- Yatra to India -

Hospitality

2012-01-31T01:52:00.000+13:00

Hospitality and the way we don't even know we have a culture in it is something that becomes very evident when you are in a foreign land.

We were invited to the home of one of the agricultural workers here at the home. He over sees the crops, planting and harvesting. He has been a part of this girls home for 38 years and has seen a lot of people come and go.

We arrived at his place via small black and yellow autos that bumped over the somewhat uneven road and a couple of the kids went with D.C on the scooter.

As soon as we arrived, baby was whipped away and laid to sleep in a bedroom with about 3 ladies keeping watch over him and I did not see him again until he needed a feed about 1.5hrs later.

We were all sat in the lounge with the TV playing a video of their daughters wedding that had taken place while we were in Goa. A woman came with a bowl and jug of water to wash our hands and then a scrumptious beef (yes, beef) biriani was brought to us. None of the hosts sat with us as food was passed out and this is a common thing here in India. We did invite them to eat with us but only our friend who invited us joined. Generally the family will serve the guests and only eat once the guests have eaten enough and they have gone home. I had more than enough as food kept getting piled on my plate even though I protested. We asked for just a small amount for the boys but they got about the helping I would have liked. Needless to say our tummies were over extended that afternoon and I was in no need for dinner that night. We were also served a desert that was a bit like bread and butter pudding but with a bit of aromatic spice. It was very tasty. The meal was ended with another hand washing and then it was time to feed the baby that I had not seen for the entire time of being there. We then headed home. The hosts came out when it was time for us to leave and we had a small conversation in broken English. So I really couldn't tell you much about our hosts as I didn't really even get to see much of them and I am not sure I would even recognise them in the street to be honest. It's such a difference to our culture where you socialise over food and it's a time of togetherness and bonding. I'm not sure I will ever get used to eating on our own at someones house but I do appreciate their welcoming us into their home and filling out tummies. I hope I can reciprocate and have them over to us sometime soon. I wonder what they would think if we sat down and ate with them?

What's the haps?

2012-01-19T04:03:00.000+13:00

Mrs chilly has started to nip at my toes as the day begins but gets nudged out the way by midday only to return again in the evening. Needless to say, socks and blankets are now part of the daily routine.

We have been up to Bangalore a few days back as we are trying to get Son 4's permission to leave the country. The complicated thing is that he is now a NZ citizen by decent and holds an NZ passport (all of which we received much quicker than anticipated which was a huge relief). Of course he does not have a visa or stamp in his passport to say he arrived in the country so we need to get permission for him to leave. We e-mailed and Phoned the FRRO ( Foreign registration office) and got the same information from two sources. We needed to go to Bangalore and register him within 14 days of receiving his passport. So we got all our documents together and arrived at the office within the time frame. They decided that he should have registered 14 days after issue of the passport and no amount of trying to explain that we did not yet have the passport to register him was understood. So then we were told we will need to pay a fine for not registering on time and get an extension, an extension on what???? Finally after much questioning and confusion, the lady in charge finally said that since we have to pay a fine anyway then just don't bother registering him, come back 4 days before we depart, pay the fine and get an exit permit. So this is what we will do.

Things here at the 'Home' have been great. I really love these girls so much. Just recently I feel that my relationship with them has deepened, especially with the older girls. They used to confide in DC but they are now also drawing nearer to me. We have the older girls 2 nights a week at our place for a discussion time. The other night we were looking at love and love languages, it was very insightful to see how they perceived love from us all. I wont go into details for confidentiality's sake. The funny thing is that one of the girls now informs me of what type of love she is showing me e.g she will hug me and then say "physical touch" or compliment me and say, "words of affirmation," it's become a bit of a joke between us. The girls will not go to college without coming to our house first for their morning hug. They even race each other to see who gets the first hug and this is 16/17 year olds I am talking about. We all need a good hug from time to time. Love love love love love... yes I am still passionate about it, it just has to be at the core of everything we do. With out love all else is meaningless.

I continue to be so proud of my own kids and how freely they share us with 60 other daughters. We make sure we have family time and have a couple of meals a week at our home because I never want to make my kids feel like they come off second best. Our kids have made some great friends and mingle well. The boys sometimes get irritated with all the attention and cheek pinching but they can stand their ground among the high doses of estrogen that surround them.

Our Goa experience

2012-01-14T23:21:00.000+13:00

This was the best holiday we have had in ages. The sand the sun the surf, bliss. We had a great little apartment to stay in and hired a scooter to get around on. (multiple trips of course) We enjoyed the days spent lazing in the shacks playing chess, eating, drinking and swimming. It was amazing because we were given some Christmas money and it meant we could not only be at the wedding but enjoy a bit of R&R and spoil ourselves a little. I'll let the pictures say more that words.

Goan wedding

2012-01-14T23:05:00.002+13:00

I forgot to mention on my last post that my kids were involved in the Christmas production. Daughter 1 was in a play and daughter 3 was in a dance. They did really well and it's great that they are able to have these opportunities here.

So, now onto the wedding.... Situated on squeaky white sand under the coconut trees, the sun shining but a cool breeze blowing, the groom awaited his bride. Now let me let you in on some details of our relationship to the bride and groom. We really met properly about 4 years ago although we knew the groom since he was about 14yrs and I had met the bride once or twice before this. We happened to get to know each other through a friend who was living in our caravan and we had a mutual love for India. Over the years our relationship changed from acquaintance to almost parent/accountability to a very strong and close friendship. We probably know all there is to know about each other, strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures. We have known each other in the highs and in the absolute lows. I don't know if there is anything we do not know about each other. We are completely vulnerable and bare before each other. I am so pleased we have been able to share in their wedding day, I couldn't have bared to miss it.

Back to the wedding.... The bride appeared radiant, she looked stunning. The two looked like a picture out of a fairytale and I felt like I had been plonked into a page of a book. Their vowels were enough to make anyone cry with words of poetry oozing from both of them. The reception was fantastic, the food magnificent and more speeches that caused lumps in the throat. What a terrific and memorable time we had.

Son 3 was page boy and got to run up with the rings and give a high 5. He was given a sweet from the groom... missed the high five so came back for a second one. He looked real cute.

2012-01-09T22:34:00.000+13:00

Christmas

2012-01-09T04:49:00.001+13:00

It's been an action packed time recently. It really started off with our friends arriving from NZ, one of which was to be a groom. It was such a great time and I loved seeing them fall in love with all our precious girls here. I think we may have stolen a little bit of their hearts to keep here and maybe draw them back again at some time in the future. We loved showing them around and being able to talk the same language and laugh at the same things. We loved eating masala dosa and drinking small cups of chai followed by bigger cups of tea at home. We shopped for pants for Son 3 to wear as page boy. It's not easy finding a plain pair of pants and a white shirt, clothes for boys tend to be striped and multi coloured and pants tend to be covered in zips and other add on bits and pieces. It was also nice to say goodbye to them as we knew we would soon be seeing them in Goa for the wedding in a weeks time.

Then came Christmas. First we had a concert where the girls families and friends were invited. It was lots of work for those involved and there were high stress levels at times from Dorm mothers but it all came together in the end and probably the best it has ever been according to some board members. Son 4 even got to be baby Jesus. I was so proud of all the girls. At one point I was watching some of the more senior girls dancing and I had to bite my lip to stop it quivering and I tried hard to hide my watery eyes, I just felt so proud of them. I watched them with great warmth in my heart as if they were my own girls.

Christmas Eve we had a bonfire with songs and stories followed by presents for all the girls. They received a dress each and some other bits and pieces. It was so great to see the girls all enjoying themselves and smiling from ear to ear. My girls had bought two DVDs for the all the girls. You should have heard the screams of delight when they saw what they had been given. One was a movie they had wanted to see but we had said we would not down load it or get a pirated copy so they would need to buy it. My girls decided all on their own and with their own money to buy it. It was a moment that any parent would love to see.

We are so grateful to our church and others that gave so generously to make such a wonderful Christmas for all the girls at the Home. They had a lovely lunch on Christmas day and everything was set up nicely on the table and the girls were served their lunch.

As a family we opened our presents on Christmas eve because we were catching a bus to Bangalore followed by the train to Goa on Christmas day. Some of the 'Home' girls bough us gifts and even though some of the things we are not quite sure what to so with, the thought was precious. We now have a plastic purple flashing thingy and a fake flower in a glass cup with colored polystyrene around it :) We may need to make a shelf specially for gifts like this.

So our Christmas day ended as we dozed off to sleep on the train after 4 hours on a bus and settled in for a 14 hr train ride. Everyone traveled well including the baby. He's just amazing. The only challenge we had was a sudden awakening to Son 3 vomiting all over himself. He must have eaten something bad. Fortunately he was only sick the once and went back to sleep after. You never sleep soundly on the train but at least you can lie down. I still smile every time I hear the Chai wallahs calling.... "chai chai chai" You need to say it with a high pitched nasal sound. This is usually followed or proceeded by the equally enchanting call for coffee... "kapi kapi kapi kapi" said fast and increasing in pitch. Ahhh gotta love india.

Melt my heart

2011-12-04T00:08:00.000+13:00

What I want to share today is probably the thing that touches my heart the most at the moment. It’s one of those things that makes it so worth while being here.

DC (my Hubby) takes some of the older girls for devotion twice a week. These girls have been used to just being taught what they should do and told rules and regulations for life and Christianity but never really been given a voice or the ability to ask questions. DC has been challenging them and getting them to think, discuss and question. The girls have been loving it. In fact they love it so much they they often come and request DC to take devotions even on a day that it is not on.

The outcome of this is that DC has now built a really good relationship with these girls. They trust him and now come and ask questions. They confide in him their fears and troubles. This in return has given DC the chance to really speak freedom and life to the girls and even to help curb some bad behaviour. Now that they respect and trust him they also listen to his advice. They are not just learning religion, they are learning far more than that.

So the icing on the cake was seeing notes DC has received from a couple of girls. They went something like this:

“Uncle, I love you sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much. You are a like a father to me.”

These girls come daily for their hug from DC and I also get one too. It’s just so precious to watch. Some of the girls have no fathers or if they do, their fathers tend to be drunkards. There are not many male role models here but they have found in DC someone that really respects them and encourages them to be who they are created to be and to really think for themselves. Most of all though… they just need a listening ear.

2011-11-29T05:31:00.002+13:00

I have so much stuff racing around in my head that I am not actually quite sure where to start. So maybe I will start with an update on Deejay (DJ). Wow, the scales have tipped to the male side now.

So what can I say... We have been amazingly blessed with a baby that is so content and settled. Since day two he has been sleeping 5-6 hours in a row at night and last night he feed at 10pm and woke up at 5:45am, that's almost 8hrs. Usually we go through a time of sleep deprivation for the first few weeks but not this time. I think God knew we needed a settled baby. Throughout the day he is mostly happy and tries very hard not to cry. Today he was full of smiles for his Gran on skype. He's long and lanky where I am used to short and chubby babies. He's just so lovely.
We have people who call into our home to seethe baby, we have no idea who they are sometimes. A Hindu family who run a small shop not far from us arrived with breakfast one morning as well as ingredients ready to cook for the next day and she informed the "homes" kitchen staff how to prepare it for me. I ended up cooking it myself as I did not want the kitchen ladies having to go to trouble just for me. I have said it before and I will say it again.... sometimes the Hindus seem to be more Christ like than some of the Christians we have met.

So much has happened in the last couple of week. My parents have left after a great last week of being able to do a few things with then finally. We took a trip to Mysore and showed them a couple of sights and then out for a pre birthday lunch for my Mum at the palace we took D2 for her birthday. They even provided a bassinet for DJ to sleep in. I loved being able to show my folks a different side of India, the drive down to Mysore is beautiful. You get to see the sugar cane growing, the rice paddies, the village houses, people from all walks of life. My personal favorite thing is the little old men wearing their Lungi. The picture in my link is not of an old man but there is something I love about seeing these frail old men with legs that resemble something like our DJs little chicken legs as I like to call them. These men shuffle along the street until they meet other little old men and they will then sit and chat for hours. I look at them and wonder what their story is, what life has been like for them and where they go home to.

I was so proud of my parents, they really have embraced India in a way I never thought they would. I know that if we were not here it would not have been a place on the top "go to" places for them. They tried all the food and enjoyed it, they managed with cold showers, they shopped like pros and treated people with dignity. It makes me so happy that they enjoyed India. I love this country and now we have a baby born here. I feel a new connection to this land and it was so nice to once again share it with my parents.

We now have DJs birth certificate and just today we have all papers signed and witnessed and posted off to NZ for him to get NZ citizenship and a passport. It feels so good to have this on it's way and we just pray now that we have included everything they need and that the photo will be acceptable. It took us so long to get a photo of DJ that fits the NZ requirements for a passport. Try getting a new born to have eyes open, mouth shut, no expression, head straight and all this while not being able to hold them. It's next to impossible. We finally got a good shot ourselves but we are not sure the quality will pass the test. We just pray it will be fine.

Daughter 1 has been unwell with a nasty throat infection/tonsillitis and ended up with a rash all over her body due to a reaction to the antibiotics she was put on. She was out of action for about a month but is now back into the swing of things again. Son 3 has started vomiting and is running a fever, I just pray for quick healing and this to be short lived.

We have booked tickets for a return flight to NZ in Feb to renew our visas. I feel like we have just booked a first class flight as we will be going Singapore airlines. Last time it took us nearly 2 days to get back with 3 stops along the way. This time we have one short stop, 17hrs to get there and movies and food included. I'm actually really excited about the flight.

As I write, the rain has begun to fall and that soothing sound on the roof makes me want to crawl into bed and just lie there and listen. Plus, this is getting a rather long blog post and I hate reading long posts myself. I still have heaps to write about but I think I will stop for now and write again at a later stage.

So for now.... as porky pig would say th th th th that's all folks.

Deejay Gregory Sean Czepanski (birth story)

2011-11-05T21:10:00.001+13:00

I was almost at the stage of wondering if my parents would have to leave before the birth of this wiggling bump. I was actually feeling a little down about it all and trying hard to rally myself to have interest in anything else. Then on the 4/11/11 I went for my 40 week check up to find that this baby was ready to arrive any second and the doctor wanted to admit me then and there. (for the ladies information, I was 7cm dilated with no painful contractions) I declined and said I would come in when the first real contractions started.

My ideal birth or a sensible birth in a hospital (given we are in a rural area with a basic hospital facility) was a decision that I had had to make a few weeks back. I went with the hospital birth for peace of mind for family and friends and also because there are not emergency back ups quite the same where we are and you need to preplan for just in case scenarios. It was not an easy choice to give up my peaceful, candle lit, Jazz music, home natural birth that I was used to but I knew it was the sensible thing to do for us all.

So at about 11:45pm on the 3/11/11 I had my first contraction that made me realise that this baby was going to make an entrance. DC and I had been chatting to a good friend and then watched a video together and I had felt things were building. It was wet outside and DC decided to go out and try to get the jeep started up. It had been fixed the day before but sometimes has trouble starting. I had anticipated a ride on the scooter to the hospital (that could have been fun). By the time he came inside again I knew it was time to head off to the hospital. DC, my Mum and I headed off as the girls waved us goodbye from the veranda. I had permission for DC and my Mum to be with me, usually no one is allowed in with you for the birth.

We arrived at the hospital and I was guided to the delivery room by a lady that had cleaned my room when I was in hospital with my kidney issues. This is when they told my Mum and DC they could not come in. I tried to explain we had permission and to please ring my OB to come but they insisted that DC and MY Mum leave..... I was a bit naughty..... I got up and left the room too. I then got called to a telephone where my OB requested David to come pick her up as she had no vehicle. This was so amusing to us, a new experience in the birthing scenario :) So David went off and my Mum came to join me in the labour room. As she approached they quickly shut the doors and locked her out and so I promptly opened the door again and told them I would wait outside with my mother until my OB arrived. When the OB arrived she was shocked to see me waiting and not in the labour room but I explained what had happened and although I don't know what she said to the staff (it was all in Kannada) I knew they had had a bit of a telling off. Once that was sorted though we were all on smiling terms as they found out permission had been given and I guess they had not been told prior to me arriving so they were just doing what they knew the rules were.

The labour room was not exactly a peaceful place with people in and out (male and female), a drip put in my arm, people talking and playing Hindi music on cel phones. My OB had her camera out taking photos of me in labour and then went on to show DC and my Mum her home videos of her twin boys. The labour bed was interesting and seemed to provide no padding what so ever. I found it hard to get into my normal relaxed zone and focus on what I was doing. Everyone was very nice though and did their jobs well but it was a far cry from my ideal and I just had to make the most out of the situation before me and I am pleased that after 2.5 hrs of arriving at the hospital our wee surprise package displayed his boy bits to the world and gave us a great gusty cry. He was quickly whisked away and every orifice of him was poked and prodded while the suctioning machine malfunctioned and filled the room with smoke. I was elated that it was all over and everything went well with no complications and our little Deejay was the most perfect and handsome baby in the world. He weighed in at 3.7kg (8.2 Lbs) and 52cm long. Sure, It was not exactly the style of birth that I longed for but the outcome could not have been better. DC and Mum were great and the best part was when DC noticed I had nothing to rest my head on and so found a pillow and held my head for me, it was the best thing that happened the entire labour and amazing how such a small practical thing really made a world of difference.

We were then given a room to move to where my Mum and I spent the night with Deejay. In the morning Deejay was being welcomed into the world by what felt like the entire population of India (ok, slight exaggeration) word must have got out that the first western baby had been born here in Kollegal. We ended up locking our door to get some rest.

DC brought the kids and my Dad in later that morning and it was just so wonderful to see out 7 kids together. We have been so amazingly blessed.

Thanks to God for providing us with one more child that we thought we would not have. Thanks to my parents for flying all the way over to be here for Deejay's arrival. Thanks to DC for being a loving supportive husband and to the rest of our kids for being so excited about having another boy in the house. Thanks to all our friends who have been with us on this journey and have encouraged and prayed for us. We love you all.

