospel with1416 people

We have received 10 little ones into this world who never got the chance to take their first breath.

We have held the hands of a many more mothers as they wept over their loss.

We have labored in pain.

We have welcomed God to be apart of deliveries.

We have claimed life for God’s Kingdom and in faith we have prophesied over these little children.

I believe we have been able to take part in welcoming a new generation. A generation that could change India.

We have also had the opportunity to work with a wide range of other healthcare providers. We have worked alongside obstetricians and gynecologist who have been in the business longer than I have been alive. We have worked with superintendents, postgraduate doctors, surgeons, pediatricians, nurses, lab technicians, interns, EMTs, medical students, and everyone in between. We have had the opportunity to share the love of Christ with these people as well. We have failed at times. But we have also succeeded. And even if we have influenced just one healthcare provider in this nation to rely on God, to work by His strength and not their own, to provide good healthcare… then its all been worth it. This is fruit that lasts.

It’s not just the immediate catching of babies. Suturing a wound. Praying for a doctor. Holding a hand. These things have been powerful in the moment. And we’ve done a lot of it. But we’ve also planted seeds. And we’re hopeful that they will continue to be watered and nurtured and they will grow.

And India will be changed and look more like heaven. That’s my hope.

Thanks for all your prayers!

love thy enemy

We have just finished our last day at the hospital in the current city we are living in. Crazy to believe that we are finishing up our time. In the last few weeks we have really been pressing in to have a greater heart and understanding of the Indian culture and a refreshed passion for the work we do here. Even though we love what we do, it can still become exhausting. And with exhaustion comes a greater risk of responding by the flesh and not by the spirit. There is often miscommunication that can occur between our team and the doctors, nurses, and cleaning ladies at the hospital. We disagree with the way the patients are treated. We don’t like the way pregnancy and labor is seen as a “problem” that needs to be fixed and therefore rushed along. The extreme measures they take are often painful and unnecessary. Fundal pressure. Episiotomies. Induction, in every manner possible. The women are left to labor alone. They are hit, yelled at, and left unknowing of every medication and check that’s done on them. The women aren’t valued. There are babies that are dying that shouldn’t be. Its filthy and the standards of cleanliness and overall sterilization is nowhere near the way we think it should be. 

Everywhere we look we can see corruption. Injustice. Pain. Heartache.

We use an instrument we shouldn’t have on a HIV patient. We’ve allowed a mother to come into the labor room and console her daughter whose weeping with the pains of childbirth. We stop the cleaning ladies from making the poor women who have just delivered pay them for pushing their wheelchair. We give the laboring women water. Get them to be in positions besides flat on their back on metal beds. We let the mom’s keep their babies after the delivery instead of immediately rushing it away to be weighed and left alone in a separate room. We hold their hands. We pray. We don’t rush the delivery. We generally disrupt every “normal” way of doing things at the hospital and as a result we have seen the beginnings of Word War 3 break out on several different occasions.

The things we are doing at not wrong. In fact, it doesn’t take much arguing for the average person to see the value in what we do. But so easily, as I have had to learn over the past couple months, pride can take the front seat of our actions. Even what we had originally done and desired for good can become used as a way of bringing disunity and more disorder. When we respond out of our flesh and frustration we see that what was once meant to honor a woman can become a way to “show a doctor a thing or two.”

Ouch. This attitude is disgusting. Instead of working with the staff at the hospital we can quickly find ourselves working against them. And this is just something that can’t happen. It can never become us verses them.

The thing is, if I didn’t have Gods eyes I would have had enough of this a long time ago. The things that I see at the hospital not only hurt my heart on a regular basis, but they genuinely irritate me and cause me to be frustrated. But I serve a God who is loving and gentle and kind and patient.  A God who deeply loves all His children, even the ones I disagree with. At the end of the day, the way the doctors, nurses, and cleaning ladies respond to the women is the way they think is okay to respond to the women. And even though its easy and even justifiable to disagree with them I must remain in a place of love. The staff at the hospital need the hope that Christ offers as much as the women who are being mistreated in the hospital do.

Humbly I have been reminded that I have come not just to serve women but to serve.  Period. To wash feet. To love my enemies.  To work in unity. To partner with the healthcare, not to try and argue with it. And in all of it, I have been reminded that I must remain in love. Because it is in and through the love of God that things change. It is not by our efforts or opinions of right and wrong that move people to repentance. It is God’s kindness that leads people to repentance.

