Clinic Day 2

That really needs no caption, does it?
This morning we began to see some of the 200 school children that attend here. We started with the little bitty ones, and I think we saw at least 50. Jeff saw almost all of them, and since none of them ended up needing anything so far, they never made it to my station. He had a really fun time with them, though.
Jena is posing in the second waiting room. The initial wait is inside the sanctuary of the church, and then they move their way into this part after their blood pressure and initial screenings.
Sarah, this is for you. Your father wants you to know he is taking care of himself and getting his blood pressure checked!
Here's Royce completely in his element going over the EvangeCube with some local children. I'm not sure who was having the most fun here.
This is Jacob and Dorcas. Jacob had perfect vision, but Dorcas needed some reading glasses. After I prayed for them, he asked me to remember them every day. I took a picture of them so that I wouldn't have a chance to forget. Such a sweet couple.
And then there's this crazy couple. I told each of them to believe nothing the other one says and they should get along perfectly!
My last patient of the day is the lady on the right. She needed vision glasses, and when we hit the right prescription her face lit up like a Christmas tree. She just started hugging me and wouldn't stop. This is literally one of 8 or 10 pictures that were taken with the whole family. It was a great case to finish up the day with.
The area that we are working in backs up to housing, and we get lots of onlookers. This family actually came down to the clinic and I was able to give the daughter distance glasses. I'd look up every once in a while and she'd be watching me. Every time she caught my eye she would wave and point at her glasses. It was priceless. What an amazing blessing to be able to help these sweet people.
After work we came back and cleaned up so we could get some dinner. We arrived at the restaurant a little after 7 and we were the only ones there. By 8:30 when we left, it was starting to pick up a bit. I know now that it's 11 it's probably packed. These guys eat so late around here! The dinner buffet in our hotel lobby begins at 11 p.m. Craziness!
Here's Royce's attempt to order tonic water with lime. Four glasses and one can later, I think he finally got it!
We had a fantastic day of seeing over 200 patients. Please continue to pray that God would ordain the right encounters and that we would be able to get ourselves out of the way and let Him move. I figured the best way to share clinic might be video, so hopefully I'll be able to get tht up either here or YouTube really soon. No time now; things are always moving around here!

Clinic Day One

The day finally arrived for us to get started on our mission, and it was an awesome day. The eye clinic is being held on the church grounds. I think we saw over 150 people today, so we met our goal. Things were a little chaotic at times, but overall I think it went really well. I've been told it will probably just get crazier as the week goes on, especially at the end, but I think we're ready. Dr. Harman is a great leader and doing an awesome job of being all places at all times, which is not an easy task!
Before things began, I had my reunion with Ramu. God bless this sweet little boy. I had the chance to love all over him, and this time I was able to get through it with joy instead of tears. The money that we collected for him will not be able to get him surgery because his eyes are beyond repair. But we are going to use the money to set his mom up in a shop of some kind so that she will be able to provide income for the family. Please continue to pray for her. She isn't well, and she has an older son that is sick, no husband and a blind child. Life must seem unbearably hard at times. But I know God will be faithful to supply all her needs. Thank you for being a part of his story.

Once clinic began we had several stages. Dick and Jena did the initial screenings and paperwork, including taking blood pressures.Jeremy and Nelson determined if we were looking at someone who was near-sighted, far-sighted or neither.Jeff and Shane worked the focometer area, which gave a general idea of prescription.