Waiting

2011-10-26T19:27:00.000+13:00

It's been a while since I last blogged so I thought it was about time to catch up.

My parents arrived almost a week ago to be here for the arrival of this little baby who seems very content not to come early like the last three have. My folks are here for another couple of weeks so I know baby will come sometime while they are here. I would like it to come earlier so we can get out and do a bit more and they have time to cuddle this little bubba.

We managed to get a pretty good live feed via the Internet of the RWC final. Mum and Dad had brought over some kiwi sweets so we enjoyed watching the game and pigging out on a few tastes from NZ. Yummy chocolate and sweets, Mmmmm.

We had an amusing time arranging some things for the birth. Because we are in a rural area, the hospital facilities are not quite at western standards or Indian city standards. It's clean and I have a great doctor but she wants me to be at the hospital for the birth and not at home and we had to arrange a few things for a "just in case of emergency" situation. So one of the things we had to do was book some blood at the nearest hospital that holds blood. We thought this was going to be a simple fill in a form but in the end we had to call on one of the staff here who can drive and he was spoken to by my doctor to arrange what was needed. The next thing I know we are having to drive about 12km to a hospital (on very bumpy roads) where I got to meet one of my donors... yes you heard right... I met my donor. We did not realise that our friend was having to find people with A+ blood type to donate blood for me. So we had to go and get cross matches done. It's not that I am anticipating needing to use the blood but in NZ a local hospital would have this sort of thing on hand in case of any hemorrhage. It's just a bit more hands on here and a new experience. But it's all sorted now and I am just sitting back waiting for this baby to come. I usually like to have a homebirth but will go to hospital this time just for some safety reasons and to keep others happy. As long as we have a safe birth and healthy baby... that's what counts.

Tonight is Diwali (festival of light), so I anticipate there will be some loud crackers going off. Perhaps if this baby comes tonight we should call it Boomer. We had a bonfire and some crackers with the girls at the home a few nights ago but unfortunately the rain came and cut it a bit short.

We have all been up and down with a virus lately... one with a cough and the other with a fever. I have managed to get over mine now so finally feel fit to have this baby... Come on already!!!! Do you sense my impatience. I'm trying hard to be patient but today I'm not feeling it.

David gave all of the dorms a sheet of paper to guess when baby will come. They are having great fun guessing and are always coming and rubbing my belly or putting their ear to my belly. I don't think I will be short of babysitters.

Here's a few shots of the things we have been up to.

Almost 39 weeks pregnant

Gifts from NZ

Gran and Grandpa watching a playback of a skit the kids did.

Rugby world cup final

Bonfire and crackers night... and early Diwali.

Holding the fort

2011-10-07T00:34:00.000+13:00

First and foremost I want to say a huge thank you to my wonderful hubby and kids for keeping things ticking along and the household running while I've been out of action. The girls even cooked a meal for guests while I was away.

To fill you in.... long story short. I have been battling a kidney infection for about a month and have been on oral antibiotics. Unfortunately they did not do the trick and my body decided to treat everyone in the doctors waiting room with a dance act of me breaking into great chills and shakes (rigors) So I ended up being admitted to hospital for a few days and getting IV antibiotics. Once my fever and aches and pains had subsided it was a bit of a holiday really where I was able to read and relax. Probably just what my body wanted actually (although the IV antibiotics were pretty painful). I came home for a couple of days but test results showed that even after the IV antibiotics, the infection was still there. I came down with fever again the next day. So I am now on two antibiotics until baby is born. Bubs seems unperturbed and is wiggling away as usual but my doctor would like to see baby born in 2 weeks. I usually go into labour two weeks early anyway so that will be about the right time.

The hospital was so clean and quiet and most of the staff were great. My doctor is fabulous. One thing that we laughed at every time is that the method of checking ones temperature is with the back of the hand on the forehead.

I had a lovely view through coconut palms from my room and I remember opening the windows one morning and the morning smell of sweet smoke filled the room as people cooked their breakfast on wood burning stoves. Squirrels were running over roof tops and along the coconut leaves and I breathed in deeply enjoying the peacefulness of it all. It will be one of those memories that sticks in my mind.

Some vibrant art the school kids were doing.

2011-09-13T00:49:00.000+12:00

Trip to Mysore

2011-09-11T20:13:00.000+12:00

DC and I decided it was about time we had some time out, just the two of us. Being a small rural town here in Kollegal we decided to take a trip by bus to Mysore and perhaps enjoy a coffee in a cafe and eat some food we can't get in Kollegal and just enjoy some time out.

We headed for the bus terminal at about 8am and found the bus we needed by just asking around. There are no signs to point you to the right place, it's word of mouth here. It was about a 2hr trip and we laughed how we would never be taking a bus for 2 hrs in NZ just to have a coffee together.

Once there we purchased a coffee and then some fried chicken and chips but we realised that we have actually adapted and changed to the life in Kollegal and although the idea of a coffee in a cafe sounded nice, it was not all that our minds had lead us to believe it would be. I actually didn't enjoy it. I have become a rural small town girl that enjoys small sized Indian chai and dosa bars. The only thing we really did enjoy was some time out together and a ride through the country side and paddy fields on the way there.

Our trip back by bus was an interesting one. We found a bus heading to Kollegal but the one thing we did not find out was that it was going to take a different route home. I now know that being 8mths pregnant and dirt roads with pot holes do not go favourably together. We were in the back seat as they were the only ones free when we first got on the bus and it was fine until we hit the dirt roads. We were being bounced around like rag dolls. I held one arm under my belly and another on the seat in front to stop being thrown around too much and to support baby. The conductor came and moved us further up the bus because there were now some vacant seats but you should try walking on a bus that is swaying and jerking and crashing and banging when you are pregnant. So we had about an extra half hour of the off the beaten track road and then we suddenly heard a huge bang and I felt wind on my arm. The tyre had blown out. But we could not stop for another 10 mins or so until we got onto a wider road and this also happened to be the road of a very welcome tar seal. The tires had no tread what so ever, I don't think safety is the number one thing for bus companies here.

All in all we got back safely and I think if baby had any idea of coming early it would have on the bus. I think that may be my last pregnant bus ride for a while but we had to laugh. It's all part of the adventure.

Rice planting time

2011-09-04T23:43:00.002+12:00

The Home owns land that rice and wheat is grown on. It is not on our compound so we took a trip both in the morning and afternoon to take food and chai to the workers who were planting out the rice today. It's so wonderful to get out in the fields and try our best to communicate with the workers. Their backs must have been aching from leaning over all day but the smiling faces did not give anything away. I would love to go back again during harvest time in 3 months. I have never seen how it is harvested and have always had a fascination with rice as it comes in prepared bags ready to cook in NZ. It's a lot of sweat and hard work to get rice to our tables. I think you appreciate your meals more when you see how it got to your plate.
Some of the rice will be sold but the rest will be stored for use at the girls home. There's nothing quite like eating rice from the ground to the table.

It's funny to think that I will have a new babe in arms before this rice crop is harvested. I will be 32 weeks this coming week.

The girls making their own stoves.

2011-09-04T22:45:00.001+12:00

Public holiday!!!

2011-08-31T21:02:00.001+12:00

Today was a holiday and the first time that we have actually taken the day off from the normal things we are doing. I decided to take a walk around our compound and take some shots of the various fruit growing while DC went to experiment making a rocket stove. Some of the dorms here heat their water by lighting a fire indoors and pouring water into a metal basin. They then scoop it into a bucket for a warm wash. The problem has been that in one dorm the fire is not working well and the dorm is filling with smoke. David is working on an energy efficient and lower smoke method. Once this has been perfected he will transfer the idea indoors. It was fun to watch them at work and even more fun to come back later and see many of the children.... ours and from the home... trying to make their own outdoor stoves. Here's some pics from the day but I do not yet have the ones of all the kids making their own stoves. I will post those later. I have just finished my cup of coffee from water boiled on the stove. Fun.
I have also included a couple of random shots and a couple of our girls experimenting with film makeup on the boys.

Private song time, lovely.

The rocket stove in action

Frying an egg on top.

Worked really well.

Water for my cuppa.

Some girls helping me pick some lemons, feel the urge for lemon mirangue pie. Mmmm

Lemons

Milk

I love this.... this girls needs a stage, she's a born actress.

Look at that go!!! What can I say.... My hubby is amazing.

Chikku

Banana's newly planted.

The banana plantation. It also goes back past the trees.

Drum stick... a vegetable eaten here.

Mango tree.

Figs.

Guava.

Tamarind.

Custard apple.

The film makeup.

Leisure time.

More film makeup on son 1 leg.

The days go by

2011-08-30T00:06:00.000+12:00

I am slowing down in pace as my belly expands but I am still managing to get on and off the scooter. Bubs is growing way too well and seems to think it's athletic season. I am now almost 31 weeks pregnant.
I received a lovely parcel today in the post from some friends in Delhi, it contained some very cute new born baby clothes and a wrap, plus, a bit of money to spend on baby things. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning opening it up.

The last couple of weeks have been busy with guests visiting the home and school, this equates to lots of tea making and sometimes to two lots of tea being made if there is a mix of Indian and western people. The westerners like their big cups of tea while the Indian guys prefer the small cups of sweet chai made with boiled milk. I think I am now getting it down to a fine art. DC has been involved in many meetings sorting out various things around the home and school in regards to computers, power back ups and numerous other things, not to mention him taking devotions for the older girls a couple of nights a week and then facilitating an informal fellowship in English on Sunday for those that want to join us. We are keeping busy with teaching, keeping the accounts and general maintenance type stuff. Kids come and go throughout the day and staff come to us when payments are needing to be made. We endeavour to encourage and train the staff to their best potential. They are a great bunch of people and we can really see change taking place. It's very peaceful where we are and I do love it. It's kind of a slow busy if that makes any sense what so ever.

DC went with the our girls to Mysore during the week to look at a school that he may help out with a bit and I took the boys to watch some of the girls from the Home play in a volleyball tournament. It was a long hot day for me answering many of the same questions by about a thousand people but it was worth it to see the girls playing.

Both ours and the homes washing machine had broken down for different reasons and with guests staying this means lots of bedding to wash. We managed though and at least our one is back in action. It's our microwave/convection oven that has now given up on us. Hurray for gas stoves that never fail us even in power cuts.

So every now and then when I think ahead to Feb and us returning to renew our visas, I wonder how it is all going to work out. Things have always worked out and it's great to look back on but there always remains the question of how will it work out this time. We have everything we need here in India to live on and have been very blessed with the house we have been given rent free and we really appreciate our friends back in NZ that have given to help us financially, we could not be doing this with out them, but we do not have any savings for flights to return to NZ and get back again. Once again we rely on God and wait to watch how things unfold before us. I feel at peace about it all and am just focusing on baby arriving first and then being able to share an amazing story in a few months of how God provided.

30 weeks pregnant

Weeding day out front of our house

DC taking the boys out for some masala Chat

Meeting in Mysore

Volleyball tournamant

Birthdays

2011-08-16T19:18:00.000+12:00

Another birthday rush has now come and gone with four of our kids celebrating another year gone within 2.5 weeks of each other. Things were pretty low key this year, and no parties but we did celebrate as a family and there are enough kids in the family to play a few party games for the little ones. The older girls were amazing at arranging a treasure hunt for Son 1. They made a treasure map burned around the edges and dressed the boys as pirates. They never do anything on a small scale. I also made four chocolate cakes that we could share with the girls from the home. Son 2 got an afternoon of fun games. For Daughter 1 we went to an amusement park called Wonderla, it was really for all the birthday kids. I was a bit restricted in getting on rides but it was great to see the family having fun with their Dad. One of the English volunteers also came with us and was not too keen on the ride so we were able to sit, chat and watch.

So we now have 8 weeks till the next birthday and another 11 weeks until baby is due, although knowing me it will only be another 9 or 10 weeks. I have been picking up little bits and pieces along the way and I feel quite ready for this baby. I think I have all the basic needs apart from a bit more clothing that my mum will bring when she and my Dad come over. It will be so nice to have them here for 3 weeks. I am going to really miss the kicks and prods of pregnancy. There is something that has been comforting and familiar in them. It's funny but it makes me feel like me. After all I have been pregnant for about 6 years of our married life and although we did not expect to be able to have another baby I am so happy we are.

The tears

2011-08-16T03:17:00.001+12:00

The beginning of this week has been full of emotion. Happy, sad, mad..... mixed pregnant emotions that are exaggerated by hormones. It's one thing I do not not like about pregnancy. I am usually an even keeled sort of person with a pretty stable emotional balance but when I am getting late in pregnancy I can cry like a baby.

We eat our evening meal four nights a week down with all the kids at the girls home. Three out of the four nights are vegetarian and one night is beef (apparently it is either oxen or buffalo). So tonight we went for our first meal of the week. I help serve up from a bench that is the serving height for someone half my height. I am like a giant here. The meal consisted of ragi ball, rice, ladies finger and two types of daal. I think my baby is growing far to well on this healthy diet.

After serving I sat down to eat my meal. One of the little 4 year olds who comes to my English class in the afternoons got a phone call from her mother. Little tears began to well in her eyes and then drip down her cheeks. Ah man, don't let a pregnant woman see this.... I had to look away and blink blink blink. It broke my heart to see the bitter sweetness of a small child who was so happy to hear from her mother but also so sad not to be with her. It just makes you want to hold and cuddle them.
Most of the girls here come from poor families that just can't afford to keep their kids or dysfunctional families. Some have only one parent and a few are true orphans. A month or so ago another little 9 year olds father died. The sad thing was that she did not appear to be affected at all by it. Her dad drank too much and beat her mother and perhaps her too. Sadly I think it may have been a relief that her dad was gone. Tragic.

I went to the wedding of a young girl from the home last week. She has grown up in the home and left from the home for marriage. It was an arranged marriage by her mother to a boy from the local church. She was 20 years old and he seems like a nice guy. She looked so scared the poor girl but the wedding went well. Some are sad she did not finish her college training. I see marriage and being a good wife and raising a family as just as important and not to be belittled. I pray they have a wonderful life together as she is a gem of a girl.

Son number 3 managed to slip in the shower and cut just above his eye. It kind of looked like a boxers split. I am so pleased we have found a hospital we can trust as he did require stitches. Yesterday the stitch came out and he's been a box of birds throughout the whole time.

DC has had some great contacts made with some local guys. It's exciting to see what will come of it. They are keen to see some staff training in IT. One guy is from Mysore and has invited him to come down and see his school. It seems he has a very different school than the norm here and is trying to regain the creative side of things back in the children. Another guy came from Ireland and he and DCare going to work together to train staff here where we are. We shall wait and see how it all unfolds.

27 weeks and final trimester

2011-08-05T16:46:00.001+12:00

Things are still going nicely for my pregnancy. I am about to have a check up next week.
I decided to do a comparative look at my belly at the same stage for the last 3 pregnancies starting with son 2 then son 3 and then the current bubs. This is really for my own curiosity, it's probably not at all interesting to anyone else. Here's week 27.......

This gave me goose bumps

2011-08-02T01:31:00.001+12:00

We ventured up to Bangalore last week to take a couple of the volunteers back and also got to spend Son(3) third birthday while up there. Our friends had made him a cake and made us a yummy mince and pasta meal. Sometimes it's nice to have a spice free meal, not that I don't like the Indian food but a change is nice occasionally.

While we were there DC got introduced to a guy from Kollegal and it turned out that his mother had grown up in the girls home as an orphan. That was pretty neat in itself but then he told us that a lady had done a thesis on the history of the home and that it was in the library. DC went and did some investigating and found the article. The thing that gave us goose bumps was that the first two lines described how the lady that founded the home was commissioned by George Muller himself. The significant thing is that George Muller and his biography had really impacted, inspired and encouraged us. It's like we could suddenly identify with the very beginnings of the home we are now in and understand the original intentions behind the founder. It was very exciting for us.

What's up?

2011-07-20T18:19:00.000+12:00

Things are ticking along nicely at the moment. We are really feeling like this is home and where we belong right now.

We found a restaurant that does some non vege food so we did a family outing the other night. It was nice to go out all together. The place was a somewhat on the grubby side and we were led up an ally way to a small concrete room with two tables in it. They had about 6 of these rooms and they all have a curtained doorway. Obviously word got out that there was a foreign family in a cubicle and we had people pulling back our curtain and standing and staring. It was quite funny really. DC would ask "Can I help you?" but they would just smile and take photos. The food was outstanding though and we have had a few days to test that our stomachs did not get upset either. I would definitely go back again. Pepper chicken and chili chicken was divine.

The kids (+Dad) are busy building a tree hut while they have 2 weeks holidays and the boys continue to.... well.... just get muddy. The weather has cooled off a bit and we are getting a bit of rain which is nice but we are still awaiting the coming of the real monsoon.

Bubs is doing all the right things as far as I can tell... moving well, belly getting bigger. Overall I am feeling really good. Here's a pic of my belly at 25 weeks as requested by my little cousin who is also expecting. It's been a tough road for them having kids but now they have a cute little adopted boy form Korea and a baby on the way... I am so happy for them.

Blink and it's gone

2011-07-09T23:42:00.000+12:00

Another week has flown past all too fast and yet not fast enough. I love the fact that every week that goes brings us closer to the arrival of bubs and that excites me. My parents are booked to fly over on the 20th October so hopefully bubs will stay put until they get here. I am looking forward to showing them a different side of India.

DC and I have taken on more responsibility here at the girls home. We are now keeping the accounts, organising the budget, paying the wages and general money business. I have been doing a bit of training with the staff on leadership but in a pretty relaxed way. It's more of a topic with discussion and it has been going really well. We are really seeing the heart of the Dorm mothers now and they are becoming friends. There is a real feeling of "team" and working together. No hierarchy, just healthy encouragement and learning how to deal with issues or conflict in a biblical way. We are seeing more smiles on faces and the atmosphere of the place has really started to change.
DC has also been asked to start some bible teaching and worship with the older girls. He has not begun yet but it is something we are looking into so that it can be done in a fun and meaningful way and not just another "tick the box" because we and the girls have to do this. Everything can become so structured and dare I say, religious, if we are not careful.

