You crackpot!

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, but the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream 'I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.'
The old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty in the world.'
Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make us unique and special. Don't focus on your flaws, but on your differences that make life interesting and rewarding.

End of radio silence

We have now left India, and we are back in the UK. Our lives are a bit of a whirlwind still here, and we have been in 4 different places since arriving, and as a family of 4 we are living out of one suitcase.

Well, I guess before anything else is said, I should really take the opportunity to apologise to all our readers that we have been pretty busy recently, and so we have not been very (ie AT ALL!) good at updating our blog recently. We have however had quite a few people comment on the fact that there hasn't been much there recently, which is reassuring that people are actually bothering to read it!

We have had quite a few functions and goodbyes in India, and it has been generally quite an emotional time. On a couple of occasions I found myself with a tear in my eye I must confess, and even in front of patients sometimes! People have been tremendously encouraging and supportive, and have said lots of nice things to us! It is important that we remain conscious of our human failings against such a barrage of compliments and well wishes!

A couple of weeks before we left, My work place at JSK, where I was based for 3 years, had a very humbling 'goodbye' party for all our family.

The staff of JSK sang a song for us, and they gave us gifts and some kind words. They did a presentation of some of the patients we had been able to impact here in India, and they also gave me a scrap-book full of their reflections on our time in India. As well as this, we were presented with a small plaque with a picture of the leaves of a tree that was planted to commemorate the death of a young boy we had treated, along with a verse of scripture and a quote from the boy himself. It was a very special tribute for us, and a memory that I will always cherish.

the staff singing

A slide from the powerpoint that was presented

Praying for our future

A talented poem? You choose!

It was our staff retreat last weekend. It was a really great time, in an unexpectedly nice venue, that was really of hotel standard. Everyone had a really great time there.

On the Saturday night we had a talent show. I decided to write a poem. God spoke to me through the passage in Matthew's gospel chapter 25 about a year ago. The passage is commonly referred to as the parable of the 'talents'. I thought it was a fitting passage to write a poem based on for a 'talent' show!

The passage in Matthew reads as follows;
Matthew 25:14-28 It will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' 21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' 23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' 26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

My poem follows;

So many paths,
Such worn shoes.
We determine our future,
By the paths that we choose

A man of worth,
Came, stayed, went,
To each of three servants,
Some money he lent.

Such trust an honour,
Consider it privilege,
To waste it a shame,
Or perhaps sacrilege

How much do you have?
How much has been given?
But greater than this,
Does your path lead to heaven?

To some is given much,
To some less, to some little,
But its how we proceed,
That tests our mettle.

From the man who has much,
Much more should be made,
But not to be kept,
To the master repaid!

For the man who had less,
When brought to account,
Through hard work the test,
Doubled his amount

But the man who had least,
What worthless dalliance
He hid what he had,
And returned just the balance.

See its not what we have
That counts in the end,
But it's what we accomplish
With what we've been lent.

No matter how "much",
"Less" or "little" you feel,
Lift the edge of your bushel,
And let it reveal

A treasure, a jewel,
That shines from within,
Then the true path to heaven,
Our worn shoes will win.

What do you think? A bit twee?

For they know not what they do...

Many people think of the phrase "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do" at this time of year. But I think a lot of people miss the full implication of this simple short sentence. It was one of the last things that Jesus said before he died, as he hung on the cross, and so I think it is of some importance.

I was about to drive home on my motorbike today when I realised I had a flat tyre. I therefore went to the local puncture repair shop (you see them every couple of hundred metres here in India) and asked the man there to fix it for me. This usually costs about 15 pence. He removed the tube, and showed me how the tube was split at the valve, and I would therefore need a new tube, at around £2. Sure I said. However he then showed me that there was also a nail through the tyre, and a second hole in the tube.

this made me highly suspicious. Two simultaneous problems concurrently causing a flat tyre - hmmm...unlikely. I picked up my old tube, and looked at the hole near the valve, which now looked to me decidedly like a knife incision. then on closer inspection of the shop, i realised that the heater for rubberising the glue they use for puncture repairs was in pieces on the bench inside. At this stage I realised that he had never been able to fix my puncture.

I therefore went on (to his surprise) to explain my findings to him in pretty passable Hindi, and proceeded to tell him that God was watching everything! He looked sheepish. I remained calm though, and paid him and left.

As I drove down the road, I was musing about the fact that God was watching everything the lad had done, and would hold him accountable. Suddenly the thought of Christ hanging from the cross with crowds around his feet mocking him came to me, and those words - "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do".

What struck me was not God's forgiveness. We all know God is willing to forgive those who ask him! What struck me was the second part of the sentence - "for they know not what they do".

Arguably in the history of mankind there has never ben a greater injustice than Christ's crucifiction. Without a doubt the perpetrators were not repentant (as they mocked him) but this didn't matter to Christ.

What did strike me, was that Christ forgave these unrepentant sinners. Not because they acknowledged that he was the Christ. Not because they were repentant. Not because they went to Church, or took communion, or because they were good, or loving, or religious.

He forgave them because they did not know what they were doing.

Is ignorance an excuse then? Maybe. What did the man fixing my puncture think about ripping me off? Did he think

"here is a poor soul who I'll take advantage of"?

Just maybe he thought
" I haven't been able to make a living for several days, because my equipment is broken. I am hungry, my mother is sick and in hospital, my son is thin and hasn't had a proper meal for days. My wife deserves better".

Maybe he thought
"Here's a rich foreigner, he won't miss a couple of quid, perhaps if I just damage his valve he will buy a new tyre, and I'll be able to get my puncrure repairing machine fixed and start to make a living again".

As I drove along on my bike, I prayed a short prayer

"father forgive him, for he knows not what he is doing"

Immediately I felt better. My petty anger and resentment left me. I felt lighter. I absent-mindedly realised that wrecking my tubing wasn't going to be a stumbling block to that young man getting into heaven.

Another verse came to mind
"If you forgive their sins, they are forgiven. If you retain their sins they are retained"

Next I had to say a wee prayer for myself.
"Father forgive me for all the times that I have harboured an unforgiving heart towards others. Father forgive me for all the times I have retained another man's sins. Father forgive me, for I knew not what I was doing..."

How many people really realise "what they are doing"? How many people really realise the importance of their minute every day actions? How many people are philosophers? How many Indian peasants struggling to survive understand the complexities of God? Of the trinity? Of Christ's substitution for us on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins?

Not many? None? And nor do I. Or maybe I'm just beginning to...

"How great the fathers love for us..."


"...Father forgive them, for they know not what they do..."

Testimony of a friend

My friend emailed me this story a month or so back. I really liked it, and so I asked him if it would be OK to put it on my blog. He has agreed, and has also added the story to his own blog http://warddrennan.blogspot.com/ . He even found this picture of the actual chapel in the story.

"I didn't return to church until I was 29. In grad school near the end, I had no idea where my career was going, was under major stress and extremely tense. I had gotten dumped by my girl friend of 18 months and was feeling the pain. It was a bright sunny spring day. I was strolling through campus, full of lots of trees in full bloom, and early 20th-century limestone architecture. There was a chapel. I had another girlfriend later. She was afraid of church, and that relationship had ended quickly a few months ago. I suggested to her back then that we go in the chapel, but she refused. So now alone, on a quiet campus, it was 23 or 24 degrees C (75F), soft breeze, cumulus clouds dotting the baby blue sky. I said,

"She didn't want to, but I'm going in".

I approached it cautiously, was anyone going to see me? was it open? was anyone inside? I opened the door and stepped into complete calm, tranquil, extraordinary peace. I looked around at the charming little chapel with Oak pews and trim. I was actually in awe of how lovely it was and had forgotten about life outside. Among seats for maybe 100, I stood in solitude. There was a kneeling place next to the entrance where it was written something like "May all who pass here kneel and pray". I hemmed and hawed about it. Yes, no, should I do it? Would someone walk in? Somehow it was hard to do something like kneel and pray. I'd be giving in, somehow losing my pride. But after looking at that kneeling place and contemplating it 3 or 4 times, I did it. I kneeled and quietly prayed. I stood up free. It was a new world. Like drinking fresh mountain spring water after hiking in a desert, parched. What a fantastic change of mood. My worries were gone, the tension lifted, and I was filled with joy again.

Yeah, church is good."

Thanks Ward!

Church Bulletins

These sentences appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services;

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow..

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use the large double door at the side entrance.

I want to be...

Once upon a hill, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.

The first little tree looked up at the stars and said:
"I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!"

The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on it's way to the ocean.
"I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world!"

The third little tree looked down into the valley below.
"I don't want to leave the hill at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world."

Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain.

The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said,
"This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell.
"Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" The first tree said.

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said,
"This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell.
"Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree."I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!"

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up.
"Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoicedwhen the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river; instead she was taken to a little lake.

The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard.
"What happened?" The once tall tree wondered.
"All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..."

Many many days and night passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams.

But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox.
"I wish I could make a cradle for him." her husband whispered.
The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood.
"This manger is beautiful" she said.
And suddenly the first tree knewhe was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said,
"Peace."
The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of heaven and earth.
One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beam was yanked from the forgotten woodpile.She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her.She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

Keep your fork - and not the three pronged variety!

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was given 3 months to live. As she began getting her things 'in order', she called her pastor and asked for him to come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she wanted read, and what dress she wanted to be buried in. She also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible in her left hand. Everything was in order and as the pastor was preparing to leave, the woman suddenly remembered one final request that was very important to her.

'Please Pastor, just one more thing,' she said excitedly.

'Sure, what is it?' came the pastor's reply.

'This is very important to me,' the woman continued ... 'I want to be buried holding a fork in my right hand.'

The pastor gazed at the woman, at a loss for words.

'That surprises you, doesn't it?' the woman asked. The pastor replied 'Well to be quite honest, I am puzzled by the request'.

The woman explained. 'You see, Pastor, in all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I remember that when the dishes were being cleared after the main course, someone would inevitably lean over to me and say, 'Keep your fork' ... it was my favorite part of the meal because I knew that something better was coming, like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie. Something wonderful to end the meal!'

The pastor listened intently and a smile came upon his face.

The woman continued, 'So, I just want people to see me there with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder ... 'What's with the fork'... then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your Fork ... the best is yet to come'.

The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman good-bye.

At the funeral, every one that walked by the woman's casket saw her wearing a beautiful dress with her favorite Bible held in her left hand and a fork held in her right hand.

During his message, the pastor told the people about the conversation that he had with the woman shortly before she died. He explained the fork and what it symbolized to her.

So the next time you reach for your fork, let it remind you, oh so gently, that the best is yet to come...

What keeps you going?

Arthur Ashe, the legendary Tennis player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983.

From world over, he received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed:

"Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease"?

To this Arthur Ashe replied:
"The world over -- 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals, when I was holding a cup I never asked GOD 'Why me?'. And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me?'"

"Happiness keeps you Sweet, Trials keep you Strong, Sorrow keeps you Human, Failure keeps you humble and Success keeps you glowing, but only Faith & Attitude Keeps you going..."

The Adam's Family Home-coming

As we come closer to completing our time here, and we think more and more of coming 'home' to the UK, it seems that more and more of you have also been thinking of us, and we have had a few emails asking how we are, and whether we have any prayer requests...

Oh dear, what a glib subject heading I have chosen, and how often I have cringed when I have heard the same line from someone else... all the while maintaining a forced smile!!!! It's like when people ask me "where's Eve?" I've taken to trying to come out with some witty reply, something like "she's out gathering apples" or "picking fig-leaves". It feels like that comes across better than a forced smile to me, and I think it puts people on the back foot, as they work out what I'm talking about!!??

Isn't communication a funny thing. I think that the basic problem is that inside all of us we desperately want to be understood, and to be able to understand others. We all have a child inside that is easily hurt, easily offended. We all have our protective mechanisms, and our barriers we put up.

In scripture it says that in Heaven we will "fully understand, even as we are fully understood". It is talking about a time when we will no longer only be able to perceive and relate with our bodily senses, and our gesture and voice. I think it will be nice to be able to greet one another in a spirit of full understanding and acceptance. There will be no more pretences, no more awkward silences. No forced smiles. We will all be on a level playing field, and all loved unconditionally. There will be no more hurting child inside. No more insecurity...

With reference again to the awful "Adam's Family" title above, my family are not really mine at all. I like to think of everything I have belonging to God, my wife, my children, my money, my property, my car, my job, my health, my talents, my medical degree. I think of them all as gifts from God in my care for only a short time. The story of the talents in the bible suggests that to the person who has been given much, more will be expected.

Being in India has certainly helped me to be able to count my blessings. As I look around me at the poverty and disease, the starving children, the people around me so often every day have really nothing compared to my opulent existence. We are thinking about moving back to the UK, and as we prepare, we have been looking at homes to buy on the net. When we do a quick calculation of how much money we are thinking of spending in Indian Rupees on a house it seems so wrong. It seems there is no balance to the world, and that there is really a crazy difference to the "haves", and the "have nots".

All of you in the West, whether rich or poor, fat or thin, employed or un-employed, well fed or living on baked beans on toast;

"count your blessings. Name them one by one, then you'll realise what the Lord has done". You will never suffer as I have seen people suffer.

I would like to include a small passage here from a monthly letter that my boss Andi produces each month. He is very eloquent with the written word;

"Overwhelmed. That’s what we so often feel like when we see the sheer needs of our dear friends with HIV – and their often maddeningly broken relationships.

A small 8 year old girl lies in a government hospital in a semi-coma. She has fits and has been vomiting. Her parents take turns to be with her HIV positive daughter. The two younger siblings – 4 and 1 year old are with their grandmother – but the mother needs to see them occasionally. The father drives his auto-rickshaw during the day – and then comes to spend time with his daughter. The family has been so much – and the agony of looking after their beloved little girl is heart-breaking. We had been encouraging this family to start her on anti-retroviral medication for so long – and they only started recently. It looks like it may be too late.

A woman lies in her shack – too tired and feverish to get up. Her husband – HIV positive like her - has left her and gone back to his village. Her teenaged son comes in at odd hours and is said to be stealing things at night – couldn’t care less about his mother. The two smallest kids have already ‘grown up’ - the 5 year old wanders about outside not listening to what her mother tells her. The three year old is inside crying for food. Both girls also have HIV ticking away in their small bodies.

A grown man lies at home – unable to get up because of his constant diarrhoea. His wife – HIV positive like him – finally decides that she must admit him or he will die. He is brought to JSK with virtually no pulse. During the process of admission we realise that the other relatives have never been told that his wife is also positive."...
...count your blessings...

So about us! Here goes...

...We are really becoming more and more home-sick, as our move back to the UK becomes more imminent.

Please pray for us to be able to remain focussed on the task in hand here in India for a little while longer... some of the things we are involved with follow, and you can pray for these things specifically...

Jo Has been getting involved one or two mornings a week with a pre-school in a local slum. However she is frustrated that nothing changes on the days she is not there, and she wants to meet with the leaders to instigate changes that will make the pre-school a better place long-term, even after we have left.

Jo has also has been asked to help prepare a teaching syllabus for teachers in Indian schools to improve their english. Jo has a "Teaching English as a second language" qualification. She is feeling like there aren't enough hours in the day, and also hasn't used her training in this field for 11 years, and so is almost starting from scratch. Thank God for Liz, who has recently started volunteering with the organisation preparing the syllabus, and who will be able to do a lot of the hard work.

Pray that Jo continues to do a great job of being a mum as well. It has been harder here away from friends and supports. She really is fantastic at it. Someone once commented to me that Jo's job here in India is much harder than mine. That is so true.

Leading on from that, it would be great if I was a better support to my wife!

Other things to consider for me are my two main roles in work. I continue to work for Jeevan Sahara Kendra 3 days a week, but for the past few months I have also been involved 2 days a week with a new 'health-care centre' run by oasis India. Oasis are keen to get another full-time doctor to work there, to take over after I leave.

On a more abstract note, I have started writing a book. It is a work of fiction about a family in India with HIV. It aims to discuss some of the issues involved in Indian culture and society. It probably won't be any good, but pray I get time to work on it! It will be a nice record even for me, when I return.

I am also airing the thought of starting a charity when I return! What do you think? I have seen a great need in India for charities who really struggle for decent premesis. Often the right type of premesis simply isn't available, but also, rent agreements in India are generally for 11 months only due to a law giving tennants certain rights if they are in a premesis for more than 12 months. I would like my charity to buy properties for well established fruitful charities with proper registration, and boards of trustees. I would not feel it was worth the risk of supporting charities just starting out, or those in the hands of an individual, as this would be more open to corruption and fraud.

Pray for Alistair and Freya's health. For a couple of days they have been having unexplained stomach pains, without diarrhoea or vomiting. They have not been sleeping well, and so we are all tired. Help me to know the best way to treat them medically.

In terms of coming back to the UK, please pray for that to go smoothly. We have sold our flat in Dumbarton Road!! - an end of an era fro Jo and I. I have owned that flat since I was 19, and it has been one of the things which has enabled us to come to India, with income from rent being a great help. Please pray for Alistair to get admission to the school of our choice. Please pray that we get a house with a nice garden when we het back!!!! Neither of us have ever had a garden!! For the kids this would be a great thing. At times here in India it has been too dusty and dirty, or too wet, or too hot for them to play outside here, and at times they go a bit stir-crazy cooped up in our flat!!

Pray for all our practical arrangements, flights, shipping, travel, goodbyes... etc... etc... Above all pray as you feel led by God's spirit- "All types of prayers on all occassions"!!

Know your JSK staff; Adam Black

Andi, my boss at JSK, has recently started doing a focus on a staff member each month. This month it was the turn of yours truly, and I thought I'd just add Andi's summary of my life here...

Dr. Adam Black is a general practitioner from Glasgow, Scotland who has been serving with JSK for the last 2.5 years. Having come from the ends of the earth (he grew up on the Orkney Islands) Adam is coming to the end of his 3 year commitment along with his wife Jo and their children Alistair (4) and Freya (born at Lok Hospital 2 years ago!).

Adam was challenged by the needs of people in the slums of Chennai, where he served during a medical elective. After completing his higher medical studies in general practice, Adam and Jo (a speech therapist) were led by the Lord to come to Thane.

Adam works with clinical care and counselling at the outpatient centre and with in-patients when they are admitted. He enjoys treating people who are sick with HIV as well as counselling and sharing the joy of the Lord Jesus with them. Adam has also been instrumental in helping set up the OASIS Priceless Health Centre where he currently serves 2 days a week. During these 2.5 years he has been able to learn basic Hindi and is able to interact with patients and JSK staff.

Adam and Jo are preparing to transition back to the UK in mid June, when Adam will be joining a Christian group practice in England. Please thank God for their service here & pray blessings into their next steps.

You'll be great

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself,

'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.'

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said,

'Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives.'

He looked at me and said,

'Hey thanks!'

There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friendsHe said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him. Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said,

'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!'

He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke, but I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.

Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said,

'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!'

He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.

' Thanks' he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began

'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach..but mostly your friends...I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.'

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.

'Thankfully, I was saved.My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.'

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions.

With one small gesture you can change a person's life.

For better or for worse.

which are you?

A deep thinker and a realist went on a camping trip, set up their tent, and fell asleep. Some hours later, the realist wakes his philosopher friend.

" look up at the sky and tell me what you see."

The deep thinker replies,

"I see millions of stars."

