Day 5 - Part 3 Preparing to distribute rice for residents of the slum

This evening we gathered in a large room and bagged up 1150 kilos of rice that we'll be distributing tomorrow morning alongside the long term workers of Rescue & Restore here in Chennai. The residents of the slum will see the familiar faces of the R&R staff who work in the slum every week. We're just coming alongside them and enhancing their efforts to make a difference in the lives of these families. Thank you Life Church for the contribution to R&R for the delicious rice. Check back tomorrow to see how the distribution goes.

Day 5 - Part 2 The Preschool in the Slum

While we were at Chengel Pattu Leper Colony, the other half of the team spent time with the kids in the Rescue & Restore Slum preschool.

They sang, told stories, colored and spent time with the children.

The kids in this preschool come to this safe haven a few hours each week day, and are fed a hot meal at the end of the school day (noon). For many of these kids, it's the only hot meal they will eat that day.

Most of the parents in this slum do not put their children in school, but the preschool offers at least a beginning to learning for the slum children. The school has made great strides in developing their program in the last few years. The teacher does a great job with them!

Day 5 (Part 1) - Visit to Chengel Pattu leper colony

This morning six of us loaded up in a van and made the 1 1/2 hour trek to the Chengel Pattu Leper Colony. Every week the National Leprosy Relief & Rehabilitation Work offers a free medical clinic to those suffering with ulcers from the disease. Our team watched as dirty bandages were removed, ulcers cleaned out, and rewrapped in fresh gauze.

Interestingly enough there are government clinics that offer help to these patients, but they will not clean out their deep ulcers. They will not touch those wounds. That's what's so wonderful about this work.

As I reached out and laid my hand on one older woman's back, I wondered if anyone ever touched her. I found myself stroking her back, and praying God would comfort her. She was so grateful. I watched as she hobbled away on what was left of her feet.

It was an incredibly moving experience. I kept thinking about how Jesus reached out and touched lepers. I could feel His love for them today.

Day 4 - first visit to the Leper Colony

Today half of the team visited a medical clinic inside a Leper colony in Chennai. They were able to spend time visiting with the leprosy patients after they had their wounds cleaned. There is such a strong stigma in this culture for those who have leprosy. They are considered "untouchables", but our team touched, hugged, and extended love and kindness to them. Many patients asked our team for prayer. It was a precious time. Tomorrow the other half of our team will visit a separate leper colony. Here are some photos of the time * note: one picture is a bit graphic.

Clip of the kids getting down to the song "I am not forgotten"

Day 3 - Children of Lepers Home

Monday we loaded up in the bus and headed to the Children of Lepers Home. Little Lights is home to 33 Children whose parents & or grandparents live in the leper colony. The vision of the staff is to see the lives & futures of the kids transformed. They want to break the cycle of generations that have no other way but to stay in the colonies. It was touching to hear how committed the staff are to keeping the kids very connected with their parents and families. They spend holidays with them & the parents visit regularly. Living at Little lights allows the children to get a good education, brings them into a safe place and breaks the stigma that society puts on them as children of lepers.

Joe was a toddler when the staff found him in the colony. He was tied with a rope around his wast to a tree. On the ground beside him there were 2 bowls--one for water, and one for food. His parents left him tied to the tree each day when they went out to beg.

By living at Little Lights Joe is able to play, go to school and grow up as a healthy child. I first met Joe when he was 3. He has grown and changed so much. Seeing his progress this time brought tears to my eyes.

The team presented the puppet show with the message "I am not forgotten", sang with the kids, played, and loved on them.

I walked up behind one of the girls who was decorating the back of her shirt and had to contain myself when I read what she wrote,"I like this shrit". As I looked around at the other kids' shirts in her group, I realized they all said the same thing. Glad they kept the "r" in there!

Check back tomorrow for a report from the Leper colony visit!

Day 2 - Part 3 "I am not forgotten"!

Rescue & Restore Shelter cares for 28 kids ages 3-17. Each child has a unique but similar story. They all need the love & care of a family.

There is a little girl who lives in Rescue & Restore Shelter. Her name is Mina*. Her life story is full of tragedy and hope. Mina's family thought she brought a curse to the family. As she was growing up, they threatened to take her to the city and drop her off. One day her grandfather was going to the city to do some shopping and asked her to come along. He took her to the train station here in Chennai, lead her to a bench and asked her to wait there while he bought a snack. Time passed. Minutes turned into hours. He never came back. She was abandoned at the age of 9. Left alone in a big city to fend for herself. Night was coming.

Miraculously that evening some of the staff from Rescue & Restore shelter passed through the station and saw her sitting alone. They heard her story, and she ended up coming home with them. This vulnerable little girl never spent one night on the street. She truly was not forgotten by God.

The message we wanted to communicate to them is that they are not forgotten, or alone in this world. Their Heavenly Father knows their name, and we do too. They are special and valuable.

The team put on a great puppet show to the song "I am not forgotten". We also passed out the cool lime green T-shirts with the theme in bold letters on the front. To say the kids loved them is an understatement.

They had a blast decorating the back of their own shirts, they signed our shirts, and danced and celebrated His goodness!

What a terrific night. Here are some photos to give you a glimpse of the evening....

Punjabis for the young ladies of R&R

A few minutes after walking through the door of R&R Shelter, we presented the young ladies of Rescue & Restore with some punjabis donated by an Indian Church in the North Texas area. Thank you so much, Ajay & friends, for sending the gift of clothes to these girls. We're very grateful for your gift!

Day 2- Part 2 Getting Prepared for R&R Shelter

After the slum church we took some time to prepare for our afternoon with the kids from Rescue & Restore Shelter. The team sorted T-shirts that say "I AM NOT FORGOTTEN". A big thank you to a wonderful man in Kansas who donated the lime green shirts with an important message. We also filled gift bags with treats for the staff. Then it was off to get the puppets and supplies and load up for the drive to R&R. Check back for an update of our time with the kids!!!

Day 2 - Part 1 - faith in the slum church

A light warm breeze was blowing as we pulled up to a very poor slum here in Chennai this morning around 9:00 am. We could hear the singing getting louder as we made our way deep into the heart of the slum. The tiny church was nestled in among lots of small huts, and we joined a group of about 40-50 sitting on the floor on grass mats.

What a beautiful time joining this congregation in worship. They are incredibly sincere in their heartfelt praise. Several from our group were asked to speak, and many hearts were touched and tears were shed. At the end of the service both men & women, young and old, searched the team out and asked for prayer.

An older man approached me and asked if I would pray for his eye sight. If I understood correctly, his job is the main source of provision for his entire family and he is losing his sight little by little. As a security guard, loss of vision means he would eventually lose his job, and not be able to provide for his family. Tears poured down his face as we prayed together. He sobbed. On one hand my heart broke for his pain, but on the other hand his child-like faith was incredibly honest, real, and beautiful. As my prayer ended he wiped his eyes, smiled with gratefulness, and headed out the door.

One thing stands out to me after visiting this particular area several times in the last few days--the people's lives in this slum are being transformed from the inside out. This church is growing, men are turning away from a violence & crime, and families are being changed. Their hope and trust in God is growing day by day. They don't wear shoes, they don't use diapers, but they are rich. Rich beyond measure in faith.

Check back for Day 2 - Rescue and Restore Shelter in the afternoon!