Son 2 fell from a tree a few days ago and is now the proud owner of a cast on his right arm. He's already finding that it is not so fun after a while. We were very impressed with the quick and efficient way the staff at the orthopedic clinic dealt with him. No waiting for hours at an A&E. Sometimes the many little clinics seem to be better than one massive hospital.

We also enjoyed a day in Mysore earlier this week as we celebrating one of the volunteers birthday. We got to indulge in some pizza and coffee from a real cafe. We came home after our day out and had some peanut butter sandwiches on non sweet bread we purchased in Mysore and peanut butter we also picked up. Who would have ever guessed that a peanut butter sandwich would taste like such luxury, Mm mm.

22 weeks preggy shot

2011-07-01T01:30:00.000+12:00

All is going well on the baby front. Here's my weekly shot. (Someone needs to tell me to stop slouching) I am the biggest I have been in all my pregnancies at 22 weeks and I look more like I normally do at 27 weeks. It must be the Indian food :)

We have been advised to get a reverse osmosis water filter as the nitrates may be high in our drinking water and the current UV filter will not help lower the nitrates. It can cause problems for the baby called blue baby syndrome. So now that we know we will get ourselves our own filter and a good friend who we called on for his expert science mind has given us a do it yourself method of distillation. It might take a little too long to get the amount of water we need though hence why we will get a RO filter. It's more of a precautionary thing really.

The bubba at 21 weeks

2011-06-23T21:05:00.001+12:00

I have had a few requests from friends to see a photo of my belly as they say they don't believe from other photos that there is a baby there. So you'll find one at the bottom of the page :) I may even do a weekly shot as more of a remembrance for me.

I am feeling good, baby is still moving well and I can eat like a horse. I love Indian food again which is a relief considering where I live. I crave veges and dairy products and meat. Come to think of it food in general is a craving. I do not have the usual junk food cravings, well, maybe occasionally. An ice cream is always good.

It's getting harder to kick my leg up and over the scooter when I get off but I can still manage and am sure I will for a few months yet. The car we can borrow from time to time is out of action for now so the scooter or walking is the method of transport for us. The kids enjoyed pointing out to me that I actually carried home 10kgs of goods from the shop today. 2kg flour + 2kg sugar etc etc... it adds up I guess but I enjoyed the walk anyway.

Indian clothing is brilliant for pregnancy. Adjustable waist ties, big loose tops and cool cotton all are great and no need to buy different or extra clothing.

I almost forgot to say that my order of nappies "flips" arrived today. They are cloth style inserts and will work well here as our rubbish has to be burned and the thought of burning disposables is just pure yucky. So I now have 18 inserts hanging on the line as they need to be pre washed five times for maximum absorbancy and little lemon and lime covers (non gender specific). It was cheaper to get these sent from the USA than order within India. It always pays to do your research. Thanks to those who made it possible for us to get these. At least now babies bottom will be covered... appreciated muchly. (yes I know that's not a real word)

I am enjoying pregnancy.

Love

2011-06-23T20:28:00.000+12:00

When going through a bit of a rough patch, one of those overwhelmed moments, one of those times where it feels like the whole demonic force is out to get you, I cried out to God "What do we do?"
I was crying out for direction, provision, for peace and you know what I heard him say in response, "Love me." Wow, two simple words that did not answer any of my questions but that did bring the simple realities back into perspective.

So I got to thinking about love, about what it means to love and to be loved. It's pretty clear in the bible that this is one of the fundamentals of our faith and that without it everything else is meaningless. So I decided that it was time to focus on loving God. Time to stop the focus being on me/us and just get back to the basics of love. To stop trying to work everything out and just to love God.

So as happens, soon after this I hear an online sermon on love, get sent a blog from a good friend and all I could see in it was love. Love, love, love. Now this is not a startling new revelation for me but I think I had sort of lost it along the way. Not that I didn't love but it was not my focus.

Without love everything we do is futile.

Luke 10:27 "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

So there it is, plain and simple. Love God, love others and love yourself. One preacher said that we need to learn to love ourselves because we can't love others beyond what we love ourselves, interesting thought.

Gotta love it

2011-06-23T20:10:00.000+12:00

My boys have been enjoying getting out the back of the house with one of the workers here who maintains the fields. He speaks no English. Today I overheard Son 2 teaching him English and Madu teaching Son 2 Kananda. So Madu is teaching Son 2 to count and in return Son 2 has taught Madu how to say ninkumpoop (I don't even know how you spell that one) He can now say it with a good kiwi accent and I am sure will add value to his life in some way that I can't see right now :)

Pondering

2011-06-23T19:47:00.001+12:00

Yesterday was a pondering day as I marveled at the fact a cow was grazing outside our kitchen window.

As I sat on the porch young school kids were walking past our house waving and trying out their limited English and then rattling off some Kannada words followed by giggles as they covered their mouths. Who knows what they were saying, probably cheeky, but it made me smile.

I pondered on all the small things that made me smile here, the lizards, the squirrels, our kids playing in the trees and in the dirt. They all climb these massive trees called Bunion trees and they have large vines to swing on like Tarzan, talk about fun.

I thought back to when we first arrived, I was in my first trimester of pregnancy and feeling lousy. The 1500 meter walk to dinner at night felt like a marathon let alone getting everyone organised with plates to take. Once there the girls from the home were all over us with shouts and smiles and personal space invasion. I remember my head spinning and feeling dizzy and nauseated, the heat rushing to my head, my heart pounding and I kept telling myself, "this is what I came for" but my body was definitely not in agreement. I was exhausted and disappointed that my dream felt like such a huge effort. I actually struggled to see how I was going to bring any input or good to this place when all I wanted was for no one to disturb me and to just sleep.

Last night though as I walked to dinner I enjoyed the walk in the cool night, the stars, the frogs that leap past and over your feet and thanked God for the second trimester. It is so good to feel more energy and be able to appreciate things again.

I began teaching English to the 4 and 5 year olds at the beginning of this week. We have 5 new girls here now and one of them is in my class. She did not even know how to say hello but after the first lesson she was able to answer the simple question "What is your name?" She is picking things up so fast, it's very encouraging.

As with all children, the kids here need some basic training of the heart. There is punishment that happens but not teaching the heart why you should do the right thing. Lying, stealing, teasing are a few areas I see that we can have some input into. I want children to do the right thing because they want to honour God and not out of the fear of being caught and punished. The first step is some training for the staff here and we will be beginning that next week.

DC has been putting in some very hard long hours into cracking a computer idea that allows one computer to run four screen simultaneously and that each of those screens can be doing their own thing. This has been already set up here but is not working properly but it has sparked DC into trying to better it and make it optimal. It has caused frustration and many times hitting a brick wall but he has persevered and it looks like he has cracked it. Now it just needs some fine tuning and then take the idea to some other schools, Internet cafes and that sort of thing. The great thing is that it saves money on hardware and power. Who does not want to save some Rupees if they can? Hats off to DC, he's kept plodding on through the obstacles. I am very proud of him.

So there's a few catch ups on what we have been up to, I do love it here even though every now and then the waves of overwhelment (not really a word I think) come and I wonder how I will cope with another baby arriving soon. Deep down though, I know that this is where we should be, this is where I want to be and I love these kids. Sure a new born will change things for a while but things will still function and normality will return again, (that's if you can call what we are doing normal :)

SEX DETERMINATION PROHIBITED

2011-06-14T12:58:00.000+12:00

I ventured down yesterday with my 3 girls to get a routine scan done. We arrived at the scan clinic which looked more like a train station with people crammed into a small open room and sprawled out onto the street. I managed to squeeze my way through to the front desk and hand them my scan form. I then joined the multitudes outside and found a small concrete step to sit on. The girls went for a walk as the wait was going to be at least 45 mins.

All eyes were on me as I waited with everyone. I didn't realise that putting on some lip balm would become the focal point of interest for all around. I realised at this point that I am still very much a foreigner her in Kollegal. We and the two volunteers are the only westerners living here.

After about an hour I was called in and again pushed my way through the crowd. The girls were not allowed to come in but it didn't really matter because I didn't get to see the baby on the scan either. I did get to see the lady before me though as the next person is brought in while you are getting your scan done and every time the sliding door is opened the whole waiting crowd get to see your belly.

The very large printed signs reading SEX DETERMINATION PROHIBITED was fairly clear that I was not going to find out the sex of this baby but I don't mind, a surprise will be nice. I can understand why this is in a country where females are aborted at a high rate.

The sonographer asked how many children I had and was clearly not impressed with my answer when he relied "for what purpose" and then followed up with, "You will have an operation after this." with which I replied "No, I have a different philosophy on children" and left it at that.

The good news is that there is one very healthy baby in my belly and it is measuring 2 weeks bigger than the expected date. I know I have been feeling bigger than usual and had even wondered if I had twins on the way. Once I see my OB I will discuss with her if she sees any need to adjust arrival dates of this baby or just go with the fact it is a big baby so far. Everything else on the scan looked optimal for a good birth ahead. I was sent away with 3 tiny pics of baby, one of it's skull, one of it's belly and one of something that I do not know what it is. This is going to be the biggest surprise package we have had. Exciting really.

Baby update

2011-06-09T13:37:00.000+12:00

Yesterday I popped into a new hospital here in Kollegal. I didn't even know it existed. I asked if they did obstetrics and was told no but when I showed my baby bump they suddenly knew what I was talking about and was shown where to go. I now have a lovely OB who speaks good English. She assured me that the hospital is equipped to handle any complications of pregnancy if they arise. The thing I am most happy about is that I want a home birth and she is happy to come to the house if baby comes quickly. My babies do come quick and I would like to remain at home but at least I know there is a hospital not far should the need arise. It's actually only about a 5min walk away. So all in all I am feeling really good about the baby side of things here.

I will have a scan next week which will be interesting. I feel quite huge for this stage of pregnancy and have wondered if there may be another baby hiding in there somewhere. Even the OB thinks I felt large for 19weeks. It could just be how the baby is positioned but will be interesting to see. Next week I will be half way there.

So I guess if we are going to be here in India for the birth, I need to start thinking about getting a few things together for the baby. We have been sent a cute little NZ top from my friend in NZ and that is the only clothing I have so far :) I also have a baby blanket that my friend made for Son 3. It's like starting all over again. I am thinking a portable cot will be the way to go in case we need to move in Feb. I just want the bare minimum of stuff, no need for all the extra palaver.

I am now really looking forward to the arrival of this wee little bubs, I love all the kicking and moving he/she is doing. I love you my baby.

Visitor from NZ

2011-06-09T13:21:00.000+12:00

We have a had a wonderful last couple of weeks with a friend visiting from NZ. The car we are using gave us our usual adventures. It broke down after the airport pick up so we didn't get to our hotel until 2am and for DC it was 3am and then up again at 6am to try and get it sorted and going again. By 1pm we were on the road to Kollegal. It's become a push start job now but at least we are getting places.

It was nice to hear a kiwi accent and enjoy cups of tea with our friend. It is funny that over this time of decision making we had this nice distraction to take our minds off things for a bit. It also looks like she will return to Kollegal for a year next year. It's always nice to introduce someone to India and show them around a bit.

Daughter 2 got stung by a scorpion the other day. It was painful but no major problems from it. We took a trip to the hospital as we don't know much about these things and had been advised by staff here at the home to go. They also treated it with cut up onion. Apparently it draws out the venom. It was so nice to see the concern from all the girls here at the home. We had a house full of onlookers.

So where are we at with decisions?....... It's still not definite yet but we are now thinking we will stay on until February which is when our visas run out. That way we give the business side of things every opportunity to work and give God as much time as we possibly can. At that point in Feb we will have either made the $25,000USD and be able to extend our visas or be told to leave the country and we will then take things from there. We still have ups and downs of emotions. It would be nice to be fully sure of where we will be next year but right now we are uncertain and so just have to deal with that. One day at a time is how it is really.

I am currently writing a volunteers manual for the home along with a couple of other volunteers here. Just a booklet of how things work and the do's and dont's. We have all found we have had to feel our way into this place and work out how it all works so I think this will be helpful.

On the up side of things

2011-05-19T16:51:00.000+12:00

So it's looking more and more like we will be returning to NZ probably in September but I cannot say that as an absolute yet. We have gone through some days of tears and frustration and a mixed variety of emotions. I was watching a slide show of photo's of our time here at Kollegal. It was on a big screen with all the girls from the home and I must admit that I felt a bit teary at the thought that our time may be coming to an end sooner than I thought.

I do not regret for a minute the time here in India. It has been hard at times, in fact, it has been very hard but I have also had some of the best times and experiences of my life . I look at the places we have been, the people we have met and the great privilege that we have had of being immersed into a culture so different from our own. I have seen and lived in the city life and the rural life of India and have discovered that it's the villages that really stir me. It has changed me forever and I would give up everything all over again if we need to. I do not regret that we will only have a 2 bedroom flat to go back to and no work for a while until we get sorted. I don't regret that money will be non existent for a while because we used all of what we had to come to India. And do you know why I don't regret it..... because I know we gave it our best shot. I know we have impacted lives and been taught so much ourselves. We are taking with us a rich new outlook on life and the biggest thing I see is that we have options before us and that is something that so many people here do not have. We can start over and although it might be tough for a while, I know that we can get work and slowly get our lives sorted again in NZ if that is what happens. I don't have the western expectations of wants anymore and I hope that remains and I don't fall back into trap of wants over needs.

Our kids have had an amazing experience. One that has given them outlooks and opportunities they could never have had in NZ. The girls have been involved in teaching, getting up at 5:30am to milk the cows and then again in the afternoon. They have met people from all sorts of back grounds. They have seen poverty and had the joy of giving, They have seen palaces and great history. The boys have taken it all in their stride and spend the days up trees, making huts, catching bugs while Jax spends his days making mud pies and being completely filthy all the time. All the kids have had a taste of another culture, living in community, eating different food and adjusting every time we move. Hats off to them, they have been amazing and I know it will impact the rest of their lives.

So it could be a busy time of packing again soon and working out the ins and outs of what we do from here practically. It sounds like I have given up on India but I am ready if we get the chance to come back or if circumstances suddenly change but right now I have settled on the fact that returning to NZ seems to be where we are headed right now and then lets see what happens from there.

Small update

2011-05-14T14:01:00.000+12:00

I have also found out that Baby would require a visa issued and registration done here in India as well or it will not be allowed out of the country. So the procedure looks like this.....

1. Baby is born
2. Register baby's birth in India (not sure how long this will take)
3. Apply for Indian birth cert once we have registered (not sure how long this will take)
4. Apply for NZ citizenship (20 days)
5. Apply for passport (10 days)
6. Wait for Documents in the post (?10 days max)
7. Apply for visa here in India (not sure how long this will take)
8. Apply for registration (not sure how long this will take)

So it is quite a procedure which would usually not be a problem apart form the pain of paper work, but, our spanner in the works is that we do not have time on our hands due to our expiring visas at that time. Not sure what they would do with a new born not allowed to leave the country and parents that have to. Surely they would have to give some sort of extension for a while. It is sounding like leaving early might be the way to go but we have a wedding of some very special friends here in India and I would be so sad to miss it. There is still time for the Business things to have some amazing miracle happen, That would solve all the problems.

Mmmm?

2011-05-14T13:17:00.000+12:00

What to do? There are many issues that we are having to sort through, many questions we need answered and a boost of faith would not go amiss either. Basically we are not sure quite what to do right now.

God seems very quiet and we have some decisions we need to make soon. The biggest thing right now is that the time baby is due and the time frame we have for getting baby registered here in India for birth and a birth certificate issued and then applying for NZ citizenship and a passport for baby is going to be a tight squeeze if we are going to have to return to NZ again in Jan or early Feb to re new visas again. We called NZ today to find out time frames for their part and found it would be over a month before we get the passport back in our hands and we have no idea from the India side yet. The other issue is that if we then find that the US$25,000 came through at the last minute and we could apply for a visa extension here, we would need our passports here in India and they also require them in NZ for the baby( they want the original documents). Mmmm, tricky.

So our other option is to return to NZ to have baby so that there are no issues with time delays for passports but it would mean we would need to leave here in September due to flying restrictions in late pregnancy. Then comes the decision of where to stay and for how long etc etc. We have a flat we could move into but at the moment it is our only source of income.

We are seeking God for answers and direction and are waiting to see what answers we get in the next few weeks. I’ll keep you posted.

Returning back

2011-05-10T04:29:00.000+12:00

Most of the girls have returned from their holidays. There are tears from some and some are happy to be back. I must say that after visiting some of the girls in their villages, I feel I have a bit more insight into their lives and how much this place is helping them and it also spurs me onto how much difference I can make in these kids lives. It is sad to see kids saying goodbye to family, knowing they will only get to go back to their village in a years time. No matter how tough situations are, home is still home. I am loving my return home hugs and letting them cry on my shoulder if they need to. It doesn't take long though and the smiles return.

One thing I think is lacking all round is encouragement. There is a lot of trying to bring kids up to a standard and therefore a lot of telling what they are not doing and not much praising for what they are doing. I think it is the same for the staff. I am making a point of looking for the positive and starting to encourage more. It has also made me look at my own family and I realise I do the same thing with my kids. Not enough praise, it's so easy to see and point out what they are doing wrong and forget to point out the good things. It's something for us all to work on. I have seen amazing responses from staff and kids when I praise them, they actually don't know how to cope with it.

We had a tough day the other day just thinking over options for what we do and how we plan for next year. Will we still be here, planning versus faith. It's just the not knowing that can be hard. Not knowing year to year if we will be here or not. I would love God to put aside his last minute answers and just give us a bit of an idea. I know he has it sorted but I wouldn't mind him just letting us in on the plan a bit :)

We have no baby stuff, this does not worry me so much but I don't want to get stuff here only to find we are on our way back to NZ. So I am thinking porta cot will be the way to go and clothes. That should be about all we need . Other stuff is really just surplus and hey, we could always have baby in bed with us (shock, horror) Sometimes you just have to work with what you have and it may not be the usual way you do things.

