Well, here we go again!!!!
Recently many of you have written to express concern about conditions in India and our ability to continue our work there. Thank you to ALL of you who continue to pray and offer financial support for this important work. I am truly humbled!
Because of the present concerns and in response to Rachel and Amol Pawar's request, we have limited the size, scope, and mobility of our trip this year. Dr. Ray R. Walker will accompany me as we try our best to discern the direction our work will take in the Nagpur area. While there we will be doing simple physicals and medical screenings for the Bible students, orphans, and congregational members who are part of the local congregation. We will also be teaching and holding worship services as part of our work. However going from village to village this year will not help, and may hinder the ongoing work there. Keeping with our covenant to "Do No Harm," we will be much more low key in our work.
We plan to purchase many of our meds and supplies in country this year which is a shift from the past. Weight restrictions are considerable. However we hope, with enough donor support, to purchase a years supply of vitamins and OTC's for the students and orphans for one year. We your help, we will.
Come back to this site regularly for updates. Please be praying for this work now.
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January 1, 2009
This is our first update. Ray and I arrived in New Delhi just before midnight on New Year's day. We have relocated to the domestic airline terminal and are spending the night waiting for our flight at 5:45 a.m. It just didn't make sense for us to go to a Hotel for two hours. When we reach Nagpur this morning we hope to rest and unpack. The great news is that ALL of our medical supplies made it here and intact. WONDERFUL!! Please keep us in your prayers.
Although we are not planning on doing any medical camps in the villages around Nagpur due to the present climate, the word is out that we are here and inquires are being made about us seeing community patients. I plan to meet with the area political and governmental leaders this week to see if we can make some new inroads for our work. We will just have to see how that goes.
Well, we will board soon. Hopefully we can get this posted on our arrival.
Blessings!!!
January 2, 2009
We are now in Nagpur and settling in before beginning our work. We are tired but pleased we are here safely. I will post more notes and hopefully pictures as we go ahead.
By the way, I have set up a telephone number on my computer which you can call IF we are online. That number is (901) 217-3610. It is a local Memphis call. More to come....
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January 3, 2009
Today we worked on the mission technology as well as conducted physicals for the girls in the school. Tomorow I will preach to the local congregation and afterward we will conduct a medical camp for the local believers. It should prove to be a good time but I am already exhaused. I just don't travel like I used too. Anyway, both of us are tired but healthy. Please continue to pray for the success of this mission. More tomorrow.
David
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January 4 and 5, 2009
We are having trouble uploading the pictures but we are working on it. Hopefully soon.
Yesterday Ray and I conducted a clinic for the believers and we both spoke at worship. I preached the sermon and lead in Holy Communion. All in all a good day.
We are still working on some of the technology issues for the ministry and today will go out to the new land to look at the construction progress. That is an exciting venture and we hope to see it completed in a few years.
For those who have been here in the past two years, you will remember Deepa and several of that class. They have been victims fo the persecutions in Orisa but are safe for now. Please keep them and all of the Indian believers in your prayers.
We are leaving today soon for work. More this evening.