Friday, September 08, 2006
Apologies
I would like to apologise in advance for the use of the words "God damned" in the following post. I would like to point out that the actor who blayed BA is now a preacher in America somewhere I believe. So you see God can redeem even cuss mouthed hard men with a bad mohawk hairstyle. I can think of someone I know who also fits that description and is also a committed Christain!
BA halts flights
Jo's brother Steve sent us this recently. I'm old enough to find it really funny. My dad and I used to love watching the A-team together. There was always a means to create weapons of mass destruction at the disposal of the team, but there were never any injuries! Amazing!
I've had a telling off
I would like to apologise for not updating our blog for some time. The reason is that we have only had internet access at home for a very short time since we arrived back from the UK. It has been really frustrating. Hopefully some of you are still checking our blog, and will read this! Recently I was given a telling off by one of my sister's friends, as they had been to visit us, and yet they didn't have a mention! So here goes Andrew....
.... It was really great to have my sister Inga and one of her friends Alice to stay with us for about a month in August. Alistair loves Inga, and is still asking about her fairly frequently. and he still talks about "Inga's room". Two lads from St. Andrews who were wanting to come to India for a "gap month" before starting University were also here at the same time, and so the 4 of them were able to do a bit of travelling together, which was nice for the girls to have some male company on the trains etc. so that they were not hassled at all by Indian men, which unfortunately can happen sometimes (although the majority of Indians are extremely helpful and hospitable to foreigners).
Unfortunately Inga et. al. have now all left, and we miss them all terribly. Andrew and Robert (the lads) were very generous with gifts, including bringing me a bottle of malt whiskey!
I would love to put some up to date photos on the blog as well, but I will need to put these onto a pendrive first. Time will not allow at present as I am at work. Andi and Sheba who work with me have been on a well deserved break this week, and so I am a little busier this week than usual, but enjoying the challenge of being "team leader" in Andi's absence. Things are running smoothly though, and Andi and Sheba are back on Monday, which is great.
Jo and I are fairly likely to return to Mussoorie soon to do some more intensive Hindi language learning, and so we would appreciate your prayers that the planning for this would go smoothly, and that we would also be able to find someone to help with babysitting while we are there, to give us the time to study.
I'll try to post again soon. Sorry once again for my absence, Adam xx
.... It was really great to have my sister Inga and one of her friends Alice to stay with us for about a month in August. Alistair loves Inga, and is still asking about her fairly frequently. and he still talks about "Inga's room". Two lads from St. Andrews who were wanting to come to India for a "gap month" before starting University were also here at the same time, and so the 4 of them were able to do a bit of travelling together, which was nice for the girls to have some male company on the trains etc. so that they were not hassled at all by Indian men, which unfortunately can happen sometimes (although the majority of Indians are extremely helpful and hospitable to foreigners).
Unfortunately Inga et. al. have now all left, and we miss them all terribly. Andrew and Robert (the lads) were very generous with gifts, including bringing me a bottle of malt whiskey!
I would love to put some up to date photos on the blog as well, but I will need to put these onto a pendrive first. Time will not allow at present as I am at work. Andi and Sheba who work with me have been on a well deserved break this week, and so I am a little busier this week than usual, but enjoying the challenge of being "team leader" in Andi's absence. Things are running smoothly though, and Andi and Sheba are back on Monday, which is great.
Jo and I are fairly likely to return to Mussoorie soon to do some more intensive Hindi language learning, and so we would appreciate your prayers that the planning for this would go smoothly, and that we would also be able to find someone to help with babysitting while we are there, to give us the time to study.
I'll try to post again soon. Sorry once again for my absence, Adam xx
Monday, August 07, 2006
Hard work at times
Please all pray for me to have continued strength at work. I heard today that a 6 year-old orphan boy that we were treating died yesterday. That is the youngest death that I have seen since I arrived at JSK. The deaths of children really affect me sometimes.