And when we respond out of love and kindness we have seen the most breakthrough. It wasn’t when we argued. It wasn’t when we disagreed or disobeyed their orders. It wasn’t even when we did a really good delivery. It has always been when we have loved beyond our own understanding. It’s when an intern sees us pray for a woman and is touched by it, even asking us to speak up so they can hear. It’s a cleaning lady joining hands with us as we cry out to God to raise a little life from the dead- because they have seen us do it before and they know God hears our prayers. It's a doctor noticing that we value the individual as they see we have come in late at night outside of our shift just to labor with one woman we’ve connected with. It’s a nurse who pauses and  feels compassion alongside us as we cry over a lost life.
This is it. This is the fruit. This is the Kingdom coming here on earth.

It is Jesus who said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Yeah-so it's been a humbling few weeks. Learning to serve. To make myself less. To be humble, always. And to love thy enemy.

“Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes. There is his commission, his work. 'The kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared' (Luther).” 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

(pretty much sums up everything I was just trying to communicate, and it was put so much more eloquently than me. Bonhoeffer, your a champ.)

positive

This week we had the opportunity to hear a wonderful teaching about HIV as it relates to pregnancy. We heard this teaching at a clinic that’s run by two incredible, God-fearing doctors here in India.  Besides gaining more knowledge on how to give proper and adequate treatment to the mothers we meet who are HIV positive, we gained a greater heart and understanding of the call God has placed on our lives; to save women. To bring life into this world and claim it for the Kingdom.

Dr. Lavanya introduced her teaching to us with a passage of scripture found in 1 Samuel 30. This story is about David initially experiencing defeat but being able to turn to God for wisdom, strength, and answers. 

³ "When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. ⁴ So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. ⁵ David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ⁶ David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.

⁷ Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, ⁸ and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

 God responded to David and gave him the reassurance he needed to be brave, bold, and victorious.

The reality of so many pregnant women being effected by HIV always goes back to the enemy wanting to attack women and children. Women, the bearers of children are vulnerable. And both women and children are uniquely made in the image of God making them prime targets for attack.  As birth attendants we have the opportunity to redeem women who deliver with HIV. We are delivering them from the enemy of God.  In 1 Samuel we see that David and his men wept over the loss of their wives and children.  God told David to do three things in response to his enemies;

Pursue them

 and as a result, you will 

Overtake them

and

 Rescue them

Those are some incredible promises.

Dr. Lavanya challenged us with this same command when we deal with a mother who is HIV postive. 

Pursue these women. The enemy is strong, and if we don’t pursue them he will keep them captive. We must be in the business of pursuing.

Overtake them- Overtake them with love and with prayer and God will overtake their situations. Care for them.

And rescue them. Be a safe place. Let them need love and provide it. Teach them. Empower them. Provide for the needs.

In verse 18 and 19 we see that David was obedient to what God said and as a result he had victory.

⁸ "David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. ¹⁹ Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. "

Our hope is to be victorious in the fight the enemy has placed against us in regards to women who who are positive. The reality of the situation is there is hope. There is chance for life and life abundantly.  And it is beautiful to be reminded that we must be willing to fight for the life of the ones who are the most vulnerable in this world. And as we fight we will rescue them from the hands of the enemy and deliver them into the loving hands of the Father. 

mosquito bite, take two.

For those of you who may have heard, I was indeed bit once again. Pesky mosquitoes. There’s an outbreak of dengue fever in India right now and I guess my body just couldn’t stand missing out on any kind of outbreak. I like to pretend that I attract all the bugs cause I'm so sweet.  

I’m not thrilled to have had two serious mosquito sicknesses in under 6 months. I’m not sure the long-term implication that can have on my body. But I am sure that God has called me here to work in India. So with rain or sunshine, that’s exactly what I am going to do. I am healing up quite nicely. Seeing some lingering symptoms but experiencing the grace of God in my life, once again. I know it can seem risky to get all these sicknesses. And like I said, I am not thrilled with the idea of it. But this is the reality of what’s happening around the world. People are getting dengue fever in India. And some are dying as a result of it. And I am here. I am apart of this culture and sometimes that means being apart of the sicknesses that are spreading here. I have access to great healthcare and I live with a team who takes great care of me. I will be fine.

