Home Safely! -- Steve

I know this is a day and a half past due, but I wanted to confirm for all of you non-Tulsans that we made it home safely yesterday morning. It was a LONG trip home, but we made it safely and uneventfully. We had a nice welcoming committee that met us at the airport: our families, my mom, David Knight, Bert Morphis and Derek Bullard. Thanks to all of you who came to welcome us home! Also a belated "thank you very much" to Gina Stewart and David Knight (along with our families) for seeing us off at the airport when we left.
Just FYI for any of you who have been following our blog and are interested: Daryl and I are giving our report on our trip (complete with photos and some video) to our congregation at the Sunday morning worship service (10 am) [NOT at 5 pm, as I indicated previously] on November 30th. All of you are welcome to come!
Thanks to all who followed our blog while we were gone and for all of the encouraging comments that you posted. They were a blessing to us!
And a special very big THANKS to the Gootam family and all of our Christian brothers and sisters in India who extended such wonderful hospitality to us and whose faith was a constant source of strength and inspiration to us. May God bless you all richly!

latest from India

I just talked to the preacher, and they are in Vizhag (?), India.  They are catching a flight to Dehli where they have arranged a tour guide to show them around since they have a long layover there. After that it's a 17-hour plane ride from Dehli straight to Chicago.  Then finally they will be home Wednesday morning!  Woo hoo!!!  If you have nothing to do Wednesday morning, I'm sure they'd love a big welcome at the airport.  Their flight arrives at 9:50.

Daryl hardly has a voice, and he sounds really tired.  He said they got lost in the jungle for 5 hours yesterday!  And he said this time it was REAL jungle.  It was too dark to see much, though.  I think he said they will post some more pictures and final thoughts when they get home.

Thanks for all the support for Daryl and Steve through your generous donations, your prayers and your comments on this blog!  I have enjoyed reading them, too!

Fond Farewells - Daryl

In some ways it is hard to believe that it is time to start packing to come home.  It seems that our time here has just flown by, but when I think of all of our traveling and all we have done it seems like a long time.  It also seems like forever since I have been home.  I'm sure my boys have grown and changed just since I have been gone. 

I am so glad we got to spend a little more time with the children today.  They really are some of the most special people I have ever met.  I took a quick video tour of the home this evening with my camera.  I hope it turns out because I really want people back home to see how these kids live.  It is amazing they have such a positive attitude and are always so full of joy.  When it came time to say goodbye they all had to shake our hands and bid us "good journey" and "happy travels".  I think I must have shook some of their hands 10 times.  I also had to have a few rounds of group hugs.  During one round some one whispered in my ear, "come back to India."  I don't know which of them it was but it was a simple phrase that really meant a lot to me.

I did pretty well emotionally until it came time to say goodbye to Raju & Niranjin.  They are the oldest boys and they have traveled a lot with us.  They have served as bodyguards, interpreters, pack mules, photographers, and guides.  These 2 are really amazing.  I know no other 15 & 17 year old boys who are anything like them.  They are so selfless in watching after all the others.  I feel like I have watched 2 modern day Davids all week long as they have watched over their little lambs.  They took exceptional care of Steve and I as well.  I doubt they will ever know how much they taught me this week about being a true servant like Jesus.   I think the only thing I might have taught them was "hasta la vista, baby"  and "monkey in the middle" which is what we called Raju when he got stuck riding in the back seat between Steve and I.

We just had our last meal with the Gootam's.  Ms. Gootam made my favorite, her special recipe of fried chicken, wow!  I wasn't really hungry but I couldn't help but gorge myself knowing it was the last I would have for a very long time.  After supper we had a devotional with the family.  We sang together, Steve & I in English and all of them in Telegu.  Then it was time for us to say our goodbyes.  We have really been treated like royalty here.  I don't know that I can adequately thank them for their tremendous hospitality.

One more day and one more time to preach and then we head home.  I hope my voice holds out.  Late this afternoon it just started to go.  I am praying that when I wake up in the morning I will have at least enough for one more lesson and to be able to order Mazaa.  Yes, I have a new obsession.  I believe Mazaa is India's largely undiscovered gift to the world.  It's bottled Mango juice and I love it!

I just reread this posting and it has been kind of random.  Guess it is time to sign off.  We will probably be able to post one more time tomorrow evening and that will be it.  Sorry I never got the video to work but for some reason no matter what I tried I could not get it to upload to the blog or to Youtube.  Oh well, gotta save something for when we get home.

I almost forgot.  Don't tell Amy or my mom but I got a true taste of life in India tonight.  Ricky took me on a tour of Kakinada on the back of his motorcycle.  You can't say you have really experienced India unless you have been down the road on a bike.  The longer I am here I feel more and more Indian.  Now if I can just master that head bob thing they do, hahahahaha

Last Day In Kakinada - Steve

Well, it is Sunday evening (here) and we are starting to pack.  I'm anxious to get home, but I'm dreading packing and the travel.

Church went well this morning.  With the power out all day yesterday, I didn't have a chance to prepare a new lesson, so I preached the Gideon lesson I preached our first night here (regarding how God can use people who are afraid and have weak faith to accomplish his purposes if they will only rely on Him and His strength).  It seemed to be well-received.

Afterwards, we came back to the Gootams to eat lunch (one of the best meals we have had--beef that tasted like pot roast), then we loaded up and went back to the beach with the kids.  It was great to spend some quality time with them before we leave.  It was really hard to say good-bye though.  They are SUCH sweet kids!  They have a tough life, but they don't seem to know it.  They are so happy.  A powerful lesson for us all.  They all gathered around us and shook our hands (hugs are not really the cultural norm here) and all said "happy travels, sir"--most of them multiple times.  Daryl and I were both tearing up when we left.

Got to talk with Emily, Anna Kay and my mom this morning (last night your time).  It was great to talk to them, but I was sorry I missed Samantha.  Gotta go! Not positive we;ll be able to post tomorrow night, but we'll certainly try!  If not, see you in Tulsa!

Love, Steve

One Day At A Time -- Steve

As Daryl said, today was a pretty slow day, which was nice since we have been on the go pretty much non-stop since we arrived.  The cyclone Daryl mentioned was a pretty good ways from us, but we have gotten a lot of rain nonetheless.  As a result, we didn't do much (anything besides eat lunch) between our shopping trip this morning and our trip to the hospital and children's home tonight.  In fact, with the power out all afternoon, it's fair to say it was pretty dull around here.

Daryl and I pretty much laid around all afternoon reminiscing about 70s and 80s TV shows and songs.  It was every bit as exciting as it sounds.  Actually, that's where I came up with the title for this post--because Daryl and I spent about 3 hours trying (unsuccessfully) to remember the name of the TV show by that name that starred Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli.  We finally looked it up once the power came back on.  Your missions dollars at work! :-)  Since we are both getting anxious to get home to our families and all of you, it seemed an appropriate title.

It was great to see Chandhra (pic on the right) tonight at the hospital.  We have been worried about her.  She seems to be doing fine (she sat up on her own when we were there) and should be released on Monday.  She seems to be mostly getting her strength back now.  As Daryl alluded to, the hospital was pretty grim.  Chandhra was in a large ward with about 20 other kids.  It is fair to say that it didn't strike us as particularly clean (ahem).  I have to hope they don't put kids in there with communicable diseases!  Ricky said that hospital was built in the 1930s.  Looked like the beds were the originals. 

Tomorrow after church we are spending the afternoon with the kids (beach if weather permits) and then we have to pack up b/c we leave EARLY Monday and won't be coming back to Kakinada.  Tough to pack for home when we won't be leaving for 2 more days.  I'm sure we'll manage!

I'm preaching at church tomorrow.  Gotta go and get some sleep!  Sorry I didn't get to call you today, Samantha.  The power outage did me in.  I'll try tomorrow (tonight your time).  Love you all!

Rain, Rain Go Away! - Daryl

Today was our day off and we were grateful to have it.  We woke up and discovered by reading a rather small article that a Cylclone (Hurricane) was coming ashore today.  We hadn't heard anything about it until this morning.  Apparently it wasn't a major one and it went north of us.  We have had light to steady rain most of the day, but at least it has been cooler.  That was a blessing since the power was off and on (mostly off) throughout the day.  Not that we have air conditioning but you really notice when the ceiling fans are not working.

We did a little more shopping this morning.  We went into what is considered a higher end department store here.  It was probably the equivalent of an Indian Macy's.  We found some pretty good stuff there and at good prices compared to what you might pay back home.  We returned home for a little lunch and rest.

Also visiting this weekend are some of the Gootam's relatives from the state of Orissa.  That is the state where there has been a lot of violence against Christians.  Several have been beaten, at least 41 killed, and thousands have lost their homes.  Those that have lost their homes have moved into camps set up by the government.  One of the camps is near where these relatives live.  We told them that the we and the Christians in Tulsa had been praying for them and would continue to do so.  We were also able to use $500 of the money that was sent with us to purchase blankets and clothing for those victims.   That may not sound like a lot of money, but here a very nice blanket can be purchased for about $6.  They told us that things had settled down a lot and that they expected many of the Christians to eventually return and rebuild.  It is all just another reminder of how blessed we are in the US.

This evening we were able to go to the hospital and visit Chandhra.  She is the little girl from the children's home who had the encounter with the cobra a couple of nights ago.  She is doing well and will go home on Monday.  She is in a government hospital and I am not even going to go into what that was like.

After we left the hospital we went by the Children's Home again for a quick visit.  All the kids were in one room and they were singing.  We enjoyed listening and even joining in on a few.  Ricky has even taught them the Hippo Song which he learned from Tom!  They really get into it and so did I.  We got to see and enjoy the effects of the new ceiling fan that was purchased with money sent with us.  The kids were very appreciative of that gift as well.  When it was time to go they all had to shake our hands and tell us goodnight.  We decided group hugs were better.  They are very sweet kids.  It is unbelievable how polite and well behaved they all are.  The older kids that do so much are really impressive as well.  I could go on and on about them and the conditions they live in but I will save that for another time.  

Steve is wanting to post and go to sleep so I will sign off.  Before I do, I have to say that Ricky took me back for some more Indian Pizza.  What we got tonight was totally different from the other night, so I don't know what we got the last time but it was not the Indian Pizza (it was good though).  However, tonight I did get the Indian Chicken Pizza and it was awesome!  It was very spicy.  My lips were burning and I was sweating but it was good.  The waiter told me if it was too hot I could put on some of this sauce they had to help with the heat.  I was determined to prove I am "built for India" as Mr. Gootam said, so I told him "No thanks!"  I will probably pay for it later but it was awesome.  I would like to think I represented America well tonight at least in the eyes of about 5 or 6 Indians who were watching me to see if I could take it!  All I needed was some theme music from Rocky!    Good night all!

p.s.  The pic was taken today in Kakinada on our way to go shopping.  The hottie in the middle is one of the 1 million Hindu gods, Shiva.  My eyes are closed in this pic so I am hoping the one on Steve's camera is better

Made it back "home" to Kakinada -- Steve

 We made it home from the jungle this evening--dirty and exhausted.  Much of our travels are over semi-paved roads and we always have all of the windows down, so we get coated pretty well with grime in the car.  We also breathe an unbelievable amount of diesel fumes along the way.  I think the dust, smoke (trash and fields burning constantly seemingly everywhere) and diesel exhaust keeps us both a little green in the gills a lot of the time.  I think that is why I have this nagging cough that I can't shake.  We are always grateful to get where we are going!

We had a another great day in the village where we were on Wednesday, this time with a preacher's workshop.  I'd guess there were around 30-40 preachers present.  Daryl already drafted a post about that, but he is waiting until he can download some photos to go with it, so I will let him tell that part of the story.  Overall, it was another great day with a bunch of faithful and humble servants of God.  These guys preach in several places each week with very little in the way of financial support.  We certainly cannot support all of these guys--and it likely would not be good for the long-term health of the Indian church if we could--but we greatly admire their faith and dedication and sympathize with how difficult their lives are.  Maybe we can find ways to help them (e.g., by providing bicycles and Bibles) short of providing monthly support.  

Tomorrow is our first day "off" since we've been here.  We are looking forward to getting some rest and (we hope) going to see "our kids."  I think we plan to drive to Rajamundry (about an hour away) tomorrow evening to visit Sudeepa's parents (her dad is a long-time preacher) and the children's home they run.  We've also been told that Rajamundry is a good place to shop, so we will likely do some of that as well.

Bye for now!  We love and miss you all!  Thanks again for the comments.

Back at Home Base in Kakinada - Daryl

I got a good night's sleep last night and felt much better today.  Thanks to all of you who expressed concern and said a little extra prayer.  We went back to the village we visited on Wednesday.  This time we were there for a Preacher's Workshop.  There were about 25 preachers from area villages.  The original plan was for me to speak for an hour and then Steve would speak and we would leave.  Once we got there, we realized that many of the same men had come to the first workshop we did here in Kakinada.  Steve and I had planned to do the same lessons.

So, at the last minute Ricky asked if I could speak on the nature of the church since many of the preachers get asked a lot of questions about that topic.  Fortunately, I just recently preached a sermon in Tulsa on that very subject and happened to have it with me.  As I preached, Ricky would ask me to give further explanations and added some himself.  Before we knew it, we had spoken for over 2 hours!  They were like sponges just soaking it all in.  Afterwards, they just kept thanking us for the message.  Steve didn't get to speak, but he seemed OK with that.  I think it gave his voice a much needed rest.

As it has been everywhere we have gone, we received more requests for assistance.  There is certainly no shortage of genuine needs here.  Most of the preachers are little more than volunteers.  The support they receive from their congregations is very little.  Most of them work with 2 or 3 congregations so all of their traveling doesn't allow a lot of time for other work but somehow they manage to survive.  There is a great need for Bibles, song books, bicycles, church buildings, etc...  I did my best to express to them that we are certainly sympathetic to their need and that we will share what we have learned here with others.  I told them as much as I would love to be able to say we could meet all their needs or even part of them, that just wasn't possible.  I felt like I was letting the air out of their balloon of hope, but at the same time I didn't want them thinking that any day now large sums of money were going to start flowing in from the US.  It is my hope and prayer that God will find a way to meet all their needs and soon.

On the way home we finally saw some monkeys!  We haven't seen much wildlife since being here, but today we saw 4 or 5 monkeys here and there along the way.  We were moving too quickly and they were too far away so I didn't get any pictures, but at least I can say I saw them.  It is good to be back in Kakinada.  We have tonight off and most of the day tomorrow, Yeah!

I think I have figured out how to load a slideshow so look for it in the upper left corner of the page very soon!

Rough Night, Good Day

The hotel isn't exactly a 5 star establishment, but it isn't bad either. Really my only complaint is the pillow. It is very flat and has the most ridged edges I have ever seen on a pillow. If you fold it in half it will spring back flat. So, the combination of not sleeping that well and all the travelling kinda caught up with me today. I wouldn't say I am sick but haven't felt 100% either. Hopefully, I will sleep well tonight and be back to normal tomorrow.

We saw even more beautiful scenery today and more wonderfully humble and hospitable people. I know we say it over and over again but it is impossible for us to adequately relay to you just how hungry people are for the Word and how receptive they are to it. After being there most of the day in the heat and listening to over 2 1/2 hours of preaching, they actually asked us to keep speaking. That is definitely a first!
When we finished speaking, Ricky and Joseph (one of the local preachers travelling with us) spoke some more and offered an invitation. At that time one lady said she wanted to be baptized. As we made our way down the stairs to the baptistry a few more had decided to be baptized as well. While Joseph was baptizing them he would ask questions and used the opportunity to keep teaching. By the time it was all said and done at least 9 had been baptized. We actually lost count. Can you believe it?
We met an inspiring woman today. She owns the home where the church meets. I will wait to tell you more about her when we get home. Tomorrow, we go back to the village we were at yesterday for another preacher workshop. That means another long, winding journey through the jungle (yes by car). I'm looking forward to doing it during the day so we can see more of what it looks like. I am also looking forward to being back in Kakinada for a little rest. We will be able to post pics then as well. Time to get some sleep, hopefully.

