7 meetings

Life is full.

The last 28 hours have seen us participate in 7 meetings. That's an average of one every 4 hours (including sleep time).

Here goes:

1. Our weekly staff meeting with Jeevan Sahara - 3.30 - 6 PM on Friday. We discussed priority families for our home-based care team. We did some staff training in counselling skills. We talked about some of our staff policies - we have a team in a rebuilding phase. We prayed.

2. Our Friday Bible Study - this time at our home. Friday 9-10.15 PM I took the study on sharing the good news of Jesus - looking at Peter's message on the day when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church - and what our response should be. We spent some time as a fellowship working this out with each other.

3. A Prayer Walk. Friday 10.40 - 11.15 PM After the Bible study we broke up into small groups and went to some of the key areas in our neighbourhood - praying for the people who were having their meals, sleeping, working.

4. JSK Prayer Meeting. Saturday 7.30-815 AM at our home. We gather each week for an hour to pray for our work. We end up with breakfast. Today we ended a bit early since I needed to make the french toast - and our church training was starting soon.

5. JSK Church Partner Training in HIV Care. Saturday 9 AM - 4 PM at the JSK Centre. All day training. Sheba took sessions on treating common opportunistic infections at home and tuberculosis in the morning - I took a session on counselling skills in the afternoon as well as running one of the discussion groups for case studies. We had a very small turn out - but are using it as a staff training for our 5 new staff members.

6. Church Ladies Fellowship. Saturday 4.30 - 6.15 PM at our home. The ladies meet once a month. This time it was our turn to host them. I spent the time in the office preparing for the next meeting. Sheba tells me that is was a wonderful time of sharing and prayer.

7. Informational Meeting about the new 1 Year training for Nurse Aides. Saturday 7.00-8.30 PM at the Bethany Hospital. We shared about the opportunities that a new practical training course which we are helping out with. Had a good turn out of about 30 folks. Over a third were interested candidates themselves. We are excited about giving girls an opportunity to learn in a hospital and home-care setting.


We have emerged from all of these meetings largely intact. I think so at least. By God's grace Sheba and I have not started scratching each other. We are privileged to be living out our life in community. Each time together is another opportunity to grow and share. Though these last 28 hours or so have been a bit extreme in the amount of time we have spent as a family within the broader family of church and work - are so very grateful - Its a really good life.

Part of our satisfaction are the amazing kids we have. Asha and Enoch are veterans of our life-style. They insisted on going to the Bethany hospital meeting - and took the sign up sheet around - as well as played on the spotless and nicely slippery floors of the new building. From everything that we can see - seem to be turning out so well-rounded and sane - despite growing up amidst the often extreme lives of their parents. God's grace redux.

At the end of the day we gathered as a small family of four - for the first time since our supper on Friday. Dinner was maggi-noodles and tang and some bebinca (a goan sweet someone gave us last week). 3 happy Eichers dropped off to bed - and one is still tickling the keyboard.

We do need a break - and that's where our Sunday is so welcome. Its just 15 mins away for me!