Tall, Dark and Handsome

That 's my nephew Ashish (blessing) Happy birthday Ashu. Today he is 22 years old.He is just finishing his BBA from UNB and has already got a job as financial advisor in a reputed bank.
We are looking for a committed Christian godly young lady for him.You guys know anyone LOL.
Ashu is very involved in his church. He is president of the Alpha Bible Study and each Tuesday he helps his church in an outreach for underprivileged kids.
He is very gentle and kind hearted. When he was in school he used to give away his stationary to kids who did not have nice stuff.Once a class bully hurt him but he did not want his Mom to report him to the teacher as the bully would be paddled.But his Mom did, if I remember correctly.
May God bless you Ashu and give you a bright and happy future.

Deep Waters

Yesterday morning we struck loamy sand at 130 feet. Then the water ran out. A fresh tanker arrived at 11.30am but it was too hot to work in the 110 F heat.When work resumed in the evening the generator busted.The contractor had to be called in. He carted the genset to a repair shop and brought it back late at night. So this morning the boys are back at work as you can see in the photo. They are in their teens and early twenties.With this hard work they support themselves and their families.We could get a machine to drill the well, but they are very costly, beyond our means, so had to resort to the manual method.Hopefully they will strike clean, clear water sometime today.after that the pipes, pump plumbing & electrical connections will be installed.A good deal of work.
Pray that everything will hold together.The Lord is in the center of all this.. When He instructed Abraham to leave Ur of the Chaldes He did not give him a detailed road map.Abraham and his clan went through the expected and unexpected day by day. So are we , waiting upon the Lord and expecting great things from Him.

On the left you can see the boy 's camp kitchen and on the right is the water hole which stores water for the drilling.

Sunday Blessings - He Leads Me Beside Still Waters

Had a good service.Pastor 's younger brother attended for the very first time. He is a Hindu.
The boys drilled till the water lasted. About 80 feet. We are supplying all the water from our house supply.
We have attached a pump to a our outdoor tap and with a long hose we are filling this trench with water.

It takes quite a long time to fill this water hole.But there is no other way.

The drillers rested all day. In the evening when they got paid they went into the city to relax.Later on in the evening they will return and by that time hopefully the water hole will be full so they can resume their drilling at night.

We are just waiting for the day our well will start working so that everyone can be satisfied.

Our sanctuary is over 200 years old and we don 't have running water in it. We store water in containers. with the well we will have indoor plumbing and a proper wash room. All this will cost a tidy sum and we are looking towards our Shepherd to lead us beside still waters.

Jesus is the water of LIFE He will not let us go thirsty...spiritually and physically.

Tonight our electricity supply is blinking all the time. Its real frustrating.We are living in a war zone. Please pray for endurance. Visiting blogs and posting is quite a challenge.And I want to watch a movie called Monster-in-Law on HBO.Its supposed to be funny.

Camp Rephidim - Exodus 17

At the commencement of the drilling Pastor Shaileendra read from Exodus 17...how the Lord provided water for the children of Israel at Rephidim.The Lord is providing for us in the same way. Glory be to His name.

Everyone present put their hands on the drilling pole and Pastor prayed , so we started off asking the Lord to bless our work and provide for our needs.We praised God that we are able to step out in faith.

Below you can see the hole into which the pipe will go.

I will keep updating you on our progress.Now I have to go to pay my telephone bill and buy groceries, and cook dinner.i want to bake a cake to celebrate our begining. In India when we start something new we have sweets , there is a saying in hindi - sweeten your mouth...begin a new job with a sweet mouth.But I can only do that later on in the evening.

Maybe some of my readers who are interested in mission work will find my account useful.

Well Driven

Started off in the morning with this tanker filling water in our water tank

But the man who had constructed the concrete tank had not done a proper job and and it soon gave way and all our precious water ran out. We lost Rs 650 - $15. What a blow.The second photo shows you the broken tank.