Another Great Day in the Jungle! -- Steve

Hi, everybody! Or should I say "Vandanamulu" (the Telugu equivalent of aloha--the "V" is pronounced like a "W"). We visited and preached at another jungle village today and had another awesome but exhausting day. I don't know if it comes across in the blog, but we keep a very grueling schedule. As the week goes on, we are definitely getting a bit worn down (I have developed a nagging cough and Daryl has been a bit nauseous today), but God gives us the strength to keep on going. We can rest when we get home! And we keep having awesome experiences and fattened up by amazing hospitality from people who have very little. We are mindful that Ricky and many of the preachers keep up this kind of schedule ALL of the time, so we are ashamed to complain too much and are humbled by their lives of service.
Today, Daryl preached for over an hour, we broke for lunch and then I preached for about an hour and a half (surprise, surprise I can hear Jack saying), all under a scorching sun (we met on a rooftop under a large awning). And guess what? The people said they had a traveled a long way to hear us and they wanted us to keep going! So Daryl got back up and answered some of their questions. There were some responses, but I'll let Daryl tell you about those!
We did get some shocking and disturbing news this morning. Someone called Ricky and told him that one of the little girls at the children's home got up in the night to go to the (outside) bathroom and was bitten in the back by a cobra!! Right there in Kakinada next to the church building where we have spent so much time this week! Thank God it just grazed her and she got prompt medical attention and will be OK, but we have come to really love those children and that news hit us hard. Another reminder how different things are here. They killed the snake, by the way.
We are having an awesome experience and love what we are doing, but we are tiring and look forward to coming home to our families and all of you. We really do love reading all of your comments. We look forward to checking them every day. They definitely encourage and refuel us. Thanks so much and please keep them coming! Grace and peace!

Another Great Day - Daryl

Steve has already shared the "news" from today and it is great news! The down side was not having enough Bibles. People were so eager to get them and you could see the anticipation and excitement in their eyes as we made our way back through the crowd and then we stopped. The looks of disappointment were heartbreaking. My eyes began to water and I had to step away for a minute to keep from losing it. We had just finished preaching for over 2 hours about the truthfulness, beauty and power of God's Word and encouraging them to cling to it and love it. Sadly for many of them they will have to wait a little longer to make that a reality.

This part of the country is truly beautiful. As we were walking down the road to the stream for the baptisms, Steve said, "look around, we're really in India." It was one of those moments that just kind of hits you upside the head. The beautiful rice fields, palm and banana trees are set against a background of dark green mountains. It was nearly dark by the time we headed out of the village through the jungle to where the hotel is, so we didn't get to see very much of the deep jungle. Hopefully we will have more of an opportunity over the next few days. Still no monkey or tiger sightings but we did see a camel. I didn't know they had camels in India but there it was by the side of the road hump and all.

There were a couple of funny moments today, but I don't have the time to write about them. I will write them down so I can include them in future reports. Thanks again for all the comments, keep them coming! We are always eager to get online and see if anyone has left us any. It is somewhat of a moment of excitement for us. Can you tell we (at least me) are a little homesick?

Hello from the Jungle! - Steve

Typing this from our air-conditioned room at the Srikrishna Palace Hotel in Narsipatnam (who says you have to rough it in the jungle?). Just got here and the room is OK, but there are NO covers--not a top sheet nor a blanket. Kind of weird.
We had a great time in the village today (the names of all of these villages are invariably difficult for us to pronounce and remember). We had a much larger crowd than expected. When people saw the "white people" arrive, many non-Christians came to see what was going on. We brought a box of 60 Bibles to hand-out, but there were at least twice that many people that wanted them, so we ran out. Sad, but nice to see so many people thirsting for God's word!
Daryl and I both preached reruns (Ricky asked us to preach these here): Daryl on "The Bible as God's Word" and me on "The Story of the Bible." I think they complement each other very well. Ricky wants us to preach those same lessons again tomorrow at the next village.
After we concluded today, 13 came forward to be baptized (although one later backed out)! We all loaded up and drove to a mountain stream (through a GORGEOUS valley--lush green rice fields dotted with palm trees and surrounded by green mountains) and watched the birth of two new brothers and ten new sisters in Christ! Not a bad day!
Although we hope that our preaching helped, I know that the preacher and brethren there have done a lot of work and planted a lot of seeds before we arrived. In any event, what a thrill to be present for the harvest! Afterwards, numerous people came forward asking us to pray for them and their families (sometimes without even a translator) and to inscribe their new Bibles. Very humbling!
Bye for now! Daryl will post more after we eat dinner. Love you all! Special love to Samantha, Emily and Anna Kay! I miss you! Thanks for your notes!

Welcome to the Jungle - Steve

Well not yet, but that was too good of a title for me to pass up!  We leave for the jungle this morning and won't return until Saturday (we're spending Friday night in Rajumundry--not in the jungle--a bigger city on the way back from here where we will visit another children's home).

