Vaccinations and New Years Eve!

This morning we had to load Moriah in the jeep again so we could go to the doctors office. She was scheduled for more vaccinations and a weight check. I had the first appointment of the day which is good because if you have later appointments you have to wait a long time as people come in without appointments as well. I got a little worried when we were stuck in stopped traffic. I was not sure what the problem was. Finally when we started moving, I realized the main road to the hospital was closed and this was the reason for the delay. We had to take a detour through a marketplace. I had not been down this road before and was very intrigued by the sights and sounds. There were many huts made out of plastic tarp under a bridge. There were so many people walking and selling items. Although I have been here for several months now, I will never get used to seeing such poverty. It is never ending. When we finally got to the doctors office we were only 15 minutes late which was pretty impressive I thought. The nurses were all panicked and telling me I needed to hurry but there was no one else in the office yet so I do not know why they panicked:) The doctor asked if there was a traffic problem because she has so many people scheduled for 10:30 and no one had come yet. I told her about the road being closed and the detour. Traffic is always like this though so I wonder why anyone is suprised.
The doctor said Moriah is 5.8 kgs which is about 13 pounds! She is a big girl alright. The doctor was impressed that Moriah is growing well and developing well. She gave Moriah two shots in the legs. Moriah did not cry very much because she had just woke up and did not really realize what happened until it was over. She did sleep a lot the rest of the day though.
Tonight is New Years Eve and the churches usually have a late night service. The one we are going to is at 10:30 pm and should be over between 2 and 3 am. I am probably not going to take Moriah since she is already traumatized by her docs appointment today. Rob is supposed to preach so that should be good. I am continually amazed by the fact that Indian people never sleep. They have services in the middle of the night and early in the morning. I hear people moving outside all night long. I do not know how they do it. This morning I had three different visitors before 8 am! They used to come as early as 6 but then they realized we dont get up that early and have started postponing their visits until 7:30 or 8:) It is an interesting world we live in:)

Priscilla

On Friday, Rob and Ernie went to a funeral for a woman named Priscilla. Priscilla had worked for the mission for over thirty years. She helped cook for Marion Damon who coincidentilly also passed away this week. The service occured the same day of her death as they often do in India. There is no way for people to preserve the bodies so they have funerals very quickly. Rob said it was a nice service and that she must have been a great lady. I did not go because it is not kosher for a new baby to go to a funeral. There are many things that I am not supposed to do as a new mother here but I try to choose my battles.
Saturday we relaxed a bit more. I spent a lot of time reading a book about the plight of women in India. I have not really learned anything by reading the book because I am observing the evils daily. The life of a woman in India is horrendous. I know this opinion would make some people very angry and they would think that I am judging another culture unfairly but I cannot rationalize the way women are treated. Just this week I heard of another woman who committed suicide because she suffered a third misscarriage. She was twenty four and ashamed that she had not been able to bear children. She had tried unsuccessfully for 4 years and the current pregnancies of her two younger sisters made her even more ashamed. I heard last week of another woman who set herself on fire. This is a common way to commit suicide for women in India. To Hindus there is something ceremonial about fire. This is also a common way that women are murdered by their husbands if they are not able to bring all the dowry that is promised or that the husbands families expect. These fires are difficult to investigate and it is hard to bring justice to the situation. There are many examples of the evils women here endure and someday I will write a very thorough critique but at this point all I can do is observe and pray.

Internet Slump

The internet has been down the last couple of days. Someone digging on the road outside cut the phone line... This is India. Well, we are back up and running now. Christmas day was very busy. We had a 6 am service at Mambalam. The church was packed full for Christmas day service and it was very nice. Rob preached and Immanuel translated. Moriah slept most of the service and seemed happy. They wanted us to sing a special song... they just have not understood that Rob and I are not musicians despite our name:) We sang Hark the Herald Angels Sing. We realized that their style of singing is so different they would have never known we were way off key:)
We had a little rest before lunch. Then Ernie took us to a nice hotel for Christmas lunch. They had a nice buffet with some western style foods. It was nice to relax and fellowship. It was a little escape from the Indian lifestyle. Rob went to the restroom and when he came back he said I should just go in there and check it out. He said it was like going home:) It was also entertaining that they had two Indian men singing and playing the guitar. They sang Margaritaville and Hotel California. Rob and I could not stop laughing.
In the evening we went out to a village church about an hour and a half away. We just foloowed the long line of cows and water buffalo:) They were having a childrens program. We understood that we were just supposed to come watch so we did not bring a translator. When we got there they asked if Rob would bring "God's Word". Rob tried to explain that we did not have a translator but they still called on him to preach in the middle of the service! He got up there and had no idea what he was going to do. The pastor tried to translate but only got through about one sentence. He then had his wife try. SHe did an amazing job. Rob also had a young girl come up and he told the story through motions. He would do a motion and the girl would imitate it. It really worked very well. The program was outside because there was not enough room in the church. People from all over the village came to watch. The children did beautiful dances and skits. It really was a great event. By the time the service was over there were so many people that just stopped to watch. They were sitting on the dirt road and crowded in. I pray that God continues to use the church to draw people to a relationship with the Lord.
We got home around 10 pm and were pretty exhausted. We went to bed and rested most of the next day as well. We did receive a package from my parents with gifts for Moriah and some snacks. That is always exciting:)

Merry Christmas

It has been a whirlwind of a holiday season. The last couple of days I was here at the mission attending several functions and Rob went South to visit some of the churches and pastors down there. I was blessed to be able to hand out gifts to all the orphanage children who live next door. They were so happy. They swarmed Moriah as well and all wanted to see her. One little girl in paticular always is watching me from a far and she came up and gave me a hug which was very sweet. I love the children and hope that in the future I can do more with them.
We also had one of the slum churches come to the mission to celebrate Christmas on Sunday. It was nice for them to have a small field to play games in and a break from slum life. We all shared a meal and rejoiced together. The children had a great time after luch when the monkeys came to visit. The monkeys were playing on the roof of the fellowhip hall and the children were throwing bananas to them. Needless to say I think the monkeys are going to have a belly ache from all of the bananas and the children will have another great memory.
On Christmas Eve we spent some time resting and visiting with mission staff. It was a quiet day gearing up for all the activities of Christmas.

Christmas Fun

We had our staff Christmas party today. We had a wonderful time playing games, eating together, opening gifts, and celebrating God's love. The kids were all dressed in new clothes and looked so nice. They were able to buy new Christmas dresses with Christmas bonus money. The kids also did a couple of dances for us and that was so neat. I cried a little... not sure why but thats okay. Moriah won one of the games we played:) She was carried by Rosemary in order to participate. She also had a beautiful dress on that Rosemary and Raja bought her. It is not very practical but it is cute:) Rani bought Moriah a blow up bear that is cute. Moriah just watches it and laughs. We had pictures of the kids printed and gave them to the families. They were very excited about this. They do not own cameras or have money to have pics developed so it is a real treat to receive pics. This is another luxury I always took for granted. It never occured to me that people would not be able to afford pics of their kids. We have albums and albums of pictures.

I also wore a sari for the first time. It is a little awkward at first but it worked out okay. It was worth it to see the ladies so excited. They love that I am trying to be more "Indian." They put a flower in my hair and gave me bangles to borrow on my wrists.

Rani came up to my apartment today with her daughter and granddaughter, Ruby. Ruby was born three months before Moriah. She has got the most hair I have ever seen on a little one. Rani was really encouraging me today that God has a plan for Moriah because He wanted her born in India. We had a really good time fellowshipping.

Now I am waiting for more carolers to come... It could be a late night!:)

Wrapping Gifts

Tommorow is the staff Christmas party so we have been wrapping gifts for the kids of the mission staff. The staff members would not be able to provide any gifts for their children without some help so at the party we give a little bonus to the parents and a gift for each child. I also tried to pull off stockings this year so the kids could have some little necessary things like pencils and stuff.... I had to sew the stockings and could not get them all done so we just put the little things in there packages. I am so happy about this. It makes it a lot of fun to be able to give gifts to these kids who have so little. The circumstances of the staff are improving little by little and I have hope that eventually the families will be more secure and healthy. I also wrapped a sari to give away as a prize to a Bible Quiz. That will be fun.
The last couple of days have been pretty quiet because of the rains. Everything kind of stops when it rains here because the road are pretty much just mud and the rain is horrendous.

