Looking over the posts, I see I missed our last day in India. We started out at IJM, then I met with a trust that is working on bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers in conjunction with organic farming. The work they are doing is very interesting, and they are concentrating on the Dalit community.
Went to Jeeva's training center, tried my hand at stitching...not successfully. John had taught a class in English and continued his one-man medical camp.
After lunch, we went to the new orphanage building, it is about 30 days from completion. Then we got to meet the kids!! These are such special kids, many of them had their journals from 2 years ago when we first met them, with our names and notes. It is such a joy to spend time with them.
Of course, being India, the power went out so we had a romantic, candle-lit evening meal with them. Then many goodbye hugs, and off to the hotel for a few hours of sleep.
Monday, March 5, 2012
And....home.
Well, the trip is complete.
The final 35 hours:
A wake-up call at 3:20 am is just not right!! We did manage to catch at least a few hours of sleep before the call, met our driver at 4 am and off to the airport. One thing about travelling at that time, there is very little traffic till you get close to the airport. Lots of people at the airport, but most must have been on domestic flights, as it was the quickest I have ever gotten through customs and security. Well, that and the fact we were plenty early for our 7:45 am flight.
John and I had our final omelets for breakfast (I think I had an omelet every morning we were there) and settled in to wait for our flight. The 747 was totally full, no empty seats. Once again, our dreams of being upgraded to business class were dashed. Of course, they make you walk through first class and business class to get to the cattle car in the rear of the plane, just to entice you!! Cost for "Economy" tickets: $1600, business class: $5000, first class: around $12,000. Guess we will be in economy for the near future.
The flight to London was just over 10 hours. 10 hours in a plane is a long time. 10 hours, seated 2 rows behind a young child whose only means of communication seems to be a high-pitched, ear piercing SCREAM is a long, LONG time. I did have a partial roll of duct tape in my carry-on, and considered making it a gift to the parents. Super thanks to my children who presented me with a pair of noise-cancelling headphones for Christmas. It reduced the screams to a manageable level.
We were in a holding pattern over London for a while, the result of heavy fog that morning. Had time for a quick fish and chips dinner, a requirement for a London stay. Made the last purchase of the trip, then boarded the plane for the 8 hour flight to Chicago. We both slept a good part of the trip, exhaustion finally taking over. I again thanked my High German genetics for being short, John suffered again with the tight leg room. The flight was more peaceful as well, as "Screams like a Banshee" was not present on this leg of the journey.
We arrived in Chicago, a bit late after a late departure from London, with less than 2 hours till our scheduled departure for Omaha. 2 hours is about the minumum for a transfer in Chicago when coming from overseas. Customs, security, and then a departure gate at the furthest point away combine to make it tight. Add a TSA agent who was in no hurry, upset she had no help and the fact that "new hires get paid more than me and I've been here 10 years", and things get close. We arrived at the gate 5 minutes before scheduled departure. Notice, I said "scheduled" departure.
With all the severe storms in the southeast US, lots of flights were cancelled. Our flight was not cancelled, it just didn't have a crew. We were originally scheduled to depart at 8:45, that was moved back to 9:05, then 9:30. At that point, we were told we were waiting for a flight attendant. Now, this was a "puddle jumper" jet, with ONE flight attendant. I figured I had seen enough safety demonstrations on the trip to show people how to put on their seat belts and could point to the exits, and I can pour someone a can of soda.
Apparently American Eagle has a rule against a passenger doing that.....
Our flight attendant finally arrived, and we took off 2 hours late, but at least we had a flight. Arrived in Omaha just after midnight. Mark Malmberg, Carla and Donna were there to greet us back to Nebraska. We arrived home after 2 am, around 35 hours after that wake-up call.
It was a fruitfull trip. We so appreciate all the work the people in India do to make our trips so smooth, we can only hope that the benefit they receive from us being there outweighs the extra work we cause them. And as usual, we have gained more from the trip than we have given.
I got about 8 hours of sleep last night/this morning, and am now forcing myself to stay awake till at least 10 tonight. That worked on one trip to "cure" jet lag, we'll see how this one works out. I'm guessing I'll know around 3 this morning...
Thank you all for praying for us on this trip and for following these updates. We could not do these trips without your support.
The final 35 hours:
A wake-up call at 3:20 am is just not right!! We did manage to catch at least a few hours of sleep before the call, met our driver at 4 am and off to the airport. One thing about travelling at that time, there is very little traffic till you get close to the airport. Lots of people at the airport, but most must have been on domestic flights, as it was the quickest I have ever gotten through customs and security. Well, that and the fact we were plenty early for our 7:45 am flight.
John and I had our final omelets for breakfast (I think I had an omelet every morning we were there) and settled in to wait for our flight. The 747 was totally full, no empty seats. Once again, our dreams of being upgraded to business class were dashed. Of course, they make you walk through first class and business class to get to the cattle car in the rear of the plane, just to entice you!! Cost for "Economy" tickets: $1600, business class: $5000, first class: around $12,000. Guess we will be in economy for the near future.
The flight to London was just over 10 hours. 10 hours in a plane is a long time. 10 hours, seated 2 rows behind a young child whose only means of communication seems to be a high-pitched, ear piercing SCREAM is a long, LONG time. I did have a partial roll of duct tape in my carry-on, and considered making it a gift to the parents. Super thanks to my children who presented me with a pair of noise-cancelling headphones for Christmas. It reduced the screams to a manageable level.
We were in a holding pattern over London for a while, the result of heavy fog that morning. Had time for a quick fish and chips dinner, a requirement for a London stay. Made the last purchase of the trip, then boarded the plane for the 8 hour flight to Chicago. We both slept a good part of the trip, exhaustion finally taking over. I again thanked my High German genetics for being short, John suffered again with the tight leg room. The flight was more peaceful as well, as "Screams like a Banshee" was not present on this leg of the journey.
We arrived in Chicago, a bit late after a late departure from London, with less than 2 hours till our scheduled departure for Omaha. 2 hours is about the minumum for a transfer in Chicago when coming from overseas. Customs, security, and then a departure gate at the furthest point away combine to make it tight. Add a TSA agent who was in no hurry, upset she had no help and the fact that "new hires get paid more than me and I've been here 10 years", and things get close. We arrived at the gate 5 minutes before scheduled departure. Notice, I said "scheduled" departure.
With all the severe storms in the southeast US, lots of flights were cancelled. Our flight was not cancelled, it just didn't have a crew. We were originally scheduled to depart at 8:45, that was moved back to 9:05, then 9:30. At that point, we were told we were waiting for a flight attendant. Now, this was a "puddle jumper" jet, with ONE flight attendant. I figured I had seen enough safety demonstrations on the trip to show people how to put on their seat belts and could point to the exits, and I can pour someone a can of soda.
Apparently American Eagle has a rule against a passenger doing that.....
Our flight attendant finally arrived, and we took off 2 hours late, but at least we had a flight. Arrived in Omaha just after midnight. Mark Malmberg, Carla and Donna were there to greet us back to Nebraska. We arrived home after 2 am, around 35 hours after that wake-up call.
It was a fruitfull trip. We so appreciate all the work the people in India do to make our trips so smooth, we can only hope that the benefit they receive from us being there outweighs the extra work we cause them. And as usual, we have gained more from the trip than we have given.
I got about 8 hours of sleep last night/this morning, and am now forcing myself to stay awake till at least 10 tonight. That worked on one trip to "cure" jet lag, we'll see how this one works out. I'm guessing I'll know around 3 this morning...
Thank you all for praying for us on this trip and for following these updates. We could not do these trips without your support.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Goodbyes to old and new friends.
Sorry, been gone a while. Lots happening and no energy or time to give you all updates.
Day 11, Sunday
Went to church in the morning, a bit of shopping in the afternoon. Got suckered by a street vendor again...those guys just don't give up. Did get a pretty cool wooden thing for a lot less than his starting price, but he followed me for a half hour. "Please sir, small business". Back to the center for a farewell meal with the interpreters and those who helped with the medical camps. Then got to Skype Grace Community, by the time that was over no energy for updates.
Day 12, Monday
Today was for sightseeing. This is something we have not usually done, we have tended to work till the last minute, then jump on the plane. So today was an official "no work" day. We saw the Mysore Palace, the Palace Hotel, a summer palace, and went to the top of the hill (mountain, really) overlooking Mysore. Then it was back to the hotel for showers and packing up. We made a quick stop at the center for soup, tearful goodbyes, then boarded the busses for the 4 hour trip to the Bangalore airport.
We arrived around midnight, got the Kearney team unloaded, said our goodbyes to our new brothers and sisters, and saw them off. Then back into Bangalore, checked into our hotel around 1 am, bed at 1:45 or so.
Day 13, Tuesday
The morning came quick today!! Started off with breakfast with 2 new people from IJM, then off to a new NGO that we found out about, a fact-finding mission to see if we have the potential to work with them. Among the things they do is to work with the daughters of the Devadassi, who are at large risk for being trafficked. They provide them education, up to a certificate (similar to Jr. College degree) and can get them good jobs. They also have an international program where they bring in kids on opposite sides of a conflict to work on resolution, 20 kids from all around the world. Fascinating stuff.
Then we were off to visit an organic farmer. This guy is known throughout India and really is an expert on organic farming world-wide. And he as honored that John and I came to visit him. He is 78 years old, has a totally self sufficient 4 acre farm. The only thing we had for lunch that wasn't produced on his farm was the salt. He has planted over 500 trees, including teak. Teak trees need to grow for 40 years before harvesting. I'm guessing this guy will be around to get his check (he will turn 100 that year).
He has very strong opinions and beliefs concerning organic farming, and is certainly proving it on his farm. It was a fascinating visit.
On the way back, we stopped at an emu farm. They were unloading a whole bunch of little ones (and by little I mean the size of full-grown chickens). They looked like the raptors in Jurassic Park and a bit like 5 year olds playing soccer. One emu would run over to the NE corner of the cage, then all the others would sprint over there as well, then all off to the SW corner. Pretty funny stuff.
Got back to the hotel, met with a couple of great friends from previous trips, now catching up and planning what I'm gonna teach tomorrow. Only a couple of days left....
Stan
Day 11, Sunday
Went to church in the morning, a bit of shopping in the afternoon. Got suckered by a street vendor again...those guys just don't give up. Did get a pretty cool wooden thing for a lot less than his starting price, but he followed me for a half hour. "Please sir, small business". Back to the center for a farewell meal with the interpreters and those who helped with the medical camps. Then got to Skype Grace Community, by the time that was over no energy for updates.
Day 12, Monday
Today was for sightseeing. This is something we have not usually done, we have tended to work till the last minute, then jump on the plane. So today was an official "no work" day. We saw the Mysore Palace, the Palace Hotel, a summer palace, and went to the top of the hill (mountain, really) overlooking Mysore. Then it was back to the hotel for showers and packing up. We made a quick stop at the center for soup, tearful goodbyes, then boarded the busses for the 4 hour trip to the Bangalore airport.