As Daryl indicated, we had a great day in the village yesterday.  As you can see, we had a warm greeting from the brethren there and great hospitality (including the killing of several precious chickens on our behalf).  I preached on the Story of the Bible--an overview that showed that everything from creation through the end of the New Testament was all part of God's redemptive scheme for mankind--all pointing to Jesus--because God's loves his creation and wants us all to be his children.

We also had a good time going shopping last night in Kakinada with Mrs. Gootam and Sudeepa.  We bought several neat souvenirs (including some cool things for EMILY and ANNA KAY--but I'm not telling!).  Was that cruel?  Heh, heh, heh.

We also got to try Indian pizza last night (after we tried Indian chocolate and all just before we went home for dinner).  It was GOOD!  It was spicy chicken and red bell peppers on a thick phyllo crust.  Nothing like our pizza, but Daryl and I both broke into big smiles when we first bit into it.

One things I don't think we have mentioned yet.  Yesterday, we gave Ricky some of he money you gave us to purchase blankets and saris for the Christians in Orissa.  You may recall that Orissa is the state north of here where the Christians are suffering from the worst kinds of persecutions from the majority hindus and have been forced to flee their homes and live in the jungles.  What a blessing for us (all) to be able to help these struggling brothers of ours!  I wanted you to know.  One of the Orissa preachers will be here Saturday and we will be able to present 200 or so blankets and saris to him to take back to Orissa (where Ricky's mother is from).

We THINK we will be able to post from the jungle on Ricky's laptop, but if you don't hear from us until Saturday, don't worry about us!  Gotta run!  Love you all!    

Everybody's Got a Water Buffalo - Daryl

Only you VeggieTale fans out there will appreciate the title, but here in India it seems to be true.  You see water buffalo everywhere, so I just had to get my picture with one.  They do not eat them, but they do milk them.  In fact, every evening a man comes around with his water buffaloes and milks them right outside the house.  The milk is then pasteurized by heat here at the house.  So, we have fresh buffalo milk everyday.  It is always served warm, never cold.  Generally it is an ingredient.  I have not seen anyone drinking just milk, nor have I asked for any, but it sure is good in hot tea with a little sugar.

Today was a great day.  We travelled a little over an hour to a village to preach.  The drive out kept us close to the coast so we had a cool breeze.  The village is located in what they call the coconut jungle.  Guess what they grow there.  You guessed it, rice!  Ha! Among all the coconut trees there are rice patties so everything is rice and coconut in that area.  We really did see a lot of nice scenery and the weather was perfect.  The village was very much what you think of when you think of a village.  Little huts lined the one road and livestock just roaming around.  They did have electricity and some of the huts and houses had satellite dishes.

The people there were very friendly and stared a lot at us.  For many of them we were the first white people they had ever seen.  The church greeted us like celebrities  with banners and all.  It's kind of funny because we do have a bit of an entourage.  We have a paid driver, Ricky is kind of our manager, and we have 2 boys (Raju & Nirynjin) who help translate, carry our stuff, and take pictures for us.  

After being ushered into the hut/church building we were greeted with fresh flower leis and introduced.  They sang a few songs and then Steve preached.  We took a break for lunch where again we were given first class treatment.  I was a little leery of eating the food, but it actually was really good.  I nearly pulled a tooth trying to get the tough "country" chicken off the bone, but it tasted good.  After lunch, I spoke about living a life of joy because of what we have been saved from.  We wrapped up our time by handing out Bibles to everyone there.  The people were so excited about getting the Bibles some of them were kind of even pushing their way to the front to be sure they got one.  We then posed for some photos and handed out candy before heading back home.

We got to spend a little time this evening in the market area shopping for souvenirs.  That was an interesting experience.  Tomorrow we head into the jungle!  Can't wait to see what that is like.

Some Scenes from Today

Quick Hello - Daryl

We had just a few moments this morning to check the blog and were thrilled to see so many comments (especially from our moms, finally!).  Seriously, they really are an encouragement.  We are about to head out to another village where we will both be preaching.  I can't remember the name of it and I am sure I couldn't pronounce it or spell it anyway.  I believe it is about an hour or so away.  Hopefully, a short day since tomorrow we head out on a trek to the jungle.

Thanks again for your love and support.  I hope to be able to post some more pics tonight and maybe some long promised video.  I finally figured out how to get it onto my computer, now I will see if I can get it edited and uploaded to the blog!

By the way - Steve

Daryl and I are both surprised and a little miffed that neither of our mothers have posted comments yet.  Come on, moms!  Get with the program!  Your little boys miss you!  Thanks for all of you who have posted!

1 Preacher Workshop Down--2 to go! Steve

Well, as Daryl said below, the preacher workshop today was a neat experience.  120 preachers, some having traveled for 5-6 hours by bus to get here, meeting together for fellowship and encouragement.  It was humbling to preach to them.  We each preached two one hour lessons.  I preached on "A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words (your faith being a living testimony of Christ) and Lessons on Leadership from Nehemiah (thanks for the inspiration, Kent Hartman!).  It was a good day, but very tiring.  We are now preparing to attend an anniversary party (I'm giving a short lesson).

29th and Yale gave 10 bikes to ten village preachers today.  We were so blessed to represent you in this!  I know these Gospel Chariots will be put to good use and will save souls. 

