Glenda's India Blog “Final Re-cap”

Glenda's India Blog “Final Re-cap”

My first experience getting off the plane in India was driving to our hotel. The traffic is something you could never imagine. Rickshaws, people, cows, motorcycles, bikes, buses all fighting for position, like a game of chicken, six deep in a two lane road. It was such a high level of stress you feel like you’ve entered the twilight zone. We were jolted around like a ride at Magic Mountain trying to check out the sights, while being checked out by the locals. It’s almost hard to gain composure after you’ve arrived at your destination, especially because it takes at least an hour to get anywhere!

On the blog I told you about the first day we arrived but I’ll recap for you. As soon as we arrived at our hotel we had an appointment with two girls who work full-time organizing rescue missions. (This is one of several ministries we visited.) So far they have rescued 300 girls and placed them in 7 homes. After the meeting we drove an hour to the red light district to visit a Saturday night church service. This service is an outreach developed by Pastor Dedarj with New Life Church to specifically reach the prostitutes and their families. Sounds unusual that they would want to go to church but the place was packed, 150 to 200 people! To my surprise, I was asked to give the sermon. My heart dropped because I didn't have my notes but I knew I was supposed to be confident and trust God. As the church service started, everyone started worshiping full-force and you could feel the Spirit. The volunteers running the service were glowing of God's love and were filled with great joy and excitement to be with these women. Next thing I knew, they were introducing me. As I got up in front of everyone, I looked around and couldn't help but notice all the warm smiles, beautiful faces and all their colorful robes. After the talk, one by one they came up to me, I embraced them, told them how special they were and prayed for them. They each cried and seemed so thankful. They had such a gentleness and sweet disposition. The pastor thought my talk was really appropriate and that it ministered to them right where they were. It was neat to feel God's spirit speaking through me.

Sunday we went to visit New Life Church. The worship was absolutely incredible! They were raising their hands, closing their eyes, and completely surrendering themselves to the Lord. My heart rejoiced as I looked around and saw the commitment to worship. The service was 9:30 - 3:00! I felt a little convicted when we left early to sight see since this was our only unscheduled time. We drove a few hours to see the India Gateway and have lunch at the Taj hotel there. As we walked around the beggars surrounded us. A young girl carrying a baby followed us around the whole time. The baby clearly wasn’t going to live longer then a few days. It really broke my heart to hear that she may have rented the baby to get more sympathy.

The day finally arrived where we would get to meet the girls we had thought so much about. As we loaded up the cars little did we know what we were in store for. The drive took us an hour and a half out of the city. We saw the sign Ashagram (Village of Hope), Mumbaii Teen Challenge. When entering the guarded gates, they took our license plate numbers and checked our cars out. I thought how odd but special it was that they took such precaution to protect the girls’ from any potential harm. There was such a seriousness in the guard’s eyes which brought a sobering thought that the security was a reflection of the girls’ deep pain and the commitment to protect them. Entering the property we knew we were in a special place. It felt almost like a sort of “Shangri-La” in the midst of mud and trash. We saw grass, flowers and trees for the first time. Clearly love was around us, the beauty and cleanliness only scratched the surface of how deep Pastor Dedaraj’s desire is for the girls healing and restoration.

Slightly nervous we walked into the bungalow and saw the girls waiting for us. They all had such beautiful glowing spirits that they seem to sparkle. We all felt a little shy at first but soon after we all seemed so close, which could only be a result of fellow believers sharing the same love and devotion to Christ. They giggled with pride as they began to model the purses and paints they had made. (IPP sales their items on-line at www.internationalprincessproject.org to help them) There was a sweet spirit in the air. I couldn't believe I was finally looking into their eyes and seeing their beautiful faces. They really were all extremely beautiful, clean, healthy, vibrant and energetic. They had a confidence and joy that was clearly a result of receiving Christ’s healing. It's hard to believe that these girls were actually sold into slavery prostitution by their parents and that some were locked in small rooms for up to three years without seeing daylight. For their initiation into prostitution, during their first night seven men raped them. As a result, most of them are HIV positive. It’s hard thinking about this especially after meeting them and seeing their beautiful smiles. It seemed a couple were a little more withdrawn and possibly newer to Ashagram. They must be in shock to experience such a contrast in environment. They clearly are loved and are learning about how Christ can heal them and bless them with a new life.

