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.