Less of me - More of them

A brief respite from me talking about me - I thought that it would be nice for once to concentrate just on what Sarah's Covenant Homes does, is and faces from it.

This lovely young lady pretended to be shy of me at first - but she was soon hitting me with her walking stick and sticking her tongue out at me!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3vaNJKM1a4&feature=youtu.be

 This is Gabe when just after he arrived with Sarah's Covenant Homes:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150115184667539&set=vb.113779595328987&type=3&theater

And this was him the other day: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=691921310848143&set=vb.113779595328987&type=3&theater
  
Monica learned to walk:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=666228890084052&set=vb.113779595328987&type=3&theater

So did Lily:
 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=666536580053283&set=vb.113779595328987&type=3&theater


AND




Lily and Nolan took a visit to the Children's Museum, and they would like to show you their puppet show! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=703176183055989&set=vb.113779595328987&type=3&theater


Here is a collage of photos which we compiled a couple of years back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUfRfC3Y4JY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUfRfC3Y4JY

And although I didn't get to meet Eric and Tisra - they are typical of the HEROES that I am privileged to be associating with. Meet Erica and Tisra Fadeley:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKiOrkJpXps

 “The vision for Sarah’s Covenant Homes is to provide our children with the next-best thing to a traditional family. Love, growth, laughter, nurture, and more love!

Over 100 children have been referred to us by the government, having been abandoned or relinquished by their families. Most of them arrive in extremely weak condition, with undiagnosed illnesses, anemia, and medical/surgical needs unmet. We provide them with medical care, education, physiotherapy, good nutrition & supplements, and lots of love.”

Both Me and Sarah are Appealing

An urgent appeal from Sarah which I thought that I'd share. What a wonderful experience and CV inclusion this would be:
Sarah's Covenant Homes, India
'I need a tutor for my middle girls--can anyone help for 3 months? I will cover your food & lodging expenses if you can help my 5th & 6th grade daughters with their schoolwork for about five hours/day and take them to a sport 5 days a week. Need help in March, April, & May. Need good knowledge of English grammar and sixth grade math. If interested in working with SCH as well, some preschoolers need some help with spoken English & other skills for about an hour or two a day.'

These 2 girls are an absolute delight - great fun and very mature for their age, you certainly would have a wonderful time with them and a unique opportunity.

As for mine - no - I said that I AM appealing.Well I'm certainly being made to feel that way and it really is very humbling and I'm really not worthy.

I left Ongole today with a heavy heart and that surprised me. When I arrived about 3 weeks ago, I also had a heavy heart - at arriving! I had sort of found my niche (just about) at Hyderabad and had been dropped off in a totally depressing place to my mind and would have to start all over again.
HOWEVER
This was the beginning of the beginning for me. Ongole, although a seemingly endless town -  had an intimacy about it. It is smellier, dirtier and noisier than where I was in Hyderabad BUT the people that I was working with were great, the people on the street  and in the stores are accepting and friendly and certainly very helpful - often without understanding each other - we understood each other (I understood that a shaking wobble of the head means OK - not 'No' - 'Sari' (?) means OK to and not sorry - I thought everybody was being very apologetic!).

It's so much easier to locate what you need - the carpenters are all in one area, the paint supplies, the tools, the mechanics &c &c all likewise - so you have a choice of zillions when you are looking for something.
The World Racers that I worked with are beautiful, wonderful new daughters, the Foster Moms likewise - and the kids - well there's a whole herd of them across the various homes - each one catering for different ages. Whenever I'd go into the homes, there were always smiling faces (OK - I did scare a few who let it be known if they weren't able to escape). 

All I had to do was sort a few screws out, knock some walls down, paint some stuff and plant a few things - or something like that and I was 'so wonderful'. At the end of it all, when it was time to go - I genuinely felt sad. When I next turned on my laptop and opened my emails - this was waiting for me:

'Mr.Dave

         it's been great working woth you , thank you so much for the wonderful ideas , i learned a lot from you , your timing , ideas are  so nice ,

if it is possible please visit again SCH Ongole

 thank you

Sukumar'

