tahneerobyn

nursing : indian style

2011-06-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

on sabbatical...reflections on the year thus far part two

there have been numerous occasions over the past five months where my nursing efforts have been somewhat unconventional. here is one.

living in a rural area of a country whose medical resources leave much to be desired, it was never going to be the same as my cosy little graduate year at flinders medical centre.

out of nowhere would come nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headaches, fainting, fevers, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, lethargy. sometimes the symptoms would last for 24 hours. some a few days. there were times when the viruses were spreading so fast, the term 'dropping like flies' demonstrated it's true meaning.

the worst of this scenario is when one, or both, of our little twins - shavani and saloni - would catch something. the now 15-month-old girls were severely malnourished when they first arrived on the farm a year ago. they have spent their first year fighting numerous infections and setbacks but are now well on their way to being thriving, walking, talking little toddlers.

i remember one evening finding out that shavani, the older twin, had been sick for most of the afternoon. she had a fever above 39* and had been brought into one of the only bedrooms on the farm that have air conditioning, and failing electricity, at least have the capacity to run the fans and lights.

as 'the nurse' it was my job to share my bed with shavani, constantly feeding her, changing her nappies, checking her temperature, giving her medications and nebulisers, and trying to get her some sleep. twice that night i ended up having to fully shower her off and change our bed sheets, post-vomit.

this went on for a couple of nights, with the older girls taking over her care during the days when more help was readily available. but night shift was just me and my baby-patient. i really didn't sleep much during those nights, but the desperation to make sure my baby was breathing, hydrated and keeping her temperatures below 40* ruled sleep out as one of life's common necessities.

needless to say, i have the utmost admiration for mothers and their newborns, and likewise, parents who have literally been 'up all night' with their own sick offspring.

moments that make it all worth while

2011-06-28T05:44:00.000-07:00

on sabbatical...reflections on the year thus far

around easter time, as i was taking the nursery kids sunday school lesson where jesus ascends to heaven, we started by learning how to say 'goodbye' in different languages

when we came to the end of the bible story, i asked the 3-8 year olds what jesus would have said to his disciples when it was time for him to leave them

the answer was a resounding 'SAYONARA!'

it always amuses me how cute the little ones are when they are sick

one evening i was looking after four-year-old kevin

it was just after dinner and i his temperature was 39.2*

the conversation of me trying to figure out what was wrong went something like this

nurse tahnee : 'kevin, is your head paining?'

kevin the patient : 'no. i have fever.'

nurse tahnee : 'yes, you do. is your tummy paining?'

kevin the patient : 'no... my tummy is full.'

elephants in the jungle

2011-05-17T00:43:00.000-07:00

last night, in an an attempt to finally see some elephants before they move on to greener pastures, literally, we went to the plot. me, my didi (big sister) filly and her daughter eddu, my mummi saru (filly's mother-in-law), her youngest son rodney, and aunty esther and her son micah.

the electricity had gone off and i was over at filly's when her husband (my jija) eugene phoned to say the elephants had come back to graze through the harvested pastures for whatever skeric of nutrients they could find. he was already there with their two youngest daugthers, eli and angel and their house-helper ashvani, as well as sunny - one of the farm boys, and the guards that work at the plot, protecting the crops.

i ran to get my camera and mozzie spray and off we went, all seven of us perched upon a 5103 john deer tractor. through the taru village, across one dry and one almost dry riverbeds, through the jungle and into the plot. it was bumpy, to say the least. but we had a lot of fun.

while we did see elephants that night - only 20-40m away grazing through the harvested crops, the reality of their strength and brutality was felt only by one of the workers. as we had been on our way, he had decided he was too drunk to stay at work, and set off for home.

for some reason, partly due to his alcohol consumption but also just his general nature, he decided to chase the elephants that were grazing along the boundary. he was on foot and throwing things at them. at some point, he fell. no one really knows what happened next, but at this stage it seems like the one of the elephants intentionally or accidentally stamped on his chest.

he was brought back to the small straw hut and as he muttered the story about being trodden on, no one was sure what quite to believe. but the boys emptied the straw out of one of the tractor-trolleys, hooked it up, transferred him in and off we all went back to the farm.

in the car on the way to the hospital, he pleaded with the men not to let him die. despite all the promises that they so desperately wanted to believe, there was nothing they could do. before they reached the nearest hospital, 20 minutes away, uncle naresh breathed his last and was pronounced dead on arrival.

today is a sombre day. one of sadness. lessons. post-mortems. disbelief.

a day that makes me realise life in india is not only hard, not only a struggle, but a huge risk.

we live off the land. but we have taken the land from some very big and powerful creatures. respect for nature has taken on a new meaning.

seeing the elephants was pretty surreal. and an experience i'm sure i'll look back on and be thankful for.

but knowing a man died a relatively slow and rather painful death right before my eyes - where even as a nurse, i could do nothing; and as a woman, i could do even less - has hung heavy on my heart today.

it's about time...x

2011-04-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

It’s taken a cold, a bout of gastro and 2 migraines in as many days to tie me to my bed… so, Namaste! It’s been a while and needless to say I am very much ‘into’ life here in India.

More than ever, I am being called upon as the ‘Camp Nurse’. Just tonight, Job came in with blood pouring from his head, after the small boys thought it was a good idea to throw mud, and then rocks at each other. Apart from that, plenty of accidents to attend to when the hostel boys are cutting grass or falling off their motorbikes.

