Bead

As I swept the floor this morning, out from under a couch rolled a single orange bead.

It was a cheap plastic number but it set my mind back.

The bead was one of the sack-full of beads which were in Mr. Zacheus' 'store-front' home. A tiny room right on the main road of a neighbouring slum, where the door was a metal shutter that opened up or shut the street to the room and vice-versa. Mr Zacheus, wasting away on his bed, was looked after by his illiterate wife while his four children played around him.

The beads were a small way of making some money. The mother and kids would sit on the floor and string them. Cheap orange things. For each 'necklace' they would earn a few paisa. A day's work did not get them much. But it did get them something. And it meant they could do it in their little room - and when they wanted to. Paid by the piece.

On one of our last visited to this home, Mrs. Zacheus had given a few beads to Asha. The one that rolled out from underneath the cot must be one of the last survivors.

Where are you Mrs. Zacheus? You left in sorrow after your husband died. You went off to the village in far-off Uttar Pradesh saying you would return. But other after a few calls we have not heard from you. We pray for you - occasionally - and know that you will need medication for your own HIV disease - which will continue to eat away your health.

And what of the kids? How big they must be by now? Are you able to nurture them? What do they remember of their father? What do they remember of their early years in urban Thane? Who do they call themselves now?

Mr. Zacheus has gone to a better place. No platitudes here. Facts.

Mrs. Zacheus? Where has she gone? Is she still alive? Does anyone know?

Friends

How precious friends are. And how few we all seem to have when it gets down to the nitty-gritty. Being real. Being part of our lives. Being there.

John and Nalini Gabriel fit the bill. When we came to Mumbai 6+ years ago they were part of the local Hebron assembly we attended – and lived just round the corner from us. With a daughter Asha’s age – and then adding another to complement our Enoch’s arrival – we were blessed to have such a loving couple who took us in and were there for us.

Enoch, Jasper, Asha and Nikita get ready to dig into some rice and prawn curry!

We are a good 5 years on since moving over to Thane – and our friendship still holds. The years have seen some difficult times in the lives of both families – but it has been a privilege to keep growing with each other.

This past week Asha and Enoch spend 3 days with their dear friends Nikita and Jasper. Being the last week of their summer holidays the kids had a ball.

The Eicher and Gabriel kids dig into all natural ice-creams - Asha's bear Gloria and Nikita's Twixie are also on hand.

As parents we were able to meet and participate in a prayer meeting at John and Nalini’s place when we went to drop off the kids. Though mid-week, we were able to spend the night with our friends (including a trip to a natural ice-cream parlour at 10.30 PM) before an early-morning bus took us back to Thane.

Asha had had appendicitis the week before. John and Nalini’s prayers were among the first and most fervent. We are so glad Asha recovered so fast (and without surgery – though it seems we may have to go for it later). Seeing her tuck into Auntie Nalini’s prawn curry, you would never have imagined that this was the same girl in such pain just a week prior!

We know that God does not bring us randomnly into people's lives - and vice versa.

Thanks John and Nalini - for being friends. We are so grateful to God for you!

Being used

While we were on holiday with our parents in Mussoorie last month we had an unexpected visitor: Mrs. Gladys Staines.

Mum and Dad knew Gladys from her days with OM in the early 80s – before she met and married bro Graham Staines and settled down to serve in Orissa.

Sister Gladys had some work in Dehra Dun and took the opportunity to come up the hill and meet Mum and Dad for some fellowship and prayer.

Sheba and I and the kids were privileged to meet this humble servant of God in such an unexpected setting – while drinking coffee on the terrace of Shanti Kunj, with the evening air taking on its first crispness as the sun painted the oak forests golden.

One of the things that struck me from our chat was this: Sister Gladys talking about how glad she was to be able to teach scripture in Australian public schools. She shared that since she is living with her daughter who is studying medicine, she found out that the Australian state still teaches Scripture as a subject in schools – but that there is always a shortage of willing teachers.

Sister Gladys and another lady decided to take on the challenge for a local school and found it to be so meaningful. There as such a joy in seeing young lives interact with God’s word and changes taking place. Sister Gladys also shared that though she did not start the teaching with this in mind, it did allow her to be with young boys of an age her younger son was when he died. Looking at Enoch she mentioned that he had died when he was still at home with her.

Looking back on the conversation, what strikes me about Sister Gladys is her willingness to serve. Though she is known the world over now – and has many speaking invitations – she retains the essential willingness to serve – to be used in whatever way possible. I wonder how many of those little boys realized who their tall lady Scripture teacher was –and what her life has already seen.

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies....

Another ending

Mr. Langru died on Friday.

We were in our afternoon staff meeting and had discussed his case. He was unconscious and his wife refused to visit him in the government hospital. We had suggested she bring him to the Jeevan Sahara Kendra facility so that at least some dignity could be experienced by Mr. Langru.

She refused.

She was afraid that in her absence their things would be stolen from her pavement hovel.

Rahul and Shanti had gone to visit Mr. Langru’s brother to try and persuade him to do something. Though he had previously refused – saying he would only come after Mr. Langru died to do the last rites – he actually paid a short visit, but nothing else.

