Happy new year when it comes. This is a fairly pally post for the festive season, so it doesn't contain much news about work!
We had a lovely Christmas with my (Adam's) family, who are with us until the 5th January. Jo and mum did an amazing job of dinner, with 2 roast chickens cooked in a combination microwave oven! This was accompanied by perfect roast potatoes, greens, carrots, and gravy!! This was followed by apple crumble, which was delicious. NO COMPROMISE! It was extremely nice to have family with us, and there is already the prospect of some of Jo's family coming out next year!! The day was also spent with a medical student from London, who really fitted in well. He was extremely generous, and bought me a webcam as a present!! Unfortunately he subtley tried to find out if I already had a webcam first, and I thought "that's a greeeaaat idea", and promptly went out and bought myself one on Christmas-Eve!!! OOPS
The webcam means that we can now show people live footage via SKYPE, which is a web based telephone/videolink service, which is free to download, and costs the price of your internet service provider's calls to use. This means that it is effectively FREE if you have broadband. Visit http://www.skype.com by clicking on this link to download the software (make sure you download the latest version (2.0) which supports webcams). It is very user friendly, so don't be scared! and takes only a few minutes to set-up. In order to find us on SKYPE, our username is 'adamclanblack', and our region is 'India'. Once you have sent us an invite to skype you, we will each be able to see when the other person is on-line, and we can call with the click of a button! Alternatively you can call our landline to ask us to go online (0091 22 25399949) It is such a great tool for those abroad!
Andi and Sheba Eicher have gone to Mussoorie for a week to visit his parents, and attend a wedding. This means that I am holding the fort at JSK until the 4th of Jan., and my family leave on the 5th. God has been very gracious by providing a particularly quiet spell at work. We have no in patients at the moment, which means that I have the possibility of a lot more free time. Please pray that this will continue, so that I can spend as much time with my family as possible.
Amazingly Jo and I have not actually been to visit Mumbai proper since we arrived 3 months ago! this means that we are planning to enjoy exploring the Bazaars with my family. They left today to stay In Mumbai for 2 nights, and we plan to join them tomorrow for new year's eve in a hotel.
Cameron has also offered to babysit for Jo and I one night, so it will mean that we will be able to go on a date, which will be the first since arriving here (and probably the last for a while, given that the new baby will be arriving very soon!). We have been fairly careful to protect as much 'family time' as possible here, but it will be nice to have some 'A&J time' as well.
Please pray for us to make the right choice as to where we choose to settle for 'Church'. (I put this in inverted commas because we are all 'Church' all the time, aren't we! What I mean is that we could settle in the right body of believers on a Sunday, in order to share fellowship, worship, serve, grow, and be held accountable!!). At present we are really torn between a Baptist Church which is a Rickshaw drive away, but is more what we're used to, or the Brethren Church which meets in the Hospital. This is a great group of people who we love and respect, but the brethren ethos is a little different to what we are used to. I think that we could maybe be used more at the brethren Church, and it would be great to go to somewhere local.
On the baby front, Jo now only has 24 days to go before her due date! Added to this is the fact that Alistair came 8 days early, so it is fairly likely that we will have another addition to the family in only a couple of weeks!! Are we prepared? Probably as well as we can be, but your prayers would also be appreciated on that front as well. Pray especially for a quick, pain-free delivery, as they do not offer any pain-relief in labour here!!
Anyway, I generally try to keep these letters brief, so that people don't tire of reading them, so I think I'd better sign off now!
God bless, Love Adam, Jo, Alistair and Bump
Friday, December 30, 2005
Monday, December 26, 2005
Christmas Eve
Here we are in an outdoor pool on Christmas Eve! Inga (Adam's sister), Alistair, and Adam's mum are in the foreground. Adam's brother Cameron is catching a frisbee in the background, and Adam's arm is to the right of picture. It is strange being in such warm weather at Christmas. It makes it seem very un-Christmassy! There is also very little consumerism here which is nice. 
Christmas Shopping!?
Here's dad and Alistair out shopping for christmas lunch. Mum's just phoned to remind me not to forget something or other. We had some "real good chicken". It was the first time Jo had cooked Christmas lunch, and she did a great job. We had My mum and dad, brother and sister with us, as well as Duncan, the medical student from the UK. A few of us weren't that well on Christmas day, but it was a great day!
