So, today is wasn’t comfortable. But I was able to handle the day okay. I think my body is adjusting finally to the temperature. I still need to drop some extra luggage… but I actually walked into our office for family prayer time (6:30pm) and was cold. And it was 79 degrees!!! Seeing that airlines are usually around 64-68 degrees during flights (cause it is something like 100 below with the wind and altitude outside)… I will probably be wearing a long sleeve shirt for the ride home. At least I should be better prepared to work out in the son with concrete panels, wedge bolts and tight spaces when I return!
Kathryn and Robert spent today sorting through childhood books and about 3 hours separating comic books into series. Actually that have SuperBoy Issue #1 sealed in near mint condition. Actually “near near mint” like a 9.5 in case anyone knows anything about comic books out there. And they have a mint condition “Steel” issue #1. Whatever that is worth… So they will probably be on Ebay and Craig’s List tomorrow to see if it is worth it to sell them, or to hold on to them to help their kids college fund someday.
I continued reading through my ‘micro-credit’ book, outlining it… and briefly talking to some staff about it. Vincent – probably my closest friend here in India—just got back from visiting with Sampson (the man I spoke of a day or two back). So I am interested t hear more about his experience and education last Sat-Mon learning about the last 10 years of effort of micro-lending by Sampson in Northern Andhra Pradesh. Actually that sounds weird cause “Andhra” means “lower, bottom” (I am pretty sure), Pradesh means “Land” basically. So Sampson lives in the “Northern Bottom Land”.
I helped the Rees’ right hand house man for the last 20 years clean up the front yard yesterday. There is a HIVpostive (HIV+) ladies meeting tomorrow – the exact women I think about with this micro-lending stuff—at the hospital grounds. It is a monthly meeting to distribute medicines, encourage each other, form relationships and receive free health care. There are around 100 women regularly, but around 150 in the support group. If you can make it here, care is free—thanks to Americans who have invested into this venture over nearly 40 years! HIV+ women, especially ones with children, can receive reimbursements for their travel expenses thanks to the Clinton Foundation. However, the children’s program (once a month) is being cancelled due to the fact that the Clinton Foundation will no longer fund the program.
The Indian Gov’t was suppose to find a way to carry on the work after 5 years. 5 years have come and gone, and no long term planning by Delhi, and no planning by DLRH either. The thing is…it is only around $100 a year for each child. They gov’t medicines for HIV are picked up around 10 kilometers away. So we do not distribute them (hopefully we will apply to test and distribute in the next 18 months). But the other expenses (travel, one month’s rations of healthy food, education, fun activities (like monthly birthday celebrations) and the important role of forming a support group between parents (mostly mothers) and especially these young students that will be loosing parents in the next decade, and will also become very sick in 20-40 years. They will need friendships formed in a safe place like the DLRH (David & Lois Rees Hospital) to help them through these times. And the growing counseling staff here can help in those times.
So I am sure we will be looking for alternate funding from the state government over the summer, so that this program can resume in Sept/Oct. Or else I think we may approach a new church, who currently doesn’t invest in the work here of BSSI and only ask them to support these kids. It seems easy on paper, but difficult I am sure to get a church of 200 families to support a work like this, and only this. $100 a family a year, a profile of the student, possibly letters…maybe. But at least updates for their prayers AND some commitments for a team from the church to come and visit the work here, the children during their monthly meetings, and to bring gifts on behalf of the congregation. Actually it is a deeper commitment, a tangible commitment, a “mini-adoption” commitment like compassion. We currently have 95 kids (I believe) in this specific program for our distribution area, but I am sure it will be another 100 in 12-24 months (so that is why I say a church with 200 families). If the program is done correctly, I belief many couples would sponsor two children in the future – allowing us to help over 300-400 families become a VERY LARGE support group for the rough challenges ahead. But that is me, theorizing again in India.
Speaking of, we are partnering with Compassion later this year to help 300 students currently in houses (with poor families) in the local big city. That project should be a headache to initiate, but a blessing to be part of. If we are able to return during the slump in construction from Christmas to Ash Wednesday, I will be interested in what it all looks like together. I hear that 300 children is actually a small project for Compassion. I am just glad that it is not a 300 kids orphanage but is helping children stay with parents who would not be able to afford them, or would spend their family savings over the next 12-24 months to help the children—and wind up worse off than before. This help for the lifetime of a students school years (including their pre-college of 11-12th grade, it is a different system of schooling here) is life changing.
I forgot exactly what I read in a book recently but a study in 1990’s from a UN funded outside firm said that 90% of poverties problems (critical problems) would be solved if those involved were given (1) At least 1 nutritious meal a day, (2) 4-6 concentrated hours of schooling-combined with that meal, (3) Sanitary drinking water from a bore well, or ability to boil their water, (4) Sanitary conditions for their toilets and waste water, and … I think the last was (5) regular medical check ups (6 months) and vaccinations. But I am not sure… the first 4 are correct. Anyway. Add “keeping the family structure together” and that is psychologically important as well.
Okay, I have spoken enough today. Sorry, rambling again. We baked 4 pizzas tonight at the request of Santhosh. After words he prayed that God would bring Kathryn-aka, and Josh-ana (aka and ana = big brother/sister) back soon after summer so that we could have more pizzas. So, I will join him in this prayer. In the midst of a large project (before us) to oversee and the maintenance needs after 40 years, the stream of projects the Gov’t would love us to help them with (since we are the only reliable HIV program in the district), and the opportunities for helping teach growing Christians, especially church leadership… it is good to step back and remember that God also may wish to bring us back so that a little boy living with my in-laws can have his prayer answered of weekly pizza during the Christmas season.
I am sure of the priority that I put on pizza compared to replacing the 40 year old roofs here (30K USD estimated). But, I am not sure if I know exactly God’s priority list. I feel that His may take other things into consideration – and put my list to shame.
Prayers: That Josh would continue to be formed into a reflection of Jesus Christ in mind, spirit and heart. And that he would relax in many ways and let the Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer of mankind to skillfully shape his heart. For Kathryn, that her hands continue to heal ( just her upper palms and the spaces between each finger are itching now, compared to the whole hand last week at this time).
Praises: After I return from a wedding tomorrow morning – we should have a storage room finally done and with all the kids stuff in there (until we leave at the end of the month and toss more of our stuff in there). Praises for no injuries during the process, or upper respiratory conditions from all that dust and old mildew, spores, etc. And praises that we enjoyed laughter, a good conversation and pizza tonight together.
Please – don’t destroy my IDOL surprise this week, anybody!!! Let me have my 24 hour delayed enjoyment of seeing who is voted off!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment