Soccer Saturday

A little clip from Sarah's soccer game! Bend it like Bekham!

It's crazy 'round here....summer's comin!!

Why is it that the end of the school year is so crazy? Field days, music concerts, essays & exams...but the undercurrent in our house is sheer excitement for what's ahead...SUMMER! Wanted to post some pictures of the kids...Caleb in concert, Nick hard at work on his essay & Sarah at a Mother's Day class celebration. Enjoy...

Encouraging promise...

Isaiah 58:10-11 "If you give yourself to the hungry, And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness, And your gloom will become like midday.
11 “And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail."

home sweet home

I'm sitting here listening to the birds chirping outside, and thanking God for home and all that home means. In the last day and a half, in between dealing with a very upset stomach & jet lag, I've been thinking about the people I met in India & the stories of pain, redemption and hope that I heard. I've found myself tearing up at times....praying for them, thanking God for giving them the hope for a new life.

It's awesome taking part in seeing peoples lives changed from utter hopelessness to lives of possibility. It's motivating. It's changed the focus of my life. God has a story for each person. It's a story full of hope and purpose. Love seeing that unfold.

I've also been thinking of how I can motivate others to get involved....more on that later!

For now, I'm processing and thanking God for allowing me the privilege of bringing others along with me to visit orphans & victims of human trafficking....and today I'm enjoying being with the ones I love most in the world: Bruce, Caleb, Nick & Sarah Hope. Especially thankful for my daughter who is growing up with a mom and dad who love her. Thank you, God. He is a good Father who puts the lonely in families.

Patty

Delhi, House of Peace

Monday we drove several hours through dusty Delhi to get to the House of Peace. What a great family style childrens' home! We spent the afternoon doing a craft project with the kids, playing duck duck goose & simon says.

These kids come from lots of different backgrounds, including abusive situations, but they are now safe in a loving family.

Together we read Psalms 116:16-17 which says "O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains. I will sacrifice a thank-offering to you and call on the name of the LORD." Then we had them take a few minutes to write something they are thankful for & a prayer to God. What simple, beautiful notes they wrote. Then we put them together like a chain and hung it up as a decoration in their living room.

The directors of this home do a super job transitioning these kids into adulthood! One girl who has been with them for 10 years is now in Bible college & about to start her second year. I met this young lady 3 years ago when I first visited House of Peace. Terrific to see how well she is doing!

Day 8 Leaving Pune

Early this morning Linda & Mona headed to Mumbai to catch their flight back to Norway. Kelly Jo & I leave in a few minutes for a friends house and then early in the morning we fly to Delhi where we will visit House of Peace.

Don't know if we'll be able to get on the internet, but check back just in case!

We land in Dallas early Tuesday morning Texas time. We'd sure appreciate your prayers...

This has been such a terrific time. Lots accomplished! More later..

Patty

Day 7 - Fun day - Part 2

In the evening Kelly Jo went back to Hope of Glory and had another time to teach a craft to the kids there! They enjoyed making things and putting up the first wall art they created at the beginning of the week.

Check out the pictures from tonight!

Patty

Day 7 - Fun day - Part 1

Today we had a great time relaxing, shopping and packing up to leave Pune. We have a friend who does Mendhi with Henna, so we decorated our arms with the traditional Indian decoration.

Dreams Come True....

Yesterday the four of us spent some time at Rescue House here in Pune, which is home to 14 victims of trafficking & exploitation. Teena's story is all too familiar. When she was 12 years old, she wanted to be a doctor. She was the middle child of 3 kids. Her uncle had a terrible gambling debt to repay. One day he asked her parents if he could take her to a carnival, but instead of taking her to the carnival he sold her for $250 into prostitution so he could repay the debt he owed. She was shuffled around from city to city, abused, trapped. When her uncle returned without her, he told her parents that she ran away. Teena was eventually rescued from slavery and made her way back home. When she arrived home her parents finally learned the truth of what had happened, but instead of embracing her, they rejected her. They said "Teena is no longer our daughter. We don't know who you are".

Rescue house is a place that welcomes girls like Teena who have been rescued from a life of exploitation. It's not just a place to live but it is a place of hope....a place where these girls are encouraged to dream.

On the wall in the main living area of one of the rooms is a huge framed wall hanging. Right in the middle are the words "Dreams come true". There are little yellow sticky notes stuck all around those three little words. I asked the director what the sign was all about, so he told us the story. Last year the girls had a time when they wrote on sticky notes what they hoped to be or do one day. One girl wrote "I want to be a teacher", one wrote "I want to be a police woman".

Then they had career fair where people in Pune that work in those professions came in and talked about their work -- the pros and cons. It was a great time for the girls to learn & ask questions.

At the end of the week the girls laid their hopes and dreams at the foot of the cross and committed their dreams to God.

One of the things that impacted me the most was walking through their sleeping quarters and seeing little pillows on the beds with gold stitched letters embroidered on them. On each pillow is the girls name & who they want to become one day (*see the pictures).

For security reasons we can't post any other pictures or info about this home, but I have to tell you it is an amazing place. Before we left the director asked if we could pray for the girls and then sing a song or two together. Imagine sitting in a group of young women who have been through so much and starting to sing the song "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know, He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives".

Tears poured out of my eyes. It was hard but beautiful to sit there and weep & weep. Wow. That's all I can say. I am marked forever. "Because He Lives" will never just be another hymn to me.

Day 5- Good Shepherd Transit Home

I didn't think this week could get any better, but today was the icing on the cake. We spent a good part of the day at Good Shepherd Homes "transit" home, which is the first stop for kids coming into Good Shepherd. GSS is home to 10 of the most wonderful kids I've ever met. I choked back tears a lot today. Tears of thankfulness that these kids are not only safe, but growing up being taught about God, His love, how to live, and how to love others. I've heard all their stories before. They were hungry, sleeping on the streets, abused, neglected, and many other terrible things before they came into this home. Today they shared their dreams with us. Dreams of becoming a doctor, a teacher for kids living on the streets, an army officer, a pastor. I love kids with dreams....especially when THESE kids dream.

Today they shared their Bible memory verses with us. They put us to shame with how many they know. The kids sang some beautiful songs for us. Their English is better than the last time I came. The Director told us that every one of the kids has a 90 or above average in school. They are thriving. That fact alone makes me smile! Smile so wide I can hardly contain myself.

We brought a fun craft to make together. We brought Tshirts for them to paint. It was terrific to see their creativity unleashed. They were careful. Each shirt was unique and special. Sunday they are going to all wear them to church...boy, I'd love to see that. Thank you Barbara and David Goss at New Hope. The kids loved the shirts!

Our team donated enough money to buy personal Bibles for each child & thanks to the ladies in my Steppin' Up Bible class in McKinney the kids will each have a new MUCH needed Sunday dress outfit for church. Thank you!

Check out the pictures from today and check back for tomorrow's blog....