Bye bye 2013

Another year has just slipped by...


This last month was cut in half - with the first part a busy blur of activity ... and the second part a delicious set of blessings as family descended upon us... and how!

To have Stefan and Neeru and their lovely 3 kids Ashish, Anjali and Anita with us over Christmas was amazing.  And it was heightened by having Mum and Dad with us too!

Here is a shot of all of us at 'Shetty's' - the restaurant that we used to occasionally have a treat at when we lived in Nana Chowk:

In a few hours we will be stepping into 2014.  We are just about to go for our 'watch-night' service with our fellow Yeshu-bakhts where we will share what happened over this year and pray the new year in.

God is good.  May light shine this year!  Onwards!  Upwards!

Mum in Hospital

First post in December!

And its not about AIDS or any of the 'normal' things that we are whirling around like mad-people about during these 2 weeks (patience, friends, the posts will come... I promise)...

Its about Mum.

Just before the 'Redemption Concert' on World AIDS Day I saw a quick email from Dad addressed to Stefan, Premi and myself saying that Mum had been admitted at Landour Community Hospital with a bad case of pneumonia.

That night we talked to Dad and Mum in the hospital.  They were down in Hyderabad to be part of the 50th year celebrations of OM in India - and had soooooooo many old (and new) friends to meet.  Each meal was booked - breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Meetings were attended.  Late nights.  Travel.  Then a wedding attended in Dehra Dun with Mum wearing a sari and just a light shawl on a winter night.

Then 3 days of exhaustion at home with a fearsome cough, before she was brought to the hospital and was admitted for what was diagnosed as a pneumonia.

Big kick in the gut. No way.

When we talked to her on the phone her voice was so croaky - and we knew she was on an IV line for the antibiotics.  We felt so helpless being so far away.  But we prayed and got to word out among your local prayer-warriors.

The next morning she sounded the tiniest shade better.  Then last evening another small step.  This morning a further bit of improvement.

Then just as I was putting off the computer at work after another full day of meetings (John Forbes is in town), I saw an email from Dad with the title "Mum Home Again" - and here is the picture.

Worth a thousand words!  All is well.  The sun is shining. Dad is back to reading the Hindu newspaper.

God answers the prayers of simple saints.