The devil twitched his tail at us but we stamped on it and the workmen dug a hole for water storage.(3rd photo). We will line it with polythene and store water in it. This man is digging in the blazing 110 F heat.

Drilling machine

Some more pipes and equipment.

On Dry Ground

(below diagram of a bore well)

Our church campus is facing severe water shortage. We 've always had this problem but due new building complexes coming up all around our problem has increased.The Pastor 's family hardly has any water. We get a meagre supply which we share with them and also give for church use.

So now the time has come to sink a bore well on our campus . so that everyone can get enough water and we can develop our property.

It is a very costly project costing about Rupees 40,000. We have raised Rs 30,000, still need 10,000.

Work is starting from tomorrow as we are stepping out in faith.We walk by faith and not by sight is our motto.

Please pray for God 's provision.

We have cut off the water supply for our house and garden so that the workmen can have some water for the drilling. We have to buy 2 tankers of water ($40) but if they can use our water we can save Rs 650 which is about $15.We are trying to manage in such small ways and I know the Lord will bless us.

Please remember us in prayer.Our need is great but our God is greater.

(Left submersible pump for the well)

I will take photos of the drilling and show you what 's going on.

_________________________
Praise God Prem reached home safely. They allowed him to take the Indian sweets he had bought.Anju has great self control she is waiting to unpack the shopping and gifts till Ashish (son) comes home for the weekend.Mahima could not wait she sampled some sweets.I would too.

Saying Goodbye

It was hard to say goodbye to Prem on Monday afternoon. He is not only a brother in Christ but also a father figure to me. His name, Prem means love but his second name should be Barnabas...son of encouragement.

Took these pictures before leaving for the airport.We felt so low and blue.

Returning from the airport I took these shots from the moving car to amuse myself.These cows are walking in to catch to next flight to Timbuktu.

On the way back the road looked so lonely


These are shops in a rural area near he airport.

The shiny stainless steel utensils are very popular and during wedding season (which is now) people buy them to give as gifts and dowry.On the top left of the photo you can see a woman looking down from her balcony.Maybe she lives above her shop.

Motorcycles are a common means of transport in rural parts. a bike can traverse rough roads.

In the shops you can buy steel containers, buckets, and round water vessels and lots more. They are very good and easy to clean. I like stainless steel plates and glasses.

---------------------------------

Let me add here that Prem 's mom is doing much better. She is out of the Intensive care, and sat up for more than half an hour after a month.

She was so glad to see Prem and said;Now my son has come and he will take me home.

Prem sang spiritual songs for her and she also sang. Some Christian nurses joined in and Prem said they had a small worship service in the hospital room. Praise the Lord.

The Week That Was

Mom and Prem

Dear friends I 'll be back to blogging slowly.My computer power supply is giving me trouble and the electricity is the real mischief maker.Sometimes I am tired of fighting probs.

Prem 's visit was short, busy-hectic, blessed and wonderful.We did -

1. A lot of catching up on family news

2. Business work.

3.Tied loose ends.

4. Visited people and had visitors over.

5 Shopping.

6.And just relaxed in the house

7. Had lots of special food and lots of sweets.

8 All the while staying touch with Prem 's family...lots of phone calls.

Most days I got up at 4 am and went to bed at midnight.

Cooking

Cleaning

Doing laundry

Attending to Aunt Sybil whose dementia is increasing day by day.

All this besides everything else in temperatures touching 110.Poor Prem took showers all day.

The gifts Prem and Anju bought me are a real blessing from the lord.They have their own financial constraints (mortgages and loans and son in college), but reached out to us with such loving generosity.

My greatest luxury was going out in the car. I cannot tell you how easy that made my life.We even took Sheeba out twice for rides and she enjoyed it immensely.She used to ride with Dad.

I was able to pay a return visit to the Paulsons after 5 years, can you imagine? They have been visiting us regularly,but I was unable to go as they live very far off.I am unable to drive due to my physical limitations and its a luxury to have someone drive for me.