We arrived around midnight, got the Kearney team unloaded, said our goodbyes to our new brothers and sisters, and saw them off. Then back into Bangalore, checked into our hotel around 1 am, bed at 1:45 or so.
Day 13, Tuesday
The morning came quick today!! Started off with breakfast with 2 new people from IJM, then off to a new NGO that we found out about, a fact-finding mission to see if we have the potential to work with them. Among the things they do is to work with the daughters of the Devadassi, who are at large risk for being trafficked. They provide them education, up to a certificate (similar to Jr. College degree) and can get them good jobs. They also have an international program where they bring in kids on opposite sides of a conflict to work on resolution, 20 kids from all around the world. Fascinating stuff.
Then we were off to visit an organic farmer. This guy is known throughout India and really is an expert on organic farming world-wide. And he as honored that John and I came to visit him. He is 78 years old, has a totally self sufficient 4 acre farm. The only thing we had for lunch that wasn't produced on his farm was the salt. He has planted over 500 trees, including teak. Teak trees need to grow for 40 years before harvesting. I'm guessing this guy will be around to get his check (he will turn 100 that year).
He has very strong opinions and beliefs concerning organic farming, and is certainly proving it on his farm. It was a fascinating visit.
On the way back, we stopped at an emu farm. They were unloading a whole bunch of little ones (and by little I mean the size of full-grown chickens). They looked like the raptors in Jurassic Park and a bit like 5 year olds playing soccer. One emu would run over to the NE corner of the cage, then all the others would sprint over there as well, then all off to the SW corner. Pretty funny stuff.
Got back to the hotel, met with a couple of great friends from previous trips, now catching up and planning what I'm gonna teach tomorrow. Only a couple of days left....
Stan
Saturday, February 25, 2012
What a difference a year makes...
Guest post by Dr. John:
Stan has been doing such a fabulous job keeping you all up to date - he is a wonderful co-worker and teammate. I can't say enough about how much i appreciate him.
We have witnessed some amazing things on this visit to India - especially changes that make it clear God is at work.
Yesterday at the medical camp we saw the little boy we diagnosed with heart disease one year ago. I saw little Akshay last year - a cute little fellow who couldn't play because he'd get so tired and short of breath. We heard a loud heart murmur and we were able to get him referred to a pediatric cardiologist. This year when he came to the medical camp, he was proudly carrying his medical folder with him . He smiled when he saw me and came happily in to see us. I glanced through his chart and read "severe aortic stenosis" a condition in which the aortic valve becomes very stiff and resists blood going through it from the heart out to the body. He had a balloon valvuloplasty - in which a catheter tube is passed from the into the heart and a balloon is inflated to open up the valve. This little one's life was changed (probably saved) by our visit and it was a joy to see this walking miracle.
Last year part of our team also visited a "beggar's colony". We've been told it is illegal in India to beg (yet encounter it in many places). Unfortunately - many who are mentally handicapped are reduced to begging just to survive. There do not seem to be group homes or state hospitals. In Mysore, the police bring these mentally handicapped beggars to a place called the "beggar's colony". Last year we saw people living in a concrete quadrangle - in what seemed like inhumane conditions. They were sitting out in the sun on a cement platform in front of their small square rooms - windows covered with bars. They were dirty, staring off, some rocking as they sat. Many of our team were done in by the sight of their horrible conditions. The church here visits twice a month to bring fruit to these folks and love on them.
We returned this year to visit the colony. I wasn't sure i wanted to go and warned the team of what we saw last year. I couldn't believe the difference! The conditions are still quite poor but seemed vastly improved. This year the men were sitting in the shade on rugs. They were in a large bunch in neat rows (nearly 100 of them). But they looked clean, many of them looked at us, smiled and waved. We saw several working in the many gardens where they grow banana trees, flowers and vegetables. We saw the room where they use spinning wheels to turn coconut fibers into a sort of yarn, then weave it into welcome mats. We met the director of the facility who seemed to genuinely care about these men and his staff seemed to treat them with some dignity and respect. There was a barber who shaved them and combed their hair. We distributed oranges to each of them and the team was shaking hands, smiling, and warmly greeting these precious souls.
Perhaps it was the prayers that last years team offered up for these dear ones. Perhaps it is the ongoing visits and love poured out from Pastor Tim's church. Perhaps this new director has and will continue to make changes for their better conditions. It is probably all of these - the power of compassion to change lives and the world around us. Love really is the strongest power in our world. Please keep praying for us, for those around you and for the people of India.
Stan has been doing such a fabulous job keeping you all up to date - he is a wonderful co-worker and teammate. I can't say enough about how much i appreciate him.
We have witnessed some amazing things on this visit to India - especially changes that make it clear God is at work.
Yesterday at the medical camp we saw the little boy we diagnosed with heart disease one year ago. I saw little Akshay last year - a cute little fellow who couldn't play because he'd get so tired and short of breath. We heard a loud heart murmur and we were able to get him referred to a pediatric cardiologist. This year when he came to the medical camp, he was proudly carrying his medical folder with him . He smiled when he saw me and came happily in to see us. I glanced through his chart and read "severe aortic stenosis" a condition in which the aortic valve becomes very stiff and resists blood going through it from the heart out to the body. He had a balloon valvuloplasty - in which a catheter tube is passed from the into the heart and a balloon is inflated to open up the valve. This little one's life was changed (probably saved) by our visit and it was a joy to see this walking miracle.
