Fall DTS 2009 India Outreach

Week seven in INDIA, and we are still going strong and will be until the very end! "...Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus..." Hebrews 12:1
We have recently arrived to Chennai and jumped right into the ministry here! We are working alongside of a very special YWAM base, where they specifically work with many leper colonies here in Chennai. They are really involved with these people´s lives unlike- most of normal society. Many of the older generation are still outcast to the normal things in life. They are forced to live in colonies where they do not have homes, enough food for their families and unable to get jobs. Imagine entire families forced to live in poverty because of a rare disease. Well, this is where this YWAM´s heart is active in changing! They have given their own freedom in life to serve those who do not have this right in a world that won´t accept them. When you see this base and all the people who are working for the Lord, you see what service really is. They get up early, and at that very moment they are hard at work! They have 5 different ways to reach out to Leper colonies, and our team has been fortunate enough to work alongside each different ministry aspect. Each focus is at work to bring these people a fulfilling life that Jesus offers to everyone!
During the week our team breaks off into different groups to accomplish the tasks that are set before us! Some of us are busy doing cleaning from early in the morning until lunch, others go in groups of two to the colonies to care for patients and children. Others stay behind and work in the medical room preparing bandages and gauze, which will help the many people who need free medical care. It would be an ideal if everyone could experience and see the things we are. This ministry has encompassed total compassion and mercy! If everyone could see this type of selfless love, imagine how much more we would view others through God´s eyes! If you don´t have the chance to come here try to read this and understand how the Lord is using simple people to carry out His work. May you be encouraged to love others just the same! Allow me to share with you the different ministry departments, and how we´ve been active in service...
Medical Prep: Climb 2 flights of stairs, pass by the outdoor shower, climb the last few steps, and enter into the small hut on the roof. This is the YWAM med-prep room, also a home for two staff members. It is a humble haven made from tree leaves and sticks. However, it is sturdy and filled with the blessed presence of the Lord. All the work that is done here can sometimes be monotonous, but is of the most important. All day long there are bandages that need to be cut and made, and gauze that needs to be rolled up. Without these supplies there would be nothing to take to the colonies used to wrap up the gaping sores of their many needy patients. Without these medical supplies this base would not have a unique way of reaching out to others. Usually there is a small team that stays back in the morning to prepare these supplies until lunch. Apart from the repetitive work of folding and rolling there is ample time to share more about our lives. It is also a time to engage with the Chennai YWAM staff. Well...our conversations never quite reach the level of depth most would hope for, but with the language barrier it leaves for plenty of jokes and laughter.
Medical Team: After at least an hour of bouncing around in the med truck, and pass a few grass huts, you´ll eventually pull into a colony somewhere far off. People begin to gather around in expectation that you are bringing them temporary relief. The experienced med team pulls out two bags filled with the bandages, medications and surgical tools. They move quickly and find a place to set up for their work. Some people hobble over and ask for bandages, take what they are given and hobble off again. Others begin to form a line helping one another take a seat and strip off their old bandages. Those of us who are less experienced (our team) are asked to hand over the tools and bandages when needed. However, we still see all the same things the nurses do. Each of the patients are old, withered of strength and their bodies are frail. They struggle to remove their bandages and get their leg up. Once they are settled they remove the dirty bandage to reveal a gruesome sight. They have missing toes and fingers, and holes deep into their flesh. They sit patiently while they get cleaned up, and wrapped up again. They say their thanks, and ask one of us to pray for them, and simply walk off and continue with their day. It seems so simple, yet this type of work is something that is done with a lot of care and patience. The nurses know these people by name, and sometimes they joke with them and you see their faces light up with laughter. Even though they are busy cleaning up their wounds -that scare most people of this nation- they dare to treat them as normal people! They don´t fuss over them to over compensate, they are simply true, and dedicated to every single one. They bring life to these groups and mostly they bring love!