Sukumar has been trying very hard over the last few days to persuade me to come back very soon - and I genuinely think that he means it and isn't just being polite. I really haven't done anything out of the ordinary - but because of the Indian way of thinking and doing (or not doing) things - apparently I have seemed to be a bit of a whirlwind relatively speaking - I eventually managed to get Sukumar to understand the concept of 'I want it yesterday!'
So why am I appealing? Well isn't it obvious? Take a look at my photo

Perhaps not then - Could it be my personality?  
Oh alright, I give in -  I am appealing for other men to follow my lead and do an even better job than me. If you're not appreciated at home - you will be here - give it some thought - the weather is lovely - how many of you have gotten a suntan this Jan/Feb? How many people have you made happy in the last 5 weeks? How often have you been able to eat out for £1.50?
SARAH'S COVENANT HOMES NEEDS YOU!

To further inflate my ego - after a 350-400 mile return trip to Hyderabad - I was met by and jumped on with huge hugs from Sarah's daughters, a hug from Sarah and Sudahakar (!!!) Even Jeffrey seemed pleased to see me. I certainly felt like I'd come home and had been missed. Can't wait to get back to England for the real thing (please take note England!).
 We travelled back a different route from the journey there (which was mainly 'motorway') coming back across country seeing the rural India prossibly for the last time, so took loads of photos at the sight of anything and everything. I might put a few of these on in later blogs when I've had the time to sort them.

Finally, 2 new arrivals at the Hyderabad home - Meet little Michele! 

Michele is probably six months old but is as tiny as a 2-month-old. She has a colostomy and a hernia and needs a pull-through operation. Michele is so funny--she loves to mimic facial expressions. Ask her any question and she'll tilt her head from side to side as if to say, "Yep, yep." What fun she's going to be--we all just love her! Welcome, Michele!

(To answer a frequently asked question, all names used online are pseudonyms--we actually call this baby the name officially given to her by the government when found abandoned.)

Last Day in Ongole.... Going to the Beach !!!!!

Yesterday (Sunday) I went with 2 of the Foster Moms to Angel Home, this place is no longer in use for the children - it's a bit of a distance away and is in a wonderful tiny, rural village. These 2 clips are panoramic views of the area from the rooftop of Angel Home:

Notice in that last one - cameras seem to have a bit of an attraction for local kids!!

Then....

This was the place where we'd been warned about snakes and rats - but when we got there the locked 'cupboard' room was bare.
Either they'd gotten word that a serious snake fighter was coming to town - or it was the kids there they were trying to avoid (see video 1).
 Seeing the view and being there - I really can't understand why the cows in the town and city stay there - this would be so much better for them.

Tuesday it's back to Hyderabad - so another 10 hour drive from here!
 Lot's of things achieved in Ongole when I look back - thanks to my wonderful new six adopted daughters. Three of them will join up with me in Hyderabad for a short break when their parents fly out from the States to spend a few days with them.
Although much improving work has been done, I've had to leave before seeing the final results as there is a large amount of welding work, and concrete and masonry work to be done by local craftsmen which will hopefully be done within the next couple of weeks - but I'm leaving instructions for how it should be done and I'll want photos for me to inspect (Sukumar TAKE NOTE!!).
Similarly I've helped to 'design' a bed for some of the autistic children who can be very disruptive during the night. A local carpenter has built it to an adapted design of a $6,000 one on the market called 'Noah's Bed' - we've had ours made of teak (the common better wood here) and we still have to have the netting made. 2 of these are costing about $600 - we need 7 - they will make a huge difference to the 'ayahs' and the other children who sleep in the room.

So - beach it was and here it is - the Indian Ocean (the  more eagle-eyed amongst you might notice that my T shirt says - 'PACIFIC' - but it wasn't).

And do you think that this little girl enjoyed being there?

 She was so full of laughter - the bigger the wave or the more she was submerged - the more she laughed - I must show you more...

(Sorry that one was on its side - remember I'm an old geriatric and couldn't find a way to rotate it!)

One of the Foster Moms - Hannah wrote this piece about the boys in her care which I thought would be lovely to share:

 http://www.schindia.com/2014/02/16/truth-home-boys/

And in this video is Nikki - another Foster Mom working with one of her children:

 https://vimeo.com/84741656




I've been wondering why so many motor vehicles here have a snake dangling down in front of the drivers - so I asked one and he explained to me that it was his 'Vindscreen Viper' - I'll get my coat!


