We had another great VBS session today. The kids love teaching us Tegulu (the State language) vocabulary in exchange for their English counterparts. This is a great way to connect with the older classes (ages 12-14) who want to practice their English. They LOVE singing and hand motions! The whole team, especially the women (Kara, Danielle, Heather, Mary), are doing a great job engaging with all the kids!
Indian Wedding
Today we had the incredible privilege of attending an Indian wedding party for a friend of Saresh. The girls wore saris and the the guys wore our custom tailored Indian suits! We were a fine bunch, I must say. For 10-20 days before the wedding, both the bride and groom’s families host huge parties for hundreds of people! We attended the bride’s party on the day before the wedding. We enjoyed an amazing lunch, overwhelming hospitality, and a time of prayer for the bride.
Redlight
In the evening we visited Harvest India’s prostitute ministry in the nearby red-light district. The center provides food, medicine, and a chance to break away from the trade. The women shared an intimate time of prayer and encouragement.
A bit shorter on the post…sorry…we’ve all been a little sick and have been spending our time in the bathroom.
Hey all! Danielle here giving the post today Today was the first day of VBS at the orphanage home. Other children from the area were invited as well and we estimate that we had anywhere between 500-700 kids! It was so amazing to see their faces light up when we got there and just how excited they were to be able to have a break from school to sing, dance and just be kids. They sang these VBS songs that their teachers taught them as we got there. They were trying to get us to sing along, but all we could get out of it was la, la, la, VBS, something, something, something, Harvest India Home. Let’s just say the Hindi language isn’t something you just pick up! To start off Ryan and Niall led a few fun songs for the kids with hand motions which they thought were hilarious. I’m sure in their heads they are constantly saying, silly Americans! We also ad-libbed a skit about Joseph and prayed over the chilren. Each kid also got an activity book so we helped pass out crayons and pencils. One thing that really struck some of our team members was that these children didn’t even have enough crayons to go around-they had to have each grade use the crayon then pass it on to the other grades. In the US our kids have boxes and boxes of crayons and we constantly throw out the ones that are broken-these kids were so grateful just to have 1/2 a crayon! Just another one of those humbling moments to add to our list! After the first session Suresh showed us where the children have lunch and explained to us that VBS is like a mini vacation for these children. They work very hard to make a gourmet meal for all 500-700 children and to spoil them since some of these kids never get a break in life. Just another one of the amazing things that this ministry does-they do everything to the highest standard and make sure that no ministry is left untouched.
Unfortunately sickness has struck our team and Ryan, Niall and I have caught some sort of bug. Ryan and Niall were the worst, though, with fevers, chills and a long afternoon spent in the restroom and bed. We’ll spare you the details Please pray that we recover quickly and the rest of the team stays healthy. We don’t want to miss one ounce of what’s happening here!
Ryan and Niall slept through the afternoon while the rest went back for the second section of VBS. Without our two musicans we had to wing-it for the second half. We played a few songs, helped the chilren do some more pages in their books and then prayed over them again. Before we left we had a “hug station” where the children could come give us a hug if they wanted to before we went back. Imagine 500+ children running like a herd of buffalo towards us and us bracing ourselves to not be knocked over! Although it was so sweet to have all the little children just clinging to our legs, for me the most powerful part was connecting with the older high school age girls. They just patiently waited to give you a hug and you just saw the deep desire in their eyes to be unconditionally loved. They were some of the best hugs I have ever received.
After 30 minutes or so we headed over to one of the other old person’s homes that was started only a year ago. There were only 15 people living in this home-and by home I mean a three room cement block with a tiny kitchen no doors, no windows, and small cots for them to sleep on. To us it seemed unreal that people live like this but they explained that this home was like a luxury to them. If it were not for Harvest India these people would still be living in the BUS STATION-can you imagine 100 year old people living on the streets? It’s insane.
Tonight we had a much needed time off. Kara, Heather and I went with Christine, Suresh’s wife into town to shop! It was so crazy to see so many people all over the place and as Ryan has posted before, the driving is, well, unexplainable. We decided that tomorrow, instead of doing the second session of VBS us girls are going to revisit the Ashraya home and just pamper those girls. We bought some Henna and nail polish and are so excited to serve these women and help them to continue on their journey of restoration. We all spent a bit of time going over tomorrow’s VBS plans, but just really enjoyed spending some down time together as a team. We have already done so much here and it’s only Tuesday!
That’s what we did today…dipped our chicken in some yogurt…while eating on a banana leaf in the middle of the jungle. Yeah, dinner was awesome!
The day was awesome. Let’s start from the beginning.
Some chicken, rice, harboiled eggs, fruit, and a bunch of other stuff we couldn’t see in the dark
Orphanage
After a breakfast of potato crepes, hardboiled eggs, hand squeezed grape juice, and curry, we drove over to the Harvest India school and orphanage. This school houses mainly children whose families were lost in the Tsunami. The kids were so joyful and well behaved! The school has some of the highest marks in the state! All of the orphans are from the lowest caste systems. A few shared some of their stories. It was heartbreaking to see little boys and girls trying to choke back their tears and share how hard their life has been. Yet God has provided for them a new life with new possibilities.
Next we walked across the compound to visit Harvest India’s Ashraya Women’s Home. Harvest India buys women out of the sex trade and provides schooling and crafting for them to help them build an independent future. Many of these women are trafficked into prostitution, sold by their families or coerced into a life of prostitution at a young age. As we looked into their eyes, it was clear that they were still struggling with the emptiness and pain from their past and yet reconciling that with the truth that God values them more than they can imagine and offers them healing, hope, and dignity. This is one of the hardest ministries here because in Indian culture, prostitutes are “unclean.” Once they are deemed as such they live their life with a permanent stigma, leaving them feeling cast aside and forgotten. Women who aren’t virgins are seldom married (and about 50% of Indian marriages are arranged) and never open up about their past experience for fear of ruining their hope for the future. Harvest India helps to arrange marriages for these women in addition to providing them much needed medical care. In the Ashraya home, these women learn to make purses, pajama pants, and pillow cases in order to support themselves in another way. Unfortunately, since these products are made with “unclean” hands, no one in India will buy them. They depend on foreign visitors like us to support the work of their hands, and we’ve brought a bunch back which will be sold in the Cornerstone bookstore! This portion of the day was a highlight for Heather, who is excited to partner with the Ashraya Home with her business, Ransom Me, which aims to raise funds for programs that aid victims of sex trafficking.
Elderly Home
Driving for one hour in cramped SUV’s to an the elderly home was another experience in itself with oncoming trucks and buses playing truth or dare with our vehicle. When we arrived we were bombarded with flowers and hugs from the old people as they warmly greeted us in front of their home. The elderly in this home are forgotten by their families and have no place to go. All of us were choked up as we heard the stories of abandonment and then restoration as they come to this home to live out their final years with the care and compassion that only God can give. Many of them actually come to Christ in this home and these people become the prayer warriors that sustain Harvest in India.
Outreach Night
some of my handclappin’ pals
Saresh and one of the local pastors
We ended our day by heading out over bumpy dusty roads to a village where Harvest India has been ministering through different types of relief work. As we drove in we could hear beautiful native music and see lights in the distance. In the middle of what seemed like no where a portable sound system, lights and a stage were set up. When we arrived there were probably over 100 people (women sitting on the ground, men seated in the back, waiting for our teams. We were introduced to a local pastor, enjoyed more Indian praise songs with me distracting several beautiful kids in the front in a random clapping game(so many beautiful smiles). I was able to lead several worship songs as more and more people arrived to check out what was going on. Marty introduced Kara one of our team members to give her testimony which was a really big step of faith for her never having done it before. Kara did an amazing job supported in prayer by all of us, she will never be the same! Chris, one of the members of the Canadian group shared a message based on God’s love for women tied to a gospel presentation. Niall closed with an invitation to accept Christ with over 100 standing and praying to receive Jesus as their Savior. Harvest India will be following up in the village to be sure there is an understanding of who the one true God is and what that decision means to them and help discern between different types of decisions. We were all able to pray for dozens of villagers as the evening drew to a close. The work of the Holy Spirit was powerful in a small village in India last night. What a blessing to be able to be part of that!
Thanks for all your prayers and support. We’ve enjoyed reading your comments and sharing our experience with you guys! Tomorrow we start our VBS…which is gonna be amazing! The kids are so ecstactic…this is 3 days of holiday for them!
Church Service
Here is video update of our church service a few days ago.