My 3 little ones started school this week as the new school year began. I was a little lost, to say the least, on Monday morning without my playmates, and dread to think what it will be like when the children are my own!

Had a moment sightseeing another of the mission properties this week, and made a detour a little higher into the foothills of the Himalayas and a little closer to Nepal to see a magnificent glacial-fed river that marks the border between the two countries. A very peaceful and breathtaking morning drive.

It’s definitely starting to heat up, the electricity stays off for a lot more of the day and being a hydro-electric system, we often run out of water.

Aside from taking the Youth Meeting every second week and the Nursery Sunday School and Small Girls Bible Study, I have had some great conversations with the young adults around the farm and God has provided me with amazing ministry opportunities.

back to being mother tahnesa

2011-02-14T22:00:00.000-08:00

When i returned from my first trip to India in September, my brother welcomed me home as Mother Tahnesa.

By virtue of the time I spent in India, the comparison to - the now beatified Blessed Teresa of Calcutta - but more commonly known Mother Teresa, seems a little far fetching. Herself, a citizen of India, founder of the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata and winner of numerous awards and recognitions for her humanitarian work including the 1979 Nobel Peace prize.

And as for me, I live within the life of the Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission, home for destitute and orphaned children in Northern India and Nepal. The work I do in cooking, playing and spiritual teaching does not feel like a world saving contribution, however as Mother Teresa came up in our dinner conversations this week, I was particularly encouraged by one of her most famous quotes,

if you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one.

In cooking for the staff and volunteers, playing with the nursery kids, taking small girls Bible Study, teaching the weekly Youth Group and simply spending time with the older girls, I take heart in knowing that I am either impacting each of these people's lives or allowing them to do work which I can not do, and thereby allowing them to further impact others.

It is a truly humbling experience. Last night as I sat on my bed reading Psalm 100, I was reassured that it is because I know I am working for my God that I am able to do this work, that I have received such generous support and that I have gone from my home under blessings.

Particularly verses 4-5 which read,

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.

For the LORD is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.

I am confident in what I am doing, because I know the work is of and for God. And He is good.

birthdays ... india ... me ...

2011-02-04T06:26:00.000-08:00

im back!

today is my 24th birthday, yippee!

and in 3 days, i'm getting back on a plane to india.

at this stage, i have a visa until december and have plans for a few months out in europe.

i've got some baby sitting lined up in northern ireland. a dressmakers blank canvas in england. maid of honouring a wedding in switzerland. translator and tour guide barbie to my parents through germany.

and a year full of adventures in an orphanage laying at the foot of the himalayas.

how wonderful. how exciting. how strange. how huge. how fulfilling. how ... life!

it's been a wonderful journey to this point, and it's only going to get better.

so - stay tuned!xx

God on a cross - to live is Christ

2010-09-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

Paul starts chapter 2 challenging the Philippians to think about the encouragement they get from being a part of God’s family; the comfort they receive from God’s love for them in Christ; the fellowship they have together because they are one in the Spirit; the nature of their hearts.

In making the Philippians realise how blessed they are as part of the body of Christ, and reminding them of the promise which occurs later in verse 16 that they will be together with Christ when He comes again, Paul encourages them to live like Christ.

In verse 2, he lists the first three things in this chapter that characterise living like Christ, both within our own lives, and for the sake of the community of Christians that we live with.

1. Agree wholeheartedly with one another;

2. Love one another; and

3. Work together with one mind and purpose.

Essentially Paul is telling the Philippians that their community should be characterised by unity of mind and love. The reason this is possible for Christians is because we are working in the power of the Spirit and for the same Spirit.

The Philippians should get along with one another. They should love one another and they should work together, working toward the same goal. We can easily replace ‘Philippians’ with our own names and work to live as Paul is instructing.

Verse 3 goes on to remind the Philippians two things, which they shouldn’t be doing, actions and attitudes, which don’t reflect Christ’s likeness.

1. Don’t be selfish; and

2. Don’t try to impress others.

As humans, people who since the time of Adam and Eve have lived in a world of sin, our sinful nature is easily selfish and tries to impress others. But these attitudes and actions work against unity within a community of believers.

Instead, Paul gives the command to do exactly the opposite of these, saying

1. Be humble; and

2. Think of others as better than yourselves.

As Christians, we need to learn to live like Christ lived as a human being, God here with us on earth. Caring for the needs of others should be our number one priority. And the only way we can care for others the way Christ did is to humble ourselves. So these go hand-in-hand. Being humble is realising that you are merely human, not God the Creator, not in control, and placing your life in His hands, trusting in His power. In saying this, it is important not to underestimate your worth. Humility is a proper view of yourself, your worth as a child of God, knowing your strengths and weaknesses and living in the light of God’s glory, and not your own. Just as we need to have a proper view of ourselves, in serving others, we need to have a proper view of them. We shouldn’t think they are better than us, but simply to show them Christ’s love through serving them.

Serving others in humility acts to eliminate selfishness and trying to impress others, as with the right heart, you cannot be both humble and selfish; and you cannot serve others in love and be trying to impress them at the same time.

Verse 4 reminds the Philippians to not only look out for their own needs, but also to be mindful of others and their needs.

