And now for something completely different...context

While the UK grinds to a halt under a token gesture of white stuff from the heavens, Emily and I have spent the day walking amongst the tea plantations in fresh 25° heat, eating oranges and basking in the sun on our balcony. I write today's post from said balcony and can feel the sun starting to burn a very specific area of my left knee. Why am I telling you this? To make you green with envy? Yes, in fact I am, because I happen to love snow and the effect it has on busy UK life. Would I rather be in the England then in this heat? No chance! But I still envy you (slightly) for this snowy respite and encourage you to throw a snowball at a stranger for me.

I thought I would write a post about who we are staying with and what they do. Some of you reading this may already know but for some I fear this might be a grey area, so here is my attempt to relay the wonderful world that is Coonoor, Bethesda children’s home and Pastor Sam.

The first batch

Sam was given up for adoption when his father died and his mother was incapable of looking after him. He lived with a few foster families as he grew up but when one of his adopted fathers also died Sam was sent to an orphanage to be raised. When Sam left the orphanage he went to study at Bible college and felt God wanted him to care for children in a similar situation to his. A few years later Sam and his wife Laisha bought a house big enough to accommodate 15 orphaned or abandoned children and Bethesda Children's home grew from there. Between opening their home in 1993 to the present, Pastor Sam and his family have opened two new homes bringing their total capacity up to 150 and also help run 15 churches who look to serve the poor in their areas.

P. Sam and his Fam.

This year sees a big change for Sam, family and Bethesda. To make the homes easier to run and to enable them to be run to a higher standard P. Sam and co. have decided to build one big orphanage to replace the existing three. This is being built an hour down the road (and the hill) in Mettupalayam. This new home will be big enough for all the kids, tick all the governments boxes regarding standards and provide them with masses of space to play in (something sadly lacking at the Coonoor home at least).

Now I don't know if you're like me but I generally approach charities and organisations like this pretty sceptically. I find myself evaluating everything (being the arrogant Englishman that I am) Is the home effective? Is it efficient? Are they making a difference? Do they really care? Why are they really doing it? Are they somehow profiting from this? My answer to all these questions have been provided in the last week or so.

Emily and I have been tasked with compiling individual profiles for every child on site, which involves getting to know why they came in the first place. Many of the stories are the same, their parents were too poor to care for them and provide an education so they came to Bethesda to be brought up. Some of the stories are more upsetting, one or both parents dying and leaving the child in the grudging care of relatives. Others are downright tragic, involving multiple family deaths, abuse, suicide attempts, mental illness and abject poverty...pretty gory reading I know, but when you consider that some of these kids haven’t reached their sixth birthday the level of trauma seems magnified.

So how are these bruised and battered kiddies who have seen more difficulty in their short lives then most of our parents have in theirs? Running, skipping, jumping, laughing, grinning, surrounded by friends, well fed, well educated, loved, belonging. In a word they are whole (or as whole as can be expected!) It's the kind of wholeness that can't just be provided with three square meals, or a decent education, or even with two loving parents looking after you and raising you. It's the kind of wholeness I've only ever seen in those who know and love Jesus. (Haha! I sneaked it in there, weren’t expecting that were you!) These kids are truly, madly, deeply content and thriving which is incredible given their start in life!

We're privileged to be a small part of Bethesda for these three months, because they are making a huge difference to the poor and needy in their community. And think what you will about God, Jesus, Christians and church, first and foremost Jesus came to serve the poor, and that is what we are seeing being done in Coonoor today.

ps, more info can be found here  http://bethesdamissionindia.com/index.php