Pavarti

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

I was really looking forward to Wednesday because that was the day I could finally get over to New Life Children’s Home.  New Life is the home that Westside started 2 years back and after almost 2 years in a rented facility we were finally able to transfer the children to our new property on Sept. 30.  So this is the first time I have seen the property occupied by children since my last visit in July.  It is amazing what kids will do to land and buildings.  I thought the natural beauty of the place was amazing enough but to now see several buildings completed, 165 or so kids in their outfits running around smiling and yelling Hi Viser and then flashing me the “I Love You” in sign language is pretty special.

We ended our day yesterday at New Life with a BBQ and a bonfire.  That’s right a good ole fashioned BBQ, just not KC Style as I forgot to bring my Jack Stack Rub and Sauce so we just settled for some other marinade and then the chicken and mutton hit the grill and I got to play pit boss.

 I think I did a decent job because I didn’t see anyone keel over and my buddy Doug even confessed to eating the mutton and saying it was quite good.  Somehow that doesn’t register with me but many foods don’t.

A couple of things happened yesterday which if I shared would really make this long so I am only going to share what I twittered last night.

Late in the afternoon I decided to skip out on some conference sessions since my time of teaching was over and join Doug and Valerie in visiting some places where we could find women interested in micro finance.  Dr. Premdas’ daughter, Neelima who is the co-director at New Life Children’s Home took us to a village where a market was in full swing and there we interviewed and photographed women who were enrolled in a micro finance program as well as take stories and information from those women who were interested in getting started in one.  The information that we collected was pretty brief but when working through an interpreter things take a tad longer which allows crowds to form and then brings further discussions as to who we are, why men can’t be involved, and no, we don’t have any cash on us today.

I think we collected about 5 stories when Neelima asked if we wanted to try another market in another village and we said sure, a change of scenery is always a good thing.  We got back in our vehicle and were driving away when Neelima then asked if we would like to visit some HIV/Aids ladies who were interested in the micro finance program and we of course thought that sounded better than just another village.  (Better to get into the nitty gritty than to stay comfortably on the outside.)

About 10 minutes later we pull over on the side of the National Highway and to our left were rows of houses and so we got out and were led into a small courtyard.  We were greeted by a young man and a young woman who I estimated to be in her early 30’s.  We were told this woman had Aids and asked her if we could spend some time speaking with her and she agreed so we sat down and started to learn her story.  

Unfortunately what I heard is all too common but let me share it anyway – Pavarti was 35 I believe and lost her husband sometime back to Aids, she had 3 children with 2 of them being HIV positive and both dying; one at 3 years of age, another at 2 ½ months.  Her 3 child is a beautiful 11 year old girl who to date has tested negative.  Mom and kids contracted the disease from Dad who probably picked it up from a sex worker though this question was specifically asked but seems to be the typical answer when asked, anyway Pavarti is sick.  She showed us her medical reports and her treatment record for the drugs they have her on but she is worried.  She is experience headaches, hasn’t eaten in 2 weeks and resultantly is very weak.

I ask how can she afford to live where she is living and she tells us this is her in-laws place and they feel really guilty because it was their son who has brought on all this tragedy and so they have provided a place for her to stay.  She has no job though and her survival is due to her sister –in-law who brings small amounts of food for her and her daughter and yet she now doesn’t eat because of her sickness.  There was another fellow there who was very kind to us and promptly brought us cool drinks and it turns out this is the husband’s brother, so in one sense Pavarti is lucky; she wasn’t cast out as in many cases but is being looked after.

At some point I ask if there is any way she would want to participate in a micro finance program and she says yes but she is fearful she won’t live long enough to be able to enroll and receive the assistance she desires.  I then ask what is it that she really wants and she tells me a cow.

A cow?

Yes, a cow.  If she has a cow she can at least milk it and be able to sell the milk and make more money than if she just opened up an enterprise selling fish or vegetables.  Ultimately with a cow she could breed it and then sell the off spring.  At this point I was all ears especially after realizing the power that a cow could have in her life; a source of revenue would be huge for this woman and her daughter.  I inquired as to the price and after doing the math it came down to $500. 

This seemed like a lot to me when thinking in terms of micro finance – 1 small loan at a time, $24 to $50 to be exact and knowing that it would take years for this woman to work up enough credit and borrowing history to get a $500 loan to buy her cow and by then it would be too late.