Then they came to the eyeglass dispensing area, where Sharon, Kellyn and I were busy trying to find the right strength and size for each patient. It was so fun getting to see faces light up when their vision suddenly came into focus. Such a blessing! I'm so grateful for this job, because I rarely had to tell someone there was nothing I could do for them, as many of the other team members had to do throughout the day. I also had the opportunity to pray with each patient that came through. This was my last patient of the day. I wish I had video of him shaking his head all around to make sure the glasses fit. He was a trip!These are a few of the interpreters we worked with, Rahm and Sonny. They were a complete God-send, because there's no way we could have done this work without them.Towards the end of the day I got to work with Amulya. She and I have become fast sisters. Such a beautiful girl, inside and out. I am blessed to have this chance to get to know her.Tonight, five of us went back to church for the youth service. This was my favorite service last year, getting to worship with these young men and women that are so sold out for the Lord. Their devotion is contagious, and I wish I could meet with them every week. After we arrived, I was asked if I would give the message. While initially shocked, I felt such a surge of peace and assurance that that was what God wanted me to do. I knew immediately that He wanted me to share the story of Esther and Mordecai and how it related to Joel 2:12-17. (For more on that, see here.) I am amazed that He would trust me enough to be His messenger, and completely humbled by that opportunity. I know it was a divine appointment, because there was no fear. I love my God, and I love being with people that love Him too. My prayer is it would always be less of me and more of Him.

And tomorrow it's more of this...
How lucky am I?

Tonight was a most eagerly anticipated reunion with some of the girls from the orphanage. When we arrived at the church, several of them were standing over by the side and I made a beeline for them. They began waving and smiling as I headed over, but I just thought it was because I was American and blonde and a new face. Once I began shaking their hands and hugging them and talking with them, however, one of the girls said, "Can you sing 'Great Big God?'" I was completely shocked and my heart soared. They remembered me!

Last year we had the privilege of attending a Sunday School retreat that was held for all of the kids on our last day in India. Since I was the one on the team with young kids, I was given the task of leading it. We did a Bible story and some drama and sang some songs. A moment that is seared in my heart forever, though, is when I taught them "Great Big God." They wanted to sing it over and over and over. I thought we sang it way more than they would want to, but they just kept begging for more. So it completely elated me that they not only remember the song but my own face as I have remembered theirs. Total joy!

I said to them, "I'm so happy you remember that song!" Then they told me that they sing it every single day in their devotion time. They asked me if I had a new one to teach them, so you better bet I'm going to come up with one! Actually, it so happens that I taught a new fun song to my 5th grade choir last Wednesday night that is perfect for just this occasion. Before last Monday I had never heard it, but as I was thinking about it I could remember each and every word. Amazing how God works in things that we don't have a clue He is orchestrating!
How could you forget faces like these?



This is Ravi, one of the drivers for BCH and his little baby girl. I can't remember her Telegu name, but it means "Psalms" in English. She was completely unsure of us, but captivated my husband. The look on that sweet face is just priceless.
Off to bed. We have an early morning, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us through the clinics tomorrow. Happy Sunday!

This is the view from my hotel window. While it may not be pretty to look at, at least it's quiet. We can't even hear the nearby traffic from our room and that is a huge blessing. Last night I slept eight hours thanks to my little Ambien CR and when I woke up I found my personality again. Sleep is an amazing thing.

Funny story about the scaffolding. When we arrived early yesterday morning there was no one out there. We had a couple of hours to sleep, which I didn't do, but we had completely closed the curtains for the attempt. When I realized it wasn't happening for me, I got up and took a shower and came back into the room to get dressed. Then Jeff went to shower and I decided we needed some light so I flung open the curtains. Unfortunately, I hadn't quite finished dressing and at this point there were three or four Indian guys balancing precariously from those bamboo poles. Fortunately they were turned the other direction or I might have shocked them into a serious tumble!

Our primary objective yesterday was to remain awake to try and get over jet lag. So after a brief team meeting and lunch, we headed out to do a little shopping. Traffic had picked up quite a bit from our early morning run, so Jeff got a more accurate view of what it's like. In India, the horn is used constantly, simply to alert everyone of your presence. Since everyone is honking, it seems somewhat counterproductive, but I guess if I learned how to drive here it would make sense to me. The oddest scene is seeing entire families of four or five all crammed onto one motorcycle. It's something that would seem so ridiculous anywhere else, but here just seems perfectly normal.
One of the stores we went to for the pearls. Sharon's son Michael recommended it because he is apparently a frequent customer there. Hyderabad is famous for its pearls because beginning in the 1700s when the Nizam dynasty ruled over India, they were famous for their opulence and wealth. Pearls began to be cultured here and exported all over India, and now the world. It was fascinating to watch these artisans string the pearls and other jewels into beautiful pieces. Several of the team members got some great deals here.

