Workday in India
January 14, 2008 email #18
Yesterday was a workday for PBI boys.  They had the HONOR of planting 300 bougainvillea plants for RGI so the wire fence would no longer look like a prison.  We divided into the teams that have been established for the dining hall and went to work---some mixing dirt and manure, some hauling dirt, some weeding, and I had three teams, white, red, and orange.  (These are the colors of the plants.) I would call out, WHITE, RED, ORANGE and they would come running with their plant and then work with the dirt haulers to get each plant correctly into the hole. 
It was so much fun to see them grasp the concept of this kind of teamwork.  They couldn’t believe that Madam would actually get her fingernails dirty.  Loren did hurt his back throwing a big rock into the trolley (wagon).  He still thinks he is 16. 

The baby church I mentioned a couple of weeks ago had 27 people in attendance this week. PTL That kind of growth is truly hard to believe.  The woman who wanted this fellowship to start has had her drunken husband attending.  The first time he came he was literally fall down drunk.  He was embarrassed and told Dr. Suresh, the leader, that he would come again, but he would wait to drink until after the meeting.  Funny thing is, he didn’t drink for two days, the longest period of time in years that he has not been drunk and beat his wife.  The next time he came, sober by the way, he said he liked coming, but didn’t want be considered a “woman follower.” They have an obsession about NOT being directed in ANYTHING by their wife.  Dr. Suresh definitely used wisdom in his reply.  “I would think you were a wise man to make sure you and your wife are ready and here on time.” So now, he is the one who is telling her to hurry up and get ready, that it is time to go.

We are being attached, I do believe.  One of the girls has come down with chicken pox.  Most of these kids have never had them so we COULD have a vast outbreak in about two weeks.  This is the exact time when we have planned a huge all day Women’s Retreat for the girls and a Sports Day for the boys.  Loren and I went to town and bought disinfectant and other medicines.  There is a tree here that they are boiling the leaves in water and it becomes a kind of disinfectant, so the girls are taking their baths with it.  Also, the girls cannot attend church with the boys for now
--- Just one more kink in the system.  I’ve heard it said, that we see problems, but God sees opportunities for His miracles.  So TRUE!!!

Here are a few updates:

The “berry kids” have returned, but would not stay for a Bible story.

My fingernail is still hanging on by a thread.  I may still lose it.

We have water, and the cracked flange is barely leaking.  Men have been hired to dig a trench from the well to the pump.  We will need to replace the entire pipe.

The PBI student’s new dining schedule is working like a charm.

Weekly meetings with the students, both boys and girls are going on and great info and fun is being experienced.

The monkeys have given Loren some down time by staying away for now. We did have a human burglar Saturday night try to steal some pots, but the House Father and Security guard were able to scare him off.

Also we are trying to “WALK NOT in the paths of cows!”

Love you all and again THANK YOU, THANK YOU for the replies.

http://www.prakash4india.org
Sylvia H. Eckhardt
Prakash for India