Day One - Kati's thoughts

I've discovered that the wee hours of the morning (I woke up at about 3:30 Delhi time) is a good time to get connected to the internet, so I thought I'd take advantage and share some thoughts from yesterday - our first full day in India.

As we rode back to our flat for the final time yesterday evening, I couldn't help but marvel at all we experienced in just one day. We visited the school and got to go into several classrooms to meet the kids. They are all so excited to meet us. I wonder if they know how excited we are to meet them too. Several classes sang us a song when we came to their classrooms..."If you're happy and you know it..." "Light of the world"...so much fun to be able to sing with them! I can't wait to spend more time with them and get to know individual kids. They are all completely precious, clearly brilliant, and beautiful. The school itself is incredible. It's huge...and state of the art, really. The school has soooo much potential, but right now it's just not being used to it's capacity.

We had the opportunity to hear from the woman who started the school, Ananthi. She shared the story of how it all began with one little boy from the slums coming to her home asking for food. She fed him on a regular basis and then began to teach him a 1/2 hour a day. Soon he brought 25 friends with him. The Lord led Ananthi to teach them all, starting in her garage, and then moving to a toilet complex (yes, you read that right), and eventually seeing Him provide this big, amazing school. I was in awe of her thankfulness to Him, even for the facility that was flithy and rank with the smells you'd expect from a toilet complex. As we toured the school, she just kept saying, "This is a great gift from the Father. It's completely a gift from Him." What an inspiring woman!

In the afternoon, we went to a slum where we had the opportunity to meet a few families of children from the school and pray for them. I've never been so happy to be somewhere so miserable. The temperature outside has been about 110 degrees, give or take, but that goes up by a good 15-20 degrees inside these tiny homes...literally every inch of my skin was soaked with sweat within 3 seconds upon entering one of these homes. But I have to tell you that the privelege of being invited into people's homes to hear about their lives and to pray with them, was completely worth it. In a place so impoverished, with such an obvious presence of pain, and injustice, I saw an incredible representation of faith in those homes. One little girl in particular, Dolsi (not sure on the spelling there), left me with the greatest impression...

I first noticed her when we were in the first home praying. She was standing on the bed, in her dirty, blue dress with white polka-dots, her half-inch long hair soaked with sweat. As one of my teammates prayed (in English) for the family in this home, Dolsi stood with her eyes closed, a smile on her face, and her little hands cupped toward heaven. She even chimed in a couple times, “Yes!” I don’t believe she knows much more English than “hello” and “bye bye,” but she knew the Father we were praying too, it seemed. The next house was Dolsi’s house, where she lives with her grandmother, her aunt, and her cousins. Dolsi has no parents – both have passed away – and her grandmother has the sole responsibility of providing for her. When we went into this home, her grandmother did most of the talking at first. But then, the interpreter told us that Dolsi had a testimony. She proceeded to tell us (in Hindi, with an interpreter) her testimony of how she came to know the Him and trust in him fully. I can truly tell you that I’ve never seen a child who was so clearly full of the Spirit. This is not the faith of her parents, just passed down – something she inherited like a recessive gene – she has no parents. This was a genuine knowledge of the Fathe. And he has given her a joy that I rarely see on the face of an American child. It’s hard to describe what I saw in this little girl. But what I can tell you is that it was real. I've never seen so apparently the Spirit in a child. It wasn't like "child-like faith" - it was like adult faith in a child. I'll not soon forget this little girl.






(Thanks to Jackie Sue for her technical assistance in getting my picture to show at the bottom of this posting. :))

First thoughts about India - Vince

**note: In the picture of me and the little girl, you will see smudges under her eyes. Her parents put that on to ward off evil spirits. They serve the goddess of death, Kali.

India is a country that is rich in history but marred with poverty in almost every other way. Many of us focus on the orphan crisis in Africa, and rightly so with 45 million orphans according to Unicef. However, India is a single country with 25 million orphans

As our team walked through a slum in Delhi today, I was confronted with the reality of hundreds of years of poverty and bondage. The filth is unprecedented for me. As I walked through the slums of Delhi, I saw the hurting and the broken, I saw the diseased and the anguish of those who are unable to provide for their basic needs.

As we went from alleyway to alleyway, visiting homes and meeting the people, I was amazed to find something else present in the slum - it was ubiquitous. I could see it in the eyes of the children and in the smiles.

It was the Spirit working in the hearts and lives of those who are living there. Many people may walk through a slum in Delhi and question the very idea of God. For me, I saw the evidence of His heart and love at every turn in a community that was broken, hurting and desperate for more. I saw the loving team from our group as well as the teachers at the Friends of the Good Samaritan School spreading love in a community that has a gaping wound both spiritually and physically.

What is remarkable in most settings like this is not that He is so present and strong and active, but that His people are no where to be seen most of the time.

It reminds me of two of my favorites quotes - "preach the gospel always, if necessary, use words." St Francis and Mother Theresa who said "why do you allow such suffering in the world?" to which He replied "why do you?"

We are His plan to the poor - YOU are His plan to the poor and suffering.

Will you help?

From Jackie Sue! Blog and PICTURES!!!

The Beautiful People of the Madanpur Khadar Slum Community

Day 1

It is my first day in Delhi. The flat where we are staying is quite nice. We have running water and air conditioning. On my list of things I am thankful for today, air conditioning was the top of the list! It is so hot that it is difficult for me to breath. I am drinking lots of water so I think I will be fine. Sweating a ton! I slept pretty well and woke before the alarm at 5:30. That’s the best thing about the time change is that I wake early in the morning.

We visited the school today for the first time. When I first walked in my eyes filled with tears. I saw the children and my heart overflowed with compassion. I am going to try to convey what it means for them to be in school and the amazing ministry this school has here. Ananthi is the lady that started this school. She gave her testimony and the story of the school this morning. Amazing! I feel like I am with a holy woman when I am in her presence. Like a Mother Teresa I guess. I am deeply moved by her story and compassion for the the children of the slums. She is a well educated woman with a doctorate degree in linguistics who began the school because of one child and the Lord’s call on her life. You can read her entire story here.

This afternoon we went to visit the slums. Picture “slum dog millionaire” and you have the idea. The children are amazingly beautiful and LOVED having their pictures taken. Their favorite question to ask is, “Ma’am, what is your favorite sport?” And I answer, “In India, it is Cricket!” While in Rome… We went into several homes to pray with families of the children who attend “The Good Samaritan School”. They were so sweet and honored to have us in their home. By home I mean 2 rooms with cement floors, no bathroom or bathing facility, one bed or pallet for numerous family members. The have no furniture to speak of, but still these were the better of the slums we will visit. At least they have permanent structures to live in. It is a huge community of over 200,000 people.

We attracted quite the crowd of followers. Most were children, but many adults also. The longer we were there the bolder they became. By the end of our visit even the adults were asking to have their pictures taken with me. Hopefully the internet will co-operate and let me post them.

It is impossible to adequately describe the heat accept to say that I have never sweated so much just standing still. Not complaining, just stating a fact. It is also extremely dusty. My feet are so swollen you would think I was pregnant….but I am certainly not…just the swollen feet. Even with all that, God has accomplished what I asked of Him. I have a deep compassion and love for the people. I believe part of the hope He offers is through Anatha’s school. The school has the capacity to educate 4500 students, but because of funding the enrollment now is just under 1000. That is where you, my blog readers, can help. If you feel led, you could sponsor a child for just $34 a month. You could give a child hope and a future because in India education is everything and education is only available for the wealthy. Without The Good Samaritan School the slum children would have no opportunity to be educated. My goal is to have enough of my blog readers to sponsor an entire classroom at the school. Imagine that you could be used by God to equip a child for their entire lives. Think about it, will you?

