Lets vote on it

The other day our visitors from North India saw her sitting shrivelled up in her bed. Listlessly cutting garlics.

But a few days before Mrs. Tina had been doing something else. This lady with HIV has seen so many ups and downs. And mainly the latter with months of deep depression punctuated by what seem to be ephemeral days of hope. This lady had the mark on her finger. She had gone to vote. Her HIV infected finger was one of the many across the nation who will help shape the next government at the centre.

Another one of our HIV positive friends - Mrs. Reshmi - also went to the polling booth, but found that her name was not there. She saw that the name of her late husband's first wife, however, was there. She prayed. Literally prayed. That she would be able to vote. Then she told the local official the situation. She was the real wife of her late husband.

Amazingly, the man did something. He wrote some notes on an official paper and stamped it and allowed her to vote. She did. Her finger has the mark to show that she exercised her franchise.

It looks likely that the national picture will throw up a fractured mandate with no one party big enough to form the goverment on its own.

Be that as it may, the amazing thing is to think of all the HIV positive people who contributed to this democratic act. Who dragged themselves out like Mrs. Tina and voted. Who prayed like Mrs. Reshmi, and voted. And many, many more. Many who do not know that they have HIV. And many who do. Their votes count - and will be counted starting on May 16th.

Strands of hope

We are hosting 25 folks from all over North India - and sharing what we have learned. The training is being conducted by us on request from the Christian AIDS/HIV National Alliance. The participants are network partners from Gujarat to Sikkim and every where in between.

Today our friends went with our staff to meet some of the HIV positive friends we serve with. The experience was overwhelming for our guests.

"Today was the first day I met a person with HIV."

"I was so impressed with the gentle way that your staff behaved with all the family members."

"The lady was so thin and weak. She was sitting in her bed and cutting garlic. That was all she could do. She was too depressed to hear much what we said."

"The man said that he would have been dead. Twice over. If it had not been for the interventions of Dr. Adam and Dr. Sheba."

"She was just bubbling over with joy. I never imagined a person with HIV being like this."

"We went to one house and found it locked. Another and the person was out. But at the third one the lady was so happy. She had gained almost 15 kgs after JSK helped her with her TB."

The stories and impressions are deep. Real people. Real stories of grace. Challenges and hopes. We are very proud of our staff and their faithful service. We salute all the folks who have toiled - day in and day out - to meet people in their homes. To share love. To speak truth. To hold hands. To listen patiently. To challenge and prod. To live a common life with our friends with HIV.

The outside world will hardly notice any change. But lives are being silently knit together. At least partially. At least permanently. Heaven is the richer by far.

Enoch asked me today if I had met C.S. Lewis (we are reading Prince Caspian together). I said that I had not because he is dead.

"No he's not Daddy" said Enoch.

"Yes, of course - he is alive now, but he died before I was born"

"Christians have a small death, don't they Daddy, and then they are alive forever" said our little theologian.

Would that we remember the glorious hope we have more often.

Life in the fast lane

Things are moving pretty fast in the lives of the Eichers.

Tomorrow we will be welcoming 23 folks from all over north India for the week-long training of trainers in HIV care through Churches. We are doing this training at the request of the Christian AIDS/HIV National Alliance (CANA). They have asked members of their 13 regional networks in North India to come and be trained here - and then go back and share what they learned. The opportunity for us to share what we know is amazing.

Yesterday night we got a call from Siliguri, West Bengal. A group of 3 from Sikkim were about to get on the train. They will arrive tomorrow evening in Thane. 2 nights and 2 full days in the train. But they are coming. And coming to learn. The stakes for us to really share our hearts out are high.

Tonight we had a meeting with 12 teachers and other volunteers for the JSK VBS. We plan to hold a 5 day children's programme for many of the children from our HIV affected families - and their neighbours. We have 80+ names of kids already - all sanctioned by their parents / guardians. The opportunity to serve the little ones is so great! Our own capacity to do so is also so limited - but that forces us to depend more on God.

