It is Sunday night, and by now we have each reached home and, no doubt, had some joyful reunions with you all, who we have deeply missed during our two week trip. When Eric and I left Rhode Island, the grass around our house was dead and we had to wear jackets outside. Now, it is a rich green everywhere, and even some daffodils are blooming in our yard. It is absolutely beautiful here.

We came home yesterday morning and found wonderful "welcome home" surprises on our coffee table from our Sherpa Family: a beautiful Indian patterned card, an album containing all of the blog postings and comments, a bottle of wine and pack of Red Bull (guess which one Eric snatched immediately? :-) ) Thank you SO very much! We love you and missed you, and we can't wait to see you tomorrow...

Part of my mind and heart is still back in India. This was such an amazing trip, and one that was drenched in God's grace. Looking back at the amount of miles we covered, the things we were able to see, the safety, health, laughter and friendships we enjoyed - it is nothing short of a miracle. We were planning to see 7 or 8 orphanages; we visited 11 orphanages, 3 slums and a leper colony. We had no travel issues - no lost luggage, no flat tires, no accidents and no scheduling problems. Most of all, we come home with tons of information about the children, orphanages and pastors, having conducted countless interviews and taken hundreds of pictures.

And we have memories in our hearts that will never disappear. I am so thankful for each child I met, for each hand I got to hold, and each smile exchanged. Here are some moments, both joyful and heart-breaking, that I pray will always stay with me:

The laughter of a 2 year old village boy as he sat on my lap outside the church in Anantapur
Praying together with a mother for her blind 5 year old son in Rajumundry
Shaking the fingerless hands of a man living with leprosy in Faridabad
Having a 14 year old orphan girl ask me to take her to America at O. Palouse's house
Hugging Veer and Belssy good-bye in Beawar
The singing of the children at Abraham's orphanage in Delhi, who sang the following song:

I have a maker,
He formed my heart.
Before even time began
My life was in his hands.

He knows my name,
He knows my every thought,
He sees each tear that falls
And hears me when I call.

I have a father,
He calls me his own.
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go.

He knows my name,
He knows my every thought,
He sees each tear that falls
And hears me when I call.

I am so grateful for all of your love, support and encouragement. Eric and I could really feel your prayers during the trip. Whether or not you ever step foot in India (and I hope that you do), I hope that the orphans' and pastors' stories have stolen a piece of your heart. Who better to lose it to? :-)

God Bless,
Allison

Posted by Allison Stockton at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday was by far the hardest day of the trip for me. Lack of sleep, a mild concussion and a hotel room that should have been condemned were beating down my spirit. It was hard to smile. We arrived at the Church last night totally drained... we were all worn out. I had nothing left to give until we sat down and were swarmed by all of the smiling little faces.

Children truly are a gift from God aren't they? As I got up and began to play with the children there for the service I felt a renewal of spirit, it was like I was being recharged. I forgot all about my throbbing headache and began to take pictures.

"One more photo please!!" rang out over and over and over.... they love the camera. It was just what I needed.

This morning I woke early and watched the sun rise from the roof of the hotel. It was quiet and as I was praying a monkey decided to join me. He just came right over and checked me out. I am getting used to the stares so it didn't bother me. I gave him an orange. :)

We are off to Bangalore for our flight back to Delhi. We will see all of you very soon.

Herb

Posted by Herb Jones at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We have had a busy couple of days. On Monday, we took a 16 hour train ride from Rajumundry to Anantapur, arriving at our hotel at 6 am on Tuesday. After resting for a few hours, we went to Pastor O. Palouse's home for a great breakfast. Then we went to his orphanage, which now has 7 children. Six of the boys were there for us to play with, while Mary, the only girl, was back at the house to help prepare lunch and dinner for us with the Pastor's wife, mother and grandmother. We noticed right away that there were no toys on hand for us to play with, just one flat soccer ball. So, Mike, Herb and the pastors headed out for some sports equipment while Mat and I came up with some silly games. The boys now know how to limbo, play musical chairs, and (of course) play slaps. When the rest of the team returned, there were soccer balls everywhere and a cricket game began. Adam also played some indoor badmitton with Pardesh for at least an hour.

