Swimming pool

While most of N. America and Europe are deeply snow bound - while swathes of North India is still shrouded with fog - we in Thane sleep under the fans at night.

What better than to have a swimming pool. We constructed one last week. Maybe we should more accurately report: Enoch constructed it.

Its a pretty small one - though 2 can swim in it - provided you are the scale of a lego mini-figure.

The first protype was built while Asha and I were lying in bed - reading our respective books.

We suddenly saw Enoch run by the door. Then a few seconds later he ran back in the other direction.

Asha went to investigate and found that Enoch had build his mini-pool and poured water in it, only to see it seep out between the bricks. The running was to get a mop-cloth from the balcony.

We suggested a modification in the form of a plastic bag and cello tape. It did the trick. The mini-figures are now able to swim in it. If you look carefully at the picture above, you will note that the little man is clearly doing the crawl stroke.

Enoch informs us that most of the lego men generally do the back stroke. The figure on the left demonstrates this - though the fellow with the white pants may either be drowning, or looking up in wonder at something in the air...

The countless possibilities that these humble bricks embody...

As Enoch moves towards his 7th birthday on the 19th of this month - one of the possible designs for his cake is a big red lego brick. Lets see what takes shape!

Meanwhile, Enoch's lego creations are coming under unexpected attack. Not from school books and practicing the key board (they have their regular place of course) but from the excitement of reading.

Both Asha and Enoch have their noses buried in books at almost every waking moment it seems - with Enid Blyton ruling the roost at present. With 753 titles credited to this remarkable lady, there will be plenty left to read even at the short work our two are making of the books available in the home!

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Meanwhile - while on the water and ice theme - we have another creation by our intrepid explorer. In early December, inspired partly by stories of polar exploration, Enoch set out to recreate an ice-bound ship.

The means used was the trusty lego set (using a few of the newer pieces that Zeph Phillips had given Enoch) and a plastic tub which was then dutifully placed into our freezer.

The result was a very pleasing block of ice with a ship nicely encrusted in it - and plenty of opportunity for the mini-men to walk around on top of the ice.

I am told that one of the pipes protruding from the boat was a thermometer which can measure the temperature.

The mind is a fertile place.

In limbo

Another sad story.

On Sunday one of our church members talked about her company sports day. It was a picnic for all the management and workers and was organised in a gala fashion.

In the middle of the time, however, a pall descended on the day. Word came that the 13 year old daughter of one of the workers had committed suicide. She seemed to have failed in 2 subjects in school and had hanged herself.

A call came that a local news channel had already found out about it and was broadcasting the tragedy on constant churn. This took place even before the father was informed about his daughter dying.

Our church member then shared something that for me made the tragedy all the worse. The company HR head swung into action. Not to comfort the family, but to call up the TV station to stop mentioning that the father was working for their company.

Suicide is one of those tragedies that are real, but just take your breath away in their hopelessness and despair. The scars for the survivors are so deep and intimate. The lies that perpetuate these actions: "no one wants you" "everything will be better if you are not there" etc. etc. are so devilish...

We shared the grief that our church member was going through on behalf of her colleague. We prayed. We spoke out our grief to the Father heart of God.

Gone

Mr. Janak died yesterday morning.

He had been in palliative care for the past few weeks. We had admitted him for some time at the centre in order to give his family some breathing space.

The last days were miserable. When he was lucid he was cursing. His children had long since learned to avoid him and were hardly to be seen in the tiny shack of a room he lived in. Mr. Janak had terrible bed-sores - and his wife was lying on a cot next to him - since she too has HIV and has suffered a stroke from a brain infection.

Our JSK nurses went every morning for the past 3 weeks to Mr. Janak's house. They nursed him and cleaned him as he was incontinent. They dressed his wounds. They prayed with him and his wife. They touched and shared God's comfort with this man.

Mr. Janak's earthly life is over. His wife and children are still alive and need much help and comfort.

There is not much of a happy story in all of this. Other than real love and devotion by our JSK staff who have once again gone way beyond the call of duty to care for this dear man.

Accomodation

There once was a cobbler named Raju. He occupied a small patch of sidewalk on the corner of an intersection close to our home at "Happy Valley." I got to know Raju from our occassional needs to have a shoe repaired or an umbrella fixed. One day he came to us for advice because his child was bitten by a stray dog. We chatted on and off over the months.