At this point I am starting to feel helpless as I literally have nothing to offer her and I can begin to sense her desperation and discouragement.

As I am speaking with her I am suspecting that she might be a Christian as I haven’t noticed any outward Hindu markings or signs on the houses, ground or on her and so I inquire and she tells me that she is in fact a Christian. 

I sit in my chair and I stare, not in an uncomfortable way for her but a contemplative way, what do I say next, what can I offer this sister in the faith?

I share that I don’t have money, I can’t give her a cow, but what I do have is the ability to pray for her and to remind her that as a Christian, Jesus has promised her life, eternal life, he has also promised her that he would be by her side and that she can experience his presence each and every day.

I also reminded her of how much he loves and cares for her and I call her 11 year old daughter over and wrap my arms around her and remind her this is Jesus wrapping his arms around her.  At this point she is sobbing and it comes out that she is worried for her daughter.  Who will care for her when she dies and this is her biggest fear in death – her daughter and her well-being.

Ahh, I say, do you know who we are?  At this point I am referring more to who we represent, in my head I am screaming I’m the dude that can get your daughter in not 1 but your choice, 2, premium, top of the line, Jesus loving, God centered Children Homes.  Take your pick; do you want her at Light of Love or New Life?  Either one, it’s a done deal, she’s sponsored.  I decide this thinking isn’t best kept inside so I share it with her and you could really sense some relief take over.

At this juncture I ask her if we could pray for her and she of course says “Yes” and we pray asking God to lift her up and comfort her.  We ask that life be granted to her and that she could live many more productive years here on earth, that she could see her daughter complete school and go off to college.  We ask that God would lift her up and surround her with His presence, that His angels would protect her from all sorts of evil, and there were other things we prayed but let me end by saying we prayed.

As I finished I let go of her hands and Valerie promptly stepped in and held her tightly at which point she melted.  I don’t know when the last time Pavarti was held but I am pretty sure it has been a long time.

As we were leaving she said, “You were sent by God, I was very discouraged and had lost hope that anyone knew my situation or even cared.  The family knows and shows care but outside of that no one, I began to doubt that God cared and yet he sent you to me today and that shows me he does care.

Pavarti is right.  God does care and He uses people to touch people and to remind them that there is hope.

$500 doesn’t seem like a lot to me anymore.

Will you help?

www.wellsforlife.org  there is a Give button, click it, use Pay Pal and know you are helping Pavarti and her daughter live.

Posted in News and Stories, Trip Updates | 4 Comments »

Interior Places

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Yesterday our entire group which is 18 I believe loaded up Indian style into 3 vehicles and set off for just 5 project dedications.

In Trichy I can do at least 8, start to finish, meaning from hotel in the morning to hotel in the evening in 10 hours at most, so knowing we only had 5 to do I figured would be no problem.  We will just whip out these bad boys in a couple of hours and be able to make a run out to New Life Children’s Home for dinner.

What I didn’t take into consideration was that it was going to take us 2 hours to get to our first stop and then another hour to get all 18 of us up the mountain on the back of motorcycles.  We finally made it up to the interior village complete with mud huts and a single brick building which was their school house.  The school house wasn’t much, just a room with nothing in it but it had a roof and walls and was made out of brick and they were proud of it.  It reminded me of Greg Mortensen and his book Three Cups of Tea, (a good read if you want one).  After dedicating the project and pumping the water we sat down and shared with the villagers God’s love.  They in turn showed us love by handing out what look like baked cow patties.  The first thing I did was smell them after having to handle them and surprisingly there wasn’t a smell so then my brain logically went to where is Raja, he will know what this is.

Now here is the picture, 18 of us all lined up in a row sitting on chairs and bed cots holding this “thing” and not quite knowing what to do with it.  Some were tearing off very small pieces and putting it up to their lips and then being in a quandary about what to do next.  Others were brave and actually took a bite and yet none were really brave and just consuming the thing like it was a tasty morsel.

I did get Raja’s attention and he told me it was something that I didn’t quite understand but he assured me it was edible.  I knew it was edible to them but did he forget we were white people who for the most part grew up in the big city and loved bbq?  This was no KC strip but a brown round thing that looked like a squashed brain membrane.

