Two coasts

As India is being nicely roasted this summer - we as a family are currently experiencing it in two different locations.   Asha and her dear friend Nikita tasted something close to 40 degrees celsius today in Behrampur, Odisha - while we had a still roasting 35 degrees here on the west coast in Thane.

So it is not surprising that the pictures we are getting from our two budding medical missionaries include shots like this:

  

But we know that they are not just there for the ice-cream!

Our two intrepid girls have now almost completed a week in Odisha along with Dr. Catherine Morris of Love the One - an amazing charity that works with the needs of children in Odisha.  

Dr. Mary Cusak - the other co-founder of Love the One is currently at the Christian Medical College hospital in Vellore where two of the boys that they are looking after have had reconstructive surgery for their club feet.

We understand that later this week Mary and the boys hope to come back - but in the mean time Asha and Nikita have jumped in to the work.

 

 Being a programme that works with children - there are always lots of kids around Love the One.  And plenty for volunteers like our dynamic two to do!

Yesterday they accompanied Dr. Catherine to a clinic in a slum area where most of the inhabitants were Muslims.  The previous evening they went out to a village and met a 14 year old boy who is dying with a brain tumour.   Growing up in our home we have talked of death many a time due to the folks we are working with here in Thane - so Asha is not a stranger to the limits of life.  But I certainly don't recall ever have that kind of an experience when I was 13!

 Of course, some culinary skills also have to be shown.

Doting mothers (and dads) on this side of the country regularly ask their two daughters the same question every time:  what have you eaten?  how much have you eaten?

Our young ladies show their prowess with the spatula by rustling up a batch of pancakes for their housemates.



The other question is likewise echoed regularly - did you sleep under a mosquito net - and sure enough - we have documentary evidence on this:

We know that our girls are throwing themselves into life at Love the One - including the 4 resident dogs - and the church fellowship that meets at their place on Sunday:



 It is with a deep sense of gratitude that we close off our first week of having Asha away from us on this adventure.  She has 1.5 weeks left till I take the train out to Behrampur on the 17th afternoon - and then the three of us scramble on board to head back on the 19th evening.

Till then - fare well our sweet Asha - and our darling Nikita too!  And special thanks to Dr. Catherine and Dr. Mary and all the Love the One team for hosting our girls for this special experience!

From our perch here at the Arabian sea, our prayers go over to you in the Bay of Bengal! 
1 Cor. 15.58!!