Why are the most exciting things always-happening at the most unexpected times? Sunday was a day we experienced the most extreme contrasts of India. Due to Diwali celebrations it has been constant barrage of fireworks and “crackers, plus invitations for meals. Loren is feeling so much better we finally consented to attend a “Dosa Party” (A South Indian bread). The people present were part of the huge extended Hindu Family of which we have relationships. The tables had white cloths to the ground, a large white pendaul (tent) and each chair was also covered and decorated. The food was “out of this world good.” The men were talking of their businesses in nine countries, new Jaguar and Mercedes. (Wanting Loren to drive them) It was such an exclusive world of wealth.

Then later that evening we made a MOST UNUSUAL trek to the tribal village. Never before have we taken the arduous trip at night to a village. Not a jaunt for the coward. In fact, we don’t like to be on any road at night. On our last trip out to the village the Chief a had asked Loren, ” Do you know about this kind of torch (flashlight) that is so good that you can see far, far away?” Well, as God would have it, Loren had one in our room. We made arrangements to deliver it.

After the “Dosa Party” I was not feeling great so took a nap and when Loren woke me, I said, “I don’t think I want to go to the village.” BUT God had other plans. With a cup of tea and a little coxing to wake-up I finally consented to go.

Like I said before, these roads were not made for a vehicle, just humans and bullock carts. So at night it becomes a true adventure in just staying out of the ditch. We arrived at the village where their total of three lights was on—one being a strand of flashing colored Diwali lights. The Chief meets the car and grabs Loren’s arm, leaving me to fend for myself. At the risk of life and limb I attach myself to Suresh, and say, “If you let me step in Golden Fertilizer or cow dung, I’M GOING TO BE MAD!” Stepping carefully on a path between a battered mishmash of mud-brick huts and shacks we made it to the front of Vasentha’s house.

I stand next to a pile of broken brick hinting at the hut’s future ambitions surrounded by dirty little children as the “ceremony” of giving the torch begins. The Chief is smiling from ear to ear.

Now he can have night adventures. In the future he dreams we can have a meal with him. Someday— someway—somehow we will have to make that happen. Staying in good health is the trick. He said, “No one has ever loved us like you do.”

We were getting ready to return to the car when I said, “Vasentha, I saw the books you wrote as a translation of the Book of John. It is beautifully done.”

He said, “My wife did the writing. She is here to see YOU.” What??? She is pregnant and was 100kms away with her mother. (The custom in India—daughters stay with their mother during pregnancy) I was so shocked that I ran and hugged her, to her utter embarrassment. It is so typical of God, who delights in doing things in ways we would never dream of, to make sure I was there to see her and compliment HER.

The Chief has a daughter, one of eight, who is completely blind due to an untreated fever. Loren and I sent money for her to be taken to the fantastic eye doctor here in Nagpur. Dr. Suresh had the x-rays to give the Chief. We are trying to convince them to let us send her to a school for the blind. His wife has been the holdout in doing so. Well I, silly me, thought we were ready to go back to Prakash. BUT with a lot of jabber I find we are off in the car to yet another village. (As is the custom on the last day of Diwali, brothers and sisters stay together.) The Chief with his “torch” on his motorcycle is directing us. For a second time, he grabs Loren’s hand and I again grab Suresh. This time we at least had a little light but it was muddy and sticky underfoot. We arrive at a mud house and a man quickly comes and gives Loren a bear hug and then to my absolute amazement gives me one too, leaving red “holy kumkum” (powder) all over my cheek. NEVER in all the years I have been in India has a strange man given me a hug. Even the few men that I do hug—it is a stiff, ridged hug. He was the brother of the Chief’s wife. Whatever gave him the notion he was to hug us I have NO IDEA!

Proceeding to the inside of the diminutive dwelling they scurry to find a chair for me. Then we try to talk to the mother about sending the daughter to a blind school. In the course of the conversation something came up about the new baby daughter. I asked, “Where is the baby?” Once more, I drop my teeth, as the mother goes over to the corner and picks the tiniest baby I have ever seen off the FLOOR. I motion that I want to hold the baby, all five pounds of her.

They let me—not the norm. She fit perfectly on my lap, with my hands cradling her head when all of a sudden there was this warm flow between my legs.

OH GOSH!!! I have just been initiated. Loren said, “Well, at least it was filtered water.” They were mortified and wanted to take her immediately away. I said, “No, No, her bladder is empty so no more damage, well hopefully, no more.” Suresh said, “She has welcomed you wholeheartedly.”

I did have to waddle back to the car with all the men laughing, but I HAD the experience and the story to tell. Don’t ever say that I do not go ALL OUT to give you a good story. God uses all of these experiences to further His love and grace.

I have asked Nupi to write this story.

“As I always say Suresh spends much of his time on his motorcycle so much, that at times I envy the motorcycle and his work. Every morning as a family it’s our priority to pray together at breakfast before we all head out in different directions. On the 18th of October we did the same. Suresh’s safety on the roads has always been the closest worry to my heart, but I have learned to pray for him and TRUST GOD for his protection. He has had many incidents of falling in the past and again and again we have experienced that Lord’s protection.