Wheat and nuts and other grains he said was what this was, so I tasted it and guess what?  It tasted like chicken.  No, not really.  I don’t know quite what it tasted like but I was sure glad with the cookies came around because they sure did taste a whole lot better.

Speaking of food, we came down the mountain after another hour of transporting one by one on the back of 5 bikes, crammed into our vehicles and headed off for our next village.  (Luckily I broke my seat in the very back of the SUV and so I jumped on the back of a bike and spent the next 8 hours travelling from village to village enjoying the open air and large bugs.  Now you can sing that song, Born to be Wild, that was me, helmet less, arm in a sling, camera bag over my shoulder, cruising the back roads of India and thinking life can’t get much better than this!)  Anyway back to the story, we finally arrive at village number 2 and by now it is 4 in the afternoon, we left Light of Love at 10:30 and I was thinking we would be back at Light of Love by 4, so anyway here we are and they decide we should finally have lunch.  We were praying for chicken and after our last food experience it was a prayer shared by many.

We followed our guides and found ourselves in front of someone’s home, there was a small area which had enough open space to accommodate us all and so here we are in a large circle surrounded by thatched huts and homes, a stall for several cows, chickens and goats running around and now here comes the food.  Now I should say something about who is traveling with us, most about half haven’t been to India before and the other half have and of the 18 only 3 women, 1 of which is Bella who is 8.  Ok, so now were all seated, I have Schaun and Troy, pastors at Westside to my left, their engaging in some bantering back and forth about something, some guys who joined us from Thailand, not Thai though, are making fun of something else, I have Kai and Bella next to me and their wondering what the food is going to be and then someone else is just amazed that we are eating something at all after our last experience.  So now, here comes the food, oh yeah, my good friend Bob is with us from NM.  Now Bob is 50 something I think and loves India and especially the girls…in a good way.  Anyway, most women love him and the kids find him hilarious.  He is at least 6’ 4” and large fingers, in fact his thumbs are the size of these bananas here, Bob for the most part is quiet but when he speaks it is either profound or really funny.

Ok, the food, here it comes on Styrofoam plates much like what we serve back home at a church pot luck and surprisingly it is looking good: 2 bananas, some boiled potatoes and 1 or 2 boiled eggs which have been peeled.  Immediately the conversation turns to the food, some are expressing relief; others joy and for the most part most are relieved.  Those that wanted chicken are a little sad but then Schaun reminds us the eggs are chicken eggs and so the guy working in Thailand from the US should have been more specific in his prayers, which brings laughter from the group and a few other comments.  The food has been distributed and some who don’t like boiled eggs are looking for ways to rid their plates of eggs.  Some have 1, others 2 and there even may have been a plate with 3.  I personally am not a fan of hard boiled eggs.  Never have, never will.  Thankfully, Bella is sitting next to me and her plate of food hasn’t arrived and so I, being the loving friend decided to model servant hood to her and offered my egg.

Joy appeared on her face and thus joy appeared on mine.

Bob wasn’t so lucky.  He chose his seat wrong and he couldn’t pawn off his eggs as elegantly as I did and so what happened next was classic and only Bob could pull it off. 

Now picture this: were all in a circle for the most part, our wonderful hosts are behind us and others are staring at us with an expectation of serving us more food and then there are all these Americans trying to be brave and eat.  Some enjoying the meal more than others but most are hungry and resigned to eat.  Now here is Bob, pickier than I when it comes to food and isn’t ashamed to say he loves India as much as I do which is why he has been here at least 6 or 7 times, but he hates the food.  Each trip he brings syrup, soy sauce and either salsa or picante sauce to cover up any food he is served except for the bland chicken.

No one really notices Bob at this point, he sits 2 chairs from me holding his plate of eggs, bananas and potatoes, and then he sees Vik Kumra without a seat and he hops up quickly and offers it to Vik, which to Vik seemed very polite as between Bob and I was his son, Kai.  So myself, Vik and others just thought Bob was being nice, the reality though was Bob was being very strategic for this is what happened next, he pretty much now has most people attention because of what he just did, he then takes several steps forward and then purposely lowers his plate so that his 1 egg rolls off his plate and onto the dirt.  All eyes are on Bob and the dirty egg and then in classic Bob style and matter of factly he says quite loud, “Damn”. 