Colony Daycare: This isn´t your typical daycare, and it even starts off with an unusual commute. Before you can reach the colony to care for the children you have 2 hours of travel ahead. It involves Indian style transportation- which means bus rides and a bumpy rickshaw! First of all the bus is slightly stressful-getting on poses problems as you quickly hop on before the driver begins to speed off. Once you make sure every body part makes it onto the bus you can then squeeze your way to the middle, in hopes someone will get off and leave an empty seat. Otherwise you are left getting very acquainted to the other 50 people in the aisle. Your bus ride is then almost an hour and 45 minutes. This means you soon have to quickly get off... if you get off. Pushing and shoving is your only option or risk being left on the bus. Then you take a rickshaw into the village. As you drive in your head bouncing back and forth on the unpaved road you can see behind the small huts the faces of small children waiting. Many of them have runny noses and are missing their shoes, and of course a few are crying. These children´s parents are all a part of the leprosy colony. They willingly accept the graciousness of this base that offers free care to their children during the day. The families work if they can as house servants or in fields, but most go out in the day to beg for money. Fortunately these children are being spared from going with their parents to beg on the streets. At the daycare it is a goal to pour into these little ones as much of Jesus´ love as they can! Giving them warm milk, vitamins, and medicine for their illnesses. They get a large lunch and eat until they are full! Not to mention the selfless and caring women who come every day and so far to pray over each one, to play and love them! Society may not be doing its part to accept these children, but God is! He loves them so much He makes a way for them to hear about His goodness even at such a young age! The Lord knows that even a child has tremendous value, and He calls them the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore it is a goal to build a foundation in these kids, and in hopes they´ll be used to pass along this message to their families! Many of the families in the village are Hindu and continue to worship idols. In each colony you pass by small huts, but there is always a nice looking place where they worship different idols. God is using even small children to be mighty warriors for Him against one of India´s biggest strongholds!
Little Lights: There are some places you can go for a little while, and simply leave and then move on with your life. However, Little Lights is a place which captivates your and every time you leave your heart breaks. Of all the work we´ve been doing this has become a favorite amongst our entire team! Little Lights is a home to 34 children of parents with Leprosy. These children are of age to go to school and live in this home where they have beds, showers, food, medicine, and get an education. They have all come from different leprosy colonies- some with their brothers and sisters and some alone. Their parents have put them in the care of these people so they will have chance to live a more fulfilled life! What is even more amazing is this home is focused on Christ! So, they are not only living normal lives here, but they are also being brought up in the love of Jesus. This home is also dedicated to these 34 children until they are adults! They have promised to see these kids through until the end! Of course the children go home to be with their families on holidays, but for the rest of the time they do everything else here! That is why this place is called Little Lights- first of all these are God´s children and here He is providing for them so they will then have wonderful testimonies to share with their Hindu families and the rest of society! Each one of them has such a unique personality, talents, and desires, and God making them ready to use it for His glory! I should also mention it is not just the children that make this place such a blessing... it is the other young women who live here and spend every day caring for these kids! Surprising the staff are young women, joyful, beautiful and hardworking! Without ever taking a break they cook, clean, wash, scrub, pamper, play and care for every single child! They have no relation to them and yet love them all! They have constant smiles and devotion, and you know their hearts are focused on God the way they can pour out so much selfless love!