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Thanks Duncan
Christmas greetings to you all.
There is a medical student from London here at the moment. His name is Duncan, and he has his own blogger website called Bombay Nights. His first degree was English Honours, and so I have borrowed a piece he wrote on his website about Lok Hospital (with his permission). I think it hits the nail right on the head, and is so much more eloquently put than I would have managed!!:-
"Lok hospital does treat the poorest Harijan (untouchable) caste, or Dalits (oppressed) as they are also known, and it does treat those who cannot afford treatment, as well as link with the aids and village healthcare work. But there is more to it than that.
Firstly, the primary vision that Dr Alfred has is underpinned by an understanding that it is God who ultimately blesses us with healing through the physician, not simply the physicians skill, and this is his witness to the patients – that they will only get better by God’s grace.
Secondly, in India, most of the healthcare access is through GPs, who refer a patient for secondary health care, like in England. However, supposing a treatment the patient 1000 rupees at the hospital – the hospital will take around 600 of that and the GP will take around 400 rupees. This leads to a lot of endemic corruption, with GP’s requesting unnecessary procedures and investigations at the patient’s expense to line their own purses. This has the inevitable consequence of making healthcare unaffordable for the poorest Indians. But more significantly it leads to a 2 tier system of care since it is not in GP’s interests to help the poorest gain access to the overstretched and limited state-run medical care since they do not receive the same remunerations.
Lok hospital does 2 things to counteract this. It will not take referrals from GPs but sees people directly. It provides the best level of healthcare services to paying residents of Thane without deceiving them or recommending unnecessary care. Thus it has a growing reputation spreading by word of mouth, for excellence and integrity in the local community. It uses this revenue from wealthier patients, who come because of its reputation for honesty, to reduce its own overall running costs so that it can maintain a free healthcare service for those who cannot afford it. This model has another major cultural significance: if it were only to treat Harijans, apart from making it difficult to maintain financially, it would also mean that it was looked down on as a second-rate hospital by locals of higher caste helping to perpetuate a 2 tier system. What Lok is doing is giving the same quality of care to the higher caste individuals as to the Harijans, but significantly they see the same physicians, wait in the same rooms and are not segregated off into separate wards. Thus it is culturally more effective at promoting equality of treatment.
Thirdly, and most importantly with respect to the gospel, Lok DOES take referrals from other Christian NGOs (including their own Aids project) working amongst the poorest and most needy in the community. This opens vital doors for these workers – they are able to go into a household, and as well as sharing the gospel and ministering in their own capacities, they are able to see potentially sick people and offer referral to Lok for free assessment and treatment. This makes many people more willing to open their homes to Christians, and thus many more hear about Jesus than otherwise might. Additionally, not all the staff are Christian, so there is the witness to them – there is a meeting every Sunday night in the basement of the hospital for patients, where the Gospel is preached directly and clearly. Dr Alfred invites all the patients who are able to come, and many do, perhaps hearing the gospel for the first time. On his ward rounds, I frequently hear him entreat patients to give God thanks for their recovery or encourage family to ask the Lord for blessing on their loved ones or give thanks for blessing already received.
So I hope that gives you a better picture of what is going on here – it might, at face value, seem less worthy than simply using the hospital for the poorest Harijans, but it is a much more thought-through, culturally and spiritually aware strategy. In fact, plans to expand the hospital to over double it’s current size are well underway, with a new site and building plans already in place – work commences in February. The total funds needed for this work are £2 million GBP with payments being made on an instalment basis during the building work. Half of this is planned to be met from the hosptial’s own funds, but half will need to be raised from benefactors and charitable giving."
If you are interested in giving to this, please email tony.sergeant@icc.ac.uk. He is principal of ICC in Glasgow, but is also a member of the Thane trust board, the British arm of the charitable organisation which supports Lok hospital. He will be able to provide you with details of how to give.
On a personal note, we are all very well, and especially excited about my parents and brother and sister coming to Thane for Christmas and New-Year. On the baby front, Our bump now has it's head pointing in the right direction which is a real blessing. We did not want to contemplate a C-section here in India!! I think that we are getting a little excited now, as the last two friends of ours who had babies delivered 8 and 4 weeks early respectively. We now only have 5 weeks to go (OR LESS!!)