Putting others needs before your own, thinking that someone else’s needs are more important than yours, is showing the same love to them that God has shown to you. This is having the mind of Christ.

Verse 5 clearly states

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

This is then explained in verses 6 to 8.

Jesus put aside His place as the Son of God, being equal with God, and humbled Himself, becoming a servant and being born into human life. In His human life, He then humbled Himself even further and, out of obedience to God, died on a cross, labelled as a criminal.

For God to become human is in itself a big deal.

If we compare it to the Hindu caste system, it would be more dramatic than someone from the highest caste becoming someone from the lowest caste.

But not only did He leave His throne as Son of the triune God, He then lowered Himself further to submit to death on a cross, which in those days was only used for the worst of criminals, the lowest of slaves. He suffered a cruel and humiliating death, for the salvation of the ones He loves. Us.

Jesus really is the perfect example of true humility. He is the ultimate picture of self-sacrificing love to which He is calling us.

Verses 9 to 11 go on to explain the reward given to Christ Jesus for His obedience to God the Father. In His death, He was elevated to the highest place. He is the sovereign Lord over the entire universe. King of Kings. Lord of Lords. Before whom every knee will bow, finally recognising Jesus’ authority and confess that He is Lord.

Jesus was born human, died on a cross, and exalted to the highest place, all to the glory of God the Father. This shows that God honoured the way Jesus lived. He agreed with it. He wants us to use it as our example, our map, our manual on how to live for Him.

And so, to live a life that is genuinely in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we must be regularly transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Verse 12 goes on to say that as a community of believers, we must show the effects of our faith in God and our obedience to live according to Jesus’ example, in order to humbly display our salvation to non-believers.

Living in this way, being humble, serving others and having a oneness as a community of believers ultimately leads to both personal and mutual joy.

Because we do live in a fallen and sinful world, it is reasonable to wonder how we can manage to live like Christ, how can we ever attain this joy?

Verse 13 encourages and inspires us by reminding us that God is working in us, giving us the desire to please Him and along with this, the power to do so.

Power over our hearts; our minds; our tongues; our actions. With God at work in us, our whole lives can honour and serve to glorify Him. This doesn’t mean we can sit back, relax and wait for God to make us more like Him. Rather, because God is at work in us, we are able to work to become more like Him.

Our actions will change as our minds change. As it says in Romans 12 v 1-2 beginning with a mind that in transformed by the Spirit, leaving behind the worldly way of thinking and taking on the character of God which we see in Jesus, we will be able to know God’s will – what is good, pleasing and perfect in His eyes.

In saying this, God isn’t just trying to please Himself either. God is pure love. And so what pleases Him is pure love. And out of pure love, what pleases us pleases Him. And so in God pleasing Himself, He is inturn pleasing us.

In verses 14 and 15, Paul goes on to remind the Philippians of the place and role of their Christian community in the wider world. He tells them not to complain or argue, and not to do anything that will allow others to criticise you. Instead they, and of course we, should live clean and innocent lives as children of God, so that we may shine like stars in the darkness of the crooked and perverse world we live in.

In living the life that Jesus gave us as an example, and by sharing the gospel, when Christ comes again, we will know that our life has not been lived for no reason, we will know that we lived with and for a higher purpose. That, as it says in verses 16 to 18, we should rejoice and share in joy!

True joy isn’t something we feel and it isn’t affected by outward circumstances. It is something we do. With true faith and a right perspective, basing our lives on the unshakable foundation of the work of Christ, we have joy.

God’s own character has been revealed in Jesus’ life. Through His children, it is reflected to the world as we live in His likeness. Only in His likeness should we share the Gospel and only in living completely for Him, in mind, body, soul, and in our words, thoughts and actions will we ever experience true joy.

encourage, teach, correct...

2010-09-01T04:10:00.000-07:00

1 Thessalonians is a letter of encouragement, correction and teaching written by Paul, Silas and Timothy to the Christians in Thessalonica.

In this time, it was really hard to follow Jesus. The Jews were against the Christian believers and tried everything they could think of to stop them from following Jesus. These new Christians needed help and Paul really wanted to encourage them, so he wrote them this letter to encourage them in their faith.

Tonight we will look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 which in essence says

Be encouraged! Your faith shines out. God has worked in your life.

We will also look at chapter 4 where Paul teaches the Christians in Thessalonica more about how to live and chapter 5 where Paul corrects their wrong ideas about when Jesus will come again.

As I spoke about a few weeks ago, I found it really hard to live for God and trust that He was in control of my life when I was really sick with depression and anxiety.

But during this time, I was encouraged in my faith through Christian friends and relatives spending time with me, caring for me and praying for me. I also held on to the promises God makes to us in the Bible that He has a plan and purpose for our lives, and as it says in Romans 8 v 28 that

In all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

I wonder how you suffer for Jesus? What sacrifices have you made in your life to live for Him? When do you find it hard to be a Christian?

The letters in the New Testament can encourage Christians today in the same way they encouraged the Christians who received the letters. Encouraged to carry on even when Christian life is hard.

Remember that Christians have always suffered for Jesus and Jesus has always helped them to carry on.

In 1 Thessalonians 1, Paul encouraged the Christians in 5 ways.