So it's things like that that have been running around our heads. I am not stressed by it but I would like to make some decisions. If only money grew on trees then there would be no hassles, visa issues would be solved, flights taken care of etc etc. But for now, I have resolved that I will give my all to where I am now and the time I have here, however long that may be. I could sit and worry about what the future holds and ruin the here and now or just get on with things. I love it here, even when there are ups and downs. There are precious kids here who need love and anything I can offer, my own kids included.

Villages

2011-05-02T21:51:00.000+12:00

I think I found my true love in India. This is what it is all about to me. Going into the villages where life is tough, where they have heard the gospel but are still coming to grips with there being one God and so just adding Jesus to the wall of gods. It's about seeing needs of people, loving them, encouraging them and praying for them. It does not seem to matter what religion they are they want you to pray.

These are the people who slog their guts out every day with sore backs, aching feet, heat stroke, little food, small houses with 8 living in them on mats around the walls so they don't get wet when the roof leaks. These are the people who smile as if everything is ok even though they are the ones putting in all the work so that we can have cheap rice on our tables, silk wedding gowns, cheap cotton products. Because lets face it, we all like a bargain and we get the bargains by suppliers getting these things from the poor old farmers and workers that have barely enough money to feed the family. But you know why they smile, because they have a job but at the same time I have seen the tears of those that can not get education for their daughters, the anguish of parents that feel helpless to give to their children what they know would help their future or to feed them enough. I have seen the beaten wives who's husbands drink because they can't cope with not being able to provide for the family, its a no win situation. This is where we can make a small difference in a few peoples lives. To give the opportunities to help educate, feed, clothe, shelter their daughters when they cannot, or give hope to those girls that have no parents, one parent, abusive parents, drunk Dad's. Love, love, love is the key.

I have had a few days of traveling by boat, bus and auto to visit villages, seen amazing hospitality, always a fruit juice and a biscuit from everyone even though they do not have much themselves. I have had mats rolled out and made to have a sleep, the pillow being an old bag stuffed with cotton. We have been fed a meat curry and rice dish where I have no idea what meat it was but it had stomach lining and all and I ate it because this would have been such a huge sacrifice for them. It was tasty mind you. The houses we were in were kept so clean and tidy, even the ones where it was just a one room brick place with a patchy roof. There is a sense of pride in the home and a thankfulness for what they have. The villages are beautiful. The people are beautiful.

I looked around these places and once again was reminded of what rubbish we fill our homes with in the west. So call needs that are really wants or comforts. Everyone sits on the floor here, eats on the floor. Usually there is one bed and one cupboard that contains all clothing for the family and their bedding that gets pulled out at night with mats on the floor. They have some cooking pots and utensils and that seems to be all that is needed. Wow, these guys are amazing, incredible and I really admire them. Life is hard but they get on with it. I am so thankful I have had this opportunity and privilege to be let into these peoples lives. I pray they all come to know the blessing and abundance of God.

People in the west don't really like to hear this stuff, it's a bit unsettling that maybe they have too much. I speak to myself here as well. If we had to return to NZ, we would have a 2 bedroom flat with 9 of us living in it. By western standards people would be feeling sorry for us but over here it would be luxury.... flip, it has a bathroom and running water, hot water at that. I believe God wants to bless us abundantly but what does that look like? Does it look like western standards of opulence? Would I be satisfied with a small flat? I think I would now than if I had not visited these villages. Life lessons are always the best. I don't think it is about bringing yourself to a level of poverty but lets be happy and appreciate what we have. I have a roof over my head, food to eat, time to enjoy life. Lets stop moaning about the little things and give thanks for the here and now and what we have been blessed with. We have been more than abundantly blessed.

The Lab experience

2011-04-27T23:40:00.000+12:00

Today was fun. I walked into town with another German volunteer and we did a bit of shopping and I also needed to get a pregnancy blood and urine test done. So we asked around some shops to see if there was a Lab nearby and got given some ok directions in some very broken English. Amazingly enough we found it, although it did not really look like a lab. There were heaps of people cued up and I thought I would just see if I had the right place and sure enough I did and the line was for another scan or something so I got to go straight in. I decided I wanted to see the needle come out of a sterile pack as it was a bit of a grubby place. In no time at all the blood test was done and done very well I might add. The needle got recapped (a big no no in NZ) and then thrown into an open box.
I was then given a tiny tiny little glass pot. Now when I say tiny I mean tiny. Smaller than a film canister. Lets say about 2cm high with a 1cm opening at the top. So I venture into the loo to find there is no light so only limited visibility and think to myself. How am I going to do this? It was a squat loo and to be perfectly frank it was hard to see the stream to catch it and hard to catch it in that wee pot without getting it all over your hand. So next thing after wee is collected, I am thinking that I can't take this little pot that is all wet and give it to them, so I wash it under some water being careful not to get water inside it and then dry it on the inside of my top. I then take it back to the lab where I get to place it next to all the other little wet pots, but mine is beautiful and dry. They must think I am some amazing woman to collect that specimen so cleanly :)
I then see a lab guy holding up another little pot to see if it is clean before handing it to someone else who will also bring it back soon and add it to the little waiting cue of urine samples.
1/2 and hour later though I had my results and all was good. Quite a new experience.

Yesterday was yesterday but today is today

2011-04-26T21:24:00.000+12:00

I feel fantastic today. I woke up and did not need to vomit, I did not feel dizzy or faint during the morning and usually I would be sleeping now but funnily I don't feel that desperation to sleep like I had been. So instead I will rest with my feet up and write for a bit. I think I must have turned the corner and have officially left the first trimester of pregnancy. Wooo Hooo!!!!!

David managed to get the business thing paid that he had tried so hard to do for several days. It took him all morning but it is done now. Just a few more things to do and then time to look for a new accountant. Our accountant does not want us anymore :( but we are happy about this because we were thinking of changing as we have very different views on bribes and he is fully aware that we will not pay them. So not quite sure where or who we will get one. English is not spoken so much in kollegal and so Mysore would be closer but our business is in Bangalore. Mmmm, what to do?

Tough

2011-04-26T03:49:00.000+12:00

After a wonderful Easter weekend and especially a really special brunch full of eggs, fresh cut fruit, hot cross buns brought from Ooty and then a treasure Easter hunt for our kids and for the girls that did not get to go home for the holidays, I walked around the compound here. I looked at the mangoes ripening on the trees and could picture plucking one soon and sitting under the tree with sticky juice running everywhere and then having to run from the monstrous ants that would be after me. I enjoyed walking in the cool of the Bunyan trees, looking at the tomatoes growing, the corn, the cows, the vine of some sort that would be growing some mystery fruit or vege soon. Would it be a melon, pumpkin, cucumber? They all look the same to me before they fruit. The place seemed to be fertile and alive and fresh and perfect. I felt like I had a wee snippet of the garden of Eden and I felt fulfilled. It was a wonderful feeling.

Then I don't know what or how it happened but today was the first day where I thought I wanted to return to NZ. We had issues getting some business paper work done and DC had to line up for an hour for the 3 rd time only to be told he still needed to bring more identification. Now it was not that that really bothered me as I know that in India things take longer and small things become big things but I hate seeing DC so upset about it. I don't like seeing his frustration and him being down and so I thought to myself, if we are just going to be here going up and down, up and down and my hubby is not happy then why are we here. Maybe we should just go, pack up and leave. I just want to see him happy and fulfilled.

So those were my thoughts and then I have to weigh those thoughts up and all the things that have happened to get us here, all those "coincidences". Yesterday felt like paradise and yet today I wanted to leave. Lots of jumbled thoughts swimming around. I love India, I love the people but some days it is hard and then you get over it and you carry on. I guess we are still waiting to see how we fit in here at the girls home and see what God does. I love these kids here but don't feel that I am contributing much yet. Time, time, time I guess.

So there's my wee waffle that may or not make sense.

and this...

2011-04-21T15:12:00.000+12:00

Just wanted to add that my husband is my hero. He did so well yesterday driving in the hot sweat causing sun, the mechanical awkwardness, the potholes, finding ones way, avoiding trucks, buses, cars, bikes of all kinds, oxen and carts, people and other various animals and lets not forget the 7 hours it took plus around town stuff. You are a legend my love.

What a trip

2011-04-21T14:11:00.001+12:00

We set off early yesterday morning. Our goal was to go to Bangalore to pick up a puppy, a golden Lab for Daughter no.1. There was great excitement. So, all went well on the way up to Bangalore. We stopped off at a McDonalds as there is nothing like that in Kollegal and everyone had a chicken burger... no beef here remember. I must say that I have never been a huge Mcdees fan but I am now enjoying a spice free burger when I can. It is a nice change for the taste buds.

We arrived in Bangalore to R and L place and they had lunch ready for us all. I ate far too much and am still regretting it now. When pregnant, the gut just lets the food sit and sit and repeat and repeat on you. Anyway..... after lunch we headed off to get this puppy. It was hot and we were all sweating and the car that we have been lent to drive is in somewhat of an antique status but we are so glad to have some transport. We took one wrong turn which wasn't too bad considering we are in a huge city with no street names and you travel by land marks.

We had also bought an Austrian girl and German lady up with us from Kollegal and the Austrian girl was going to be staying on in Bangalore for a while and going to help out at a place called Home of hope I have been inspired by this video and would love to go and visit some time. This is real mercy in action. The reason I am telling this now is that where we picked up the puppy from was on the same street as Home of Hope. It was great to see where it is. It is a home for the destitute and those that no one wants, just amazing. So after traveling on past there we came to a place called accept. This is where we were picking up the puppy. It turns out that it is a hospice and hospital and home for people with HIV. Oh man, these are all things I would love to help with. Again, love in action.

We were then taken to see the puppies, so so cute. D1 picked her one and we went to pay. It turns out that the payment goes as a donation to the Home. So it's nice to be getting something that is wanted and being able to give to a great cause. So after much Ooooing and Ahhhing, we set off with one puppy in tow, back to pick up our German lady again and make a couple more stops so that we will be on the road back to Kollegal by about 4pm. But.... David started to notice a problem with the clutch and it got worse and worse until it was hard to get out of gear and with not so good brakes this is not a great look. By the time we got back to R & L it was not doing well at all. We had a mechanic come and look and of course it worked perfectly for him and he said there was nothing wrong and that maybe it had just over heated. So we headed off for another 10km but the clutch was getting really bad again. We stopped at B & V place and had a drink and it was about 6pm by now. Then we decided that if we could get out of the city then at least we would not need to change gears so much and maybe we could get home. This was not meant to be. We all piled in the car only to find it would not engage into gear at all now. So out we get again, back to B & V and call another mechanic who came and started to get to work on the car. It looked like we would need to spend the night in Bangalore with B & V. This meant all of us (8) plus our German lady and a puppy with it's first night away from it's mum and B & V in a two bedroom flat. I was feeling quite sick at this stage from the heat, travel and eating too much so I started making visits to the loo to vomit. David went out with B to get some dinner for everyone and managed to have an wee accident on the way but they were ok. B had had an accident in the morning as well in his brothers car, it was not looking like a good automobile day.

By about 9:15pm the guys arrived back with dinner. I can't say I ate anything though. Then by 9:45pm the car was fixed and it was time to head off. Poor DC, he had traveled all day in this very hard to drive car, in the heat and now we were heading off for another 3.5hr trip in the dark. At least now the clutch was in good order. A few of the the kids were crying at this stage due to tiredness and trying to find space to lie down but the puppy was fantastic the whole trip.

It's amazing how much traffic there can be at 10pm in Bangalore and it took us a while to get out and on the open road but once we did id was better..... for a while. Then we saw the lightening and the wind came up and then the rain. There were two issues with this. 1. The wiper blades looked like they were made for a toy car and 2. We were missing a back window that had fallen in on our last journey :)
It made for an interesting trip back but we made it and I was pleased to be back home again, kids in bed, puppy to sleep and us to bed. I am still feeling bit sick this morning. I think travel and pregnancy don't mix well with me.

So all I can say is thanks God for getting us back in one piece and please.... a car would be nice :)

Seven a side

2011-04-15T13:30:00.000+12:00

I woke up early in the morning in Melbourne on our way back from new Zealand. We were staying over night at some friends who graciously picked us up late at night and let us all bunk down for the night. We are so grateful to them. So as I was saying…. I woke up, rolled over to D.C and said, “I feel pregnant”. This was the beginning of our Yatra back to India.

We arrived in Singapore after a flight of a vomiting child and the first thing I did was sneak away and find a chemist that sold a pregnancy tester. Sure enough two strong red lines appeared and I whispered to myself in the cubical, “Oh my, I really am.”
I then returned to D.C and asked if he was ready for 7 a side. We were both in a bit of disbelief as we had been told after an issue with Son 6 that we probably would not be able to have any more and that if we did it would be very dangerous to me. D.C happened to be chatting to two of our good friends at the time so we spilled the beans but said to keep quiet as we need to get scans done etc before we tell kids or family. It was a funny feeling because we were not expecting it but were also feeling happy about it. We kept looking at each other, laughing and then shaking our heads.

After arriving back to Bangalore the symptoms of nausea and vomiting set in and I was very tired. We then made our way to kollegal and I was so excited to be there but had no energy to spend as much time as I would have liked with all the girls there. It was hard keeping it from our kids and doing secret runs to the toilet to try and vomit quietly but I am happy to say that after a trip back to Bangalore, we had a scan and all looks perfectly normal and baby's heart was beating away and he/she was wiggling around. I was 9 weeks by this stage so we decided to tell everyone.
The kids were so excited and screamed and hugged each other. It was so nice to see how welcoming they were for another addition to our family. We also told our parents who were pretty good about it. It was a bit of a shock to them but I think it helped that we had had the scan and they knew all was well.

So it’s been a huge increase to our family. Not only do we become a family of 9 this year but we also gained another 62 girls. I am now feeling so much better than I was and can begin to enjoy having so many kids around. I feel extra happy because some of the girls have started to call me Mumma Aunty. I can’t tell you how much that warms my heart. A feeling of acceptance.

One of the girls has given me a photo of her Mum and I have put it on our fridge. She looked so lovingly at it and was so proud of her Mum. I asked her if she was still living and found that she was. Then this evening she was so sad because her Mum was supposed to have called her on the phone and didn’t. She had waited all day and the call never came. It was so sad to see the sadness in her eyes.

Most of the girls will be going away for the holidays, some to single parents, some to extended family and then a few that have no where to go will stay back here with us. We plan to make it a special time for these girls. Do a trip to the zoo that is about 1.5 hrs away in Mysore and just spoil them a bit. It’s a time when it hits home for them that they do not have family. Not all the girls will be going back to a good situation though. Many have fathers that drink and no mother or two parents but alcohol causing violence. So the time back home has been limited to 15 days. Apparently the girls often return under nourished and their clothes get taken and given to others. It’s hard because they so badly want to see family but it is not always a good experience for them.

Last but not least….. It was my birthday yesterday and I woke to a trail of hearts and arrows made on the floor by my girls and some of the volunteers staying here. The trail lead to a decorated lounge and kitchen where some presents sat on the table and candles on a plate and a couple of little cakes to share. they had gone to so much trouble and had snuck in at mid night to do it all. My hubby had written a lovely blog entry For My Bride, it was so lovely and one of those moments that is better than any gift that could be given.We also went out for breakfast and then I came home and made 3 cakes to share with our huge extended family. i should have made 4 but never mind. So all in all, I had a lovely day. Didn’t expect to be having a baby at age 39, how exciting.

Lifes a little slower

2011-03-23T00:55:00.000+13:00

So the pace of life is somewhat slower down here. The days are hot and seem longer but I am lapping up the chance to be still and rest.

It sounds crazy that we are living among 62 other girls plus staff and that things feel quieter. We have times of extra kids in our house but times when they are all in school. Usually everyone is outside playing or studying and our kids go join the play which leaves us with a very quiet household. We are no longer living under one anothers feet.

It has taken (S3)Son 3 some time to get used to so many doting girls. He does not like being picked up and cuddled and having swarms of girls in his space. The last few days he has been better but seems to have chosen just a few girls who he allows to get close to him. The others get fended off and told where to go. Charming :)

The other boys are just loving the space and have both learned to ride a bike now since being here, They are so pleased with themselves.

The girls have been amazing. They seem to have balanced having their own space and spending time with the girls here. There is a lot of letter writing that goes on between them all. it's very sweet to see. Some really good friendships are forming.

As for us.... we are learning where to find things in town and find our way around.
Not as many people understand English here so it has spurred me on to learn Kannada (the local language) We are managing through limited words and sign language at the moment but to speak the lingo would be great value.

As we walk through the streets we hear people muttering "New Zealand" to each other. Obviously word has got out that we are kiwis. Word spreads rapidly in a small town. We are the only foreigners here so we stand out a bit.

We attended church on our first Sunday but it is all in Kannada so not really sure what was said :) I did pick out a few words he said in his preach so little by little it will get better.

We now have our Internet up and running and enjoying some music in the house again.. the kids are back to dancing in the evening to all sorts of different styles of music.

Tonight we will have our evening meal with the girls at the home. It usually consists of rice, Ragi, vegetable dish and some form of lentil/daal. Occasionally there is also a meat dish. We are eating 4 out of 7 nights and the other nights I cook at home. Out come the spuds and more kiwi dishes on those nights, however it's not that easy to find the ingredients always.

To the Girls Home

2011-03-19T00:56:00.004+13:00

Our registration came through on the Thursday and due to another girl needing to be taken to Kollegal, we decided to take the opportunity to hitch a ride with R & L and also B & V took a car for us so we could all get down here.

We arrived to a serene atmosphere of birds, sun, heat and a house that was now ours and full of own boxes. I looked at the boxes wondering where we would start but little by little mean’t that by evening we all had a bed to sleep in and a lounge to sit in. David even managed to build me a kitchen bench out of two bench seats and some bricks…. this equaled our first cup of tea in our new home. Ahhh… bliss.