"What does that tell you?"

The deep thinker ponders for a minute.

"Astronomically speaking, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets.

Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo.

Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three.

Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant.

Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.What does it tell you?"

The realist is silent for a moment, then speaks.

"Practically...Someone has stolen our tent".

A BLACK CHRISTMAS

Many of you will know that Adam, myself and the kids spent Christmas in Goa this year, along with Adam's Mum, Dad, younger brother Cameron, sister Inga and Cameron's friend Andy.

On arrival at Mumbai airport we were promptly informed that our flight was overbooked and that we would have to wait 3 hours until the next one. After much debate we managed to land an upgrade to Executive Class with a free lunch and use of the Executive Lounge. Don't suppose we'll get that again in a hurry - not with 2 small kids at least!

Here Freya is enjoying the full stretch of her Executive Class seat! Just a shame the journey only lasted an hour! Personally I was most taken with the TABLECLOTHS we were given when our in-flight meal was served! (You can tell I don't get out much).

The men in the family made the most of the super-duper massage chair in the Executive lounge.

I, with my more pessimistic approach to life and Indian bureaucracy, was initially frustrated with the inefficiencies and lack of apology from Indian Airlines. However, Adam's Mum was right all along in suspecting that God might be in it! Had we made the first flight we would not have met up with Cameron's friend Andy. He was meant to be meeting us at the airport having come straight from London that morning. With his London flight significantly delayed he would have arrived to find us gone and also to discover that his flight was not, as we thought, the same one as ours anyway! Instead we were all still at the airport and Adam was able to help sort out a new ticket for Andy on the same flight as us. Lesson learned. God was in control and we all got quite a good deal in the end (even if it did take 10 hrs door to door -about the same as driving to Goa as it turns out!).

After an eventful journey we finally arrived at an airport that was displaying more 'Christmas Cheer' than anywhere else in Thane! It's hard to know who was more excited by the Christmas tree, the kids or yours truly. . .

Home For A Week

Leoney Resort, Small Vagator. I'd definitely recommend it. Significantly more luxurious than other places we've stayed in India but well worth the treat for Chrismas! We had no complaints and thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. The kids (that includes Adam, Cameron and Andy) really enjoyed the swimming pool. Alistair was in up to 4 times a day and learned to swim really well without his armbands! One time we got back from a day out, climbed out of the car and before we knew it Alistair was in the pool, clothes and all. The problem was easily solved - he just took all is clothes off and continued swimming!! Our 'cottage' is on the far left. It included a four poster bed which was a bit of a treat too.

The said swimming pool with Inga and Alistair enjoying a dip and Andy and Alistair doing some acrobatics (of which there was a lot!). The children's pool at the edge was perfect for the kids to muck around in without needing too much supervision. Adam and Freya are realxing in the background.

Small Vagator beach just 10 minutes walk from where we were staying.

Panaji (Panjim)

"Most travellers bypass Panaji on their way to the beaches, but this is a grave mistake. With the narrow winding streets of its old Portuguese quarter . . . (it) is one of India's smallest and most pleasant state capitals" Lonely Planet, South India, 2005

Goa is a former portuguese colony with a distinct character, quite different to Maharastra State where we live. Of course it is a huge tourist destination now too, so the place feels very different. It was nice to be a tourist and blend in with the travellers for a week, enjoying different food and clothes. (But also useful to pull out the Hindi card when needed - mostly to avoid a rip off (!) but also to enjoy conversation with the locals).

On Christmas Eve we decided to see Panaji for ourselves. We only had a taster, but enjoyed wandering the streets a little bit. The Portuguese influence is very apparent in the architecture, street names, doorways . . .

Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.

Originally consecrated in 1541 and once visited by Portuguese sailors as a first stop, thanking God for a safe crossing. English, Portuguese and Konkani mass is held here every day.

"Mummy, Mummy, Santa Claus!"

Really quite bizarre, but Alistair was certainly very excited to see (several, very skinny) Santa Claus' on the streets of Panaji! He managed free gifts from at least 2 of them, including these Santa hats.

Christmas fever taking over on Christmas Eve - men selling Santa hats on the central reservation!

With Roman Catholicism a major religion in Goa, Christmas is celebrated by many. I'm not sure if this is the way to do it (?!) but it made me feel more festive and put a smile on my face on a hot and sticky Christmas Eve far removed from my childhood memories (Jim Reeves, open fire, stockings. . .)

Christmas Eve Curry

Do I need to say anything?! Adam and Andy amusing themselves while waiting for our Christmas Eve meal at the 'Delhi Darbar' in Panaji. This restaurant was recommended to Morag by her dentist in Edinburgh and was indeed a great choice!

Curries all round, enjoyed by all, including Ali and Freya. The atmosphere was great with the place nicely decorated for Christmas and a full house. We were lucky to get a seat when we did as the queues had formed by the time we left.

A truly Goan Christmas!!
The doorman at the restaurant and Santa Claus (again). The question is, who wins the prize for the best moustache?!

Christmas morning

Our own living Christmas tree, complete with decorations, beside the swimming pool. There was also a huge nativity scene in which Baby Jesus (who looked about 16 but heh) was placed at midnight on Christmas Eve and the lights put on.

My own very happy memories of waking on Christmas morning to find a stocking at the end of my bed were re-lived through Alistair and Freya this year. Especially Alistair who really understood and was excited by it all. Freya was just excited but had no idea why!!
I feel compelled to add that, when asked the question "Who do we remember at Christmas?" Alistair did say 'Baby Jesus' and, despite all the brainwashing to the contrary, did not say Santa Claus (Phew).

But heh, 'Granny Santa Claus' can't do any harm!

I really like this photo of the Black men on our porch enjoying the vibe on Christmas morning. A bit early for some but we were all happy!

Christmas Afternoon

After a late 'brunch' at what became our favourite haunt, and a relaxed start to the afternoon, we wandered down to Small Vagator beach. Being in a cove it is more picturesque and interesting than some of the Goan beaches. Although quite rocky underfoot all (except myself I'm ashamed to say) went into the sea and had a great time. Ali and Freya also enjoyed the sealife, including crabs and a small octopus! Not a bad way to spend Christmas afternoon.

Sunset on an Indian Christmas

A fantastic day, topped by a beautiful sunset and a lovely meal at 'Le bluebird', a French restaurant serving all the things we can't get in Thane - blue cheese, steak, good wine, lovely desserts . . . now I'm dreaming.

Rowdy Rabble from QP

We recently had the absolute joy of having 6 folk from our home Church in Glasgow come to visit us for 8 days. The time just flew in, and was really too short. I'm pretty sure they were all tired by the time they left, and would have liked to have stayed longer! They were more organised than me at blogging, and did a blog post for each day that they were with us. You can see their blog at http://www.clanblacksupport.blogspot.com/. Because there is a lot of info on that site, I'll remain relatively brief, but here are some picture highlights.

Arriving at Mumbai International airport. They had a noisy flight, with a crying baby over their shoulders! I still remember the first time I stepped out of the safety of the air-conditioned airport the first time I came to India in 1998. It really is an assault on all the senses! We took our own luggage to the car a few metres away, and half a dozen porters tried to wrench our bags from our hands to place them in the back of our car. They assured us it was OK, as it was their job, but then wanted pounds Sterling as payment for their unsolicited harassment.

The trip from the airport involved 4 of the bunch going in a 10 seater taxi that I'd booked, with their secret chocolate stash for Jo and I taking up 4 seats. This resulted in Brian, John and I taking a second taxi. This was supposedly an AC taxi, but the driver delighted in turning off the AC whenever we were distracted in order to save fuel. I think he did this about 15 times in the 1 hour journey! John was the trips official photographer, and pretty much filled his memory card in the taxi I think, snapping everything from one horizon to the next!

In the taxi to visit one of the projects I work in. The gang from left to right are; Sandra, David, Sharmaine, John, Brian, and last but definately not least Ishbel.

At the Oasis India healthcare project. Oasis are mostly involved with Women and children. Oasis visit a number of Government homes, and also have 4 outreaches in the red-light districts themselves. They also run a couple of homes, and a vocational skills training centre. A recent focus for them has been to get heavily involved in anti-trafficking work, to try and rescue young girls who have been sold or kidnapped into prostitution.

Here we are on the local train. A hot and sweaty endeavour, especially if the fan in your section is not functional!

Alistair and Freya also enjoy riding on the train!

You all knw the saying "rules are there to be broken", well in India it should be "rules are there to be flaunted"- especially on the roads! But here we are on a cruise of Mumbai harbour - "No photograpy allowed"

At church on Sunday.
Freya learning the ropes of screen work at Purnatha Bhavan. 25 kids and 18 women live here in an idyllic setting in the hills 2 hours north of Thane.

At JSK. This is taken with Naseem who works helping out at the centre with cleaning and making Chai! She invited the whole team to her humble home, which was just lovely of her. There are some photos of this on the team's website.

Dinner at the blacks!

THE END!, but do look at the groups own website http://www.clanblacksupport.blogspot.com/.