The time finally came for me to give my talk to all 60 girls. It’s was important to me to encourage them that their possibilities were endless as a result of God’s favor and love. (Sharing verses like.... Psalm 139:14-18, Jeremiah 31:3, Romans 8:38-39, Psalm 139:17, Romans 8:15, John 1:12-13, Jeremiah 29:11, Mark 11:24, 2 Timothy 1:7, Philippians 4:13, Psalm 118:4-6, Revelation 3:20)

I shared how God loves them, thinks about them, wants a relationship with them, He wants to bless them, give them power, and give them a new identity. They should see themselves as leaders and exercise their special giftings and callings that only they were created for. To reject all the negative lies and fear and to walk in confidence... To be powerful women of God. I prayed they would really receive the message and that they would never be the same. Most of them came up to me and thanked me. I embraced each one and told them how beautiful they were. Only the Lord knows their struggles, their memories. He will bring about their healing as they turn to him.

We were able to meet a couple who were both rehabilitated at Ashagram, met there, fell in love and are happily married now. The spirit of the Lord was clearly glowing in their eyes. What a transformation from the faces we saw that first night in the red light district. Leaving Ashagram (Shangri-La) was hard. It felt like I was leaving a place of peace and love. It gave me a glimpse of how heaven must be. They begged us to come back and stay longer. It made me wonder if God would bring me back there someday.

To my surprise we weren’t done. Pastor Dedaraj drove us to an orphanage that takes care of children with Aids. First thing that came to my mind was, could I handle this? As I walked through the door, saying a prayer for strength, I decided to fully engage myself in playing with them. I almost forgot I wasn’t a kid myself. As pastor was sharing, I was having too much fun playing with them to even hear what he was saying. The kids totally sensed my enjoyment and surrounded me like the pied piper. They were jumping around me, laughing, holding onto me. It was really fun. I couldn’t bring myself to focus on their predicament until Pastor brought out a book showing pictures of what they looked like before they entered the home. I couldn’t believe my eyes. You couldn’t even recognize that these were the same kids! They were almost dead, skin and bones. Now they didn’t even look sick. They live in a beautiful, clean home with full medical treatment and lots of love. One little boy was just released from the hospital and they were going to throw a party to celebrate.

I cannot thank Pastor Dedarj enough for his vision and determination to make all this happen. This is proof that one man, with God’s blessing, can truly make a difference!

The days following we visited a Christian hospital, committed to treating people for very little money. We visited property where a new orphanage for children will be built. We volunteered serving at Mother Teresa’s facilities, which involved washing the woman’s clothes, rubbing lotion and feeding them. All of these ministries have relied mostly on the generosity of American churches. It’s beautiful to see how lives are being changed as a result of big visions, big giving, and big hearts!

If there is one thing I can say about this trip, it’s that God transforms death to life. Darkness to light! As time goes by, the purposes and impact of this trip on my life will unfold. Each time I step out in faith I feel stronger and trust God more. I want to stay available, teachable and usable. Life is never boring when you serve the Lord. He’ll make sure you experience all the richness that life and ministry has to offer. He alone satisfies. In dying to self, you’ll find yourself. In giving, you’ll receive.

P.S. Need for computers... I mentioned to Pastor Dedarj if they have computers and they didn't. He said he has someone who could teach them if they did get computers donated. Does anyone have connections with a company who would want to donate computers as tax deductible donation? I would love to see them learn the computer in order to be more marketable in a profession.

Prayer Request: Please pray for girls' and children's emotional recovery, physical healing from HIV positive, and victorious futures. Pray for more room to help others just like them. Also, pray for the right person to run a new children's home starting construction soon.

Still Here!

We have continued to have great experiences.

Yesterday we went to the home of Esmi Benjamin, who had polio when she was very young. Don Schoendorfer constructed a ramp for her wheelchair some years ago. What am amazing woman she is - such a testimony.

Then we went back to Mackies Garden and visited a couple of homes of Bethany children.

We wives met the board at the hotel at 7:30 (after they had met all day!) and we heard reports from 20 people or so - until 9:15 - and THEN we had dinner. Don felt the meetings went so well. Colleen shared with the board that she was so pleased by all that Mariners Church is doing!

We didn't go to Chinnakuppam (the tsunami village) with them today, but did go for chapel and then I went to Sponsorship to meet with Priscilla, to the handicraft center and bought some stuff and then we ended up spending about 2 hours with Colleen. What a great meeting we had.