247 letters

Today was my second day of Tamil lessons with Rani as my teacher. She is a very good teacher. She says that we have to start slow and lay a good foundation. I agree with that. I also learned that there are 247 letters in the alphabet... Go figure. I am very overwhelmed by this but also confident that learning the language is possible as long as I am willing to work hard at it. I have worked on learning 9 of the main letters. Once I get the basic letters down the others are supposed to be easy... Although Ernie argued with Rani today and said there is no way this language could ever be easy. It sure sounds like it is going to be an interesting journey anyway.
We also recieved several donations from the States and New Zealand which we are very encouraged by. We received a donations for orphans, and Bihar. We also received a general donation and a donation to build a parsonage. We are so thrilled to be able to share these blessings. The needs here are endless so every donation is helpful. We also have several people donating on an ongoing basis for pastors salaries and so forth. On days where we are very homesick it is good to receive support from the States and to know that people care and are praying with us!
It also rained cats and dogs today. Overall the monsoon season has not provided the necessary rains for the year so it is good to have rain but it is also hard to function in these dramatic down pours. Many of the people who live in thatched huts and on the streets suffer during these rains. Even our staff people have to fight to keep the water out of their homes. So the rain is a bitter sweet thing around here. It is necessary but also troublesome. I have included a video of the staff people dealing with the water problem!

Moriah's First Train Trip

This weekend we went on a long trip to a city called Gobi which is down south of us. We took a train for about six hours and then had an hour jeep ride to our hotel. Moriah did really well. The train was soothing to her and caused her to sleep most of the way. She did not sleep well at night becuase of it but that is okay. We went with several pastors, church leaders, and the other missionaries of course. It was nice to spend the weekend with the pastors and leaders so that we can get to know them better and form relationships.

The church was very nice. The actual church members did most of the work on the building which was a great testimony to the people of the church. This way they have ownership of their building and they care for the maintanence of it. They also built a small parsonage for the pastor. It was also nice for the family. The pastors wife was very nice to me and helpful. She showed me where I could feed Moriah when she got fussy and helped me meet the other believers. She appears to be a great partner in ministry for Peter, the pastor there.

I also learned that staying at a hotel in India is not like staying at one in the states. The water is cold. There were no sheets on the bed. Cleanliness was not the greatest. You also have to bring your own drinking water and water for brushing your teeth. I guess our hotel was pretty nice but I was still a little suspect. It did serve its purpose though and we were able to rest and clean up. This experience gives me a new perspective on what is really necessary when traveling. I realize that there are many things we can do with out.

Overall it was a nice weekend. I enjoyed the town we visited and the people at the church. I am excited to see God move in these different areas and towns. India is so diverse and it is amazing to see how God is worshipped in each setting.

Christmas Parties

Today we were invited to a Christmas party for the women of one of the larger churches nearby. We had a really good time celebrating with the ladies. They were so happy to have all of us there and they were really happy to see Moriah. There was a short message and some prayer but the majority of the time was spent in fellowship. We played games and ate lunch. I enjoy these kinds of days because they give me an opportunity to meet with women and learn about their culture and life. I am the only woman on the actual mission team so I get lonely for female friends sometimes. Lately I have been able to spend more time with wives of the mission workers but this was still special to me. We played hot potato which seems to be a popular party game here. They tried to explain it to me. The lady told me to sit by her and showed me the ball. Then she said, "You hold ball, you out." I was pretty sure what we were up to then:) We also played a game where you try to light as many candles as you can before the match gets to short and burns your fingers. I thought I did pretty good but I ended up getting beat by just about everyone! Rob tied me though. We also "stuck the eye on the elephant" and played a ring toss game. The ladies were so happy and it was good to see. They bought Moriah an outfit for Christmas and gave me a saree for Christmas. I thought this was very sweet of everyone. I just wish they did not feel like they had to gift us. I would like to be the one giving to them... I guess this is how you learn humility.
We also had two more sets of carolers tonight. When they come to carol they bring a keyboard and drums and go all out. We serve coffee and a treat. This is also a way the churches raise money so that is why it is more like a personal concert than just a song at your door. They also gave us a calendar for the next year... It is in Tamil but I am going to write in the English so we can still use it. At the end of the second group of carolers two different ladies came and gave me a big hug. This really blessed me because in India they do not seem to hug very often. There is not a lot of physical displays of affection. You can imagine that it would be a weird transition from working in a church where we were hugged at every service and then to move to a country where there are no hugs. Tonight was the first time I had received a hug from anyone outside of my family since I moved here. It was a real blessing. Also the first group of carolers sang in English and also helped alleviate any homesickness. Overall it was a good day but tiring. We are ready for a good nights sleep:)

Lots of Visitors

We have had many visitors the last couple of days. It is always a blessing when people come to visit and share their lives with us. Raja and Rosemary came to give Moriah a beautiful dress and pray for her. It is so sweet that they do this for us. It makes me a little uncomfortable that they spend the little money they have on a dress for Moriah but I know they wanted to do this. Rosemary loves to hold Moriah. She is the mother of two young boys and she keeps telling me that she didn't have any girls so she likes to spoil Moriah. Also Rachel is the sister of our driver Thambu. She is a beautician and best friends with a Hindu seamstress. She has realized that I have not had much success shopping for Indian clothing and decided it would be easier to bring her seamstress friend Shanti over to tailor my clothes. Wow, what a blessing for me. Now I have clothes that acctually fit me correctly and look very nice. This also gives us a continued opportunity to share Christ with Shanti.
We had a visit from Malachi Jacobs as well today. He is connected with some family ministries and is helping us to connect with these. This is a continued need for the pastors families. We are grateful to be making some headway in these areas. He also brought a gift for Moriah. He brought her a feeding set with a sippy cup and even a baby spoon... Since Indians do not eat with silverwear I thought that this was a funny gift. I think that we will have to teach Moriah to use eating utensils because it will be awkward when we go back to the states if she does not know what a spoon is...
I must also make a clarification about a previous blog... I said that Amma head never seen a band aid before... Well there are in fact band aids in India and the are very cheap. However, these families make so little that even a cheap band aid is hard to afford. Also, since they rarely get medical care they would not know about band aids. So the point is basic first aid items are available and very inexpensively in my mind. But for families who only make 30 dollars a month it is difficult even to spend 50 cents on a luxury like a band aid.

Night Watch

Here at the mission we have a night watchman named Thomas. He comes and sleeps on the front porch to keep an eye on things throughout the night. He is in his nineties and mostly deaf and mostly blind. He has worked with the mission most of his life. He is an incredible man with a wonderful heart for God. We do not really need a night watchman at the mission, escpecially one who can hardly see or hear... yet he is such a blessing. He decided this week to retire because he is getting so old and is not well. He asked if he could come to live at the mission until he dies. We told him it would be better for him to be with his family for this. We will not hire another watchman because it really is not necessary. We have many of these people on staff in order to provide an income and stability for them. We will continue to help Thomas financially. After he turned in his resignation we prayed for him and as he left the building he prayed a blessing on Moriah. He truly loves her dearly. He prayed very hard for her safe delivery.

We also had two baptisms done at the mission. One of the pastors named Immanuel Ragu used our baptismal and invited us to pray for the people being baptised. He said both are converts from Hinduism. They came to know the Lord through the ministry of the church. Immanuel Ragu said that he is also arranging for them to be married to each other next year. Since they have converted from Hinduism it is difficult for their marriages to be arranged by their families because their families are Hindu so Pastor Ragu will arrange for them to be married to each other.

Another interesting fact... I was taking care of Moriah up in the apartment and the door bell rang. I went to get it and it was Amma (grandmother), the grandma of the children who live below us. She had cut her hand cleaning and it was bleeding. She was very distraught. She doesnt speak any English so I just tried to be very gentle and clean it for her. I used one of Moriah's clean cloth diapers to wrap it until the bleeding stopped. Then I put some neosporin on it. She was very scared of the neosporin. I tried to tell her it would not hurt and that it would kill the germs but she was still scared. Once I applied it though she looked very relieved. I also put a band aid over it. I do not think she had ever seen a band aid before. They just do not use them here. They would cost money... So all of this just reminds me of all things from the states I took for granted. I had easy access to any first aid items I needed. I had a doctor who could always caare for me. I never imagined people who never saw a band aid...