Last year part of our team also visited a "beggar's colony". We've been told it is illegal in India to beg (yet encounter it in many places). Unfortunately - many who are mentally handicapped are reduced to begging just to survive. There do not seem to be group homes or state hospitals. In Mysore, the police bring these mentally handicapped beggars to a place called the "beggar's colony". Last year we saw people living in a concrete quadrangle - in what seemed like inhumane conditions. They were sitting out in the sun on a cement platform in front of their small square rooms - windows covered with bars. They were dirty, staring off, some rocking as they sat. Many of our team were done in by the sight of their horrible conditions. The church here visits twice a month to bring fruit to these folks and love on them.
We returned this year to visit the colony. I wasn't sure i wanted to go and warned the team of what we saw last year. I couldn't believe the difference! The conditions are still quite poor but seemed vastly improved. This year the men were sitting in the shade on rugs. They were in a large bunch in neat rows (nearly 100 of them). But they looked clean, many of them looked at us, smiled and waved. We saw several working in the many gardens where they grow banana trees, flowers and vegetables. We saw the room where they use spinning wheels to turn coconut fibers into a sort of yarn, then weave it into welcome mats. We met the director of the facility who seemed to genuinely care about these men and his staff seemed to treat them with some dignity and respect. There was a barber who shaved them and combed their hair. We distributed oranges to each of them and the team was shaking hands, smiling, and warmly greeting these precious souls.
Perhaps it was the prayers that last years team offered up for these dear ones. Perhaps it is the ongoing visits and love poured out from Pastor Tim's church. Perhaps this new director has and will continue to make changes for their better conditions. It is probably all of these - the power of compassion to change lives and the world around us. Love really is the strongest power in our world. Please keep praying for us, for those around you and for the people of India.
A day of work.
No medical camps today, so we sorted the leftovers from the medical camps and the construction crew finished up what projects they could get done.
I stayed around to help at the center. First, I was able to Skype Donna and Brianna and take them on a tour of the center. Then I worked for the boys, Nathaniel's bed needed to be taken apart and moved to his room in the new addition, then Brenny had a new loft bed that needed to be put together. I got Nathaniel's bed taken down, after sending out for an allen wrench needed to get it apart. Got it moved out of his old room and hauled up a narrow flight of stairs to his new room.
Then I took a look at the loft bed. Lots of pieces, NO instructions. OK, I know what I am doing, I can figure this out. Took the pieces up to the room, spread them out. Something is wrong here, this isn't going to work. Talked to Tim, he said "No problem, the guy who sold it to us said he would put it together, he'll be right here, you can help him".
The guy shows up, knows very little English, and I have no interpreter. He looks around, says "more". I think I brought everything up, but head downstairs and, sure enough, there are a whole bunch of more pieces. Lug them up, we start assembling. All the predrilled holes are right, except one. And it is about a hole and a half off. We needed to make a slotted hole out of a round one. It's hard to cut metal with wood bits or masonry bits. We eventually got it to almost work.
Got the bed together, thanked the gentleman, took off. Was tracked down, "you need to help him assemble metal shelving units". Oh, OK, remembered hauling them up early in the day. He may not have thought I knew what I was doing till I grabbed a tape measure to measure the diagonal to check the squareness of the unit. After that, we got along great and got both units put together.
I was also doing John and my laundry at the center. No need for dryers when you have a rooftop laundry line, a nice breeze and 90 degree temps. Haven't had air-dried clothes for a long time. Now, the second load of laundry was whites, you can guess what goes into that load. I couldn't find them, the was empty, there were no whites on the rooftop. Finally found them, hanging on the wall of the front porch, where everybody walks by.
Headed back to the hotel to work on stuff I have coming up next week. Have a full day of Excel teaching, so need to get that put together. Have had emails from the people we are meeting with, so looks like we are lined up for everything.
Tomorrow is chuch and some shopping, Monday sightseeing for the main group, I have separate meetings with Tim and Karla, and with Debra as well. Also need to pick out some kids to sponsor, as someone gave me money to sponsor 2 kids for a school year.
Also, tomorrow night for us, Sunday morning for you, John and I will be Skyping the church, so we are looking forward to that.
Time for dinner, so must close. Thanks for all your prayers, things are going very well.
Stan
I stayed around to help at the center. First, I was able to Skype Donna and Brianna and take them on a tour of the center. Then I worked for the boys, Nathaniel's bed needed to be taken apart and moved to his room in the new addition, then Brenny had a new loft bed that needed to be put together. I got Nathaniel's bed taken down, after sending out for an allen wrench needed to get it apart. Got it moved out of his old room and hauled up a narrow flight of stairs to his new room.
Then I took a look at the loft bed. Lots of pieces, NO instructions. OK, I know what I am doing, I can figure this out. Took the pieces up to the room, spread them out. Something is wrong here, this isn't going to work. Talked to Tim, he said "No problem, the guy who sold it to us said he would put it together, he'll be right here, you can help him".
The guy shows up, knows very little English, and I have no interpreter. He looks around, says "more". I think I brought everything up, but head downstairs and, sure enough, there are a whole bunch of more pieces. Lug them up, we start assembling. All the predrilled holes are right, except one. And it is about a hole and a half off. We needed to make a slotted hole out of a round one. It's hard to cut metal with wood bits or masonry bits. We eventually got it to almost work.
Got the bed together, thanked the gentleman, took off. Was tracked down, "you need to help him assemble metal shelving units". Oh, OK, remembered hauling them up early in the day. He may not have thought I knew what I was doing till I grabbed a tape measure to measure the diagonal to check the squareness of the unit. After that, we got along great and got both units put together.