Tonight is dinner with Colleen, Judith, Vimala and Sundari. This has been Don's women's trip!

We are praying for the memorial service today, of course. How sorry we are not to be there.

We are also praying about the weekend and that there will be many children sponsored with much new awareness and excitement about what God is doing in India.

Much love,
Mary

Up Up and Away

Just a quick note to say today was everything we prayed for and more as far as gathering video for VBS. I'm in the airport waiting for a 1:30 am flight back to the states. It's hard to go - seeing old friends at CMCT and the fun of videotaping life in India is just the best. Please continue to pray for the rest of the team that stays in India for a few more days....more soon, my computer is saying something about plugging in or it's going to die!
KT

Day 3 Teen Challenge Bombay- Glenda

The day finally arrived where we would get to meet the girls we had thought so much about. As we loaded up the cars little did we know what we were in store for. The drive took us an hour and a half out of the city. Just the drive is an event that is unexplainable.

When entering the guarded gates they took our license plate numbers and checked the cars out. I thought how odd, but special, it was they took such precaution to protect the girls from any potential harm. We were clearly American guest, yet they still thought it was important to check us thoroughly. There was such a seriousness in their eyes that brought a sobering thought the protection was a reflection of the girls deep pain and the commitment to protect them. Entering the property we knew we were in a special place . It felt almost like a Shangrila in the midst of mud and trash. We saw grass, flowers and trees for the first time. Clearly love was around us, the beauty and cleanliness only scratched the surface of how much a desire for deep healing and restoration Pastor Deveraj has for the girls. Slightly nervous, we walked into the bungalow and saw the girls waiting for us. They all had such beautiful glowing spirits, they seem to sparkle. We felt a little shy at first, but soon after we all seemed so close, the result of fellow believers sharing the same love and devotion to Christ. They giggled with pride as they began to model the purses and pants they handmade. There was a sweet spirit in the air. I couldn't believe I was finally looking into their eyes and seeing their beautiful faces. They were all extremely beautiful, clean, healthy, vibrant and energetic. They had a confidence and joy that was clearly a result of knowing Christ's healing. It's hard to believe that these women were actually child prostitutes and some were locked in small box like rooms for up to three years without ever leaving. Some beaten and abused seeing up to seven men a day.

Sorry to leave you hanging but our ride is here. I'll finish later tonight....

Chennai - Day 1

From Don and Mary,

Our first day at CMCT was such a great day! God went before us in such wonderful ways. We began the day at Chapel with the staff and the handicraft girls, plus many girls that were there to participate in the “welcome program.” A staff member who had worked with the founder, Colleen, for 33 years died last week, so a board member pastor gave a great message on Genesis 48 where Jacob is dying. It was so perfect for everyone.

Next on our agenda, to our great delight and surprise, was a wheelchair distribution. 50 wheelchairs were given away. In CMCT’s way, there was a program ahead of time including singing, a puppet show, and a gospel message based on Mephobosheth (Saul’s crippled son). Karen and I had a lot of opportunity to interact and get pictures of some of the people that were waiting for their wheelchairs. There was one mother and father with their 2 little girls who seemed very poor. I started playing with the girls and the older one, probably 2 years old, loved it when I tickled her. She was so sweet. I never understood why they were there because they didn’t need a chair. Anyway, it was so very moving to see the many receive their chairs. Many were crippled and others had cerebral palsy, were blind, or deformed in some way. I especially will remember this one mother carrying her son with cerebral palsy, who was easily five feet tall. I don’t know how she lifted him. What joy was seen in all of them as they received these wheelchairs. CMCT is now having a distribution of 50 chairs each month. All of the board members were fascinated and wanted to know all about them. This was so very special for Karen who was with Don Schoendorfer when they brought FWM’s first four chairs here. We (Don and I) had always wanted to be able to help distribute the chairs so this was such a gift to us. This ministry is such a vehicle (pardon the pun) for CMCT and so many others to reach out to their communities. Who could not be receptive to people who give such gifts to their families and friends?

Then we all visited Bethany School, the school for the slum children, which was completed about a year ago, and is now up and running with over 1,000 children. The primary grades haven’t moved in yet. Karen and I had a big agenda in our preparations for VBS and it couldn’t have gone better. Everything we had hoped to accomplish was – and more!

Don begins the 2 day board meeting today, so please pray for them. Karen and I are off to the slums this morning and the primary school for some more VBS filming.

Love to all and thank you for your prayers.

The Hendricks

The Mother House/Prim Dan

"Someone once told me that not even for a million dollars would they touch a leper. I responded, 'Neither would I. If it were a case of money, I would not even do it for two million. On the other hand, I do it gladly for the love of God.' " Mother Teresa

We spent the day serving at one of Mother Teresa's centers called Prim Dan. I wish I could say it was easy...it was not. I wish I could say I enjoyed it...I did not. I wish I could say I want to go back again...I do not. As I was doing my work of handwashing blankets, sheets and clothes, the word humility kept coming to my mind. I don't even wash clothes in a washing machine at home and here I was in India handwashing disgusting garments in disgusting water and then carrying them up two flights of stairs to hang them out to dry on the rooftop. I was humbled by the fact that my life is so sheltered from the harsh realities around the world. I was humbled that I was here for one day- not ten days as the 20 people from France were, not eight months as Havilah from Wisconsin was, and not a lifetime as the sisters who were faithfully serving. I was humbled by the commitment of Prim Dan to make this place as clean as possible by cleaning all the sheets, blankets and clothes every day. I was humbled by their commitment to give dignity to the dying and to continue to give excellent care to the poorest of poor each and every day.
The day's highlight was when we were able to rub lotion on the ladies' arms and legs. These women are shriveled-up skin and bones and the lotion and touch helps to ease their pain. One woman whom I was massaging, could not move, could not see and was suffering from leprosy. As I rubbed the lotion on her, her whole demeanor changed. Here again, I was humbled by the impact a simple touch can have on a life.
As we left Prim Dan, we looked back from the bridge to view the complex. To people passing by, they saw a building. To us, we saw the hand of God moving human hearts to serve the destitute and the dying.
And we were humbled...
Loreen
____________________________________________

Today Loreen, Glenda and I went to Mother Teresa's to volunteer. We were honored to go to Prim Dan, a facility that serves the handicapped and sick. No way to say "wow, this was a fabulous time." It was simply disgusting and physically difficult. I didn't expect anything less. Mother Teresa's commitment to human dignity is so evident in how these women are cared for. Their bedding and clothing are washed and sanitized daily. We had the honor of doing this. The facility did not smell badly- it was very clean - amazing given where it is. If you could smell the streets and see the filth here, you would really appreciate the contrast. Yet these women are cared for with much love and commitment. A very humbling experience.
I was given the opportunity to feed lunch to an older woman who is blind and crippled. Lunch consisted of rice, corn and fish. Due to the fact that she had no teeth, I had to pick the bones out carefully and make sure only the softest part of the fish made it into her mouth. She kept speaking to me but I had no clue what she was saying. I kept trying to get help to understand her. Then the woman sitting next to her gave her half of her fish. Such a gift of kindness and generosity. While I was feeding her slowly, the woman on the other side of her lost control of her bowels. Mind you, I am sitting on the floor. The woman who lost control of her bowels slides herself onto the floor and removes her dress and begins to clean the mess with her dress. She then leaves her dress on the floor and scoots her naked body to the next room in order to be cleaned up. I thought "what to do?"...well, I chose to continue my assignment of feeding. The mess did manage to get cleaned up but thankfully not by me. So you might ask "would you like to do this again?" Well no, but I would.
I am so moved by the volunteers from around the world and the nuns- so much kindness and love- what an honor to participate.
Blessings,
Catherine

Greetings from the Hendricks on Day 6

We wish we had written before, but as you know, we are much older than our travel companions and we go to bed earlier! That is, except last night when we didn’t arrive back to the hotel until 11pm. We had a very long but absolutely amazing day. Our time with Bombay Teen Challenge is difficult to even put words to. We feel so blessed to have witnessed their ministry which must so bless the heart of God. The founder, Devaraj, was given a vision by God to come to Bombay and serve in rescuing and redeeming the desperate and lost. He shared his vision with us over lunch and said he came to Bombay “with a one way ticket.” Recently he met in DC with the UN Secretary General (a Christian) and the leaders of many other Christian ministries and challenged all of them to believe that God wants to end sexual trafficing in 15 years. He has asked the Lord for 15 years of health to accomplish this goal. He and his staff are so filled with faith and the Spirit - what has been accomplished here already is awesome.

We spent most of our day yesterday at a center 1 ½ hours from the city in a center for women from the red light district that had chosen to escape from their lives in prostition and be given a new start in life. They had previously been attending the BTC church in the district where we fellowshipped on Sat night. God’s heart and Spirit is so evident in the lives the women we met. They are so transformed by His love and we saw them loving each other with His love that they have received through the lives and faith of those on the BTC staff and just having fun and joy in their lives that they have probably never had before. They are beautiful joyful women and you would never guess what they had experienced. One woman from Nepal (with a 7 year old son in the neighboring home for children with AIDS) shared with tears the blessing that coming to this center had been in her life. She kept saying that words could not express her thanks. By the way, all of the children in the AIDS home and the women who have AIDS are being treated with ARV meds and are quite healthy. We spent extra time with the women in the sewing center which has been supported by International Princess Project. A dear woman, clearly called out by God, instructs and leads these women and there is such a mutual love between her and them. She has a real commitment to teach them to make quality items so that people would really want them and not do “pity buying.” The ministry and both churches we attended are Pentecostal in their worship and we loved being a part of it. It is so encouraging and such a blessing to see the amazing work God is doing in this “dark” spiritual place. We have seen the God has given to these people and what a light they now are to their community. We experience such contrasting emotions each day. There is the sadness and suffering everywhere that is so hard to see and process, and then the light and hope that shines so brightly through the Christians is such a blessing to our hearts. Last night was the perfect example when we stopped at the orphanage of AIDS affected children – under 9 years old. Their stories were all so difficult – many of their mothers had died and many of them are there in the center. It was such a happy place and there was so much love there.

Okay, this is one page. Don says I can’t write anymore! We’ll try to write soon. We arrived safely in Chennai and are ready now for Part 2. With our love to all.

Beauty From Ashes

For those of you who do not know, I am on the board of International Princess Project (IPP). After the girls are rescued out of forced prostitution and in an after care facility, we train them to sew pj's made out of Indian fabric. We then sell the pj's in the US and set up savings accounts for the girls so that when they reach majority age and move out on their own, they will have money and a skill to start their new life. It has been a treat to bring some of my good friends to see what we are doing in Mumbai in partnership with Bombay Teen Challenge (BTC). Yesterday, we visited BTC's after care facility named Ashagram (Village of Hope). It has been over a year since I'd seen our IPP girls, but as soon as I saw them, it was a joyous reunion. The girls are taller and healthier and their English is much better. They were just as excited to see me as I was to see them. I am so proud of the girls as they have been working very hard at their studies as well as getting to be better seamstresses. We also saw the new vocational center that is being built. It is a 5000 sq foot facility that will be dedicated as a sewing center for the girls. We were able to present a $20,000 gift to BTC that will enable the completion of the facility as well as fund the equipment needed for the sewing center (ie sewing machines, cabinets, etc.) This vocational center will enable IPP to more than double our capacity. We currently have 20 girls in our sewing center and a waiting list of girls who would like to participate.
We heard one of the newer IPP girls tell us her story: "I am so grateful to IPP for giving me the opportunity to develop the skill of sewing. I am so grateful to the Lord for BTC in helping me out of my situation (sexual slavery). Now I know that my son is safe and cared for and I am grateful to be reunited with him." She was emotional as she told her story.
Later that evening, we visitied the BTC AIDS Orphanage down the road from Ashagram. We met her son at the orphanage. He has HIV/AIDS as does his mother. We watched as the children took their anti-retroviral drugs and then proceeded to play and laugh together. Pastor Devaraj then prayed for the children. Then he asked the children to pray for us. They prayed for our protection and a blessing upon us.
And right then it struck me- the little boy's mother had said she was grateful. How is she not angry, not bitter, not depressed? How is this little boy happy? How can he pray for us? The answer- only a life transformed by the love of the Lord can produce this kind of beauty from ashes.
The other team members have their own stories to tell about our day at Ashagram, but they are all asleep. So they will pick up the story tomorrow. We are now in two groups with Don and Mary Hendricks and Karen Taulien in Chennai and Glenda, Catherine, and myself in Calcutta. So you will be getting blog inputs from both places.
Thanks for your prayers and support,
Loreen

Yesterday was so out of the box....