This week Pastor 's father and brother are visiting. They had been estranged for 19 years when S became a Christian (they are Hindu priests.).They threw him out of the house with just his clothes on, sometimes he had to stifle his hunger by eating leaves.

On Sunday Shailendra 's Dad attended church. He was so happy, he wept and said ;for 19 years I have prayed that my father would be present when I was preaching and the Lord has done it.

Prem laid hands on the sick and prayed for healing. He also cried.No eye was dry.

In the evening we visited many old and sick people including Aunt Premlata and the Paulsons who gave us a surprise dinner of Kerala tamarind fish curry with appams which are rice and coconut pancakes.It was so good. She even packed some for mama.

I made Prem 's favourite curries etc and vegetables they don 't get in Canada. It was a joy for me to cook as Mom and Aunty hardly eat anything.

God was so good to us.

This Week

My dear friends, this week I 've not been able to blog as I"m bust with Prem 's visit.



God has been veey good to us throughout.he has showered His blessings upon us.



My old fridge was beyond repair and Prem who has a heart of gold bought me a new one.He also got me a microwave.

Sunday Blessings - We shall overcome

Got Prem from the airport yesterday afternoon. We are so happy to see him after 4 years.Lots of news to catch on,altho we talk regularly on the Internet and phone.

Prem preached in church today. Genesis 22...Abraham asked to sacrifice Issac. He went through a fiery trial trusting God and how God tested his faith and provided the ram. Prem spoke from his heart as he himself is going through trials.

I still don 't have my ice-b0x back.I think the guy is leading me up the garden path and I am quite mad at him.

Our car 's water pump is leaking and the how Lord took us to and back to the airport was a miracle.I had 2 large bottles of water and the driver filled up the radiator when it heated up.Prem walked up to our garage and got these 2 teenage boys (in the picture)they said they would fix the car tomorrow, of course the seniors will also be there.

Now we will walk down to the shops and buy and mangoes and sweets which Prem is longing for.

Anju called from New Brunswick (over the Internet) and gave a comprehensive shopping list of stuff she wants from India.

And she told me that they will gift me with a microwave oven. Hurray!

I 've been dreaming about a microwave since ages.

The Lord is good.

Today my anthem is "We shall Overcome"

Second choice..."The Battle Hymn of the Republic'

My dear English friend , Jackie of mother 's pride gave this award.Thank you Jackie.God bless you.

Hanging in there

Mahima and Sheeba on a rickshaw , two years ago.

I have one big toe in. The fridge has not come back from the workshop. Should be in today.

Sheeba and I went to vet again yesterday.She enjoyed the ride.We passed several stray cows and dogs and an un-stray {my vocab}horse and water buffaloes. The vet pronounced her as fit as a fiddle.But we got her preventive and vaccine shots which drew painful and ferocious protests from her. [She 's been watching Richard Gere protesting on TV] And by the evening she was doing Jackie Chan like stunts in the garden.

I am praying the fridge comes back. We 'll just have curd-rice with pickles and salad for lunch and pumpkin stir fry for dunner.

Jimmy and Sheeba last year.

My Jimmy lies over the mountain.

My Jimmy lies over the hill

My Jimmy lies over the mountain

Oh bring back my Jimmy to me.

Bowl of Cream Day

Well, I could call it Pearl Harbour Day or

Kargil War Day (Indo-Pak war)

It was on of the days when you feel the enemy has cluster bombed you overnight.

But I am calling it "bowl of cream day" because a story goes that a frog fell into a bowl of cream, unable to get out he swam round and round in it , churned the cream into stiff butter and jumped out of the receptacle.This human-froggie has to churn things up to jump out of a cauldron on certain days.

Early in the morning I discovered that our fridge was not working.first I panicked. Everything would spoil. Mama suggested that I throw out the perishables and the store the frozen stuff in Aunt Virginia 's fridge. This old lady doesn 't keep much in her fridge, so it has lots of space.Good idea.I threw away the stuff that could get spoilt and transferred the frozen items to Aunt V 's freezer and scrambled the left-over 4 eggs for breakfast.

