India Report # 8

Had a real good day yesterday. Finally being healthy I feel like a brand new person and have the energy to finish my teaching strong. I had a lot of time yesterday to relax and just have some conversations which was a first in about a week.

SHHHHHHH . . . nobody tell my wife . . . but I rode a motorcycle last night :) The Pastor from the church I spoke at on Sunday took me out on his motorcycle to some villages and do some sight-seeing. We were just exchanging stories and cultures as we zipped past water buffaloes and sheep herders. We got out to take a walk at a scenic area, a dam and water purifying plant. As we were walking along a path he was telling me a story of how a few years back he struck and killed a King Cobra in his house that wandered in. This freaked me out a bit but I didn't let on. I asked him in what areas they live in and he said "all around here, like in bushes like that one" (pointing to one we were just passing). That was more reality than I needed. I just tried to ignore the possibility of meeting a cobra and chose to just find my happy place.

We traveled to villages and met with some new followers of Christ who were the only followers in their village. So we entered their homes, knelt on mats and then they asked me to pray for them, their families, their home and their ministry in that village. This was such an honor. Now when I say home, I mean a mud hut, thatch roof, mud floor and a few electrical wires. Usually 2 rooms, maybe 8 x 8. I have seen this before but it is still shocking and I couldn't help but have memories of visiting Homerama in Cincinnati and walking through the 1-3 million dollar houses. The comparisons are enough to make you lose your lunch. The disproportion of wealth in this world is quite staggering. I don't think we're supposed to live in guilt, but I do think that we have to use our high place of influence to educate for awareness and to do our part in helping. It costs $40 a month to support an orphan here at the house of Joy. That gives them a great shot here to go to college and come back and be a leader in their villae. That's what I call changing the world. My wife and I have supported Compassion International children since college, its the cost of a few pizzas a month. I am wondering outside of educating about poverty what other things God may be leading us to do.

peace,