How do you even begin…. We went to Bombay Team Challenge (BTC). Met with Devaraj (Director), Ena (Sewing instructor), and the IPP girls. What he has created for these children is overwhelmingly beautiful. The girls have their girlish charms about them. Their smiles and giggles could light any room. Everything this man touches is so filled with love and happiness. Such a contrast to everything else I have seen. The streets are dirty beyond belief and in ruins for miles upon miles. BTC is clean with beautiful gardens. The girls are clean – their rooms were clean. Much cleaner than any American child’s room. I don’t know how I can possibly capture what I have seen or felt with words. It is so overwhelming and amazing what Devaraj has created. He is a man inspired and led by the Holy Spirit.

Then there is Ena. A woman who left her successful career in clothing design to teach these girls to sew. Her love and enthusiasm is incredible. The girls adore her. Their joy is a reflection of who she is for them. It is hard to believe where these girls came from. They are so grateful for the opportunities they have been given and are seizing them with such enthusiasm.

Have to go for now…will write more later.

Blessings,

Catherine

A long hot shower????

It's going on 9am and I'm writing to catch you up on the past few days. In India, at least for me, time seems to move at the speed of sound and the speed of a snail at the same time. It's hard to believe our team will split up this afternoon - 3 to Chennai and 3 to Calcutta and beyond and yet, it seems like I left home a month ago!

Sunday morning we met Sam, CV's Vandavana's son. He is a very mature young man, 19 years old, with a heart for God and India. We couldn't have asked for more as we went off into the day not sure what it held. Sam had come to accompany us to a church his dad had recommended to us when we met in the states. However, during the course of the first 2 days another church kept being mentioned as we met with people and so we decided to visit them. It was great because we were able to just go to church. They had no idea we were coming so we saw exactly what they would normally do..there was no special presentation, program, etc. Although the 6 of us stood out like sore thumbs I felt like I was able to participate without feeling different. The worship, offering devotion and communion touched me deeply. The people were welcoming and so much of what went on felt like being at home at Mariners, but by the heat, smell and finally the length of the service I knew I was somewhere else! The pastor began to speak and his style was very different from anything I've ever seen. I'm not sure, but my guess is the people in this church, mostly educated and of the rising middle class are still breaking free of so many things I can't beging to understand. Coming from a society that has been poor and now is experiencing wealth - what that means and what God says about it.....worshipping a God of love and freedom, joy and hope instead of gods of darkness and a life of working to earn a better eternity. The pastor focused on how much God loves you. How you can't put him into the box of your experience of your father in this life. He asked men who had never been hugged by their father's to stand and then ministered to them one by one. By 1pm - we arrived at 9:30 we had to go.....we're still not sure when the service concluded!

We decided to head downtown for lunch to talk about what we experienced and see a different part of Mumbai. We ended up at an amazing hotel that used to be a palace. Sam was a great tour guide and helped us understand everything we were seeing. After a very civilized lunch we decided it was time to get into the thick of it and walked across the street to see India gate - a monument that marks where all travelers from the see came on land into Mumbai and then do some shopping on the street. Dodging cars to cross the street, being on the same level as the poor, beggars with babes in arms following you to glean even a few rupees was an intense experience. The kids selling trinkets and toys, again following - the price dropping with every step. It was hard because I knew the minute I gave into one, word would spread like wildfire and what I'd be surrounded by would make the paparazzi stars in CA struggle with look like kid's stuff. Yet, I had to appreciate their tenacity and creativity in trying to release rupees from my pocketbook!

After at least a hot hour of wandering and with a few bags of purchases we began the 1 1/2 drive back to the hotel. Sam headed off to his next destination - a school his dad has started in another state- and we were truly sad to see him go. I have a friend who travels for ministry a lot and she is always trying to help me understand how difficult it is to make friends in other places and then not be able to be with them, perhaps ever again. As I watched Sam walked down the hotel driveway her struggle became mine. I hope and pray we'll see him again soon.

Another late lite dinner and conversation about what we saw and learned that day. We so want to find a church we can support to reach the poor and oppressed in Mumbai and feel like we are learning a lot.

Monday morning came quickly and Mary led a touching devotion from Psalms 86. We had an intimate time sharing how India is impacting all our lives. Not surprisingly, each person had a different perspective and we were thankful for the way God has knit the team together.