We were greeted in the afternoon by many happy smiley faces of girls returning from school and our kids were quick to get out and play. The freedom of running, climbing, jumping and riding was one thing they had missed in Bangalore. There is no shortage of that here.

In the evening we joined the girls for our evening meal. It consisted of vegetarian dishes and rice, very tasty. To top it off we get a glass of freshly milked cows milk just boiled.

It was great to spend time with our new extended family and to begin the process of learning 62 names. We are not doing too badly actually. The girls ask us every time we see them, “What’s my name Auntie?” It is so important to know the girls names and they not just be one of the girls in the girls home. The girls are lovely and crave physical affection. There is usually one or more attached to mine or the girls arms when we come anywhere near the home. It can be a little overwhelming at times, especially when it is 36 Deg. but it is one way we can give a bit of much needed love and attention.

So our first impressions of being here are that it is a double blessing. We are doing something we have wanted to do for a long time and we are also in this fantastic, slower paced life with plenty of room for the kids to go wild. We can see the stars, blue sky and smell the fresh although sometimes smokey air and we can hear the birds chirping in the trees. It is just wonderful.

Now to find how we fit in and how we can contribute. We shall ease in bit by bit.

Farewel NZ and Namasted India

2011-03-06T14:10:00.000+13:00

The goodbyes have been and gone, the tears have flowed, the hours of travel have past and we are now back in Bangalore. It feels so good to be back. The smells of India once again invade my nostrils, the dust crusts my hair and I am happy.

You should have seen the looks of horror on the faces of the 20 something guys in Malaysia that we were going to be sharing a dorm room with. We arrived with No6 screaming. I assured them that he would settle down and he did but the kids time clocks were still on NZ time and so they have been waking at about 4am. Never mind... it will sort out soon.

So obviously we got our visa to return, We were give a 1yr employment visa again with the ability to renew it each year from within India if we meet all the requirements.

It was a fantastic time of catching up with family and friends and at times it was overwhelming and tiring. We ate well, slept well, got totally spoiled and blessed. We are so grateful to everyone who made our time in NZ so pleasurable.

Before we left we visited some friends and just chatted about what we are about to do back here in India. They are really keen to be partner with us and be a part of what we are doing. We never once discussed finances with them but as we were leaving they handed us an envelope. We climbed in the car and as we drove off I opened it up to find a cheque for $5000. I was totally blown away as it was the exact amount we needed to pay off the final amount from our airfares. I had been praying and asking God about this and there it was.... a direct answer to prayer. God is amazing.

This year feels good, it feels like a whole new beginning. Things are flowing and falling into place. Phase two is now in motion and I feel excited and a little scared at the same time. This year holds a whole new lot of firsts and newness and learning.

We have not yet moved to Kollegal as we need to get registered here in Bangalore first. Once that is done we will begin our Yatra down to this next chapter in our lives. I am so excited to be doing this with my wonderful family.... what a privilege.

About the heart

2011-02-14T13:58:00.000+13:00

After a fantastic flight (s) back to NZ we arrived to an amazing welcome from family and friends. I was quite overwhelmed. It was so good to see some familiar faces, smell the sweet NZ air and I wanted to talk to everyone at once and make sure we didn't miss anyone.

The days have been passing quickly, our visa applications and passports got lost in the post and finally arrived at the high commission of India a week late. I would love to say that I took it all in my stride but to be honest it was constantly on my mind. I just want it all signed and sealed and to know what lies ahead of us and to be able to dream ahead and get lost in the anticipation of what is back in India awaiting us. We then received a phone call from the embassy telling us that they would not be able to give us the visa we had applied for and offered us a 1 year business visa for DC and a three month tourist visa for the rest of us. At this point I went into a small flap and it was decided that we would reapply for an employment visa like last time and then we will just have to trust God to help us get the business turning over enough to pay ourselves US$25000 per year as per the visa requirement. We have still not heard back yet as to whether or not it has been granted to us but I think it should not be an issue this time. Patience patience I keep telling myself.

So while all this has been going on in the back ground, we have had some great times with our good friends, shared a beer, crashed on their floor (not due to the beer) and laughed lots. We have spent time with my family and then this past weekend we spent time with DC's family. It was a lovely time but sad to see DC's Dad slowly losing us from his memory due to Alzheimer's. I found it hard enough as a daughter in law but it must be heart wrenching for DC. His Dad did really well though, especially being out his own environment and surrounded by so many people and little people making noise and running all over the place. It was special time and one I will treasure.

It's interesting how people respond to us. Some extended family who do not approve of us being in India just avoid talking to us about India and are not at all interested in what we are doing. It makes it hard when you are so passionate about it but hey, I guess we are all different and I can't let it bother me. Others want to know every last detail and treat us as if we are some amazing pioneers that have conquered Everest. I would like to find the balance. We are passionate about what we are doing but do not see ourselves as anything super special. We are just being who we are and living out our passions even if it is hard sometimes. It's about where our heart is and where our heart is leading us. So as long as my heart is beating I would rather it beats where it longs to be.

Lots happening

2011-01-30T14:34:00.000+13:00

Days, even weeks have gone past and many things have happened in this time. Here's the low down.

The Contract has not worked out now as they need DJ here in Bangalore in Feb and we will be in NZ renewing our visas. There may be something else that comes up but not as yet. This means that we will apply for a business visa and not employment and also means that all our funds will need to come form NZ as we will not be able to draw a wage here.

We farewelled Ariana after her spending 3 months with us. It took a bit of time to readjust to her not being around, we really loved having her with us.

We had friends from Delhi staying and had a wonderful time with them, nice just to relax chill and get to know them better. Shared a bottle of French wine with them that they gave us, so yummy.

We have also spent a night in Kollegal, saw the house we will be moving into, looked around the small town, met the girls from the girls home and began to learn some names. I love these kids already. This is my passion, this is my dream.

Yesterday we sent our stuff to Kollegal and moved to B and V's place for a couple of nights. His brother and sister in law are cooking for us and giving us time to chill out a bit.

Tomorrow we head to Malaysia on our way back to NZ. I am looking forward to getting on the plane, taking a deep breath and embarking on yet another part in our journey.

Of the meeting

2011-01-12T14:25:00.000+13:00

To say that I am exited would be an understatement but I am not in a frenzied over excited state either. I think I am being a little cautious yet in really letting myself go.

The meeting last night went well and even though we have a couple more questions that will be the final decision maker on what visa we come in on, it is all looking very positive. He has basically offered a contract to us that would cover our requirements to meet the employment visa requirements next year. I think he thought it was funny that we were finding it hard to make $25,000 USD as he is working with millions of dollars, to him it is nothing. He can't believe that we have just come over here with 6 kids and no real income. Funny really.

So the real question was can we have this contract and live down at the girls home. Can all these dreams and passions that we have inside be about to happen. The answer I have is that it is looking that way...... wow, it really is looking that way.

A little bit impatient

2011-01-12T13:48:00.002+13:00

It’s been a while since I wrote and as I write D.C is out meeting with a business guy to talk Business :) How profound is that. The difference about this meeting is that it has the potential to change the course of everything we have been doing or are wanting to do. This could be a break though in finances, in getting our visa or just helping us to make what we want to happen happen. Now all this sounds like I am taking God out of the equation but it is the opposite really. Perhaps this is one way that God is going to bring provision.
I could go on but I wont, I have not even really wanted to write about it because it all seems to be about maybes and perhapses and I would rather write when I can say,
“Look what God has done” and maybe I should be thanking God already in anticipation.

The Girls home has the go ahead from our friends and they are as eager and excited about it as us for us to move there. We would have a small house to live in there and to be honest, I would welcome the down grade to a three room house but with plenty of run around room for the kids outside. We now only need this meeting with the business guy to be over and know what he is thinking and for us to get our visas. It is looking like we will apply for a business visa no matter what this business guy says but we shall see, hopefully in the next hour or two. Aaaarrrrgggg the suspense.

New Year 2011

2011-01-01T15:32:00.000+13:00

It's a strange year already, it's beginning with us having no idea what lies before us. There are many possibilities, many things we could be excited about but there is nothing where I can say exactly how things are going to be. Right now I can't even tell you if we will be shifting out of our current house in 4 weeks or not. The only thing I do know for certain is that we we will be on a plane to NZ on the 2nd Feb and after that it's a blank page. It is a strange feeling and it evokes different emotions in me at different times. I actually quite like the unknown and wondering what is going to happen next. I have learned to live with sudden changes and uncertainty but sometimes the mind plays tricks.

So as this New Year begins there is only one thing I want to say and that is to my Husband.
"Hun, I don't want you to carry our future on your shoulders, you lead us wonderfully as a family. Yes, things are uncertain from our perspective but from an eternal perspective nothing is uncertain. I place our family in God's hands, it's His responsibility, his plans and his purposes. Let's just hold hands and walk into what lies ahead. I love you so much."

Update

2010-12-31T15:03:00.000+13:00

Although my previous post has only just gone up. I had been writing it for a few days but had not published it. So I just published it as it was. We have since had a couple of things happen.
We had a meeting about the girls home and it seems that the role they would like to see us in would be not so much overseeing (phew) but by helping out with English, computer training, possible start up of a church and just being there at the home as a kind of parental/people manager. Not quite sure how to explain it. I am just relieved they don't want us to run the whole place as had first been mentioned by one lady. I would rather be a more practical doer than admin.

The time frame of when this would happen is still up in the air. We are talking through whether we need to get the business sorted first so we can see how much David will be away or travelling before we commit to anything. Yet, we both want to be there. I know that God will show us as we keep practicing patience.

So so much has happened

2010-12-31T14:52:00.000+13:00

Our trip to the girls home was exciting. I felt that jump inside me of anticipation and before we left I had already moved in in my heart.

There has been so much happening and so many things slotting into place. There are a lot of i's that are not quite dotted but feel very close to it. We are waiting to have meetings with people to find out some definite's. Things like the possibility of moving down to the girls home and school to oversee it, sorting out accommodation and where we will be living when we get back from NZ. Will we be moving straight away to the girls home or will there be time in between? Also business prospects that are not yet set in stone but could be huge for us, meetings need to happen to how this will fit in with the girls home. Will David be commuting? What visa do we apply for to come back to India? All these things are slowly falling into place and it is all happening suddenly, sounds like a contradiction but it's how it feels.

On a different note, we had a wonderful Christmas. We skyped family and then had our own celebration. It was the first time I have cooked a full Christmas meal. Usually we are getting together with extended family and everyone pitches in but it was really nice to just be us. It was relaxed and casual and just what we needed at the moment. We splashed out and roasted 3 chickens. I managed to get the all in our microwave sized convection oven and they came our delicious. It was great to have the smell of a roasting chicken fill the house. It's not a smell we have much around this place anymore. I even managed to find strawberries so we had ice cream and strawberries and papaya for pudding.
We had a couple of guys we had met at the beginning of the week pop in so they shared pudding with us. They are from Yemen, Muslim fellows, it was great to share Christmas with them. They even arrived back in the evening with gifts for all the kids.

My highlight though was that in the evening we bought packets of veg fried rice and we roamed the streets and shared a merry Christmas with the street dwellers. I'm not sure who was happier. The joy we got from giving was huge and the joy they showed was just as heart warming. Great screams of delight came from them as they woke up those who were sleeping in excitement and exclaiming "Food, food, happy Christmas food." We also threw in some treats of chips, lollies and biscuits. To see such joy and appreciation was something immeasurable to us.

I also managed to top off the evening as we walked home that night by falling down a hole. I am still sporting the bruises to prove it. Felt more of a twit that anything, one minute I am walking upright and the next second I am face to face with the pavement trying to be a brave girl. Ouch though.... it really hurt.

So now we are having to be patient. There is nothing we can do to hurry along the things that need to happen. It is all totally out of our control. Sometimes this is a bit overwhelming but at the same time it is exciting to once again be waiting to see what God has up his sleeve.

Girls home visit

2010-12-23T01:33:00.000+13:00

Tomorrow we are off to the girls home (orphanage) and school that we are interested in getting involved with. I am so excited about this and even though we are going two days before Christmas and I have not yet finished shopping, this by far out weighs anything I want to do.

It is about a 3 hour car drive each way so that should be fun in itself. There are two cars going so hopefully it means there will be a bit more room from the usual nine of us in a 5 seater car :)

I beleive in angels

2010-12-23T01:29:00.000+13:00

D.C was about to go for a walk to clear his head and ponder, think, pray, just to get a bit of space to think about what lies ahead of us and I was about to go and get some meat for our evening meal.
As we stepped outside D1 (daughter 1) and her friend A.C arrived back in an auto. We went down to help out with the payment and as I approached I saw a bus taking the corner very fast a wide and before I knew it I was calling "watch out". The bus hit the rear end of the parked auto and then dragged the auto with him while also hitting the auto into another parked vehicle. The other vehicle happened to be one that we had just picked up from a friend to go on a day trip tomorrow. Isn't that the way. Your own car never gets a scratch but as soon as you borrow one..... The amazing thing is that no one was hurt. The auto driver had a slight sore leg but it could have been way worse. If the girls had remained in the auto for a few seconds longer then it might have been a different story. If the bus had hit on another angle it may have sent the auto flying into all of us on the kerb not to mention all the pedestrians that are usually walking on the road. Thank God for this outcome.

Flip flop

2010-12-22T08:04:00.000+13:00

Things are going crazy and out of our control, in a good way.
As I said in my past post of all but a few hours ago.... there seemed to be no flights anywhere in the world to get us back to NZ unless we went via train to Singapore but what do you know.... I sat down with the computer tonight (and this is after a lot of praying or should I say declaring, pleading, crying, anger, peace.) You name it, I did it. But as I was saying, lo and behold, on Jetstar there appeared a tunnel of light. Not only did they have some flights now available to Melbourne but we also saved ourselves NZ$5600 and managed to get good flights from Melbourne onto Auckland. Just so "happened" that some specials came on as I was on the net. Sometimes being on the other side of the world has it's advantages. I also saw the the seats booked and taken as quickly as they came out. Just as well we couldn't book the other flights earlier. e can now take them off hold tomorrow.
Thanks to all our family and friends that prayed. Once again we have seen God do amazing things. I am sighing yet another sigh of relief.

Life is one big adventure

2010-12-22T02:53:00.000+13:00

The up shot of where we are at now is that we have flights booked out of India to Malaysia on the 31st Jan.
We found a great flight deal for this one but the issue now is that now we are stuck in Malaysia. There is nothing from Malaysia to NZ. We have been searching online and have had two travel agents searching and the outcome seems to be that we will need to catch a 6hr train ride into Singapore to catch a flight on the evening of 1st Feb. We have some flights on hold from Singapore. We couldn't get from Bangalore to Singapore so this is seeming the best option available to us. We have no choice but to leave India so what do you do? There is never a dull moment in the Czepanski family.

So how am I feeling? I could lie and say that I feel great but the reality is that I don't mind heading back to New Zealand to sort things out but the stress of the finances involved is weighing on me, the packing up of a house again and then having to find a new one and then find another 10months advance payment. David reminded me of my blog about stress and I must admit that it helped to have that reminder, to remember that is totally our of our control. We have seen God come through with $20,000 last month so why can't he do it again. Hey why not $30,000, that would be fantastic.

David is still in negotiation about this job contract but we realised we could not wait for that to happen as things here in India take time. It will still be an amazing work of God if this comes about.

I feel quite emotional and although my overall feeling is that God has it all sorted I still feel sad. I feel sad about saying goodbye to where we live. Not our house but our neighbourhood. I went today to our local store that my lovely Muslim friends own and my eyes were welling up as I told them we would be heading back to NZ for a few weeks and may not be living in our neighbourhood anymore. This beautiful old man looked at me with such compassion in his eyes and he held his hands over his heart. I was looking at him with his long gray beard and cap on his head and I felt that love for him again. That love that God puts inside of you for someone. He said to me that He has worked for many years and had many people come and go but that no one has entered his heart like our family. I say this not to make us sound good but to show that there are really special people here that give us that drive to stay here and they put that passion of India into us, they energise us to carry on. My heart bleeds to say goodbye to them. But we will be back and I need to keep reminding myself of that. We have return tickets booked in faith, faith that our visas will be sorted and faith that we will be able to pay for our tickets and any other obstacles that come our way. It's not easy but I need to find my strength in God and let him carry us through this. It has to work out because there are too many people we need to come back here for and God's plans and purposes for us here are not yet complete.

Visa stuff

2010-12-21T06:15:00.000+13:00

Weeks of getting forms and papers signed and then 5 hours of waiting at the FRRO office ended up with the conclusion of........ back to NZ you go. We do not meet the new employment rules that come into being about 3 months ago. The rule states that we must be earning US $25,000 each. Very hard for a start up company to be earning that amount in it's first year but there you go, that's the rules.

The kids jumped with delight at the prospect of heading back to NZ for a while until we could sort out a new visa and both DC and I felt ok about it all. It's just like a bit of a reboot, a restart, a reformation before heading back here again. The biggie for us is finances. We would need to give up our house here so we could get the bond back to pay our airfares and then once back in NZ we would need to get some finances to get us back again. Pfff though, we have seen how God can do it.

So our mind have been think and evaluating. Tasks ahead.... packing up the house, tickets to book, sort out what to do with the business while we are gone.

We spent ages on skype talking to family and friends about our days events and had the mixed emotions of maybe seeing family in the next 6 weeks versus waving goodbye to India for an unknown time frame. We know we would be back but it would be different, new house, new neighbourhood. The kids have made good friends with other children close by so all those things would be disrupted.

Then.... suddenly.... a new light began to emerge, a new possibility, a potential contract that would give us the required US$ 25,000 for David. It would mean that only my visa would be affected and perhaps only I would need to head back to NZ to change my visa from an employment one to an entry visa. Or, I could try a trip to the Delhi home affairs and see if they will let me change my visa to an X visa from within India.

So with this new glimmer of light we will have to see things actioned fast. We don't have time on our hands to wait and see what happens. It will need to happen fast and suddenly.

So we put all these things into God's hands. We knew it was not in our hands anyway and maybe God is just showing us who's got things sorted.

