Busy, Busy, Busy

We are continuing to enjoy our work here and feel excited at the opportunity to love and encourage those around us.  I have been able to work with Indian couples in the process of adoption helping to prepare them for their future children.  They were excited to have someone who had personal experience to ask questions of.  I also participated in a workshop for UNICEF workers who are implementing a foster care program in another Indian state and are using VCT as their model program.  My latest project has been working with the older children (6-12) to help them process their feelings about their past losses and being adopted.  Of course, each day the girls and I spend our mornings giving one-on-one attention to these precious, needy children.  Most of these kids have been matched with families in the US or Italy but wait two or three years while their cases go through the legal process.  I think of my own kids, how long they waited, and how thankful I am for those who cared for them.

 Jeff has had the opportunity to encourage a number of men in the last few weeks.  He had been going every Friday morning to meet with a group of Christian business leaders at Campus Crusade for Christ which is near our home.  He has been working several times a week with an administrator at a local mission.  This gentlemen’s self esteem is very poor and he is in need of a lot of encouragement as well as practical advice.  Jeff is also working with this same group and another ministry to assist them in better managing their organizational growth.  Just this week he started on a project for a group that wants to develop a Sport’s Ministry minor as part of a seminary program here.  Lastly, Jeff is also busy with some academic research he is doing at the GE research & development facility here.  When we first decided to come to India he wondered what he would do to keep himself busy!

Drivers side is right so Jeff was on the left of the car.

As many of you know, we were in a car accident two weeks ago.  We were traveling in a taxi across town when the car suddenly hit a bus.  We think the driver fell asleep as the bus was clearly stopped and the taxi did not slow down or swerve.  It was really a miracle we were not hurt far worse.  Jeff was in the front seat and on the side which hit the bus.  The window caved in to a foot in front of his nose.  Gabi and I were in the second row and Nephtalie and Martine in the third row.  There are seldom seatbelts in the back of cars here and Nephtalie flew from the back into my lap.  There must have been some angels in that car stopping the window from hitting Jeff and keeping Nephtalie from going through the front window.  Martine was hurt the most cutting her lip and leg and needing stitches.  Her lip has now completely healed.  She did knock a tooth a bit loose which we will get checked out now that her lip is okay.  Her shin however is still quite painful.  I hit my knee hard and it is still swollen and painful.  The rest of our bumps and bruises are all healed.  The girls were traumatized at first and very scared to go anywhere in a car for a few days but they seem to have gotten over it.

When I first suggested going to India for the summer Jeff thought it would never happen.  He later agreed to prayerfully consider it but was quite doubtful.  Eventually, of course, he agreed it was what we were supposed to spend our time and money on.  Two weeks ago he was helping VCT to evaluate their finances.  Although he has seen many poor people around the world, he was greatly affected by the numbers he saw on paper.  “Do you realize if you put the salaries of all 30 of the employees of VCT together it would still only equal half of my salary?!”, he told me, “ We are so blessed.  We really need to give back like this every year.” 

Isaiah 58:10 says, “…spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed.”  Many people I have met have told me they would like to adopt or go on a mission trip but can’t afford it or don’t have the time.  Of course there are other things one could be doing with one's time and money.  Fun things, and even needful things.  But it says “spend yourselves”.  The Amplified Bible renders this “…pour out that with which you sustain your own life…”.

God is asking us to sacrifice; to give up a bit of the all-American dream for the hungry and oppressed.  I have been humbled here to see what is really necessary for life, it's not much.  Several months ago Gabi asked, “Why does everyone else have nice furniture?”  “They have furniture, you have siblings,” I answered, “One is earthly, the other’s eternal.”  Shortly after this we were blessed with some like-new furniture from someone who sold their beach house.  God doesn’t disregard our desires.  We don’t all have to live like monks on bread and water.  He does tell us, however, to store up our treasures in heaven.  Before writing off making a bold move, like adopting or taking a trip to volunteer in a far away land, consider the blessings God has given you.  Consider the sacrifices you may be able to make.  And consider where you want your treasures to be.

We are so thankful for:

We survived the car crash!

Beautiful weather the last two weeks; highs in the low 80’s and cool nights.

The friendly kind Indian people.

The gratefulness people express when they hear us say “Just tell us what we can do.  We are here to serve you.”

Please pray with us:

The monsoon season is upon us but the rain has been less than half of what it usually is.  This is very bad for India where these seasonal rains are necessary for the crops to grow.  It is also affecting the power supply as a dam supplies much of the city’s power.

Deena on the left

Deena, pictured here, suffers from Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Brittle Bone Disease).  She has been waiting a long time but no family has been found for her.  Please join us in praying for a family for Deena.

Avinashe, a six year old boy, is very emotionally troubled.  VCT has decided after four months of attempting to integrate him he is a threat to himself and others and needs to be in a different type of facility with a higher level of care.  Sadly, this means he will never have a family of his own, and his chances of living a fulfilling life are slim.

Martine’s leg to be completely healed.

 Greetings From India!

It's hard to believe we have been here a little over three weeks now. We are feeling comfortable and getting to know more and more, although we still learn new things every day. Here's a sampling: Gabi was reprimanded a few days ago by the house mother at VCT who got on her for wearing a toe ring. Apparently they indicate you are married?!? Yesterday we saw monkeys hanging from the power lines in the middle of the city. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me. Next time I'll try to snap a picture. Did you know there are over 1000 different kinds of mangos? India produces 51% of the worlds mangos and we happened to arrive at the peak of mango season. YUM! Did you know cows can actually live off garbage?

We were both able to delve more into the work we want to do here. Jeffrey met with representatives from the university he will be involved with, the Indian Institute of Science, late last week. On Friday he delivered a presentation on ethics in business. Surprisingly, or not surprisingly, although corruption is a huge issue here, the university does not have any courses on ethics. He wasn't sure how they would react but everyone was very interested in the topic which they had never really heard before. He also meet several Christian students and leaders from Campus Crusade.

I have learned much about the foster care program of VCT and have been able to participate in several conferences. Although private foster care has been in India for over 25 years, the government still runs large institutions for children. UNICEF and others are advocating hard for the government to begin transitioning to foster care, kinship care, or reunification with their families for most children. Because I experienced this transition in Romania, I have been invited to share at conferences on this subject and will be able to work with a focus group on de-institutionalization.



The girls have made several friends in the neighborhood which they enjoy playing badminton with. This is a popular sport in India and the first time our neighbors watched our girls play (let's just say they haven't had much experience) they came out to give tips like, "You are suppose to hit the ball toward the other player." The girls have been working hard teaching the kids at VCT. They were very excited about a special day planned for the 8th of June. It was Children's Day and we worked with the teachers to plan a special celebration for all the kids. The girls spent one afternoon decorating the party room. There were games and prizes, special foods and all kinds of fun. It is so wonderful that these kids, most of whom were abandon on the streets, can now not only live, but live well! God has saved their very lives but not just into survival, into joy and abundance. They don't just have food and shelter, all of these children have loving foster families caring for their emotional as well as physical needs and families in the process of adopting them to love them forever.



We have had some scary moments over the last week and half too. There are many dangers. The traffic is crazy and most of the time one must walk in the street. Nephtalie was hit by a motorcycle last weekend while standing in front of our house. Thankfully she was only scratched up. Where there are sidewalks there are holes in them gaping down into 5 foot deep chasms built to take the overflow of water during the monsoon. These holes are places where the pavement has fallen in. I always wonder whose footstep was it that was the straw that broke the camel's back? Will my footstep cause the next cave in? Gabi is a mosquito magnet; which will only get worse as the rainy season starts next week. Mosquitoes carry dengue fever and malaria and so are not just pests but actual dangers.  One of the girls in the program came down with typhoid last week. Yesterday, as we were driving along in an auto rickshaw, Nephtalie suddenly began developing horrible hives. With in half an hour she was covered, face, neck, ears, eyelids, arms, everywhere, and began to complain that the inside of her mouth itched too. We found the next pharmacy and they gave me a little pill of I-don't-know-what. With in ten minutes she was feeling a bit better and with in an hour all the hives were gone. I had visions of hospitals dancing in my head when she said her mouth was swelling up and was so relieved she recovered quickly. I am happy to say though, that the street dogs are not aggressive and don't run in packs. This was a huge problem when we lived in Romania and there I pepper sprayed many a dog. Dogs or no dogs however we do need you prayers for our physical safety!

"Follow Lane Discipline" These words are found on numerous signs around Bangalore. Often they are accompanied by a picture of ducks in a row. They are an attempt to encourage divers to stay in their lane in a single file line. This may seem like a given to you but in India it's not. Everyone, cars, motorcycles, mopeds, all cram to the front. Often those in the lane facing the stoplight spill over into the lane moving away from it. When the light changes it is a mad dash to race across before the oncoming traffic moves across the intersection. When not at a stop light they zigzag around each other helter skelter. It is much faster to be in a moped then a car. A man at church told me today, "In some countries they drive on the right, in some on the left.  In India you drive on both sides."  This as we encountered a car and a motorcycle going the wrong way down a divided road.  A lane discipline sign near our house is dated 2008 so the government has been trying for some time to get drivers to stay in their lanes. Although these rules of the road are made to protect drivers they are considered a nuance. In the mad rush to get somewhere no one wants to obey the rules. They don't want to be slowed down.

As I drive along, watching a craziness of the road, I can't help but think about Joshua 1:7. "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go." In this verse God is asking us to follow lane discipline, to obey his laws so we will be successful. The rules of the road are intended to keep us safe as are God's laws. They are for our benefit. But do we listen? Often not. We are too busy trying to get where we want to go. We think they are slowing us down, keeping us from our goal. He has given us many sign posts, the Bible, pastors, mentors, prayer. There are signs all around but do we obey them? Some times I feel my life is like Bangalore traffic, rushing around chaotic, uncontrolled. I'm trying to slow down, to follow the guidance God is giving me. To have the discipline I need to stay in my lane.

 Thank you for your continued prayers for our physical safety, opportunities to learn what God has for us here and the chance to show His love to others!