Wednesday, October 20, 2010

An Afternoon at Aunty's

Five of the kids at the children's home are out of school all this week.  One got picked up by her widower father and went for an outing. He has beautiful feet! I took the other four home with me. Today, I received a couple of packages from FL. These little ones helped me sort some Christmas stickers that wiggles their way out of their containers and into the bottom of the box. This little precious guy is the youngest at 4 1/2. His parents are Nepali road laborers and can't take care of him. I think his favorite part of the afternoon was bouncing on my sofa!

This precious six-year-old wasn't feeling well. She went threw her tissues rather quickly, but she loved stringing beads for her necklace. Her father left her mother. She's been at the home for two years.

He looks much younger than his nine years, but he is really smart and so good. He is sporting the choker he  made as well as the bracelet he made on Thursday. His father died in an accident. His mom had to go find work. He's been at the home for about six months.

This five-year-old also had a very runny nose. He too, loved the sofa. His father died and his mother remarried. His step-father doesn't want him.
The kids made a fall leaf name sign for their bed post, and strung a wooden bead necklace.
After a snack of tiger biscuits and lemonade, I took the little ones back to the home. DId I want to keep them? Of course!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Big Girls Bible Club Learn Lessons From Potiphar's WIfe

We gather on Saturdays to learn lessons from a girl in the Bible. Today's story is a bit challenging to tell to young girls, but they did learn valuable lessons! They learned we must watch how we live our lives, and get out of bad situations, among other things. The girls were able to retell the stories about Rachel and Leah to those who have missed lately. This is festival season, and they have been out of school.
Today, the girls made fall photo frames. We make a big mess, but the girls are good about helping to put everything back in its baggie or box. These supplies were graciously sent by friends in the US. 
For snack, we had hot chocolate and Tiger biscuits.
The girls proudly display their finished products. Each one is different and special -just like the girls! Things hadn't been going well for us around here the last two days -many challenges. But, He is good! Being able to share with the girls, and make a big mess just makes the challenges seem less important. By the time they left, my mobile phone service was restored, and I received two wonderful phone calls from friends in other cities, and my dog seemed to be energized by the company. Today is a major festival, and the vet hospital was closed. We took a taxi to another doctor, waited in the hot sun for lunch break, only to find out he was off for the holiday as well. He is dragging his hind legs -back trouble. Living in another culture has its challenges, and when they all seem to come on one day, it can be overwhelming. But I am not here alone. God is with me, and gives me what I need to keep going, and not give up.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Moms and Friends Bible Club

A couple of months ago, I started a Big Girls Bible Club in my home for the neighborhood girls. My friend had a Children's Bible Club in this house before me. I felt led to have a club for just the big (11 and up) girls. The girls were very excited to come to be able to come. Each week, I tell them a story about a girl from the Bible. We started with Eve, and learned lessons from her life. We sing, we do crafts, and we cook. So far, we have learned lessons from Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Deborah, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel. I wanted to make friends in my neighborhood, so I invited the girls' moms and other neighbor ladies to come each week for the same story but with different applications. We cook and do crafts as well. It's been great. I share with them what I am teaching their girls and encourage dialog about the lessons they are learning. We are learning about God, and our need for a savior. The ladies are from three different religious backgrounds. They love that their daughters are learning values, and good character.

Today, the ladies made a craft for the first time. The girls do a craft every week, but the moms have been cooking.
Meetu is showing off her new bracelet and earrings she made from wire and beads.
We gather in the living room to hear a story from God's Word.
We made lemon pound cake last week.

Here are the Big Girls Bible Club members showing off their jewelry they made one Saturday recently.
Another week, the girls made quick chocolate pudding, and a memory verse bookmark.
I'm keeping a scrapbook of what we do each week. It's really been fun!

Grace Children's Home

I started volunteering at the children's home around the corner from me. These are the younger kids. They go to an English medium school but the teachers speak mostly Hindi. So I am doing some oral English with them. These little guys are on holiday right now, but the other kids aren't.

