The Last Days

My days in India have come to an end. The Lord is calling me to return back to New Zealand after spending close to 4 months in India.  Lord willing I will be getting onto a flight in Bangalore at 11pm on Tuesday 1st March and arriving back in Auckland just before midnight on Wednesday 2nd March. After which I hope to spend a few weeks resting and gathering my thoughts on what the Lord has taught me.

These last few days in India have been overwhelming. I cannot express the number of emotions felt from everyone showing such love towards me.  My heart really goes out to each of these precious children and I can’t help but think I could have done more as they deserve only the very best.  There is something about the pure innocents of children that makes you want to love them with all that you have and I'm sure this is what the Lord felt as He called the little children to come to Him.

Everyday my faith is being tested beyond what I can fathom as people continually open their hearts telling me of the great needs in their lives and I can do nothing but turn to the Lord giving the burden back to Him while praising Him for the God of wonder that He is.  I desire nothing less than to serve the Lord with all my life and to bring about His purpose which is for His name to be glorified among the nations.  I can't ever imagine myself going back to living in the path of ease and comfort after what God has shown to me, in that His plan for my life is far greater than what I could have ever dreamed. 

The Lord is working in India in a mighty way.  It feels as if life here is 50 years in the past and everyone is trying to find who the one true God is.  I would really love to come back to India and commit my life to the Lord's work here but it would only be if it is His calling for my life as I don't think my health would stand up to the task.  The needs are great and the harvest is plentiful but our God is greater so I pray the Lord of the harvest may send out laborers into His harvest.  

Giving my entire life to the Lord's service is the least I can do, as He is the one who has redeemed me and saved me from the punishment of sin through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  And He is calling each of us this very day to follow Him, may we use our time wisely and response to His call.  As His word says in Matthew 16:24-27:

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."

Celebration with cake and all the teachers

Evening bible study at the orphanage

The Eighth Standard class I taught for four months

Praise the Lord.

The Inevitable

Life in India surely is the path of difficulty and challenge, it is not until you experience this path you begin to realise how privileged you are to be brought up in an country like New Zealand.  As with any work of the Lord it has its times of challenges and times of blessings.  The bible character Nehemiah comes to mind as he too set out in faith to do the Lord's work and faced many difficulties along the path, but yet it was a work that needed to be done. 

When making the decision to go to India I was fully accepting the consequences that could potentially follow.  Even after several people advising of the worst case scenarios that could happen I still made the journey.  By God's grace he has preserved me thus far but as expected at some point the inevitable had to happen.  It is in times like these where you are put to the test to see where your faith truly lies.  My father reminded me of 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 …"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."… For when I am weak then I am strong.  These verses take on a whole new meaning when facing challenges like this.

Picking up medicine from a local drug store 

So after three months of eating vastly different food than what I had ever been used to before my body had finally given up and thrown in the towel.  It could of been the result from many different things, such as too much spicy food, not enough water, overworked, food poisoning, or from inhaling bad dust, but whatever the cause I know it was a trial that was set before me from the Lord to teach me a lesson. To rejoice in trials is something that is very difficult to do, but looking back now I can see it was a blessing in disguise.

On Tuesday morning I woke with a sore throat which was slightly uncomfortable but nothing too major so I continued my work at the school and at the orphanage.  But as Wednesday morning hit so did something that I wasn't expecting at all.  I woke with mild stomach pain and dizziness but as I made my way to the kitchen things took a turn for the worst.  I suddenly came down with a fever, my vision went black as if I had stood up too fast, my whole body broke out in an intense sweat as if someone had thrown a bucket of water over me, I felt like vomiting and to finish it off I couldn't even stand up or walk as I had no control over my body.  But as fast as the fever had hit me it appeared to leave just as quick.  Within 10 minutes I was back in consciousness and feeling okay.  It's no coincidence that a few nights before I had taken a bible study on John 4:46-54 when Jesus healed a boy who had a bad fever.  I think I now have a slightly better understanding of what that boy must of felt like.

Buying fruit from a local vendor

However after the fever had left me the pain in my stomach started to become increasing intense.  It felt as if it was full of air as it was rumbling continually.  Unbeknown to me this pain would continue for the next 6 days.  What amazed me was the consistency of the pain, as generally you would think that gas trapped in your stomach would eventually ease off as time went by, but this pain was not going anywhere anytime soon.

I could write in great detail of each of the days events and troubles that followed but instead I will try summarise it down to a few points.

• On Wednesday afternoon I was taken to a doctor in Hunsur.  It was down a long alleyway through many different doors and rooms until we stopped at the place.  It was a small room with two hard wooden beds and a nurse sitting at a small table.  My stomach pain was uncomfortable as it was but lying on a rock hard bed made it just that much worse.  After a few minutes the doctor rushed in and asked what the problem was. He then spoke in Kannada to the nurse and rush off.  The nurse then stabbed me with an giant needle and drip fed me two bottles of glycose which was to help give my body energy to fight the stomach bug.  It took about 40 minutes to finish the bottles and in the meantime there were people being rushed into the same room as me while the nurse was stabbing them with needles in backside.  It was quite the experience.

• On Thursday the pain wasn't easing off but I was very thankful for those taking care of me as they were going out of their way to help me.  I wasn't able to eat any food but could manage to drink some coconut water which helped slightly.  It's a strange feeling lying on your bed in pain while knowing in the room next door there are 70+ children sitting on the floor with their faces bowed to the ground praying earnestly for you for two hours, it really humbles you.

• On Friday again the pain wasn't going away so it was decided I would be taken to Mysore hospital.  I was sure if the pain wasn't going to kill me it would be the one hour drive there which on Indian roads is not fun at all.  I had in my mind a picture of what an Indian hospital would be like but thankfully it was nothing like it.  It was actually very comfortable, clean and I was well looked after.  That could have been because I was in the special ward which is about $40 NZD a night and not the common ward which is free.

• Everything was done very quickly, I was taken into a room and made to lie down on a bed.  A very professional young looking doctor who spoke good English rushed in and began to scan my stomach. It was the type of scan which you would get when your pregnant, the one with the cold gel being rubbed on your stomach. There were 6 nurses surrounding the bed while the doctor quickly moved the scanning machine around while looking at the monitor.  It was like something out of a medical TV series and I was just waiting for him to say that I had some rare disease.  But no, it turned out there was nothing majorly wrong, just a lot of gas trapped inside.  He gave me some good advice on what to do and said it would take 2-3 days before the pain would ease.  Which he was spot on.  I spent the night in the hospital in a "special deluxe room" which was four walls and a bed.  The hospital wing that I was in had 5 floors and about 200 rooms but I was literally the only patient there.  It looked like something out of a zombie movie where there is an abandoned hospital. 

 

• At 12:01am on Saturday 13th February as I lay in that hospital bed in intense pain while hooked up to a drip feed of glucose, one of the young men from the orphanage, named Lokesh who had stayed by my side the whole night, shook my hand to congratulate me on turning 24 and then kneeled down beside my bed and prayed with me.  It is in moments like these that I am comforted by the Lord's presence.

• After a series of events on Saturday I had to stay another night in the hospital as the pain was still very intense.  On Sunday the pain started to ease off and I was able to eat my first meal in 5 days, a subway sandwich.  I was discharged in the early afternoon and then we caught the bus back to Hunsur.  Once I reached the orphanage all the children gathered around me wanting to know how I was doing as they were very pleased to see me.

Drinking coconut water while in the hospital

I've left out a lot more specific details but if I were to include them I think my mother would have a heart attack and demand I return to New Zealand.  I am just thankful to be alive and for the pain to have stopped.

So after 5 days of severe stomach pain, 9 injections, 4 of which were pain killers, I think 15 bottles of glucose and several bottles of antibiotics, by the Lord grace I somehow survived.  I am extremely thankful and humbled by the messages of support and prayer from those in New Zealand and India.  I hope to continue the Lord's work for as long as He wills.

Praise the Lord.  

All the children waiting for the school bus

Indian Republic Day

The month of January has been very busy with preparing teaching lessons for the school, daily bible studies at the orphanage, and a bible message each Sunday morning.  There hasn't been many breaks from that routine as the school year ends in April instead of December as India's hottest months are May and June so everyone just works through January.  Even-though it has been busy and some days have been very challenging, overall I am still very much enjoying my time here in India and I hope to continue the Lord's work by extending my stay here for another month or two.

7th Standard class - Everyone was allowed to were casual clothes for the day

Adullam Education is the school's name that I teach at, it comes from the bible when David escaped to a cave that was called Adullam and everyone who needed refuge followed him there.  Most of the students come from very poor backgrounds and can't afford schooling so Raju offers them free education, and by Indian standards the school is actually very good quality.

During the past month the classes have finished their English books so I have taken a spoken English class for each standard.  The classes I teach range from 3rd-8th Standard which are 7-14 years old students.  The lessons are quite basic but I try to fill them with fun activities to help the kids learn.  They are all very excited when I take the class and complete any homework I give them to a good standard.  All of the students know basic English so I can teach and have conversations quite easily with them.  However most of them are not so good at reading and writing English.  Apart from English classes they have to learn Kannada, Hindi, Maths, Science, Social-Studies and Physical Education.  

5th Standard class - The English teacher Kanaka is sitting in the middle

The teaching method in India is quite different to New Zealand is many ways but they do the best with the resources they have.  I am currently teaching them common English conversations and phases which they are trying to get the hang of.  They already have an English teacher whose name is Kanaka, a very nice young lady who grew up in the orphanage but she very much appreciates the help I give her, especially since she is due to have a baby within the next month or two.  Between the both of us we handle teaching the 6 different classes during the day and I also help out with physical education classes.  Each class is very unique and every child is very keen to learn.  I've made a lot of new friends with almost all of the students. 

Saturday morning marching and band practice

Today, January 26th, is Republic Day in India, it is to celebrate the constitution of India's government back in 1950.  It is a huge event in India as even the prime minister of France came to New Delhi to see the celebrations.  Every school has their own way of celebrating, whether it be a dance, song, or performance.  Over the last few weeks all the senior students at our school had been practicing marching and a performance called 'The lotus formation', it involves about 70 students standing in a large circle which all do a particular action at every drum beat which from a birds eye view looks rather amazing.  

All of the school teachers lined up looking smart in their uniforms

The events started at 7:30am at the school which included very formal marching, singing of the national anthem, salutes, speech's, singing of Kannada songs, and gift giving.  Of course I was made to be the honorable guest which received the royal treatment.  Even though it was a public holiday only one or two parents actually showed up to watch the events which was a bit disappointing.  At about 10am everyone headed over to the town hall which is a large open area full of people and different schools showing their performances.  I decided not to go and instead headed back home with a few others.  Being in public places in India is quite stressful as not only I stand out drastically and everyone wants to take a photo with me but there were warnings of possible riots and terrorist attacks for this particular day of celebration.

Republic Day program at the school

The needs in India are so great. Everyday I hear about the difficult circumstances that people are in and my heart is constantly burdened by this.  Everywhere I look there are needs to be met.  My heart really goes out to these people, especially the children as they are always happy and full of joy even though they have so little and the world around them is always a challenge.  But everyone shows such great kindness towards me, they always want to give me the best and make me feel as comfortable as possible.  I just thank the Lord for bringing me to India and using me to further his kingdom here.  I just hope to be a useful vessel, set part for His workmanship and showing the love of Christ to everyone I encounter. 

Evening bible study at the orphanage

School Field Trip

I was invited to join in on the school field trip that ran between Monday 28th - Tuesday 29th December.  It was a once in a year big event for the school and everybody was very excited.  In total there were about 60 students between that ages of 7-14 years old.  Many students could not attend as they couldn't afford the fees, but having any more students would of made managing the event very difficult.  Overall it was a very real experience for myself as at times it was very difficult, challenging and uncomfortable but also very humbling being shown such kindness by everyone as they were all trying to provide the best for me.  It was a true insight into Indian school life and it was very different to anything in New Zealand.

Map showing the bus route

We all met up at the school the night before and everyone slept on the floor in the hall.  Some of the teachers stayed up all night preparing food for the trip.  We left at 3am in a hired bus that was to take us into north Karnataka, an 8 hour journey.  The bus was reasonably comfortable but quite squished as most of the seats had 2 children on them.  The roads are very bad in India as there are so many bumps and sharp turns everywhere, many of the kids were sick on the bus.

Everyone from the school trip

Python's at the zoo with a chicken in the cage

We reached the first stop at around 9am which was a Tiger and Lion Zoo.  Unfortunately there weren't any tigers or lions but there were a few large snakes which were fun to see.  I'm come to realise that Indian Zoo's take about 10 mins to walk around as there is very little to see.  We then all had breakfast at the Zoo while wild monkeys were watching us in the trees and running through grabbing any leftovers.

Jog Falls - The highest un-tiered waterfall in India - 830ft

The second stop was in a place called Sagara Taluk were we visited the second highest plunge waterfall in India - Jog Falls.  It had four cascading falls each with a name: Raja, Rani, Roarer and Rocket.  It was specular to see such a massive waterfall even though it didn't have much water going off the falls.  However after the monsoon season the falls turn into a really amazing site.  There were crowds of people everywhere and everyone wanted to take a picture with me as I was a foreigner. 

The bus trip was filled with over-the-top bollywood movies and site seeing out the window which all the children really enjoyed. 

View of the west Indian coast line - The Arabian Sea

The Murudeshwara Temple

We reached the third stop at around midday which was a place called Murudeshwara, it is on the west coast of India, next to the Arabian Sea. There we visited a very large and famous Hindu temple.  Again there were crowds of people everywhere. All the students walked in a line holding hands, as you could get lost very easily in a place like this.  It was amazing to see all the crazy statues but way too many people for my liking. After about 20 minutes of walking around in the searing heat we jumped back onto the bus.

Standing in front of the huge 20 story temple

Giant statue of a Hindu god called Shiva

More gigantic statues depicting all sorts of things

For dinner we stopped at a place called Udupi and visited another famous Hindu temple.  There was a big celebration or event of some sorts on and there were masses of people everywhere.  The teachers that were organising it didn't expect there to be this many people.  We stopped here because they serve free meals for anyone inside a big hall. We had to wait in a huge line while trying to hold onto the person in front of us to not lose our place in the queue.  When we were finally allowed inside it was quite the experience as it was a huge hall filled with people sitting on the ground in lines waiting for food.  Some men rushed past slopping rice and a type of vegetable soup on a tin plate.  It was very strange feeling as everyone was looking at me because I was a foreigner and stood out clearly. However I somehow managed to survive, it was interesting to see how the children just fit in so easily and nothing seemed to bother them.  After dinner we all went into a hall that we hired out and slept on the floor.

All the students playing in the sea

In the morning we journeyed in the bus to our last stop which was a place called Mangalore.  We visited the Airport and saw a plane take off, it was most of the children first time ever seeing it and they were very excited. However it was nothing compared to the beach at Mangalore.  The entire trip was worth all the hassle simply to see the joy on the children's faces as they experience the ocean for the first time.  They only went into knee deep water but the waves were strong enough to push most of them over which they loved.

Everyone enjoying the water

Dinner on the beach - 25 Rupees (50 cents) per plate of food

We finished at the beach at around 7pm then drove 7 hours in the bus back to Hunsur. Everyone was well in truly worn out but very happy. The School day was to start at 9:30am which only half the school actually attend.

On New Years Eve there was a big celebration event at the school hall which was fully packed out.  It started at 10pm and ended at around 5am.  There was testimonies, hymns singing, dance performances from all the children, and I gave a gospel message.  It was a very unique experience, one that I will never forget.

Everyone praying at midnight on New Years Eve

Each new day has its challenges and my heart is constantly burdened by all the different needs that I see. However I am very much enjoying my time here and I hope that I will have the strength to complete the task that the Lord has given me.

Christmas Day

The following pictures are from December 25th 2015, Christmas day at the Bethel's Children's Home in Hunsur, India.

Each child received a new set of clothes - They were all very excited

Distributing mattress that I helped purchased for the children - They were very happy to receive them

Watching a cartoon bible story on Jesus' birth

Some of the boys eating snacks outside

Lunch time - Everyone got a plate of biryani, a famous Indian rice dish

Picture of everyone from the orphanage in their new clothes - One big happy family

Overall it was a very enjoyable day being surrounded by such kind and loving people.  I'm very thankful to have this wonderful opportunity to be apart of God's amazing work that He's doing in this place.

On Monday morning we are off on a school field trip with the seniors.  It is an eight hour bus ride into north Karnataka which we will spend two days looking at different historical sites. 

There has been a police curfew in the town of Hunsur over the last two days because of fighting between Hindu and Muslims.  Raju says it is the worst it has been in the last ten years as there are over 3,000 police all through the town trying to control the crowds of people.  It makes buying any supplies very difficult but I'm sure we'll manage.

Over the Western Ghats

On Tuesday evening I was invited to give a bible message for a small assembly in Coimbatore.  There were about 30 people that attended and it was a very encouraging time.  I spoke on the biblical principles to discern the Will of God in your life.  Everyone was very thankful and appreciative of me being there.

On Wednesday morning at 7:30am I caught a bus that would take me from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu to Mysore, Karnataka.  From there I was planning to catch a bus back to Hunsur.

The bus was very comfortable and had air conditioning which was great.  It was to take 5 hours to travel to Mysore then another hour to Hunsur.  I had been invited to give a gospel message at the Hunsur school as their were having their end of year Christmas program, so I was planning on being there in the early afternoon.

The bus route from Coimbatore to Mysore

However things didn't pan out as hoped for.  After two hours of driving in the bus we approached the Western Ghats.  They are a huge mountain range in western India.  Just before we were to drive up this gigantic mountain and its 27 hairpin bends we hit heavy traffic.  In fact everyone came to a complete stop and got out of their vehicles.  There were cargo trucks lining the side of the road as far as you could see as this was the only place to buy supplies until you are over the mountain.  Some people rushed up to the bus and told us that the road was blocked and it would take about 3 hours to clear.  It was unlike anything I've ever seen before, madness everywhere.  

Some of the guys from our bus got out and started to direct the bus in-between very tight gaps to push our way through to the front of the queue.  There were lots people trying to wave us down yelling out that the road was blocked ahead.  I'm sure there would have been thousands of people stuck in this traffic jam as there were so many people on the side of the road everywhere.  When we managed to get past all of the cargo trucks we finally got onto the first few hairpin bends up the mountain.  But on hairpin bend number four we hit the traffic again and this time there was no way around it.

Picture from inside the bus watching the traffic slowly move

It was amazing to see the view off the side as there was just forest as far as the eye could see and lots of monkeys sitting on the side of the road watching everyone.  After about an hour of sitting dead still the traffic started to move slowly.  As we moved our way up the mountain there were still dozens of people on the side of the road.  Everyone was trying to direct traffic by waving their hands as cars and motorbikes would squeeze through the trucks. These hairpin bends are so sharp that most trucks have to do a three point turn to get around them.  

View from half way up the Western Ghats

When we finally reach the top of the mountain, which took two hours, we stopped at a small set of shops to have something to eat.  I was talking with one of the locals and he told me that the traffic jam was caused by one single truck that had broken down.  But because of how impatience everyone is they all tried to overtake each other and then are forced into an insanely big traffic jam.  Both lanes of the road were filled with cars and everyone was trying to overtake each other.  I've noticed the driving in India is very pushy and no one gives way unless they absolutely have to.

Once I reached Mysore I managed to get onto another bus heading for Hunsur.  I finally arrived at Hunsur at 4pm and Saroja (a lady from the orphanage) picked me up from the bus stop and then we drove over to the school.  Unfortunately I had just missed the children's Christmas program and they were just about to get onto the school bus and head home.  Everyone was very excited to see me and wanting to shake my hand.  I am very happy to be back in Hunsur and continuing the work of the Lord.  Over the next few days there is a lot of work to be done around the orphanage and on Christmas day all the children will receive a new set of clothes which they are all looking forward to.

Rehoboth Orphanage

On Thursday morning Andrew dropped me off at the Rehoboth orphanage where I'd been invited to stay a few nights and help with the preparation for the celebrations this weekend.  This orphanage is run very differently to one in Hunsur and has very good facilities all throughout.  There were lots of people everywhere doing different jobs but I tried to help out where I could.  I met several other New Zealanders which have come for the special anniversary. It was very nice to meet other people from New Zealand as it was the first time I've been able to have a proper full English conversation with someone.  It was an amazing experience being at the orphanage and seeing how happy all the children were.