"Run Shay, Run"

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.
After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?'
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. 'I believe, that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'
Then he told the following story:
Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?'
Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.' Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball ... the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the way Shay'Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.
'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.
Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

The voice of an atheist

I recently got back in touch with a good friend from University who is now living in the states. We have had a few exchanges on facebook, and I found some of the things e had to say about his atheist faith quite interesting. Ultimately I think that there is a God- he is evident in everything all around me, and it takes a great deal of faith to say that there isn't one. I have added my own comments to his text in orange;

"Well Adam, I have to say I'm more of an atheist than anything these days. I was a strong Catholic, but I struggled with many theological issues that sent me into very deep meditations about life & the nature of the universe, etc. I guess you could say that I came to the conclusion that everything in this universe is accidental, which is by no means to suggest that it is thereby any less remarkable. (in my opinion it is much more remarkable to think that in a relatively short time frame all life 'happened' than to believe in the guiding influence of a deity) I guess I feel that as a mortal, it is and will always be beyond my ability to understand God, and for that reason, any perception I have in God either is, or might as well be, my own creation. (my attitude towards this statement is that it is illogical. If a tadpole cannot understand a human, does that make humans imaginary? I agree that we can have no fixed impression about the exact nature of God, but the fact that we use our imaginations to try to understand something of what he/she/it might be like does not mean that a deity is "imagined") And if I cannot know the intentions or desires of God, then it's just as well for me not to think in those terms. If there is a God, I just hope he believes in my existence more than I believe in his. Or hers. Or its. Or theirs. I mean, what do I know really? (it is not what we know that is important. Faith is not a matter of knowledge, but a matter of belief) I got to the point that I had to just throw away everything I'd accepted and trust my gut for better or worse, and if there is a God, I don't feel it or see it, to be honest. But of course, atheism is a faith too. I can no more prove the non-existence of a deity than I could prove his existence. Maybe I just want my life to make more sense to me, for practical reasons.But being an atheist does not make me anti-Christian. Well, not in theory anyway. There is a lot about American Christians that I see as hypocritical and it does anger me when I know that's not what Christianity is about. It isn't something that should be used as a validation for hate and prejudice, yet I see that a lot over here. Some people give Christianity a bad name, and I think if Jesus were here now, he'd treat them much the same way as he treated the Pharisees. ( I can sympathise with this argument. The Church often appears critical and judgemental, but this was not God's plan for his Church. God told us to love our neighbour. He told us not to judge lest we ourselves be judged. He demonstrated practically how to reach out with love to the marginalised of society, and in almost all of his recorded dealings he did so. The reason the Church is not always effective at doing this is not because of God, but because of man, and the Church should not be condemned because of man's failings) Anyway, I might struggle with the idea of a god, and I have to say that I don't really believe that Jesus is god or was the son of God. In fact, I have to say that I don't even know what that means—when I really think about it, the term "son of God" doesn't make any sense to me. (the concept of the trinity - God three in one, Father son and holy spirit, is very difficult to comprehend. It is hard to imagine how God could become man. I personally think that the Father son relationship between God the father and Jesus is actually far more complex than that, and perhaps the reality is that Jesus had a man's body, but his spirit was all God. I cannot believe that his physical form as a man was in any way part of his godliness. It says in the bible that "God is spirit" My own simplistic way of looking at the trinity is to say that they are all one. The father in heaven is a spiritual being. Jesus spirit was God's spirit in some way budded or "cloned" to use very un-politically correct terminology. I believe that this portion of God's spirit is referred to as his "son", and was separate and distinct to the father's spirit. Jesus on the cross talks about his father leaving him. The two could be separated. My view then of our own make-up as human beings is that we also have mortal physical bodies, but also a separate spirit, that is unique to each individual. I believe that as we come to know Jesus, part of God's spirit comes to live in us, and helps to guide and mould our own lives and direction. This is the holy spirit. I believe that after Jesus died he returned to be with the father, but that he has retained some form of personal identity, and a spiritual form. I believe that after we die we will not have physical bodies in heaven, but will also become spiritual beings. But I still hold Jesus high as a brilliant man who remains one of my personal heroes. And I still respect the Bible. And I realized today that I still live by the Ten Commandments as best I can, but I don't think about them as much. Still, they are a very good set of rules to live by, no matter who you are. If I live by a golden rule, it would be the second form of Kant's Categorical Imperative—"Always treat others as an end, and never merely as a means". I guess you could say that's the same as "Treat others as you would have them treat you". I have to say that my change in beliefs has not changed my behaviour toward others. There are some things that are right and some that are wrong, purely as a matter of common sense, and everybody deserves to be treated with the dignity that their status as a moral animal bestows on them.

So, I finally got around to checking out your blog and lost a couple of hours yesterday as I got drawn deeper and deeper into it. I like what you have to say about what you believe about Heaven, by the way. I remember when I read Dante's Inferno, and was a bit taken aback that Plato, Aristotle, etc were stuck in limbo (even if there is a 'limbo' or 'purgatory' which is not clear from scripture, it is perfectly possible that it is like falling asleep, and the person affected would have no concept of the passage of time until his judgement. This would mean that as far as the individual was concerned he died and went straight to heaven.) because, being pre-Christian, they could not get into Heaven as they had not been baptised. The absurdity of making such a sticking point over what seemed to be a technicality was like a slap across the face to me. (my opinion is that it is nice to be baptised as a public testimony and a reminder to you when your faith wavers that you have made a commitment to follow Jesus. However I do not believe that water has any special significance in physical terms, but is only symbolic of the washing away of your sins. In scripture water baptism was not actually a baptism of forgiveness, but was called a baptism of repentance (or being sorry for having sinned or having done wrong). Jesus is said to have come to bring a greater baptism, which is the baptism of the spirit of God, which is a baptism of forgiveness of sins. It should be noted that Jesus did command us to go and baptise. It is traditionally believed that this refers to water baptism, but it could equally be thought to refer to baptism with the spirit.) Did it not matter at all the manner in which a man lived? If he had let himself be dunked in water and said he believed, even if he wasn't all that sure, would that make all the difference? (I do not agree with Dante- if he believed that those who have not had water baptism will not be able to enter heaven.) Oh yeah, and Mohammed was stuck deep in Hell. That's especially ironic when you consider how Dante borrowed heavily from Muslim writers to create his own vision of Hell. (You have to appreciate surely that Dante's inferno is a work of fiction, and so not too much weight should be placed on his writings)That whole episode sparked a lot of deep "what do we know anyway?" (which is why any faith is based on 'FAITH' not knowledge. This is the way God intended it. When a child is in it's mother's womb, it has no concept of what awaits it in the wider world. I view our spirits being encased in our bodies as being a bit like a child in the womb, and death a little like being born into an entirely new existence. Then we will be able to understand more, as we are able to view God and humanity from outwith the space time continuum. Our bodies tie our spirits to the physical universe a bit like an umbilical chord ties a baby to the womb. Jesus uses this analogy. He talks about being dead to self, and being born again when we become Christians. It is a phrase that is used glibly "born again Christians", but I found in my life that the day I became a Christian was like being born again, and I suddenly understood about a God who loved me, and who forgave me, no matter what I had done. It was like a fresh understanding of my own worth in god's eyes, and gave me hope and joy). type questioning for me. And as far as the ethic of Christianity goes, it would make much more sense to me that a person's moral behaviour, the content of their heart and their conscience, and the peace they feel toward their maker, should be the only matters that would determine whether or not a person would get into Heaven, so I totally agree with your outlook there, or I would agree entirely if I believed in Heaven and an afterlife. ( I think an afterlife is the wrong way of looking at it. I think it is the same life, and we will still have the same identities. God existed before matter was created. therefore he exists in a form that cannot be quantified in physical language. Time does not exist without matter. What is time but a human construct we have arbitrarily coined to describe the movement of the planets, particularly the rotation of the earth, and how it causes a shadow to be cast by the sun every 24 hours? Time is something we are bound to from the moment we are born on one particular rotation of the earth we call our birthdays until the day that we find our poor physical bodies have too quickly grown decrepit and died. What is time to a God who exists outside the physical realm, and for whom there was no birthday, no decay, no death? He is the same then, now, and forever. When we die, we will be of similar make-up. I believe this is what it means when we are created in God's image. Not that we have our 'father's eyes' or our 'mothers nose'. In this way, Eternity is not a very long time, but it is an existence outwith time and space. It is only in the absence of time that eternity is possible to conceive.)

Tour of the City

I was a little bit naughty, and sloped off on the Thursday afternoon of the week long conference to do a bus tour of the city. The first stop was the science museum. Ooh! - look at the scary dinosaur. It moves and roars as well!

I knew that giong on the tour would be very educational for me- but how much!! I was able to put this exhibit to immediate effect when I went back to my HIV clinic in Mumbai. I have no concept what the dancing-Indian-pixy-boy in the centre has to do with immunology. I guess that must be another of lifes imponderable mysteries.

This was my favourite- a glass pipe about 1m in diameter stretching from floor to ceiling, and completely filled with obsolete microchips. It looked really cool. (I guess you had to be there - sorry)

How old do you think this govenrment building is? 100 years? 200 years? Nope, it is 5 years old, and constructed entirely of concrete! Impressive though.

The inside of Sultan Tipu's palace. It was constructed entirel from wood. He was a great military strategist, and defeated the British with long-range ballistic missiles, which looket alittle bit like large "rocket" fireworks!

Possibly the high-light of the tour for me was this cow lying acros the central reservation of a busy junction! You see cows everywhere. They are sacred, and so no-one eats them. They can become quite mangy and sick looking- ironic really. One might have been forgiven for thinking that this cow pictured must have been a victim of a hit-and-run, as it certainly couldn't have chosen to lie in such an uncomfortable position. Shortly after this photo was taken though, the cow got up and walked off!!!!

Just a cool guy! I think this will remain one of my favourite portraits for some time.

Now you know where he went after retiring from formula 1??

In the "Lal Bagh" or "Red Garden", so called as it is well known for its red flowers in season. There weren't many red flowers when I went, but...

...I managed to get one picture of a red flower especially for my father-in-law John! It's only a wee bit past it. (he likes taking photos of flowers!!)

In India it is often the traffic that stands still, but not at this busy junction, thanks to the help of Bangalore's finest!
Window cleaning anyone?

On approach to the Bull temple. There is some link to one of the God's - Laxmi perhaps (the goddess of wealth). I think she rides on this bull. Or it might be Shiva - the goddess of creation and destruction. I'm not too hot on Hindu theology.

