2011 PICTURES OF SPONSORED CHILDREN

The cards from the children with their new pictures should be ready to mail soon. Peggy had knee surgery when the team returned from India and is still taking physical therapy several times a week.
She is doing fine, but has been unable to climb upstairs to her computer room, so the sorting and printing of pictures is running late.

TSUNAMI BAPTIST CHURCH EYE CLINIC

First off I had better explain about the name of the place where our
eye clinic was conducted on Monday. The same tsunami that devastated
Banda Aceh, Indonesia, also sent some of its destruction, though less
destructive, on to India and several other nations. Soon after the
tsunami, Pastor Joshua informed me of a great need of the fishing
villages along the east coast of India located on the Bay of Bengal.
Many of them had their nets and boats destroyed thus wiping out their
means of living. I flew to India with some funds for replenishing the
fishing net needs of some of the fishing villages. One village was so
struck by this gesture of love, and realizing it was because of the
love of Christ that motivated this help, that village immediately said
they wanted a Christian Baptist church in their village. In fact, while
there that week, land was donated and we broke ground to construct what
would be named the Tsunami Baptist Church. Since that time, the one
room church building has been completed with windows, lights, and
overhead fans. A small attached building is the home of the pastor and
his wife.

Today we tried to get started earlier than on Saturday to get the job
completed early and so that the team would not be so tired. We did, in
fact, get started earlier (a little after 11am) and got to the church
about 12:30. We had to stop at one point in the journey and get out and
test the small stream that was running across the dirt road to see if
our vehicle might make it. IT DID, and so we got on to the church.

Things went wonderfully smooth with the help of the local pastor as he
did crowd control which can sometimes be a problem. Since it looked
like from a roster the pastor had developed that we would finish early,
we decided to work right on through without a formal break. We ended
up seeing 40 patients at this clinic and were surprised at the final
results. We had 14 who accepted Christ and 12 who had previously become
Christians agreeing to follow through with their baptism. The
explanation as to why we had so many decisions in this clinic ( a
relatively new church) as compared with the church where the clinic was
held before has to do with people who are born to a Christian family
assuming that they are automatically Christians (sort of like in the
U.S.!) The previous church had been a long established church and had
several generations of Christians in it. This 2nd clinic with 40
patients had twice as many salivations as the first church where we saw
77 patients. I expect you will see an even greater disparity in the
clinic we see on Tuesday as that church has been established for over
100 years. However, we rejoice when there is 1 salvation or 100!

After seeing the last patient at our Monday clinic, 2 of our team
members had never seen the Bay of Bengal so we decided to take a short
tour (that became a detour) and get over to a fishing village.
The problem we ran into, though, was that many of the small dirt roads
has washed out due to the cyclones. We had to turn around or get onto
other roads a few times before we finally made it. The sun went down
before we arrived but there was enough light to see small boats off
shore fishing. And the two ladies who had never been there before were
able to dip their feet into the Bay of Bengal.

Then it was back “home” and the ladies were off to a little late night
shopping. When they got back home, we had a meal of Tandoori chicken
and bryani and then to bed and to sleep knowing that we would be
getting up to a long ride again. To the next clinic.

