Living Water!
I woke up early this morning to the usual chanting, but I also thought I heard monkeys joining in. So I grabbed my camera to check it out and indeed there were several in the trees outside my door! A mom and two babies were jumping and swinging while at least two others were playing tag on the roof. Of course as soon as they saw me they quickly scampered up the trees where they could keep an eye on me while staying out of my camera's view. The two roof taggers kept playing peek-a-boo over the roof directly over my head, but they're much faster than my picture-taking finger. Believe me, I tried; I about fell over the railing trying to snap a shot! Prati simply snarls and says, "Aigh! Such mischievous creatures!" ha. I still hope to have a monkey picture for you before I leave here.
After breakfast we left for a 4 hour drive to visit the village of Theerampalayam to get an update on how IGL's "Adopt-a-Village" Program is going there. This program was born after the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka and parts of India. So many people here needed help and the relief efforts prompted an idea to give them the resources to help themselves so more people could be reached. I explained how it works in yesterday's post about building the community center that serves several villages and usually ends with building a church for the pastor to grow his congregation.
By the way, the Adopt-a-Village program is for churches or individuals to sponsor through a five year commitment which enables IGL to systematically train and strengthen these villages until they are self-sustaining. I think the five-year commitment is for $25,000 (check their website for accuracy on that), which might be enough to do the women's skills trainings in our country, but certainly wouldn't build a well, a Comm. Center and a church!
I am SO excited to tell you about today because much of what we witnessed today is also funded in part by Women With a Mission, and so many of you joined me in donating money to do exactly what I'm going to tell you about - women helping women!! So, thank you again!
The highlight of today started with the fact that I traveled to this village last year, met some of the women, had a wonderful lunch in the pastor's home, AND, we held the ground-breaking ceremony for the clean-water well. This particular village was adopted by Indian Creek Community Church in Olathe Kansas, which is where the girl I travel with, Belinda Kendall, pastors with her husband, Gary. There are no words to describe how moving it was to walk into the village, turn down a path and actually SEE the well and water tower we broke ground for last year! And this year, we got to DEDICATE the well!! The people are so grateful and truly William and Kate wouldn't have received a finer welcome and thank-you!
After the dedication we headed to the Community Center to hear people from the village tell how, thanks to IGL, they have been helped. One blind man and several other disabled people told how they didn't have any income or food until IGL stepped in and advocated for them to receive a small monthly disability pension. Another widow shared how she, too, didn't have income, but was able to receive a sewing machine and training through a micro-loan from IGL and has since paid it back and is working as a tailor.
In addition to those and other stories, we handed out certificates to the latest group of graduates from the "Cutting and Tailoring" classes and were presented with beautiful pillow cases they had made. I especially loved that part! We also gave out hygiene bags to the children which contained a toothbrush and paste, soap, a comb. a bag of laundry soap and other items as part of their hygiene training classes. Of course, I especially liked that part too! Ha.
While we were there we got to experience the Women's skill building program as the area coordinator and the local village director taught a cooking class to about 25 women on how to make a "Pickle Sauce". (It has nothing to do with pickles or pickling that we could see!). Wish I could do a link for the recipe and serving suggestions, but suffice it to say it involves a potfull of garlic, a bathtub full of chili powder and of course CURRY! All I can say is it was HOT, HOT, HOT, and it was GOOD!
Oh, and not to be too graphic but I just have to say I broke the curse of the squatty potty today! Woo-hoo! My family and those of you who have traveled with me to Ukraine or India know what an accomplishment that is for me and we'll leave it at that! Ha!
Sorry these updates are so long. Should I leave out some details and make them shorter? I just wish you all were here to experience this with me!
Tomorrow we speak at a regional conference, and I've been wanting you to meet the awesome women I'm traveling with, so that will be a good time to do that.
Love to all!
I woke up early this morning to the usual chanting, but I also thought I heard monkeys joining in. So I grabbed my camera to check it out and indeed there were several in the trees outside my door! A mom and two babies were jumping and swinging while at least two others were playing tag on the roof. Of course as soon as they saw me they quickly scampered up the trees where they could keep an eye on me while staying out of my camera's view. The two roof taggers kept playing peek-a-boo over the roof directly over my head, but they're much faster than my picture-taking finger. Believe me, I tried; I about fell over the railing trying to snap a shot! Prati simply snarls and says, "Aigh! Such mischievous creatures!" ha. I still hope to have a monkey picture for you before I leave here.
After breakfast we left for a 4 hour drive to visit the village of Theerampalayam to get an update on how IGL's "Adopt-a-Village" Program is going there. This program was born after the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka and parts of India. So many people here needed help and the relief efforts prompted an idea to give them the resources to help themselves so more people could be reached. I explained how it works in yesterday's post about building the community center that serves several villages and usually ends with building a church for the pastor to grow his congregation.
By the way, the Adopt-a-Village program is for churches or individuals to sponsor through a five year commitment which enables IGL to systematically train and strengthen these villages until they are self-sustaining. I think the five-year commitment is for $25,000 (check their website for accuracy on that), which might be enough to do the women's skills trainings in our country, but certainly wouldn't build a well, a Comm. Center and a church!
I am SO excited to tell you about today because much of what we witnessed today is also funded in part by Women With a Mission, and so many of you joined me in donating money to do exactly what I'm going to tell you about - women helping women!! So, thank you again!
The highlight of today started with the fact that I traveled to this village last year, met some of the women, had a wonderful lunch in the pastor's home, AND, we held the ground-breaking ceremony for the clean-water well. This particular village was adopted by Indian Creek Community Church in Olathe Kansas, which is where the girl I travel with, Belinda Kendall, pastors with her husband, Gary. There are no words to describe how moving it was to walk into the village, turn down a path and actually SEE the well and water tower we broke ground for last year! And this year, we got to DEDICATE the well!! The people are so grateful and truly William and Kate wouldn't have received a finer welcome and thank-you!
After the dedication we headed to the Community Center to hear people from the village tell how, thanks to IGL, they have been helped. One blind man and several other disabled people told how they didn't have any income or food until IGL stepped in and advocated for them to receive a small monthly disability pension. Another widow shared how she, too, didn't have income, but was able to receive a sewing machine and training through a micro-loan from IGL and has since paid it back and is working as a tailor.
In addition to those and other stories, we handed out certificates to the latest group of graduates from the "Cutting and Tailoring" classes and were presented with beautiful pillow cases they had made. I especially loved that part! We also gave out hygiene bags to the children which contained a toothbrush and paste, soap, a comb. a bag of laundry soap and other items as part of their hygiene training classes. Of course, I especially liked that part too! Ha.
While we were there we got to experience the Women's skill building program as the area coordinator and the local village director taught a cooking class to about 25 women on how to make a "Pickle Sauce". (It has nothing to do with pickles or pickling that we could see!). Wish I could do a link for the recipe and serving suggestions, but suffice it to say it involves a potfull of garlic, a bathtub full of chili powder and of course CURRY! All I can say is it was HOT, HOT, HOT, and it was GOOD!
Oh, and not to be too graphic but I just have to say I broke the curse of the squatty potty today! Woo-hoo! My family and those of you who have traveled with me to Ukraine or India know what an accomplishment that is for me and we'll leave it at that! Ha!
Sorry these updates are so long. Should I leave out some details and make them shorter? I just wish you all were here to experience this with me!
Tomorrow we speak at a regional conference, and I've been wanting you to meet the awesome women I'm traveling with, so that will be a good time to do that.
Love to all!
PS- One of the girls on our team is sick with a fever and missed today. Please pray for Vicki! Thanks!
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