Thanks for your prayers.

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

in order to keep the base in Australia updated we write several short testimonies each week to send back to them. I thought I would post a few of those testimonies here so you too can read some of the incredible things God is doing in this city!

October 2^nd, 2012 – Bek

            We were helping with a twin delivery, rejoicing as twin one came safely and then quickly saw twin two was in an undeliverable position. The doctors told the mother that she would have to go for c-section and in a whirlwind, preparations were happening for her to get an operation. In that moment we began to ask God for a miracle to turn the baby so that she could deliver right then and there.  As the doctors prepared paperwork for surgery – we notified them that the baby was coming and sure enough God answered us and the little one came right then and there!      

 

OCT. 3, 2012, Christine

            A mother came into the labour ward with her baby in a very difficult position. The mother said she had not felt the baby move since early that morning, causing us to assume the worst. We searched for the baby’s heartbeat, but could not find any sounds of life at all. As we held the listening device in one final position over the mother’s belly, we began to pray, crying out to God to bring life to this baby. In the middle of our prayer, suddenly we heard a strong, quick, steady heartbeat. Thank you jesus!   

 

OCT. 5^th, 2012, Estera

            During worship time I felt that we should ask the staff at the hospital if we can pray for them, I got a picture of this one particular lady. She hasn’t been very friendly to our team and I imagined that she wouldn’t agree to prayer. However, later that morning while at the hospital praying for our day I was reminded of what I had felt earlier, so I told the team. As soon as I was done telling them, the woman in my picture walked up to us and asked for prayer!!! We prayed for her! I was so encouraged to see that God’s heart is not only for the women we serve but also for the staff we work along side! 

Oct. 9, 2012, Corry

            As I was involved in a twin delivery, the first baby was a known stillborn and the second came out very lifeless. When I looked at the second baby, God said “stick with that baby” so I followed the doctor for the resuscitation. I began praying fervently and giving medical care and within minutes she began breathing on her own. With jesus there is always hope! 

October 17, 2012, Briana  

            At the HIV clinic this week a man walked in holding a little boy. With tears running down his face, the man remained standing for all of the worship and devotional time. At the end of the devotional the man came forward with his little boy and said that because he and his wife were both HIV positive it was time for his son to be tested. The community there gathered around him and prayed fervently for this little boy to be negative. Later that afternoon the man came up to me with remnants of tears still in his eyes and a huge smile on his face. He held up the test results, which read negative for HIV! Thank you Jesus for hearing the cry of this man on behalf of his son. 

 

October,16, 2012, Corry

            A premature baby girl was born and declared dead by the doctor. As I was leaving the baby-room the dead baby was brought in for disposal and I knew that Jesus wanted me to begin resuscitation, so I asked the nurses to help. After a little bit of work the little princess was alive and breathing on her own. Jesus raised her from the dead!

 

   

30 October 2012: Laura

A group of us went to do a simple healthcare teaching and antenatal check-ups for a local slum community. When we arrived we met a young man who spoke English very well. He stayed around for our healthcare teaching but he didn’t pay much attention. As we went to do the antenatal checkups I felt a burden to talk to him, even though I wasn’t sure what kind of conversation to have with him.  He invited us to his home for chai after we finished our checkups, and I knew we had to go. As we sat in his home we began to talk about our belief in Jesus. He is a very brilliant young man and although he comes from a Hindu background, he had spent a good portion of time reading through the bible and the qu’ran. He knew scripture very well however he had not been able to connect with the truth of the bible. He shared with us that during the night he had a dream that foreigners would come to him and share with him “matters of God.” Through words of knowledge we were able to talk into drug use and depression in his life. He told us that he had just purchased a large amount of drugs so that he could commit suicide that evening. Through prayer, scriptures, and testimonies we were able to bring truth and revelation into his life. He made a commitment to follow Jesus and he invited the Holy Spirit into his life to help guide him and lead him in the right path.  

 

 

 

in just a moment's time

 I should give you an update.  