In reviewing Mr. Langru’s condition, one of the staff pointed out that he had said a simple prayer to Jesus before he had slipped into the comatose state he was in.

We talked and prayed about the situation. I told our staff that we had done what we could. It was heartbreaking, but this is the reality that so many face. Mr. Langru had been spared from death – but his return to health and work only lead to a bitter slipping back into alcohol. His bridges were burned. Other than our staff who visited him in the hospital he had no one.

As we finished the meeting some time later – a call came for Sheba. It was Mr. Langru’s wife. He had died. She wanted our staff Rahul to come and help.

Beloved kids

With Adam and Jo just about to get into the airplane and fly off to the UK on Monday, Enoch and Asha are about to lose two beloved friends: Freya and Alistair. The frolicsome twosome came over this week to spend time with our kids - and everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

Asha the teacher supervised Freya's drawing (for under 10 minutes - since Freya then wanted to do something else). Duplo blocks were brought out. Colouring books coloured. Stories read. A small tea-party held. General roughhousing. House-house. The list goes on... it is marvellous what the imagination of children holds.

After a small lunch there was a time of practical cleaning with Freya and Asha in full swing. Not only did the dishes get cleaned - the floor did too (and I think the washers were also a shade cleaner by the end of it)!

Asha ended off the time with a story by Enid Blighton - Noddy - none of her hearers went to sleep - despite looking intensely comfortable!

We will all be missing Alistair and Freya (who was born here in Thane). When will our kids see them next? In their tweens? As adults? We hope much earlier.

God be w’ye

Three years have gone by. Only a moment. Only a lifetime.

Adam and Jo Black joined Jeevan Sahara Kendra in September 2005. A general practice physician from Scotland – Adam joined the JSK team whole-heartedly. This week we had a small time of thanksgiving to God for what He did through this family. A short retrospective through some of the lives of the patients that Adam touched directly (and Jo touched through her support for Adam) brought tears to the eyes.

Just one example: Sachin was a 10 year old boy who had HIV and was dying with a cancerous leg. Adam met with him when he was admitted at JSK, when he was at home in the shack his mother shared with her new husband. Adam carried Sachin in his arms and joked with him, talked and prayed with him, treated and played with him. In his final days Adam visited Sachin’s home. On asking what message Sachin had for the JSK team – the final words that Adam heard from Sachin was: “Praise the Lord.”

A few months before Sachin died his uncle brought a sapling to JSK. The tree that the municipality had planted in front of the centre had died and so we had Sachin plant this sapling in its place. It continues to grow and remind us of this brave little boy – it will also continue to remind us of Dr. Adam and his investment in the lives of many of our Positive Friends here in Thane.

Here is a picture from the tree that we gave to Adam and Jo as a small memento of their time here.

And so we have the bitter sweet task of saying good bye!

As Adam and Jo move we send them with all God’s blessings. Having come from Scotland, the family is now shifting to England where Adam will be starting up in a group practice. Jo is likely to take up more work with speech therapy. Alistair is due to start school and Freya – who was born here at Lok Hospital – will continue to grow from the cherubic child she is into what God has for her as a young lady.
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Though Adam will be returning to general practice we expect that he will continue to be involved with some of the issues that he worked with here. For one the area he will be serving has a large ethnic population from South Asia and so his Hindusthani will be much appreciated there. Furthermore, his practice partners are giving him the liberty of working two days of the week for charities, and it is quite likely that he will be involved with training different organisations in Eastern Europe and Africe (and we expect in South Asia as well), especially in issues of HIV care.
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There were many a moist eye during our small farewell for the Black family. We know that we will never forget them - and Adam told us that we will always be in their hearts too.

Only eternity knows the final value of what our lives are.

God be with ye dear friends! Go with joy and strength in the Lord – to new frontiers and ever more joy in Him!

Our JSK “mass choir” gave a rousing send off with their rendition of “Sambhal Prabhuji”

Spare a prayer

Spare a prayer for Mr. Langru.

He is currently lying in a hospital cot in the Thane Civil Hospital. Next to the latrine. With another man with him in his bed.

There is no one to look after him. The nurses have given up. They say that since no one is there with Mr. Langru there is nothing they can do.

Our staff visited Mr. Langru. They found that both the men were struggling with each other. The other man is semi-comatose and has pus from open wounds. They help pull them apart and looked after Mr. Langru. Gave him a massage. Talked to him. Sat him up.

What Mr. Langru has most is a poverty of relationships. His financial poverty is there - and his poverty of health means that he is not likely to last the month. But these are but the bitter fruit of multiple destructive decisions and situations he and others around him have made.

Is there a way out? For all intents and purposes it seems unlikely. But we must keep trying. We have seen Mr. Langru make decisions totally against what we have advised - and are not surprised to see the horrible situation he is in - but that should not - must not stop our love - in whatever way possible.

Our staff are trying to get Mr. Langru's brother to visit him and care for him. We are working with his wife - who has suffered much abuse and denigration from him. We are talking to God.

Spare a prayer for Mr. Langru.