These are the kids that came home from school later. I let them make wooden bead bracelets. They were thrilled! They want the folks that sent the beads and pipe cleaners to see!
I taught them some songs, including some for Christmas.
Here, the little ones are making their bracelets. The six oldest kids are at a youth camp. They are also out of school for a holiday. I will be doing another kind of training with them when they return. The kids go to about six different schools! There are twenty kids currently living there. The little girl in the middle lost her parents to HIV, but she is fine so far. Rev. Paul and his wife (beautiful feet) adopted her. Many of the kids have one parent, but they can't take care of them for different reasons -widow or widower, poverty, having to go far for work... This is a faith-based ministry, not supported by any organization. God put it in their hearts to open this home about five years ago. Please add them to your prayer list! You know I had great fun today!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

News About Victorious English School

Recently, a team from Minnesota went to the school to help improve the play area. They hung tire swings, and made other physical improvements. Thanks to a generous donation by my friend Glenda and her husband Tom, the school's debt as been paid, and they had the money to make some needed improvements -like replace the missing window panes as the cold weather arrives! They were able to pay their school staff. I may be able to return in November to do some training, as I will be in that district (three hours away) doing a training for women leaders.
The school has a new male teacher, freshly graduated from university, and a new pre-school teacher. Neither are believers. May went to her home state for an annual conference, and will return soon.
Yesterday, Bill called me to tell me Rae was here in the local hospital, suffering from fever and dehydration. She was released and they headed home, but they stopped in RP because of her bad headaches.

Sunday Morning on the Mountaintop

Sunday, Jerry and I went to a church on top of the mountain to help their newly started children's church. First, we joined in praise and worship. Jerry knew all the songs, but I just tried to keep up with the words on the screen! I noticed that the children were especially well-behaved. This isn't always the case.
 The church meets in an old YWCA building. The children's church meets in the outer area. Monkeys are frequent visitors but the kids are so used to their clamoring on the tin roof and up and down the ledges, that they weren't as distracted as this foreigner. Had the windows not been closed, the monkeys would have joined the class, and taken anything that was loose!
The lesson was on the days of creation. I taught the children how to make an eight-page book from one sheet of paper. They each made their own Book Of Creation to share with their families, and help them remember what an awesome Creator God we have. Each one is precious in His sight because He created them. Tuesday, I met with the teachers (one is pictured here) to give them some suggestions for their CHildren's Church, and teach them how to use the many donated books and teaching materials. The best being the Betty Luekens Bible in Felt kit, which the teacher used to tell the story. 

Saturday, October 09, 2010

Visit to Grace Home

I am so excited! A local pastor came to my home having been referred by one of our local partners. He has a children's home right around the corner from us! He wants me to do some cp training and basic discipleship training with the staff and older kids. He also wants me to help the younger kids with their oral English. If you know me at all, you know this is something I really want to do! So, last Sunday I went to meet the kids.
A pastor from another state started a ministry in a city about an hour away. He is currently coming here on Sundays to bring a message to the children. As he is from another state, he doesn't speak Hindi either and Pastor Paul's young daughter translates. These are the older kids. There are currently 20 kids in the home.
This is one of the young boys at the home.

This little guy didn't make it through the children's message! He is the youngest!

Pallu Comes to Visit

We went to our local shopping area called "the mall" but it is not a building, it is a shopping street on the top of the mountain! Rae dressed Pallu in Kashmiri clothes and had her photo taken. She attracted a lot of attention!
Mom and Dad getting some shopping done. Pallu is worn out!
Bill and Rae returned to their village. They had a parent meeting and reported to me that the parents were very happy with the changes at the school -the diecorations, the new materials, the foreign "expert" coming...A volunteer team went there and helped hand tire swings for the kids and fix up a play area. They helped them move the office out of one of the classrooms into another small room. I may get to return in Nov. or December!