Afterwards we headed to a restaurant for some delectable Indian cuisine. Solomon's wife Reba ordered for us and everything she chose was delicious. Man, I love this food!
When we got back to the hotel we had a quick meeting with Pastor G. Samuel and a few board members. Johnson Jacob (JJ) is the President this year. And I'm blanking now on the other name, but I want to say Jonathan. Anyway, he is the secretary. It was so fun to see them all again.
From now on I'll just refer to this Solomon as Chucko, to avoid confusion with Sarah's brother Solomon. One of the best people I've ever met on this earth is now friends with my favorite person on this earth, and that brings me great joy!
Megha, Chucko and Singing David. He showed up at the hotel last night as well. I can't wait to hear him sing again, hopefully tonight.
We also got to do a little clothes shopping yesterday, so Jena, Kellyn and I had some Indian fashion to wear to church this morning. These clothes just make me feel pretty. I love all of the sparkles and bangles and scarves. So girly! Looking out over the congregation and seeing all of the beautiful colors on the women is a banquet for the eyes. Colors just seem brighter here.Jeff and Royce got in on it too. I'm thinking Jeff can totally pull this off once we get back home...
We got to church this morning around 11, well into the service. After a bit, Pastor G brought the team up to the platform and introduced us. We were given roses and a big welcome. As always, he was full of jokes, calling Nelson and Jeremy the team's most eligible bachelors. He said if they came back again unmarried then he was going to find them some Indian women. :)

I'm not sure why, but he calls me the live wire of the group. Which is better, I guess, than being referred to as "the one who cries all the time," as I was yesterday. All I can say is I saw a lot of stuff last year that tore open my heart. I'm typically not a cryer. But I wouldn't want to be able to come into this country and view physical, emotional and spiritual poverty at this level without getting torn up over it. I think it should move me, but beyond simply an emotional outburst. It's a call to action, which is why I'm so glad to be back and have a chance to help people. I can't wait to get started!
After church we had a chance to look over the area where we will be doing the clinic tomorrow. It is outdoors, but under a roof so we will be in the shade. There was a nice breeze blowing through there today, so pray that keeps up.

After lunch at a Chinese restaurant, we came back to the hotel for our training session. Gene divided us all up into teams and gave us instructions on what we'll be doing. Tomorrow, I'll be working at the distribution table, finding the right glasses for each patient and adjusting them to fit their face. I'll be working with Sharon and Kellyn, who are both experienced with this so hopefully I won't have a chance to mess things up too badly. Kellyn talked me through the adjustment process today. My biggest fear is breaking the glasses, but she said it only takes one pair breaking for you to learn what is too far or too hard to push. I just hate to take even one pair of glasses away from someone that could use it.

It's 5:00 now, time to get dressed again for church. Tonight is the English service, so we'll be participating in the whole thing. I'm so ready to worship. God is so, so good. There is much to praise Him for today!

Group Pics

Before...After...