I have had so much fun with the kids over the past days... The girls I've met have been teaching me Indian dance moves, we've been spinning til we're dizzy in the yard, they've been braiding my hair and pinning in flowers, playing Simon Says and collapsing on the grass in laughter. It's been a blast. So, at O. Palouse's orphanage, I found myself looking out for the little girls again. And then there they were, on their knees peeking into the orphanage hall where the guys were playing with the boys with their faces and fingers pressed against the entryway steps and stoop. They were the extended family of the orphanage's watchman, and lived in the run down "house" adjacent to the orphan hall. This was just what I needed!

I spent the rest of my time on the front porch with these 13 people, 6 of which were little girls ages 1 to 6. I got to paint their tiny fingernails pink. Their hands were so small that only 2 light touches of the brush covered their entire nail. It was so sweet to sit with each of them, and then to watch them move into the shade afterwards, with their fingers spread wide apart, and sit still for the polish to dry. It was fun to see their mothers pushing the babies toward me and to have them help hold the little ones still. It was very special to hold the girls' little hands, see the dirt caked under their nails, and see their smiles as they felt they were becoming more beautiful with each brush stroke. I'll never forget it. :-)

Now we are going to check out of the hotel, have breakfast at O. Palouse's home again (our 4th meal there - excellent food!), and ride 4 hours or so to Bangalore, where at 4:30 this afternoon we catch a flight to Delhi . Tomorrow we are visiting our last orphanage in Delhi before boarding the plane back to the States. This was not a planned stop, but will be amazing, I'm sure. It is an orphanage with 130 children run, almost single-handedly, by a woman named Anita.

We will blog more tomorrow! We love you, miss you and can't wait to see you next week! Oh, also today is Mike Clowe's birthday! Send him an email or post a Comment - he is turning 22!!!

Love, Allison

Posted by Allison Stockton at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was the last day we had our guardian angel Emmanuel with us. He was such a blessing, he strengthened us with his laughter and dedication to the ministry here. He approached the request to guide us with a servant's heart and worked non stop to make us as comfortable as possible. We just prayed over him and sent him back to his village outside of Vijawada with many new memories and well wishes. I know that I will see him again and when I do I look forward to seeing the growth in his orphanage and Church.
We are in Antanpur, a very small, poor city in the SE part of the AP. The entire area suffers from a huge water shortage and the heat is stifling. My watch read 108 while I was playing cricket with the orphans today. Yes, 108 degrees.
Mike and I went with the pastors this morning and bought badmitton rackets, birdies, soccer balls, cricket bats and balls and an indoor board game called Carams for the boys in this orphanage..... they had absolutely NOTHING prior. They loved the carams game and flocked to it quickly...it warmed the heart to see having fun.
My prayer prior to coming was that I would have the strength to hold nothing back but would pour myself completely out on these people and as we slowly wind our way back to Delhi I feel I am almost there. I am emotionally drained but in a strange way full of new strength. I really could stay. Part of me wants to.

Until tomorrow,

Herb

Posted by Herb Jones at 6:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hello all. After a 14 hour train ride, we are all safe in Anantpur to visit our last orphanage before we head back to Delhi. So just as a quick entry, I thought I would list several quotes by various team members that have kept our spirits up and laughter loud:

1. "How far? Just five minutes."
2. "tii...This is India."
3. "Yee Haw...hooh doggy" (from our Indian tour guide)
4. "Emanuel, you just took a dirt nap"
5. "Can I have my cipro back"
6. "But I don't want to put a cork in it"
7. "Have you seen the chickens around here?"
8. "What movie?"
9. "Is that pee?"
10. "Is that pee, again?!"
11. "I shaved so you didn't think I was a terrorist."
12. "What big city do you live near in Ohio?" "Columbus." (thinking) "What NFL city do you live near?"

More quotes to come, which all will be explained in our post trip out-takes.

