Or is it?

Have you been reading these blogs and said to yourself "That's so cool! How can I be a part of that?" If so, you may already have your answer.

Even as we have been doing the work this trip, my thoughts have already turned to the next one in February. We have been pulling together all of the information and making preparations while we are here. We want to take several teams all over India in the spring and do the same things you have been reading about. So, here's the simple first step. Answer the question...Am I supposed to go? If you answer "yes" or even "maybe", it is simple. email us at: give@i58projects.org. Also, here is my phone number if I can help answer any questions: 352-246-4452. It doesn't obligate you, but it does put you on our list of people who are praying about going. We can help answer any of the questions like "How long would I be gone" or "What do i need to bring?" Maybe we can help answer these questions and make things easier for you to decide.

This will be my last posting from India, but I wanted to say again that I am so thankful for each and every one of you. See you all very soon...

-eric

Posted by Eric Stocton at 8:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We are leaving to come back to the states in about 7 hours. I am sitting in a run down cyber cafe in Mumbai trying to reflect and capture what God has been able to do through our small group of 8 people. I say 8 people because our friend Veer has been with us every step of the journey. He left us early this morning to go back to his family, but before he left we spent some fantastic time in prayer. We talked about God, the trip, orphans, and pastors. One particular story sticks out in my mind...

Apparently, we had a silent 9th member of our team. His name is Thomas. He was our Indian bus driver for the past week. Veer told us that he and Matthew were talking yesterday (they were always talking during the long drives. What they were saying, I did not know at the time) and Thomas was commenting on how different our group was from the other "Americans" that he had driven around. I am paraphrasing Veer's comments "They are different because they don't just talk about things, they go out and do them. They work from sun-up and well into the night. They don't just give some toys to the orphans and leave, but they pray, tell bible stories, and spend their time and money with the children. They are an encouragement to the pastors and these children" Thomas was proud to be a part of our group. At first he was very quiet and did not interact at all, but i think as he saw the heart of God in what we were doing he was drawn to it. We never said anything to him, but we could see him getting closer and closer to the action as we went along. By the time we hit the last orphanage in Tenkasi, he was in the middle of the fray, playing catch with the kids, smiling and laughing out loud. It is a testament.

I don't say these things to compliment our team, (although they certainly deserve it) but rather to glorify the One that has changed our hearts and given us the grace to carry out His mission. I am so grateful to have been given the chance to be a light in this place. By God's grace, the team has been able to go out and:

Purchased computers for the children in several of the orphanages
Bought several thousand pounds of rice and other food
Helped buy 57 pairs of shoes
Bought clothes for the boys and girls
Bought school supplies, textbooks and materials
Bought a cow for an orphange near Angamally (as far as i know, an i58 first :)

In addition, we have given out a lot of financial support to the orphanages who so desperately needed it. These are just a few of the things we have been able to give out as we have visited the kids. We will post the full list when we get back! It is amazing...

Thanks again to our team back home. You might not have been able to make it on this trip, but we knew you were here. The blog was a hit, and we will continue to use it in the future. Without your support and your prayers, we could not have done what we set out to do.

All for the Glory of God who makes it possible.

-eric

Posted by Eric Stocton at 7:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It has been so great to see the children of Angamally again. I recognize many of them. Most of them have all wanted to know when "Jalali and Cliff Uncle" are coming to see them again :) We had a chance to play with the children this morning before they went to school. While they are at school we are shopping for the things they need. We are in between shopping stops and got a chance to write a couple of blog postings before forging on. If you know what it is like to shop in India, you will know what I mean. :)

I sat down with the head of the orphanage and asked him what he needed most. He gave me a list of important items like medicine, beds for the children, rice, food, etc. It was such a great feeling to be able to say "yes, we can help with these things" We checked off the entire list. The man was speechless. He had no words, except these "Jaime ce' ke", which means "Praise the Lord" in Hindi. A couple of guys, including Kevin Taylor from Chester came shopping with us and they bought a washing machine amd related things for the orphanage. It has been great seeing them all. It is such an encouragement to our group to be able to spend time with them. Between our two groups, we have been able to overwhelm them with the love and compassion that Christ calls us to display. It has been a blast.

Tomorrow, we will be going to the lesser travelled orphanages. Something that has been on my heart for a while now. I want to get out into the villages, and see the pastors that have noone to help them. We want to help. We want to come into those places like a whirlwind and meet as many of the needs as we can. Thank you again for all of your help, and your giving these past months. You are the reason we get to do these kinds of things. We are busy capturing the stories, getting updates on what happened this past year, and getting their vision for the future. Once we get back, we will send out a list of the things we bought for the children, and a recap of what we have been able to accomplish with your help. If you could see the look on these childrens' faces, you would know why we do what we do...

In Him,

-eric

Posted by Eric Stocton at 3:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Hey everyone. We are going to be out of touch for a day or so. We are heading out to the orphanage in Angamally tonight. The train is scheduled to run at 11pm, which by IST, (Indian Standard Time) we will be leaving around 4am.

I have searched high and low for an internet cafe that would take a video upload. We have some great pictures and video footage of the kids. We will keep trying...

Talk to you soon,

-eric

Posted by Eric Stocton at 7:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last night I found myself sitting in a small damp room with a giant. I respect this man more than I do most men twice his age. We first met two years ago in the orphanage that he grew up in. He remembers sitting on "Dr. Flint's" knee learning about the black dog and the white dog.
Now he is a pastor in India. (I cannot say where for fear of reprisal) Some of you may know Veer, or at least heard about him. He is small in stature and soft spoken. Honestly, if you looked around a room, he would not be the man you would pick to pastor your church, yet he is one of the bravest and strongest men I know.