Watching the Rehoboth's primary school's Christmas show

Helping out with all the work needed to prepare for the weekend 

A picture that was taken a few years ago when the orphanage had close to 200 girls 

A photo gallery of pictures from the last 110 years at the orphanage

A picture of the founder Mr. Nagal in 1905

The children were celebrating with balloons

Evening celebrations with people singing hymns

On Saturday I managed to meet up with Thomas and Sheela, an Indian couple that attend the same assembly as me in New Zealand.  They invited me back to stay a few nights at their place in Coimbatore which is about a 2 hour drive away.  We left the orphanage after the celebrations on the Saturday night and attended a small meeting on the Sunday morning.  It was a very nice and encouraging time and it was great to see such faithful believers meeting together.  There was a youth group meeting afterwards where we studied the armour of God from Ephesians 6.  There was a good number of young people and most of them have come from a tough hindu background.  On Tuesday or Wednesday I plan to take the bus back to Hunsur and continue teaching English at the school and taking evening bible studies at the orphanage which I'm really enjoying.

The Christian assembly meeting in Coimbatore

Kerala Adventures

On Tuesday we visited a large girls orphanage called Rehoboth in Kerala.  It is a very old Christian orphanage that is managed by a New Zealand lady called Phyllis who has been living in India for the last 50 years.  There is a big 110th anniversary this coming weekend to celebrate the Lord's faithfulness over the orphanage.   An Indian couple from our assembly in Auckland, Thomas and Sheela Eapen, know Phyllis very well and had been invited to this celebration, and since I happened to be in India at the same time I was invited also.  Visit Rehoboth's website for more information: http://www.rehobothindia.com/

The meaning of the name Rehoboth is "The Lord has made room for us"

We were shown all around the orphanage which is a huge section of land in the middle of a busy urban district.  It has very well maintained buildings, a primary school, a theological bible school, and many trees everywhere.  At one point there were 200 girls at the orphanage but now there is about 140.  They have faced pressure from the government to reduce the number and many other restrictions which makes things difficult.

It was incredible to see the faithfulness of this lady Phyllis and how the Lord has used her to bring about this amazing work.  She had many stories of how the Lord has provided in incredible ways, it's like something you would read out of a George Muller book.

In the afternoon we visited the Kerala Zoo and Elephant sanctuary which was quite good.  The large snakes and peacocks at the Zoo were impressive and there were about 50 Elephants at the sanctuary which was interesting to see.   However since the Indian standards for keeping animals captive is much different to New Zealand most of the animals looked quite depressed just sitting in a cage all day.

Andrew and his friends standing in front of the palace 

On Wednesday me, Andrew, and a few of his friends headed out to a place called Fort Kochi which is on the south west point of India.  It was about a two hour drive from where we were staying.  On the way we briefly visited the largest mall in India which is called LuLu Mall, then headed onwards and visited a large palace where an Indian King used to rule which was really interesting.  There were large paintings, hand crafted ornaments, old biblical scrolls, weapons, and the Kings jewels. We saw a very large golden crown which the King would have worn, it had all different types of jewels and diamonds attached to it which was really amazing to see.  Unfortunately it was an extremely hot day in Kerala and any movement outside would make you sweat like mad.

The Paradesi Synagogue

We drove further onwards and crossed a large bridge to a popular tourist island.  It was a very unique place because a long time ago the Dutch had settled there so everything was quite different.  We went inside the first Jewish synagogue in India, it's called the Paradesi Synagogue and was built in 1568, which was very interesting to see.  I couldn't get over how there were so many European tourists everywhere, I have never seen so many in India before. The streets were lined with small shops selling everything you could imagine. 

Sitting outside the St. Frances Church

Later on we visited an old 15th century Catholic Church called St. Frances Church and then walked around the waterfront.  We saw these huge Chinese fishing nets that would dip into the water and lift out large amounts of fish, they were quite unique.

Large Chinese fishing nets lined the coast

 Sitting by a south Indian beach

In the evening we were invited around to have dinner at the house of one of the families from Andrew's church assembly which was very nice.  Tomorrow we had planned to go with several others from the church on a 8 hour drive to hand out gospel tracts to villages but the man organising our vehicle has been very sick so we had to cancel.  Instead I've been invited to stay a few nights at the Rehoboth orphanage and help out where I can over the celebration weekend.

Samuel and Elamma Matthew with their son and his wife