Sincerely,

Spicy Spice

Posted by Adam Lapp at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This morning we are in Vydjawada, Adrah Pradesh. By 9:30 am it was already scorching. We took a short bus ride into the heart of the nearby slums, unloaded from our bright purple AC Coach bus and stood in the alley not knowing what to expect. Our new guide, Emmanuel, led us briskly up and down sets of uneven concrete stairs, through very narrow walkways, around broken water pumps and under dangling electrical wires to a small, dark 6x6 room which turned out to be the home of 5 children. We all piled into the space, ducking our heads under the spinning ceiling fan. Emmanuel introduced the kids to us and asked us to pray for them. Two of the girls (ages 4 and 6) had just lost their mother to AIDS. A picture of her hangs on the wall. Their father, also HIV positive, works all day in construction, so they are mostly alone. Then Emmanuel dropped the news that these sisters, too, have HIV. They are the prettiest, sweetest girls. We got on our knees, they put their hands together and squinted shut their eyes, and we prayed. It was the only thing we could do and the most important thing we could do, all at the same time. When we climbed out of that room, we wiggled our way through more of the slums (to the residents' great surprise) to the very edge of the riverbed, where there is a small orphanage for about 25 children. The "river" is completely dry. Children were using the land to play cricket. It is also about a 50 foot descent to climb down from the slum's edge. Separating the river from the slums is a landslide of trash that doubles as the community bathroom. We were quickly surrounded by at least 50 dirty and curious children. They seemed fascinated by Mike, Mat and Adam. The group following me showed off their English skills in a little pointing game -- naming the colors of their shirts, the surrounding animals (dog, water buffalo, bird, eagle). It had to be over 100 degrees and we were all looking like we came straight out of the shower. The pastor of the orphanage showed us the 15x15 foot foundation where he dreams of building his church for this forgotten community. After spending a little time with the kids near the riverbed's edge, we climbed back up into the slum to an 8x10 patio. We introduced ourselves to the smiling children, prayed for them, and sang "Amazing Grace" in the middle of swarming flies and the stench of raw sewage. Then, in a matter of minutes, we were back on our purple AC Coach bus and in the heart of city traffic, all wondering what had just happened. This trip has been a birrage of surreal experiences, and we will not come back the same. Our hearts are broken for these people, but I pray that each scar we are experiencing builds up our faith. I just keep thinking that we have so much to learn about how to love each other. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we travel 4+ more hours today by bus. Please pray that we continue to be a unified and effective team, and that we can bring joy into these undesireable and unloved places. Megan, thank you so much for your letter to me that you sent with Eric. It really touched my heart. I love you, I hope you are feeling well, and can't wait to see you on the 26th! We hope to write again very soon. Love, Allison

Posted by Allison Stockton at 2:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

this trip has been so hard on me. alot of growing, that came at no small ease. the things ive seen. how people live in this. this certianly has been no vacation. tomorrow we see the pastor that i have been trying to support to 2 years now. well, more like a situation that i have been wondering and praying about for two years. man what a day.

i want to say hi to my class and a very special hi to my student matthew, i miss him greatly.

14 hour overnight train ride tomorrow. do you think they will have a queen size bunk for me? my guess is no.

how to communicate what i see over here to you over there. no way, none. the need is great, not for use but for the poeple to trust god so he can work.

end of transmition.........................

Posted by Mat Bunnell at 2:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Early this morning, our group met (as we do every day) to talk about how we are all doing and to discuss what we had experienced in the previous days. We began by sharing personal stories of how the trip to India has impacted our lives. While we each came at it from our own perspective, it amazed me to hear the message that was ringing so clear.

I think India has a way of forcing me to face the stark contrast between what we get to do here, and my 'normal' life at home. I find that I can sometimes be satisfied, and dare I say...complacent in my day-to-day life. It forces me to ask a question...'What can I do to be more in the ordinary course of my week?'

Around 9am, we visited an orphan slum in a place called Vijaywada. There is a large river that flows through the center of the city. Every August, the rains come and the river swells up and overflows displacing tens of thousands for about a month. Then the waters recede and the people go back and start all over again. It occured to me at that moment that the place we were standing in would soon be underwater. We were standing in the church.

As we were ducking under the small thatched roofs, members of our team asked questions about the daily lives of the people. There are no jobs, no food, no medicine, really no anything. We asked what the main source of income was for the people in the slums. It is prostitution. It is also the reason why 50-75% of children are HIV infected. After coming to India several times, I have grown used to the poverty, but nothing prepared me for what I saw.