From Mel on Mission for the Lord in India

Mel’s short epistle from India, January 2011

Greetings from Ongole in Southeast India near the Bay of Bengal. After
a day of recuperation from traveling and jet-lag, we started our first
day of eye clinics in a village that has an established Baptist Church.
Their present pastor I have known for several years as he was an
evangelist previously working with Paul Joshua the Indian founder and
India connection of our Hands of Compassion. This pastor’s name is Ravi
and he is married and has 2 small children. Fortunately for us, he
speaks English well and was very easy to work with.
Our eye clinic was set up with 4 stations inside the one-room church
building that had 2 doors: a reception table, the examining doctor
area, the evangelism witnessing area, and the eye glass fitting area.
Things moved along smoothly most of the time. All of the patients were
seated outside in a tent that was set up for that purpose. We then
called them into the building 3 or 4 at a time to start moving through
the process.
After a few hours, we took a half hour break and then continued through
the rest of the afternoon until dark. We were able to process 77
patients. There were 7 salivations and 9 who had previously accepted
Christ who committed to follow through with baptism. One special joy
for me was that 3 of the patients who came through the clinic were
believers whom I had baptized 10 years ago. All in all, this has been
a very successful, though tiring day.
On Sunday we traveled two and one-half hours to the location of our 2nd
boarding home as well as our old folks home. We were late in arriving
as 2 cyclones this past year had pretty well torn up the roads. The
church folks in this village had been waiting for us for more than 2
hours. This small, one room church was packed with worshipers sitting
on the floor—probably 200 or so. Due to our late arrival and other
obligations we had with our boarding home children that afternoon
before dark, t he service was not as long after we arrived as it
usually was. Then we retired to the old folks home (just next door—a
short walk) and had a chicken curry meal with rice—very tasty and spicy.
Next came our time with our boarding children. As of this visit, we
have 50 of them at this location. Our time included taking photos of
each of them for those who are sponsored, telling Bible stories and
working a craft that went along with the story, passing our “goodies”
that we had brought for them (pencils, erasers, toothbrushes,
toothpaste, stickers, bracelets, and other school supplies). They were,
needless to say, very happy and excited. There were also “neon”
bracelets that light up when crushed that stay lit for about a day. You
have no idea how meaningful these small items are for these children.
And silly bands are a brand new item here!
We distributed any of the above items that were appropriate for our
elderly women who were sitting on the sidelines observing all this
activity as we were sitting in their court yard carrying out all this
action.
Then we came back “home’ after dark—except now with same bad road but
complicated by the large cargo trucks (called lorries) and they never
dim their lights. In one area, we followed right behind a large lorry
and when it would go into a hole in the road, the bumper would
disappear out of sight right before us only to rise again as the truck
came out of the hole. NOT your normal potholes.
We got back to our longed for beds between 11 and midnight.
Now, today (Monday) is another story—that has not yet been lived nor
written.
Mel on Mission for the Lord. (Monday morning)

Mel Gentry writes about the fire at Pearl’s Home in Santhamagular, India

On Sunday evening, Feb. 13, all of the children in Pearl’s Home, the Hands of Compassion boarding home in the village, were at church when a fire started in one of the 2 buildings in that complex. The one-story building had a thatched roof that had been there for a long time and was extremely dry. Apparently the fire started from a power surge and the building was quickly engulfed in flames and destroyed.

Praise the Lord there were no children in the building. However, three bicycles that the children used to go to school, several schoolbooks, and their stainless eating plates were destroyed.

The caretaker’s quarters are in a two-story building located directly behind the burning building and was saved as a portion of a thatched overhang caught fire and they were able to cut some rope attaching it to the building so that the thatch fell away resulting in the second building being saved.

Most of the children are now sleeping in the two-story building and some who live nearby have returned to sleep at home but return during the day to be a part of the ongoing program that includes special tutoring for them. Food is cooked outdoors over an open fire.

Plans are already underway to replace the lost building with a more functional one that will better meet the needs of the 45 or so children in the home. A “Rebuilding Fund” has already been started and a number of checks have been received and these funds will go to India the first week in April when Mel is there.

Your prayers are greatly appreciated.

From Myrtle

Been thinking about India, so many amazing things to remember. Late one afternoon we took a drive of about an hour to the Bay of Bengal. We parked near a fishing village and walked down to the beach. Of course Peggy and I took off our sandals and waded in the warm water.
Because it was so dark we saw so many more stars than are visible here in Florida, it was very beautiful. As we stood on the beach looking up to that inky black sky, it was like watching God turn on the stars one by one. There is no way to photograph something like that, but it is one of those memories that will stay in my mind.
We will be leaving in just 19 days, time to start thinking of what to pack, have to keep the suitcase weight down, overweight charges are high on the Indian airlines.
Our flight to Newark will be about 3 hours, we have a 4 hour layover, then the 14 1/2 hour flight to Delhi. We arrive late evening, hope for a good nights rest before we fly to Chennai and are met by Minnu Joshua for the 5 hour drive to Ongole. This adds up to more than 30 hours travel time (counting the 4 hours in Newark). India time is 10 1/2 hours ahead of EST. Makes me tired just thinking about all of the travel, but then I think of seeing the Joshua family and the children and it is worth it all.
The next blogs will be from India, if their computer is working and the inter net is not down.