At 9:30 we were picked up by Bombay Teen Challenge for another 1 1/2 hour drive out to their facility in the "jungle" for the girls rescued from sexual slavery. Over the course of the next 8 hours we were able to not only see what was being done, but make many new friendships. I'm sure my teammates will share much more of their experiences so I'll just close by saying at 2am I finally took a shower to rinse off the dust and sweat accumulated from a hot long day. Honestly it was a struggle because while I knew in my head that wouldn't wash away the amazing experience of the day and the joy we found in spite of all the darkness around us, I really wasn't sure.....MY prayer is I will find a way to make sure coming home doesn't do it either.

Thanks for all you prayers...all of our requests have been answered so far.

Please continue to pray for:

• Health for the team - we have had long days and short nights and some are feeling it....today is a slower day at the hotel preparing to leave with only one meeting so we are hoping to renew our bodies a bit.
• Safety in travel - last night's trip home from the facility was, well, the E-ticket of E-tickets and God protected us in a mighty way. Let's just say it wasn't dull. Today we split up and have short flights within India.
• Open hearts for life change - We don't want to miss what God is teaching us.
• Special blessing for those we've met - we are trying to be a blessing to all we meet and would love for them to feel a special blessing because we came.
• Colleen and CMCT - we received an email notifying us of Mr C.R. David's sudden death from a heart attack. He was a key man for 33 years in her ministry and is a great loss. Please pray especially for Don and Mary and the Board as they minister to her.
• Prayer for our grieving friends in the states - a service has been planned for Saturday and I'm so thankful I'll be home, but Don and Mary will still be here and are so sad to miss this significant time of comfort and celebration of a life cut short.
  

Thanks for reading, for encouraging us and for praying. We hope you'll discover the world in a new way with us....through God's eyes.

Karen Taulien

Catherine - Day One

Amazing first day...not possible to really share my experiences. The two girls we met were so inspiring with their love and passion for what their organization is doing to rescue the girls and bring God's love to them. The organizations biggest need for the girls at this time is to provide vocational training to them that has some type of accreditation. It would make a difference for their employability. I was moved by the personal life risk these girls and their co-workers have taken to rescue the girls. I am inspired to be more courageous in how I live my own life.

As everyone has mentioned we were invited to attend a church in the red-light district that serves prostitutes and their children. It was amazing to see the children jumping and dancing while singing praises - so much passion. I was not expecting to be speaking in front of 150+ let alone praying over so many women with such broken hearts. I am not sure how to express how humbled and honored I was to be loving on these women. They were so hungry for prayer and a loving touch. It is extraordinary how the Holy Spirit provides the words and the ability to step out into the unknown. I am privileged to be the one He used that night.

Blessings to all of you for your prayers,

Catherine

Our First Day - Glenda & Loreen

After 25 hours traveling non stop, we finally got off the plane and hit the ground running. As soon as we arrived at our hotel we had an appointment with a couple girls to discuss needs in their ministry. They're one of several ministries we're visiting here. They work full time organizing rescue missions and placing the girls in facilities. There's so much that goes into it and so many needs that it was overwhelming. 300 girls in 7 homes have been rescued so far. My head was spinning as to how I can organize future trips to bring the right people over and help them.

After the meeting we were picked up and driven an hour into the city to the red light district to visit a Saturday night church service. This service is actually for the prostitutes and their families. Sounds unusual they would want to go to church but the place was packed, 150 to 200 people! This Saturday service is an outreach developed by other churches to reach out to these women to help rehabilitate them. We walked into the old church and right away they said they wanted us to give the message. Well, we weren't planning on that and none of us were prepared. So everyone looked at me and asked me to give my talk. My heart dropped because I didn't have my notes or my bible but I knew I was supposed to be confident and trust God. I prayed for God's revelation and intervention to speak through me.

As the church service started, everyone started worshiping full force and you could feel the spirit. The volunteers running the service were glowing of God's love and were filled with great joy and excitement to be with these women. It really touched my heart. Next thing I knew, they were introducing me. As I got up in front of everyone, I looked around and couldn't help but notice all the warm smiles and beautiful faces, along with all the beautiful colors of their robes. It sure didn't seem like they were in the situations they were in at all. It was really special to have the opportunity to trust God and see him pull me through this.

The talk went really well and afterwards they all came up for us to pray for them. One by one as they came up to me I would embrace them with a big hug, tell them they were so beautiful and begin to pray for them. They each cried and seemed so thankful and deeply touched. They had such a gentleness and sweet disposition. The pastor thought my talk was really appropriate and that it ministered to them right where they were. It was neat to feel God's spirit speaking through me. Thanks so much for your prayers!