Church

We went to church this morning on the outskirts of town. It was a small cement building with a thatched roof. It was a very small church building but soon was filled with lots of children. There were a lot of ladies and a couple of men but mostly children. It was also fun to see a couple of other moms with their little babies. The children seemed to come without their families. I think that many were from Hindu families and they just came because the pastor and families care for them. The teenage girls love to see Moriah in particular. Rob preached and the service went very well. I enjoyed meeting these people and learning about their ministry.
Afterwards we went to a Arul's house because he wanted to dedicate the new room he added on. They dedicate everything to the Lord... everything. I thought it was just supposed to be a couple of people but it ended up being quite a crowd. Arul is a neat man. He is in his 70s and has been involved with the mission since he was a kid. He is able to give us a lot of history and information. He also speaks very good English and is able to understand our western ways pretty well. After the dedication we had lunch. Lunch was pretty good. I am getting used to eating rice at every meal and eating it with my hands:) They also had a corn potato mixture that was pretty good and he even served ice cream at the end. I definately enjoyed it. Speaking of food. Everyone should know that Rob gets teased a lot for his eating habits. They have learned that he doesnt eat breakfast but that he does walk down the road to a little store and get pepsi or coke every day. (THere is no Mt. Dew) Rani, one of the ladies is always teasing Rob about not eating and that he is only drinking coke. They drink a lot of coffee but not cold drinks. I cant figure that out. It is so hot here and they drink coffee or tea every other hour but they think if you drink something cold that you will get sick... Interesting.

More Answered Prayers

Yesaw has been released from the hospital and now is recovering at home from his motorbike accident a couple of weeks ago. I have included a pic of when he was in the hospital. Raja is his son standing next to the bed. Raja brought the exrays for us to see today and it looked horrid. His upper arm was broken completely in two. They put a large metal plate in to keep it together. He also broke his finger in two. We were able to help pay for his medical bills through relief funds which were sent. So we are rejoicing in God's provision. Also Jansi is feeling better after a complicated delivery and complications in recovery. She was released from the hospital today. We are also raising relief money to help their medical bills. We also received money from the Youth in Ohio to send Bibles to Paul Sunder in Bihar so that is exciting as well. We love to see God move and it is so apparent that He is moving in powerful ways among us. Rob also has gotten a go ahead on teaching English at the University which will broaden our ministry again. We are looking into other ways to teach english. English is a valuable skill which will get a person a much better paying job!

Jesus wore a purple dress???

Today there was a big Christmas celebration for a large group of churches. The kids were putting on a nativity play and Moriah got to be Jesus... She had on a purple dress so it looked kind of funny but it was fun. She is a star what can I say:) We had a great time celebrating with the people and Moriah continues to bring big smiles.

Kirubakkaran came to visit again today. He is the one that saves the babies from child sacrifice. He saved four more babies this month. He hears from his believers that a child has been declared a curse and must be sacrificed to a Hindu God named Koli. When Kirubakkaran get this news he goes to the family and tries to convince them to give the baby to him instead of killing the baby. Child infanticide is a major problem in our area of India. Particulary girls are killed at birth because families cannot afford to care for a girl and pay her dowry when she gets old enough. Plus Hindus believe the son plays a part in their "salvation." Anyways, I asked Kirubakkaran how he gets the money to care for these little ones. He smiled and said by faith. He has saved over fifty children now and has 22 in his care at this time. He has a dream to have an orphanage for a thousand children. We are praying about how we can make that happen. I have included a pic of one of the babies saved this month. Kirubakkaran has a heart of gold and sacrifices so much for these children. He is also sick right now and needs surgery. He has waited 4 months for the surgery because he did not have the money. We have had a donation from New Zealand and this will pay for the surgery. He should have it next week. I cannot fathom the kind of sacrifices this man makes for the children that are at such risk.

More Pothys

We spent yesterday packing all of the 102 outfits we bought for the children and organizing them. We also realized that our last pile of seven shorts didnt make it into our bage so we had to head back to Pothy's for 7 more pairs of shorts for the boys. Silly of me to think that buying 7 shorts would take less time. Rani, Grace, and Rosemary came along also and we ended up doing a little Christmas shopping as well. Rani wanted to buy dresses for her granddaughters and I bought a dress for my neice and my other "daughter" Laura. We also looked at materials for clothes and things. The ladies had a lot of fun. As we were standing outside waiting for Raja to pick us up, some one must have dumped gallons and gallons of water off the building. It looked like it started raining but just over us. I couldnt believe that they just dumped water out the window on a crowd of people! I jumped for cover pretty quickly but Rani was not as lucky. I just dont want to know what was in the water...
Anyways, Rob also had a day long meeting about education needs for the pastors. We are trying to figure out the best way to develop leaders here. A major obstacle is that there are very few resources in Tamil. There is also still a huge need for family counseling. These families have major issues to deal with. They have had their marriages arranged and the format of Indian families is complicated. It will be difficult for an American to effectively connect with these families.

Hills Ministry

Magimadoss came to report today how his last trip to the hills went. He took a team for five days to do evangelism in the villages where Hindu idol worship is rampant. One group he worked with in particular focus their worship on Monkeys. They walk like monkeys and act like monkeys out of reverence for them. Magimadoss and his team decided to share a video about monkeys which showed that they are not to be worshipped. Then they showed the Jesus film. They had many people come for prayer and we are praying for more pastors to be placed in this area to assist with long term follow up. One man named Daniel is going to be sponsored by a person in the States to do ministry in the hills permenantly. Magimadoss was encouraged by the prayer times and responses he had.
We have more reports of illness. Neil Armstrong was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain. They are running tests. Kirrubakkaran is the man running the orphanage with babies he has saved and he is having chest pains. He is not well but it has been difficult to get information. Please continue to pray for Yesaw and his arm injury. Kirubans brother in law who still does not have a diagnosis and Raja's knee. We have many on going needs but these are important to take care of.

Baptisms and Parties

Sunday the whole family went to worhsip at Stanely Foljers church. They had a great celebration. Rob was able to preach and perform 7 baptisms there. Many people came for prayer. Many young women were asking for prayer about their marriage arrangement. Since marriages are arranged it is difficult for Christian women to find men in their social class who are also Christians. This is a serious prayer concern for them as you can imagine. I am glad I got to pick Rob:) There will be videos of the baptism service on the you tube site.
Monday we also had a Christmas party for the pastors and their families. I loved seeing everyone so happy. We played musical chairs and hot potato. We also had Mary Soroja speak on a devotional thought. We had a good time of prayer and fellowship. Once again Moriah was a huge hit. The pastors all wanted their pictures taken with her. It was hard to keep track of her because they kept passing her. I am just glad that she brings joy to these people as she does to me. She will not be a shy child thats for sure. She is used to seeing many people.
Rob has a few more exams and then he is done for the semester. He has been studying hard. HE is looking forward to having the rest of the month to visit churches and spend time with little Mo.

First Time with Play Dough

Today we had another VBS meeting. The pastors were coming up with object lessons to use in the curriculum and John Wesley brough a type of play dough that he made. He tore off pieces for each of the pastors to test out. They had never used such a thing before. They were having a great time smelling, touching, and molding the stuff. They sere excited about using something like this in their lessons. It is so interesting for me to realize that things like play dough are rare here. VBS in America tends to be very elaborate and to think that play dough would be a huge addition is mind boggling to me. The pastors are getting their materials together and will have a great program to offer the churches this year.
We are still praying for Yesaw (Raja's Dad). He had surgery on the multiple fractures in his arm and is in a lot of pain. In addition, Indian hospitals do not provide meals or help with personal care so Raja has had to go back and forth and care for his dad. This is very emotionally and physically tiring for him. Als0, Kiruban's brother in law is very sick and in the hospital. They are not sure what is wrong. The family is very worried because the other brother passed away of cancer in Septmeber. Please pray for their strength.
Two of the kids living at the mission came down with chicken pox. It has been interesting to see how they handle this. They have so many worries and superstitions about it. Ernie printed off some info on chicken pox to help educate that it is a normal thing. I guess they believe that a kid with chicken pox must wash in water heated by the sun three times a day and if it is not gone in 3 days then there is bad luck or something. These are influences of the Hindu culture and sometimes we just need to help show the people that these HIndu beliefs are contrary to Scripture. It is definately interesting.