Chapter 1 v 3 talks about their faith, hope and love showed in their lives. Verse 3 says

As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul knew that they were true Christians. When he visited them, he had seen their love, faith and hope at work in their lives. Out of their love and faith, they worked for the Lord, and their hope gave them patience and endurance to carry on when it was hard.

Chapter 1 v 4 -5 tells of how the good news came to them with God’s power. It says

We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with the power of the Holy Spirit, so you can have full assurancethat what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you.

Paul knew that God had chosen them by the way they received the good news. The Holy Spirit came with power, convicting them - which means convincing them deeply - so that they knew the word of God which was being told to them was true.

Chapter 1 v 6 shows how the Thessalonians learned to suffer like Paul and Jesus.

So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.

The Thessalonians imitated - which means copied - Paul’s example. Like Paul and Jesus, they were glad to suffer for their new faith in Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1 v 7 encourages their work as good examples to other Christians, saying

As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece.

From hearing and believing the Good News, and following the example of Paul and Jesus in suffering for their faith, the Christians in Thessalonica became examples to Christians in many places.

Chapter 1 v 8 – 10 speaks of how they spread the good news about Jesus by their life and their words.

And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

Because they turned from idols to serve the living and true God, people everywhere talked about the Christians in Thessalonica. The message about Jesus spread simply because their lives changed so much. They were welcoming hosts to Paul and his friends, they turned away from their idols, they served God, and they looked forward to the coming of Jesus.

Think about the work that God has done in your life. Can you see how your faith in Him and relationship with Him has changed you? Your attitude? Your thoughts? Your actions? Have you become a better person for knowing Him? Can you, and others, see how God has changed your life?

If so, thank Him, and be encouraged to keep living for Him and being transformed into His likeness.

If not, or if you’re unsure, ask God to work in you. To show you how He has changed you. Ask Him to work on you so your life reflects that of Christ.

Be encouraged by the example of the Thessalonian Christians. Long to shine out like them. Pray and ask God to help you to be more like them, and more like Jesus.

Take time to think about whom you can encourage. Perhaps someone who has a hard time? Or someone whose example has helped you?

It can be hard to keep going as a Christian, but Christians wait for Jesus to come. As 1 Thessalonians 1 v 10 encourages us as we wait for the day of the Lord’s coming,

Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

We can praise God for promising to rescue us from His judgement, because Jesus died for our sins and rose again to eternal life.

In 1 Thessalonians 4 v 1 -12, Paul instructs the Christians on how to live in order to please God; he teaches them. The letters in the New Testament teach us today that we are new people in Christ.

We have a new way to live and we should be pleasing God, not ourselves. This is very different to the wrong ways the non-Christians around us live. So we should read these teachings and apply them to our lives.

In verse 1, Paul praises them for already living for Christ in a way that pleases God, and encourages them to do this more and more.

From verse 3 to verse 6, Paul lists some specific instructions on how to be holy, to live the right way, set apart for God.

v.3 Stay away from all sexual sin;

v.4 – 5 Then each of you will control their own body and live in holiness and honour – not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and His ways;

v.6 Never harm or cheat a Christians brother in this matter by violating his wife.

The Lord will punish you for these sins.

Verse 7 reminds the Thessalonian Christians, and give warning to Christians today. God didn’t call us to live impure lives that reject God, and the gift of His Spirit to us.

But to live holy lives, which is accepting God and His Spirit into our lives to help us to live for Him.

Verse 8 then clearly states that

Anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

Living in sin isn’t about disobeying your leaders, aunties, uncles, teachers, it’s disobeying God and rejecting Him in your life.

Does your life reflect the light and life of Christ? Or do you struggle in these sins of an unholy existence?

How will you praise God for giving you these teachings in His word, and ask Him to help you to live like Christ?

Christ has already died for our sins. When we realise we are living in the ways of darkness, we can turn to Him, ask for His forgiveness and start to live holy lives in His light.

Verses 11 and 12 go on to say

v.11 – 12 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, … Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

As Christians, it is our job to be Christ’s example to those who don’t know Him. Our lives should be different from those who live in the darkness. We should live in ways that gain respect for our faith and lead others to faith in Christ.

When we lean on God and follow His teachings, we can depend on Him for all we need, we don’t need to look to others to provide for us, and risk getting caught up in their ways.

These teachings in the New Testament letters are as relevant for us today, as they were for the Thessalonian church.

Finally, in 1 Thessalonians 4 v 13 – 5 v 11, Paul corrects the wrong ideas about when Jesus will come again. Sometimes Christians start to believe false teaching, so the letters in the New Testament put these things right so that God’s people follow the truth.

The first truth stated in chapter 4 v 14 that Christians believe is

We believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again.

From this we look to the second coming.

Verses 16 and 17 speak of Jesus’ return saying

The Lord Himself will come down from heaven, … First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

It’s such a great encouragement to know that as Christians, whether dead or alive, when Jesus comes He will take us up to be with Him forever, and we will all be together.

Chapter 5 starts off by saying that the times and dates of the second coming will not be given, as we know that it will be unexpected and come like a thief in the night.

For Christians who live in the night, they are not aware of the goings-on of the darkness. Coming like a thief in the night indicates that we won’t be expecting the coming of the Lord.

Verse 4 tells us that because we live in the light of Christ, this day will come as a surprise to us.