I was also doing John and my laundry at the center. No need for dryers when you have a rooftop laundry line, a nice breeze and 90 degree temps. Haven't had air-dried clothes for a long time. Now, the second load of laundry was whites, you can guess what goes into that load. I couldn't find them, the was empty, there were no whites on the rooftop. Finally found them, hanging on the wall of the front porch, where everybody walks by.
Headed back to the hotel to work on stuff I have coming up next week. Have a full day of Excel teaching, so need to get that put together. Have had emails from the people we are meeting with, so looks like we are lined up for everything.
Tomorrow is chuch and some shopping, Monday sightseeing for the main group, I have separate meetings with Tim and Karla, and with Debra as well. Also need to pick out some kids to sponsor, as someone gave me money to sponsor 2 kids for a school year.
Also, tomorrow night for us, Sunday morning for you, John and I will be Skyping the church, so we are looking forward to that.
Time for dinner, so must close. Thanks for all your prayers, things are going very well.
Stan
Friday, February 24, 2012
Done with medical camps.
We finished up at the second school today. I requested, and was granted, the help of the two 7th grade girls that helped me yesterday, Radhika and Kavya. It was such a pleasure to work with them, and get to know them a bit.
A lot of the kids had dental referrals, and we were giving them CANDY after they had seen everyone. Not only candy, but Halloween candy. The suckers were fine, but the huge bag also included "Body Parts", things like fingers, feet, brains, eyeballs....we didn't give those out.
We finished up mid-afternoon, then the kids put on a dance presentation for us. Once they got done, school was about to let out so all the kids were in the courtyard. I saw Radhika and Kavya, and wanted to say "goodbye" to them. I was mobbed. It seemed all 400 kids wanted to shake my hand. And people wonder why I keep coming back.
At the camp, we discovered 2 kids that were suffering abuse. A little boy who said his parents just used to beat him with sticks, but now were burning him with a hot knife. He had 5 burn wounds. Today, it was a beautiful young girl who was also being beaten. Both sets of parents will be seen and talked to, and the kids may be put in the crisis center for their own safety.
Since the medical camp got over early, I was able to help with the construction crew, doing some painting on the shelving units they had built. The construction crew had intended to tile all the classrooms at the first school, but because of how it hard and different local construction is, they were only able to complete 2 rooms with the help of professional Indian tilers. At first, the crew was disappointed and discouraged that it would not work out, but they jumped in and assisted the tilers and also tackling a bunch of other needed jobs around the center. They found out today how amazed the Indian tilers were that the foreigners had "served them", by helping haul tiles up to the second floor, mixing cement, etc. That type of thing NEVER happens in India. They will never forget that.
We had dinner tonight with our hosts, got to hear stories of how the center is changing this city, stories of women and children at the crisis center, and their vision for the future. It was an outstanding evening. Tomorrow, we will finish the construction jobs, which I plan to work on, and have some tours of some facilities in the afternoon.
A lot of the kids had dental referrals, and we were giving them CANDY after they had seen everyone. Not only candy, but Halloween candy. The suckers were fine, but the huge bag also included "Body Parts", things like fingers, feet, brains, eyeballs....we didn't give those out.
We finished up mid-afternoon, then the kids put on a dance presentation for us. Once they got done, school was about to let out so all the kids were in the courtyard. I saw Radhika and Kavya, and wanted to say "goodbye" to them. I was mobbed. It seemed all 400 kids wanted to shake my hand. And people wonder why I keep coming back.
At the camp, we discovered 2 kids that were suffering abuse. A little boy who said his parents just used to beat him with sticks, but now were burning him with a hot knife. He had 5 burn wounds. Today, it was a beautiful young girl who was also being beaten. Both sets of parents will be seen and talked to, and the kids may be put in the crisis center for their own safety.
Since the medical camp got over early, I was able to help with the construction crew, doing some painting on the shelving units they had built. The construction crew had intended to tile all the classrooms at the first school, but because of how it hard and different local construction is, they were only able to complete 2 rooms with the help of professional Indian tilers. At first, the crew was disappointed and discouraged that it would not work out, but they jumped in and assisted the tilers and also tackling a bunch of other needed jobs around the center. They found out today how amazed the Indian tilers were that the foreigners had "served them", by helping haul tiles up to the second floor, mixing cement, etc. That type of thing NEVER happens in India. They will never forget that.
We had dinner tonight with our hosts, got to hear stories of how the center is changing this city, stories of women and children at the crisis center, and their vision for the future. It was an outstanding evening. Tomorrow, we will finish the construction jobs, which I plan to work on, and have some tours of some facilities in the afternoon.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
A smooth day.
Today marks the half-way point of this journey. Seems like forever and like just yesterday that we left in the freezing rain.
Full day of medical camp at the second school today. We really rocked, finishing 6 of 9 classes. We will have to pick up those absent today, but should still finish in the early afternoon tomorrow. Part of the reason today went quickly, other than the team working well and a good flow to the system, was that very few parents showed up today. John says that the number of meds prescribed and the number of referrals ordered is in direct proportion to the number of parents present. We had one parent, whose child had been seen earlier in the day yesterday, bring the child back and tell the nurses that "My son forgot to tell you that he has had a stomach ache for the last 2 weeks".
A highlight today was seeing a girl we first saw last year. She has a rare skin disease, and last year she was very downtrodden, no emotion, very detached from the rest of the kids. Today, she was sitting with other girls, talking to them, had a fabulous smile on her face. Such an incredible change from a year ago.