Two weeks ago, and right up until the day we left for India, I was not sure why I was going, or even if I should. It really made no logical sense. I couldn't have picked a worse time to be gone and everything pointed to my staying at home. To be truthful, I hadn't any good answers throughout the first part of the trip...until this morning.

God turned me on to something in our meeting this morning. I came to love on a few kids and see what I could do to help in a two week trip. No matter how many times I come here, I forget how much I benefit from the simple act of obeying. It helps me to clear my mind, reset my priorities, and catch a glimpse of what God is doing in this world. It pulls me kicking and screaming out of my little world and into His kingdom. When this happens, it is easy to hone in on what God was trying to say to me all along.

In one of those moments of clarity, it is easy to see how I was created to live a life of 'adventure' in the midst of the emails, phone calls, meetings and conversations. In the middle of the mundane, daily life, I want to experience what I experience here. Things that are truly amazing and things that are obtainable in our every day lives. I hope to be able to keep a hold of how close to God I feel at this moment.

Thanks to everyone who has emailed me over the past couple of weeks. I am truly blessed to have such great family, friends and co-workers. It may not seem like it, but your words are encouraging in a time when we need it most.

Posted by Eric Stocton at 2:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Hello to everyone out there reading about our trip. So far, it has been only what I can describe as a life-changing experience. Several hours before we boarded our airplane (SpiceJet Airlines, are you kidding me), we were absolutely honored to hand out report cards to the children of Pastor Veer's school. Just the publicity of us, Americans, being there will help him to build his school into what he envisions...a 1,000 children.

As we left, an 11 year old boy named Sagar began tearing up. He stood somberly against a post an cried as we said our good-byes. Whereas the other children were in great spirits, although they too did not want to see us go, Sagar was the only child crying. He had played David in the "David and Goliath" skit and several of us had grown attached to him. He simply had a look in his face that you knew he would grow up to be a great servant to God.

So Herb and I (he too had become attached) went over to console Sagar. I said to him, "Don't cry Sagar, we will be back again," then proceeded to give him a huge bear hug. This is what India does to you. It opens your heart to where you don't think about loving on somebody, you just do it. And because of this, I will be back.

There is so much more to say about the last two days, so I hope my fellow bloggers will cover me. We are leaving Vijayawada today and heading 4 hours north to Rajamundry (I think I spelled that right, even though spell checker underlined it). The trip is winding down and we have a lot of travel in front of us, but somehow, I believe many of us are feeling increasingly refreshed and ready for what lies in front of us. I'm not sure how accessible the internet will be in the next couple of days, but I hope to make at least one more post.

Sincerely,

Adam

P.S. In honor of SpiceJet Airlines, we have all now acquired "spicy" nicknames:
- Herb: Papa Spice
- Mike: Bunny Spice
- Matt: Biggy Spice
- Adam: Spicy Spice
- Allison: La femme de la Spice
- Eric: Hair gel Spice

Posted by Adam Lapp at 2:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

sorry everyone, I lost my password and have not been able to post here but I have been posting at www.missyandherb.com. Luckily our IT team flew in from half way around the world and helped me out. Thanks Cliff.

we are healthy, in good spirits and slowly winding our way through India. We have travelled many, many miles through sun parched deserts, through mountains and now into more lush but hot climates in the southeast state of AP.