Then Raju fell ill. He came back to work after some time, but we started seeing less of him.

Today Raju is in the village. In his stead, his younger brother Suresh mans the stall. From 10 am to 8 pm, Suresh sits and repairs shoes, chappals, bags, umbrellas - anything that needs the skill and problem-solving of a cobbler. Raju was drinking too much - and got ill too often. According to Suresh, Raju is now plying his trade in the village.

The big shopping centre behind where Suresh sat went out of business but the humble cobbler survived. The whole place was empty for some months. Then the central portion was rented out to new tenants. Workers got busy, fixing it up - a big sweet and savory snack was opening. The new business paved the place in front of their establishment to be a food court. They certainly did not want a cobbler sitting there next to their patrons munching on gulab jamuns and pani-puris. So the new establishment made another spot for Suresh - in front of an unused part of the building. A small brick platform was built for him - and Suresh willingly moved to another part of the pavement.

Then in January, that part of the building was leased out to a bank. The bank too renovated, painted and spruced up their part of the building. But had a cobbler - our Suresh - sitting on the pavement in front of their branch.

So what did they do?

They could have turfed him out - using a bit of muscle power from a local goon or two.

Instead they gave him a sun-shield proudly sporting the colours of the bank. Instead of an eye-sore, Suresh the cobbler has become a mini-mascot for the bank.

The new branch manager is a friendly fellow from Kerala who got our name from a friend of his. He came over to the Jeevan Sahara Kendra and invited us for the grand opening of his branch. Late last week he also attended the weekly Bible study we hold in different people's homes.

I am pretty sure that Suresh was not turfed out because of this friendly Christ-follower who is managing the bank.

We met Suresh the day before yesterday. A small job - to get a zipper repaired on a small bag. He did it immediately. He repaired it with a smile. He performed the job before a fascinated audience of the younger Eichers.

Suresh the cobbler - with a potential apprentice

Dear Anjali,

Dear Anjali,

A year ago today you were born there in cold New Delhi. How many smiles and warm hearts have followed you as our world has danced around the sun and come back to where it was on this day, the 5th of February...

When we heard the news from your Daddy and Mummy - that you had arrived - all of us here in far-away Thane let out a loud cheer. Your cousins Asha and Enoch and your Uncle Andi and Auntie Sheba had been praying for you for many months, as God grew you inside your Mummy. And now you have completed a whole year of joy.

photo courtesy Christa Eicher

Sweet niece, your full name of Anjali Eden Rose Eicher is about as fragrant a name as possible. We know that you will fully live up to the beautiful promises that lie in the names your Mummy and Daddy gave you.

We know that you are surrounded with some of the most extraordinary people on the planet - since your Mummy and Daddy have chosen to live lives of deepest compassion and humble following of our Lord Jesus Christ. The uncles and aunties who you meet are people who are being blessed and shaped and changed by the love that your Mummy and Daddy are giving them.

We also know that you have a wonderful older brother in Ashish Christopher Ion Eicher. We have seen him love you so much over this year. Its a great sign for the years of love that you and he will enjoy in the years ahead!

photo courtesy Christa Eicher

Anjali, we really wish we were not so far away. By God's grace your Mummy and Daddy were able to be in Mumbai for a few months in 2007 and so we were able to spend time with your family (before you were there of course - you were only a twinkle in God's eye at that time). We even celebrated your brother's first birthday in our house here in Thane!

Your cousins Asha Esther Alice Eicher and Enoch Anand Graceson Eicher (how many names you all have!) think of you a lot. They tell us that they *want* to be with you. We hope that we will be able to meet up soon.

In the mean time, look at what you and your brother will be doing in a few years. If you become anything like Asha and Enoch, you too will some day be lost in books...



When Asha and Enoch wake up, or come home from school, or have a spare moment in the day - they just jump into the opportunity to read. Your uncle and auntie are both very happy about this - and also almost worried. Surely they should be doing something more active? Will we have enough books to feed such a fierce appetite for reading? I am sure your Oma and Opa felt the same way about your Daddy, Uncle Andi and Auntie Premi too about 30 years ago...

Anjali, we know that your life is going to be really great. Each day will bring new joys and challenges. Each day may have some tears - but we know that you will also have lots of laughter too.

