Sorry for lack of communication, but internet in India is hard to come by, especially at a time when the electricity is actually working.
The past week has been so amazing and gone by so quickly.
I’ll try to give you as many details as I can before the power cuts out again :).
We arrived Monday night late and drove about 30 minutes to the Orphanage, where we would stay for the next 3 weeks.
That night some of the orphans were still up because it was so hot and greeted us with smiles.
It was so late that us girls slept in the empty prayer room on the floor.
By morning we were eaten alive by fleas and mosquitos, so opted to sleep in our tents outside the rest of our stay.
I awoke that morning to the children at 6am singing “Father, I Adore You.”
I can’t think of a better way to wake up than hear 80 orphans singing and praising God at the top of their lungs!
Let me tell you a little bit about the life of the kids in the orphanage.
Not too long ago there were 360 plus orphans here.
However, due to recent persecution of the president of the organization (who was recently released from 39 days in prison, put there for
the fact he is converting kids from their birth religion), many of the kids were picked up by friend or family or sent away because of lack of food.
Now an orphan in India does not always mean he/she has no parents.
They are the kids that are sent away because of lack of money or are plainly not wanted.
Many of the girls come to learn English to give them hope for a future, otherwise they will most likely be sold into the sex trade.
The 80 kids, 16 girls and 64 boys, remaining were ones that had no one to pick them up.
Everyday these kids (from 3 to 16) wake up early to face conditions of a dusty heat.
While I have been here during the afternoon some days have gotten past 120F!
They sleep in rooms without air conditioning or nets to protect them from the fleas or mosquitos.
Many of them are suffering from lice (Kim L has done a great job of treating it!) and scabbies.
They hardly ever get a bath and wear the same tattered clothes each day.
Meals of rice are about all they get and water is so sparse that 2 weeks ago 13 kids went to the hospital for dehydration. They never even get a cold drink.
I find myself complaining about the heat and lack of cool drinks, but then realize I’m here for 3 weeks, these kids live this!!!
We each have projects at the orphanage.
I chose to work with Meagan (my old buddy from Mexico who was with us filming) on a film project.
She was given the task to interview all 80 kids on video to help find supporters for each one.
This task, which we finally finished today, was long but rewarding.
It was incredible to sit down with each kid and find out about his/her life.
When we asked the kids “what do you want to be when you grow up,” many of them say pastors or evangelists or missionaries.
Their love of God is apparent through their lives and actions daily.
God is truly taking these kids in a situation where they could have no hope, and giving them joy and hope in salvation and in Christ!
Many others have been working arduously to paint the rooms and liven up the kids lives, treat lice and scabbies, give haircuts, teach English, math, and reading, do crafts, play games, and clean out the storeroom.
God has blessed us to be able to love on these kids in so many ways.
In addition to our jobs, we have been assigned 3 kids to be “special friends” with for the 3 weeks we are here.
One of the things these kids desire the most is for us to know their names.
It means so much to them when you call them each by name.
I love to tell them that they have a God that knows them by name!
I have been assigned 3 of the cutest, shiest little boys named Deepak, Zamjelam, and Sugrive.
They can’t speak a lick of English, but smile at me every moment they get.
We have played some futbol and other games.
I wish I could take each one home with me.
They are that precious!
Today we came into town to treat the kids to something extremely special…Pizza Hut!
Half of them are coming today (the girls and little
boys) and the other half tomorrow.
Many of them have not been off the property of the orphanage since it opened 3 years ago!
We all get to eat with our special friends.
I can’t wait to see the look on Deepak, Zamjelam, and Sugrives’ faces when they walk into Pizza Hut and get a pizza, breadsticks, and cold drink!
God’s children in India are beautiful.
These kids here are serving the Lord diligently and finding their joy in Him!
What an encouragement it is to my faith to give all I have for the sake of the Lord!
It is going to be hard to leave this place!