We saw the kids again today (briefly).  Don't tell Samantha, but I'm planning to adopt at least one of them!  Don't know how I could pick just one, but I do have a couple of favorites.  They are all as cute and sweet as can be!  I think a 10-year-old boy, Broussard, might be my choice.  What a great kid!  But it's a surprise for Samantha--don't tell!  :-)  Love and miss you all!

Just Another Manic Monday - Daryl

Today, has been a long yet rewarding day and it isn't over yet.  120 preachers from around the area came for a monthly preacher's workshop.  Steve and I were the guest speakers.  We both presented 2 lessons that were about 30 mins long (1 hour w/ translation).  I spoke on proofs that Jesus is the Christ and on Christ being the head of the church.   We had a lunch break in the middle where we had yet another outstanding meal.  It was really inspiring to meet so many of these brothers who sacrifice so much to spread the Gospel.

That I know of, none of them receives support from outside of the country.  They each work to support their families and still conduct full-time ministry.  All of them work with at least 2 congregations, some with 3.  That means they preach (for an hour on avg) at one congregation then hop on a bike or walk to another village and preach again, and perhaps even a third trip.  They do that every Sunday.  During the week when they aren't working to survive, they are doing individual studies.  They really are an amazing group of men.

We have mentioned before that several folks back home were very generous and that has given us the ability to immediately address some needs as we see them.  One such need is for bicycles for the preachers.  They call them Gospel Chariots.  Because they work with more than one village and people scattered over a wide area, they have to do a lot of walking.  The bikes help them to cover a larger area and see more people as well as making their life just a little easier.  For about $60 each we were able to purchase 10 "Gospel Chariots" and give them to the preachers today.  Below are pictures of us at the workshop and presenting the keys to the bikes to their new owners.  Yes, they have keys.  They have locks on the wheels to help prevent theft.

Pics from Monday

Comments - Daryl

It's good to see some comments.  I don't know about Steve but I am a little home sick.  Playing with the kids at the home last night was fun but really made me miss my family.  The short little notes from you guys really is an encouragement, so thanks to all of you who have been commenting and please don't stop.  All you other lurkers can at least say hi!

Gotta run.  We have a very busy day.  I hope to be able to post tonight and share some more pictures of life in India

More from Steve

Hello!  It seems like a long time since I have posted.  We have very little free time to begin with, and I need to spend most of it preparing lessons for the next day!  But I know Daryl has provided updates for the last couple of days.  It's about 11 pm now, and I still need to finish my sermon for tomorrow morning (the preachers workshop I have been nervous about since before we left)--and then figure out my afternoon lesson!

I want to echo what Daryl said about going to the beach with the children.  It was an amazing and humbling experience!  The children were so cute, so polite and so well-behaved.  Every other second one of them was shouting "Sihr!" at us, trying to vie for our attention.  Most of them (even the older ones) wanted to hold our hands.  It was really touching.  They had a ball and so did we.  I didn't even mind the hour long, very hot and humid (no a/c) van ride with 30 kid singing at the top of their lungs!  Daryl mentioned that we gave Ricky's father the money to build two bathrooms for them and for a ceiling fan for the boys room.  What a blessing that will be for them!  Daryl didn't mention that these 45 kids sleep in TWO rooms--boys and girls.  I paced off one of the rooms and it was about 21 x 15 feet.  About 20 boys sleep in their every night on some straw mats.  Even more girls sleep in the next room of a similar size.  And they are quite happy and content.  Makes me feel so ungrateful for griping about my lumpy king-size mattress at home!

I don't have a lot to add to Daryl's post from today.  Church was wonderful and we had a relatively quiet afternoon.  Tonight we went back to the children's home, gave them the stuffed animals Emily and Anna Kay collected for them (they LOVED them--they were so excited!) and the bouncy balls that Daryl brought.  I also handed out some candy.  Ricky has bought a bunch of fireworks that they enjoyed shooting off.   Imagine almost 50 mostly unsupervised kids between 6-17 shooting off fireworks that would be illegal in the US in a backyard about the size of Room 9 at our church building (not that big).  It was quite an evening.  Daryl and I thought our ears were bleeding at one point from the concussion!

Gotta run for now!  We love and miss you all.  Thanks for keeping up with us and for your prayers.  They are working!  No signs of Dehli Belly yet!  Bye! 

Sunday in Kakinada

Every day here has been a blessing but even more so today.  Being able to worship and share communion with 250 of our Indian brothers & sisters was a unique and heartwarming experience.  Even though I could not understand the words of the songs that were song, the emotion and sentiment of praise was clear.  These are a people who love to join together and worship and do so with much care and reverence.

This morning was just my second opportunity to preach so far and I am still getting used to having to stop periodically for interpretation.  I do think I am starting to get the hang of it.  The response of the congregation to my message was very kind.  One brother asked how I knew just what they needed to hear.  Another lady just kept thanking me for sharing God's Word.  That is something that is very striking among the people here.  They really revere the Bible and are hungry for it.  Most of the folks here in Kakinada have Bibles, but in the villages only a few have them.  To be given a Bible is a very big deal.  Brother Gootam told us that occasionally when they have mailed Bibles to correspondence course participants that they have been stolen.  It's a twisted sort of irony that people are so desperate for the Word of God that they would actually steal Bibles.

