Monday 7/16/07

Monday morning we got “all saried up” for the big event. Deborah was so good to us the entire time to help us dress and fix us up for the various events. We took pictures of us all getting dressed and then of all of us in our saries later in the day. I thought we looked like Roman or Greek queens if I do say so myself. I really liked my burnt orange and green sari. Karen looked really good in her burgundy sari, too. She had helped Sister Mary (Bro. Guna’s wife) pick out saris for each of us the night before and I thought they did an excellent job of matching colors to people. Poor Leah had on a beautiful blue sari but she got sick and couldn’t attend the services. It was very hot in the room where we dressed and her breakfast had not agreed with her. She spent the morning in her room while we participated in the 10th anniversary meeting. As I said, there were about 1000 people including all the orphans (nearly 300 orphans now) and ministers and visitors from the community. It was held under a brush arbor and it reminded me of growing up and attending Old Baptist association meetings outside when the church was too small to hold all the people. Children from each orphanage sang and danced and I really enjoyed the singing and clapping performed by the 17 Andra Pradesh brethren. Bro. Guna’s son Richard sang beautifully also. Ashley, Karen, Jill and I sang Amazing Grace, Amazing Love. (I really missed Leah at this time because she and Ashley have such beautiful singing voices. They complement each other very well.) Two of Bro. Guna’s white-headed brothers attended the meeting and they spoke to the people. I believe they are Pentecostal – which is a very popular Christian denomination in the area. One of the brothers has an orphanage nearby that he runs. Bro. Guna was presented with several robes – their way of honoring someone. It was funny that with each one he wore it briefly and laid it aside. In the background, Karen and Ashley were laughing under their breath. They told me later they were counting silently 1, 2, 3 – and snap, off it went! Bro. Guna did not seem real interested in personal honors. Bro. Jeff has said what makes him so special is that he is a man of prayer and integrity – a very powerful combination indeed! They had printed a special 10th anniversary booklet and I received the first copy. Then Ashley received the first copy of her Dad’s book on Philippians translated into Tamil. Bro. Jeff preached on “The Day of Small Things” from Zech 4:10 and Matt 18:10. It was an excellent sermon geared toward the small, seemingly insignificant orphans. After the services I finally got to meet Sathish! I spotted him immediately when the Eureka Children’s Home orphans marched in. I knew that was “my boy” the first time I saw him. We took pictures of the two of us as well as Karen with her foster child – Deva who is also from Eureka Children’s Home. We have sponsored these 2 boys for 5 years almost to the day that we met them in person. I can’t describe the feeling of meeting a child for the first time that you’ve known for 5 years as your own, but thought you would never see. It was a tearful time even for someone like me who hardly ever cries. After the services, the Indians all lined up to eat. They had special rice dishes which the Indians eat with their hands – they have a sauce on top of rice and they mash it all together with their fingers and eat it. We ate in the dining room the whole time we were there - separate from the Indians. I think this worked better since we talked in English and had different customs – we were provided silverware and less spicy foods! Megala (Rosie) and Sudia were 2 of the orphans who were very attentive to see that we were fed and taken care of each meal. They were real sweethearts! We were scheduled to go somewhere Monday night, but because all the ministers were at R.C. Chettipatty, we held services there. It was really interesting to hear a sermon preached and translated in 3 languages – English, Tamil and Telugu – the language of Andra Pradesh! Bro. Jeff preached from I John 4:7 why Christians love – because it is their God-given nature. Bro. Guna then translated into Tamil and an Andra Pradesh brother, Sake Pasate (Sockey Pos ot) who speaks several languages, translated into Telugu. I really admired Bro. Jeff keeping his train of thought while waiting for the multiple translations.