So here I leave this post as a kind of.. to be continued episode. I am eager and looking forward to seeing what happens myself.

School for slum kids

2010-12-16T20:03:00.000+13:00

It's funny how some days everything feels totally overwhelming and then by morning you wonder why. It is only a few days on since my last post and I feel totally different to how I felt them. Maybe that's just part of being woman :) But school has finished so that's one thing off my to do list.

Yesterday we went to see a school for underprivileged kids. What an amazing job they are doing and to see how God has bought finance and made such a lovely environment for these kids to have opportunities to learn and change their lives. There are 700 students of varying ages with clean neat uniforms and smiling happy faces. The girls with their hair braided and tucked under to form loops, the boys playing in the dusty yard.

These kids are picked up everyday from surrounding slums and bought to the school where they are fed breakfast and lunch, given free education of a very good standard, provided uniforms and a chance to become what they dream of. There are already 24 children that have graduated and moved onto college (university).

The Ministry of labour has seen what a great job they are doing and are now partnering with the school to help eradicate child labour.

Thumbs up to the founders of this school and to their big hearts and to all the teachers and volunteers and donors that have made this dream come true and to make a difference in the lives of these children.

Lots to do

2010-12-13T23:21:00.000+13:00

My Dad pointed out to me that it had been a while since I made a blog entry and to be honest I had not even realised. The last couple of weeks have been busy and my mind has been filled with Visa extensions and getting all the paper work together. It's been filled with business stuff here in India and also getting paper work sorted. It's been filled with getting the last of the kids school work scanned and sent to teachers before the cut off date and it's been filled with getting ready for Christmas. I have not started any Christmas shopping for the kids yet, I am finding it hard to get into the mood with all the other things going on. It seems that as soon as we get one thing sorted we are then trying to find out how to do the next thing. It's just the way things are here and everything takes time and patience. My patience has been tested the last few days and I have to confess that I did not always react well :) and those closest to me copped it. I had hoped to have all our visa extension papers in before Christmas so that I could then not have it on my mind but I don't think that is going to happen now. We'll see. I feel really tired now and want to curl up and sleep for a week. I want to be the nice Mum and the nice wife again. The one who has time for everyone and can sit and read to the kids and make yummy dinners that don't need to be rushed and can be cooked out of love and not necessity. I want to be able to just sit and enjoy a movie without feeling guilty and thinking I should be doing some work. I want to sleep in on a Saturday morning and not feel like I have to get up and get going as soon as I am awake.

The funny thing is that I do not feel stressed about the outcome of our visa extension application but I am still bothered about getting everything ready for it. I find it frustrating to not be able to understand the forms we have to fill in. They are in English but I can't understand it because it is such proper English, lawyer talk.

And then I walk out into the street and a sniff the air again, I sit with DC eating kulfi on the side of the road and I watch the people pass us and I am reminded of why we are doing this. Why the difficulty is worth it. I go to buy rice and supplies from our local shop and I realise that I really love the shop owner, a Muslim man. I have a genuine love for him that warms my heart and I am thankful to him for reminding me why we are here. I hear the drums in the street and see the warm smiles of the Hindu's.
I do love this country and these people and maybe I keep needing to put that into perspective when I am driven crazy with filling out a million forms. A million forms and frustration of endless paperwork might just be what it takes to see these people in eternity.

1st December tradition

2010-12-02T15:06:00.000+13:00

Dust in our eyes and the smell of fumes in the rush hour traffic but that didn't stop DC and I seeing if we could source a Christmas tree. Off to the market on the scooter we went to find a tree so that we could do our usual family tradition of setting it up on the 1st Dec. We didn't tell the kids we were doing it so we could surprise them.

I was not sure if we would even be able to get a Christmas tree here seeing it is a predominantly Hindu country but not more than two shops into the market there it was. It stood upright and sparse and artificial and more like the ones we had when I was a kid although maybe a little better. It was perfect. They asked if I wanted it boxed which I thought would be a good idea since we were on the scooter. Would have looked funny with a 5.5m tree blowing in the wind as we made our way home. I should have known but by boxed it does not mean that there is a special box that it comes in. It means that we will pack it for you somehow with a box that almost fits but not quite but then bound together by rope that does not quite reach so small pieces are added on to just make it all bundle up. I love how this country works. The fun part is undoing it again.

As expected there were great squeals of delight from the kids as we rode in the driveway. They tore the tree out of our hands and wanted to put it up immediately. However, it was only the 30th Nov. They would have to wait until morning. What a mean Mum but it was worth the wait.

The next morning we put some Christmas music on and I stood back with contentment to see the fun the kids had. They had thought there would be no tree this year and it felt good to bring a touch of Christmas and something of our family tradition with us to India but most of all it was good to see the joy and fun the kids had. S3 (Son 3) was vomiting so we set up a place for him to lie and be a part of the excitement.

As I write the lights are twinkling on the tree and I feel happy. There is something familiar in that tree and it makes me feel great.

Is this odd?

2010-12-02T02:28:00.000+13:00

So I have a funny little thing I do, well not just one but I am only going to talk about one right now.

You know when you eat out and they give you those little sachets of tomato sauce or little packets of sugar with your coffee, well, If I don't use them I put them in my bag and take them home. DC thinks this is a funny thing to do. I only do it if they are put on my plate, I don't take them from the shelves they sometimes have them on. He laughs every time I do it

They come in handy, especially when we run out of sauce. The other night this happened and I was able to put one next to every ones plate at dinner time. (I didn't see DC laughing then as he squirted his special little pack on his dinner.) They give so much of the stuff over here that we could possibly keep a good stock in the cupboard if we ate out more.

So there we have it. Just one more little quirk I have and I'm not ashamed of it. I am sure there are many other undercover sauce collectors.

Cheeky monkeys

2010-12-02T02:19:00.000+13:00

Cries from upstairs and screams of fear echoed through the house. What on earth was going on?

Monkey alert, monkey alert, monkeys in the house. The cheeky little things, two of them, had come into the house and helped themselves to our food in the kitchen. Half eaten potatoes and custard apple were left strewn on the floor and up the hallway. Pepper corns were scattered and the fridge left open. Eggs were taken from the fridge and also our treasured papaya. Further up the stairs I find a container from our pantry and more food scraps.

Some of the kids had locked themselves in a bedroom while D1(daughter 1) was on the roof top facing her own monkey ordeal. They had blocked the entrance to the stairwell and moved towards her. She hid herself under a blanket not knowing what to do. They came near her and growled and sniffed and poked her. Finally she screamed and they ran away.

So all in all it was quite an eventful afternoon. I still love monkeys but from a distance. They can become very aggressive if cornered. I would not want to come face to face with one in our kitchen.

The Vat, the VAT, THE VAT!!

2010-11-30T14:17:00.000+13:00

We have our VAT (value added tax) now so we are able to freely trade. Thank you God. The other thing is that there was no ¨unofficial payments asked for¨

Today David will be going into our new office that our friends kindly decked out while DC was away in Delhi. He arrived back to see the once garage that we were renting, turned into a vinyl floor, glass front doors, desks, cabinets, lights, internet. Too very good are our friends. What a surprise.

Today also marks the first delivery of sale. Our first order. We have also hired our first employee who will do a lot of the ground and sales work. It feels like itś time for things to get rolling.

Peace settles in the mind

2010-11-28T15:07:00.000+13:00

I have this over whelming love for India at the moment. I step out my doors and I breath in the aromas and smells of Indian bakeries, spices cooking, smoke, exhaust fumes and it's almost like trying to sniff a rose and you just can't quite get enough of it. India has stolen my heart and the Indian people have captured it and I don't think I am going to get it back... not that I want to :) As I rode to our friends house last night with DC in an auto, both of us wrapped in Indian shawls, and I couldn't help but grin. I am so happy, so content and so peaceful right now .

After a post a week or so ago about things happening back in NZ with Church. I now can say that after talking to people and weighing things up, it sounds like the name of Jesus was lifted high, God was glorified, Faith increased and people more in love with God. That has got to be good. I really feel at peace.

Fly away but come back soon

2010-11-25T00:25:00.000+13:00

DC (hubby) is away in Delhi at the moment and how different it is this time with him going away than last time. Before, I was a little sparrow learning to fly in this new world I had been birthed into. I was timid and afraid to stretch my wings. This time I feel more like a wise old owl that has a been around a bit. Maybe not a mature owl but a teenage owl. One that is still learning but does not feel afraid to be alone and fly a little. One that does not mind making a few mistakes for the sake of learning.

I sent some of my little owlets off free today and although they have not yet returned I know that they too are spreading their wings and flying. Each flight brings more confidence and courage and I have to let my nest feel a little empty for a few hours and know that they are watched over by one that can watch over them far better than I can.

And although I feel at ease here alone, I will welcome back the Daddy owl and the owlets and with open arms and it will feel good when we are together again.

"I just don't know"

2010-11-25T00:08:00.001+13:00

It's a strange thing to be so many miles away but still entangled in the lives and day to day going on of friends and family back in NZ.

I am bombarded face first with conflicting news of the Glory of God being poured out vs others who think that things are not well in the church and that it has lost it's way. This is not gossip/sin stuff I am referring to but to how God is manifesting in the church. All I can say is that I don't know what to think. My inner most being sometimes cringes at some things I am told and I want to cry out "be careful" and I am not completely sure if it is a warning in my spirit or an immaturity in me that does not yet understand how God is moving. Part of me feels cynical and the other part wants to stay open to what God may be doing.
Part of me cries "don't be led astray" and another part of me sees people loving God more deeply than before and that must be a good thing. Part of me says "You guys just sound weird" and then another part says "stop judging"

Not being there means that my judgments are based on others reactions and there are people on both sides of the river whom I trust and respect.

At the moment I have resolved to say:
"I just don't know"

Unofficial payments, yeah right.

2010-11-23T19:33:00.000+13:00

We have been waiting on getting our VAT for our company before we can start trading but have been held up due to various obstacles, one of the them being an unofficial payment of Rs 15,000 (NZ $500). When we read the schedule of payments and saw what was written as an unofficial payment that we would not get a receipt for I think we quite justifiable felt alarm bells ring. DC (hubby) e-mailed our accountant and said it sounds very much like a bribe, he then rang us back and said that is exactly what it is. From a government department we receive our first official bribe request. Our policy is to NOT pay bribes and our accountant is telling us that we will not get the VAT unless we pay the bribe. After talking to some veterans to India, they said to say that you will be happy to pay what is due to them as long as they give a receipt :) I like that.

In the end we have re submitted our forms via our friends accountant and all is looking good so far. No one has asked for any bribes.

A tribute to my kids

2010-11-16T20:46:00.001+13:00

I know I am not the only one that had fabulous kids but I have to say that our kids have been an absolute incredible bunch lately.
In the last 9months they have moved house 5 times, leaving the home they grew up in and the home that two of them were born in. They have had to say goodbye to all their friends, grandparents, cousins, Aunties and Uncles, pets and home comforts. We have had very few tears shed at having to say goodbye to Aotearoa and they have embraced a new culture, a new land, a new people, a new mindset as if they have always been here. The mod cons of skype and the Internet have helped hugely but even still I just want to say thanks Kids. It has been a tremendous upheaval but you have all pulled your weight. You older kids have helped with the younger ones, helped around the house and made this transition as easy on us as you possibly could. Even doing all this with a 18 mth old baby when we first shifted has gone remarkable smoothly.

Princess 1- I love how your dreams are so big that I can't contain them. I love your creativity and boundless energy and you don't care what others think about you. I love the way you use use words and I am sure that one day we will be reading your book. I love how you need us to know everything about you, every scratch, hurt, idea, joke, new found skill. It makes you, you.

Princess 2- I love your gentleness and the way you surprise us with your talent. You quietly keep your skills hidden until we stumble upon them. I love how your jokes are always funny and when we are alone with you, you don't stop talking. I love your creativity and silly faces you pull. I love how you are the second mummy and the little ones run to you. You are so caring. It's what makes you, you.

Princess 3- I love your sparkle and cheeky smile and the way your dimple draws people to you. I love how you make friends so easily and make people feel special. I love how you give away everything even if it leaves you with nothing. I love how you tilt you head and squint when you are thinking and how you look out the corner of your eye to see if we are watching when you are doing something clever. I love how you walk on your tip toes to make you feel taller. It's what makes you, you.

Prince 4- I love how your brain works, mathematical and clever. I love how you strive to do things the right way and stand back and watch until you are sure of how to do something. I love how you tackle your brother and play rough. I love how you like a goodnight kiss and follow me around all day just for the sake of it. I love how you like to cook with me in the kitchen. I love how you always have questions about everything. It's what makes you. you.

Prince 5- I love how you love people and make people feel loved. I love the quaint things you say that make us laugh. I love how you have so many words in your head that you can't get them out fast enough. I love how you cuddle and kiss. I love how you jump around and play like a puppy dog.
I love how much feeling you have inside you. it's what makes you,you.

Prince 6- I love how you never have pants on and just don't care. I love how you enjoy the stars and moon, lights and decor. I love how you like to put things in order and away in it's place but also how you pull things out of place when you want to prove a point. I love how you are talking with a slight Indian accent and that it is normal for you. I love how everything is so interesting for you. It's what makes you,you.

To whom it May Concern?

2010-11-16T20:13:00.001+13:00

I have come to discover that pressure is not in fact real. It is a response we learn when we no longer rely, trust and have faith in God. We spend so much time worrying and sweating over things that we simply cannot control or over what we perceive to be way above what we can achieve. Too many sleepless nights tossing and turning over things we cannot change. What a big waste of time and something I have done far too much of over the past few months.

What a relief to finally understand that the pressure I have felt has really come from what I have invented in my head. Big deep breathe…..release slowly through the nose…. Ahhh.

We were encouraged to write down things that worry us and then cross off the things we have no control over. It’s amazing how small the list becomes. The things we worry about are things that we simply cannot change and these are the things that we should leave in God’s hands. I could quote a few scriptures here but I am sure they are known. In essence, I feel free. Free to just be me and to carry on doing what we are doing and to consult with God and see how he sorts things out. It’s such a great feeling.

~~Visa extension~~
~~Finances~~
~~residence permit extension~~
~~Business fully operational~~
~~Will we be sent back to NZ?~~
~~How will we pay for tickets?~~
Sort paperwork for applications for Visa, business, residence. ( guess this is all we need to do right now)

This is not a Kay Sara mentality but it is putting our faith in the one who can do all things and even more than we can imagine. I will address my letters to God as "To whom it does concern."

Talking of Birth

2010-11-14T23:31:00.000+13:00

Yesterday was the 9 month anniversary of our arrival in India. So.... the pregnancy is over and it's time to give birth.

I should nap

2010-11-14T23:25:00.000+13:00

Right now I should have my head on my pillow and be trying to take a wee nap before we go out tonight but I am bubbling up with excitement of what could be opening up before us. If I lay down my head, it will be jumping with all sorts of thoughts so why not write instead.

We met With Mr and Mrs G again yesterday and also met their Son who is our age and their children. It was lovely for the kids to play together and met new friends. It's a shame that their son lives in another part of India.

So what I am excited about is that they are looking for someone to hand over the running of the girls home.
Ooo, Ooo, Ooo, pick me, pick me my heart is screaming out.
Here we are with a passion for something like this and they are trying to find someone to do the job. So the praying begins..... let's see if this is what God wants us to do. We have not talked anything concrete yet but plan to go and have a look at the place and meet the girls etc. We have no idea what this would entail, in fact we have no idea about anything yet but what I do know is that a bounce has returned in my step, an anticipation and excitement. They have only dropped hints about us being an answer to prayer so have not officially asked us to take over anything so everything is still just in baby stages. Is this something that is about to be birthed into our lives?

How crazy was I?

2010-11-11T23:44:00.000+13:00

I Lay in bed this morning chatting to my beloved and was reflecting on our first arrival In India. I was recalling when we first arrive at our new apartment. It had been exciting to be picked up from the airport by friends and driven to a home that we thought we would be in for 3 months (that didn't work out but never mind)

I remember standing on the side of the road in the darkness of the night. The ground was a little wet and muddy, not from rain but from a leaking pipe. The street was quiet apart from a few stray dogs roaming around. We were waiting for the other car to arrive with our bags, some kids and the key to get in. I was so excited to be here after waiting for so many years.

Then came the first walk up the stairs, the missing windows that would not meet OSH regulations in NZ. The marble steps that were caked in dust and then our front door. We walked in and I remember thinking, I can't wait to give this place a good scrub. It had already been cleaned but there is nothing like cleaning yourself.

The table had some goodies on it for us all and we plonked down our bags and made our first cup of tea in India. The funny thing was that as I began to open kitchen cupboards and pull things out, I wanted to wash everything. I suddenly felt like everything was covered in Indian bugs that were somehow going to jump from everywhere and make us all sick. Even when washing the cups I didn't feel like they were clean because of the water I had just washed them in. I felt like everything was contaminated. This is why I titled this post 'How crazy was I?' It was as if anything I touched was covered in germs and I needed to wash my hands all the time. It was complete and utter stupidity looking back now. It was a wrong perception of India. This is how the west thinks of India and I was living it out I am embarrassed to say.

So we lay in bed and laughed at ourselves, well at me actually, and reminisced about changed mindsets. How crazy was I?

Contacts

2010-11-11T23:14:00.000+13:00

Don't you love it when you meet people you just click with?

The other day we were put in contact with a couple (I shall call them Mr and Mrs G) that have been in India for 46years, that's right 46. Oh, and they aren't Indian. These guys are legends. Here's what I like about them.

They are in their late 60s (I think, they have kids our age so I am guessing)
They are so humble
They have wisdom
They are encouraging
They are down to earth
Easy to chat with

Not once did these guys make us feel inferior to them just because they had been here for years. They were genuinely interested in what we were doing and wanted to do anything they could to give us advice on Visa extensions etc. The wisdom they had with these matters was amazing.