102 new outfits

Today I went to Pothy's. You think a shopping trip at Wal-Mart druing the holiday season is crazy; you haven't seen anything yet. Pothy's is a huge clothing store. The price range is large so poor people and upper class people can shop there. I think everyone in Chennai shops there acctually. I went with three ladies from the mission and the office worker so he could translate and pay for us. We had to buy 102 outfits for the children at the orphanage next to our home. These will be Christmas gifts for each of them. It was a lot of fun to know that we would be able to afford a new outfit for each child. The ladies had a great time passing Moriah around as I picked out the clothes. Which brings up another chaotic factor to the shopping trip. Indian people get really excited about seeing an American baby. I cannot do anything with her in public without a large crowd surrounding me and wanting to hold her and see her. Ultimately the only way we were ever going to get the shopping done was to pretend that she was an Indian baby. Grace wrapped her in the balnket and rocked her in a chair while I shopped. Unless Moriah's little arm popped out, nobody could tell she was my baby.
I found myself wanting to do more than just anoutfit for these kids. I would like to buy games and toys and jewelry for the girls. I realize though that these kids are very thankful to receive necessary items. I ran into a problem because they did not have enough in one price range so some of the older kids got slightly nicer outfits. I asked Deviraj if this would cause tension. He said, "No mam, these kids do not see what other kids have. They are only excited for what they receive." I think it is amazing the wonderful spirit these kids must have to survive what they have and to still be happy for such a small gift.

Lessons in Culture

We were incited to go to a Christmas music festival put on by some of the churches. It is a big thing they do every year I guess. We asked Kiruban about it and he said they sing songs. He said they do not want to sit all day so it will be a short meeting of only 4 hours. Rob and I laughed. No church meeting in America lasts four hours without some complaints. I wonder what a long Indian church meeting is. Keep in mind this was the third meeting scheduled for us that day so it was a tiring day...
Anyways, today I went with Ernie to a ladies meeting where they were going to pass out sarees to the widows who need them. We showed up but no one was there. It turns out that the pastor was embarassed that he had to reschedule it and did not want to call us to tell us. We finally tracked him down and through poor communication due to a language problem we learned that he was scared we would be mad. It makes me sad that they fear us. I think we finally communicated that it is always best to call us and we will never be mad about changed times, places, cancellations and stuff. We are here to serve and bless them. If we are upsetting them then that defeats the purpose. In India it is against the culture to be blunt or straight forward so it always takes time to figure out what the problem is but I think today we were really able to find the root of the issue and address it. So we did a lot of driving and didnt really do anything but we at least learned a valuable lesson in culture:)

Death and Life

Last night as I was preaparing for bed, my mom called and told me that my grandpa passed away in his sleep Friday night. This was shocking and hard to handle but I also know that God is here in the midst of our grief. I know that God is present with my family in the states and that He is here with me. I am grateful that I was able to talk to my grandpa on THanksgiving over the computer and he was bale to see MOriah through the video camera on our computer as we talked. I guess he talked all day about seeing his great granddaughter in India and how he wanted to send stuff for us. I am blessed to know that God knew the importance of this call.
Despite the giref we went to a 6am service in the slums today. The church was built out of concrete pieces and many scrap pieces of metal. The people are the most impoverished I have ever seen. They have absolutely nothing yet when I walked in with Moriah I saw their faces light up. I could see that the gift of life in Moriah brought them true joy. One older woman held her in her lap and just raised her hands and thanked God for Moriah's life. I believe it is truly amazing that in the midst of grief God can give us such gifts as this. I know that God has revealed to me that part of our ministry here is simply sharing the miracle of our little girl. It was also a blessing that the goats ate Rob's sandals and not one of the believers who cannot afford for a goat to eat their shoes:)

Happy Thanksgiving

Today Rob and I shared desserts with the office workers at the mission and told them that we were celebrating Thanksgiving. It was entertaining to try and explain the concept of Thanksgiving to them because it involves American history and culture. Even to explain that many people watch football and eat lots of food is kind of a strange concept to them. Hardly anyone can afford a TV or a meal with meat, so to celebrate this way is very strange to them in deed. The ladies cooking made mashed potatoes though and baked pumpkin in honey to try and help us feel at home:) I appreciated the effort and thoroughly enjoyed the potatoes. Moriah rested a lot today as she recovered from her shots she got yesterday and it was overall a very quiet day. We continue to rejoice in God's provision and pray for His guidance on how to serve Him in a better and deeper way.

All in the Timing

Yesterday Rob was going through the mission files, books, and things that have been left by other missionaries. He found many tracts written in Tamil stored away. At the same time Magimadoss came to visit and mentioned he was going to the hills to do evangelism this weekend. Rob asked if he could use the tracts and his eyes got real big. Magimadoss said he was just praying for the money to buy some tracts for his ministry. So Rob was able to share these things with him and some other things we found which he could use. Magimadoss has a wonderful ministry in these villages and now we are praying for the resources to plant permanent churches in the area. These are previously unreached areas.
Paul Sunder Raj also came today to pick up the boxes of clothes which he will take to Bihar and distribute to the villages. He was thrilled to find over 20 boxes from America, New Zealand, and Chennai. We were blessed to see even the local churches here try to find clothes to send. These people already struggle for their own clothes but know that the destruction is immense in Bihar that the need is greater there and so they give even in their own poverty.
It is also interesting to note that it is now winter here. Winter means the high is in the low 80s and the low is in the low 70s everyday. It is amusing to me to see people wearing coats, hats, and gloves when it is 78 degrees. Kiruban asked why I did not have a sweater on Moriah and I laughed. I told him that people in America keep their Air conditioning on lower than this temperature. I was still sweating in my short sleeves. All of his kids were bundled up:) So the cultural lessons continue. Meanwhile the Indian people are sure that I am freezing my daughter in 80 degree weather:)

Motor Bike Wreck

Raja's father Yesaw was in a motor bike wreck on his way home from preaching at a local church on Sunday. Raja is our driver and I have written about him and his family several times. Raja has an incredible heart for God. He is a sweet man and true servant of God. He was there with my mom as soon as they brought Moriah out of the delivery room. All of this to say he means a lot to us. His father Yesaw is a wonderful carpenter and has also worked for the mission for years. He broke his arm pretty bad and it is going to need surgery. We are thankful that God protected his life and now we pray for the healing of his arm. He is in a lot of pain and needs to find a hospital that will perfom the surgery for an amount that he is able to pay. The first hospital he went to said it would be 40,000 rupees which is about 1,000$. This is twice of what he would make in a year. So Raja's family continues to be attacked physically and financially. I believe there is a spiritual battle over this family because of Raja and his families great faith and spirit. Please pray for him. Raja fell down the steps two months ago and is still in pain. His wife has ongoing health issues which require an expensive specialist and his brother in law is having heart issues. Please pray for him.
Another worker here named Danny is going blind and this is a major concern. He is already blind in one eye and the other eye is deteriorating quickly. We are trying to send him to a specialist he cannot afford but they may not be able to anything. Please pray for Danny as well.

