Our Church

This is a photo of our Church. It has been a real blessing. Jo has made some friends, and I am now babysitting every Wednesday to allow her to attend a mid-week homegroup.

Although it hasn't happened yet, we plan for me to babysit 1-2 afternoons per week to allow Jo to go and do some Speech and language work at the hospital as well. She actually has her first patient to see on Monday, which she is really excited about. 

Jeevan Sahara Kendra

I realise that we put a lot more on this blog about our dull and uninteresting lives than about our rather exciting work!

Here are a few pics to help you orientate your minds to patr of it!

The first piccy is of the sign above the door of the project. The name means "centre for life and hope". Thankfully the name is quite appropriate for most of our patients.

The next picture is of some of the team at jsk.
From Left to right- Ebeneezer, Soni, Seema, Shanti, Arun and me. The team was made smaller recently when all 3 of our nursing staff and one of our field workers left quite suddenly amidst difficult circumstances. However I was really encouraged by the fact that there were 13 people at our staff meeting last Friday, of which 3 people were patients who now work for us, and 4 were volunteers.

The third photo shows our in-patient area. Since the nurses left we had been unable to offer any in-patient services (only out-patient). By God's grace We do not think that anyone has died who would have lived if our in-patient service had continued for that time. However last Wednesday we had a new patient come to see us who was very sick, and had already been told by 2 government hospitals that she would die soon, and been discharged without treatment.
Amazingly.... A lady who had some nursing training, and we were expecting to come to help us at some stage once we had found her a place to live...... Just turned up that day, with her bags!! We therefore arranged to admit the sick lady, and Our new Nurse also stayed at the centre to care for her. We started treatment, and she responded really well, and was discharged after 1 1/2 weeks yesterday. She will continue treatment at home, and there is a Church volunteer who is linked to the case who will help with follow-up counselling and practical support (eg. food). This is a great example of our vision. We want to see God's people reaching out to bless and love people with HIV. Jesus would have done it!

The last picture is of part of our ceiling. Every time a patient dies we stick a star to the ceiling. There are about 70 stars there. It is very moving. 

better news

Just to update you on my dad's situation, his further tests were fairly encouraging.
It doesn't seem the problem is as bad as I'd feared. There has been a biopsy done, and we will have some more results in a week or so.
There is still a fair chance of malignancy, but good hope that if it is then a curative operation will be possible.

I got an email from a friend today, and this is a section of it. I found it really encouraging-

"My Mum was diagnosed c breast cancer about 7 years ago. After 6/12 she had a large recurrence. The biopsy showed the same cancer as initially. Post op the very experienced breast surgeon (40 years of practise) told Dad that it as a very aggressive recurrence involving under her arm, and he was not able to resect it all and the prognosis beyond a year looked grim. When the path result came back it was non-malignant much to surgeons embarrassment and utter amazement! Now being a sceptical medic I have always been wary of ascribing healing to God. However I do know that he does heal and this for me was a clear case of God's hand. Mum is still v well. I just tell you this story to say that whatever the outcome of the biopsy you need to know that God can heal if he so chooses for His purposes. We can't know why he does /doesn't choose to heal.....but we must just faithfully pray and commit such situations into his mighty hands knowing that he is sovereign. He controls our destiny. "

I was just remarking today to 2 of my colleagues that I believed in God's healing power, but I lacked the faith when I pray for healing, and don't really expect anything to happen. Perhaps God is going to use this situation to reinforce my faith in his omnipotent power!


Please keep us all in your prayers.

Bad News

Dear all,

I have recently recieved some bad news, and would appreciate your prayers at this time. Last Tuesday my father found he had a growth in his large bowel. This Thursday he is going for further tests. Some part of me wishes to be at home in the UK with my family, but another part of me knows that many people here would suffer if I weren't here in India.

It was particularly nice that when I heard the news of my fathers condition one of my patients could see that I was upset, and came and prayed for me, and gave me words of encouragement, saying that I had given him so much hope and encouragement, and now he wanted to do the same for me.

Thankyou for your prayers for dad. No matter what the outcome, we have the assurance that he knows our lord Jesus, and that gives us hope and faith in the future, whatever it holds.

While we were home, our pastor gave a message about God being a God of the valleys, as well as a god of the hills, and at the time it really spoke to me. Now I know that God will remain with the Black family through whatever valleys we must now go.

Please note that jo and I have no internet access at home at the moment, and so it will be more difficult for us to answer your emails, so please be patient with us.

God bless you all, and thankyou for your prayers

Bomb blasts

Just to let you all know that Jo and I are very sadened by the incidents of the 1th July here in Mumbai, with about 200 dead, and 600 injured.

However we are well, and life here is going on as usual. Please pray for the victims and their families.

It seems likely that these blasts were coordinated by a muslim terrorist organisation, and the major fear that we have is that there could be major repercussions from the majority Hindu society, with riots and Muslim deaths. Please pray for this to be avoided.

Childrens work

While I was in the UK the project started a day-care project for 7 of the children we look after. They get looked after all day by the wife of one of our social workers, and she also helps with the home-work of the 2 children who have started school. Yesterday we organised for her to recieve some training in pre-school education from another local charity, and she should gain some certificates for this. Who knows, this could be the embryonic stage of a more formal orphanage/school situation. (we also have 2 orphans being cared for in a small house by another of our patients, and I sponsor 3 other children's education).

It seems likely that this work will have to expand quite dramatically as more and more parents die, leaving behind HIV negative children. Please pray.

Childrens work

While I was in the UK the project started a day-care project for 7 of the children we look after. They get looked after all day by the wife of one of our social workers, and she also helps with the home-work of the 2 children who have started school. Yesterday we organised for her to recieve some training in pre-school education from another local charity, and she should gain some certificates for this. Who knows, this could be the embryonic stage of a more formal orphanage/school situation. (we also have 2 orphans being cared for in a small house by another of our patients, and I sponsor 3 other children's education).

It seems likely that this work will have to expand quite dramatically as more and more parents die, leaving behind HIV- children. Please pray.