Don't worry Ann - the message certainly isn't in the song - just thought you'd like this from Stevie Winwood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoSn2Y-b6wI

Halfway and My Last Weekend in Ongole - Then Back to Hyderabad.

                         6 good reasons to come to Ongole

A lovely evening with 6 adorable Americans (OK girls, they all talk American but are specifically, a Mexican, a Filipino, and 4 Americans!! - they've been correcting me for 2 weeks, making me have to explain my jokes to then AND making fun of my accent!).
I invited them all out on a dinner date - the day BEFORE Valentine's Day Ann!
They chose from an a la carte meal and still have change from 22,000 Rupees? - Hey girls you weren't supposed to eat all you could!

Actually that cost me less than £22 but don't tell them - it spoils the gesture! 
A meal for 7 including starters, mains, desserts and soft drinks!
And such great company......... wasn't I ladies?



They've been great company - all mad in different ways - but all wanting to serve God however He wants them to and to learn. For these World Race team young people - it's a hard but marvellous life and spiritual experience for them and they are such a blessing to the people and tribes that they involve with on their 11 months journey. World Race Walkers folks - you heard it here.

When they weren't doing our work at Victory Home and annoying me - they were working with the children in the Covenant Homes here in Ongole - next month they go to Nepal - I'll miss them.

Then there's their colleagues from a separate team - I have to share the apartment with them!!! Now I ask - which group make the place more attractive?

 Actually, they are all fine young Americans and they have been lovely guys to get to know - so sincere and wanting to be and do their best for God. While the girls have been working hard with me - these 3 and the 3 girls in their team have been visiting the more remote areas to work. 

Thanks for your company Ken, Mike and Heath. 

Today, Friday 14th February was one of the best so far. penultimate day of working at Victory Home. Upon our arrival we presented 'SECURITEE' with a hat I'd sourced to make him 'official' - he was DELIGHTED - skipping around in it and making everyone of us laugh because he was so thrilled. 

Then when we walked into the yard where we'd dug the bare area - the ladies had filled it with vegetable and flower plants and seeds that we'd brought the previous evening. It was thrilling to see the pride and joy in their faces and the difference that filling it with plants made to it.

News on kiddies:

Jasmine recently learned to walk, but wasn't so sure about walking in her new special shoes that provide the ankle support she needs. Taking Jeffrey for a walk proved to be the motivation she needed to walk all over the roof at SCH-Hyderabad in her new shoes.

 

 So - Jeffrey did come in useful other than to test my bed!!!

AND - a very determined young lady - 

Rachel practices daily to learn to walk with her new prosthetic leg. She has gone from two-handed support to one-handed, and now can walk unsupported. Her knee buckled once and it threw her confidence, but she's working hard to learn the stride. Soon she'll be working on stairs. Every day they make minor adjustments to the leg. By Tuesday she should be able to take it home!

The thing I've realised by being here - although there is no Organisation to help with the finance and running of SCH - there are various individuals and other groups who do actually come, get involved and are a vital part of making the whole work. So from Hula Hoopers to Painters and Diggers, Nurses to old men on their own - the whole is the sum of its parts - driven by a God who cares even for the sparrows.

 

Never Volunteer For Anything

Apparently,
The Army only teaches you two things: "If in doubt, put down smoke and go left", and "Never volunteer for anything". 

The Navy only teaches you two things: "Don't throw the slops out to windward", and "Never volunteer for anything". 

The Air Force only teaches you two things: "Cheese tastes pretty much the same coming up as going down, so it's OK to eat before a bumpy flight", and "Never volunteer for anything". 

The Marines only teach you one thing: "Never volunteer for anything". 

The Police Force taught me - retirement is better than being in the police. I wasn't in the Armed Forces so I never learned their 'mottos' but I get the feeling that volunteering isn't a good idea. I wish I'd read the small print before responding to Sarah's recent request internally for volunteers: 'We need someone to scope out Angel home and see if anything is salvageable from that storage room‏'

Well 2 of the Foster Mothers volunteered and then I offered to help out if they needed.
Sarah's subsequent message read ' ...as it's a village there could be snakes and rats‏ not sure what shape anything is in‏ has been locked up for a few years now‏...'