On a personal note, I wish you call all be here with me. Seriously, it is amazing. Our team had a great day. We’ve had lots of humor and fun and even visited a divine coffee shop. Not a Starbucks, but so close to one that I could hardly tell the difference. It was like an oasis in the midst of this dusty and dirty city. They even played some western (I don’t mean country) music. The traffic is crazy…just like China. The biggest vehicle wins. The smog is just like China too. The sun is just a big white ball in a sky covered in a think haze. No clouds, no blue sky, just a very thick grey. Today we had traditional Indian food. It is very spicy, but edible. I wouldn’t say I liked it, but I didn’t hate it either. Last night we ate Dominoes pizza at about 11pm and tonight we ordered Chinese. I hope to lose some weight, but that is probably just wishful thinking. A girl can hope though, right? Even in India I can be shallow and vain. Unfortunately that part of me goes everywhere, even so, I will post all my photos even the unflattering ones for my favorite blog readers. I will sacrifice myself so that you don’t miss a thing. Smile.

A big hello to my family. Eddie, I love you. Thank you for being so supportive of this trip. Kids, I love you. You would have loved all the children today and they would have loved you.

With love from India,
Jackie SueThe morning assembly where they greeted us and sang for us. PRECIOUS!

FB Status Blog

Looks like they haven't had GREAT internet - but they have had a bit. Enough that a few of them have updated their FB. In lieu of a blog, I figured I'd give you a compilation of those!

PS I'm only FB friends with a few of them - I've sent requests to the others! Become friends with me (Brandi Goff McElheny) and Children's HopeChest on FB to get updates throughout the day!

Vince -

Hanging at the school of the Good Samaritanshttp://www.friendsofthegoodsamaritans.org/ in Delhi.

Hanging out at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in the GK-1 district in Delhi getting ready to go into the slums

India is everything I expected it would be - hot, dirty, impoverished and absolutely amazing.

Jackie Sue -

so happy to be sitting in an air conditioned meeting room talking about what we are going to do with the kids...still can't believe I'm here!

Kati Hultman -

In India...meeting kiddos at the school, getting the lay of the land. Going to visit the slums this afternoon to meet some kids' families. Loving my team and the staff at Friends of the Good Samaritan. Getting ready to sit down to our first "official" Indian meal.

Colleen Rafferty -

The Lord continues to bless me abundantly here in India. I am safely with my new team here in Delhi. We came to the school this AM.

This experience is surprising me beyond my wildest expectations. It's all about stories of children: teenagers experiencing physical pain due to temptation, families in the slums (IN their homes!) to find work and healing.

Landed Safely

We got word in the HopeChest office that the team arrived in India safely and are on their way to their flat.

Thanks for praying for the team, we will keep you updated as we know more! Not sure if the wifi that they had expected at the flat is actually working. If not, I'm sure they will find someway to update us!

Get Involved

Vince will be posting as the trip progresses on ways that you can get involved!

Initially we know this - we are looking for people to step up and get their communities involved in partnering through sponsorship with the Friends of the Good Samaritan. You can check out the HopeChest website for more information on Transform and Connect Communities and how our "community to community" model works. Partnership with the Friends of the Good Samaritan (FotGS) will be done by grade level. You and your church/organization/business/social circle can partner with an entire grade of children (classes range from 40-200 ) by sponsoring children and building personal relationships with them!

India Stats

India has more than 1.2 billion people . It has the highest rates of poverty, malnutrition, and disease in the world. India has over 350 million children under the age of 14 not attending school. Poverty and overpopulation is such a problem that the government cannot make progress on its own. India is in desperate need of change and its people are in desperate need of love. The Facts: 75 percent of the population lives on less than $2 per day 40 percent of India’s population is under 14 years of age. India has the highest number of child laborer’s in the world. There are approximately 2 million child commercial sex workers between the age of 5 and 15 years and about 3.3 million between 15 and 18 years old. They form 40% of the total population of prostitutes in India. 500,000 children are forced into prostitution every year 50 percent of India’s children are malnourished and underdeveloped. Parents will break their child’s limbs to make them more appealing beggars. (taken from the Friends of the Good Samaritan site)