God bless, Adam, Jo, Alistair and bump
There is a medical student from London here at the moment. His name is Duncan, and he has his own blogger website called Bombay Nights. His first degree was English Honours, and so I have borrowed a piece he wrote on his website about Lok Hospital (with his permission). I think it hits the nail right on the head, and is so much more eloquently put than I would have managed!!:-
"Lok hospital does treat the poorest Harijan (untouchable) caste, or Dalits (oppressed) as they are also known, and it does treat those who cannot afford treatment, as well as link with the aids and village healthcare work. But there is more to it than that.
Firstly, the primary vision that Dr Alfred has is underpinned by an understanding that it is God who ultimately blesses us with healing through the physician, not simply the physicians skill, and this is his witness to the patients – that they will only get better by God’s grace.
Secondly, in India, most of the healthcare access is through GPs, who refer a patient for secondary health care, like in England. However, supposing a treatment the patient 1000 rupees at the hospital – the hospital will take around 600 of that and the GP will take around 400 rupees. This leads to a lot of endemic corruption, with GP’s requesting unnecessary procedures and investigations at the patient’s expense to line their own purses. This has the inevitable consequence of making healthcare unaffordable for the poorest Indians. But more significantly it leads to a 2 tier system of care since it is not in GP’s interests to help the poorest gain access to the overstretched and limited state-run medical care since they do not receive the same remunerations.
Lok hospital does 2 things to counteract this. It will not take referrals from GPs but sees people directly. It provides the best level of healthcare services to paying residents of Thane without deceiving them or recommending unnecessary care. Thus it has a growing reputation spreading by word of mouth, for excellence and integrity in the local community. It uses this revenue from wealthier patients, who come because of its reputation for honesty, to reduce its own overall running costs so that it can maintain a free healthcare service for those who cannot afford it. This model has another major cultural significance: if it were only to treat Harijans, apart from making it difficult to maintain financially, it would also mean that it was looked down on as a second-rate hospital by locals of higher caste helping to perpetuate a 2 tier system. What Lok is doing is giving the same quality of care to the higher caste individuals as to the Harijans, but significantly they see the same physicians, wait in the same rooms and are not segregated off into separate wards. Thus it is culturally more effective at promoting equality of treatment.
Thirdly, and most importantly with respect to the gospel, Lok DOES take referrals from other Christian NGOs (including their own Aids project) working amongst the poorest and most needy in the community. This opens vital doors for these workers – they are able to go into a household, and as well as sharing the gospel and ministering in their own capacities, they are able to see potentially sick people and offer referral to Lok for free assessment and treatment. This makes many people more willing to open their homes to Christians, and thus many more hear about Jesus than otherwise might. Additionally, not all the staff are Christian, so there is the witness to them – there is a meeting every Sunday night in the basement of the hospital for patients, where the Gospel is preached directly and clearly. Dr Alfred invites all the patients who are able to come, and many do, perhaps hearing the gospel for the first time. On his ward rounds, I frequently hear him entreat patients to give God thanks for their recovery or encourage family to ask the Lord for blessing on their loved ones or give thanks for blessing already received.
So I hope that gives you a better picture of what is going on here – it might, at face value, seem less worthy than simply using the hospital for the poorest Harijans, but it is a much more thought-through, culturally and spiritually aware strategy. In fact, plans to expand the hospital to over double it’s current size are well underway, with a new site and building plans already in place – work commences in February. The total funds needed for this work are £2 million GBP with payments being made on an instalment basis during the building work. Half of this is planned to be met from the hosptial’s own funds, but half will need to be raised from benefactors and charitable giving."
If you are interested in giving to this, please email tony.sergeant@icc.ac.uk. He is principal of ICC in Glasgow, but is also a member of the Thane trust board, the British arm of the charitable organisation which supports Lok hospital. He will be able to provide you with details of how to give.
On a personal note, we are all very well, and especially excited about my parents and brother and sister coming to Thane for Christmas and New-Year. On the baby front, Our bump now has it's head pointing in the right direction which is a real blessing. We did not want to contemplate a C-section here in India!! I think that we are getting a little excited now, as the last two friends of ours who had babies delivered 8 and 4 weeks early respectively. We now only have 5 weeks to go (OR LESS!!)