What have they done to deserve being born into such terrible circumstances? Every time they come to the centre I try to give them a ballon or a pad and pen, those sorts of things. How futile it seems at times in the face of quite terrible suffering (and death). Andi who runs the project says that he believes this child has now gone to a better place. I balieve that death does give God a chance to deal out some equality. The passage in Matthew 5 commonly known as "the beattitudes" springs to mind. I believe that in death people who have suffered in this life will recieve God's compassion and grace. Children who have had terrible lives will be sons of God, and recieve sooooo much love and comfort in heaven. This makes it easier to say goodbye to these little ones.
I know a lot of Christians are "exclusivists", and believe that all humans must make an active confession of faith in this life to go to heaven. What I believe is that if you do make an active confession of faith, and ask for God's forgiveness, then you are automatically accepted and forgiven, and that you automatically go to heaven. However I believe that everyone else is judged, and that they do not automatically go to hell. This gives me some hope for these children (and also my grandparents). A common question and problem for exclusivists is the question "what about those who have never heard".
In John Ch9 v 41 Jesus says "if you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin"
Jesus also says "it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners". This is why I am in India. There are a lot of sick people here (both physically and spiritually), and I am a Doctor.
I realise that I am not necessarily right about all of this (above). However it does give me hope. In Corinthians 13 it says "Faith, Hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love" (not faith).
What have they done to deserve being born into such terrible circumstances? Every time they come to the centre I try to give them a ballon or a pad and pen, those sorts of things. How futile it seems at times in the face of quite terrible suffering (and death). Andi who runs the project says that he believes this child has now gone to a better place. I balieve that death does give God a chance to deal out some equality. The passage in Matthew 5 commonly known as "the beattitudes" springs to mind. I believe that in death people who have suffered in this life will recieve God's compassion and grace. Children who have had terrible lives will be sons of God, and recieve sooooo much love and comfort in heaven. This makes it easier to say goodbye to these little ones.
I know a lot of Christians are "exclusivists", and believe that all humans must make an active confession of faith in this life to go to heaven. What I believe is that if you do make an active confession of faith, and ask for God's forgiveness, then you are automatically accepted and forgiven, and that you automatically go to heaven. However I believe that everyone else is judged, and that they do not automatically go to hell. This gives me some hope for these children (and also my grandparents). A common question and problem for exclusivists is the question "what about those who have never heard".
In John Ch9 v 41 Jesus says "if you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin"
Jesus also says "it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners". This is why I am in India. There are a lot of sick people here (both physically and spiritually), and I am a Doctor.
I realise that I am not necessarily right about all of this (above). However it does give me hope. In Corinthians 13 it says "Faith, Hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love" (not faith).
New Profile Photo
I hope some of you have noticed our new profile photo, which now also shows Freya.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Thursday, August 03, 2006
In Leeds
A couple of years ago, Steve and I built this BBQ. It is nice to be able to enjoy it when we visit them.
Deep sea world
Alistair loved the "fishes" at deep sea world in north queensferry. Frea was pretty mesmerised too!!
At Edinburgh Zoo
We went with my sister and her ever increasing brood to Edinburgh Zoo. Penni (my sister) is a member there.We bought Alistair a little fluffy penguin in the gift shop, and we have called it "Penni Penguin"!!
Visiting Phil and Catriona
We were very fortunate to manage to meet up wit so many friends and family when we were back in the UK. Both Phil and Catriona, and our other friends, Ross and Aileen had relatively new babies as well, so it was lovely to have a day with them.Alistair loves running!!
Terribly afflicted by PPS!!?
It is true I'm afraid, and as a medical man I know just how serious this condition can be; it is proud parent syndrome!! Sorry, but I cannot hold back any longer. I simply must tell you how sweet Freya has been recently! She has really started to engage and laugh, and she is sooooo much fun now. She also has 2 teeth! and she has started to crawl!!!! OK, I think that is probably enough for now!
Saturday, July 29, 2006
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.
Friday, July 28, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
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
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
Friday, July 14, 2006
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.
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.
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