Now I can see the wisdom of the Armed Forces!
I shall be wearing closed shoes (1st time not open sandals for over  a month) and taking my trusty shovel with the one notch on the handle! 
If there are no more blogs after this one - there will be a good reason - tell my wife and family that I loved them very much.

**********************


Tuesday 11/2/14 I linked with a class of 9/10 years olds in Kidderminster - their teacher is a former police colleague of mine who decided to become a teacher. The kids in her class of 9/10 year olds spoke to 3 of the young girls from Grace Home (the third joined after I took the picture). The girls enjoyed answering questions and their teacher (Pauline) is going to encourage exchanges of letters and hopefully this will form an ongoing link between 2 groups of children from opposite sides of the world. 
The next day we linked up again - it is being well received by the pupils. I was able to scan my laptop around the area from my balcony so that they could see and hear the sights and sounds. and one of the young workers there - 20 year old Sarah Rose - sang a beautiful song to them from the home (Grace Home) - a worship song that she has written herself. It is so nice to see the excitement that the youngsters this end and the pupils in England have being able to actually talk to each other.
Pauline's class have been looking at Sarah's Covenant Homes website to see all of the children and each of their personal profiles and I am told that they are going to definitely link up.

If anyone else wishes to do likewise - please contact me soon - or contact Sarah's Covenant Homes, India via the website:
                    http://www.schindia.com/


Over the last week, me and my team of World Racers have been soldiering on for Victory - the home for the older lads where we demolished the toilet. We've been doing a lot of painting to external doors and window frames .....

                 .....and latterly we've been Digging for Victory

 

                                             BEFORE

                                         AND DURING

The idea is to provide areas for the local ladies who work there and the residents to grow their own produce and maybe some flowers - it should keep the boys busy and give them a sense of achievement if they can be taught to tend the plants and watch them grow their vegetables



I have previously mentioned the volunteers who come and dedicated themselves in such a selfless loving way - here's a chance to meet them:

http://www.schindia.com/meet-us/ltvols/

Nearly 2,000 Viewings Worldwide !!!

The blogs statistics are showing almost 2,000 views since I began it and I am so grateful for people to take the time. Not at all for my sake - the hope by starting it was that the work and needs of Sarah's Covenant Homes are brought to peoples' attention. 
This is happening - and not just back in the UK - but the stats show it is being read in USA, India,  Germany - even Ethiopia and Albania !!!

On that note, talking with Sarah about things generally, it seems that there is quite a need for men to come out here and give some of their time. 
When I'd thought about coming - I thought what could I really do and I asked the question to them - surely it would be better for me to send the money that the 2 month trip would cost - it could be put to better use. A short, sharp response came back from Theresa Hill - 'God will provide our needs, we want YOU to come' (lovely Theresa - the lady who left almost as soon as I arrived, and just after having had her feet pedicured by fish, laughing sooooo loudly that nearly everyone in the department store in Hyderabad came rushing to see who was being attacked!).

Nevertheless, I don't have many real skills - OK, I'm attractive to have around the place and I tell great jokes - but they don't seem to travel well and anyway, I get to irritate people with them after a short time back home.
All I really had to offer was my time and efforts to offer wherever needed.

                                      MEN OF THE WORLD
    SARAH'S COVENANT HOMES NEEDS YOU

Time, willingness and caring are about all that you need to bring. OK, I fix doors, cots, do a lot of labouring and I keep thinking - 'But anyone could have done that' - but the problem is that in India the culture is not the same. 
Much of what I am doing involves having ideas, planning the work needed, co-ordinating and overseeing local craftsmen such as welders, masons, carpenters etc (and electricians - oh electricians - don't ever try to understand or mess with the electrics here! . Health and Safety Regulations are about as meaningful here as.....well... Diversity courses back in England! When I was demolishing the walls as in my earlier blog, wearing my flip flops - I think the locals wondered why I had taken so many precautions!).  
The thing is that organising and moving things forward is quite alien in some ways here - Sukumar is amazed that I seem to push for the craftsmen and the supplies to arrive yesterday, today - but at the latest tomorrow - before we've finished the job that we are doing. "But you are doing it so fast - it's amazing' is the sort of thing he says - and Sukumar is a very intelligent, educated man - it just seems to be a cultural thing. 
It took me a while to get out of my shell because I didn't want to be pushy or offend anyone, but it's not like that really, after becomjng frustrated at the lack of  real progress (although even that seemed like amazingly fast to them), I did step up  a gear and now, after 4 weeks, I'm beginning to see good, substantial changes which are going to make a huge difference. Hopefully the pictures to come of Victory Home before and after will give an indication and it wasn't all down to me by any means. It was the organising and working with the World Race Team (my new daughters), and even with the ayahs and lads in that home - 'SEECURITEE' was like an ox when it came to moving the rubble:

Lovely 'Levi' who loved to bear hug me and bring the girls chai - 'TEEEEE, three teeee, vereee good. MEREEEE CHREEESTMAS'. We tried to tire him out - but that is like trying to nail jelly to a wall.

The point of this quick blog is to tell and encourage more men to prayerfully consider the possibility of coming out, if only for a short time, to lend their abilities to this important work. 
I have no doubt that I will also look back at the pictures of what I have been involved with and see that I have actually made some difference, despite my feelings at this time, and that if I hadn't come, much of it would perhaps never have been done. 
I will have made connections with some of the children and although I will be gone in 4 weeks and probably soon forgotten, it will have made a difference at the time - a difference to the 120 or so children by even taking the time just to engage with them, they love it - like the little 'Victoria' who has no sight and who enthusiastically sought out, in order, the magnetic letters which she placed on her board for me; like Christopher who's education Ann and I help finance (He tells me, 'Brother, I will be a policeman too when I am 16'); like 'Gabi' who has no use in his legs but thoroughly enjoyed twirling his little 'wheelchair' inside one held for him by a lady with a hula-hoop ministry; the World Racers who worked so hard with me and who made fun of my English accent and then made me try out my 'American' one for them to laugh at (Hi y'all. Don' get Yurrr Panteees in a bag laydies!), and hopefully Sarah and her team of amazing foster Moms, support staff &c - oh and also my new 'grandkids' - her own children.

So men of the world - give it some thought - especially if it's cold where you are right now (and here you can dine out on £1).....

Darn It, Bugs 1 - Dave 0 !!!

I make no apologies for using someone else's blog in mine - it is to further illustrate exactly what is sacrificed by the wonderful people who work here and dedicate themselves to what God wants in a place that most people wouldn't choose to be. 
Please take the time to read what is contained in it and watch the short video clip:

http://onetinystarfish.blogspot.in/

The reason for my title to this latest blog is probably self-explanatory. They got me! 
Where the mosquitoes have tried and failed for over 3 weeks (apart from itchy bites) - something else didn't. After getting up and starting to get ready for another day's work - I suddenly felt what was coming - and it did! I won't put any pictures up - but my banana and chocolate chip cookies breakfast decided to put in a re-appearance along with my 3 mugs of coffee!
It was a short, sharp few moments and no real after effects - but I decided to take the morning off to avoid sharing any repeats with my new American 'daughters' whilst painting the windows at Victory Home. 
But that sort of went south though - I went with the girls anyway in the end to meet up with a welder - we are erecting grilled off areas (pictures later), repairing heavy gates, and also a man to lay the concrete on the cleared old toilet area. The girls keep nagging at me to drink water and I survived that morning without embarrassing myself from either end - decided to give the afternoon a miss now. Sunday will be a rest day anyway so I WILL be back in action on Monday.
(The above will be a real surprise to my wife and kids - I don't do precautionary!)
 

Anyway - where we're at, me and some of 'my girls' have moved on to painting the windows, doors and gates at Victory Home 

                                                   Team A

and skiving when I'm not looking! (I'm sure that the picture will translate to Americans what skiving means)

While the resident lads from the home,  Indian ladies and myself broke our backs throwing the huge pile of rubble from the old toilet building over the wall into a tractor trailer.:

The Team - still thought that I didn't know what they were doing AGAIN a short while later

Is skiving an American thing?

              

As well as my wife, Ann (obviously)

 

I'm missing the dogs

BOSCO

                                            and BERTIE

                         And of course my kids and their kids.
I am so grateful to them for their prayers and support for me - as well as all of the other lovely emails and comments I'm receiving not only from England - but also other part of the world - it does help.

The other day I Skyped my son, Jon and he told me that this was such a strange thing for ME to actually do and he found it difficult to believe that I'm actually in this place and that it looks like I've been airbrushed into the pictures. 

Little does he know - that's what I've done - I never got on the plane and I'm actually in a hotel in a secret location in England!

Well it's near the end of February 8th and I'm extremely downhearted, disappointed and dejected - I feel unloved and forgotten. Why? Because I learned this today - it's a very special day and NOTHING!!!:

Not one person did I hear be called Dave - except me!

One Week In Ongole And I'm Now Almost A Native

This is breakfast in Ongole:

It's called 'Tiffin' - my wife Ann makes Tiffin and it's nothing like this! Where's the chocolate, the crushed biscuits and the occasional sultanas? - You can't even put milk and sugar on it - more like Gaviscon for first thing in the morning - Breakfast????!

Then there's the early morning wake-up call from a street band - I call them 'No Direction'

 If it's not them waking me up at an unearthly hour it's a neighbour several streets away singing at the top of his voice presumably while listening to the local radio. Mind you - I got out of bed because of it at 6.30 am to see this lovely view - so thank you Mr or Mrs Mullah

At the start of my trip - firstly in Hyderabad and latterly in Ongole, I initially stayed in my shell - not venturing out, just trying to do work, which was why I came. However, as I've grown in confidence, I quite happily go for fairly long walks - almost the only white face in town unless I'm with another western worker - which isn't often. It's crowded, noisy and a whole spectrum of types of life - from the cows, street dogs, oven ready chickens (they're alive but seem plucked ready for the table) to the beggars, street people, ordinary workers, people who probably are relatively wealthy and the children - whole school busloads who want you to shout 'Hi' back to them of 'High Five' them if they get chance. 'What is your name?'. 'Where do you come from?' they always want to know.
The people in stores and small roadside shops are friendly to you and seemingly very honest - I bought 6 eggs (yes Ann darling, I am trying to eat the right things) from one chap - I thought that he said they were 37 Rupees - which is what I gave him (less than 37p) and he said,"No" and gave me 10 Rupees back. In supermarkets they want to carry my basket around for me (do I really look that old - or do they think I'm a shoplifter?) - friendly, pleasant, helpful and reassuringly safe to be with.
By the way Ann, I think that today, totally on my own with nobody around me and in a remote(ish) location, I may have done a deal on 2 very large old tractor tyres - he wants 600 Rupees and I may get them for 500. I'm not sure if I'd have to declare them at customs or how much excess baggage it would cost - so I may just use them as planters at Victory Home (if so - reassuring photos will follow). Mind you - they could look great on the rear axle of my Morris Traveller,

Whilst I'm trying to help at Sarah's Covenant Homes, India - I've been privileged to have met groups from 'World Race' teams. Groups of young Americans who go to 11 different needy places around the world over 11 months - funding their journey themselves. I never met this group - but every single one of those team members that I've been involved with are AWESOME. Watch the video on this link and have a box of tissues handy!

http://vimeo.com/85816370

All along, I've felt like 'What real difference am I making? All I'm doing really is simple stuff between all of the waiting around' - I'd previously asked Sarah if it might have been better for me to send the money for the cost of my trip and was told 'God will provide that - it's important that you come' - I thought yeah, me - I'll make little difference and even now that is still the case to a point. 
BUT
Seeing that video made me see the differences others are making in being here and doing the simple things. It's perhaps easier to see it when it's other people like that - but it brought it home to me - that in a way, I may be having a similar effect in some small way and that God is using me too  (even if only to make people smile at my jokes - although that may only be politeness!).

This is a fairly short blog - they're coming thicker and faster at present. In a few days, I'll be sending another one to show the changes that me and my team of women from the World Racers are making at the Victory home.

Suddenly I fancy a Bacon Sandwich....

...I don't know why - I'm not driven by food (I hope I'm not pregnant!!!). Its around 7.30 am local time, I've just had some muesli with Soya milk and for some reason the thought of a bacon sandwich came into my head - ANN, GET THE GRILL ON AND SOME THICK BREAD ON 15TH MARCH!

I'm being fairly cautious about food - waiting to see how other westerners around me fare with places they  food from - yesterday for instance I was working with some World Racers and at lunchtime they went to a local eatery they'd been to before so I joined in and had a perreta (?) - a sort of broken up pancake with a tasty sauce and after making myself understood for a take out - took away a 35p 3 types of rice and 3 bags of sauces in a palm leaf (in a plastic bag). I had that at teatime but could only eat just over half - too full - so I've saved it for the local chickens who need 'chubbing up' - and no, they will not be on my menu later on!

2 Portions of 'Perreta = 49p (I couldn't manage to finish the palm leaf!)

If I'd wanted to, I could have eaten snake.
Yep, killed my first one yesterday - he kept sticking his tongue out at me and nobody does that when I have a shovel in my hand!
Actually I feel quite bad about it - I hate to see things killed unnecessarily and I may have done so. I was working with 3 of the World Race Team girls demolishing an outside toilet and clearing an area for the Indian ladies to use as a washing area when I heard the ladies and the boys screaming. So I ran over to where they were and there was a snake - about 4 foot long slithering across the courtyard amongst them. Cue SuperDave - our hero rushed into action, cornered the 20 foot python and, after what seemed hours of tussling, with the advantage changing from protagonist to protagonist (during which time I bravely stared death in the face - and laughed at ti) - strength, truth and justice reigned supreme and the 60 foot man eating, world's deadliest anaconda was no more.

Actually, I cornered it and sliced it with the shovel and then whacked it.

Like I said, I still feel bad - I don't know if it was dangerous or not so I had to do something because of the panic and if I'd let it get away, it would still be around and might be a problem - and anyway - it did stick it's tongue out at me like so many of my previous clients who'd imagined that an old copper wouldn't catch them either - good job for them I wasn't equipped with a shovel as well as a truncheon!

So - where was I before I started talking about bacon....?

Well, since arriving here late last Thursday and having to clean out the bathroom straight away - I've been trying to get a spade - a pick axe and a sledge hammer. It's taken Monday to get a shovel (no spades) and a sledge hammer and a pick axe head (no handles)!

After much deliberating on Friday and Saturday - my helper Sukumar told me on Saturday that he would meet me the next day at 10.30.

Sunday morning came and went, while waiting I was invited in to the church - it was lovely but I didn't understand a word

 - so did much of the afternoon. I walked to the supermarket and Sukumar came past on his motorbike and told me that he'd forgotten that it was Sunday and he would see me tomorrow!!!! (I'm getting used to India - gradually).

Monday - I was given 2 of the Race Walker girls (see previous blog re these wonderful teams of young people) to help me demolish a toilet and dig up a growing plot at Victory Home - so we were taken to Victory to look at what we'd already previously looked at (for no obvious reason), one of the girls felt ill so I took them to the supermarket to get some food for her and then went back to wait for the afternoon when I was given 3 other girls (that is the plan for the week). This time - progress - we went to a store, chose gate hinges, screws,  a door handle repair rod - great, something to work with - NOT.

When Sukumar came out of the shop he hadn't got the things because they couldn't provide a cash receipt!! So we had to go to another one where we went through the same process - this time successfully. Then on to another shop where we got the half tools that I can't use until they get handles fixed to them - tomorrow morning I'm promised........AAAAAAAAARGH!

That was the day AGAIN - but - I did get the internal rod for a door handle, undid 4 screws on a door handle, inserted the rod - the handle works again on both sides and they are amazed. So 3 days and 2 minutes and I have apparently achieved wonders - something that had been a real problem for ages!

This brings us to yesterday - 3 girls again, and me, and Sukumar. This time went to the local place to get handles.

When we arrived I thought that those green bamboo poles were for some sort of 12 foot flute (he was carving regular square holes along the length - I never even took notice of the ladders behind him! ('Stupid English').
(The pick axe handle was cut down to size by the way).

THEN  - the action began. Here is our project for a couple of days - demolish an outside toilet and make ready for it to be concreted over to provide outside washing slabs for the resident ladies.

Here were the girl teams:

And here is the men's team:

My 2 friends are resident boys who we had to keep a close eye on - but they seemed to have a great time helping.

And here was the end result:

 Took my first ride in an 'Auto' yesterday (Tuk-tuk) and here's the picture to prove it:

 The locals seem to be able to get 10 fat people 'in' or up to around 15 skinny people (In being loosely applied).

And finally, a picture and news of what it is all about here:

First is a photo of Kenneth when he came to Sarah's Covenant Homes back in November 2013. He was seizing so frequently that it was causing him to aspirate all his food and he had to have a G-tube placed. Nest is a photo of Kenneth today; seizures controlled and being the true boy he is, he LOVES to eat by mouth (g-tube sill used for supplement feedings.) He has beautiful chubby cheeks and is built like a line backer. Anna, his foster home mother says,"I love this sweet boy so much and am so thankful God let us keep him." So - on my 42nd wedding anniversary (Ann I love you more than ever) - my back is aching, I'm covered in dust and I'm now off to get a shower.

Home Thoughts From Abroad

                   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVXIicgSM-g
 Oh, to be in England,
Now that April’s there,
And whoever wakes in England
Sees, some morning, unaware,
That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf
Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,
While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough In England - now!
And after April, when May follows,
And the whitethroat builds, and all the swallows -
Hark! where my blossomed pear-tree in the hedge
Leans to the field and scatters on the clover
Blossoms and dewdrops - at the bent spray’s edge -
That’s the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over,
Lest you should think he never could recapture
The first fine careless rapture!
And though the fields look rough with hoary dew,
All will be gay when noontide wakes anew
The buttercups, the little children’s dower,
- Far brighter than this gaudy melon-flower!

A maudlin opening - no reason, just seemed appropriate. I will be there in April though - Spring, my favourite time of year. But NOT February - Worcestershire weather 6.6°c high and river floods! Ongole weather - 29°c high - (feel like 31°c).

I'm posting this specifically on 2nd February - the day before my son Jon's 37th birthday and 3 days before mine and Ann's 42nd Wedding Anniversary. And, before you ask - flowers have been ordered (but don't tell her in advance). 
Without their support, help and encouragement (they kept pushing to get rid of me!) - I wouldn't be out here. So please feel free to pester them concerning their dates. 
How do I plan to celebrate our big day? Digging up concrete and demolishing a smelly old outside toilet with the mosquitoes - planning to turn it into a washing and planted area.
By the way - if you hadn't noticed - I am currently in Ongole - situated in the Bay of Bengal. 
I've got a room in an apartment with 3 American young men on the World Race Team (same as the girls in Hyderabad that I'd previously mentioned). They're part of a group made up of more young women and they'll be here for a month before going on to Nepal. The plan is that over maybe 3 days, some of the girls will be able to help me. This will be at Victory Home which is where the older boys and young men live.
I travelled to Ongole with Sarah and her mother-in-law who told me quite a bit about local plants and trees - she's quite an authority and I plan to get her into my team for the buying and planning operations when we start 'planting' - I'll try to get a photo of her in action. The trip was about 10 hours long by car - much of it toll motorway. They're not a bit like UK motorways - there was so little traffic that you could choice any of the 4 lanes you want to stay in (unless someone else is coming to wards you on the same lane (!) which happened quite frequently (remember - NO RULES). 'Overtaking' was on any side that you want and if you want to 'ask' someone to let you in as you force your way through - remember to politely honk your horn.

Here in Ongole - there are a number of homes for the children each with a foster Mom. As well as Sarah - these are the ones who I stand in awe of - young, lovely American women who clearly love the children in their care. Just at random I took a couple of photos of 2 of them - they were dancing with some of their kids and weren't posing for the pictures. Meet Nikki and Marla:

And when Sarah walks into the rooms - this is her reception:

She clearly loves them all and they adore her. Sarah is a remarkable lady - she knows the intimate details of each child and would fight like a mother lion protecting her cubs for each one of them - Mother Teresa MkII

While I was here I met up with Christopher - a lad whose education Ann and I have been sponsoring. He read from a book for me various details about Indian states and their capitals - then I put my hand over the list and he recited them exactly again - the little cheat! So - I got hin to read a different section of the book (in English) and he read it perfectly! Fantastic.

There are still quite a number of such needs at Sarah's Covenant Homes - particularly at present the need of 2 specialized wheelchairs for 2 older boys who are pretty immobile and spend a lot of time lying on their backs because they cannot be supported. Such items would make a tremendous difference to their lives.

http://www.schindia.com/Special-Projects/wheelchairs-for-29-kids/