God bless, Adam, Jo, Alistair and bump
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Not so different here!
As you can see, things here can often be very similar to things back in the UK!!
Monday, November 21, 2005
Conversation stopper!
This is Rani, who helped with Hindi conversation in the afternoons. Hopefully our Hindi wasn't too much of a conversation stopper!!
White Knuckle Ride!
rickshaw is a great inexpensive way to travel. Alistair loves it, and says "Hi....Bye" to everyone as we pass!
Saturday, November 05, 2005
WWJD?
Last night Jo and I spent about 3 pounds on our first meal out since arriving in India (please pray for our insides!!). Beside us as we ate, Alistair played with 3 other small children in the street. They had a board as a cricket bat, and HALF a tennis ball which was very dirty and worn. I wondered how long he had been playing with this ball as his prized possession. I bought him a new tennis ball, which cost just 50p, 1/6th the price of our meal. He was amazed. His face just lit up, and I was filled with joy.
Hopefully just this small thing will bring that boy much joy, and that ball will become very worn before it too falls apart.
It really makes you think how something so small and insignificant can make such a big difference.
There was a lady here who contracted AIDS from her husband, and will probably soon die. She has 2 small Children. Her husband, who gave her the disease, is already dead. Her children will soon be orphans. There is no doctor in this area who will treat a woman with AIDS. Even Christians. The man who we are staying with has taken her to a Christian Ashram in Delhi who will care for her, and school the children when she dies. I paid for the Taxi, which was about 30 pounds.
In contrast, I'm stressing at the moment because our computer has packed in. We will not be able to fix it here in Mussoorie, but I expect it will not be beyond repair in Thane. The main issue is that we now are unable to listen to our language learning CD's.
These stories illustrate one thing to me. There are 2 worlds, but they both co-habitate. The issue is trying to bridge the gap, and knowing how to react in every situation we find ourselves in.
The wristbands WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) have always amused me. In the West it seems fairly simple; Don't commit adultery/Murder etc. (I realise I am over-simplifying things here). Here in India things are much more difficult. You can't help everyone all the time. We also have limited resources of time and money. You have to care for your family. You have to remain sane. (even Jesus withdrew to a quiet place to rest). You need a lot more wisdom to be able to answer the question "what would Jesus do".
Hopefully just this small thing will bring that boy much joy, and that ball will become very worn before it too falls apart.
It really makes you think how something so small and insignificant can make such a big difference.
There was a lady here who contracted AIDS from her husband, and will probably soon die. She has 2 small Children. Her husband, who gave her the disease, is already dead. Her children will soon be orphans. There is no doctor in this area who will treat a woman with AIDS. Even Christians. The man who we are staying with has taken her to a Christian Ashram in Delhi who will care for her, and school the children when she dies. I paid for the Taxi, which was about 30 pounds.
In contrast, I'm stressing at the moment because our computer has packed in. We will not be able to fix it here in Mussoorie, but I expect it will not be beyond repair in Thane. The main issue is that we now are unable to listen to our language learning CD's.
These stories illustrate one thing to me. There are 2 worlds, but they both co-habitate. The issue is trying to bridge the gap, and knowing how to react in every situation we find ourselves in.
The wristbands WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) have always amused me. In the West it seems fairly simple; Don't commit adultery/Murder etc. (I realise I am over-simplifying things here). Here in India things are much more difficult. You can't help everyone all the time. We also have limited resources of time and money. You have to care for your family. You have to remain sane. (even Jesus withdrew to a quiet place to rest). You need a lot more wisdom to be able to answer the question "what would Jesus do".
Saturday, October 22, 2005
In Mussourie
New email address for those that don't already have it: adamATclanblackDOTcoDOTuk or joATclanblackDOTcoDOTuk. You may receive emails from adamblackATdoctorsDOTorgDOTuk. All 3 of these accounts will send emails to the same place. Our aol account is closed as of today.
