Under a hot tin roof…
…we prayed for small school children. In the 90 degree sun, the roof soaked up the heat and they only had access to a fan for one hour per day. That’s the little amount of electricity the “slums” are allotted.
Unlike the first orphanage we went to yesterday, whose children seemed happy and quite full of joy, these particular school children seemed eerily quiet. It must have been purely a result of where they lived and in what conditions. Although the first orphanage was in a very desolate part, with sewage running in open air on the side of the street, this school was in an area that I would have a hard time imagining if you told me to think of what a slum looked like.
In a place like that and with children like these, we did what we felt our hearts to do…we laid hands on them and prayed. Each one of them stood up straight and placed their small hands together and we prayed for God’s grace to be on them and for God’s love to affect their lives as they grow up. Then after our good-byes and much waving of hands, we walked down the steps carefully ducking our heads under the high voltage power line that hung over the top of the staircase.
Even with all of the poverty we witnessed today, I am grateful and utterly optimistic for the pastor in charge of this school and also the leper colony. He had a bright demeanor and an even brighter vision for what he could do. It was a vision that stretched far and would impact very many, but for some reason, I had complete faith that he could do it. He is going to need a lot of help, from both God and us back home.
Well, it’s getting late here so I am going to retire to my room. I just want to ask for anybody reading this to lift us up in their prayers. Eric has warned us that it is only going to get more difficult and exhausting (physically and emotionally) in the preceding days. Thanks for all of your support thus far…the personal letters were an immense blessing.
Adam
April 8th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
While I was reading all of your blogs about your visiting leper’s and then children in the slums of Delhi I could not help but think of a number of Bible stories that revolved around lepers and the impoverished. Especially as “Westerners” we do not realize how much of the Father’s love Jesus demonstrated when he spoke to, physically touched, and ministered to the needs of people who were poor and outcast. Make no mistake — God’s heart is still for these people! May God bless you all — and may you be like Jesus to those in need on this trip.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
The e-mail posted below came in to Flint this afternoon. Know that you all are making a difference.
Dr. Flint,
Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Praise the Lord for His sovereignty! I wanted to share with you how your team was used by God to meet an urgent need for our orphanage in India…and you did not even know it! Let me explain…
First, we have wonderful news…my wife, Lijy, is expecting a baby girl in August! We are so excited, yet, the pregnancy has come with trials. Lijy has been sick and has had to cut back on her hours working at the hospital. God has met every one of our needs and the needs of our children in the orphanage. We are so thankful the Lord has given us sponsors for some of the children, but the remaining cost is covered from our own pocket. Due to our circumstances we did not have extra to send to the orphanage this month. Just two nights back I talked with Pastor Saji Abraham, the house parent of the orphanage, and told him we need to pray because we do not have the finances to cover the basic needs for the children this month. Immediately, we all began praying, the children as well, that God would provide. Then, the next morning, Brother Eric and his team arrived at the orphanage to visit with the children. They ended up taking Pastor Saji to the market and bought enough food and supplies to last them one month! Praise the Lord! He answered our prayer before the day was over! I just wanted to share how deeply blessed I was by this answer to prayer.
I have attached a brochure about the orphanage. We now have 21 children and several others waiting to come into the home. Please keep us in your prayers.
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Babu CJ
April 11th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
ADAM,I READ WHAT YOU WROTE ON THE BLOG.I AM SO PROUD OF YOU FOR THE PERSON THAT YOU AND WHAT YOU ARE INVOLDED IN WITH IN INDIA.I WILL BE PRAYING FOR THE CHILDREN AND ADULTS LIVING IN INDIA.I WILL PRAY EVERY DAY FOR THEM AND THE i58 VOLUNTEERS.MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND KEEP SAFE.LOVE,MOM
April 14th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Hi Adam, this is your Aunt Kathy posting you a message, Your mom told me about I58 volunteers so I checked out your site and saw your posting. I read about the children you spend time with and I too am proud of what you all are doing to touch the lives of those children. What an experience for you. I will pray for your group and for the children. Sitting here in my home in Colorado Springs I feel blessed to be so safe and well-fed and comfortable. Sure does bring things into perspective. I will tell my church folk at First United Methodist about the work you and the others are involved in. Blessings to all of you and and prayers are being lifted up for the children of India. Hope you receive this e-mail. I love you very much and think of you and pray for you often.
Your Aunt Kathy.