Glenda

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As I watched the 150 women and children worshiping, I couldn't help but think that if Jesus were on earth, this is where He would be. This is the church in action: meeting the people where they are, not waiting for the people to come to where we are. We were blessed with the opportunity to pray over these women and impart to them hope and healing.

Loreen

A Day with God's People at Work

I'd like to say we're all sitting here arguing about what to write, but the truth is I'm typing in the dark while my roommate is sleeping and the rest of the team is conked out after a late dinner together reflecting on the day.

Tomorrow you'll hear from them and what the events of the day meant to them. Catherine, Glenda and Loreen arrived on time, excited to move into ministry. By 2pm we were meeting with 2 lovely young women who work for a partner organization for IPP. For me there were 2 amazing moments.

First, was when I asked how they came to work for this group. As each one told their stories you could see their eyes light up when they talked about God's call on their lives. In spite of huge obstacles these young women continue to take their jobs and ministry very seriously.

The second was when we were able to talk about possibilities of implementing things we do at Mariners in mentoring into their ministry. It was exciting to see their open hearts and minds to learn new ways of meeting the needs they see every day as they work with rescuing young girls from sexual slavery. They are already moving towards connecting with the local church and we talked about training lay people to be mentors for the girls.

Their main prayer requests were for finding capable staff to grow the ministry and connect with the church.

At 4pm we were off into city to meet and worship with the Bombay Teen Challenge church in the red light district that ministers to women who are looking to break free of that bondage. Again, the team will share their thoughts, so I will just say how proud I was to be a part of them. Several spoke to the women with a vulnerability about God's love and what it means to them that broke through language barriers and being strangers. The worship - though we didn't understand a word of it - touched us all deeply. And then afterwards to see everyone praying for the women was a beautiful picture of the church at its best. I was humbled to be in the presence of these women who knew the value of prayer - in any language.

It was a long day especially for the girls and we're up early tomorrow to go to church with Sam, the son of CV Vandavana. We know him as he is Free Wheelchair Mission's largest distributor. We hope to begin the search for a church we can partner with to support the ministries we met with today. More soon.

For now, good night and God bless

Karen Taulien

Three on Indian soil - Three in Indian Airspace...

It's 6 am in India - 12 1/2 hours ahead of CA.

Don, Mary and I arrived last night safely and without incident. Well, except for the coffee I spilled all over myself, but I'm blaming it on turbulence. We've met interesting people along the way and are looking forward to a day full of adventure.

Loreen, Catherine and Glenda are still flying and will arrive around 10am.

Today we have a meeting with a ministry that partners with International Princess Project and this evening we will attend a worship service in the red light district led by Bombay Teen Challenge. We have been told by someone that travels the world he has never been to such a moving church as this one. Our prayer is we see God in a new way today.

Since all three of us have been to India before it doesn't have the shock it used to. We can't wait to see Glenda and Catherine's reactions in a few hours! It will be warm - in the 90's, noisy, dirty, full of excitement and possibility. And never dull!

I learned about India from the young accountant I sat next to on the plane....arranged marriages are still very much in vogue, even among the educated..the caste system is not something the young of India are for, but something politicians put forward for their own benefit.....Bollywood movies are pretty fun to watch - even at 3 hours long - a good thing on a 15 hour flight...cricket is a complicated sport...and more.

Sadly, after a wonderful trip, we learned at the hotel a dear friend of ours was killed working in Iraq yesterday. He was a loving husband, fun friend and doting father to a 1 year old daughter.

Our hearts are breaking for his wife, family and friends. Being here and not there to support and comfort friends in this terrible time is really hard. Prayer takes on a whole new meaning when it's all you've got...another thing the Indians will probably teach me.

Please pray today for:

• Safe arrival of 3 girls
• Safety as we travel 1.5 hours to red light district
• A unique ability to connect with those we worship with at the church
• Productive meetings with ministries
• Team unity and excitement as we come together today
• Peace for those of us who are grieving this loss
• Comfort for the grieving family and friends in the states

Karen Taulien

A Prayer before we go...

Last night the team had a wonderful dinner at the Hendrick's. We spent time getting to know each other and preparing for the journey.

Don gave a Franciscan Benediction as the prayer for our evening.

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war.
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen.