Another little bit of India...

Daniel and (some of) the lads

Most of our time for the last week has been spent compiling profiles of all the children cared for by Bethesda both at this orphanage in Coonoor and the other one in Erumad. There's about 120 kids in total and lots of pieces of paper and random bits of information to be sifted through for each one (sometimes with slightly different facts on them) so it's quite a task! It's been great though because we're getting to know the children a lot faster than we would normally and are able to name the quieter ones as well as the ones who use you as a climbing and spinning frame! We've had lots of fun taking photos for some of the profiles too. As soon as the children realise we have our camera with us when we go down they charge at us and demand photo shoots with their friends and siblings. It's actually really useful because we'll say a name of a child we need to photograph and they all go off and find them thereby taking the potentially awkward moments of misremembering a child and their family away from us. The kids here are amazing, they're so playful (as kids usually are) and just so happy to be in each others' company. For every child there is a small suitcase with everything that they own in the world in it-there's usually some space still left in it too. So, as you can imagine, when we go down armed with a laptop and a fancy(ish) camera a) they mob us and enjoy looking and touching everything and b) we feel well spoilt having so much!

The kids sorting out their belongings

We've also broken the barrier that is going into the kitchen, hoorah! So far, if we've tried helping out in the kitchen in any way we've been swiftly ushered out and told to rest which, as English people, goes against all politeness and manners we've grown up with (thanks parents!). That is, until Monday, when it all changed. Daniel forced his way into the kitchen and begged to be shown how to make chapatis. As a variety of onions were being fried with coconut, beef, tomato and copious amounts of spices, Daniel was in his element kneading, cutting, rolling, folding and rolling dough into shapes some of which rather dubiously resembled chapati. I genuinely think this was the happiest I've seen him here and that's saying quite a lot! I also managed to wheedle my way in to make a chocolate birthday cake for Bibin (Pastor Sam's nephew who lives here too). Turns out birthdays here have some really lovely traditions. Bibin came back from town in the afternoon with two very large boxes full of cake for the children and in the evening we went downstairs to share it with them. We all sang “Happy Birthday” very loudly and out of tune with various added Indian verses and then Bibin and his parents cut the chocolate cake together (after a long time attempting to blow out relighting candles...oh chuckles!) and proceeded to feed each other bits of cake. Cake was then handed out to each child and general crumb-filled frivolity ensued including some cake-smushed faces courtesy of Daniel. It was so lovely and good fun!

Daniel loving the dwarf french beans at the nursery

Unfortunately, yesterday saw the local council hike water restrictions up a level. Basically, there's a water shortage in the region and it'll only be solved by lots of rain. It hasn't rained a single drop for the last 2.5weeks we've been here and doesn't look as if it's even remotely thinking about it. We've been reliably informed that it may not rain (enough) until July time – eek! As a result there's only about 2-3hours a day in which water tanks can be filled and with 70 children to look after that's not cool. Amazingly, praise God, there's a chap in the church who owns a nursery (plants) not far away and he has a well which he has given Bethesda full use of should we need to. As a result, yesterday the jeep did about 9 trips to and from the well with a large water tank in the back and filled up the cisterns here. However, the water shortage did stop the kids from going to school yesterday which I'm pretty sure they didn't mind! Please pray for a longer term solution if you can!

(Brother) Daniel was asked to speak in church last Sunday which he did! I've not heard Daniel preach before but it was great, not only because of what God said through him but also because I could understand everything that was said! Consequently he's been asked to speak again. I'm sure there's going to be many times whilst we're here that we will be pushed out of our comfort zone (like there hasn't been already) but we're confident in God's ability to use us and are trying to see these as opportunities to grow!