Sat, 3:57am
So we just arrived at our hotel in Chennai, India after approx 30 hours of travel! Due to the time changes, we only spent 2 hours of Friday in Hong Kong before jumping ahead to Saturday. Crazy!
The aromas immediately thicken upon exiting the plane. The airport was crammed with people coming and going. We were definitely the odd ones out for a change. It definitely is humbling. I never really noticed how white I really am!
The taxi ride from to the Hotel was probably the craziest thing I have ever experienced. Let’s just say we all made sure we were right with God once we saw how the Taxi drivers maneuvered…but hey we made it! Let me tell you how invaluable car horns are…They saved our lives at least 3 times. And check out these sweet rides! I felt like Dick Tracy:
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The 30 minute drive to our hotel was our first chance to absorb our surroundings. The strangest, smallest, jerry-rigged automobiles cluttered the streets, along with pedestrians and the occasional cow. Even though it was early in the morning the city was alive. It was definitely a 3rd world environment. It broke my heart to see people sleeping in the gutters and the sidewalks…especially the elderly. They remained completely ignored by everyone except the large rats who could be seen rummaging through their blankets and belongings.
We met up with Saresh at the hotel and were greeted with big hugs. Culturally, you are not supposed to say “sorry” or “thank you”, or use your left hand to eat or greet. Additionally, our nods for “yes” and “no” mean the opposite so we are still figuring out how to interact, but hugs are okay! Oh yeah and men hold hands as a sign of friendship.
Saresh said he’s excited for us to be here partnering with Harvest India. He said India is a very dark place spiritually, with millions of different deities and gods worshipped. We are excited to see the amazing things Harvest India does!
We are all currently in our hotel rooms, trying to shake the time change (its 4 am Saturday here and 3:43pm Friday in Phoenix) and catch some sleep before our 6 hour train ride tomorrow at 1pm. Thank you all for your prayers! I’m not sure what what kind of internet access I will have after the train ride, but I’ll be blogging everyday and upload it all as soon as we have the opportunity!
So the Cornerstone India Team consists of: Marty and Mary McIntire, Danielle and Ryan Axtell, Kara Cox, Heather Nyhart, and Niall McSheffrey.
Our iternerary is as follows:
14-02-09 – Saturday Early Morning at 5:45 A.M. Arriving to Chennai by Cathy Pacific #631.
Afternoon at 1:30 P.M. leave to Tenali by Pinakini Express Train.
15-02-09 – Sunday at 11:00 A.M. Sunday Service at Local Church.
Evening at 5:00 P.M. visit to Mercy camp, Medical Center and Nursing Training Center.
Night at 8:00 P.M. Outreach Meeting at Peddalanka.
16-02-09 – Monday at 10:00 A.M. Visit to HI Orphanage & School, Vision Center (Bible College),
Ashraya Building (Former Prostitutes Project) and Hiv/Aids Awareness Camp at HI Campus,
after visit to our new Dalith School Construction.
Evening at 5:30 P.M. Drinking Water Well Dedication at Betasthapuram.
17-02-09 – Tuesday at 10:00 A.M. First day of VBS Program at HI Campus
Afternoon VBS Section at 3:00 P.M to 5:00 P.M.
18-02-09 – Wednesday at 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Second Day of VBS
Afternoon VBS Section at 3:00 P.M to 5:00 P.M.
Evening at 5:20 P.M. visit to Red-Light area at Tenali.
19-02-09 – Thursday at 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Third Day of VBS.
Afternoon Final VBS Section at 3:00 P.M., after VBS Big Rally from HI Campus to Vadlamudi.
7. 20-02-09 – Friday at 9:00 A.M. Medical Camp at Peddalanka, after visit to one of our Elderly Home at
Teppalakatta. Afternoon at 2:30 P.M. Leave back to Chennai by Janashabdi Exp.
8. 21-02-09 – Saturday Early Morning at 3:15 A.M. Fly back to Home by Cathy Pacific #632
We leave tomorrow morning around 7am…Excited!! Keep us in your prayers and check in with us daily! Its gonna be a diverse and crazy trip!
Cornerstone is getting ready to send a team down to Tenali, India (in the Guntur District) and this will be the place for you to stay up to date with what we are doing! Please feel free to pass this link on to friends and family and check back for pictures, videos, and journal entries during our visit! We will be working with Dr. Saresh and Harvest India
