Monkeys, Hospitals, and Scooter Bikes

The other day I was waiting for a rickshaw to come pick me up and take me to the hospital. We had 2 children brought in to the hospital that morning for seizures and I could not get to the home to go with them because I did not have transportation that could get me there fast enough.

As I stood outside the apartment waiting for the rickshaw, one second I am standing there praying and singing to pass the time and the next second, I am grabbing for my camera to get a picture of the monkey that jumped up on the wall beside me. It was a young one. Small, busy, curious. It was swinging around in the tree next to me and then jumped up on the wall.



As I was taking his picture, I heard something over my shoulder and I turned in time to see this one about to jump down almost on top of me!



I think he was hoping to get my bags. I snapped the picture just in time to bend over and snatch my bags up. I told him "go!" And he ran off and I turned to see this one had perched himself up on the wall.



I remember when I first saw the monkeys here. I thought awwwwe, how adorable! I watched too many Nat. Geo and Animal Planet shows and incorrectly assumed these were just 'cute' little creatures. The monkeys here are actually very naughty; even to the point of being vicious and evil. They will attack for food, they will steal shoes, laundry, and other items, enter homes and ransack them and steal food... leaving behind their ahhhem... well let's just say it's gross.

I'll stick to ooohhhing and aaaahhhing over the kids. They are so much cuter and I can kiss them without fearing rabies =)

So that day I went to the hospital, Nolan, Lydia, and Andrew were all in there for different issues and all three of them were on different floors. The electricity was out at the hospital and it was sweltering HOT in there! I was glad to see that all three children were receiving IV fluids but I also poured each of them cups of Pediasure to drink and had them drink it down. Sweet Lydia. Here she was running a fever that had caused her to have seizures, hooked up to an IV, heavily drugged, and she started smiling when she heard my voice! You can't get any sweeter than that =) When I walked away from her bed to talk to the attendant, she started crying. I think she thought I was leaving. I came back to her and picked her up and cuddled her for a while. As I was praying over her, I felt such peace. I felt her relax and just melt into me. It breaks my heart for any of our kiddos to be sick.





When I left Lydia's room, I had already visited the boys and thought I was ready to go. I just had this feeling I should go back up to check on Nolan again. When I entered the room, he was having another seizure. The Ayah had called the nurse and attendant. His seizure stopped and after I could tell he was stable, I pulled him into my arms. Everyone who knows Nolan knows that he is my little snuggle bug. He seriously gives the BEST hugs ever. Today was not a day for him to be giving hugs though. Our sweet boy just laid in my arms weak and tired and looking miserable. It broke me. I began to pray and then all the sudden it was as if all I felt I just HAD to sing over him. Guys, I canNOT sing. I seriously make the dogs howl when I sing! But it just started to flow out of me. Worship, prayer, praise. It was really a sweet moment when I knew that the Holy Spirit was in control.

I had my eyes closed for the longest time just singing and praying and when I looked up, people were all around me. Parents of other children in the Pediatric ICU, people from the hallway, and even the nurses. They had covered their heads (something that Indian women do when they pray or worship). As I laid Nolan back in his bed, they all started at once begging me to come pray for their children and for them.

I knew that most of these people were probably Hindu. They have no problem asking a Christian to pray for them because they simply have a whole list of gods they believe in and sadly, they consider Jesus just another God in a long list of gods. I wanted to cry at that moment because there was no way for me to communicate to them that what they needed even more than healing for their children is true salvation, a real relationship with Jesus, renouncing all false idols and gods. I wanted to cry because without Jesus, they have no hope at all. How I wished I had a translator with me at that moment to share the gospel with them!

I started to pray for their children and for them. Little did they know, I was praying more for the salvation of their souls, for the blinders to be removed from their eyes, for the truth of the gospel to come to them. I prayed for healing too but my burden was for their souls. As I prayed, I tangibly felt the sweet presence of God. There is nothing NOTHING nothing more beautiful and precious to me.

Sarah called just as I was about to pray for the last child. I had been calling her and sending messages over the phone about the status of the kids and it felt really good to be able to tell her that I had God's total peace that our kids would be ok.

I have been really busy. So busy that making time to blog just has not been in the cards. I'm exhausted by the time I get home and it's as if my brain and my body shut down all at once until the next day when I start all over again. I'm sorry if you have been disappointed at my lack of updates. Please understand that I will blog when I can.

On that note, one huge stressor for me has been transportation. Friends, I need your prayers over this! I have been staying at the children's home in the village until nighttime, while Theresa goes early in the morning and stays until afternoon. I have had times where it takes a couple of hours to get a ride home after an exhausting day. Times when I needed to go to the hospital but could not get there and back to the home without a whole lot of hassle. Times when I have waited outside the street by the apartment for 30 minutes or more in the heat, only to walk to the main bypass so I could find a ride to get to the children's home. Times when I really needed to be able to run an errand while I was at the children's home and could not. Times when I really needed to be able to get a decent meal but was too exhausted to walk out to the road and wait for a rickshaw to take me to the restaurant. I have decided that because I am here now long term, I really NEED my own transportation. Buying a car would be a really huge expense, so I priced scooter bikes and I can get a brand new one with safety wheels (you don't want to buy used in India) for $1,500 USD Please join me in prayer for God's provision for this need. If God touches your heart to give toward this need, please indicate 'transportation' in the message line on your donation.

God bless you guys! I love you!