It was recently a 9 day festival here. Multiple shrines spring up all over the place with idols of a particular God, and people dance to loud music late into the night. At the end of the 9 days the idols (which cost about £6-700) are taken to a lake, and ceremonially immersed and allowed to sink to the bottom. I drove past the ceremony on my way home from work, and it really struck me how crazy it is for so many people to get so excited and worked up over what essentially to my eyes was the drowning of a particularly gaudily made-up mannequin with too many arms. I wondered if the worshipers really thought that such waste would help lift them out of poverty. Do they really believe that the wood and bright cloth in front of them is a God. I wonder. I think many of them simply enjoy the party atmosphere which helps them forget momentarily their hard lives. I expect Guy Fawkes night probably used to be a similar atmosphere in the UK, with everyone turning out to watch the burning of the Guy. Now everyone simply sits at home on the Play-Station, or watching TV. Are we more enlightened?
We are now in Mussourie for 4 weeks language learning. It is a lot cooler, which is ideal for Jo being heavily pregnant. There are amazing views of the Himalayas all around us. The family we are staying with are lovely. We found a great babysitter so that we can try to get as much studying in as possible. Alistair loves her, which is a real answer to prayer. (In the same vain, Andi and Sheba who run the HIV work have just lost their maid, who looked after their 2 small children during the week. This will make work very difficult for them if they do not find a replacement. This is particularly an issue with me also being away for the next 4 weeks. Please pray.)
Here are some unusual things about India;
1) It is a prerequisite that to drive an auto-rickshaw you must be a complete maniac and chew tobacco.
2) All kitchen worksurfaces are made of marble. This confuses me as it is a relatively expensive material in the UK. It must be much cheaper here, and I am thinking of starting an importing business to the UK (not seriously).
3) even horrifically poor slums with no running water or sanitation often contain 26" TV's
4) Brown bread is actually white bread dyed badly!
5) Oranges are Green.
God bless you all. Adam, Jo Alistair and bump.
It was recently a 9 day festival here. Multiple shrines spring up all over the place with idols of a particular God, and people dance to loud music late into the night. At the end of the 9 days the idols (which cost about £6-700) are taken to a lake, and ceremonially immersed and allowed to sink to the bottom. I drove past the ceremony on my way home from work, and it really struck me how crazy it is for so many people to get so excited and worked up over what essentially to my eyes was the drowning of a particularly gaudily made-up mannequin with too many arms. I wondered if the worshipers really thought that such waste would help lift them out of poverty. Do they really believe that the wood and bright cloth in front of them is a God. I wonder. I think many of them simply enjoy the party atmosphere which helps them forget momentarily their hard lives. I expect Guy Fawkes night probably used to be a similar atmosphere in the UK, with everyone turning out to watch the burning of the Guy. Now everyone simply sits at home on the Play-Station, or watching TV. Are we more enlightened?
We are now in Mussourie for 4 weeks language learning. It is a lot cooler, which is ideal for Jo being heavily pregnant. There are amazing views of the Himalayas all around us. The family we are staying with are lovely. We found a great babysitter so that we can try to get as much studying in as possible. Alistair loves her, which is a real answer to prayer. (In the same vain, Andi and Sheba who run the HIV work have just lost their maid, who looked after their 2 small children during the week. This will make work very difficult for them if they do not find a replacement. This is particularly an issue with me also being away for the next 4 weeks. Please pray.)
Here are some unusual things about India;
1) It is a prerequisite that to drive an auto-rickshaw you must be a complete maniac and chew tobacco.
2) All kitchen worksurfaces are made of marble. This confuses me as it is a relatively expensive material in the UK. It must be much cheaper here, and I am thinking of starting an importing business to the UK (not seriously).
3) even horrifically poor slums with no running water or sanitation often contain 26" TV's
4) Brown bread is actually white bread dyed badly!
5) Oranges are Green.
God bless you all. Adam, Jo Alistair and bump.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Weight loss programme!
Hello all again,
Still not on line, so stil accessing web at work, so no photos for you yet I'm afraid.
It's official. I can confirm after our first bout of 'delhi belly' that diarrhoea CAN help aid weight loss as part of a calorie controlled diet! It was really sad for Ali to have the runs, because he didn't understand what was going on. We told people here that it was the first time he had been unwell, and they could not believe it!
We are all well now thankfully!