Verses 6 – 8 encourage us to not be like those who do not know Christ, like who get drunk and live in sin, for this is living in darkness. Rather, we should be self-controlled, being faithful, loving and living in the hope and confidence of our salvation.

Verses 9 and 10 show us the reward of being followers of Christ, that

God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour his anger on us. Christ died for us so that … we can live with him forever.

The Saviour Jesus came and died to take away sin. Hearing about Jesus and believing in Him is the only way for people to be in God’s family. He gives us new hearts so that we are willing to follow Him.

God’s people are not yet home with Him. We wait for Jesus’ to return to take us home. Until then, we live in a world that is against us. It is hard to live as God’s people. How do we keep going? We have God’s Spirit, God’s people and God’s word.

photos...

2010-08-21T06:06:00.001-07:00

kamal...my adopted son, and me...x

i've just realised we're a little too close in age...x

cynthia...

2010-08-16T22:45:00.000-07:00

i asked cynthia if she wanted to write about what we've been doing, 'yes' she replied, so here it is...

cake for uncle eugene. cooking like that. hands going around and around in a stirring motion. you know that?

what did we put in it? oil. what flavour is the cake? umm...fine. banana!

i don't like the dog. the dog doesn't like cynthia. i like sister. the dogs smelling, chi!!

milk. suhana don't drink milk. i drink my milk all up! i drink so such a lot of milk. mmmmm.

x HH55555555555555U777777777GHGLFJHTNGHRYUyv

TICKLIng the keyboard, and no letters come up. fascinated by the capslock light.

my turn then sisters turn, acha?

sunday was independence day.

August 11

2010-08-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try and remember things to tell you, but after spending most of the day in bed with a migraine, my memory and general brain function isn't serving me all that well.

Starting this morning after morning tea, Priscilla and I bathed the twins in the kitchen sink. They absolutely loved it, smiling and laughing the whole time! It was nice to have beautiful clean babies to put to sleep afterwards!

The night before last, Shavani slept in my room and the good little girl only woke up 3 times, fed, had her nappy changed and went straight back to sleep. Bless her for being so good! Priscilla and I then babysat all day, which was really nice but after 9 hours and following a broken nights sleep, we were a little exhausted. It's a good thing they're so sweet.

Apart from that, I can't remember what I've done this week.

The weekend was a tough one. Maxine, the director of the Mission, was brought home from the ICCU in Delhi, to a local hospital, and then transferred back to the Farm in order to die at home surrounded by her family.

Saturday was the funeral and while it was interesting to see the Mission / Indian way, it was very sad, not only for her family, but for the effect her absence will have on the children. It was also my first burial experience which I also found a strange and scary concept. Despite all this, I felt so blessed to be here and be able to offer a shoulder to cry on and a hand to hold.

Life is going on 'as normal' and the kids seem to be doing generally really well under the circumstances. There's a few foreigners around, a girl from Ireland, another girl from Adelaide, Rick and Maxine's daughter from Tasmania and just today arrived a girl from the US who's here long term who works as a teacher.

Hopie and I spent the evening a few days ago getting henna-d. Beautiful matching peacock patterns on our left 'non-working' hands.

I made a lemon cake yesterday in a gas-stove-top oven, and surprisingly it turned out really really well. Yippee!

It's Priscilla's birthday on Friday and I'd love to make her a cake, but she doesn't particularly like cake... And I was planning a gorgeous chocolate mud cake with chocolate ganache. Maybe we can eat that and she can eat licorice...

That's all for now. Absolutely loving it and very much aware of God's amazing love and provision and work in my life and the lives of His people...x

twins!x

2010-08-09T02:26:00.000-07:00

Shavani and I have spent the morning together hanging out on the couch.

So sweet! And above she's lying next to her twin sister, Saloni.

Loving them so much. Just feel for them in this awful heat!x

August 4

2010-08-03T23:29:00.000-07:00

Yum! Popcorn...

Cleaned my room. Skyped mum with Cynthia. Made bread.

Last night Gail and I sat outside in the breeze stargazing, shooting star watching and firefly admiring.

Then crazy times in the girls dorm...true sleep over style. Bollywood dancing included!x

August 3

2010-08-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

Warning...I'm about to moan.

I'm hot! The power went off this morning at 8am and only came back on at 8pm for an hour.

Now we're sitting here sweating, covered in mozzie bites and grumping... Did I mention it was almost 30 degrees?

Ok, I'm so uncomfortable I can't concentrate so I'll write tomorrow...x

Youth Message

2010-08-01T02:18:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 6 v 8 says

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying ‘Whom can I send? Who will go for us?’ So I said ‘Here I am. Send me”

Earlier this year I was going through depression and wondered whether God really loved me, if He really cared about me and what the point of my life was.

Isaiah shows us that when we feel like we’ve failed God, we can end up finding ourselves in a better position to serve God.

As God has worked in me, I realised that He has put me on this earth for a purpose. He wants to use me to serve Him.

Nine weeks ago on Sunday night, I was in church and pleaded with God to work in my life, to use me in His kingdom for good, to show me His purpose for my life.

God forgave me for doubting Him and poured His love on me.

The next day, Sheila and I met for lunch. She suggested I come to India with them to serve here on the farm. And… that I shouldn’t just come for 2 weeks, but I should stay on for 2 months.