Contacting the fridge repairman was quite a struggle as no one would answer the phone.Anyway I got one man at home and he agreed to come "when the electricity comes on at 1pm" Take note between 10-1 we have to put our electrical work on hold due to power rostering. We are so psyched up to that , that when we have no power cuts on rare occasions we feel kinda uncomfortable and suspicious.Can you believe that?

Since yesterday Sheeba had her tail down, although she was active and was eating. But she puked last night and I felt uneasy because last year on April 10th my Jimmy crossed over the rainbow bridge.

So after finishing up house jobs and cleaning up the fridge for the repairman I left for the vets with Sheeba in tow.

The rickshaw driver was very reluctant to have dog on.He was scared he would be bitten. But when I told him that my dog was the friendliest in the world and she was sick, he agreed to take us.

Sheeba enjoys rickshaw rides . On the way to the vets she shivers with excitement and barks at all the stray animals on the roadside. But on the way back she is so emotionally exhausted that she sits quietly.

Anyway, after being examined we found out that she had a fever of 103.2. The vet had to give her shots.There was a beautiful German Shepherd taking his shots and he whimpered and cried so much that Sheeba became very nervous.When her turn came she bit my hand ,undid herself from her leash and ran out on the very busy street into full traffic.

This was the second time during the day that I panicked. I thought if the fever wouldn 't take her a speeding vehicle would.As I ran out on the road after her, calling out to her and dodging traffic I started having flashbacks of Pet Cemetery (a Hollywood horror movie). But Sheeba 's good sense prevailed and she came back to me unlike the Runaway Bride.

The shots over we returned home and the rickshaw driver commented that Sheeba was a very smart dog.She has another appointment at the vets tomorrow morning.

The repairman arrived at 2 pm. He said the fridge gas had leaked and he

would have to take it to his workshop to get it fixed. Later on he sent his boys to take the fridge away and hopefully they will bring it back tomorrow afternoon. The vet and fridge burned a big hole in my pocket, but what 's one to do.

By evening Sheeba had her tail up.One foot out of the bowl.When the fridge comes back I 'll have my other foot out too.

Life keeps us on our toes. But as the Bible says we are to treat our trials as friends as they come to make us strong.

My beautiful Family

I have asked you to pray for Prem and his mother.I want to show you their family.
(left)- Anju (my sister) and Prem
(below) Ashish (meaning blessing) with Anju. He is finishing B.B.A. and already has a job as a finance advisor in a bank.

Relaxing on the lawn is Mahima , ( Name means Glory) she is 15 years and in High School.She likes painting and photography.They are all very strong in the Lord and involved in church.

_________________________

I want to add a little cultural bit here.

People from an economically backward background buy daily rations (staples) in small quantities.They say that if they buy groceries etc in bulk, which would be cheaper ,their relatives and neighbours come around and borrow flour, sugar or oil etc. which they can 't refuse.Many times the borrowed items are not returned. So the poor folk buy their supplies in small quantities.

Many of them don 't own bicycles for the same reason.Their bicycles would become the neighbourhood property.These are their struggles.

Sunday Blessings - and Monday Wash

Church was good with Communion presided by Dr M the ECI Bishop. Our church is affiliated with the Evangelical Church of India, we are not their full fledged members.


The song leader was a pastor in training and he can't sing, but his enthusiasm kept us going. The guy who gave a special number also tried a bit too hard.Its the spirit which counts right?
After service had a short business meeting with the Bishop.He cautioned us about the 'prayer meeting" confusion. We clarified our position to him, so it all ended well.
I made shami kebabs with dal/rice etc for lunch and jackfruit stir fry for dinner.
Monday morning was busy. After the usual house work, I changed all the drapes and put new ones on.
Meanwhile Miss Sheeba went on a mongoose hunting trip, which you can see in the photos and inadvertently dabbed make-up on.

