As you can see, things here can often be very similar to things back in the UK!! 
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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