The other thing that was exciting was that they run a girls home/orphanage about 2 hours away from here. It also has a school attached to it. There are about 62 girls in total. This gets something in my heart jumping with excitement. I know that we are going to be involved with something like this because it is such a passion within me. We hope to take a visit sometime and see if anything happens from there. Interestingly, Mrs G's comment about us was that maybe we were an answer to pray but just left it at that, nothing more, just left us hanging there :) I will wait with eager anticipation to see what this contact brings. I feel revitalised and encouraged, nothing seems impossible anymore. This seems funny to say when we are facing our visa extension soon and the odds look like we will be sent back but the thing is that we have seen the impossible happen, so why not again?

Gone nuts

2010-11-11T21:54:00.006+13:00

Here's a little secret...shhhh... I am a bit fixated on coconuts. I love putting the oil in my hair and using it as a body moisturiser. I love to drink the tender coconut water followed by the creamy, soft, slippery flesh. I have gone completely nutty. It is soooo good for you and is what I would describe as the perfect food for the body. I hold a coconut and see it as a pure body perfect pill. Mmmm... must...go....get...one.

Here's some trivia for you though. I went to oil my hair this morning only to find that my usually runny oil had solidified. From this I can conclude that the days are indeed getting colder. After investigating this I can now tell that a day is bellow 22º just by looking at my oil. My life has been enlightened.

Provision

2010-11-11T21:28:00.002+13:00

Right, so now I can speak a bit more freely about what had been a financial concern to us. The reason I can speak about it now is because God has provided.

Here's a bit of back ground info:

When we first moved to India we had ended up needing to pay more than we thought we would need to, in fact, it was way more than anticipated. We had to pay 10 months in advance on our rent as a bond plus pay monthly on top of that. This means about NZ$20,000 this year just for rent. So.... we had also opened a bank account here in India and it had a minimum amount that needed to be in it, this was NZ$16,000. We ended up borrowing this from our business in New Zealand (all legit) with the thought that we would then be able to transfer it back quite quickly. As it turned out, we needed it for the rent. This lead to us being $20,000 short in our business account and we needed to pay our sub contractors their terms salary. These sub contractors also happen to be friends. I would be lying if I didn't say that we were pretty stressed out about this. How were we going to find $20,000 when we are not earning anything. We prayed and we fasted and we even tried to apply for an overdraft on our account but because our business financial statements were being done late this year the bank would not do this until the report was in. We were kind of doing the pray but see the doctor too thing.

During this time we went through huge emotions of stress, lack of faith, worry of letting down friends or simply going into debt so we could at least pay our guys (not something we wanted to do) but... during this time we came to be able to rest in God and be able to say "it's got to be you God" we can't do anything and before our very eyes God did it. Money started being returned to us from various sources. Tax rebates, donation rebates, a client that I had forgotten to invoice (oops) It was amazing, something that seemed so huge to us just melted into being.

It was an amazing feeling to pay the last of our guys the other day and we sat back with dopey grins and said, "how did this happen? This is just amazing provision" Every time I think about it I am filled with over whelming gratefulness. It seemed impossible but there it is. Man, our God is amazing and yet he did just what he said he would, " God will provide all my needs according to his to his riches and Glory." No income= $20,000, go figure.

What I learn, learned and am learning.

2010-11-03T22:19:00.002+13:00

After my last post that almost sounded a bit like chaos in my head, I am grateful that I had to ask myself those questions. In doing it I realised how much I want to be here. Not that I am enduring being here, not that I feel I have to, not that I feel I need to be a martyr. I actually love India and Indian people and this is where I want to be. Yes, I miss family and friends but this is where my heart has settled for now. I am where my desire is.

There are a few things coming up soon that are critical points for us. The main one is our visa extension. This is not a small task here and the truth is that we do not meet the requirements at present. We need to show what we have been earning a certain amount and that we have been paying our taxes. As of now, we have not earned anything so we have not paid taxes. At face value it does not look good but we are keeping praying that God will sort this for us.

So there are two things that may happen in a couple of months:

a) We get our extension and have a party

b) We get sent home and need to re evaluate what to do from there. ( I don't really want to think about that option) Maybe I shouldn't even let it be an option.

That's where we are at.

As it is....

2010-10-31T02:13:00.003+13:00

So I'm feeling a little frazzled today, feeling that what we have done is being questioned and doubted by others. Is our call to India legit? Did we come at the right time? Because it's been pretty tough at times, does this mean we are not supposed to be here? Because there has been times of sadness, does this mean we have missed the boat? Blah blah blah. It really made me have a good look at how we got here and if indeed we are supposed to be here and many other thoughts and emotions whirring through my mind.

So where to begin? Pull the thoughts down from a swirling mass above my head and try to make some sense out of it all.

Flip, why does this bother me so much? Why does it bother me that these things are being questioned.

I have no doubt that we have been called to India. This in no way makes us superior to anyone, it just means that God decided we could do something here rather than in NZ. It has been 15 years in the coming and this is something that we have been anticipating for sooooo long. So that one is a no brainer for me. Even if we got no extra prophetic words about coming we would still have been here sooner or later.

So, have we come at the right time? It wasn't like we tried to make it happen quickly, it all just fell into place so easily. House sold quickly, visas came astonishingly quickly and with an employment visa for both of us.

Finances were all good, we had the blessing of our church leaders and most of all.... it felt right and it still feels right. So really the question is... do I hear God properly, did we interpret everything falling into place properly. This leads me to my other thoughts...

Since we got here we have come up against all sorts of battles. Sickness, financial strain, emotional and relationship issues at times and really re assessing faith and what that means. Yes, it has been really hard at times but never once have I considered going back to NZ. It just does not enter my mind. The trials and tests have been extremely hard but what we have learned from them is huge and has strengthened us like nothing else could have. No sermon could have brought us to where we are now and we are still continuing to learn.

So all in all I have Joy in the trials but they have been really hard. So that raises the next question. Because it has been hard, does that mean we should not be here. That seems the craziest question ever. I know we should have joy and peace in our lives but I do not see that we get a life of green lights, I still believe there is a place for sacrificing our comforts and giving a bit of ourselves. Man, Paul was whipped and in prison, Jesus was crucified and I am sure that was not a fun filled time but they still found joy in it all. The thing we have been learning is how to find that joy when things are tough but it does not mean that there wont be difficulty in our lives.

I love love love being here in India. It is where my heart is, it is where our hearts are. We have come to the place we love, to the people we love and I am happy to be shaped and molded, to give a little so we can see God's kingdom come. I am here until God says otherwise.

So now that I have put my thoughts into a bit more of a rational thought pattern I feel better. I can answer that we are here because God brought us here at this precise time and is equipping us to do what we need to do and that is to just be us in the way that God wants us to be. It's OK that there have been obstacles because they have been turned to good. I am a stronger person than when I left NZ.

Anticipation

2010-10-29T23:57:00.002+13:00

There is great excitement in our household. Tomorrow Ariana arrives to stay 3 months with us. It will be nice to have a Coop staying with us, they are such good family friends and we love them to bits.

Ariana is going to be right into an assault of the senses. The day after she arrives we are invited out to some friends for a swim and lunch. These are the friends we first made in Bangalore, our local meat seller (butcher, but he does not like that term). They live in a gated community with a pool. It's a little bit of luxury for us to visit them and it feels like utter bliss to submerge ones self into water when you have become accustomed to bucket baths. They then want to take us out to eat at a restaurant. Mmmm, Yummy.

Later on that evening, we have been invited to a baby naming ceremony. Apparently there will be about 500 people present. We do not even know the parents or the child but the grandfather is the local ironing wallah in our area and we let him store his wagon/trolley at our place each night so he does not need to wheel it all the way home each night.
We feel really honoured (ranked), haha, inside joke)to have been asked along. They are a Hindu family and we have no idea what happens at these ceremonies but I guess we will soon find out. Might be time for me to buy a sari and get out the toe rings. This is exactly the sort of reason we have been wanting to meet people in our community and to form relationships. We want to mingle and be a part of peoples lives... Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Baha'i. How can we be a light unless we are out among it?

My wee boy

2010-10-28T01:25:00.003+13:00

A scream that makes any parent know that something serious has happened followed by a sibling screaming for help, you know you had better get into action and not just ignore it as a child over acting to get a sympathy vote from Mum and Dad.

This is exactly what we heard a few days ago. Our boy (L) was climbing in our pantry (not supposed to be) and fell from about 2 meters onto his head. He was in severe pain but I was glad he was conscious. I carried him to a bed, in hind site this is what I should not have done incase his neck was broken, but I was able to assess that his skull looked pretty fractured. I called my husband who was skyping his sister at the time and he too felt the groove that our fingers went into where the skull felt fractured. Off to the hospital we went.

This was a very different hospital trip than any other I have done. We climbed onto our scooter, I held (L) to my stomach and we ventured to find the nearest A&E. There was one not far away and by this time (L) was feeling like vomiting and was starting to become drowsy. We lay him on the table where they injected him with something to stop him vomiting, boy did he yell and let the entire Bangalore know he was not impressed with this. The funny thing is that (DH) had to take a prescription to the chemist to buy the injection before they gave it. India is a pay as you go kind of health system.

(L) could not remember what had happened to him and would open his eyes and ask me what happened. I told him about the fall and he promptly told me off for not catching him. Cute.

They did a quick assessment and told us he will need to go for a CT scan. This meant climbing on the scooter again and trying to find the diagnostic scan hospital called Santosh hospital with the directions they gave. It's hard to follow directions when you are trying to get your son seen to as soon as poss. Part way into our trip (L) started vomiting over my shoulder. People were looking on in a concerned manner as our bike and myself where sharing the vomit and poor levi was looking more and more pale and more and more drowsy.

We asked for directions and finally found the hospital after a few U turns only to find that the actual hospital and the scan unit were at different places. Off we went again and finally found where we were meant to be. As per usual, nothing could be done until we had paid for the scan.

We were then waiting in the waiting room when I noticed blood coming from (L's) nose, as a nurse I know that this is not a good sign but I was actually feeling very calm. We had sent out some texts to friends around the world and we knew people were praying... and us of course.

David decided to make a bit more of a push for some urgent attention, He said something like, "this is an emergency, he needs to be seen straight away," it worked very well.

They took us straight in and did the scan quite quickly once they saw the blood.

I knew it was a give in that his skull was cracked but was more concerned about what was happening internally. He was now quite hard to rouse.

While we waited we received texts and calls from friends who were praying and then the news came that there was no fracture and no brain injury. The CT scan was perfectly clear. Praise God because we had felt and seen his skull. This could only be a work of God.

A friend of ours arrived to see us at the hospital and that really spoke volumes of love to me. She also came with us back to another hospital and then later on came with her family with dinner to have with us at home.

Right, back to the story.... (L) lay on the hospital bed in A&E looking very peaceful. He was no longer complaining of pain and his pupils were responding well. They advised us that he should stay in for observation but after we found out the fee we realised it was not possible (we have no med insurance) We decided that since I was a nurse we would take him home and set our alarm throughout the night and keep an eye on him. Plus we had God doing his thing as well.

So off we set on the scooter again, stopping once for him to vomit and arrived home to a surprise packet of treats that the girls had put together for (L). My kids are just so fantastic, they cared for our 2 year old and can make meals and put him to have naps. They just amaze me at times and I probably do not give them as much praise as they deserve at times.

So a long story shortened, (L) has recovered really well. He asked me on the night we got home if I saw the yellow glowing light and that he had seen a fairy. I think he may have seen an angel that was there protecting him or doing what ever he had been assigned to do. It is honestly a miracle that (L) is up and about now and we are having to try stop him from climbing. Will he ever learn?

The warning was accurate.

2010-10-24T22:29:00.008+13:00

Mind blasting... not to mention ear blasting is how I would describe last nights events.

The festival that we had been told would start at 1am and end at 11am really got started earlier than that but the floats didn't start coming until later. It also didn't end until 1:30 pm. So we have had at least 12hrs of festive colour and drums booming through the night right outside our door.

Even our windows were rattling and the vibrations of the bass subs pulsed through our bodies.

It was quite an experience and fun to walk around last night and pray as we went. It is a great feeling to know that you are bringing God's kingdom where ever you go.

Enough talk... here's some photos:

The high up shots are taken from our roof top.

We have been warned

2010-10-23T22:58:00.002+13:00

So we could be in for a sleepless night tonight. To be honest, I am a little excited about it. I know it is a Hindu festival but what a great opportunity to mingle with people.

There is preparation of floats, flowers, stalls etc and the hustle and bustle of people all over the place. There are lights lining the streets and I am sure by night it will look quite spectacular. We are not 100 % sure of the reason for this festival. It's called the car festival but seems to be in honour of any machine. Not really sure what is going on though.

Our neighbour was telling the kids last night (as she yelled out her kitchen window last night at 10:30pm), that the festival will start tonight at 1am, yes that's right, 1 am on Sunday 24th Oct. It will go all through the night, a parade circling up past our house and around and around until 11am. Our neighbour suggested we join them on the roof if we can't sleep. That sounds like fun to me and like a great way to spend time with people and get to know them. I know from past experience that Indian festivals are not quiet, in fact, they are at top decibel and at a frequency that will pierce through any other noise. Kind of like how a babies cry does.

It will be interesting to see if the kids can sleep through it. Time will tell I guess.

Business update

2010-10-16T21:36:00.003+13:00

It's been a hard long road in establishing our business and we knew that things would take longer here in India. We thought we were pretty much ready to roll and our first shipment of goods arrived about 3 days ago ready for us to begin distributing. It has been a change for us from going from IT support for network and admin to selling networking products.

So we stood looking at the stuff with a slight feeling of dread as we are not really sales people. Ben and (DH) had been working on getting this distributor thing up and running and now that the stuff has arrived Ben is back in NZ. He's the one who can speak the lingo and has most of the contact. What could we do but look at each other and laugh.

Being very green to all the business workings in India we then found that we need some special tax stuff for being a distributor for out of state stuff so we began the process of application for this. This then lead to finding out that we needed an inspection of our Office/warehouse, haha, this was our home. They were fine when they came that it was in our home because they knew it was a start up business but we then found that we need to get permission form our land lord to have an office here..... this then led to our land lord telling us that we have to re lease the property as a commercial property so we will have an increase in rent, power and water. This comes at a time when the pennies are almost non existent and we can only cry out, GOD!

So all in all, we have this shipment of goods that we have one month to sell and we are not allowed to sell them until this other stuff has been sorted out. I can't say I have kept cool, calm and with complete faith in God since all this happened. I have had to go through another process of coming to a place of rest in God again and trusting that He has it under control. Talk about testing times. Sometimes things just don't go as we plan them.

There are some underhanded was we have been offered to do this but we want to do it legit. We would rather have a delayed process than compromise our honesty.

Street Walking

2010-10-16T21:07:00.004+13:00

India is a very social place, I love that. Even when you are in a car you are still interactive with others on the street. You pull up to some lights and someone will ask directions or smile.

We love to go for a walk in the evenings and get a coconut when we can. Invariably we always meet someone on the way that we have to respond to, it might be a simple, hi, where are you from or a beggar.

One night we passed a guy and we smiled and said hi. A few minutes later he was at our side asking if he could walk with us. We said sure and chatted and got to know each other. He is a Muslim fellow and was interested in knowing other cultures and we enjoyed getting to know him. We were a bit suspicious of his actions at first because we have other times when people befriend you because they want to take you to a store where they get commission from. We ended the walk and exchanged cel numbers. A couple of days later we got a call from him asking if he could come over. We ended up going for another walk with him and then he came back for tea (chai). We talked for 4 hours about our differing faiths. It was so interesting and such a privilege to be able to share our faith with him and to introduce him to the kingdom of God. It is just the beginning of a friendship and we don't know what step or changes he may make but the exciting thing was to have such an opportunity and we shall pray for him.

What's different?

2010-10-15T02:32:00.002+13:00

Things have changed, that's for sure. Some things are small changes and some things are massive. Most of the changes I am more than thankful for because they have taught me value of life, things, people and most of all, the importance of God in my life.

These will not be in any particular order but will be as they come to mind, these are some of the changes in my life.

Church:

From a large church with building, meetings, lots of friends, worship team, corporate worship, microphones, instruments, to a home church that doesn't even have a guitar ( actually that's not quite true, we have an electric guitar but no amp), just our family and the Benjamin's so far, more intimacy with God and only God to lean on. Freedom in meetings and lots of meeting people outside of "church". Meeting people in the street, having strangers in our home and talking with people about what they believe and what we believe. Learning who we really are in Christ.... Sons with a powerful message of the kingdom.

In the kitchen:

From bulk monthly shopping once a month to everyday shopping at many little stores and markets.
From buying meat in clear plastic covered foam pots to choosing meat hanging that is covered in flies, bringing it home and washing every single bit before cooking it and still being able to enjoy it.
From buying fruits in bags to picking out produce on the side of the road cart and then washing everything thoroughly before putting it away.
From drinking water from the tap to buying bottled water, drinking filtered water or boiled water.
From easy access to fresh milk to powdered milk, UHF milk or having to boil the fresh milk first.
From the coffee percolator to boiling coffee grounds in a pot and draining through a cloth.
From cooking with electricity to cooking with gas. From a slow cooker to a pressure cooker.
From meat dominated meals to sparse meat or no meat at all. Lots and lots of Rice and Daal. Yummy.
From low spice to high spice tolerance.

Transport:

From 11 seater Family van to a scooter (we can get 5 on it :)
From piling into one vehicle to a scooter plus a 3 wheeler auto if we all want to go somewhere.
From lanes, road rules and order on the road to utter chaos that works in it's own special way.
From arrogant drivers that don't budge to drivers that work together in relative tolerance. Defensive driving is excellent here in India. I think Indian drivers must be the best in the world. talk about spacial awareness.
From airplanes or long distance caravan hauls to overnight sleeper trains

At home:

From daily showers to daily bucket baths
From high water pressure to pressure that depends on how full the tank is or how much water is in the sump.
From constant water supply to water coming every second day to fill the sump.
From constant electricity to power cuts a few times a day.
From vacuuming to sweeping and swabbing the floors.