From Myrtle

Happy Children

Cooking rice for childrens dinner

As we prepare for the January trip to India I keep thinking of  so many wonderful memories of the trip this past February.

 Our trip to visit Pearl’s Home in the village of Santamagular was very interesting.  The roads and the traffic were frightening, people drive fast, pass when there is no open road ahead, I was sure we were going to meet a big truck head on or run over an ox cart or herd of water buffalo or someone on a bike with a loaded cart or a tractor or, well the list goes on. I kept a vision of a whole host of angels hovering over the car, and I prayed a lot. We did arrive safely and were welcomed by everyone.  We visited with the children, the Joshua couple who are caretakers of the home as well as the old ladies in Maggie Home.   I remember that my feet were so swollen, one of the old ladies was sitting on the ground beside my chair, she massaged by feet and ankles for about 20 minutes.  It was such a loving thing to do.

Peggy took pictures of each child for their sponsors and we all took lots of photos of the homes and the village area. We had a sharing time when each of us told something about ourselves, why we were there etc., and then the children sang for us. The children were given small gifts of a lollypop, a pencil and the girls were given a hair ribbon.

At the end of the evening we were treated to a   nice meal.  We had just sat down at the table when the lights went out, a common occurrence in a village.  When the lights go out in a village in India it is VERY DARK.  But, what a surprise when 2 people used their cell phones to give enough light to find a lantern!

I am looking forward to more adventures in January.

Transportation

Wedding bells in India

We are excited to learn that Minnu Joshua was married on Saturday, November 28.  He is the oldest son of Muriel Joshua. She and the late Paul Joshua  began the Hands of Compassion work in India.  Minnu has taken a 6 month leave from his job in Chennai and is helping his mother with the  operation of the boarding homes.

This was an arranged marriage, as is the custom in India.  When we were in Ongole in February I asked Minnu if he would want to meet his bride before the wedding ceremony,  he said no, he would not,   but at that time there were no wedding plans in his future.      We will post pictures and info about the wedding when we receive them from India.  We look forward to meeting the new bride  in January.

Mel Gentry, Tom and Peggy Nixon and Myrtle Seaver have completed plans for the mission trip to India leaving on January 19.  This is a time to visit with the Joshua family, encourage the workers, interact with the children, assess needs for the coming year, take pictures of the children for their sponsors,  and visit village churches while enjoying the hospitality of the Joshua family. This will be a very busy week, much to see and do.  Each board member pays for their own trip expenses, no HOCI funds are used for these trips.

From Myrtle Seaver on 11/3/09

Yes, a new blog entry!  So much has happened since  our return from India in March, I will try to catch up with some new information as well as some memories of the mission trip.  I was very, very ill when I returned, it took some time to recover completely……but not only am I well and healthy now, I am thinking of returning to India in January for the 2010 mission trip!   This is still a matter of much prayer, but in the meantime I am going ahead with preparations such as a visa, tickets, a much needed new suitcase, and all of the things that need to be acted on well ahead of time. 

Tom and Peggy Nixon (and I) plan to leave on January 19, Peggy has booked Sky Mile tickets for the 3 of us, and this is a big savings since we each pay our own expenses for the mission trips.  Mel Gentry had knee replacement surgery on  10/6 and has not booked his flights yet, but of course he plans to go.  I look forward to seeing the Joshua family and all of the children, the ladies in the Old Folks Home as well as the workers in the homes.    Also looking forward to the sweet, rich buffalo milk chai (tea) that Murial Joshua makes for us several times each day, not low calorie but  so delicious.

I am part of the Piecemaker Quilters of Westview Baptist Church here in Sanford; our group is making bedcovers for the 10 ladies in Maggie Old Folks Home. We have pieced the colorful tops adding only a piece of muslin in place of batting since the weather is mostly hot in South India.  They will be machine quilted to make them more durable; laundry is done differently in India.

This photo was taken at the very end of my tour, I was really sick the last 3 days in India, and the long flight home was a nightmare.  And yet I do want to go back again, taking lots of precautions, the most important one is that I will be with my family the whole time, no tour group for me in 2010.

Update post-India

Most of you know that our India team has returned safely, and here are a few updates during and post-trip. 

Myrtle wrote on Feb 26:

Our days have been long and busy, so much to see and do. We went to the Sunami Church in a village in the middle of nowhere and had a church service. Mel preached and Tony interpreted. It was a small block church with a metal roof, there was electricity and  2 ceiling fans (most welcome) as well as 2 florescent tube lights on the wall. There were many geckos on the walls to keep the bug population in check. We each gave a little talk to introduce ourselves, and while every sits on the floor on a plastic tarp, we had chairs. After the service each person came up to us with one word “PRAY.” we put our right hand on their head, prayed for them, always ending with “in the name of Jesus Christ, amen” and then the next child, young person or old lady would be asking for “pray.” They seem to think that God will listen to our prayers more than theirs because we came from far, far away. It’s 11 am, time for breakfast, lunch is at 3 or so, dinner about 9:30 or 10 pm. 

Tom and Peggy returned safely after their tour to the deserts of Rajastan, and Myrtle followed not so safely, about 5 days later. She was also on a tour, but fell ill during the final days. When she arrived at the airport in Orlando, she had to be taken directly to Florida hospital, where she stayed for about 5 days. She is back home now, and is recovering very well. Still a little weak, but getting stronger by the day and will soon be back to her normal energetic self. In spite of her illness, she had a fantastic time in India, and talks of it all the time. Keep her in your prayers as she continues to improve.

 

Sara Nixon

Communications, Hands of Compassion International

Excerpts from Peggy’s e-mail, March 3, Rajastan, India

Peggy and Tom have moved on from their time with the Joshua’s in Ongole, and our now touring the desert area of Rajastan. Here are a few excerpts from Peggy’s most recent e-mail:

We had a wonderful time with the Joshua’s. One evening, Muriel, Nori, Minnu, Vejay (the driver), Myrtle, Tom and I went to the Bay of Bengal. We left about 6:00 (were to leave no later than 5:00) and got to the sea about dusk. The drive was through lots of little villages and took about 1 and half hours, due to the people, cows, water buffalos, auto-rickshaws, carts, and everything else on the road. People were finishing in the fields for the day and headed home. The beach has raft fishing boats pulled up on shore, which are about 15-20 feet long and 3-4 ft wide, flattened logs tied together and curving up on the ends. They had nets piled on them. Further down the shore were the boats with motors. When the tsunami came, the raft boats were replaced with the motor boats. We took off our sandals and stood in the sea, it was very warm and the waves gentle. We stood there as dusk turned to dark and the stars came out. It is so dark there and we saw more stars than we ever see at home. We had some cookies and soda, and then when we were ready to go back up to the road, we realized we had left all our flashlights in the car. Vejay, Minnu and Muriel lit our path with cell phones…

…We went out to Santamagulur and took pictures of the kids, they are so sweet. There was an old lady sitting in one of the rooms rocking her grandchild/great grandchild to sleep.  She had a sari tied between the legs of her cot and had tucked the baby in there and was swinging him/her back and forth.  He had one little leg hung over the side of the sari and finally she slowed her swinging as he fell asleep….

…We are in Gadjer now, which is very beautiful. We will go walking/exploring as soon as I am done here.  There are camels everywhere, they are pulling carts and we have seen some small groups of them just standing on the side of the road. I guess they are free-range camels We are at the edge of the desert, though where we are staying looks like an oasis. The wind blows the sand just like in the movies. I can’t imagine living here. In the summer is is 130 degrees…

Stay tuned for more from Tom, Peggy and Myrtle. Myrtle is on a different tour than Tom and Peggy are, and I will post more as soon as I hear from them again.

Sara Nixon

HOCI Communications