Yesterday was incredible... we had the fortune of attending Church services at our guide, Emmanuel's Church. We were the guests of honor as the children sang songs, performed dance routines and warmed our hearts with their smiles and laughter. All the hope and joy that they have floats above the tremendous poverty in a way that touches you in a very deep place. They might have "rats running in their stomach" but God is walking in their spirits in a mighty way.
After Church we visited Emmanuel's father's place which was about an hour outside of Vijawada in a very rural community. His orphanage supports 25 children and we played cricket, badmitton and a board game called Carams with them. They treated us so well, serving us coconut water and fanning us anytime we sat down. I love this part of our days... they are such a blessing. It is hard knowing that when we leave, they will share a very small amount of rice and crawl through the entrance of the small thatched huts that they sleep in each night. We are praying for funding to build them a true shelter, someplace safe and strong.
This morning I had the pleasure of rising early and having a quiet devotion with our guide, Emmanuel. During this time we prayed and read and I interviewed him so that I could tell his story to all of you. And what a story it is.... one of despair but more than anything amazing faith that is the wellspring of hope for many people.
In 2005, at a pastor's conference in Kota, Emmanuel was kidnapped by Hindu Extremists. They tried to force him to bow down at a temple and say the names of their idol gods. He refused. They then beat him relentlessly, cracking his skull and injuring his ribs. They held him hostage for 12 hours before the police "rescued" him. The police, also hindu's, did not provide medical assistance and held him for another 12 hours. Finally, fellow pastors picked him up and brought him to a hospital. He was treated and released after 24 hours and returned, with tremendous will, to tell his story at the pastor's conference. I came here looking for perspective, I am leaving with more than I bargained for.
God is blessing our work here and I pray that everyone reading this shares our short notes with as many friends as possible. That is all I ask.... tell others.
Working remotely has its advantages but I really miss out on the relationship aspect of working in our home office. I have really enjoyed getting to know my teammates and I feel I will always have a special bond with not only our Pastor/guides, but also with Mike Clowe and Adam Lapp. Seeing these two with the children warms my heart. Both will make wonderful husbands and fathers one day :)

For those of you that know me, you probably wonder how I am handling being away from Hannah and Missy. My wife is so wonderful to me...I am so blessed. She has sent me many, many emails and pictures of my little girl and I even printed one of them off and kept it with me. It only lasted 20 hours: I was showing a new mother in one of the rural villages my baby and she asked to have the picture of little Hannah. How could I resist that? I hope her little shining face and big smile brings them some measure of joy for many days. We were the first Americans to ever visit that particular village so I imagine Hannah will be popular :)

Jimmy Ellis!! Thank you so much you big lug.... your letter made me cry and laugh at the same time, all while I was trying to read it out loud. I just read it again this morning and it was again, a shot in the arm. Jeanne, thank you very much for your kind words as well, they mean more than you could know. I have a great picture for you as well ;)

We will post again and thank ALL of you for your prayers and support. It is not wasted, I promise and together we can make a difference in the lives of these children.

God Bless You,

Herb

Posted by Herb Jones at 2:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

That was pretty much all I heard the last two days :)

Two days ago, we went to visit a Pastor in a village that I can neither spell nor pronounce... Adam or Herb have it written down. We were the first American's to visit their village. The kids were amazing. As soon as they figured out I had a camera they swarmed around calling out "One Please!" and pointing to themselves. Whenever I would try to take a picture of one, they would all crowd around him - usually until I couldn't see the original kid anymore! Lets just say I didn't get any rest :)

The village itself was very poor - its about what you would think of when you think of thatched huts. Very beautiful and very poor.

We spent that night and last light in Vijayawada and visited Pastor Emmanuel (Veer's hilarious replacements as our translator) and his fathers' churches yesterday. It being sunday they were having church services, so of course we went to them. Herb even got to get up and deliver a short message (well it would have been short except for the translating). It was a lot of fun to sing praise with them.

The kids at both of these churches apparently had friends at the last orphanage, because as soon as I brought out my camera cries of "One Please!" went up again.

This morning we went to visit a slum. This slum is situated on the river and actually floods about 7 feet every year during the rainy season. During this time its inhabitants have to relocate to bus stations and other areas. This area was very difficult. There were many many more kids than adults. It turns out that the main form of income in that area is from prostitution. Because of this many of the adults have HIV and die early, leaving the kids, most of whom also have HIV, to fend for themselves. We met a small family of 5 (4 kids and their father). The father works as a bicycle mechanic and the oldest daughter (about 6) works as a dishwasher in one of the bigger houses. Their house was about 5 feet hight - we stooping to go inside (not that we all fit). Two of the kids in their family had HIV as did the father. Its heart breaking to see them.

This afternoon we are going to anantapur to visit O'Palush.

I'll write a again when I get a chance. Thanks to everyone who keeps up with us. It helps to know there are people back home reading.