One of the things that your uncle Andi and auntie Sheba are (slowly) learning is how to be thankful to God for the many, many joys we have. Take the miracle of the watermelon! We do not have it often, but when your Oma was here last month she bought us 2 - remembering how much your uncle Andi used to enjoy it (mothers do things like that). Look at how your cousins went at it:


Did you notice anything different in the way your cousins eat watermelon? They are very different from each other - but love each other so much - just like you and and Ashish-bhaiya.

So on this day, dear Anjali, our fragrant Rose, we want to say "thank you" to God for you - and let you know that your life ahead is secure in His hands.

We look forward to many times together in the days to come!

Lots of love and prayers,

Enoch, Asha, Sheba-auntie and Andi-uncle

Insurance

Balram was feeling sick. His fever had not subsided despite taking some medicines from the corner Medical Store. He was weak and unable to do anything.

Since his wife lived far away in the village - it was Balram himself who checked himself into one of the best local private hospitals. He was one of the privileged few - his employer had given him a mediclaim coverage so that any hospitalisations were covered.

Then the shock.

The hospital did an HIV test on Balram. Without permission. Routinely.

They told him that he had AIDS.

They also informed him, that since he was HIV positive, his medical insurance was invalid. He would have to pay everything in cash.

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I wish the above were a fictional story. Or a case study in what could possibly happen. Sadly its a true experience that a Positive Friend of ours had. This was the way he found out that he had HIV. And added to the terrible confusing news about HIV - he also had to have friends scurry about to pay off the hospital bills.

Many, many people with HIV are not covered with medical insurance - because for most insurers in India having HIV makes a person ineligible to get medical coverage.

How this injustice continues I just don't understand. Here we are in 2010 - a quarter century after HIV was discovered to have reached India too - and yet people with HIV are facing something out of the 1980s - a time of total fear about what HIV was ...

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Yesterday a man came to meet us. He represents a large NGO who has teamed up with an insurance provider. The idea is a group insurance policy for people who have HIV. I was sceptical - and still have lots of questions. But it looks almost too good to be true. The premium is Rs. 1500 per person per year - and the NGO is willing to subsidize that by Rs. 750.

The benefits are that a person with HIV can be hospitalised up to Rs. 15,000/- per year. And in addition to that, when a person's immunity goes down to where their CD4 level is below 100 - they get a Rs. 15,000/- cash payment.

The only catch? Well, participants need to have an immunity level of over 300 to begin with - and we need to have about 200 people who are willing to sign up.

Lets see how this pans out...

Guests

We love to train people in HIV Care.

The problem we have at Jeevan Sahara Kendra is accommodation. Hotel rates here in Thane are stratospheric. We do not have a Catholic Retreat Centre near-by (bless the dear Fathers and Sisters who run these amazing institutions across our land). We once even tried hiring the Forest bungalow in the National Park - but the short hike late at night proved too remote for our trainees.

So stop-gaps measures for housing our trainees are the name of the game, and we have occasionally put up training participants with our JSK staff.

One of the areas we at Jeevan Sahara are working towards is mainstreaming people with HIV into society. People with HIV can work - and should! It would be very odd if we who encourage our Friends living with HIV to actively work in their vocations - would then discourage them from joining JSK as staff.

We are proud to have people serving in JSK who are living with the HIV virus. Their presence in the team is an inspiration and challenge for us all.

At one of the trainings we held, some of the women were housed with our nurses. On the first night, as they got to know our staff they also found out that one of them is living with HIV.

The next morning we had two lady trainees on our hands who were not happy at all. "We need to be housed in a different place." they said. "The house is not clean, the toilets are not clean."

What they were saying was "we don't want to live with a person with HIV."

The irony is that they were sent by a group of churches that ministers to people with HIV. They were leaders in this church. They had 'ministered' to people with HIV before - but not lived with them.

Our response was short and sweet: Like it or lump it.

Over the course of the training, things changed. The ladies saw how the JSK staff treated each other. As the days went on, the trainees met person after person with HIV who shared their story openly. Lives which had been shattered, but which God in His mercy is in the process of fitting together. Some of the stories were told by JSK staff themselves.

At the end of the training, we had a reflection exercise. The ladies shared how they had been changed. "We used to work with people with HIV - but now we know how to live with them."

Our staff told us that when they left both the ladies hugged the lady staff member they were staying with. Both asked her forgiveness for the things that they had told her.