This is the statue of a bull, around which the bull temple is constructed. As I walked around the back of the bull, some young lads who had been selling trinkets outside came and introduced themselves as guides, and proceeded to ask me for some money. They made a bit of a show of seeming holy- presumably to impress me into giving them more money- however their pretence collapsed somewhat when some other devotees dropped some money into a small offering at a shrine, and one of the lads quickly looked around and shoved it in his pocket.

As I went to leave the temple, the man pictured above in the entrance held out a tray with 50 rupees on it, and then after i had left swapped it for his usual 10 rupee inticement that he usually uses for visitors that are not foreign.

I must say that I left the temple with a bad taste i my mouth. There was no feeling of anything sacred about the place at all, but more of just people trying to rip other people off. Shame.

All of the photos above were actually taken in one afternoon on my city tour. I guess something worth noting is that most of the things I enjoyed were nothing to do with the tour, but were just things you happen across at the side of the road. India is so like that. So much to see in every direction. Don't blink! You might miss it!

MMMMMmmmmmm

I found a very nice bakery in Bangalore- something we really do miss in Mumbai.
One day I ate 5 of these donuts!! It was an accident! I bought them for someone else!

Bangalore continued

Sorry about that random diversion to the "who needs a truck" thread, it's just that I took that photo in Bangalore, and just happened across it just now! Below are a few more pictures of Inside some of the sessions at the conference.


There were 150 delegates. The maximum number that we could accommodate. Nice group of people, many of whom were already doing some form of care for people with HIV/AIDS. The problem here in India is that there is so much need, that people don't know where to start. In some ways it makes sense for people to say "well those people are going to die anyway" or "why should we help them, it is their own fault". I have unfortunately come across these attitudes too often. One church pastor even asked me "why are you trying to help these people, when God has already shown them his judgement"!!! I was pretty gobsmacked by that one- what did Jesus do when he was on earth? He went round healing the sick, cleansing lepers (HIV today is equivalent to leprosy in Jesus time)

The opening ceremony. It was blissfully short thankfully. On occasion, these ceremonies can take up half the time allotted to a program. It seems that everyone has to be thanked, and everyone has to be given flowers, and then everyone that has been thanked has to give a speech to thank the thankers for thanking them, and while they are at it, thanking everyone else again too. It is even more lengthy and protracted than the above sentence in real life, let me tell you!

Yours truly in full swing!

Everyone had an opportunity to use some educational flip-charts that we were given. Very useful for use in the field. Many pastors go to outlying villiages with no electricity or running water.

Who needs a truck

Clearly not this guy! He's coping quite well on his 80cc moped. Is his rear mudguard actually touching his wheel?

Bangalore

OK, I realise that I rarely get things added to this blog when it happens, but at least I do get it added eventually!

Recently I was fortunate enough to be added to a list of speakers at an HIV/AIDS conference in Bangalore run by an American charity called 'Samaritans Purse'. The conference was mostly for church pastors, and it was to encourage and equip them to be able to reach out with love to people suffering and dying of HIV/AIDS. There is a lot af fear and lack of understanding about the illness, and as much as anything, people just need to know the truth. Often people are scared of catching the virus unnecessarily.


This photo is of the main shopping street in Bangalore- it is called MGM Road. It is very westernised, with bars, coffee-shops, cinemas, and even the occasional pool-hall!

I had some chicken from this KFC in 1998, and later had a bit of a tummy upset! I avoided their delights on this occasion (I didn't have time)

I was able to feel quite at home with the "Bombay store" supplying all my Bombayite needs??!!

I loved these "Ironwallahs". I have not seen these in Mumbai, but I saw several of these in Bangalore. The iron actually contains a charcoal burning compartment. This fellow was delighted to have his photo taken, which was nice. Often when you show peope their photo on the back of your digital camera they start to giggle- grown men no exception.

An interesting trip to the barbers?

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.

As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:

"I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. If God existed, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:

"You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber."I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist becauseif they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."

"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist!That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help.That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

Reports 2000 killed by cyclone in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh - More than 900 bodies have been recovered in Bangladesh following a devastating tropical cyclone, but local news reports put the death toll at more than double that figure.
I received an email from a friend in Calcutta a few days ago asking for prayer as they were expecting a major cyclone to hit, and had been warned to stay in their homes. She remarked at the time that she felt bad praying for the cyclone to miss calcutta, as she knew that it would just hit somewhere else.

A couple of days later another email told me that she had heard that the cyclone had moved eastward, and would not be hitting Calcutta, but Bangladesh instead. Below is an article from CNN, along with some extra photos from the BBC website. Perhaps the statistics would have been a lot worse if the storm had hit the crowded streets of Calcutta that I witnessed in August.

People often say "if there was a God then he wouldn't allow the suffering caused by natural disasters". I don't fully understand it either. Actually I'm not expecting to be able to understand a lot of things in this life, but I do believe that God is just, and our understanding of how he hands out his justice is very limited.
I believe that much more human suffering is caused by man's complacency than by natural disasters. Perhaps events like these help to awaken human-kinds sense of compassion and mercy that so often lies dormant, and brings about some form of a greater good? I don't know.
Our perspective of natural disasters is based on our understanding of this temporary and fleeting physical existance we call "life" But I believe that God's understanding of "life" goes much much further. I believe in a life that continues beyond the grave, and gives a great hope to people who have had to suffer in this life.
Although I cannot begin to comprehend eternal and righteous judgement, I know a man who can, and about 2010 years ago he said when he was surrounded by crowds of people (possibly living similar lives to many of the people that have been affected by the cyclone in Bangladesh)
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew Chapter 5)- did you notice that Jesus-the-son-of-God said that people who are poor in spirit posess the kingdom of heaven? Did you notice the people who will be blessed?- Mourners, meek, righteous, merciful, pure in heart. There was not a lot of room there for people who sit at home criticising others and going to Church once a week (I'm sorry if this attitude offends some of you). Jesus also said that a good tree bears good fuit, and that a tree will be known by its fruit.

Some people who look at the Church today do not see God's love being acted out, but instead see people focusing on conversion and salvation, preaching damnation for anyone who has not put their faith in Christ.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Steve Chalke, a remarkable Christian, and someone who is not afraid to make a difference. He started an organisation called "Oasis" about 20 years ago. That organisation has accomplished so much around the world to help the suffering and afflicted, and I have recently been involved in a small way with an HIV/AIDS project they have recently started in Mumbai.

Steve Chalk recently wrote a book, and I haven't read it, but I believe it said something about Jesus not paying for our sins on the cross. The Christain west has been outraged, and I believe he has received a lot of criticism. Someone told me yesterday that he has been basically excommunicated from evangelical christian circles. I don't know if that is entirely true.

What I do know is entirely true is that I can only admire a man who realises that what he believes goes against the grain, but rather than go with the flow, grow old, and die without telling anyone, he is willing to be different. Willing to think outside the box, willing to stand firm. Couldn't we ALL stop-just-doing-things-the-same-way-that-everyone-else-is-doing-them. God has called us to be willing to step outside our comfort zones to make a difference for him.

What I do know is that through oasis Steve Chalke is reaching out and saving lives all around the world. He is showing poverty stricken Indian Prostitutes with HIV the love of God. He has orphanages. He has health projects. He is impressive.
He has recently been given a huge contract by the government in England to build about 8 new academies. He is establishing a cutting edge youth centre in an old cinema in Clitheroe (where we're moving next year). Has the wider body of the evangelical church done better?

I really fail to see how this man is not a powerful and positive force being used by God for good.

I find it hard in my heart to criticise the man. What have I accomplished in comparison to him? Do I know scripture better? I doubt it. Do I go to Church more often? Do I pray more? Do I Feed orphans and widows more often?

I may not agree with his doctrine, but I don't think that is centrally important. What I think is more important is to recognise the fruit in his life, and to focus on producing fruit in our own lives.

For me the central concept of being a Christian is loving God and loving your fellow man, and Steve Chalke touched upon this passage of scripture in his talk yesterday-
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? "Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." If all the Law rests on love, lets just get on and do it, and stop worrying about the detail.

Families stand amid the wreckage caused by the cyclone Friday in southern Bangladesh.

This new-born baby, cradled by its grand-mother, survived, and has been called cyclone

As flood waters recede, aid workers say they expect to find scores more bodies when remote villages are finally reached and the counting is done. They face debris-blocked roads, no electricity and almost nonexistent communications.
The government said on Saturday that at least 915 bodies had been recovered, but news media, including a United News of Bangladesh report put the death toll at 2,000.
United News said it had reporters deployed across the cyclone region.
Cyclone Sidr, with sustained winds of at least 131 mph (210 kph), made landfall Thursday night along the western coast of Bangladesh near the border with India, unleashing floodwaters.
"We still don't really know the extent of the damage. There are so many areas inaccessible," World Vision spokesman Vince Edwards, who is in the capital Dhaka, told CNN.
Adding to the tragedy is the loss of rice crops, normally harvested in December, Edwards said.
In Dhaka -- about 200 miles north of the worst-hit region -- there were power outages, massive traffic jams and spotty phone service, CNN's Cal Perry said from the city.
"From an infrastructure perspective, the country absolutely has been brought to its knees," he said.

Elephants help move fallen trees that have blocked many roads and hampered the efforts of relief workers trying to reach stricken areas.
Areas along the coast received the brunt of the storm, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. The worst-hit districts were Patuakhali, Barguna and Jhalakathi. Sixty percent to 70 percent of homes in those areas were destroyed, according to local officials.

Nabiha Chowdhury, spokeswoman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said 150 fishing boats were missing. The fishermen may have been caught in the storm and were unable to return to land, she added.
Chowdhury said about 600,000 people had fled, adding about two million people lived along the coast. She said the latest number of people injured was 15,000 with 1,000 missing.