We got our permission granted to work in the hospital! (if you hadn’t noticed by the previous posts’ photos.)  God opens doors that no man can close. He made a way for us. He always does. We rejoiced over our victory and then we went to work. It was so good to go through those hospital doors again, even when that putrid smell that I once was revolted by greeted us at the doorway. It gave me an odd sense of ease. I was exactly were I belong. In the midst of life and death and chaos and crowds and women. 

Lots and lots of women.

I started the day off in the labor room. Eight women, bearing down. This time I have an audience. The students will watch me care for the women and conduct the delivery. They will take note of everything I do. Not only do I now need to provide excellent care for the laboring women and the newborns that pop out, but I also need to take the time to explain every step of what I am doing. I need to be deliberate about everything I do. I have to teach.

Teach? Ha, me? Teaching.  

The first woman begins to crown.

Lights, camera, action!

And I take the stage. I only have 3 students watching me at the moment. I can feel my hands tremble slightly as I assist the head out of the birth canal. I normally feel so confident in this position. But it’s one thing to deliver a baby. It’s a whole nother’ ball game to teach someone else to do it. Is this stage fright? Perplexed by my physical reaction but no time to think about it. I've got a baby coming. Every action I take I speak out,

“The head has restituted, great. Now I am checking for cord around the neck. No cord. Great. I am going to help the anterior shoulder out.  Okay mom, push! Great. “

And then- just like that- this little life get’s welcomed into the world.

And just in a moment’s time: 

a young girl becomes a mother for the first time,

a baby takes her first breath; she has just inhaled her life on earth.

3 students are enchanted by the miracle they have just witnessed for the first time; a child welcomed into the world. And in a way, they are more released into their calling than they ever have been before. They too have been welcomed into the reality of their job.

And just in a moment’s time, I finally take ownership of my new role in the hospital, “instructor.”  

Needless to say, it was a packed moment.

Some moments just are.

Since that moment, almost 3 weeks ago, our school has welcomed over 60 babies into India. Many have been beautiful deliveries, healthy babies. Some we have had to fight for. Some we have lost. We have seen miracles. We have seen death. We have seen lots of life. We have laughed. We have sung. We have wept. We have exhausted our selves to the core, giving everything we have to the welfare of the women and the babies we work with. And then we have woke up the next morning to do it all over again.

The students are learning at an impeccable rate. I truly believe it is the anointing of God over our lives. As we serve Him in this capacity, He releases the wisdom and skills we need to provide good healthcare.

little buggy bubba

As an instructor in the hospital my role really is to teach the students how to become God-fearing midwives. How to not only provide good healthcare, but how to stop and pray. How to be sensitive to spiritual warfare. How to love deeply, the way Christ does. How to hold a woman’s hand, clean up after her, and care for her. How to value life. How to fight for it. … and yes, how to deliver babies and claim them for the Kingdom.

And while at times my flesh wants to take the credit for my role as an instructor, I am daily humbled by the revelation that while I am the “actress,” God is the writer, the producer, the director, the orchestrator, and the creator.  Really, He is both the brains and the beauty behind the entire act. He deserves all the glory. I am capable of nothing apart from Him and I am so unbelievably grateful that He uses me, in spite of me. In spite of my weakness and failure and human limitations, the creator of the Universe, the one who knits us together in our mother’s womb, uses us to do His work. It’s simply amazing.

 Thanks for your prayers. More stories to come...

Worked with this mother a year ago. Excited to see babies we've delivered growing up.

the cat, who apparently has a part time job at our hospital

eating each others hands. cause that's what friends are for.

and we're back in action...

pharaoh, pharaoh. oh, baby let my people go

Tuesday, when we finally arrived to the city we would be working in, me and 2 leaders I am staffing this school with changed into our Indian dresses and made our way over to the Director of Medical Education’s head office to get permission to work at the hospital this year.

“piece of cake,” I thought to myself as we made our bumpy rickshaw ride to the office. Last year, the permission was granted immediately. I never even considered there being another way.  Yet to my unpleasant surprise, I was quickly corrected. After a lot of waiting around we were finally ushered into the office of an intimidating looking Indian woman.  She met us with a lot of opposition. She questioned our motives and wanted documentation of the legitimacy of our school.