He told me a story (one that I had to coax out of him, because he would rather not talk about himself) about what happened to him while teaching the orphans one day a few months ago. He looked out the window when he saw an angry mob of Hindus with sticks coming toward the school. They were threatening him to leave his town.

They said that he would be dragged from the school into the market where they would pour fuel on him and light him on fire. He picked up the phone to call the authorities, but the phone line had been cut. Veer pulled out his cell phone and called 7 of his congregation members to warn them of what was going on.

It was about then that the mob quickly broke through the first of two doors and started destroying the inside of the school. Others took motorcycle fuel and poured it around the building. As they did this, he backed into a school classroom. It was about then that his congregation members came in a side door of the school. They came to stand between Veer and the mob. They said they would not let any harm come to their pastor and that he was a peaceful man. After a short while, the mob lost both their interest and motivation to fulfill their threats and left.

The men appeared to have been very poor and without jobs. They were paid 100 rupies (about $2) by some wealthy men to burn the school and hurt Veer to keep him from coming back and preaching the gospel to the children. When the authorities came, they took Veer to the police station. Veer asked to file a case against his attackers.

Even as I am posting this entry, Veer is telling me that the police will not prosecute them because they are backed by men in power, but he does not care. The police even told him that he did not have any chance at seeng any progress. I asked him why he was seeing this through, and he told me that he did not want to put the children in danger by letting the mob think they can get away with things like this.

I asked him what he was going to do next and he said "I used to be scared of being hurt. I did not want to be beaten, then this happened and things have changed in me. I praise God for this trial, he has used it to teach me to depend on Him in all things, even bad things like this. Now I will not leave this place. I will continue to preach the gospel, and I will continue to have orphanage." I have never felt more compelled to help this man than I do right now.

His story is as true an example to what is happening here as I can find anywhere. Jesus is rescuing His orphan children, showing His grace, teaching His gospel, and using these great men to rescue others like Veer...

Praise the God we serve,

-eric

Posted by Eric Stocton at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Many of you know my infamous distaste for shopping, but there i was in a hot, sticky indian market in deep negotiations for a washing machine. We were a few hundred rupies apart, when the indian shop owner finally surrendered to my superior bargaining skills. It was delivered to the orphanage a couple hours later. We didn't notice though...We had moved on to a courtyard soccer match. It was classic. 12 indian boys in a lot the size of your living room. I kept thinking to myself how much Carlos and Jimmy should be here right now. They would have had a blast. I need team mates...

A couple of days ago i wrote to you about the 57,000 rupie debt that the pastor had for the children. When we got there, the need was much greater. They needed food, medical supplies, and beds for the children. I should also be clear about the washing machine. It is not what you and I would considere a great convenience. It was manual. The kind where you have to turn the crank to spin the clothes. When I asked him why he would want that, he told me he did not want an automatic because the wear and tear would cause it to break down and he would not have the money to repair it. If he just had the manual, he could fix it and it would last longer. The pastor's wife kept trying to hold back her tears. She was so happy. Can you imagine what it would be like to wash clothes for 37 people by hand?

As we were leaving, the pastor came up to me, took my hand and said we were such a blessing to him. Noone comes, not even to a well-travelled place like mumbai. Last year he only had 4-5 groups come (one of them was ours). "They all talk, they say they will help, then they go home and nothing happens. Your team comes and you pray for us, you play with our children, and you give money to support our work here. You don't just talk"

Praise God

-eric

Posted by Eric Stocton at 1:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Even as I am posting this message, I am finding it hard to believe that I am back in India. As i recall the the last 24 hours, things are starting to sink in:

- Eating buttered nan :)
- Standing in rediculously long lines that seem to serve no particular purpose
- 3 legged dogs
- Leaving the US with 2 bags and arriving in Mumbai with 1

Just a few things to dispel any romanticism of the trip. Although we are here for a different reason, it is the little things like this that seem to make it 'real'. One thing I have noticed is that I have been able understand the accents and the culture so much better. I miss people here.

We had dinner with one of the pastors tonight and over the course of the hour he started openning up. One thing i should mention is that the pastors are very reluctant to talk about the difficulties. He wouldn't tell us about the persecution he has endured over these past months until i asked him a direct question. The men visiting in the middle of the day and night to cause him and his family trouble. The beatings. Instead, he wanted to tell me of the fact that he now had 33 orphans to care for, and that he had 160 children in his school. He is proud. I am humbled. We also had to pry out of him that he was in debt for buying the orphans clothes and textbooks for school. The bill is 57,000 Rupies (a little over $1000) and a huge debt for him to overcome. I love this about the pastors here. When they know what needs to be done, they do it. They take a step of faith that God will provide, and they do it. In response to this kind of faith, God DOES provide. I cannot tell you how much fun it will be to hand the pastor the 57,000 rupies tomorrow morning...

Thank you so much for your support of i58. It is your money we are giving him tomorrow. Thank you for your prayers. They are being answered.

-eric

Posted by Eric Stocton at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It is the night before we leave for India, and I can't help but think about the past couple of trips. I stare out the window wondering what God might do this time...

It seems that every time is a different experience with its own set of unbelievable stories. I am already excited, thinking about the lives He will touch and the places He will take us. I think about the kids, and which ones I will get to see again. I think about how God has moved mightily in those childrens' lives.

They amaze me...

As for the details, we are travveling from the west coast of India to the southernmost tip. We will cover 1200 miles reaching more than 800 orphans in a little less than 2 weeks. I want to thank you all for your prayers and encouragement as we have prepared these last few months. We are ready to go. I can't tell you how much i am looking forward to seeing the wonderful things God is doing in India.

-eric

Posted by Eric Stocton at 5:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)