It was amazing the first day that I came to the AIDS project in the slums. The day I arrived I was told that the couple running the project had been praying for another doctor, and that they had given God a 3 week deadline. They were becoming really discouraged as the time was nearly up, when Dr. Stephen Alfred Phoned them to tell them that I was in India, and wanting to get involved. They were overjoyed, and feel that my presence here is a real answer to prayer. I was quite emotional when they told me this. God is so faithful.
The project operates almost exclusively in Hindi, and while I can work with a translator reasonably effectively on a professional level, I miss a lot of the conversations which is frustrating.
We have decided to go to a language school in the north of India. Amazingly (although not much surprises me any more!!) the parents of Andi Eicher who runs the HIV project lives in the same town as the best language school in all India, and is delighted to have us to stay, as Andi's mum had been really praying for another Doctor (she is a real prayer warrior apparently). Even more astounding, is that Jo's dad also knows them from his trips to India! It's encouraging to see God's hand weaving such an intricate patchwork.
I have started the training program at the hospital for the junior doctors. The first meeting seemed quite positive, and I am looking forward to getting to know them well. They are mostly not Christian.
We feel really at home now in our flat. It has a Lounge/Dining room, a kitchen, 2 good sized bedrooms, and 2 shower-rooms. Our room has an En-suite, which is exciting. There is room on 2 balconies for hanging washing, which is totally indespensable, as things get so dirty so quickly here. We have a Fridge/freezer, a washing machine, a microwave, a toastie machine, AND a blender!! So we're not slumming it too much ourselves. Maybe this will encourage some of you to visit? It really brings it home how blessed we are to have so many home comforts, when those around you have so little.
We have been to 2 Churches so far, but are planning to visit another 3 when we get back from the language school. Please pray for us to know God's will for where we should worship and have fellowship, and especially what would be best for Alistair.
Missing you all. Spread our love around back there! God bless, Adam, Jo, Alistair, and bump.
Still not on line, so stil accessing web at work, so no photos for you yet I'm afraid.
It's official. I can confirm after our first bout of 'delhi belly' that diarrhoea CAN help aid weight loss as part of a calorie controlled diet! It was really sad for Ali to have the runs, because he didn't understand what was going on. We told people here that it was the first time he had been unwell, and they could not believe it!
We are all well now thankfully!
It was amazing the first day that I came to the AIDS project in the slums. The day I arrived I was told that the couple running the project had been praying for another doctor, and that they had given God a 3 week deadline. They were becoming really discouraged as the time was nearly up, when Dr. Stephen Alfred Phoned them to tell them that I was in India, and wanting to get involved. They were overjoyed, and feel that my presence here is a real answer to prayer. I was quite emotional when they told me this. God is so faithful.
The project operates almost exclusively in Hindi, and while I can work with a translator reasonably effectively on a professional level, I miss a lot of the conversations which is frustrating.
We have decided to go to a language school in the north of India. Amazingly (although not much surprises me any more!!) the parents of Andi Eicher who runs the HIV project lives in the same town as the best language school in all India, and is delighted to have us to stay, as Andi's mum had been really praying for another Doctor (she is a real prayer warrior apparently). Even more astounding, is that Jo's dad also knows them from his trips to India! It's encouraging to see God's hand weaving such an intricate patchwork.
I have started the training program at the hospital for the junior doctors. The first meeting seemed quite positive, and I am looking forward to getting to know them well. They are mostly not Christian.
We feel really at home now in our flat. It has a Lounge/Dining room, a kitchen, 2 good sized bedrooms, and 2 shower-rooms. Our room has an En-suite, which is exciting. There is room on 2 balconies for hanging washing, which is totally indespensable, as things get so dirty so quickly here. We have a Fridge/freezer, a washing machine, a microwave, a toastie machine, AND a blender!! So we're not slumming it too much ourselves. Maybe this will encourage some of you to visit? It really brings it home how blessed we are to have so many home comforts, when those around you have so little.
We have been to 2 Churches so far, but are planning to visit another 3 when we get back from the language school. Please pray for us to know God's will for where we should worship and have fellowship, and especially what would be best for Alistair.
Missing you all. Spread our love around back there! God bless, Adam, Jo, Alistair, and bump.
Monday, September 26, 2005
GODSTRONG!