We spent the afternoon planning some lessons and discussing how we might use some of the money that was sent with us to bless the people here.  There is no shortage of opportunities, but we want to be good stewards and make the most of each dollar.  We did give the Children's home the money today to build 2 new bathrooms.  They said they would start work immediately.  We may even see construction by the time we leave.  We were also able to purchase a ceiling fan for the boys bedroom.  They have been without which has to make sleeping very uncomfortable since it is their only source of cooling in a very hot climate.  The fan should be installed tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, around 100 preachers from around the area are coming here.  Steve and I will be meeting with them and hopefully sharing some encouragement in a 4 hour workshop.  We leave on Wednesday for 4 days in the jungle, so probably no new posts from Wed - Sat.

Leave a comment - Amy

I'm pretty sure that there are several people following Steve and Daryl's journey to India by reading their blog.  I know they would love to read a comment from you!  If you don't have a blogger account, don't worry!  You can still leave them a comment.

Just click on the word 'comment' at the end of their last post.  That will take you to a screen with a box in the upper right corner where you click and type your message.  Make sure you type your name at the end of your message like you would a letter or an email.  Then type in the box where there is a weird string of letters, and click in the circle next to 'anonymous'.  Then click on the orange box that says 'leave your comment'.  It's easy!

Just Another Day at The Beach - Daryl

Today was a fun day.  We went to the Children's Home and met 45 of the children that live there. They were outside waiting on us to load the bus when we arrived.  Each one of them was very eager to introduce themselves to us and shake our hands.   We then loaded up on a rented bus and headed to the beach.  Kakinada sits on the east coast of India and has a long coastline.  Apparently going to the beach is not high on the list of recreational activities as it was relatively empty.

The children sang songs most of the way there some in Telegu and some in English.  Steve and I joined in on the ones we knew.  The kids really were enthusiastic in their singing, especially the boy sitting right behind me.  I still can't really hear out of my right ear!

Between the road and the beach there is a line of trees, some sort of pine, which provides great shade.  We set up camp there and began handing out various toys.  I really feel like the kids are loved and well cared for considering the limited resources and environment, but with so many of them they get very little one on one attention by adults.  So Steve and I were the big attraction.  We often were tossing rings and frisbees back and forth with 3 or 4 kids at a time.  I felt like I was in a juggling act.

The kids are all very polite and well behaved.  They waited for instructions before going anywhere.  We didn't immediately go down to the water and they were fine with that.  No one even went close until permission was given.  They really are remarkable kids and so very sweet.   I am so happy that thanks to the generosity of so many folks we are going to be able to help them with some desperately needed improvements to the home.  When we get back we will share with everyone pictures and descriptions of exactly what the house is like that all of these kids share.  The best word I can think of is primitive.  

After we returned from the beach we quickly cleaned up and ate lunch.  Then it was time to head off to another village (I can't remember the name).  It took about an hour and a half to get there.  The traveling is very stressful and exhausting.  You just can't imagine the congestion and driving conditions.  The food here has not bothered me at all, but I am having a little trouble with car sickness.  So far no major problems but definitely some nausea.

Due to the heavy traffic and I think some mis-communication the folks had been waiting about an hour for us to arrive, so the local preacher had preached to them while they waited.  Then they got to set through about an hour of my preaching (30 mins of me, 30 mins of translation).  They were very attentive and seemed to appreciate the lesson.  Seven women responded to the invitation to be baptized.  We loaded 18 people in a small SUV which seats 7 and headed to the river. We were cozy to say the least.  There were a few locals with their goats and water buffalos that watched as 7 new Christians were born.  What a great evening!  I haven't figured out how to do a slideshow on here yet, but here are a few pics from the day

Greetings from India -- Steve

Sorry it has been  a while since I posted.  We have been busy since we arrived!We arrived safely and on time last night, local time. After our 36 hour plane ride, we had a 4-hour car ride from Vishakapatnam to Kakinada.  We ate dinner with the Gootams (the food here is AWESOME!) and went to bed.

Today, after breakfast, we visited the Gootams' offices and the children's home (most of the kids were at school, though).  Than after some rest this afternoon, we drove to the village of Taranada (after a stop at Ricky's in-laws' house on the way).  It was about a 4-hour trip each way.

I preached.  The little concrete church building was packed with about 150 people (wall to wall, standing room only).  We started about an hour and a half late.  The singing was amazing and, afterwards, we were crowded with people asking us to pray for them.  They presented us with flower garlands and fresh (I mean really fresh) coconut milk (in the husk).

Tomorrow, we are taking the children from the children's home to the local beach.  Then we are heading to another village where Daryl will preach.

I've got a lot more to say, but it's past 1:00 am here and we are leaving at 8:30 in the morning, so we are going to turn in.  My blackberry is not working here yet, so I have not had access to e-mail.  Vandanamelu!  (Bye)

That Crazy London Town - Daryl

On our trip over to India we were blessed to have a long enough of a layover in London that we were able to do some quick sight seeing around the city.  This was my first experience on a real subway or the tube as they call it in London.  We bought a day pass and were able to get around town fairly easily.

We spent some time just walking around and I was really impressed with the architecture and the overall look of so many of the buildings.  We did not have time to go inside and take a tour of anything but at least we were able to go by Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, The Tower of London and the London Bridge.  I also really enjoyed just listening to people talk.  London is definitely a place I want to visit again and be able to spend a lot more time exploring.