I thought about it all afternoon and felt peace in my Spirit. God confirmed it that night through teaching at Bible study on the verse in John saying

‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life… The Truth will set you free’

and then further the next morning through a verse I read from I Thessalonians 2 v 7 which says

“We were very gentle with you, like a mother caring for her little children”

I knew this was God’s plan for me and trusted Him to provide the way. He then blessed my obedience by providing money to come, cheap flights and most importantly, a closer relationship with Him.

When we ask God to use us, to reveal Himself to us and to work in our lives, we need to be prepared and expect Him to do just that.

Look where I’ve ended up! Here at the farm in India.

What will God ask you to do if you open yourself to Him?

Will you say “Here I am send me?”

August 1

2010-08-01T00:17:00.000-07:00

It's friendship day in India today and I've been at the orphanage 2 weeks!

I guess it's kind of like mothers day but you give friendship bands that you weave and cards to your friends.

So far, I've got 5 wooooo!

My new room is great. I decorated it yesterday with all the letters Jo has sent for me. And I also did some small canvas paintings which I'm going to use as friendship day gifts but which are currently acting as decoration!

I've also just put in the oven a great big tin of banana bread for our friendship day afternoon tea.

We've having lots of fun cooking, more the trying to create something out of nothing aspect. The other night we had a lovely meal out of eggs, indian greens, tomato, capsicum and eggplant. We ended up making omelets and flat samosas - which isn't exactly 'real' but due to minimal oil supplies we had to shallow fry!

I've been brushing up on quadratic equations to be able to tutor some of the year 10's...interesting!

Thankfully the weather has been quite cool and the electricity has been fairly steady so managing to stay pleasant and my heat rash is going away...owies!

I spoke at Youth Group on Wednesday night. A 'sweet and short' message.

This morning I took the Sunday School for the young girls and all the nursery children. To my surprise we had a great time!

The girls are trying to convince me to get a nose ring...but I'm going to sleep on that one a bit longer, as they'll be piercing it the old fashioned way! Ice. Needle. Matches.

And I've started doing some Yoga stretches/exercises which are a surprisingly effective workout!

The pics (in backwards order) are of my bedroom from the courtyard, the main room with Hope on my bed, some of my suits and Priscilla roasting marshmallows on the gas stove...enjoy!x

july 28

2010-07-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

And i'm on my own...

The Ian's, Sheila and Susie have just set off for Agra to see the Taj, so the fun begins. We had some tea and chocolate after they made us cry a little so now we're ok.

Last night as a farewell dinner, we had a feast. Fried chicken, gravy and mash, eggplant subghee, potato subgee and chapatis. Then marshmallows for dessert!

We've had a few hot days with very little power for the fans.

Priscilla and I are going to spend the next two months cooking our hearts out, in order to make a cookbook which we'll sell to raise money for a new oven. The only problem is she just tips in however much she feels like so we'll have to work on determining some measurements.

Tomorrow I'll be moving into my permanent room which is quite big, has a walk through room with a wardrobe in it and a bathroom with a shower and a western style toilet...luxury awaits!

I'm looking forward to finally being able to settle in, and I'll get a routine of my own now that the others are gone.

Missing coffee right now but am enjoying myself enough to cope...x

july 24

2010-07-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

no school today as the principal told the outside kids they weren't starting back until monday...

it's rather hot here... just hoping the power stays on today so we can have the fans on, or that the rains come and drop the temperature.

room plans have changed. i'll be moving this coming thursday to a room in the little girls hostel with a closet and bathroom...luxury!

the kids have just descended and we've had to take a few photos... as above! there's cynthia, as usual, kindra, anthea, me, and a boy whose name i'm yet to remember...

my first dose of developing world medicine yesterday. one of the older girls got spiked by a rusty nail so i went to the chemist and got her a tetanus vaccine for Rs 10 which is 25c. Rohini was a fabulous patient and said it was the best injection she'd ever had...i haven't lost my touch! It felt very empowering, nursing for the first time in 5 months and doing something that only I could do for her.

We had fried eggs and potatoes for dinner with chipatis of course, and instead of the usually sweet chilli sauce one might eat in Australia, they have 'hot & sweet' chilli sauce here...x

july 23

2010-07-23T02:27:00.000-07:00

The rain has stopped and the heat is back. We're absolutely dripping, but thankfully we have power most of the time so we can keep the fans on. The upside is our clothes have finally had a good drying day as some of them have been hanging around for a few days in the humid air...

The girls and I experimented putting cornmeal in one of the loaves of bread today but the ants got to it during the first rise then it came out of the oven solid as a rock...will have to work on our technique.

The kids had today off school again, after the government of the area closed all the schools til tomorrow, as some local children died in the floods this week. It's been a big job to keep them entertained all day, i can't imagine what school holidays are like.

Sheila and I made paper puppet-men with split pins today so the arms and legs move. then with some of the older-ish girls, we drew pictures of girls and stitched on beaded jewellery.

The kids are really enjoying the crafts and games we brought over which helps!

I'm getting better at chipati rolling. It's quite an art.

Priscilla and I are making Indian pastries today for afternoon tea.

Hopefully the tailor will bring over our first day suits today. Then the others will come when theyre ready.