Often times on the Birth Attendant School we reference Exodus 1 and the God fearing midwives, Shiprah and Puah, who delivered the babies of the Hebrew women against the orders of their king. I guess it should come as no surprise that a Christian midwife school might try and find some parallels in the midwives of the bible who feared God and the modern day work that we are apart of.  Nonetheless, these two golden midwives give us an incredible example of how to live, not just as health care workers but also as disciples in Gods kingdom. These women feared God first, above anyone else, even their king. As a result of being obedient to God, they did not listen to the king’s order to kill the male babies that were born to the Hebrew women.

These midwives took a great risk.

The midwives respected God. They followed a higher authority that wasn’t okay with killing. They weren’t afraid of worldly threats. I once read an insightful commentary that said, “there probably was enough truth in what they were saying to be believable, but they clearly had no intention of honoring the king by participating in murder, and they saw no reason to give the king a straightforward answer.”

They were shrewd.  They did what they had to. They revered God in their practice even when it had to go against the higher governmental authorities. And as a result of their boldness, Hebrew male babies were born. Immediately following this chapter, we see the birth of baby Moses. And we all know what happens once Mo gets on the scene.

And while I am taking the boldness of Shiprah and Puah into great consideration throughout the past few days, it’s Mo that I’ve really been reflecting upon. It was Moses who felt unqualified for the great position God anointed him with.

“Go and bring my people out of captivity.”

God is moved with compassion for the welfare of His people. “I have seen the troubles my people have suffered in Egypt and I have heard their cries… I am concerned about their pain, and I have come down to deliver them.”

When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses did everything he could to get out of the position, even to the point of angering God.  Mo asks God, with an honest humility, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, or that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”  This was a legitimate question.  Moses was not a man of great authority any longer. Not to mention he had a self-admitted poor speaking ability.  I think about what it would be like to be a Hebrew slave in Egypt during that time. If I knew that someone was going to come to set me free I would probably have high expectations of who this deliverer would be.  I can imagine finding out it was some stuttering old Sheppard who didn’t even want the job. I’m sure I would protest, “Please, send anyone else but him! He is definitely not qualified. And he’s definitely not the guy for the job.”

Yet that’s the incredible thing about the God we serve. He is so unconventional.

Once Mo finally came to terms with the position God anointed him with he had to approach Pharaohs throne and stand firm on the reality of what God had called him to do. And yes, there was great opposition he faced every time he went before the throne, but he had to be persistent. And he was.

I look at both of these stories and think about standing firm on the word of the Lord. Sometimes that can put us in direct opposition of kings, pharaohs, or in my case directors of medical education in India.  We can be certain though that we are victorious when we are obedient to what God calls us to do.

It's easier said than done though. Tha's for sure. Which is why I have recentely gained a new found respect for Ol' Moses. 

“What are your qualifications?" the Director asked.

Qualifications. This word.

India is very into its education. They put great value on those who pursue prestigious careers in things like medicine or engineering. If they can afford it, they go to University.  No questions asked. And they study, hard.

But whoa. Never thought this would happen. It’s a developing nation in great need of healthcare workers. and we're here to help. What’s to question?

But the reality of the situation is that this battle is far beyond the physical. We have come to save life. To bring life.  To love women who may never be loved otherwise. To be God hands and feet. To invite his children into His kingdom.

And in the end, it was foolish for me to ever think that there wouldn’t be opposition in challenging the one who comes to kill, steal, and destroy.

What are my qualifications?

Momentarily I allowed the question to bring me to a place of defeat.

Technically, I don’t have any.

I am without a proper Indian degree stating that I have completed proper Midwifery or Medical training. I know if someone without a degree went into a hospital in my country and tried to work they would be laughed at. Scorned at even.

So the question she’s bringing before us is not absurd.  And according to this worldview I can indeed be viewed as "unqualified." And yet, here I am, not just working as a midwife but training and instructing others on how to be midwives.

Who am I? That you have sent me? 

I can try and justify it in my head. And for a moment I did. After all, I am confident that I have been adequately trained. Yet, I know God is teaching me I cannot fall back on the standards the world has set. These aren’t bad standards by any means either. It’s just that I have had to learn that the only concrete standard I can fall back on is the word of the Lord.  Even if that means I don’t have a degree to show for my work.

The God who sends me, qualifies me.

And while I may not be able to rock up into any hospital in any nation to work, I am more than qualified and capable to provide healthcare for the mothers and babies of the nations God calls me to work in.

