Deception

The call came about 3 weeks ago.

A mother very sick, the neighbours don't know what to do.

They mother and her daughter were brought to JSK in a pathetic state. She was gaunt and not able to speak. We understood that she had been suffering from psychiatric problems for over a year. Her husband was HIV positive and living in a Terminal Care Centre. The child was a mass of open sores. When she sat on one of the white chairs at the JSK centre she left some of her blood behind on it. The mother did not respond much - so the people who brought her did the talking.

We asked them who they were and they said they were neighbours of this family - that the husband had been admitted and since then the family had been evicted from their house and so they as neighbours were trying to look after the mother and child. They said that they could not look after her any more - and would be putting her on a train and leaving her in the village if nothing could be done here.

We will call the lady "Noreen" and her daughter "Ovi".

Over the next few days we started visiting the place. By God's grace Ovi's sores responded well to being dressed properly and the antibiotics that we gave her. The girl was able to smile again. We needed to do some tests for Noreen to understand her situation - and though she still did not talk much - she was cooperative on the trips to the hospital labs.

Our normal partners were unable to accomodate this family - and we were on the verge of giving up before we thought of asking if SEAL would help. SEAL is a radical outfit - they run an ashram that cares for the destitute and dying - and have started a new work at a village called Akurli (click here to learn more about them). The two pastors who form the core of the work - Pastor Phillip and Pastor Bijoy - are pentecostal variants of Mother Theresa - men of amazing zeal and tenacity. When we called them up, they immediately said 'yes' they would take Noreen and her son and daughter.

And so yesterday came when it was time to take them to SEAL.

Suddenly the neighbours had a different take. Since the HIV test for Noreen's son was negative, and he is studying in 4th standard, they said 'we will look after him.'

We had already been suspicious - but this confirmed it.

We could not leave a boy with 'neighbours' and so told them that unless they were his relatives he would have to go with his mother to the Ashram.

Then it came out. They were relatives. The main man was the brother of Noreen's husband.

They were 'sorry' for having lied to us.

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we face so much brokenness, so much deception, so many layers of cruelty within cruelty

our only hope is Emmanuel

that family, who thinks they have 'been relieved' of Noreen and Ovi don't realise that Noreen and Ovi are now living with children of the King of Kings

... many who are last, shall be first...

Thank You

Its a season for Thanksgiving - and we want to thank you - gentle reader - for coming along with us on the journey we are travelling.

Writing this 'blog' (such an ugly word) is a real joy for me. I love to see images and words come together and take a life of their own. We are in an extended conversation - with each other - with who we were and will become - with the thoughts and ideas of others...

As we read (again) the Silver Chair to Enoch and Asha the question comes up again: "Is Narnia real?" No easy answer - it is not 'real' as in 'sit on a chair real' but it is not 'false' since there are gleams of truth the shoot forth from that magical land - pointing us to a deeper truth that lurks beneath the world. Our image of the Kingdom to come pokes through thrillingly - and whets our appetite for more.

We hope that we are in this kind of a conversation together. And want to grow and veer in directions that bring light, life and fruitfulness to bear. Your comments and thoughts - gentle readers - as you key through this site - are sought after.

Obviously there is a bit in there that wants to be patted on the back - as we say 'shabaashed' - but even deeper than that - is a desire to speak truth and receive that beauty that is wrapped up in truth.

As we come to the end of 2007 - and remember our loving Lord's amazing birth - childhood - adolescence - public ministry - death - resurrection - and his living life through His body the church - we want to thank you for what you have meant to us - and for walking along with us these few steps.

Day by day, and with each passing moment
Strength I find to meet my trials here
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause, for worry or for fear,
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Give unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly it's part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Googling

As said before some folks log onto this blog because they are interested in finding out what the Thane Eichers are up to - and what is happening at JSK etc.

Others come on board more serendipidously. The main culprit seems to be the good old guys at Google. Whether some of these friends stay on to read what is written is something unknown to me - but the last five google searches that lead to people clicking onto this blog site make interesting reading:

1. newlife church in ghatkopar - the person clicked onto this posting: Church training - Loving your neighbour... with AIDS
2. home medicines which kill - the person clicked onto this posting: Medicines which kill
3. three highest angels in heaven - the person clicked onto this posting: Three Angels in Heaven
4. dr. raju abraham - the person clicked onto this posting: Disturbing the Peace
5. John Forbes Andi Eicher - the person clicked onto this posting: Living Legends

The raw computing power that is available at this point is amazing. How much actually helps is another matter.

Fracture

Day before yesterday morning our dear friend James D'Costa took the beat up JSK scooter to get some bread. He slipped and got bruised on his arm and leg.

The pain was massive - and got worse so we sent for an assessment with the orthopaedician at Lok Hospital. The x-ray showed a hairline fracture (the image above is just an illustration - medical sleuths take note...).

Pray for James. The doc said no cast needed - but 2 weeks of bed rest. We had our big thanksgiving meeting yesterday and James was there. It was Sunday today - and James had to make food for himself - so he was up much more than he should have been - and is now in pain.

It is very very hard to be injured. May James' bones be knit back together soon.

Anniversary

Eight years ago today Sheba and I started into the adventure that marriage is.

In the last two weeks of the previous millenium we joined our lives together. A huge leap of faith - a big step of trust - knowing far more about our common Lord than each other.

We celebrated today - and are still celebrating. Our first was in the company of our dear friends and colleagues at Jeevan Sahara Kendra.

Fittingly it was our annual 'Thanksgiving' time - when we look back at the year gone by - and really thank God for what He has done. We were overwhelmed with the folk who came - a good 150 or so adults and another 80 kids showed up. The stories were deeply moving - how many have seen real change and hope come into their lives over the past year. Our colleague Adam Black stood up to thank our positive friends for sharing their unforgettable stories - and choked up - which was totally how I felt too. Each life is so precious - and so many of our friends have been through the worst experiences of brokeness, rejection, hopelessness and grief.

At the same time, what a blessing to be sharing our lives, our times with these dear people. We are glad that Asha and Enoch are growing up with the words 'HIV', 'death', 'very sick' on their lips - not because we are sadistic - but because we live in a world where suffering is real - but hope is unexpectedly and gloriously real too.

One of the songs was an energetic little dance by the children from the Child Care Centre that JSK helps run to allow children to remain with their HIV positive parents. In it one of the enthusiastic dancers was little Hari.

Yes, the same little boy who almost died just over a month ago (click here). Hari was not only dancing, but he acted in a play and was so full of energy and joy. And to think that we almost, so very very nearly lost him that night.

I am very proud of my colleagues and others who have been with us in prayer to make miracles like this happen.

It is deeply fitting that we should remember the beginning of our journey together as a couple, the genesis of the new family of Eichers, in the company of so many saints.

Looking across the sea of faces today - the image remains locked in my mind - I cannot help but be so glad for the intimate way God has allowed us to come into contact and relationship with so many. It is inconceivable for me that this would happen without Sheba and I having trodden the road of marriage over these years - following our dear Lord Jesus together.

Thanks for being along with us on this journey. We have many areas where we are still growing. Many edges of selfishness and pride that still need to be rubbed smooth. Many areas where we are being used to shape and mould each other.

We look back with gratitude. Sadness at some of the mistakes we have made. Joy at the blessings we have received. Thankfullness for eight years of life together.

How many more years? Don't know, but as the sweet scent of the big bunch of roses next to me continues to waft my way - I have to say that if the Lord chooses to take one or both of us home right now - it will have all been worth it.

Living Legends - Uncle and Aunty Cyril Christian

We continue to be blessed by meeting living legends.

This past week we Eichers had the joy of hosting Uncle Cyril and Auntie Snygdha Christian from Sambalpur, Orissa.

Uncle Cyril had worked with Dad in 1966 on OM - and has continued with the same fervency and global vision since then. A died in the wool Gujarati, Uncle Cyril was married to Aunty Snygdha - then a school teacher - and they settled in Sambalpur Orissa where Aunty was working.

A life well lived - this precious couple have been fostering pairs of children over the past decade. We at Jeevan Sahara are privileged to have Sandhya Rani Aind - one of our nurses - who Uncle and Aunty have raised and nurtured. We can see their love in action through the life of Sandhya. As a trained nurse she has been a great blessing to the team and has grown to love people with HIV deeply.

At the same time Sandya was being groomed in the family, Uncle and Aunty also looked after Pinku - a young man who is now married and teaching at a school in Orissa. Currently they are looking after Daniel who is doing his 10th standard classes and a girl who is in 7th standard. Uncle and Aunty are currently praying about taking on another pair.

Having retired after being head-mistress in various government highschools in Orissa, Aunty Snygdha retains her razor-sharp mind - and deep desire to serve.

Talking with these dear saints is like drinking deep, clear water. Their enthusiasm for God - their desire to serve - their life of prayer - their love for finding out new things - their desire to encourage others - trully, the world needs many more Uncles and Aunties like these two.

Will we be like this when we see our few grey hairs become the crown of righteousness that Uncle and Aunty can boast of? We hope. We pray.

Don't fire - its a donkey!

Things don't change much in 2000 odd years. There are still lots of soldiers - and lots of donkeys in the middle east.

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We just read as a family how Jesus sent his friends ahead of him to get a donkey for him to ride into the city of Peace. We also read how just a few days after that the brutal soldiers of a pagan occupying imperium brutally beat and humiliated our Lord - something his own countrymen and relgious authorities also took joy in doing.

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As we remember the birth of Jesus - let us not forget his death. For the Christian the festival that many celebrate as Christmas is nice - but it is Easter which is the pivotal point of everything. Christ was not the lamb who was born before the creation of the world - He preexisted all known existence - but he is the lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world. The act of his sacrifice prefigured the very creation of time itself. And his act of physical resurrection is what turns history on its head - and gives hope deep deep down to the very bones. Death - where is your sting?

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In the meantime - and in a time where much is mean - donkeys and soldiers continue to co-exist in the middle east - for some time at least.