Namaste! We have reached our destination. ☺
f
Overall, it was a pretty uneventful commute. Of course we left Nashville about an hour late trying to get into Chicago. Fortunately we had almost three hours to play with from the time we were supposed to arrive and the time our plane was supposed to leave for London. Instead of leaving Nashville at 5:15, we finally pulled out about 6:20.
d
We arrived in Chicago at 7:35 and all seemed surprisingly well. And then we sat. And sat. After about 20 minutes, the pilot came on and told us there were no gates available so we were just going to sit around for a while. I still wasn’t getting tense, but there were people all around us that began missing their connectors. I felt so bad for them, having been through that frustration before. Fortunately we pulled into a gate around 8:30, still having an hour and fifteen minutes before we were supposed to take off.
f
Sadly, we were nowhere near our departing gate, since international flights leave from a totally different place. So by the time we got through security again and made it to the gate, they were already boarding. No time to waste in Chicago, but I’m so grateful we at least made our flight!
f
We flew British Airways from Chicago to London, and it was a great trip. Since Jeff and I had missed Lost on Wednesday night, he burned it to his computer and we decided to watch it while we were waiting on dinner. If you saw Wednesday night’s Lost, you know there was a fairly disturbing plane crash type sequence. Perhaps not the best choice. During the night we had some pretty heavy turbulence by my standards, and I was a little freaked out. But I knew how many of you were praying and just believed that God would see us through. He did.
d
We set down in London around noon on Friday our time, 6 a.m. back home. Again, we had very little turnover time once we got through security and made our way to the gate. The plane to Hyderabad was much fuller than the one to London and there were times when claustrophobia set in a bit, but we made it just fine. Have you ever wondered how a lady in a burka is able to manage all of that material in an airplane bathroom? I had plenty of time to think about this one while I was waiting on her.
f
This year I have the privilege of delivering prayer letters from each team members' prayer partners. It has been so much fun collecting those letters and getting them ready for each member, but even more fun now that I've had the chance to start delivering them. I opened a note from my friend Meredith as we were waiting for takeoff in London. It was specifically about travel, and included the Scripture from Judges 6:23 that says, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die." I want you to know, Meredith, that when we hit big turbulence on that last flight I was reciting that very Scripture over and over and I felt completely at peace. A huge turnaround from the first turbulent ride where I left fingernail marks in the rubber covers of our armrests. Thank you so much for that.
f
Before leaving on Thursday, my dear friend Darlene brought me a journal entitled, "Called." It is a devotional type of journal specifically designed for mission trips. Because she knows my love of blogging, instead of leaving the journal pages blank, she filled them up with prayers, and many of you helped her do that. This is hands down one of the most thoughtful presents I have ever received and I will cherish it forever. As I read the prayer of my oldest son, I couldn't hold back the tears. He amazes me. I am so blessed!
f
We arrived in Hyderabad at 4:40 a.m. local time on the nose. Getting out of the airport ended up taking about an hour and a half. The luggage took forever to come around, but thankfully everyone's arrived in good shape. Hyderabad has a brand new airport from when we were here last year, and it is much, much nicer. JD said it is one of the finest in India now.
f
Speaking of JD, we had such an awesome welcome this morning! First we were met by Sarah's brother Solomon, who helped us get all of our stuff together and leave the airport. Once outside, we were embraced by old friends, Solomon, Sagar, Emmanuel, JD, and Ramesh to name a few. What a sweet reunion. I don't think any of them had slept and had been waiting on us since 4 a.m. The selflessness of these people continues to amaze me.
f
I was so excited to see them that I apparently didn't take any pictures, but time will come for that. Royce took a team picture, so I hope to get that from him very soon and get it on here. Here's a good shot of Royce and our team leader Sharon. We walked outside to a gorgeous sunrise this morning and it felt like we were being beautifully welcomed to India.
Jeff got to experience his first trip in Hyderabad traffic, and seems none too worse for the wear. It's amazing how quickly I readjusted to driving that would have me absolutely hanging from the rails of my mini-van if it were happening in Tennessee. Again, peace like this can only come from your prayers. So thank you for lifting us all up!
f
I am supposed to be sleeping right now, but after laying there for 25 minutes I decided it wasn't worth it. I'll take my sweet little purple pill tonight when I can really work it out. We are meeting for lunch and then going out to do some shopping this afternoon. Hopefully I'll have some more pics to post tonight.
f
Thanks again for praying us here. We are all deeply in gratitude for you!

You know how it feels when your three most valued treasures pull out of the driveway and you know in about 24 hours you'll be as far away from them as you can possibly be on this earth?

Me too.