It’s been fun seeing the kids from last year, many of them remember us. Had a couple of 7th standard girls helping me today with making sure kids got to the right places. They helped me last year, one of them wants to be a doctor. Such precious kids!!
Did a little shopping today after medical camp, got 3 of 4 gifts purchased, plus something for the house. Ran herd on about 8 shoppers, the construction crew hadn't returned by the time we left. You haggle price on an item to purchase, get a receipt there. Then you take the receipt to the cashier, then you take your receipt to the packing area. Takes about as long to check out as to shop in the first place.
Watching a little cricket now. Then finish up medical tomorrow.
Stan
Full day of medical camp at the second school today. We really rocked, finishing 6 of 9 classes. We will have to pick up those absent today, but should still finish in the early afternoon tomorrow. Part of the reason today went quickly, other than the team working well and a good flow to the system, was that very few parents showed up today. John says that the number of meds prescribed and the number of referrals ordered is in direct proportion to the number of parents present. We had one parent, whose child had been seen earlier in the day yesterday, bring the child back and tell the nurses that "My son forgot to tell you that he has had a stomach ache for the last 2 weeks".
A highlight today was seeing a girl we first saw last year. She has a rare skin disease, and last year she was very downtrodden, no emotion, very detached from the rest of the kids. Today, she was sitting with other girls, talking to them, had a fabulous smile on her face. Such an incredible change from a year ago.
It’s been fun seeing the kids from last year, many of them remember us. Had a couple of 7th standard girls helping me today with making sure kids got to the right places. They helped me last year, one of them wants to be a doctor. Such precious kids!!
Did a little shopping today after medical camp, got 3 of 4 gifts purchased, plus something for the house. Ran herd on about 8 shoppers, the construction crew hadn't returned by the time we left. You haggle price on an item to purchase, get a receipt there. Then you take the receipt to the cashier, then you take your receipt to the packing area. Takes about as long to check out as to shop in the first place.
Watching a little cricket now. Then finish up medical tomorrow.
Stan
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
One down, one to go.
It was a full day of school physicals today for the medical team and a great day for the construction team. The construction team helped finish 2 classrooms with new tile 6 feet up the walls, and built several bookshelves for the classrooms. They also tiled the floor in an office.
The well is pumping! The complex will now have a reliable source of good water.
We saw around 175 kids yesterday, over 250 today. The team has found its rhythm. The kids, especially the younger kids, are just adorable. Not a lot of emergency cases today, but still quite a few referrals for follow-up care.
The funniest thing that happened today had to do with shoes. The kids all took their shoes off when they came into the auditorium where we were working. And yes, it did get a bit "ripe" in there! Anyways, this one girl came running back into the room, wearing socks but no shoes. She went over to the pile of shoes, looking for what we guessed would be a pair of shoes. After a bit of looking, she took the sock out of a shoe, grabbed one shoe, and took off.
As other kids got their shoes, the pile got smaller and smaller, but it was obvious that there was one more sock than shoes, and there were an odd number of shoes. You don't want to be the last person to look for your shoes in this crowd!! I think they will figure it out, there were only 2 classes involved, so hopefully the poor girl that ended up with only one shoe finds the match.
On Monday, at the village, a TV crew showed up and shot some video. We heard the report was very good. We are hoping to get a copy of the news story, would be interesting to see how it was viewed. As Karla mentioned today, the fact that Muslim people entered a Christian church was a very, very special situation. The mayor has asked the center to please provide more medical camps there, as we had to turn so many people away and there are many, many more in the area.
Tomorrow we head to the other school, the one that sits on property that is 30' x 60' and has over 400 kids. That's a lot of kids per square foot. We will again be doing the camp at Tim's parent's house. We will hopefully finish Friday, maybe Saturday morning if needed. There are plans to visit the beggar's prison and a few other locations Saturday. Then Monday, the Kearney team heads back in the evening, and John and I go to Bangalore for a very full week of activity and meetings.
A huge praise note: John's ankle is doing very well, he has almost no pain. Thanks for you prayers for this, they have been answered!! We had one of the Kearney team down for a couple of days sick, she is back and doing well. At devotions (morning and evening) different people share their life stories, it has been very inspirational to hear those stories and to get to know this team better.
Right now John is helping teach a small group at the center, the rest of us are resting, getting ready for supper and a good nights sleep. Prayer requests are to finish strong with the schools, and to give the kids a touch of how precious they are.
Stan
The well is pumping! The complex will now have a reliable source of good water.
We saw around 175 kids yesterday, over 250 today. The team has found its rhythm. The kids, especially the younger kids, are just adorable. Not a lot of emergency cases today, but still quite a few referrals for follow-up care.
The funniest thing that happened today had to do with shoes. The kids all took their shoes off when they came into the auditorium where we were working. And yes, it did get a bit "ripe" in there! Anyways, this one girl came running back into the room, wearing socks but no shoes. She went over to the pile of shoes, looking for what we guessed would be a pair of shoes. After a bit of looking, she took the sock out of a shoe, grabbed one shoe, and took off.
As other kids got their shoes, the pile got smaller and smaller, but it was obvious that there was one more sock than shoes, and there were an odd number of shoes. You don't want to be the last person to look for your shoes in this crowd!! I think they will figure it out, there were only 2 classes involved, so hopefully the poor girl that ended up with only one shoe finds the match.