General:

From thinking we were relying on God to really relying on God
From earning an income to having faith
From stability of a job to trusting God
From worrying about small things and finances to resting in God

What a huge privilege it has been to experience such change in our lives and I haven't even mentioned the cultural change yet. I shall continue this at another time. I am so grateful for what India is and is continuing to teach me.

What a laugh

2010-10-04T20:00:00.003+13:00

I was having a reflective moment yesterday and looking over the last few months of my blog. Wow! so much has happened and there is so much to be thankful for.

As I read, two things I had written made me laugh.... hind sight is funny....

1) I quote myself,

I almost can't believe that I am now sitting here writing that all our paper work is done and approved.

This was written just before our departure from New Zealand. What we have since learned was that it was just the beginning of our paper work. Paper work is a must here in India along with every form of identification possible. I could not give anything more other than a blood test and urine sample. You have to laugh or it would drive you crazy.

2) Another quote after being in India about 3 weeks,

David has gone to Hubli for 4 nights so it is my first time without him in India. We are managing fine but sticking close to home at this stage. I am not quite ready to tackle the auto rickshaws with the kids on my own. Over time I guess my confidence will increase and I will look back on how I feel now and laugh.

The funny thing was that I was laughing when I read the first part and laughed even more when I read my anticipated laughing that I was already doing.

I will happily catch an auto now and happily negotiate a good price and I also do not shy away from bringing honesty to the attention of any auto driver trying to do a number on me. On the other hand, I also enjoy giving more than arranged to a driver that makes a good, hassle free journey and sticks to the price. I love the joyful look on their faces when you reward honesty.
I still love autos. They are the coolest form of transport.

2010-09-28T14:48:00.002+13:00

Family visit

2010-09-28T14:29:00.002+13:00

My Mum left a couple of days ago after a fun packed time of catching up and showing them around.

We met them up in Delhi so we could take them to the Taj Mahal. We only took our second eldest daughter with us (we try and give them all a turn at coming away with us alone).

When we arrived at the domestic airport we were met by our good friends and enjoyed a couple of hours together over coffee before we went to the international terminal to meet the family.

We waited with anticipation at the arrivals area after paying to be able to go inside. The new airport was really nice. Maybe the people that are trying to pick the commonwealth games to pieces should have a look at the good stuff that has been done.

We spotted my folks before they saw us and then waited as they searched for their bags. Then it was hugs and kisses and welcome to India.

I think their senses were blown away. One of the first things I remember was waiting at an airport lift and someone walked straight in front of my Dad where he politely told them that he was there first. Lesson number one... if you leave a gap in front of you... someone will take it. It was very funny to see.

Then the journey to the hotel, the excitement of the road trip and traffic.

We then arrived at the hotel in Pihar Ghang (? spelling)

I had purposely booked a small hotel in the heart of the market area. They were doing some work on it for the commonwealth games so it was a bit messy. Never mind though.

We were shown into our rooms and this is where the second funny thing happened, My Mum thought she was getting on a lift. The rooms were big enough for a bed and..... well that's about it really, not much room for anything else.

My brother was soaking it all in and loving it. we walked the streets and had some dinner before heading for a brief visit to our friends in Delhi.

The next day we headed to the Taj and around Agra for the day.

We then headed back to Bangalore to some very excited kids and we had a fantastic time. My Mum stayed on for another couple of weeks and we said farewell a couple of days ago. Tears, tears, tears.

The rest I shall tell in pictures, although, some pics I need to get from my Dad and don't have them yet. I will do that before too long.

Unable to speak

2010-09-28T02:56:00.003+13:00

It has been so long since my last post and there is a good reason for this. I just simply could not bring myself to write for various reasons. We have been through so many ups and downs, so many things we have laughed and cried about. Every time I have sat down to write I have been unable to because the things I really want to write about may get misinterpreted into what I do not mean. The things so close to my heart seem to be the very things I can't share with anyone.

Today though... I have decided that I will give it a go and see what happens.

Hmmmm, where to start.

Finances, this has been one of the biggest areas that we have been tested in and seen God come through on but I have not felt I wanted to write about it for fear that it will be interpreted that I am asking for money. Although I know my own motives, not everyone will. There are still things we are trusting God for with finances, some really big things but I still don't feel I can truly speak my heart on these things. God has taught us so so much and we are still in the process of learning.

Our business is still not up and running and we have not made a cent since coming here, (DH) is at a meeting tonight for a potential business opportunity. We are just praying for God's guidance but more for perseverance so we do not become despondent.

It is almost like we are in two separate worlds at times. We are loving India and loving the people but then the realities of life are still here and at times we feel that we are not really giving anything yet, that we are not making any difference at all. I am so ready to get my teeth into something but it needs to be in God's timing and at this point there is no clear green light.

I guess we are stuck in the limbo place of getting prepared and learning. It's like we are on the starting blocks of a race waiting to hear the gun go. It's tempting at times to jump the gun and make things happen but we also know that we will just end up on the starting blocks again.

We have many things that we will need to start preparing for soon, new passport for (DH), visa extension (this is no picnic in India). we just have to trust that God has called us here and so he will sort it all out.

I feel like I am only scratching the very surface of whats in my heart and how I am feeling but I guess it's a start.

My parents and brother have not long left after visiting so I shall write about that in another post. It was a fun time.

Musoorie

2010-06-14T04:54:00.008+12:00

We spent some time in Delhi and Musoorie a few weeks back and I realise I have not even mentioned it yet. In Delhi we had some worship training and time to hang with our friends and to test out what 45º heat is like. We caught a train there and back... it is about 35hrs one way. We had a sleeper. There were 12 of us in a 8 berth cabin but we managed and made friends with those we were traveling with. You can see photos of how much (L) made friends with them.
(DH) was still battling kidney stones and gout so it was not the most pleasant trip up for him.

Musoorie was amazing, what an incredible place. It was cool and refreshing and we even got to glimps the Himalayas. We had a training time with a local church up there and we really felt it was turning point in how we had been feeling and how we were reacting to what God was teaching us. It was a time where (DH) and I really started to communicate properly again.

Here's some shots from our time away:

Momentum increasing

2010-06-14T04:16:00.002+12:00

The ups and downs are becoming more ups now and we feel that things are beginning to take off.
Our friends Ben and Vinu arrived a few days ago and we have had our first official non official hui (gathering) that has really stirred an excitement in us. They are such fantastic people and even just having their presence here and knowing that God has bought them to us so we can be together is such a nice feeling.

The nice thing is that we have already made some local friends and we are enjoying having meals together and getting to know people. We met a couple after having lunch out the other day. We were paying our bill at the same time and started talking. This led to us exchanging cel numbers and then them coming for a meal later that week. We are now going to be going to their house sometime this week. They help run an orphanage so that excites me hugely.
It is nice to be filling our home again.

We have been making an effort to get out in our community and make ourselves known. Buying coffee at the local coffee bar for Rs7 (NZ .22c). To see smiles of recognition as we walk down the street because locals are getting to know us warms my heart. We need to have a presence in our community and to support our local community all that we can. As we build friendship and trust, it opens doors to all sorts of things. Some of the local shop owners are now friends that we have for meals (by that I don't mean we eat them). The relationship has changed from a commercial one to a personal one. It seems to be a lot more like that here than in NZ. relationship and trust is HUGE here. We go to a local spot to buy tender coconuts from a Muslim man. It has come to the stage now where if we do not have the right change he is happy for us to pay next time. The trust is there now.

We are seeing Gods faithfulness evident and He is cementing the truth of Seeking his Kingdom and righteousness and then all the other things will be added. Simple but true. It would be easy to give way to righteousness here in India because a) A lot of things you could get away with. b) The fines will be small so who cares. For instance, to break a traffic violation would be an instant fine of about Rs 100 (NZ$3) if in fact you got caught, but, it does not change the fact that the law is still there and therefore we should obey it if we are to be righteous. We are called to a higher set of values. Just one small example.

I am going on a bit sorry, I am not even sure if what I am saying makes any sense at all. The words are swimming in my head and I am just randomly blurting them out. It has been a long while since I have felt like this and have not had to force myself to write. I think it shows that I have come through to a better place now and I am grateful to all God has taught me in the process leading up to this time. Phew.... that was a mouthful.

So here it is....

2010-05-30T18:06:00.002+12:00

This has probably been the toughest couple of months in my life. India is great, adjusting to the culture, food, people has been fine but I think adjusting to how, what, where and when has been a battle in our minds.

It's like we have been completely stripped naked of everything and brought to a place of total reliance on God. I know this is where we should always be but even though we think we may be there, in reality we often are not. I can say this now because I thought we were pretty good at relying on God but what I have found is areas of our lives that we didn't realise we had too much control over. We have been tested in everything.... finances, our relationship, friendships, work, church, you name it and we have been dealing with it. We are still working through some issues and are still working on being able to relax and not worry about things like finances. In our heads we know God is our provider but if we are still worrying about finances then we have not fully grasped that God is in control. It's funny how the things we thought we had put in place have not been working out like we thought they would and I do not think it's because they are wrong in themselves but I do beleive God has been showing us that it is him who will provide. For example.... Our rental property back in NZ has not made any money yet as the tenant was not paying and then had to be evicted and left the place damaged so we had to pay out money rather than earn it. I still believe God wanted us to get this property but I think he wants us to see that he will be our provider. Also the money we were going to draw from our company has not quite worked out as we thought it would as we ended up having to pay 10 months bond on our rental here in India and that was about NZ $10,000. Any extra money we thought we had has been tied up in this bond so no sitting pretty for a while as we thought we might have been able to do. So all in all, we are not upset that things have not worked out as we had planned but we are very aware that we need full reliance on God for finances. God is our Provider.

We are still trying to work out how our business is going to work and at this stage we are not earning anything. David feels the pressure of this but again we know God has it in hand.

There have been times when we have felt and still feel very out of our depth, feelings of being inadequate sometimes creep in and we need to keep reminding ourselves of our clear calling here. We have never felt like returning to NZ but there have been times of feeling overwhelmed and feeling like we are going slightly insane as our minds deal with all sorts of new pressures and issues that arise. We are being refined and our character is certainly being molded.

We have had some great encouragement from friends in NZ and here in India and that has been so good. We know we will look back on this time and see the benefits but when you are going through it it feels like you are in the kiln.

scooter lessons

2010-04-16T03:12:00.003+12:00

So I have had my first scooter lesson now. It is heaps of fun. We went to a back road not far from us and just over the railway lines. It cause much laughter to the locals. One young lady called me Super Auntie. Not so super when I dropped the bike, haha. Oh well, I improved as time went on and am feeling more confidant now.

Some of the local kids were so cute as you can see in the photos. They live in mud huts with thatched and plastic roofs but they are happy. What was very funny was to see satellite TV dishes in amongst the houses. Hard to imagine the two together but there you go.

My birthday

2010-04-16T02:56:00.003+12:00

I had a great birthday and did not feel homesick at all. Not that I don't miss family and friends but it did not ruin my birthday.

Titus and Savina invited us over for the day and then gave us an Indian BBQ. The night was very stormy with thunder so loud that it made me duck. I have never heard anything like it. I happen to love storms as they remind me of the power of God and that his voice is like thunder. If His voice is that powerful then how powerful is he in whole. Wow, Awesome!

The kids had been shopping with (DH) and had all brought lovely gifts for me. I love my kids so much. None of them are ever jealous when it is someone else birthday. They delight in giving which is so nice to see as a Mum.

We also managed to go to a fabric stall where you can buy fabric by the kilo. Buttons, Zips, mats, all by the kilo. It was a whole street of this sort of thing. We purchased enough to cover our lounge suit. Can't wait till we get a tailor to make the covers. In total it was NZ$50 for 21 meters of good quality upholstering fabric. Can't beat that!

While we were out getting fabric the kids made a birthday cake with Titus's kids Arhadana and Kuki. They did so well.

The past couple of weeks and we are still alive

2010-04-16T02:29:00.004+12:00

I am usually the optimist but the last couple of weeks has really given us a testing and refining not to mention endurance training.

We seem to have been bombarded with all sorts of issues. A few of us came down with a tummy bug and although the bug was only a 24 hour thing I managed to get up too quickly when racing to the loo and came to on the bathroom floor with a huge egg on my forehead and another on the top of my head. This then progressed into a black eye and a sore neck that I still have not been and had checked. I will eventually get around to it.

Amongst these going ons (DH) came down with severe pain in his side. I thought he was going to give birth to our 7th child. I have never seen him in such pain. It turns out that he has kidney stones in both kidneys. The first urologist wanted to operate straight away and put stents in and do vibration treatment but we felt it was too soon to jump into operations. Our neighbor was very kind and took half a day off work to take us for a second opinion with another urologist who felt we could try first with medication and gallons of water. We are also trying coconut oil as it is supposed to help dissolve kidney stones. (DH) has passed a couple of stones and has not had any pain the last few days. We are praying for the stones to dissolve. He is supposed to have a follow up CT scan at the end of this week.

During this time we were also having trouble getting money transferred across from NZ to our India account and they needed way more money in the account to open it than we had realised. It was a bit of a stress but it is all complete now and God answered our prayers for finances.

(DH) has also been feeling like God has been really stripping him bare, refining, molding, firing in the kiln and it has not always been a pleasant experience for him but we know the end result will be fantastic. I think with not feeling well everything feels twice as bad. We feel that we have been bought to a place of total reliance on God. It's how it should be but it is too easy to take control of stuff and do it "for" God. We thought we were quite good at letting God do his thing but we have learned that we were not as good as we thought. It is an interesting place to be in when you "have" to have full reliance on God for everything.

I also managed to stuff up my accounting right when it is the end of the financial year. Such a silly mistake that meant I needed to go back to a back up and re enter 5months worth of invoices etc. It is all done now and the accounts are looking good.

So all in all these past two weeks have probably been the hardest weeks since we got here but it does not change the fact that we are loving being here and we did not want to go running home even though things were tough. No one said it would be a smooth ride all the time but it is well worth it.

Favour

2010-03-26T23:58:00.002+13:00

We decided that today was the day to go and check out what will be involved in getting our Indian drivers license.

We arrived at the RTO office in Indiranagar and were told to go line up in a queue to apply for a learners license first. The line was moving very slowly but we ventured over anyway so we could get the process going. We realised this was not going to be done in one day and that we would probably need to return tomorrow.

As we were walking up to join the line, we came across a South African lady so we thought we would just check with her about the procedure of things. She said that if we could wait around for half an hour she would introduce us to Mr Singh who would tell us what we needed to do. Before we knew it we were standing before him, papers for application done, fee paid and ready to sit our theory exam that we were quite unprepared for. The exam involved standing in a line with three others while answering questions on hand signals and demonstrating them. We just followed those in front of us. So in essence we jumped the long queue and now have our Learners license for both car and bike. Next week we need to go back and drive a car around the car park to prove we can drive and we will get our permanent license straight away since we have a NZ one. We then have a 30 day LL for our scooter and then again drive around a car park and get our permanent license.

I almost can't believe how quickly it all happened. I am sure some people are still waiting in line.

It turns out the lady we met is a christian so we may pop along and see their church this Sunday and say thanks. What a huge blessing.

Scooty scoot scoot.

2010-03-26T00:52:00.002+13:00

We are loving the new found freedom of having a scooter. We are driving with our N.Z license but it will be good to get our Indian one as it can also be used as a good form of I.D

Two things we need to get done.

2010-03-26T00:44:00.002+13:00

We have a couple of things to do that will involve long queues and potentially lots of paper work. We have also learned that it is vital to always have passport size photos on you as they seem to be needed for everything! Haha.

The first thing we want to do tomorrow is get our Indian Drivers license. This may involve us sitting a written test as well but not the practical. We are hoping to get there and just get issued the license. This might be very wishful thinking but it's what I shall be praying for.

The second thing we need to do is change our address on our resident permits. We have been in twice to the FRRO office and come away without it being done. One official said we need to fill in the complete application again but I find it hard to believe this is the case. Other friends have said they only need to see proof of your new address. We will do some more research on this and go from there.

Update

2010-03-26T00:25:00.002+13:00

So Here we are, we now all have a bed to sleep on up off the ground. We had mattresses but now we have beds or as they call them here, cots. We also got a dining table so we have been loving having some meals around the table. I was really missing it because it is part of our family value having meals together. We went to a place called Shivajinagar that is full of markets. We have learned to shop around a bit because a lot of the guys sell the same sort of stuff. Once you know the common prices then you can start doing some negotiations. Things like finding out how trust worthy they are, finding out what the best deal they could give us when we are buying 9 beds and a table. When you can show what another shop has offered then the real price negotiations happen. So we think we got a really good deal for all our beds and table.

Photo update of our time here in Bangalore

2010-03-20T06:00:00.005+13:00

Opening a bank account

2010-03-20T05:39:00.003+13:00

So we are in the process of opening a company bank account and a personal one. The company one is easy but our personal one is a bit more tricky. They want proof of residence by way of a bill with our full names on it. The problem is that we have not yet received any bill so they asked for one from our last address in NZ. Do you think we can find one..... no...... they are all packed in boxes ready to be shipped over in the beginning of April. You would think that the formal lease contract that gets notarised would be enough proof and the fact we have Indian residency but alas, it is not.

It was a fun process today on the less. Two guy rocked up from HSBC on a scooter. One to form our company bank account and one our personal. That's right, they come to your house! We has drink and biscuits while we chatted about our banking needs and the need to form a relationship with the bank. loyalty and relationship go further in India than any form or document. To build trust in each other is of utmost importance. This is true of all relationships. This is like N.Z was going not too long ago. Loyalty pays here. No jumping to the bank with the best mortgage rates, just ask your bank to match them and give you the best service they can.

Once we have been with HSBC for a year they will give us the opportunity to set up an HSBC account in NZ so we can exchange money between countries with no charge and direct internet banking. No more telegraphic transfers that cost the earth. This will be great in the long run.

The next hurdle to jump is getting money sent from NZ to open the accounts. We only have until the end of March to get company account sorted for the end of the financial year. Praying hard for God to come through. We have been challenged by the book George Muller who never asked for anything from man but prayed for God's provision that always came through on time.