Another Answer to Prayer

At the mission here we have been praying for Neil Armstrong and his wife Jansi. They were Indian missionaries to Malaysia but had to return to India because of visa problems. Jansi has had a very difficult pregnancy. She has been on bed rest since I arrived to India and in a lot of pain. Jansi has been in the hospital for the last couple of weeks so they could monitor her condition. Finally the did a c section and delivered a healthy baby girl! We are so thankful that God has given us so many healthy babies in the last couple of months. We truly have reasons to rejoice.
I have not written much this week because I have not felt well. I think I was trying to do a little too much after Moriah was born so I laid low the last couple of days and just focused on Moriah:) She can be tiring enough on her own. She is still growing fast and enjoying Indian life!
This week there was a VBS meeting. It was very confusing because the method of getting VBS started over here is way different than I am used to and the Tamil thing has made communication difficult. It is part of my job description to help with VBS because in America VBS is typically a womens thing but the male pastors are the ones that are on the committee here. At this point in India women are not equal in any way. Make pastors here would rather do it themselves and not consult a woman... So it has been a little crazy. I believe even the Christian view of women here is a cultural sin and does need confronted but I do not know if forcing myself as a part of their VBS thing is the way to do it. Christian men here treat their wives better than Hindu men but both are still not good. For example, Immanuel bought us chocolate on his recent trip. When Rob thanked him he said something about LIndsey being happy for the chocolate. Immanuel asked if Rob allowed me to have chocolate as a part of my diet... ummmm can you imagine an American man not allowing his wife to have chocolate. We would call that abusive! That is a very small example. The plight of the woman here goes much farther than that. Many girl babies are even murdered at birth because families only want boys. For poor families a girl is a burden because they will have to pay a large sum of money as a dowry when she gets married however a male baby brings in lots of money at a wedding. In some places there are only 900 girl babies to every 1000 boy babies. This is also why finding out the gender of the baby is illegal. Marriages are aranged and the dowry plays a large part. If the family cannot pay completely the dowry many times the wife is murdered so that the man can get married again and receive another dowry. The police force is not to great here so many times they get away with it. When the woman goes to live with her husband she usually lives with her in laws and becomes somewhat of a slave to the in laws. She is usually treated horibbly by the family. So these are some of the issues the women here face and that is what I want to deal with. I am working on meeting with pastors wives and learning how I can support and encourage them. Rob will continue to work on meeting with pastors and encouraging healthy families that way. We will continue to pray that God give us wisdom on how to handle these immense issues.

Locked in the Library:(

Rob had a rough day at school today. He got there a little early so he could use the departments small library. He cant take books out of the library so he has to go and study when it is open. He was reading around 12:30 and the office worker acctually locked him in the library. They did not check to see if someone was in there or anything they just locked the door. Luckily a prof had class in there at 2 so he got out a little over an hour later. He was also informed that he has class everyday this week at 8 am and that he has missed several classes because no one informed him of the time change. For his one class they have had 4 different profs because the profs keep getting mad and quitting. The books just came in and the class is over in two weeks. The organization at this university is insane. We have tried to avoid saying things like, " This would never happen in an American University." but it is getting a little difficult. Anyways pray that we learn how to operate in this system a little better. And pray God provides an answer for me about my visa because it will be very difficult for me to make classes this randomly. It is not exactly what we signed up for:)

Sunday Naps

Today we went to Paul Stenneys church about an hour away from where we live. It was a nice, small church. The people were celebrating their 7th anniversary at the church. They do this every year and it is a special time of fellowship for the church people. The service was long but very neat to be a part of. The service lasted from 9-1. Rob preached about the festival of lights they had this week and about how Jesus is the true light. It was a great message and very culturally relevant. He does great preaching with a translator... I am not nearly as smooth:) Moriah slept in between feeds at the service... She didnt want to sleep last night so church seemed to be the place to sleep:) The people loved to look at Moriah and pray for her. They are all still convinced that the acne on her face are mosquito bites but thats okay. We had a big meal of briyahni and then we came back to the house.
All three of us were ready for a big nap by the time we got home. It was great to have a break and be able to all rest together. Tonight we go to the airport to pick up the rest of the pastors from their trip to the Phillippines and Malaysia. I am excited about having everyone back and getting into a routine again:)

Study

Rob has been doing lots of study this week. He is preparing to preach on sunday. We got a letter in the mail last week and the only words in English said, "Rob Musick will bring God's message." We had to have the letter translated so that we could find out when and where he was supposed to preach. I guess he is committed now:) Since many of the pastors do not speak english this is their way of asking us to visit and preach at their church. So that is what we are going to do tommorow. Rob has also had lots of school work. The semester wraps up pretty soon and since we started a month later than we were supposed to there is a lot to catch up on. Hopefully next semester will go at a better pace. Also we have been doing research on how we can set up training programs for pastors and leaders. Part of our job is to help establish a system for training. We are trying to decide whether it is better to send our people to established schools or whether we should try training through seminars which we put on. There are many things to take into account in making these decisions so we must continue to pray and research to make the best decision.

Is that really a firecracker...

Everything is louder in India. I can hear traffic and horns all night long... Tonight there is an added noise...or ruckus you could say. There are major firecrackers going off all over the town. we live next to government houses and they have been setting off firecrackers all night. It really sounds like we are being bombed. The first time a really loud one went off I yelled and ducked. I said, "Rob are you sure we are not being bombed?" He assured me that it is just another Hindu holiday called Diwali or festival of lights. I had heard about a big holiday coming up but I did not realize it would be soooo scary:) It does not seem to phase Moriah however. Since Moriah was born in India she seems accustomed to lots of noise. The doctor last week joked that Indian people thrive in a noisy environment. She said her husband studied in the states and while he was there he had to buy things to make noise at night because it was too quiet and he couldn't sleep. So when we bring Moriah home to the states we might need to invest in a similar set up.
Ernie is now back from the Philippines and Immanuel is coming back tonight. It sounds like the conference went really well and the pastors were able to spend lots of time together and grow closer. This is a huge blessing because the groups of pastors that went could really benefit from close fellowship with each other. Ernie said the only problem during the travel was convincing the Indian pastors that it was safe to eat at Burger King:) When they got to the Phillippines the pastors were hungry and the closest restaurant was a burger king. The pastors didn't know what to order because they didn't have rice. Finally Ernie made them all go sit down and he ordered them all chicken sandwiches, fries, and coffee. After that meal they just decided to order whatever Ernie and Immanuel ordered. Ernie reminded them that they always expect Americans and other visitors to eat their itly and Dosai (breakfast foods) and they should try to eat the food available in this country. So it was definitely a learning experience for all. I cannot wait to hear from the pastors about what they learned during their time away.
I took Moriah grocery shopping today as well. I was getting a little homesick so I went to the grocery store with some western products. Praise the Lord for stores with toilet paper and diapers:) I carried Moriah in a baby sling I brought from the states. The sling has been great because there are really not many places to put a baby here. There are not carts in the stores... (They are not that big and people cant buy that much for a cart) Other customers were amused by the sling. I have seen people use a similar thing here but mine still must have looked foreign to them. Either way it was good to get out with Moriah and get some items which remind me of home. We also received several cards from people in the states today which helped us feel loved:)

Downs Syndrome

Today we met with pastor Stanley Foljer and his family for prayer. He brought his ten year old son Danny who was born with down syndrome. danny has had a difficult time because, as mentioned before, health care is severely lacking for the lower income/lower caste people. Stanely said that when they diagnosed Danny they simply told him that Danny was retarded and sent him home. Stanely looked for a special school for Danny for years. Finally after keeping Danny home for five years, he found a school which could meet Danny's need. The school cost 2000 ruppees a month which equals 50 American dollars and is 3/4ths of Stanely's monthly salary. He has found a donor to help pay for Danny's tuition for a year and is very thankful for this. He is receiving some occupational therapy as well but all of this falls short of the care Danny really needs. In America he would receive speech, physical, and occupational therapy. He would not have to pay for a special school and he would be given much more info on how to care for Danny. As it is Danny is a struggle for their family because special needs children are veiwed as a curse by Hindu's so when a Hindu meets them they think they are bad luck. This also effects their ministry because Danny can be very disruptive in church and this scares people. They do not understand his developmental delays. This has shown me that we must pray and act to help the situation of special needs folk here. There is a true need for education and medical care. We will pray for God's guidance on how to proceed from here. We will also continue to love Danny and his fmaily and learn how we can support his family and ministry.