Loren has brought some water filters to be fitted in the villages. A person whom we were going to give one of the filters called Suresh to say that he had bought some buckets and “Doctor Sahib” needed to see if they were the right ones. So Suresh went to see them and thought they were not the right size. The man said, “Why don’t you buy them for me I will give you the money?” On the way back Suresh came upon a blind turn (we were teasing him, “Was the turn blind or were you blind?”) but anyway, all of a sudden some buffaloes came running out of the bushes on the road. A male was chasing a female in heat. Suresh applied urgent brakes to avoid dashing with them, but could not avert his motorcycle from toppling. He fell in a way that is difficult to describe. But by God’s grace he was able to get up and stand on his feet. He picked up his motorcycle and like a very good and courageous boy did not want to bother his wife or anyone else by calling to inform that he had fallen and drove back home in pain.

Praise God that he reached back home safely. He took a pain killer and slept in the afternoon which is very RARE. As I went home from work I saw him and asked, “What’s wrong?” THEN he narrated everything that had happened. I wanted to take him to the doctor right away, but this strong man refused and thought he would be all right by the next morning. But I knew he would need to go to the doctor.

Next morning I called Nani to let her know that this had happened and I would be taking Suresh to the doctor. Papi who was overhearing the conversation said, “Tell her I am sending a driver and the car to take them to the hospital.” How thoughtful and appropriate of him to do so!! Other staff also reacted promptly to provide all possible help.

After reaching the hospital the doctor took some X rays confirming my fear that Suresh had fractured his left wrist and he needed a plaster (cast) on his arm for at least a month. A month!!!!

Meanwhile Nani had called me to know what was up and said, “Bring Suresh to Prakash before you go home. I want to meet him.” We reached Prakash at 2pm. She offered us coffee, then looked at us and like a mother knew we were hungry. How true it was. She had some cheese sandwiches fixed for us and I was so thankful for it.

Nani and Papi later took Suresh home and instructed Shini and Rachel to take good care of their dad. They inspected Suresh’s motorcycle and found the damage to be less. Only the Dickey

(Side bag) and one turning signal needs to be replaced. His helmet has a large gash. Thankfully, it is MANDATORY that he always wears his helmet. When I reached home Suresh was resting and Rachel was proud that Nani had made her in charge of her father to make sure that he stays in bed.

God’s timing is so amazing. Shini will be having one-month vacation for Diwali starting from Monday and it is going to be of a great help for us. I praise God for his protection and the timely, loving and caring help that we received from his servants at the time of our need. Yes, this is not an ideal situation to be in but things could have been worse. THANK YOU ALL WHO SUPPORT US WITH YOUR PRAYERS. I hope and pray that Suresh will use this resting time to review his ministry and plan some things that he may want to do in the future. May he grow closer to the Lord.”

Love, Nupi

This will be a very hard time for Suresh to wait to heal. Please do remember him in your prayers. Thankfully, Loren is getting better and is back to some of his list of “do’s”

We were up-an-at-’em early to travel roads that no car was ever constructed to travel in order to visit the tribal village where Vasentha and his bride live. As we arrived we were flabbergasted to see a group of children, bathed and dressed, some in their school uniforms, waiting on dirty carpets, to thank us for the Shoeboxes.

First, we had to make them understand the boxes were not from US, but all of you in America who care about these extremely underprivileged children. I thought back to the first time I was in this clannish village, not one child had EVER gone to school or EVER taken a bath. Now, every morning eight of these kids get up and go down to the river for a bath before going to school. Because one person listened to that “still small voice of God,” an entire village has been impacted with a better life.

There were garlands given, not normally their tradition, but what, they think, we think, will show respect, then the kids sang a song they had learned in DVBS this summer. Loren had chocolates (candy) for them and I collected all the candy papers to be burned, again, totally not their culture or India’s for that matter. Later, I tried to teach the kids a funny little English action song, forgetting that they can’t say “w’s” and it comes out as a “v.” So the “Ittsy Bitsy Spider vent up the vater spout. Dove came the rain and vashed the spider out, etc, etc.” We all laughed and laughed, but they gave it a good try.

I never cease to be amazed by the contrasts of India, and was stunned when a giggling Nupi said, “The chief thinks you look like the lady in Titanic.” “WHAT???? Puhleeeeeeeeeze!! How does he even know about the Titanic?” No running water, grass huts with cow dung and twig walls, food cooked over burning sticks, and TV wire connection (laying on the ground) pirated from a neighboring village—this doesn’t compute!

Of course, now Loren calls me “Rose.”

The Chief stunned us yet again by asking Loren for a copy of the “Jesus” film. We didn’t know they even had a DVD player. Oh, WOW, the progress in this village is unbelievable. Vasentha and his wife have the Book of John now translated into their unwritten language. This is a verbal culture. They used the Marathi symbols and this way Dr. Suresh and Nupi can type and edit for them. Later it will be printed and distributed. There are about 1500 villages with 1500 or so people in each village using this same unwritten language. Now that several of the children are going to school they will read this precious book to their elders in the evenings. The Chief also asked us for pictures of our house…no way will that happen…so he can show his people how other parts of the world live. We may get a travel DVD for them. In just a few short years, there has been such dramatic change and a never-before-desire to learn.

Noticing there were only a few goats IN the village, Loren asked, “What happened?” All the goats of the village had to be sold due to the fact that these people are so far down on the priority list of the government, their goats were not given the needed vaccine in time to save the herd. This means the tribe is again making wine for it sole livelihood.

I was anxious to see baby Connor, but he was at the doctors’ with his father. He did return just before we left and I was so thankful we were still there so Nupi could explain the four medications the doctor had given. No instructions were verbally given; therefore, a father that can neither read nor write cannot understand the directions. Why should I be astonished at God’s perfect timing for our visit?