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.