Tousands of people have fled to state cyclone emergency shelters

It is possible rainfall from mountains will swell rivers, and by Sunday night or Monday the surge could reach already flooded locations in Bangladesh.
Sidr's powerful winds and lashing rain uprooted trees, leveled homes and even damaged buildings where residents sought shelter. Video footage from the height of the storm showed high, rolling waves along the coastal areas and winds blowing so hard palm trees were flattened.
Video footage shot from a helicopter Friday showed villages flattened and large numbers of people without shelter.
The U.N. World Food Programme announced it has enough high-energy biscuits to feed 400,000 people for three days.
Members of the Bangladesh army and navy were trying to help.

Bangladesh has a long history with deadly cyclones.
In 1991, a devastating cyclone killed at least 140,000 people, according to the United Nations. And in 1970, Cyclone Bhola struck Bangladesh -- then East Pakistan -- killing 500,000 people. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration considers that storm to be the 20th century's "greatest tropical system disaster."
While the storm was one of the worst in the last hundred years to hit the country, improved warning systems and shelters have kept the number of deaths far lower than the disastrous cyclones of 1970 and 1991, when the death tolls were in the hundreds of thousands.

Married life

A man and a woman who had never met before, but were both married to other people, found themselves assigned to the same sleeping compartment on a Transcontinental train. Though initially embarrassed and uneasy over sharing a room, they were both very tired and fell asleep quickly - he in the upper bunk and she in the lower.
At 1:00 AM, the man leaned down and gently woke the woman saying, "Ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you, but would you mind reaching into the closet there and getting me a second blanket? I'm awfully cold."
"I have a better idea," she replied. "Just for tonight, let's pretend we're married." "Wow! That's a great idea!" he exclaimed.
"Good," she replied. "Get your own blanket!"

After a moment of silence, he farted.

Count Your Blessings

There is an old hymn that goes "count your blessings, name them one by one, then you'll realise what the lord has done" Being in India has really helped me a great deal to see just how blessed I (and we as a family... ...and for that matter most of those living in the West) am (are!)

I received this in an email today, and I don't normally forward these things (although I do like receiving them), I've cut out some of the text, but I thought some of the statistics in the following paragraphs were quite eye-opening;

'How does one acknowledge God's blessings?' I asked.

'Simple,' the angel answered. Just say, 'Thank you, Lord.'

'What blessings should they acknowledge?' I asked.

'If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy .'

'And if you are reading this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.'

'If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 700 million people in the world.'

'If you can attend a place of worship without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world .'

'If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.'

Stress Indicator

A friend sent me this picture on Facebook recently, along with the following text "I've attached a picture you can use in your medical practice. It's a stress indicator and is a pic of two dolphins. If the patient can see the two dolphins, then his stress level is acceptable and there's no problem. However, if he sees anything other than two dolphins, he is severely overstressed and requires treatment. Try it yourself. I think there's an Indian version using two elephants."

After I had examined the picture for a moment in some confusion, I sent him a return message asking "what does it mean if you can see two cows?"

A virtual tour of our neighbourhood

Alistair recently got a new bike (an early Christmas present as his trike had 'died' from so much use). On one of the dry afternoons in monsoon I took him for a ride, with Freya in the buggy. This was quite a novelty as usually it is far to hot to do anything resembling outdoor physical exercise.
These shots give you an idea of the streets around where we live. This first one is right outside our gate and features the ever-present rubbish dump. This is it looking pretty minimal actually and without the usual array of 'wildlife' namely pigs, dogs and crows, that feed off whatever they can find.
In the mornings the rubbish is collected from outside our flat, loaded into big buckets then taken across the road and dumped here. Ladies then spend several hours picking through the rubbish looking for anything salvageable. This is one of the many sights in India that makes my heart cry out. Why are they destined to this life, purely because of the caste they were born into? This has to be one of the most degrading occupations. Imagine the stench, in 35 degree heat...

This picture of Alistair is not just a nice one of him but also, I think, quite poignant. The contrast between all that he has available to him by virtue of his birth versus the simple, difficult life of these children in the slum behind. I felt really quite uncomfortable taking this picture although, as always, I was greeted with smiles.

Round the corner. . . and here you can see one of many luxury high rises going up all over Thane and Mumbai. Another stark contrast between the homes of the middle classes who are increasingly purchasing these kinds of properties, and those of the construction workers who build them.
This is just one of 8 or so similar towers under construction right outside our window. The families of the construction workers (like those in the 2nd picture) live on site in slum dwellings. When the building is finished, their homes are pulled down and they move on. We have posted pictures before of the slum outside our window.

The tour continues

For all the grandeur of the finished piece, the way in which these buildings are constructed is, in many ways quite archaic. Check out the bamboo scaffolding, used for buildings of almost 30 stories - usually with nothing in the way of safety precautions. The towers are painted by men suspended on a platform held by rope, using a paint pot and brush! Quite scary to watch.

Urban India is fast becoming inundated by western-style supermarkets. 'Tru Mart' is one such example, just 5 minutes from our home. I do shop in these places, lured mainly by the air-conditioning and the imported goods that you can't get elsewhere. However, I prefer to use the small traders as much as possible. Their fresh produce is by far superior and I prefer my money to go to them than into the pot of some chain.
Interestingly, yesterday, many of the small local traders shut up shop and gathered in central Mumbai to oppose these corporate giants. The 'Times of India' called it 'perhaps the largest protest against organised retail in the country'. I hope it had some impact, although I know that to make a real difference people like me could start by boycotting the 'Tru Marts' altogether. When does conscience overtake convenience....?

Ashamed to say it but here is another popular chain that we frequent, also just 5 minutes from our home. Our local coffee shop, which actualy sells a reasonable cup of coffee. This was Alistair's final destination. He likes it here (often in the middle of church he announces "Can we go to Cafe Coffee Day now?' as we often do go after church) and as you can see, was glad to have arrived for some air conditioning and a cool drink.
Yet again, the contrast between this kind of existence - which can, if wished, be lived blinkered with no thought of the 'other' India -
and that of the folk that, for example, Adam works with everyday is marked.

Homeward bound. We live on the eleventh floor of this tower block in a very comfortable flat. We have our complaints, a clean garden of our own would be nice and a constant clean water supply and no power cuts . . . but really we count our blessings to have the provision of such a nice place to live.

Who needs a truck?!

Ever wonder what happened to those gas Cylinders!?

For those of you who have been following this series, here is another one for the collection. I think this guy has 12 gas cylinders on his reinforced bike. I wouldn't fancy going up even a slight incline with those. Not only that, he doesn't have any gears either. Hey, I hope his brakes work for going down hill as well!!

Shadow Puppets

Having recently discovered how to add video and youtubes to my blog, I'm tempted to innundate you with daft and interesting videos I've received. My sister Penni sent me this really cool shadow puppets video.
If you have any cool videos you're keeping to yourself, please do email them to me, and maybe if they pass the strict censors and the even stricter selection committee, they'll find their way into the heady heights of the clanblack blog (life just couldn't get any better, right?). I have tried to upload another couple of videos, but their file format wouldn't convert.

here's a cool youtube called "cigarette"

I was a smoker for a few years at university - during the 'bad boy years'. smoking is bad for you, and causes lung cancer (and lots of other types)! Everyone knows it, but so many people still do it! For years! And they don't even enjoy it! There are a few other cigarette related youtube links at the bottom of the video window once you have viewed the initial video. Some of these are also worth looking at. these are added automatically by the "youtube guys" YEA! THOSE GUYS!

Depressed man diagnosed as Scottish

I thought this was quite amusing, but not true of course! Scotland is a beautiful place!!!! Also, most Scottish people are quite lovely, although you do get some dour characters like the Alistair described below!

Alistair McGregor, an expatriate Scottish man living in America, was recently diagnosed as clinically depressed, tanked up on anti-depressants and scheduled for controversial Shock Therapy when doctors realized he wasn't depressed at all... ...only Scottish.

Mr. McGregor, a Scottish man whose characteristic pessimism and gloomy perspective were interpreted as serious clinical depression, was led on a nightmare journey through the American psychiatric system. Doctors described McGregor as suffering from Pervasive Negative Anticipation – a belief that everything will turn out for the worst, whether it's trains arriving late, Scotland's chances at winning any international sports event or even his own prospects to get ahead in life and achieve his dreams.

"The satisfaction Mr. McGregor seemed to get from his pessimism seemed particularly pathological," reported the doctors. "They put me on everything– Lithium, Prozac, St John's Wort, Ginseng", said Mr. McGregor."They even told me to sit in front of a big light for an hour a day or I'd become suicidal. I kept telling them this was all pointless and they said that it was exactly that sort of attitude that got me here in the first place."

Running out of ideas, his doctors finally resorted to a course of "weaponsgrade MDMA", the only noticeable effect of which was six hours of speedy repetitions of the phrases "mustn't grumble" and "not too bad, really". It was then that Mr. McGregor was referred to a psychotherapist. "Suicidal?" DrIsaac Horney explored Mr. McGregor's family history and couldn't believe his ears. "His story of a childhood growing up in the drab back streets of a windswept grey town with treeless streets of identical run-down houses where it rained every day, passionately backing a football team who never won, seemed to be an idealized depressive memory – I thought all that was a myth…"

Mr. McGregor had six months of therapy but seemed to mainly want to talk about the weather – how miserable and cold it was in winter and later how difficult and wet it was in summer. I felt he wasn't responding to therapy at all and so I recommended drastic action – namely ECT or shock treatment".