So in the afternoon. I gave her a bath and did quite a bit of laundry.Lots more to do.
My BIL Prem flies in on the weekend, so I have to get the house ready.

Took a break as 3 visitors arrived. They are involved in the prayer meeting. Had a good talk with them and cleared our differences. One of them Dr H. anointed my mother with oil and prayed for her cataract and gall stones and blood pressure.But our church is divided over the prayer meeting, so we are not sure what we can do. its a stressful situation.
As they were leaving Prem called from Chennai.
He been in the hospital for the past 10 days and has caught a stomach bug and is feeling feverish too. He is feeling all alone. Please pray for him.He says the Lord is giving him grace.
THIS IS THE WAY THE COOKIE CRUMBLES
I served the visitors coffee and cookies. As they were leaving I got busy on the phone and later on fed Aunt Sybil (which is another story).Mama cleared the coffee cups but forget to remove the nearly full cookie plate from he living room. Later on while putting things away I noticed an empty cookie plate on the coffee table.I knew our guests had taken one cookie each so there were still plenty left.Mama and I didn 't have any.
It didn 't take Hercule Poirot to tell us who, but Miss Sheeba had polished off the cookes while we were occupied. When I questioned her about it , she looked me straight in the eye and licked her whiskers.
Anyway I gave her a pat on her fat rump and forgave her because she warned me of a stray cow which had entered our garden a short while ago.So I guess she deserved her pinched treat.

Awards Night

I am awarding you dear friends with the Salt and Light Blog Award as your writing and life has encouraged me to live for Christ.
Angie
Kimmie
Pat
Sara
Louise
Terry
Mel

Here 's yours truly falling to pieces over Sheeba.

____________________
Prayers needed for my BIL Prem. He is dealing with a tough family situation at his mother 's sick bedside. He is going through a lot of stress and is under a lot of pressure.

Pray for protection for younger sister Namrita and family in Meghalaya. There is an epidemic of meningitis where they live in the hills of NE India

Mother 's Pride gave me this award which her daughter Fixer created for all the bloggers who seem like if you met them, would invite you in for a nice long chat.Thank you Jackie and Fixer. You are welcome anytime for chai and chat. And on your way home I will give you a big bag of our home grown vegetables.

Here is an Indian ethnic award I created. The "I Garland You Award" Garland hold special significance in India.people

are garlanded as a sign of honor, respect, welcome, love and friendship.Garlands are used at weddings, welcome ceremonies and social and religious occasions.Some people make garlands of real bank notes, usually for weddings to flaunt their wealth.

I am giving this award to

Sita

Calfkeeper

Shari

Renae

Robin

Mrs Mac

Mother 's Pride

Felisol

Here is a picture of a garland maker.

I have some more awards lined up, wish I had unlimited internet

To the Grinding Stone

This morning our knife sharpening

man came around.He can sharpen your steel blades, tools and garden implements.He carries his pedal operated grindstone on his back.

I gave him twenty rupees for four knives. Steep, but with the rising inflation it was OK. Inflation here is on an all time high.Economically backward people and middle class folk like us are badly hit.(Click to enlarge the photos). My Mom was very anxious that I share these photos on my blog.

____________________

Prem 's mother Mrs Jeyapaul will not be able to recover that is an established fact. her carbon levels keep going up an d down.This morning they were up to sixty. Prayers are needed.

---------------------------------------

The people involved in the monthly all-city prayer meeting have been causing confusion regarding our church. A lot of rumours have been going around. So our board members had to take matters in hand and address certain people in firm terms.Not a pleasant job but necessary. The glory of God and the reputation of our church was at stake so we had to do the needful.The group leader is out of town and when he returns we will have a talk with him to get matters cleared up. Please pray that the Lord may give us wisdom and discernment.

________________________

Thinking of sharp instruments and sharp situations in life brought two scriptures to mind . Hebrews ;four /twelve The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword,it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)He has made My mouth like a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me; And He has also made Me a select arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver.Isa.49;2
The Word of the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord are sharp they need no grinding stone.