Rains

The monsoon was in full force today with major rains as people tried to go to church. The rains are so heavy that they really do shut down the city to some extent. Most people travel by motor bike, bicycle, or foot so this would be a very wet experience. All the buses even have open windows because of the other eleven months of intense heat and no access to A/C. You will find that schools even shut down because of heavy rains. Moriah and I did not go to church because of this. We are still trying to keep her in a lot to protect from mosquitos and heat and other things until she is a little bigger. Rob went to a church and preached on Psalm 147. He talked about God crying out for the plight of the poor. The pastor of the church is Gerald and he is a very happy man. He is always smiling when I see him. He loves to practice english so he calls often. His life is also an incredible answer to prayer. He and his wife literally hate each other several years ago. They were ready for divorce. He met with the missionaries here many times and through prayer God restored their marriage. God helped them to understand His heart for each other. This is a major blessing.

Saturday rest

Moriah did not sleep last night so, her and I spent today resting... which of course sets us up for failure tonight:) Rob worked on his school papers which are due this week. We had several visitors from the mission today. It was Grace's birthday, she is one who helps clean and cook at the mission. She brought us breakfast and greeted us early this morning. It was also Noah's birthday today and he came to visit as well.
Does anyone have a guess as to why his name is Noah? Well his mother lived here at the mission when she was pregnant with him. He was born during monsoon season and the rains were so bad that it was impossible to leave the mission and go to the hospital. It was necessary for the missionaries here at the time to deliver the baby because the flooding was so bad. Well despite the incredible flooding, and inexperienced "doctors" Noah was born healthy. Noah seemed the appropriate name since he too survived the flood. This makes me grateful for many reasons. One reason is that my delivery was much easier!!! I am also grateful that Go has seen after His people here and met all their needs for a long time. We are new here and just begining to learn of all the incredible things the Lord has done.
We also got to play with hostel children next door today. They are very excited about Moriah. They all come and just look at her and talk to her. They love it. It is great to be able to bring a smile to their faces. They were also happy to have Rob take their pictures... They love the camera almost as much as they love Moriah! Pray for these children that God will continue to provide their needs in the absence of their families.

Deviraj's Story

Today we invited one of the office workers at the mission to eat lunch with us. You could see that he was incredibly nervous as he sat down. It is a huge thing for someone from the bottom cast to sit and eat at the table with us. We assured him that it was fine and he should feel free to eat lunch "Indian style." (Which is with your hands.) We also ate this way to help him feel at ease. We asked him how he came to know the Lord and he told us a great story of God's love which is most probably a typical situation for those who convert from Hinduism. Deviraj said that he had no peace in his heart when he was Hindu and raised in a Hindu family. He said his family was very hard and his dad would beat his mother. When he was a young teenager he went to a bible school program and heard a preacher share. He also saw the Jesus film there. When He saw Jesus' crucifixion story he said he wanted to know Jesus. It was then that he found peace. He also said that soon after he found the Lord, God healed him from an appendix problem. He was in so much pain and when he prayed to God the pain went away and he did not need surgery. He knew it was the Lord who healed him. We asked how his family handled his conversion and he said it was not good. He suffered a lot from his father because of his relationship with God. His dad came up to him while he was eating one day and just kicked him in the face. This makes marriage also difficult for an Indian because marriages are arranged here by the parents. He knew his parents would pick a Hindu wife for him so he did not go to them for this. He instead saw one woman at church and asked his pastor if he would arrange the marriage for him to this girl. The pastor was very happy to arrange his marriage and Deviraj and his wife are very good together. Deviraj also has a daughter named Daisy. It was good to hear his story today. He also bought us a sweater and hat for Moriah... (I know it never goes below 70 degrees here but they think 70 is really cold:) The sweater and hat are beautiful and we are so grateful for his kindness.
We also went back to the hospital I gave birth in today for a checkup. I love our doctor so much. We laughed a lot about Indian customs that Rob and I are not used to. She talked also about how when her husband went to study in the states he could not sleep because it was too quiet. He had to buy a fan and things to make noise because he could not handle the silence. We said that Moriah does not seem to be bothered by all the noise in India because she was born into it. It is good to know that the cultural struggle goes both ways. We also tried to get Moriah's Birth Certificate from the hospital today because we need it to take to the consulate to get her Americanized. The hospital had promised it would be ready in 20 days and it has been more than that. They told us it would be three more days... This is the game though. They will always say it will be three more days because they are waiting on a bribe. Rob got very frustrated because it is really not okay for hospitals to keep asking for bribes for everything they do for you. We Americans can afford the bribes but so many people cannot afford to pay every single person you run into in the hospital. So we debated about the birth certificate for an hour and then they said it would be ready later today. This is fine but it takes us almost an hour to get to the hospital so it is a huge waste of time to go back and forth but that is what we settled for. So the this afternoon we finally got Moriah's birth certificate. Now we must pray that we do not run into any more chaos at the consulate on Monday:)

It's not a rash!!!!!

It has been quite educational to learn how Indians raise babies. Indians love to give advice, ecspecially to first time moms. I have heard several lectures on breastfeeding and they are very adament about it. The other topic that keeps coming up is baby acne. Moriah has a small case of baby acne and it is very apparent on her pale white face. Acne looks different on Indian babies. Every single Indian person that has seen Moriah in the last two days has asked if she has a rash or mosquito bites. One lady insisted that it must be her baby bed that is causing the rash because she has never seen a baby bed before and she has never seen acne on a white baby... so I guess they must be connected:) They dont use car seats here either. I bought one at an American baby shop but everyone who sees it is amazed at it. They call it Moriahs basket... They cannot figure out why I would need such a thing. I told Immanuel that I would be in big trouble in the states if I did not use on of these every time in the car. He was suprised. The moms here usually hold onto the baby while riding on the back of a motor bike. So the school on culture continues.
Today a woman came to the mission and asked for money to buy a train ticket for her family. Her husband is in a cancer hospital and she needs to take him back to their home village but could not afford the ticket. The mission gave her the train fare and prayed for her and her son before she left. Health care can be a horrendous ordeal for the poverty stricken here. If they cannot afford a doctor than they are sent to the government hospital where they most likely will not be treated at all. To get anything done a person must bribe the doctors, nurses, doorman, etc. There are very nice hospitals but very few can afford them. Please pray about how we can impact the situation of the sick here. We have a desire to do more social ministry but are seeking a way to best accomplish this.

Moriah goes to the doc

Moriah went to have her weight checked today at the pediatricians office. We tried a different doctor than the original one she had at the hospital. We really liked this doctor and she was really easy to understand which is always a plus. Moriah weighed in at a whopping 8.1 pounds. Pretty good for starting at 6.6. She hasn't wasted any time beefing up:) She still looks tiny to me though. She was also measured at 50 cm long... I haven't converted that yet. The doctor said she is doing well. She has a case of baby acne but that should clear up on its own eventually. We will go back in a couple of weeks for more vaccinations and things.
Rob had class in the afternoon. He has learned that one of his professors is an Indian Christian who graduated from a Gospel for Asia seminary and is using his job at the university for ministry. It is neat that he and Rob both have hearts for the students and will be able to pray together for the profs and students they interact with. This profs name is Murugesan and he teaches the History of Saiva Siddhanta. It is a true gift from God to have people like this placed in our path.
Please pray for Raja (works at the mission). He fell down the stairs over a month ago and is still having pain in his leg. He has had tests done and they say it is just a deep bruise but he is in so much pain. I introduced him to Tylenol but I do not think it has done much to help. He tries not to show it and still works hard but it must be difficult for him. Also his son Marvin is sick and goes to see the doctor this week.

Monsoon

Monsoon season has finally arrived. The temperatures are down into the 70's which is a huge relief from the sun and sweat. Yesterday it rained sheets all day. It never let up. The rain we get in this month of the monsoon season supplies much of the water for the year. The rainy season is necessary to sustain Chennai through the hot, dry weather the rest of the year. I kept Moriah home from church due to the immense rain and chill. Rob went to worship at one of the churches in the conference and greatly enjoyed his time there.
Moriah cried most of the afternoon... I think she missed her grandma holding and rocking her. Today she seems to be in a much better mood:) SHe goes for a check up tommorow to make sure she is gaining weight and things.
Today we are also sending some of our pastors and leaders to the Philippines for the Asia Pacific conference. Pray for this conference that the pastors will return renewed and on fire to do the Lord's will. Rob and I are not able to go of course because little Moriah is not ready to travel:) You can also pray for Rob and I as we will be without most of our co workers and english speakers. It should be an interesting week.