Mike

Posted by Mike Clowe at 2:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Hi Everyone, We are at the Jaipur Airport about to board a plane to Hyderabad, and we just wanted to send out a quick update. This morning we said good-bye to Veer, Belssy and their 10 kids after a little media stint at Veer's school. We all got to pass out report cards to his kids. A journalist was there, and supposedly our pictures will be in the local Beawar paper tomorrow. Whatever we can do to help promote enrollment! :-) It was a rough good-bye, and a few of the boys were in tears (the orphans, not Mike and Eric - haha). It's amazing how attached you can become in such a short time. The bonds formed during playtime, and especially prayer time, definitely overcome any language barriers. We are all excited to see them again on future trips, and to see the fruit of their own ministries in 15-20 years. I have to hurry so we can check our bags... Tomorrow holds a visit to two more orphanages, and we are really excited! A few of us have been sick during the past 2 days, but seem to be better now. Thank you again for all of your prayers and Comments. They mean more than you know. :-)
Love, Allison

Posted by Allison Stockton at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It sure feels like we have been here a lot longer than the 6 days it actually has been.

Yesterday we visited Veer's orphanage and school. He has 8 orphans and a school with 180 students. We brought the kids crickets bats and soccer balls.

Of course after bringing all these toys we just had to play with them. Yep I played my first game of cricket! Once you play it, its really not as incomprehensible as it seems.

Veer's group of orphans are all boys. It was heart warming the way they swarmed (and I do mean swarmed) over the toys we brought. After we played with them for a while, they sang some songs for us and we did a couple of skits. After the skits we prayed for them and veer.

Right before we left all the orphans gathered around and prayed for us. There is nothing quite like having 8 orphans praying aloud simultaneously in hindi for you. You can't tell what they are saying, but i think that just adds to it.

Today we are going to Veer's school to hand out report cards to his kids. Its kind of a little publicity stunt for the school. As i said Veer has 180 kids enrolled at his school right now,. He has been praying for 1000 enrollments this year. Hopefully we can help (in our small way) to make that happen. He says that with 1000 enrollments he could easily support 20 orphans and his family without any uotside help.

Then this afternoon we are driving back to Jaipur where we will be boarding a plane for Hyedrbad. It was 110 degrees in the sun yesterday. I can only imagine how hot it will be further south!

Thanks for you thoughts and prayers.

Mike

Posted by Mike Clowe at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

...we prayed for small school children. In the 90 degree sun, the roof soaked up the heat and they only had access to a fan for one hour per day. That's the little amount of electricity the "slums" of Delhi are allotted.

Unlike the first orphanage we went to yesterday, whose children seemed happy and quite full of joy, these particular school children seemed eerily quiet. It must have been purely a result of where they lived and in what conditions. Although the first orphanage was in a very desolate part of Delhi, with sewage running in open air on the side of the street, this school was in an area that I would have a hard time imagining if you told me to think of what a slum looked like.

In a place like that and with children like these, we did what we felt our hearts to do...we laid hands on them and prayed. Each one of them stood up straight and placed their small hands together and we prayed for God's grace to be on them and for God's love to affect their lives as they grow up. Then after our good-byes and much waving of hands, we walked down the steps carefully ducking our heads under the high voltage power line that hung over the top of the staircase.

Even with all of the poverty we witnessed today, I am grateful and utterly optimistic for the pastor in charge of this school and also the leper colony, Joseph. He had a bright demeanor and an even brighter vision for what he could do. It was a vision that stretched far and would impact very many, but for some reason, I had complete faith that he could do it. He is going to need a lot of help, from both God and us back home.

Well, it's getting late here so I am going to retire to my room. I just want to ask for anybody reading this to lift us up in their prayers. Eric has warned us that it is only going to get more difficult and exhausting (physically and emotionally) in the preceding days. Thanks for all of your support thus far...the personal letters were an immense blessing.