On Monday, at the village, a TV crew showed up and shot some video. We heard the report was very good. We are hoping to get a copy of the news story, would be interesting to see how it was viewed. As Karla mentioned today, the fact that Muslim people entered a Christian church was a very, very special situation. The mayor has asked the center to please provide more medical camps there, as we had to turn so many people away and there are many, many more in the area.
Tomorrow we head to the other school, the one that sits on property that is 30' x 60' and has over 400 kids. That's a lot of kids per square foot. We will again be doing the camp at Tim's parent's house. We will hopefully finish Friday, maybe Saturday morning if needed. There are plans to visit the beggar's prison and a few other locations Saturday. Then Monday, the Kearney team heads back in the evening, and John and I go to Bangalore for a very full week of activity and meetings.
A huge praise note: John's ankle is doing very well, he has almost no pain. Thanks for you prayers for this, they have been answered!! We had one of the Kearney team down for a couple of days sick, she is back and doing well. At devotions (morning and evening) different people share their life stories, it has been very inspirational to hear those stories and to get to know this team better.
Right now John is helping teach a small group at the center, the rest of us are resting, getting ready for supper and a good nights sleep. Prayer requests are to finish strong with the schools, and to give the kids a touch of how precious they are.
Stan
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Kids, Construction and a Well.
Today we moved to the school to start doing the school physicals. These are the same kids we saw last year, my good buddy Rodesh came up to see me, he was my "helper" last year with the heights and weights. It was good to see them again. The Kearney team has been such a blessing, showing such compassion and love for the kids. It is truly an honor to be here with them.
I spent the day in the records department, at the check out stand. As each child was seen and finished their exams, I checked to see they had been to all the stations: height and weight, eye exam, medical screen, and pharmacy. Those that needed follow-up were given a letter to their parents, and we recorded their names in a ledger. Quite a few of them are going to be seen tomorrow at a local hospital for various ailments.
It was also great to see the kid's shoes. Last year, after seeing so many shoes the wrong size, totally broken out, obviously handed down to many kids, Katie decided to raise money to provide shoes for the kids. Because of her work, and the help of many friends of TEAM India, every kid got 2 new pairs of shoes at the beginning of the school year. Now, that was quite a few months ago, and they are showing wear, but it was great to see!
A couple of other projects going on: the tiling of the classrooms has not gone according to plan. The walls have many, many years of paint on them, a hard, enamel paint. The paint is harder than the concrete walls underneath. In order to get the tiles to hold, the paint must be chiseled out with tools, then a coat of mud applied, then the tiles applied. There has been a professional tiling team on hand, they have been doing the tile application, the Kearney construction team have served as their assistants, doing all the back-breaking work of mixing the cement (by hand), carrying it up to the second story, hauling tiles up to the rooms, etc. Brutal work, but these guys have been warriors at it.
Some of the other members of the construction crew have been building bookcases, units for holding book bags, lunches, etc. They are all working very hard in hot conditions to get things done. It looks like they will only get 2 classrooms finished, but they have certainly helped the center a huge amount.
Another item that got done was the well. TEAM India provided funds for the center to dig its own well, so it was not dependent on city water (which can be sporadic). The well drillers came yesterday, had to break down part of the wall surrounding the center to get the drilling truck in, cut through 60 feet of solid rock, then hit water. They continued down to 230 feet to give adequate cushion. Today the well head was constructed, tomorrow they should start pumping.
Tomorrow, finish up at this school, tear down and set up at the other school. Goodnight for now.
Stan
I spent the day in the records department, at the check out stand. As each child was seen and finished their exams, I checked to see they had been to all the stations: height and weight, eye exam, medical screen, and pharmacy. Those that needed follow-up were given a letter to their parents, and we recorded their names in a ledger. Quite a few of them are going to be seen tomorrow at a local hospital for various ailments.
It was also great to see the kid's shoes. Last year, after seeing so many shoes the wrong size, totally broken out, obviously handed down to many kids, Katie decided to raise money to provide shoes for the kids. Because of her work, and the help of many friends of TEAM India, every kid got 2 new pairs of shoes at the beginning of the school year. Now, that was quite a few months ago, and they are showing wear, but it was great to see!
A couple of other projects going on: the tiling of the classrooms has not gone according to plan. The walls have many, many years of paint on them, a hard, enamel paint. The paint is harder than the concrete walls underneath. In order to get the tiles to hold, the paint must be chiseled out with tools, then a coat of mud applied, then the tiles applied. There has been a professional tiling team on hand, they have been doing the tile application, the Kearney construction team have served as their assistants, doing all the back-breaking work of mixing the cement (by hand), carrying it up to the second story, hauling tiles up to the rooms, etc. Brutal work, but these guys have been warriors at it.
Some of the other members of the construction crew have been building bookcases, units for holding book bags, lunches, etc. They are all working very hard in hot conditions to get things done. It looks like they will only get 2 classrooms finished, but they have certainly helped the center a huge amount.
Another item that got done was the well. TEAM India provided funds for the center to dig its own well, so it was not dependent on city water (which can be sporadic). The well drillers came yesterday, had to break down part of the wall surrounding the center to get the drilling truck in, cut through 60 feet of solid rock, then hit water. They continued down to 230 feet to give adequate cushion. Today the well head was constructed, tomorrow they should start pumping.
Tomorrow, finish up at this school, tear down and set up at the other school. Goodnight for now.
Stan
Monday, February 20, 2012
Let's do a medical camp.
Sorry about the delay in posting, we had a few days of no internet service and some long days. To catch you up quickly, our flight from Delhi to Bangalore was scheduled for 8:45 pm, took off at 12:30 am.