At that the place broke out in laughter, I about fell out of my chair and others just had that look of disbelief, they couldn’t imagine those words would ever come out of his mouth, but they did and it was classic.

We’re still laughing about it today and thankfully for Bob, the egg wasn’t replaced.

Oh, how I love this place.

Posted in News and Stories, Trip Updates | 2 Comments »

My arm

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

Not long after our time with the lepers and HIV/Aids women ended we had a choice of playing cricket or going to the beach.  I elected going to the beach and after about a 20 minute drive we were at the Bay of Bengal. 

After spending some tiome playing in the water and collecting sea shells we had a suprise; 5 women from Light of Love arrived with soda, chilled water bottles, crackers and small cakes.  Right then and there we had all the fixings for a party and so we partied, Indian style.

No party is complete without a game, so we were taught Kabadi, which I can only describe as a form of tag.  It involves 2 equally divided teams, a couple of lines drawn in the sand involving a home base safe zone, a middle line which is crossed when you go into the other teams territory and one or two other things which I can’t remember. 

You play by having 1 person from one team cross the center line into the others territory and try to tag any one of them while not getting taken down or tackled on their side of the center line. 

the game proved to be quite fun and there were about 16 of us playing it.   As we were well into it, one of the guys from WFC who is my height but about 50 lbs. heavier and 10 years wiser than me came over and we were able to take him down but it took 4 of us to do it.  

So now its his turn again and I am more determined than ever to tackle him solo.  So I come at him, grab him with my left arm fully extended and tried to use the momentum to curl him into me so I could take him down, (the same type of move I use on kids when they are trying to get by but what they really want is someone to grab them) anyway Allen is a lot heavier and stronger than I suspected and tore away from my arm tackle pretty easily and in the process I heard something tear in my bicep and down I went.

 The usual post injury stuff happened, one of the other guys, Troy, took over and said let’s not play anymore since its getting dark and Viser is hurt.  Jason gave me 3 Advil and countless Indians massaged, flexed, pushed and pulled my arm all with the hope that it would help, but it did’nt.

They loaded me up and took me into town to find a doctor.  He confirmed my suspicion and diagnosed  torn muscle tissue in the bicep which resulted in a sling and a shot along with some tablets for pain and swelling. 

 So here I sit with pain and a sling; oh well it could have been worse.

I don’t know which was worse the injury or Valerie telling me on the way to the car how much fun was being had until someone had to get hurt; isn’t thay always the case?

Posted in News and Stories, Trip Updates | 6 Comments »

Trichy – Oct. 24

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

Having gone through the events of yesterday made today much easier with the caveat that our final dedication turned out to be a whole program which lasted longer than church. Normally this kind of thing doesn’t bother me but when it starts at 2pm and you can’t have lunch until it is over and you have spent 4 hours riding in cramped quarters down narrow roads at varying speeds and doing project dedications in 95 degree heat – one gets hungry and even tired.

The joy for me finally came when the closing prayer was offered and we marched to the well site which was a hospital in need of an additional water source. The scope of the project was really quite large and so seeing the water with its sweet taste come flowing out of the 4 inch pipe was pretty cool. I promised this project last summer and sent funds in faith that someone would adopt it and Dr. Bill Stetson who has a practice in Burbank graciously agreed to help raise funds for this!

9 projects were dedicated today and of the 17 we carried out these past 2 days, 10 of them to one degree or another were the result of efforts of Kai and Bella Kumra (who are 8 year old twins) and their mom, Valerie. These guys organized a series of fundraising events including participating in The Human Race in Sonoma County, CA as “Team Running Well”, sold items on e-Bay with the proceeds going to us and even set up booths at area Christian concerts all with the goal of raising fund and awareness.

More than $10,000 was raised by these guys and now they are with me witnessing firsthand the impact of their hard work and sacrifice. Great job Kumra family!!!

Tonight were tired and weary but feeling a sense of accomplishment because of what we did; 17 projects in 2 days, thousands of lives saved with clean, safe drinking water and a suitcase filled with scarfs, towels and other fabric pieces which were given by each village as a way to honor us for our gift.

Our gift of water though pales in comparison to God’s gift to all of us and it is because of this gift that I, we, do this.

Posted in News and Stories, Trip Updates | No Comments »