Warm!x

photos

2010-07-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

we've been having lots of fun with photo booth on my laptop. heres a couple of fun pictures, including april, at the top, who i spend time with in the kitchen. she's as moody as me so we get along just fine!x

july 21

2010-07-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

here's gayle, cynthia and me. i've been helping gayle with her home-ec study today.

it rained all night, we've had at least 500ml in the last 24 hours. we've had 71cm since sunday.

it has only just stopped raining this afternoon and we've had no power since this morning.

the kids were off school because it was flooded and the kids who come from the outside couldn't get in to the farm either.

so this morning i helped make the bread again, and i'm teaching the girls some techniques which are producing great results.

we then had a craft morning this morning where the kids made thank you cards for all the businesses that contributed to our fundraising.

potato and egg curry for lunch, then this afternoon we went for a walk to see the river which was dry only a few weeks ago. we started off by wading through the cow house...nice... then around the back of the buildings through calf deep swamp water which has just come up in the past few days. the young boys were such gentlemen, holding our hands to balance us as we slid around. sheila got stuck in the mud and we all had a good laugh! as it was chucking down with rain at the time, our rainjackets and umbrellas proved pointless.

after circling the farm, we headed off through the fields, through the nomadic community who use some of the land and into the jungle. mud, sludge, slime, floodland, swamp. i'm really not sure how to describe it. like nothing i'd seen or done before. we just waded through the jungle knee deep in water, with the kids periodically slipping and falling into the 'puddles'.

we finally made it to the river and it was amazing. we stood on the banks in sinking sand and watched the water rush past. it was a good 20 or 30 meters wide.

on our way back, some of the older boys had driven a tractor-trailer down to pick us up and took us on a hairy ride back. a nice hot shower in the guest house and cup of tea to welcome me.

finally we've got power this evening, and have enjoyed a lovely dinner of chicken and liver soup, beans, daal and chipatis.

did i mention i learned to roll the chipatis...im not very good at it mind, but sheila and i figured out the mechanics of rolling it and ill get better with time and practice.

im loving spending the mornings in the kitchen with the girls, getting to know them and learn to cook indian style.

the children are gorgeous and ive spent lots of time with cynthia again today...x

july 20

2010-07-19T21:19:00.001-07:00

its raining and we kindly have no electricity, even tho the farm pays for full electricity.

i'm up, showered, had breakfast, done the dishes, made bread, peeled potatoes and its only 9:30.

im sitting here with cynthia, a little nursery girl, the only one of her age, as she plays with her doll and phone...very sweet. its sad for her cos shes the only small one and the boys her age are rough with her and steal her clothes.

went to the market yesterday only to find the closest atm is 12km in either direction so looked at materials for suits, and will go again today, on the bus this time, to the bigger town and hopefully buy some material.

the boys can get cotton, tailor made, best quality suits and a shirt for $25 - $50. amazing!

we're about to have morning tea, pancakes!

the picture is of me and cynthia and the flower behind my ear is from one of the ladies, picked from the garden and it smells amazing!xx

we're here...

2010-07-19T04:35:00.000-07:00

After a 6 hour flight to Singapore and a 5 hour flight to Delhi, we went on the most incredible 6 hour car ride I have ever experienced. It was insane, indescribable yet strangely made sense.

The kids here are amazing. So happy. It's great to be able to help out.

The 5 month old twins are tiny, so it will be great to work with them and see them grow and develop.

It's just hot and rainy here. Where the guys were going to build the playground is a massive puddle. So we're just waiting for the rains to pass.

If only South Australia could experience this kind of rain.

I'm looking forward to the next 9 weeks, knowing my outlook on life is going to change dramatically.

I felt truly blessed last night with a roof over my head, a fan and some mozzie repellent.

The simple things in life become the most important.

The only thing missing is... a good latte! In fact, just some fresh milk would be nice!

But i can't complain, I have everything I need and feel like I'm living in luxury...x

in transit

2010-07-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

we made it to singapore and there was only one thing we didn't manage to get on the plane...the craft cutters set :( but we did a great job with 180 kg plus our hand luggage.

wow. this is real. i am on my way and there is no turning back.

i'm feeling newly energised by the way this trip will help me get better.

my head is just madly thinking and processing my adelaide life and it's been perfect timing to get away and see it from an outer perspective.

i'm most definitely going to learn / re-learn how to trust God and trust in myself. how to lean on God and to believe in my own abilities and capabilities.

i have 62 letters from @joanna_watts one for each day i'm away, starting with the plane today.

lots of love to you all. and until india...x

countdown: 1 sleep

2010-07-16T04:20:00.000-07:00

just as much as i don't want you to not hear from me, i don't want you to forget what i look like...x

countdown: 7 days

2010-07-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

...and it's birthday weekend!

While my family celebrates Mums 50th, it also happens to be the birthday of my dear friend Esther.

So while I enjoy a lovely family dinner tonight and Italian-themed lunch tomorrow, it's India Fundraiser Quiz Night time...

Want to come? 7pm tonight. Tables of 8. There are some spaces free on tables. $10 per person.

Fantastic prizes. Silent auction. Call me...x

countdown: 15 days

2010-07-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

That's right, only 15 sleeps til we're on the plane and off to India, well Singapore actually!

I'm continually amazed at how God comes up with new ways to support and encourage me.

We've been so blessed with donations for our fundraising evenings.

We have an amazing woman to give us some cultural training.