This week we have been working with the the daycare and medical teams that treat leprosy victims at the local YWAM ministry called "Little Lights". The students are working really hard and are really investing in these children´s lives.

In fact on Saturday (our day off) we were invited by the children to their school sports day. The childeren were so excited that we all went to see them compete and cheer them on with the staff from Little Lights. It was a great opportunity to let others see how much these children are valued outside of their community, especially since they have had to earn the respect of others.

They all did a great job, some came first and some last but they had fun because our YWAM students were there encouraging them and cheering them on. They had this one race called getting ready for school. The little boys had to put on their shirts, ties, belts, shoes and socks and run to the finish line. Our guy had some issues with his belt and he didn´t win, but we cheered for him up to the end and he loved every minute of it.

Mali Wannacome! This is a common way to greet the people here in the city of Trichy!  If you politely hold your hands together and bow your head, usually their once solemn faces perk up, and their eyes  sparkle. In a quick passing moment they return the friendly greeting and continue on. You can hear them chatter and laugh with their friends, and see them pointing back at you.  We walk away in hopes their nervous laughter isn’t because they are making jokes about us.  Of course if I saw a group of ‘new’ white people trudging down the dusty path, glistening with sweat, and wearing really sparkly Indian clothes… I would giggle too! However, no matter where we go we walk around here fully confident! Confident that we are bringing the very presence of God to this part of India, and that we are bringing His truth to everyone we encounter!  Despite the many wonderful things of India, (their culture and values) there seems to be a heaviness to the land, a sadness that follows certain people- many of God’s children walking around, needing more in their lives! Allow me to share how we’ve been busy trying to reach these very individuals.

While here we’ve been working alongside of the YWAM TRICHY BASE! It is a new base here, and so our work hasn’t  produced instant results. Of course thank goodness we believe in a God who see’s the big picture and can use every small effort for His BIG purpose!  In addition each of us has new friends we have made all the way across the world- who we may never have met- that we can now be praying for!  With as many places, and people we’ve come across if we pray for all them God’s glory could really transform this whole city!

Most of our work has been with college students, schools, villages, orphanages, and local prayer walks. However, we will never forget our group standing in front of crowd of 10,000 Indians! Everywhere we go people crowd around us, touch our hands- usually right hand only- then they insist on feeding us something. Most of the time it’s a steaming cup of hot chai! Which we drink with forced smiles and burning mouths. God bless the Indian’s and their hospitality. It amazes me that no matter where we are or how little a family owns they never have too little to share with us! Surprisingly they always have an abundance of chai.

It  will be so exciting to hear in a few years how this base has grown!  Even since we’ve been here we  now walk down the streets and the locals will call us out by name! As well it’s been an incredible time working with the base leader, Muthu, helping him set up for the upcoming schools! It has been a lot of hard work and all for the sake of spreading the Gospel! We had the pleasure of working alongside of the existing staff here… hard working people! Together we’ve fixed up an entire house to accommodate families, students and classrooms. This house was left in horrible condition from the previous renters.  For example on the second level there was a large cement tub in one of the rooms. It would’ve served as decent sized hot tub, except it was filled to the top with mud! …At least we told ourselves it was mud as we shoveled it out in buckets and carried them down the stairs to dump.  Nor did we try to figure out how and why so much of it was in there! It’s now a totally cleaned out tub and the room serves as a comfortable bungalow, closed in with banana leaves for the male students! The whole house looks completely different and has come alive with all of the new people in it! Christians from Nepal, Sri Lanka, North India, Australia and America all under one roof!

It has been tremendous being here, a little difficult to adjust sometimes. If you look at how some people live their lives you would think they missed out on about 2,000 years! However, this nation holds half of the world’s population, and until everyone hears about what Jesus has done for them our work is not done! Keep us in your prayers, and for all the people we come to contact with.  We will be traveling back to Chennai in a few short days, and we need prayer for our travels ,and for the upcoming ministry in Chennai!

Thanks again!

NUNDRI!

We arived in Tritchy 3 days ago.... traveling to get here is a whole new story. It all started at 10:30 pm. we all loaded up in two cars... we got to the train station and proceeded to get up 5 flights of stairs with backpacks, guitar, a speaker and a carry-on. this wasnt our first or easiest clime. We waited anxiously to jump on the train because we had exactly one minute to get all of us and all our things on board. With the grace of God we succeeded and was on our way. It was a six hour ride down the tracks. We arrived at about 5 in the morning and we´re ready to go....well rather sleep. We started our ministry yesterday in the University. We are working with students on their English. After a few creative ideas it became a real joy! We are also getting to share Jesus through songs we teach them in English. We are having a great time thus far and looking forward to whats to come.

New pics will be posted as soon as possible.