Earlier today we had the interesting experience of hosting an educational legend in Mumbai. Dr. Pinto stopped by to meet us, courtesy of our old Borivili-days friend Marshal. He sat with Sheba and myself in the little doctor's cubicle where Sheba sees so many people with HIV. His mind was so amazed at what can be done in the field of health care. I asked him how many schools they are now running - Dr. Pinto said "110 all over India." Sheba asked when he was going to start one in Thane - and he replied that there was one on the way. When we asked where - he called an assistant who found out - "it will be in a place called 'Manpada.'" We all laughed. Manpada is where we are right now.

In between we celebrated Daniel's birthday - and also the birthday of Joash Pravin - who is volunteering with us for some time. Today was the last day of a 3 day exposure visit by John T. George - a 1st year med student from CMC Vellore. We did a small evaluation for him and sent him off. Late at night we stopped off at Lok Hospital to pray with Susan, Joash's mother who is suffering from severe abdominal pain. Later still we had supper. We live in a lovely apparment - but only have water for 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours at night. Since we were not back before 10 PM - which meant we were not able to fill up for tomorrow. Now to get the morning dose...

Life at full throttle. We are grateful for God's mercy upon us in so many ways!

A family, a work in progress...

We had a family over this weekend. He has worked his entire life (5 years shy of retirement). She has trained in music but has been at home. He is paranoid about going out and has rarely taken the family anywhere. They have two houses. One in the native place - one which they are living in. Their elder daughter has missed 2 years of schooling because of illness - and now wants to switch courses and go to another school.

They came for help. They wanted solutions. Most of the problems were deeper than their circumstances. The problems are rooted in their relationships. Their trust with each other. Their alienation from the lover of their souls...

We talked and listened. We shared our own lives as much as possible. We ate and took them to our church (he had to leave at 4 AM since he was on duty for the first shift on that Sunday).

When he came back we were still not much closer to solving their problems - other than seeing the ever-widening rift that lies beneath this couple - and their two children.

No easy solutions. But this is the place where we believe that we are not in a closed box. We know that besides the various states of mind - the internal pathologies of distrust and ambition - the years of accumulated venom that is simmering below the surface - beyond all of this lies the hope of honesty, redemption and forgiveness.

The only way forward is the way of our Lord Jesus and His cross. Nothing else will do. No amount of motivational talks, no magic solutions, no mumbo-jumbo. Simple, hard, brutal honesty is the only thing that will clean out the Augean stables of this family. Only the grace that is personified in Jesus himself - who cried out 'Father forgive them' as his hands and feet were brutally pierced can provide healing to our dear ones.

We feel small and helpless - but cling to the promises of our wounded - and victorously risen - Lord.

A work in progress.

A phone call

The mobile buzzed. It was a number that I didn't recognize. What to do? I was with Sheba's cousin and his wife.

I answered.

The voice on the other side was hesitant. I am calling from Malegaon. Is this the Jeevan Sahara Kendra?

I replied it was.

The voice told me that he had read about us on the internet. He has a 10 year old child there with HIV. Both parents also have HIV. They are finding it impossible to care for the child. Do we know what can be done for this child.

I really don't know what to say. And so I say what is true:

"We can't discuss this on the phone - we do not run an ashram here or a hostel for children - most of our work is to look after people who have HIV in Thane in their own homes. But if you would like to bring this family here - we can understand the situation and give advice for the parents and the child."

The voice agreed and said he would come within 2 weeks.

Lets see what happens.

There are so many who need help. What are we to do?

Hot

It was 47 degrees centigrade in Nagpur this week. Can you even think of a heat that hot?

Delhi's schools have been shut down because of the heat wave. My co-brother tells me it was almost 45 degrees there.

Our staff have been out in the heat during these days. People with HIV continue to need help.

Sister Nalini - a retired nurse - went to a home today of a woman with a distended bladder due to being unable to pass urine. She cathederised her - and saw over 1.5 litres of urine removed - and a very grateful woman.

Its hot but we have to continue the work. Prayers always welcome.