Now, this would not be a problem IF we weren't meeting the rest of the team in Bangalore. We were to arrive 2 hours before them, our best case scenario now was to arrive 2 hours after them, making 19 people wait for us. About that time we got a call from the Kearney team, they had experienced a delay and would arrive late as well, actually arriving an hour after us.
It did put us late arriving in Mysore, so we missed the church service, but headed out for orientation. Most of us had been up or traveling for around 36 hours at this point, so not sure we got much out of the meeting.
Monday morning was supposed to be the first day of school physicals. That would have occurred, IF there had been school, but it was a national holiday. Therefore, it was decided last week to put on a medical camp in a village nearby. This village is predominately Muslim, and was an outreach for a new church planted there.
We had no idea how many to expect, it could be 5 or 150. When we got there, we started right up with people seeing the medical staff. It was a mix of Hindu and Muslim, lots of kids and their moms, whole families, mostly women but quite a few men.
One of the girls we saw had her whole family come into the exam booth with her (Dad, Mom(s), sister). Their complaint: their 14 year old girl was getting "too big" in a couple of areas, and they were concerned that she would not find a husband....and also, they did not let her wear glasses, because, again, that would make her look ugly and she would not get a husband. This girl was absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous. Stunning. But her value was only in getting a rich husband to take care of her. One of the saddest stories of the day.
As "doorkeeper", I got to meet all the people. Very few spoke English, but they were so grateful for what we were doing for them. As is my habit, especially with the younger girls, I tried to pronounce their names. And I did try, usually butchering it the first couple of times (once you get beyond 4 syllables I can't remember anymore), but eventually getting it, especially if I cheated and looked at their registration card. And usually a comment, such as how pretty there were or how pretty their dress was. You could sense how little of this they normally received. Big smiles!!
The camp was supposed to run from 10 am till 1 pm, so we had time to tear down and set up at the school for tomorrow. At about 12:30, after 2 1/2 hours of non-stop work by 5 medical people, we still had well over 100 patients standing outside. We went into warp speed with the medical people, shut down registration, and told people coming that we would not be able to see them. We finally got the last patients out after 3:00.
The registration sheet totaled 1,030 names.
We didn't see 1,030 people, many obviously left before being seen, but that is how many showed up. In an area that this had never been done before. For a bunch of Christians serving Muslims and Hindus. Because someone would greet them, listen to them, try to help them, even if only a little. We were His hands and feet, and those hands touched a lot of people today.
Tomorrow we begin the school physicals. These are the same kids we saw last year, and I'm excited to see them again. Several of the kids have been asking the school leaders if "the big doctor" is coming back. John does leave an impression!!!
Till tomorrow...
Stan
Now, this would not be a problem IF we weren't meeting the rest of the team in Bangalore. We were to arrive 2 hours before them, our best case scenario now was to arrive 2 hours after them, making 19 people wait for us. About that time we got a call from the Kearney team, they had experienced a delay and would arrive late as well, actually arriving an hour after us.
It did put us late arriving in Mysore, so we missed the church service, but headed out for orientation. Most of us had been up or traveling for around 36 hours at this point, so not sure we got much out of the meeting.
Monday morning was supposed to be the first day of school physicals. That would have occurred, IF there had been school, but it was a national holiday. Therefore, it was decided last week to put on a medical camp in a village nearby. This village is predominately Muslim, and was an outreach for a new church planted there.
We had no idea how many to expect, it could be 5 or 150. When we got there, we started right up with people seeing the medical staff. It was a mix of Hindu and Muslim, lots of kids and their moms, whole families, mostly women but quite a few men.
One of the girls we saw had her whole family come into the exam booth with her (Dad, Mom(s), sister). Their complaint: their 14 year old girl was getting "too big" in a couple of areas, and they were concerned that she would not find a husband....and also, they did not let her wear glasses, because, again, that would make her look ugly and she would not get a husband. This girl was absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous. Stunning. But her value was only in getting a rich husband to take care of her. One of the saddest stories of the day.
As "doorkeeper", I got to meet all the people. Very few spoke English, but they were so grateful for what we were doing for them. As is my habit, especially with the younger girls, I tried to pronounce their names. And I did try, usually butchering it the first couple of times (once you get beyond 4 syllables I can't remember anymore), but eventually getting it, especially if I cheated and looked at their registration card. And usually a comment, such as how pretty there were or how pretty their dress was. You could sense how little of this they normally received. Big smiles!!
The camp was supposed to run from 10 am till 1 pm, so we had time to tear down and set up at the school for tomorrow. At about 12:30, after 2 1/2 hours of non-stop work by 5 medical people, we still had well over 100 patients standing outside. We went into warp speed with the medical people, shut down registration, and told people coming that we would not be able to see them. We finally got the last patients out after 3:00.
The registration sheet totaled 1,030 names.
We didn't see 1,030 people, many obviously left before being seen, but that is how many showed up. In an area that this had never been done before. For a bunch of Christians serving Muslims and Hindus. Because someone would greet them, listen to them, try to help them, even if only a little. We were His hands and feet, and those hands touched a lot of people today.
Tomorrow we begin the school physicals. These are the same kids we saw last year, and I'm excited to see them again. Several of the kids have been asking the school leaders if "the big doctor" is coming back. John does leave an impression!!!
Till tomorrow...
Stan
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
2012 trip
1 week from right now, John and I will be somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on a 14 hour flight from Chicago to New Delhi. We will be meeting 19 new friends to continue the work we began a year ago. We invite you to come along with us and experience our time there.
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