I am posting a picture of me in front of the London Bridge wearing a funny hat.  When I saw it I just had to buy it.  Those of you who are "Friends" fans will appreciate it.  Now I will have to find a way to work it into a sermon, Ha!  I got Steve to take the picture for me.  He did it pretty quickly.  I think he was embarrassed to be seen with me with that on.  I can't imagine why.

We Have Arrived! - Daryl

We are finally here.  We arrived at Ricky's house in Kakinada about 9:30 pm India time.  They had food for us to eat and we met the rest of his family.  After 2 days of traveling and trying to sleep on planes we are both exhausted.  We are going to rest for most of the day tomorrow before heading out to the villages tomorrow evening.

We just wanted to let everyone know that we had arrived and all is well.  We will post tomorrow with further information and maybe some pics from our layover in London.

London, baby!

It's Amy again.

The boys made it to London today and had several hours to do some sight-seeing.  Steve found a noodle restaurant he had heard about, and they got to eat lunch there.  Right now they are in the air on the way to Dehli, India.  Then it's another 2-hour drive to Ricky's house.  Hopefully they slept some on the planes, but I'm sure they are still going to be tired when they arrive.

Both families survived our first nights without dads!  Samantha even helped make the meal tonight at church!  What a woman!  It was yummy!

Thanks to everyone who's asked about them and who are continuing to pray for them.

{I probably shouldn't have, but I took a picture of them Sunday when Ken Yates was praying for them!}

 

and they're off....

Well, Daryl and Steve are on their way to India.  We all saw them off this afternoon at the airport.  {I think I was the only one who shed tears there!}

Please keep them in your prayers.  Pray that "many hearts will be turned to Jesus" (Spencer's words!) while they are there.  Also keep our families in your prayers while they are gone.  

Here are some pictures from their departure.

I'm in full trip mode now - Steve

I didn't sleep a wink last night. Way too excited, nervous and preoccupied with our trip to sleep! It's all sinking in now. In about 36 hours we will be on a plane, leaving our families and other loved ones behind and heading off to the unknown. The realization that I won't get to see Samantha, Emily and Anna Kay for two whole weeks is one of those things I have known all along, but the reality of what a sacrifice that is doesn't really sink in until a day or two before I leave. It's tough on them too. Anna Kay especially has a tough time when dad isn't there to tuck her in at night. I'll trust all of you to keep an eye on them for me and to keep them in your prayers while I am gone.

Going someplace you have never been before, especially someplace as different from here as India, is always an exciting but a little scary proposition. I was doing OK thinking about the new culture, language, food, bed and all of that. I was even OK with knowing that we are going to be preaching and speaking to numerous churches numerous times (maybe 2-3 times per day) while we are gone. But I must admit I'm pretty intimidated by the prospect of speaking for 4 HOURS to a room full of preachers on two different occasions! What in the world will I say to them for that long that will be helpful to them?! Preachers are supposed to minister to me! Not vice versa! Right Daryl? I think I just have to focus on the different perspective that I bring to the table. I won't presume to tell them how to preach, but I can tell them from a listener's perspective what I need to hear and what I don't hear enough of from the pulpit. I'm sure God will provide the words when the time comes, but this is officially the part of the trip I am most nervous about now. Daryl can just dust off a series of past sermons from his files, but I actually have to prepare for these things! ;-)

People keep sending me e-mails about recent bombings in India and the horrible acts of violence being committed against Christians in the nearby state of Orissa, and asking me if I am concerned. Honestly, the bombings don't concern me at all as far as my own personal safety is concerned (although I am certainly concerned for those innocent victims of those acts). India is such a huge country that the odds of random sporadic acts like that effecting us directly is probably about the same as getting hit by lightning (and probably much lower than the risk s we face everyday on the highways here).

The religious violence in Orissa is much more concerning because it is close to where we are going and targeted specifically at people just like us and the ones we will be visiting. But so far, all of that violence has been localized in Orissa and has not spread to neighboring states. But if ever there were a group of Christians that needed our collective prayers, it is our brothers and sisters in Orissa. They are facing persecution from radical Hindus of the very worst kinds. I have read of nuns being gang raped publicly, of a preacher being beaten with lead pipes by a mob in front of his family and then being thrown alive into the flames of his burning church building. Of entire families being forced to escape to and live in the jungle to avoid being forced to choose between a brutal death and disavowing their faith in Christ. Please do not forget about our brothers and sisters who are in such peril and need of our prayers at this very moment!

For us, I expect the biggest risks on this trip will be the food-borne illness that India is known for (the so-called "Delhi Belly") and sheer exhaustion from the grueling pace we will likely be keeping. But we welcome and solicit your prayers for our safety, well-being and for the effectiveness of our work. "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel...." Ephesians 6:19

Interesting News - Daryl

Steve shared an e-mail we received from Ricky this week.  He was letting us know that we are going to be speaking at a preacher's workshop for 2 days 4 hours each day!  I knew we would be doing quite a bit of preaching and we certainly wanted to be able to encourage as many of the local preachers as we could, but it never occurred to me that we might be doing something like this.

Preaching in a completely foreign culture was a challenge I have thought a lot about, but this to me is something even greater.  Teaching other preachers.  I have taught several adult classes here at home where I felt there were more students in the class that knew a whole lot more than I do and I should be learning from them.  That is so much more the case with this opportunity.  Pray that God will give me words that will be fulfilling, enriching, and encouraging.

Less than 48 hours and we will be on our way!