"I was all strapped down on the table and they were about to put the rubber bit in my mouth when the psychiatric nurse picked up on my accent," said Mr. McGregor. "I remember her saying 'Oh my, I think we're making a terrible mistake'." Nurse Alice Sheen was a big fan of Scottish comedy giving her an understanding of the Scottish psyche. "Classic comedy characters like Chick Murray, Will Fife and The Crankies, all hopeless cases with no chance of ever doing well or escaping their circumstances," she explained to the baffled US medics. "In Scotland, being depressed to the point of suicidal is considered the norm and is not seen as pathological at all." Identifying Mr.McGregor as Scottish changed his diagnosis from 'clinical depression' to 'rather quaint and charming' and he was immediately discharged from hospital, with a selection of brightly colored leaflets and an "I love NewYork" T-shirt.

Summer Days Drifting Away.....

Although the Summer feels like a long time ago now, here I (Jo) am with some more photographic memories of our time in the UK in June and July. Very delayed and out of synch but still worth posting I think.

We spent a great week in Leeds at the end of June with my eldest brother Steve, wife Naomi and their 4 kids Sam, Asher, Minnie and Laurie. At the end of the week my Mum and Dad, brother Chris and his wife Ruth (whose wedding was at the beginning of June) spent a night in Leeds too. As the families on both sides (Black and Simkins) expand it is increasingly difficult to all get together so times like this are always precious.



Here is Alistair with his cousin Laurie (Steve and Naomi's youngest). There is only 8 days between them so it is always nice to see them together. There was slight anxiety expressed by both sets of parents over who may have the upper hand in this relationship, but this was clearly unfounded as they got on really well with only a few territorial moments! This photo proves it!



Picking raspberries in the garden.

Pennywell Farm, Devon

After Leeds, I went down to Exeter with the kids to stay with my parents. Adam went to a Developing Health course in London and joined us a week later.
Among other things we enjoyed a fantastic day at Pennywell Farm. Alistair and Freya loved all the hands on stuff with the animals.

The expression says it all!

Superheroes and Ladies

Alistair was pretty chuffed to be wearing cousin Rory's Spiderman outfit, as you can see by his face! He is quite taken with all things Spiderman at present. His understanding of Spiderman is of someone who helps people and stops people doing bad things (he's a bit too young to grapple with the finer complexities of the plot and has obviously never seen Spiderman). Quite where this ranks with his current understanding of God (who also helps people) I'm not sure but we do our best to keep his theology right!

Freya and Maisie exploring Gran and Pop's garden. Rory and Maisie are my brother Paul and his wife Karen's kids. They were also staying in Exeter.

Ahh, this is the life. . .

Enjoying an afternoon at the beach with Gran and Pop (Jo's Mum and Dad), Uncle Paul (Jo's brother), and cousins Rory and Maisie.

Pop bonding with his 2 youngest grandoughters.

I just liked this one of Adam and my brother relaxing at the beach!

And afterwards . . . who can beat it, sausage supper in the back garden. Meals outside on summer evenings are just the best.
Here you can see Alistair at the front with Rory and his sister Maisie. They are also very close in age and had a really nice week together.

Our Country Retreat

Our final 2 weeks were spent in Crawfordjohn, 40minutes south of Glasgow where Adam's folks have a house. There is very little to do there other than enjoy the garden and surrounding countryside, and we all benefitted from some time as a family and some rest. Alistair and Freya loved the garden. They could see cows and sheep over the wall, and horses from their bedroom window.

Adam's sister penni and her family came and joined us for a day and his parents and sister Inga also spent the last week with us.

ASBO's or cousins enjoying a walk in the country?!

Hours to go

Enjoying a final lunch with their Scottish cousins before taking off back to India that evening.

India Win the Cricket Twenty20 World Cup!!

India beat their arch rivals Pakistan in the World Twenty20 final by five runs to clinch their first major trophy since 1983 last night! I watched the end of the game with one of my Indian friends, and he told me that it was kind of "like a war" that these two teams were in the final! I guess it must be something like Scotland England! Speaking of which, I have managed to purge myself pretty well of my in-bred anti-English biggotry by now; I have now been "married to the enemy" for seven years, and I'm moving south of the border of course when we return to the UK next year. I passed a sports shop last week, and I even contemplated BUYING AN ENGLAND CRICKET STRIP as a sort of immersion therapy!!

I have never been a big cricket fan. In fact I would say I find Cricket pretty boring, but then I would, wouldn't I, coming from a country where it rains pretty much constantly! This Twenty20 world cup has been great. The concept is that each side only gets 20 "overs" so they only bowl 120 balls. this means that a game can be over in 3 hours. I expect that this could even catch on in the US!, where they watch boring sports like American Football, and rounders (oops, sorry, I mean baseball!)

Umar Gul pegged India back in an impressive spell

India were up against it when their innings was restricted to 157-5, and it looked likely that Pakistan could win. then India took a few quick wickets in the middle of the Pakistani batting order, and victory looked likely to come India's way. However there was then another nail-biting twist as Pakistan took 4 sixes in 6 balls heading into their final over. They needed 6 runs from 5 balls to win, and it looked like they might have hit another 6 for a second, but the ball went straight up in the air and was easily cought, giving India victory with just 4 balls remaining.

RP Singh took three wickets as India fought back

I HAVE NEVER BEEN EXCITED BY CRICKET BEFORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I think that Twenty20 cricket could make it a much more popular sport world wide.

A bad month? Or is this a just "normal"?

SOCIAL TURMOIL RAGING THROUGHOUT INDIA

The following are recent events of 2007 in India;

On August 26, a tribal man and three women were brutally beheaded by a group of villagers who suspected that they were practising sorcery in Balasore district of Orissa.

Ramesh Patel

On August 27, a 24-year-old man named Ramesh Patel was chained to a tractor, dragged and murdered in Palanpur district of Gujarat. Ramesh Patel was hacked to death in front of hundreds of villagers in a small hamlet in Banaskantha district, still police officials say they are searching for eyewitnesses.

On August 28, after a speeding truck in Agra, the home town of Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh crushed four teenagers, a mob gathered and burnt over 54 vehicles and many shops nearby in which one person was killed and many were hospitalised. On the same day, retaliatory killings were prevented in Gohana village in Haryana due to the prompt intervention of the Dalit elders and police after one of their youths was found murdered.

Salim Aurangzeb

On August 29, an unemployed youth named Salim Aurangzeb was tied to the motorcycle of a police officer and was dragged along the road in Bhagalpur in Bihar in full view of the cheering crowds for alleged chain snatching. On the same day Raibhan Tembhurne, a school teacher of 55-years-old allegedly killed his 19-year-old college going daughter Ratna as a human sacrifice along with his two wives Reema and Sharda by the instruction of a black magic petitioner. Mathews Pulimoottil Cor-episcopa, an 81-year-old village bishop of Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Church was severely beaten and hospitalised in Cochin in Kerala also on the same day.

On August 30, a Dalit woman was allegedly raped by two persons in Shajapur in Madhya Pradesh.

On August 31, four alleged fuel thieves were tortured for hours and made to crawl by villagers and truckers near Bhubaneswar in Orissa. Mariyam, an elderly woman of 83-years-old was brutally murdered in Trissur district of Kerala. A 45-year-old Dalit man, Brahmadas, was allegedly burnt to death by his employers in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh on the same day. In the past 2 years 2 people in the extended families of patients of mine have been burned to death.

On Sept 1, two elderly women were allegedly murdered by their sons in Keonjhar district in Orissa for practicing sorcery. The arrested youths told police they killed their mothers, in their 60s, because a witch doctor told them that their mothers were trying to kill them in order to achieve success in witchcraft after killing their fathers, who had died some time ago.

On Sept 2, a girl and a boy were beheaded at Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh after they were found in a compromising position.

Itwari

On Sept 3, Itwari, a ten-year-old boy was tied to a horse by a rope and dragged on the road by a Gujar crowd in Jalandhar District of Punjab for trying to stop their horses from grazing his fields. On the same day, T Solomon was tied to a tree near Kollam in Kerala mercilessly beaten for allegedly stealing a cow. Police later found him mentally unsound. An elderly Dalit woman named Hirawati, 60, was also beaten to death by four upper caste women over a petty dispute in the city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, also on the same day.

On Sept 5, Krishna Khoya, suspected of murdering an elderly couple with witchcraft was executed by a tribal council in Jharkhand State.

On Sept 9, three boys aged between 17-18, who had robbed a motor cycle at gun point near Shriddala in Bihar, escaped lynching when police reached there in time. But the right eye of one of them was gouged.

On Sept 10, two minor boys were beaten and paraded on the streets by villagers for allegedly stealing detergent powder from a shop in Nawada district in Bihar.

On Sept 12, ten people were lynched in Vaishali district in Bihar. A high-level probe has found the 10 men were not thieves as suspected earlier. Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar imposed a fine against the residents of the village.

On Sept 16, Hindu extremists burned down a prayer hall and beat Pastor Virendra Singh and his wife Bhavna in Barauli village in Uttar Pradesh. A mob of 30 extremists, threatened the couple and then set the church thatch on fire. The whole structure was reduced to rubble in a matter of a few minutes. the Church had more than 500 people inside. “The 500-600, who were present in the church, ran out panicking, crying with fear. They somehow managed to help the sick believers escape from the church,”

On Sept 18, A 60-year-old dalit man by the name of Bhagwat Ravidoss was beaten to death and another seriously injured by landowners of Bhadrar village in Banka District of Bihar, India. Police said poverty-stricken and landless Dalits have been living on land owned by the government for decades. "Landowners and their henchmen attacked the Dalits and destroyed their thatched huts Tuesday night in a bid to capture the land. Bhagwat and Ravi were beaten up when they tried to put up a protest," a police spokesman said. A case has been lodged against 49 people connected with the incident, but no one has been arrested yet.

On Sept 21, Two more suspected thieves were lynched at Saketpuri, a lower middle class neighbourhood in Patna in Bihar state. The alleged thieves were attacked by an angry crowd. “One of the victims jumped into a pond to escape, but the mob encircled, stoned, pulled him out and he was beaten to death,” Anwar Hussain, City Police Superintendent said to reporters.