Adam

Posted by Adam Lapp at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I'm not sure what day of the week it is anymore, so I will just number them... We've been posting our blogs from the business center of a neighboring hotel. Right outside the door in the lobby I can see a copper elephant god statue that is draped with flowered leis and illuminated by a single candle. (It definitely one-ups the Sherpa manequin :-) ) This morning we rode 2 hours by bus to Fadirabad where we toured a leper colony of about 900 people. Not everyone there has leprosy; many are family members of lepers that are shunned by society just by association. All of the leper colony buildings are painted Pepto Bismol pink so there is no wondering where the "zone" begins and ends. Joseph, the pastor we visited today, is doing significant ministry in this community, which has to be self-sustaining. We saw the small doctor's office, poultry farm (which is currently empty due to the bird flu), school (there are 300 children living there and just 2 teachers), and meeting hall. We also saw the loom mill where the lepers spin their wool and make beautiful "blankets" (they are more the thickness of table cloths). We basically bought out all of their blankets - our small gesture of support - and we will give these out during the rest of our trip. You might think this is not the best idea in the middle of a 90+ degree springtime, but these items are used as carpets to cover the cement floors in the orphanages, and also as bedding for the children. We were able to sit down with the lepers in the meeting hall and hear about their need for a new water system. They barely have running water now, and people will surely die of dehydration if this huge problem is not fixed before summer. We are bringing back all the facts we have and their proposal.

After touring the leper colony, Joseph brought us into the slums where he runs a school in a room no bigger than a bedroom for about 100 kids. And yes, he pays rent for this space in the middle of a slum... It was shocking to walk through it. There were naked children in the alleys, flies swarming everywhere, random starving dogs, goats and other unidentifiable rodents scattered around. I can't believe his heart for this dark place. He has a goal to start even 2 more schools in this area. Joseph himself was raised until age 5 in a leper colony (his dad had leprosy) before he was taken into an Emmanuel orphanage.

I have to hurry up as my minutes are getting used up... the last thing we did with Joseph was visit a plot of land where he hopes to one day have his own orphanage for 50-60 children. He has a great vision for this land and community; God drew him to the location, and he does not yet even know whether it is up for sale. He is praying for 5-6 million rupies (maybe $125,000?) so that he can get the broker and purchase the land. A normal reaction might be to think that he is off his rocker to think this is possible, but I58 Projects has seen and prayed over empty plots of land that now house buildings, thriving children, and growing churches. Joseph's faith reminds me of something Veer, our friend/pastor/guide said yesterday over breakfast: "If you tell someone your vision and they do not laugh out loud, you are not dreaming big enough." Veer himself has a vision to see his school in Beawar serve 1,000 children next year. As of today, he has signed up 11 students.

I can't wait to see Veer's school and orphanage tomorrow. We are leaving at 6 in the morning and it will take us until about 9 at night to get there by bus. We are stopping at an orphanage in Jaipur along the way. Please continue to pray for us. Thank you for all of the Comments you have posted, and we are so privileged to be here to share the funds you have helped raise with these amazing children! Love, Allison

Posted by Allison Stockton at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

We went to a leper colony today. Its part of Pastor Joseph's ministry. I don't think I've ever seen so many people absolutlely struggling to live. They barely had running water. Like women would stand for half an hour at a dripping faucet to fill a bucket with water. To solve their water problem they need to frill a deeper well, it would be guaranteed for the next 10 years. All it would take is 100,000 rupees or ~2,500 dollars. Its amazing how much of a differnce this (relatively) small amount of money would make to them.

Anyway they support themselves by making sheets and cloth. I bought a couple sheets from them. Beautiful stuff :). As a team I think we bought 105 sheets. We figure we can give them out to the orphangages as we travel around.

There was the most beautiful little girl there. I think the hardest thing I saw was this older lady with leprosy taking care of a perfect beautiful little girl.

On the way back Joseph took us by some of the slums he ministers at. One set of slums run along this narrow track of land that follows a drainage ditch for sewage. The only way the people could wash their clothes was in the sewage water.

We walked through another slum and visited a free scholol Joseph had there. As we left they rang the bell and about 50 kids started to pile into this tiny room.

As we were walking out there was a man with a mongoose doing tricks. It was a little disconcerting to be more interesting to the local kids than the talented mongoose :)

Well I'm off to dinner. Tomorrow we are driving to Biawar to visit Veer's orphange.