I have been working at the church office as the temp administrator for the last week and will continue to do so until we leave.

And most importantly, He's been working on my heart, pruning away and preparing me through teaching, conversation and simple revelations in order that I may be prepared and better cope with what India will be throwing at me thick and fast.

Today I am thankful for my dear friend Jo. Such an inspiration and an encouragement and beautiful woman of God, given to me to show me a bit more of Jesus. Love you Jo!x

long time, no blog

2010-06-29T05:36:00.000-07:00

Well it's only 18 days until we fly far far away...

A lot has happened recently and we're all very exhausted, with lots to do before we go!

Last Friday night we had our Indian Dinner Curry Night which raised around $2000. Fantastic effort!

Prior to that, we'd be madly organising the dinner, especially gathering prizes so generously donated by local businesses.

My budget is officially healthy, and thanks to God's amazing provision from some work, centrelink payments, annual leave pay and very generous donations from my friends, I have nothing to worry about.

Our quiz night is coming up on July 10th with the drawing of in-di pool, a fundraiser with the amazing prize of a beautifully framed 1999 Pan Pacs T-shirt signed by the Australian swimming team, may I say the best swimming team Australia has ever known, going on to clean up the Sydney 2000 olympics. Tickets are $2 each, only 4000 available. Let me know if you're interested in buying any or have people to sell them to!

I have had my vaccinations, got all my travel meds and finally got around to taking my cholera medication...eww! Just one more dose to go.

Cultural training next Monday night, then an interview for the Uniting Church Magazine, the New Times the following Tuesday. I feel like a rock star...haha hardly!

Um, I think that's all. Thanks for your prayers and support...whoever you are who reads this!x

fundraising: catalogue donations

2010-06-20T06:25:00.000-07:00

I've just finished making the flyers for our donations board.

The idea is, the orphanage has an online donations catalogue to buy the kids specific things.

I've made it into a big poster so people at our dinner and quiz night fundraisers can donate specifically to the children through whatever they choose. Much easier that getting everyone onto the website.

But, if you would like to check it out online, go to

www.indianorphanage.com > donate > donation catalogue

Enjoy!x

my mused decision

2010-06-18T22:34:00.000-07:00

I've decided that it is worth getting a Woolies rewards card with a free Qantas frequent flyer card. My reasoning is ... why not?!

Jo and I met for coffee / lunch, at bar9 of course, and then went into town, taking advantage of the free street parking after 12pm...noice!x

countdown: 28 days

2010-06-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

My single muse for this morning is how much I love duty free.

Oh and I'm getting totally involved in figuring out frequent flyer points. Is it really worth flying Qantas? ... I'll let you know!x

countdown: 29 days

2010-06-18T06:02:00.000-07:00

Such a great day of organising! I feel so much more in control now.

This morning I went camera shopping with Craigy. He gave me his old DSLR body so I bought myself a lens and bag. We spent the evening having a how-to lesson. Very exciting, although I've just realised I'm not going to be in any of the wonderful photos!!

I worked on the plans on my list for the fundraising dinner we're having on June 25th and picked up some donations, such generosity.

The health food shop at Mitcham donated us vitamins and minerals to take with us for the orphans, and it came to over $1000. Praise God!

My budget is finally healthy. God has been providing, divinely! My Centrelink payments finally got approved just when all the bills are coming that my poor credit card is loaded with. Plane tickets, visa, insurance...it all just goes onto my plastic fantastic.

And thank you to all my wonderful lovely friends, family and church community who have sponsored me to take the opportunity to go and serve. I am so blessed.

I am also very sleepy and have a terribly sore throat, so I'm off to bed...x

countdown: 32 days

2010-06-15T03:12:00.000-07:00

I figured out my budget...go me!

And it's all going to work out. If I get a big tax return, it's a bonus!

Now I'm trudging through all my finances to make sure everything is sorted for me to go without any worries, rolling over superannuation, standing in line at centrelink, blah blah blah.

The lady at the photoshop thought I was so stupid, so I just smiled and left. She won't be getting my business because no matter what she says, I do have a cheaper quoted price!

countdown: 33 days

2010-06-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

I visited Craigy this morning for a lesson on digital SLR cameras.

And I understood it! So we've looked online and done our research.

Now it's time to get to the shops and see how they feel.

Once duty free time is in, I can buy it.

Very excited and can't wait to take some great photos in India.

Now to the budget...x

goat rider

2010-06-12T05:30:00.000-07:00

I am loving this picture. Just found it on the orphanage website.

So excited to hang around with this bunch of kids...insane!x

countdown: 35 days

2010-06-12T01:34:00.000-07:00

My visa arrived in the post today, just a week after I sent my passport off to the Indian consulate.

A big relief and the final official thing to be confirmed to let me into the country!

Apparently it's going to be too hot to even wear a raincoat, despite the monsoonal rains, so that has been scratched off my list of things to buy.

Next on the list, camera research. Monday with Craig...x

countdown: 36 days

2010-06-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

I'm off to India...

36 days to go until my first two months at the Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission - a community orphanage in northern India, on the border of Nepal.

Very exciting! There's just a lot to do before the plane takes off.

Please follow me on the lead up to my trip and join with me in experiencing orphanage life during monsoon season!

Check out www.indianorphanage.com to see where I'm off to...x