But just like when Moses approached Pharaoh, the original few responses have been met with great opposition. Needless to say, we are having to jump through some hoops. We have been back to see the medical director 4 times now.  It could feel discouraging. Nerve-wracking even. After all, its not just for my own sake I am getting hospital permission. I have come with a group of 14 eager students who are anxiously awaiting the opportunity to being their practical work. And more importantly than that-there are women and babies who need us. 

They should wait no longer.   

So I find myself being  a spokesperson, a representative so to speak- not just for my own benefit, but for the need of the nation we have come to.

Like Moses, we have come to be deliverers.  And while the actual context of that word may be a bit different, the idea is seeming to be very similar. We must continue to be as shrewd as Shiprah and Puah and as faithful, persistent, and obedient as Moses had to be. It took a little bit of processing for me to get to this place but I feel confident that we will see the permission come in this week.  It is the word of the Lord that brings us to a place of confidence. There has been great breakthrough and movement already in our request for permission. ….And it’s coming.  For:

He has seen the troubles His people have suffered in India and He has heard their cries… He is concerned about their pain, and He has come down to deliver them.

Please join me in prayer as we continue to fight this battle.

“O my Lord, I am not an eloquent man, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. The Lord said to him, “Who gave a mouth to man, or who makes a person mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? So now go, and I will be your mouth and will teach you what you must say.”

budget airlines, airport floors, late nights, little sleep, bus ride, flat tires, train ride and.... eventually we'll get there

YEP- I'm definitely back on Outreach.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Life is a journey, not a destination.”
But after a 3 day trip to India all I can say is thank God there is a destination!

Our Destination: India.

Purpose: Bring God’s kingdom.  Be His hands and feet. Deliver some babies. Love some mamas. Get His heart for this incredibly diverse culture.

We left Perth at a decent hour. 9:50pm. 16 single girls. A married couple. And two of the greatest kids on the planet.

Budget airlines.

Being a missionary doesn’t always mean that you have to rough it, but in this case we did. A tight squeeze on the airplane but we did our best to rest during our over night flight. We arrived to Singapore in the middle of the night.  Our airline did not provide any food or water so the team was ready to eat.

Greasy noodles and naps on the floor. That’s what our layover looked like.

We arrived in India in the morning. We were greeted by a pastor from Chennai. We stuffed the heaps of luggage we brought with us into two different vehicles and made our way to our accommodation. Someone was supposed to be preparing rooms for us. Once we arrived, though, we realized that the “room” was actually going to be a mat on the concrete floor of this dusty church. It was humid, hot, and there were a lot of church members still around but the team was incredibly gracious. We pulled out some borrowed mats and did our best to sleep with the mosquitoes and stray cats that came and went throughout the night.  

Some luggage to arrive with

Floor sleeps- Take 2

sleeping on the floor/sleeping with some bug friends

Day 2: Travel to new location in order to get to the train in order to get to our destination city. We hopped on a bus that was supposed to take 3 hours. It took 6 and it just so happens that we had a flat tire along the way. There was no air condition on the bus so patience was tested but we had the children with us to help test our attitudes. They were incredible. Never once complaining. And if the 2 year olds not crying then surely I cant be either. Even when we are stopped on the side of a road with a flat tire- in the middle of nowhere, sweating profusely and wondering why we haven’t arrived yet after 5 hours of driving- I still cant cry. I haven’t slept much the night before. My arms are covered with bug bites. But the kids aren't crying and I better not be either.

finding big rocks to help get the bus up to change the tire. And somehow still being playful along the way.

A husband to one of the students. Thank God for husbands.

 Day 3: We finally made it to the train. It was an over night ride, which was to our advantage because we had some sort of 3 story bunk beds that didn’t allow for sitting up, only laying flat. Sleep it is.

 I’ll take it. 

The train ride was well over 13 hours BUT lo' and behold we finally arrived to the city we would be calling home.

The journey was bumpy. And sweaty and hot…. and yet totally worth it.
Thanks for the warm welcome back, India.  No pun intended.

Train! We meet at last

Rice and some other mysteries

Some Muslim friends on the train we shared bunks with.

moving from bed to bed on the train-

Abigail, and the beach ball that says, "warm welcome to the medical team."

INDIA <3

Wild guess on who braided my hair?