Busy Week

This has been a busy week and we have not been able to keep up with the daily aspect of this journal. Little Moriah is definitely keeping us on our toes. This week my mom was preparing to go back to the states so we did some shopping and sightseeing. We went to see St. Thomas Mount where St. Thomas was martyred. It is a beautiful sight and you can see a lot of the city from the mount. It is amazing to me that Thomas was here so many years ago but the Christian church in this area is still such a small minority. I believe our mission here is not only to help meet the physical needs of the hurting people around us but to intercede for this country in order to break the strongholds which holds it captive. Much of the battle fought here by Christians is a spiritual battle. I ask that you pray with us that India will be transformed and that the idol worhsip would be abandoned in order to worship the only true God.
We also had our monthly worship service with the area pastors and their families this week. The pastors brought their wives and we had a time of singing and prayer. Many of the pastors shared their concerns and struggles they have for their ministries. My mom was able to pray for these pastors and encourage them as well. I was able to introduce Moriah to the group and she was a big hit as usual:) We also had a meal afterwards to celebrate Moriah's life and also all that God is providing for us. It was a wonderful time of fellowship. As I spoke with the pastors wives I was able to learn all about how to care for a baby:) They had lots of advice on how to feed, bathe, and care for her. It was really good to see the women talking and laughing together. Women here are usually not invited to functions like this and they rarely get to speak freely. This is also one thing which we are trying to influence and it seems God is begining a great work in this area.
Finally, we went to dinner last night to celebrate my mom and her time here. The meal was nice but the fellowship was priceless. I am so thankful that my momma was able to come and experience a little of life in India and be a part of our little girl's first weeks. She was a tremendous help with Moriah and encouragement to all of us here. We will miss her presence but it reassuring to know that she will be praying for us in the States and sharing her experiences with all those back home.

Hindu Holidays

Over the weekend Rob and I went on a walk across the road to a little general store. We passed a car dealership and saw a Hindu priest praying over the cars and decorating them and things. Apparently there was a Hindu holiday over the weekend which is celebrated by worshipping the items which provide your income. So the person who sells cars would worship the cars in their lot, a bus driver worships his bus, a cook would worship the stove and so on... The holiday was apparent everywhere because rickshaws and busses were decorated and most businesses were closed to celebrate their work. This concept just reminded me of how the Hindu people have been so deceived that they worship inanimate objects. They spend the little money they have to pay the priest to bless their occupational tools. I pray that one day God will break into this land and free people from the bondage of idolatry. I pray that God will reveal the lies which have oppressed this land.

Moriah's Big Day Out

This morning we took Moriah out for the first time. We went to church at Solomon Rajan's church nearby. Moriah wore a pretty pink dress which was a gift from Magimadoss and Kirubakkaran (Two of the pastors who work hard in village ministry). Moriah was great throughout the whole service. The singing was a little loud for her at first but she slept peacefully after she adjusted to it. The kids at the church were so excited to see her. They all like to gently pinch her little toes and fingers. I was glad to share my new joy with these children. The pastor also prayed a prayer of dedication over Moriah during the service. The prayer was very powerful and I was very blessed by the time we had. There are pics and video of the service on our website.

Prayers Answered

Today we have been praying for a man named David. He is the brother in law of one of the drivers who works at the mission named Raja. David is 35 and had symptoms of a heart attack. He was taken to a hospital and they said he had a blockage which would need treated. They also said that Davids family would not have enough money to pay for this level of care so David would have to be transfered to a government hospital. The care in a government hospital is not very good at all so this was a difficult move for the family to make. I know that I was just in one of India's nice hospitals and cannot imagine what a not so nice Indian hospital would be like. The mission spent time praying for David today and trying to find alternative ways to help him. This evening when Raja went to visit David in the hospital he seemed much better. David was talking and in much less pain. Earlier in the day he had paralysis on one side of his face and pain in his arm so it was an answer to prayer and a great blessing to see his condition improve so much. I am learning to trust God more and more through my time here because I see God move mightily and in very tangible ways. Please continue to pray for David's recovery and health.
We also had a meeting with the main workers in the mission in order to discuss our roles and responsibilities. I am very excited about what God is going to do in the next days and how our ministry will develop. Rob is going to focus on training and development of leaders in the churches. This is a major need because the pastors have little money for formal education. I will be doing children and womens ministries. The women here are very neglected. I am excied about getting to know the pastors wives and women leaders. I pray that God will show me how to be a blessing to them. We also have a meeting this week to prepare for VBS next year. This is a huge outreach project that the mission helps the churches pull off every year so it will be exciting to be involved.

Trinity

Today I was able to participate in more of the mission activities, despite Moriah having an "American" night. (We joke that when Moriah is up all night it is because she is running on American time.) It was good to be a part of things again and meet with pastors and the other workers.
Rob had his class today and was able to have another important conversation with Ebodi, his Iranian Muslim friend. Every day Rob types the notes for his class and he helps her by sharing them with her. Today she asked Rob about how Christians could believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Rob explained how Jesus was completely human and completely God. He was able to talk about the relationship between the Old and New Testament. Rob was able to share using Muslim settings and language. He used Muslim analogies to share that Jesus being God is essential to Christianity. Also during this discussion another student came and asked Rob to forge a document for him. Rob refused and said it was against his beliefs, so this was a witness for her as well. Keep praying for this relationship and that God would continue to be revealed through their studies and discussions. God is clearly answering our prayers about this relationship because she is initiating the discussion and God is providing the answers.

School continues

The University of Madras has been an adventure since we even began the process of applying to school there. We keep hoping that it will become easier to understand what we need to do for class and how to navigate the system but it just seems to get more complicated. Today Rob found out that we have two ten page papers due on Monday. We did not know about these papers. The teachers never hand out any form of assignment. It is all done verbally and I have a feeling the assignments were given in Tamil and not English. When the profs slip into Tamil we have no way of knowing what they are saying. So please pray for us as we continue to try and understand exactly what we need to do for our school assignments. Also pray that I can balance my studies and new responsibilities as a mom. I know God has a plan for all this and He is using the school mightily in our time here but the details are still fuzzy:)

Routine

Moriah has been home for awhile now and we are finally settling into a little bit of a routine. She had to go back to the hospital for a couple of days of phototherapy because of her jaundice but now we are all home and enjoying our new family life together. God truly has blessed us with this healthy, beautiful little girl. Sometimes during the pregnancy and in the last two weeks I have worried about little Moriah's saftey here in India but God has so blessed me with peace about our home and life here. God has shown me that He is the One that protected Moriah in the womb and helped me to have a safe delivery. God is the One who planned her birth here and has destined her to be a part of our mission. He is the One that is more than able to protect her in the US or in India.
Moriah is a great baby. She sleeps and eats and that is about it. She hardly ever cries and is as sweet as can be. We have had several of the pastors come and visit and pray for Moriah. It has been good for me to see the pastors and their wives care so much for this little girl and her safety. They always say that it is by God's grace that she is here. It always makes me smile when they praise the Lord with us for our little one. It is a cultural practice here to keep a newborn in the home for the first month of her life. We are going to follow that practice as well. It gives me time to adjust to motherhood and Moriah time to get a little stronger before taking on the world. At first I did not like the idea of staying in the house that month but now I am grateful for the opportunity to have her all to myself. We are able to pray for her and the work here and to take things slow. Rob is still attending classes and participating in services. He acctually went to class the Monday after she was born and the professor stopped the class and gave a ten minute break so Rob could wake up. I guess being a dad wore him out pretty good and the professor could see he needed a break:) Maybe being a new dad will be the thing that actually makes Rob tired:)
Meanwhile, please pray for Neil Armstrong. He is one of the Indian pastors we work with. He recently moved to Malaysia to work as a missionary in a very difficult area of unreached peoples. He had some success there but had to leave due to visa problems. Now it looks as though he will not be able to get back to Malaysia unless the Lord truly opens the door somehow. We know that God is able to provide the finances and the visa but it is difficult to wait. Also, pray for his wife Jansi because she is pregnant with their second child and experiencing some difficulty. This couple is very dear to our hearts and we believe God wants to bless them for their faith and willingness to abandon all for Him.