On Sept 22, Dara Singh alias Ravinder Kumar Pal and three others were sentenced to life imprisonment by the District Judge Sachidananda Sahu of Mayurbhanj District and Sessions court in Northern Baripada town in Orissa for the murder of a 35-year-old Catholic priest Arul Doss.
Dara Singh is already undergoing a life sentence in Baripada Circle Jail for burning to death of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons Philip and Timothy, while they were sleeping inside their vehicle outside a church at Manoharpur village in Keonjhar district on January 22, 1999. Graham's wife amazed the Indian public when she appeared on television and publicly forgave the people who had killed her 3 loved ones.

Graham Staines and his family

All of the above events have really happened in the past month. the sad thing is that it is "normal" for things of this nature to happen here in India.

...and today?...tomorrow?

To Infinity… And beyond!

What follows is the article I wrote for my school magazine which somehow ended up on the desk of an Edinburgh Evening News reporter and resulted in them also writing an article about the work we are doing here in India. It is very humbling that what little we are doing creates such a stir!

Hi all,
It seems having a father on the staff is good for pushing buttons and raising your profile!! I’ve always wanted my five minutes of fame, and here they are!

My Name is Adam Black, I am a 32 year old General Practitioner, but I’m currently taking three years out of my career to work in an HIV/AIDS clinic in India.

I moved to George Watson’s College from the islands of Orkney off the north coast of Scotland in 1988 at the age of fourteen. It was a bit of a culture shock, coming from a small island school to such a large city school. Watson’s offered so many more opportunities, and I think I made the most of the extra curricular activities.

I was pretty insensitive and arrogant as a teenager, and I fear many of my peers found me pretty insufferable! (sorry to any of you reading this now!). My immaturity continued when I went to Glasgow university to study medicine. Instead of settling down and hitting the books, I spent too much time partying and failing exams. At one time I had a meeting to discuss whether I was going to be kept on as a student, or whether they would expel me. I took a long hard look at myself, and pretty much changed the way I was living my life overnight.

I passed medicine, did various hospital posts (Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Geriatrics, Accident and Emergency, Paediatrics and Psychiatry). I then completed GP Registrar training, and passed my GP post-graduate exams in 2004.

As part of my training at medical school, I spent one month in Chennai, India working in an HIV/AIDS awareness program. At that time I realized how fortunate I had been in life- to have been given such an easy ride. I was born into a loving family, in a rich country, went to a GREEEEAAAT school! But the patients I was treating had nothing. They were often sold into prostitution by their fathers who did not want the burden of paying a wedding dowry for them. Many others were not able to feed their children, as they could not find alternative work. They had been born into slavery to poverty, and impossible life choices, by their surroundings.

I realized that but by the grace of God, I too could have been born into exactly the same situation, but instead I had never wanted for anything. It was therefore not a difficult choice for me to make to decide to take three years out of my affluent life to help redress the balance a little. I know that when I return to the West I will still be very comfortable, and my life will not really have suffered. On the contrary, I have had an amazing opportunity to grow as an individual, and learn to count my blessings, and be really contented with what I have.

In the West, it is all too easy to focus on things like the latest mobile phone, or your alloy wheels, or getting the next promotion. There is nothing wrong with these things, but there is also so much more to life, like being grateful that we have a roof over our heads, food to eat, or that we do not have HIV.

It all depends where your focus is.

If all people who could afford it gave 10% of their salary each month to social causes, they wouldn’t actually miss the money- they would quickly become accustomed to that money not being there (people spend what they have). However, what a difference it would make to all those who have nothing.

Poverty crushes the human spirit. Three billion people (half the world’s population) live on less than $2 per day, unable to meet their basic human needs. Malnutrition, lack of health care, substandard housing, and illiteracy breed desperation, disease and daily suffering. Poverty traps future generations in a vicious cycle without hope or opportunity.

Here in India I am by no means the answer to the problem, but I do what I can, and as other people benefit from my being here, so do I. I know that my life will never be the same again, and my outlook and perspective will be forever richer.

Thanks for listening.
Adam Black

Gods row minister offers to quit

I thought it was quite amusing that the Indian "culture minister" could have lodged a legal document arguing that Hindu Gods never existed! What a gaff of quite ridiculous proportions!


India's culture minister has offered to resign in a row over whether Hindu gods are mythological figures.
Officials had presented the argument in court to support construction plans for an area devotees believe has remnants of a bridge built by the Hindu god Ram.
Minister Ambika Soni said she would quit if asked to by the prime minister.
She also confirmed that two directors of the Archaeological Survey of India, which prepared the court affidavit, had been suspended.

Hindu devotees believe the area between India and Sri Lanka - now known as Adam's Bridge - (Good name by the way...) was built millions of years ago by Lord Ram, supported by an army of monkeys.

Ms Soni said an investigation was under way, but scientists and archaeologists say Adam's Bridge, or Ram Setu, is a natural formation of sand and stones.
On Wednesday the Archaeological Survey of India told the Supreme Court that the religious texts were not evidence that Lord Ram ever existed.
Hardline Hindu opponents of the government accused the administration of blasphemy and protesters carried out demonstrations in the area and in Delhi, Bhopal, and on a number of key highways.
The next day the report was withdrawn.
Ms Soni told reporters on Saturday: "If the prime minister of India... would feel that I am culpable and wants me to resign, it won't take me a minute to do so."
Ms Soni said the directors had been suspended because they had ignored a revision she had made to the affidavit.
She said an inter-departmental investigation was now under way to find out who was responsible.
The government wants to build a canal to link the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar by dredging a canal through the shallow sea.
The $560m Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project is expected to provide a continuous navigable sea route around the Indian peninsula.

Edinburgh Evening News Article

Sat 15 Sep 2007
Mission to end HIV's stigma
JOANNA VALLELY

WHEEZING and undernourished, the delicate-looking boy was brought by a neighbour to the hot Indian HIV clinic. His mum and dad had HIV and there were strong suspicions that the 12-year-old was also suffering from it. Edinburgh doctor Adam Black ran tests on the weakened youngster and confirmed that he had indeed contracted the deadly virus - probably at birth.
Huge stigma surrounds HIV in India, where those who are open about being infected are often shunned and risk losing their jobs and homes. As a result many don't seek medical help for the devastating effects of the illness till it is too late.
Such was the case for Ashish, who lived with his aunt and alcoholic uncle. Through fear and ignorance they made him use separate cups, plates and towels and forced him to sit on the dirt floor like an animal. But with his chirpy manner and lovely smile, the 12-year-old quickly endeared himself to staff during his regular visits to the clinic in Thane, a city near Mumbai.
He responded to HIV medications and was attending school, where he was doing well. Even the uncle who had treated him abysmally became more understanding after receiving counselling and education about HIV at the clinic. But cruelly, just as it seemed the youngster was making progress, he was diagnosed with an aggressive bone tumour, completely unrelated to his HIV, and died six months later.
Adam, 33, from North Meggetland, reflects on the injustice of Ashish's short life. "He got HIV from his mother when he was born and it was unusual that he had it for 12 years. His father had died and his mother abandoned him and he lived with his uncle, who was often drunk and used to beat him. He was such a lovely boy and I thought how easily our roles could have been reversed. I'm so privileged to have been born in the west."
Working with people with HIV in an area of grinding poverty, Adam witnesses extreme suffering on a daily basis. He says: "They are often thrown out of their home and job, and their friends and family cut them off. The stigma is very great. The dominant religion is Hinduism, with its concept of Karma. People feel that if something bad happens to you, it is your own fault and you deserve it."
The Edinburgh GP has been in Thane since September 2005 with his wife Jo, 32, and children Alistair, three, and one-year-old Freya, who was born there. He is completing a three-year stint as a volunteer, providing out-patient care at the Jeevan Sahara Kendra HIV/Aids project at Lok Hospital.
Adam sees around ten patients a day, mainly in the 13-30 age group, with the help of a Hindi translator. Many of those affected have contracted the virus as a result of sexual contact with an infected person. "Most of the people I see are family members - maybe the husband sleeps with prostitutes and brings HIV back to the family. It's very sad."
Education on the prevention of sexual diseases is not as ingrained as in Britain. A pack of three condoms can cost a day's wages so many people decide to do without and, in a patriarchal society, women are often afraid to insist.
Adam lives with his family in a five bedroom flat, luxurious by local standards, with fans, running water and unreliable electricity.
It's a far cry from how most of his patients live, in homes eight feet square, with mud floors, only one toilet between many homes, and without running water. "Half the population of Thane live like that. It's challenging working here."
Patients are given medicines to suppress the virus and help their immune systems recover and preventative antibiotics. However for people with HIV in India, life expectancy is less than in the UK.
The former George Watson's pupil became aware of the HIV problem in India when he spent a month in Chennai as part of his medical training.
For Adam, a major difficulty is that because of the stigma attached patients don't come to the clinic until they are already very ill. "Often they will be really dehydrated and half-paralysed before they come to see us."
The most rewarding part of Adam's work is the satisfaction he derives from knowing he has saved lives. "It is nice to look around and say 'that patient should really have died'."
The Blacks are due to return to Scotland in July when Adam will resume his work as a GP.

Hyde Park Elephants

These photos are of two of the 13 new life-size elephants made from willow at London's Hyde Park. The works were commissioned by a charity to help support elephant habitat projects.

However many of you may know that we live in "Hyde Park" housing society, and here is a photo of Alistair (in the red T-shirt) getting an elephant ride on a REAL ELEPHANT!! One of the local kids was having a birthday party, and their dad had hired this elephant to give the children that live in Hyde park an Elephant ride! It really puts things in perspective!

this is rather a nice other photo of an elephant that I came across- the two lads are Andrew and Robert, friends of my sisters who visited us here in India.