Mike

Posted by Mike Clowe at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

There is so much to tell already, and it is only our first day... For all of the obstacles we faced to get here, we've had a miraculously smooth trip this far. Nobody missed their plane, everyone got their luggage (an India trip first, I think). Some of the things I've seen out the bus window so far:

-a man walking his 3 foot tall monkey on a leash
-a four-year-old holding the hand of a three-year-old and running, unsupervised, down the median of a four-lane highway
-the 16 foot barbed wire fence surrounding the opposition party compound
-a husband driving a scooter with his wife side-saddled behind him holding their newborn

We are definitely tired, but feeling well. We went to our first orphanage today in Delhi and had an amazing time playing with the 21 kids. Their newest addition is a baby named Asha (meaning Hope). They got her from the hospital 3 months ago when she was 3 days old. Her young mother wanted to give her up for adoption to a Christian orphanage. She is beautiful, and Abraham and Grace (the director and his wife) enjoyed showing her off. I think Herb held her the most. :-)

While washing dishes I also met Oba, a 24 year old girl who works at the orphanage. She went to bible college and now "wants to help the poor children." Only later in talking with her did I find out that she lost both of her parents in a train crash when she was 16, and grew up in an orphanage herself. Four years ago, Eric met her with the I58 team when they visited Kota. She's praying for her passport so she can spend 6 months in Georgia... it's a small world!

Mat and I had a chance to sit in on an English class for the kids taught by Joy, a University of Michigan grad who has spent 8 months teaching here in Delhi. She said that in the last month, she has lost 3 friends to motorcycle accidents. She also wanted to know who won the Rosebowl, if anyone had won the primaries yet, and whether the US was really entering a recession (in which case, should she pull all of her money out of the bank?).

The children sang a dozen songs for us, and were full of "pep" as my Pappy would say. They danced around, used wide hand motions and shouted at the top of their lungs. Yesterday, many of the kids visited the dentist and had teeth pulled. Others are missing their two front teeth... You should have seen their faces of concentration when trying to deliver the line, "Satan has zero power!" over and over, but they didn't let it slow them down! :-)

Thankfully, we were able to bless this orphanage by purchasing 4-6 months of food and toiletries for them. Mike got to pick out all of this, which included around 1 1/2 tons of rice. Herb also made his own trip around town to collect baby food for little Asha. When the food arrived and was piled inside the orphanage gate, someone pulled me aside and said, "You don't know how much this means to us. We pray every Sunday that somehow food would be found for the kids, even that it would be brought by total strangers. Lately it has been extremely tight, and this is such a great relief."

There are even more stories to tell, but the randomness of those above kind of describe how it has been so far... hit by every different emotion...sensory overload at its best. But this group's been great - we're laughing a lot and are off to a good start. Mat fits right in, too. Keep checking back with us, and thanks for your prayers! Tomorrow we head off to a leper colony three hours away...

Much Love,
Allison

Posted by Allison Stockton at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

the masive appriciation of orphanages when you can buy them 6 months food supply in one visit. the kids that want to touch and smile at you. the massive protection that god has given. pray that we do not forget how much we need him.

what will tomorrow bring? how will He use us?

Posted by Mat Bunnell at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

And no one is sick yet!

We had a wonderful time at the Asha House in Delhi. I can't get over how energetic and happy the kids were. I guess kids are basically the same where ever you go.

At one point, one of the little girls got very sad during one of the prayer sessions. She missed her family terribly. As soon as the other kids saw something was wrong they swarmed around her and told her all sorts of wonderful things. Within an hour she was back on her feet with a smile on her face. It was amazing to me how the kids cared for their adopted brothers and sisters.

There were two other, longer term groups working there when we showed up. It was cool to hear them talk about their experiences and how they ended up here. No one's story is boring :)

Yelp... I'm off - More later if we get a chance.

Posted by Mike Clowe at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I just received a text message from Eric asking me to let everyone know that they have arrived safely!!! They will update us once they get some rest.

Posted by Cliff Rainer at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Finally! After a month's delay and what felt like a million obstacles, we take off for India tomorrow. Coming from four different states, we will meet face-to-face as a team for the first time at an airport gate in Newark, NJ. But not to worry, we will have 14 1/2 hours on our flight to Delhi to bond. :-) Thank you again to all of you for your prayer and financial support. We are so excited, and cannot wait to meet these children, who will no doubt bless our hearts more than we could ever bless them! Check back again soon...

Posted by Allison Stockton at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)