Moriah has come

Today at 7:18 am (Indian time) Moriah M arrived into this world. We went to the hospital on Thursday night at 8:15 pm to be admitted because the doctor had ordered an induction to take place. By the time the doctor came to start the process, God had broken through and answered the prayers of his people. Lindsey had started dilating and the doctor said "Let's wait until dawn before we do anything medically". By the time dawn arrived 5:15, Lindsey was ready to go to the labor room because Moriah was coming!!!! From 5:15-7:18 Lindsey had some very intense pain...only a gas for pain control, no epidural or shots in India unless really pressed for. Lindsey is my hero....The doctor, Dr. Uma Ram and her nurses were great. Moriah was completely healthy and happy...PRAISE THE LORD!!!!! Moriah is 6.6 pounds and very beautiful. Tonight Lindsey is resting with Moriah and her mother at the hospital. Either Emily or I had to come home and I decided to come home to allow more Mother, Daugther, granddaughter bonding...especially because Emily flew from America for this special time. She leaves on the 27th of this month. Dr. Ram has said that Lindsey and Moriah will come home tomorrow. Moriah will receive the standard vaccinations plus one for TB, which is common in India. We praise Jesus for such a great miracle (life and Moriah's health and safe/normal delivery)...Please thank God specifically tonight for this answer to our prayers:)

Baby Schedule:)

Praise the Lord that my mom arrived safely early this morning. Her flights were very easy and she even got here a little early. She was able to meet the office workers and some of our friends. She also brought a gift from her church, Northside Fellowship, for the flooding victims in Bihar. This is a great blessing and Paul, the missionary to Bihar, will be very grateful. There is a video testimony of his work in Bihar on our website if you would like to learn more.
Today we went back to the doctor and this time my mom was able to come with me. I was happy that she could meet the doctor and be a part of this. My Indian friends have all said that the baby must have been waiting for grandma to come. The tests at the doctors office went well but she decided that I need to be induced on Friday morning. She does not want to wait much longer because of the fluid levels. I trust her opinion so we are going to the hospital Thursday night and they will start a pitocin drip on Friday morning (America time it will be Thursday night). So it looks like baby Musick is scheduled to arrive on October 5th. I am happy to know that the baby will be coming but a little nervous about being induced. I am glad that I will be able to have Rob and my mom there to be with me. Thank you for your prayers regarding little Musick:)

Holidays

Monday and Tuesday have been holidays of some sort or another. Monday there was a city wide strike of some sort which was called by on of the leading political parties in India. This effected a lot of the travel so busses were not running and so forth. Rob's professor called it a "government sponsered holiday." We still had our monthly meeting with the pastors so those that could come still arrived and we worshipped together. We had a great time of prayer and praise. It was nice for Rob not to have to worry about school and other duties.
Tuesday is Ghandi's birthday so this too is a holiday here. The mission staff all have the day off and we can be more laid back today. Rob and Ernie are going to a Sunday school rally at one of the churches and I am going to stay back and hope for labor pains:) Having these two days to be more relazed is a blessing and gift when so many at the mission work extra frequently.
We are also preparing for my mom to come. She should arrive at 3:45 am. I am so happy that she is finally on her way and it looks like she is going to get to be there for her new grandbaby to be born... God has definately provided for us and shown us His great love for us as we have moved here. We are grateful for the way He has taken care of all of our needs.

Goodbye and Hello

Today was a day of transition. Last night we all went to the airport as we sent Martha and Earl home to Georgia. It will be good for them to be able to reconnect with family and friends. It was difficult for the people here to say goodbye. The Wrights have lived and worked here for the last ten years and so they have built close relationships with the people. The workers at the mission and many of the pastors came to see them off at the airport. We lots of prayers and tears but we know that God will be with them.
This means today was a new day and that things would undoubtedly be different because of the Wrights departure. I am grateful for the past and look forward to the future. I was told by another missionary once that the missionary life is full of goodbyes and hellos. I am learning this very quickly.
We went to a neat church today. They have had tremendous growth and they are working on building a bigger building to accomodate the people. The pastor was a young man and he appeared to be a gifted leader. There were lots of little kids in the service and it was fun to watch them be kids and worship with their families.
After church I rested a long time because sleep alluded me the night before... Too much thinking about baby and stuff:) Later we were able to welcome Immanuel and Ronnie. They work at the mission and have moved in at the mission. They are a great blessing and Ronnie is another answer to prayer for me. Since Martha left for home I thought I might miss some female companionship. There are women who live here but not many who speak english. Ronnie knows a lot of english and will also be able to give me baby advice when I need questions answered. She is excited about the baby and wants to help any way she can. She will also teach us Tamil once we all get settled. So she definitely has her hands full with us:)

Doctor

Today we went to the doctor to check on the pregnancy. My due date is tommorow so she did some extra tests today to make sure everything was okay. She did an ultrasound and we could see the baby's face:) I was so happy to see the baby doing well in there. It is against the law to reveal the gender so we didn't even get a good guess. The baby was hiding that evidence anyway:) The doctor said the baby weighs around 2.8 kilos which made me panic at first because I thought that sounded way small but once it is converted to pounds it is actually 6.1 lbs. The doctor said that is a safe weight and will make delivery easier which is always a plus. They also did a non stress test on the baby to monitor the heart rate and things. This also came back very good so they sent me home to wait until the baby is ready. I will go back on Wednesday and she will make sure the baby is still doing well since it will be past my due date. The good news is that my mom will be here early Wednesday morning so she may get to be a part of everything. We have heard that there will be a government sanctioned strike on Monday and that vehicles are not allowed on the road so we are praying that I can avoid labor on Monday. They assured me that I can take an ambulance if I need to but I would rather avoid the whole situation:) So things are good and we are just waiting patiently... or not so patiently for the baby to make his/her move. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.

Jesus Revered

Rob is learning that in both Islam and Hinduism Jesus is highly revered. Our Shiva professor holds Jesus in the highest regard and believes he was a great man. He just cannot accept him as Lord. The same is true with the Muslim professor. Where do we go wrong in sharing Christ if people truly believe he lived as a great man but do not see Him as Savior? Rob and I are going to be studying more and more the uniqueness of Christ and how to share God's gift of grace with these people. Please pray for wisdom on how to share the truth with these seekers.
Today we also were able to meet with Kirubakkaran. He is a man who runs a ministry in a village about 6 hours from here. He saves babies which have been abandoned to die. He has been called several times to the hospital by nurses who have heard a witch doctor tell a family that they must kill their baby because the baby is cursed. Kirubakkaran comes and speaks with the family and encourages them to give the baby up for adoption rather than kill the baby like they were advised. In all he has saved over 170 children. I have been able to meet one of the little boys which was adopted by a local family. He is adorable. Kirubakkaran has a dream of opening an orphanage for over 1000 children. There are definitely this many children who need homes so this is a practical request. He struggles monthly to provide for these children but God always provides. Right now he is in the process of obtaining more land for this ministry. I am excited to see the way God will work through him. He is very humble and sweet. He does not know English so we must communicate through a translator. I hope to be able to visit his ministry and share pics when I am able to travel:) Please pray for his protection as he ministers in a tough area.
We also spent some time helping the Wrights prepare to go home. They leave tommorow evening so that will make things interesting. I will miss them a lot:( but I am glad that they get to go home with their families and rest.

Fun at the Beach

Today we had a business meeting with the area pastors. Rob was able to share out of I Samuel 15 about learning to obey God first and above all else. The pastors seemed to enjoy the discussion. I am glad for all of the opportunities we have had to learn more about the pastors and their families. Another pastor asked me today about creating support for the pastors wives and women leaders in the churches. I am very excited about this possibility for ministry. The women here have long needed some way to share about heir struggles and prayer needs. Please pray that God will continue to give discernment on how this ministry will develop.
Also, when Rob went to class today he invited Raja, the driver, and his two sons to come to the beach to play while Rob was in class. (Rob's classses are right across the street from a famous beach.) Raja was excited to be able to play with his kids and get ice cream while Rob was in class. Raja has been such a blessing to us since we came it was good to see his family have some fun as well. The kids practiced their English all the way back to the mission by telling Rob about their fun time on the beach.