I just got this message on Facebook:

LA,
I had the craziest coolest dream last night. I have been meaning to email you all day.

My dream was so vivid. I was with you and Jeff and I was praying for you. We prayed together and then I spent time with you praying for you. I was praying for your trip, for your safety and for the lives that you will touch. The amazing part is that when I woke up, I felt as if I had prayed deeply for you. I don't dream much. It was amazing.

You are being prayed for-- even in my dreams!!
Jane Anne

How cool is that? :)

When was the last time you knew that God answered your prayer?

For me, it was yesterday. Ever since last Friday, I've been unsettled about our upcoming trip. Thursday night I was on a high when we had a reception dinner for Sarah's family. They are here visiting, and around 120 people from my church came to hear her brother David speak and to learn about our partnership with Baptist Church Hyderabad. This is a huge growth in the number of people who knew about this last year, and interest is definitely growing in what we are doing over there. It was also the first time I had seen Sarah's brother, sister-in-law, niece and mother since we were there last year, and it was a sweet reunion. Our team was commissioned and prayed over, and I left so pumped up and ready to step on a plane. I even got to wear my Indian dress. :)
And then Friday morning I woke up with such a sense of uneasiness. I was frustrated over details and logistics and overwhelmed with all I needed to get done before we leave. I was suddenly anxious over the prospect of leaving my kids behind, especially after hearing about the most recent plane crash. Probably due to ice. Knowing snow is predicted for the day of departure. Having to go through Chicago, my geographical nemesis.

But the weirdest and most disturbing feeling of all was apathy. I suddenly didn't seem to care if I went or not. That is absurd, considering it is all I have wanted to do since I returned last year, and I know beyond a shadow of doubt that God has called us to this journey. But nevertheless, there it was. My joy was gone.

I knew the culprit and I called him out on it. I prayed against the spirits that I knew were plaguing me, and I had friends do so on my behalf. But it still seemed to linger. I was so frustrated and feeling so defeated.

And then I got an e-mail out of the blue. A friend from college that I haven't spoken to except to briefly catch up on Facebook saw on my status that I was heading to India. He asked me to give him a call to talk about it. It turns out that he has recently been there and God has given him an equal passion for the people of that country. He was SO excited talking about his experience there, and as we spoke I could feel that dark cloud lift. I was reminded of WHY I am going back there. It is about the people we are trying to reach. Those beautiful, fascinating people who were born into a world completely unlike my own. My passion returned, along with my joy. What a beautiful thing.

After we hung up I just cried and thanked God for that amazing gift. Here was a person I hadn't spoken to in years, just suddenly contacting me on a day that I needed it most of all. I posted that status last Thursday, and yet he didn't get in touch with me until yesterday.

So thank you, Curt, if you are reading this. God used you in a way you couldn't have foreseen. And thank you to the mighty prayer warriors who are lifting us up through this leg of the journey. I can't imagine doing this without you.

I love watching God work. He is so good and faithful and intimately involved in our lives. Pour yourself out to Him and listen for His voice. He's listening for yours.

One of the projects I've been working on for India is making eyeglass cases for the glasses we'll be giving away at the clinic. It's been a family project for us, along with some other enlistments.

First, my dad marked up five vinyl tablecloths into 7-inch squares.
Next, we cut them out. Some of my fellow choir teachers helped do this at rehearsal one night. Thanks girls!
Then a simple fold and stitching up two sides. This is the most action my sewing machine has seen in the past ten years. I'm so grateful to Janice Todd for making 250 of these for me!The kids at church worked on making some inserts to slide inside with the glasses. Some simply say, "Jesus Loves You," but a few worked hard at putting more on there.
The final product...
After all was said and done we have 562 of these. The goal is to see around 150 people per day for five days, but not all of them will need glasses. I'm really hoping we have enough for everyone to have one. They aren't anything deluxe, but better than a snack-sized Ziploc bag.

Thanks to everyone who gave me a hand with these. I love how so many people are having a chance to be a part of this trip!