We are all well. Have been very busy since arrival. moved into flat 2 days ago, and things starting to reach normality (kind of!). Alistair has been a total star, and everyone loves him. He has been so good natured through all the changes, which is a real answer to prayer. He said "chapati" the other day! He was dancing during the worship at church on Sunday, and was really very cute.
Jo had a very short-lived tummy upset, but is well. I think that she feels very happy here now that she has a home, and our flat is really quite comfortable, although a lot smaller than we were used to in Glasgow. There is another flat here which is empty most of the time, and can be used for guests. It would be very comfortable for 4. Jo was a little worried that she would be isolated once I start work full-time, and we thought there may not be mums + toddlers etc., and it may be hard for her to make friends. However there are quite a few nurseries around, including one called "Kangaroo Kids" which a girl from Church works at. We will have a look around for a suitable place, and hopefully Alistair will make some friends, and so will Jo! This was a real answer to prayer.
I will be working with the junior Doctors in the hospital, and helping with their training. Their skills are very basic. When I arrived here, I was also very excited about being able to show God's love to people suffering from AIDS. Stephen Alfred spoke to Andy, (who runs the project) this week, and he is very open to my involvement, which to me confirms God's plans for me in this area. I will also go and visit some tribal villages in Dolkan, and probably go there about once a month. (75km away).
We have had some really encouraging answers to prayer. I went to collect some boxes from customs that we had shipped to India. Usually many bribes are paid, but I said that my religion meant that I wanted to do things right. One official helped me through the whole process free, and the customs officers waived most of my duty, as I was coming to do voluntary work. One man saw my "GODSTRONG" wristband (visit http://www.godstrong.org/), and told me that my God was very strong as everything had gone so well for me. I left there very tired by all the beurocracy, but also with my heart singing.
The second answer to prayer was that I lost my keys, and went out with a small umbrella and torch at 10.30 at night, and found them!!
Dr. Steven Alfred used these 2 things in his sermon on Sunday, as they were so noteworthy!!
Jo had a very short-lived tummy upset, but is well. I think that she feels very happy here now that she has a home, and our flat is really quite comfortable, although a lot smaller than we were used to in Glasgow. There is another flat here which is empty most of the time, and can be used for guests. It would be very comfortable for 4. Jo was a little worried that she would be isolated once I start work full-time, and we thought there may not be mums + toddlers etc., and it may be hard for her to make friends. However there are quite a few nurseries around, including one called "Kangaroo Kids" which a girl from Church works at. We will have a look around for a suitable place, and hopefully Alistair will make some friends, and so will Jo! This was a real answer to prayer.
I will be working with the junior Doctors in the hospital, and helping with their training. Their skills are very basic. When I arrived here, I was also very excited about being able to show God's love to people suffering from AIDS. Stephen Alfred spoke to Andy, (who runs the project) this week, and he is very open to my involvement, which to me confirms God's plans for me in this area. I will also go and visit some tribal villages in Dolkan, and probably go there about once a month. (75km away).
We have had some really encouraging answers to prayer. I went to collect some boxes from customs that we had shipped to India. Usually many bribes are paid, but I said that my religion meant that I wanted to do things right. One official helped me through the whole process free, and the customs officers waived most of my duty, as I was coming to do voluntary work. One man saw my "GODSTRONG" wristband (visit http://www.godstrong.org/), and told me that my God was very strong as everything had gone so well for me. I left there very tired by all the beurocracy, but also with my heart singing.
The second answer to prayer was that I lost my keys, and went out with a small umbrella and torch at 10.30 at night, and found them!!
Dr. Steven Alfred used these 2 things in his sermon on Sunday, as they were so noteworthy!!
Saturday, August 27, 2005
3 weeks to go to India
Hi Friends all.
Jo, Alistair, bump and I are only three weeks away from jetting off to India now. God has been so faithful to us. Our letting agents are Christians, and a Pastor and his wife are going to rent our flat.
We've also managed to get an entry visa, which means we can renew it in India, which is a real blessing, as they are usually only available to people of Indian descent.
We don't know exactly what we'll be doing in India yet, but we know that there is a lot of need, both physically and spiritually, and we will try to do as God wishes in all things.
You can find out a bit more about the hospital we're going to at; http://www.lokhospital.com
God bless you all. Adam
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