Children’s Day…Prayer Time                                                                    Sam and one of the teachers having fun with the children

Dear Children (Prayer Partners),                                    Nov. 29^th , 2008

                Hello from the nice warm climate of Hyderabad, India! How are you all doing? It is so hard to believe that you all might be playing in the snow, while we can be having a water fight over here! J

                 ***STONE QUARRY-GOOD LIFE SCHOOL, INDIA***

            We want to share with you all about the children from the Stone Quarry Good Life School. The children are so happy to be learning…                       

A little girl in front of huts                                                             Parents watching the Children’s Day program from a distance

Just imagine yourself living in a hut, in the middle of rock, dust and no indoor plumbing; stores are not close by and no proper drinking water. Wherever you look…the ground is white/gray because of the constant breaking/crushing of rock, sometimes it is even dangerous for the children when they blast the stone. Our school roof got a hole or two put in it; but thankfully nobody was hurt! We even had to move the students to another location in the Stone Quarry because it was too loud and dangerous! Through all this, the children are still so happy and thankful for what Jesus has done for them…He died for their sins and they want to worship Him and give praise to His name!

                                               Children Singing

It is so wonderful to see how the Lord has led us to these children and their parents…out in the middle of nowhere…we now have a little school for these children! We know that you are praying for them as well as the other two schools (Slum School and the Sand Pit School); these children want to say thank you so much for your prayers. They are so happy to be able to have a school, to be learning about Jesus and on top of that…to have friends like you…praying for them!

Sam (remember the man, that pulls that long thing out of his mouthJ, or gets his puppet out or finds something else to pull out of his bag…what about that ketchup bottleJ); he went to this school after we came back from the states and had a nice lesson for the children…they loved it! He was also able to have a prayer meeting with some of their parents…one of the couples had a baby while we were in the states and so he got to hold their baby when he was there. Here in India…the babies do not wear diapers…and well…what if something happens…it did…but not the major oneJ…they say that if the child gives a surprise while you are holding him…it is because he loves you sooo muchJ. Sam was glad about thatJ! Would you like to come and hold a little Indian baby??? Sam was able to pray for this little baby (that gave him the surpriseJ)…his name is Joseph!

Sam having prayer meeting with the children’s parents                             Sam, holding little Joseph, the one who gave him a little surprise

***CHILDREN’S DAY…NOVEMBER 14^TH***

We had so much fun on Children’s Day!

We brought all three schools to the Stone Quarry. We taught new songs and Sam had a real good lesson with flash cards about…Do unto others what you want them to do to you. Mathew 7:12

We had a game and then a delicious lunch of rice and lentils! …mmmm…

Children having their lunch                                                        Joyful praises to God

Then it was time to say good bye and the children from the other 2 schools were taken back to their homes….it was a great day for the children to interact with each other and make new friends and have lots and lots of fun and learn something too!

            Please pray for these dear children who live in such poor conditions…

*** for their health…that they would stay healthy…

***for their spiritual lives…that they would be strong in their walk with the Lord!

Isn’t it GREAT that the Lord helped us to reach out to the parents through their children…you also can make a difference for Jesus!!!!! Thanks so much children for praying for these children in India!

Sam, sitting one evening, with the children from the Stone Quarry!

What did you all do for Thanksgiving? Did you eat lots of turkey??? We had chicken curryJ!

Please pray for us as we get ready for Christmas also as we have lots to do and many hearts to touch…hope you all are having fun, thinking about the Christmas gifts for these children…they are going to be so happy…you are going to put a smile on their face!

In His service in India!

Sam and Becca

Sonya Jason and Judson

Dear Prayer Partners,                                                     Oct. , 2008

          Greetings in the precious name of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We are so grateful to the Lord for His provision and help during our travel and for your prayers on our behalf! Thanks so much!

          Our trip over here was soooo loooong! We were tired of sitting and sitting and sitting some more! J Judson stayed awake almost the whole first half and by then he was so exhausted and worn out that he got a little fever, then after we reached home and he got a bit of rest, he was good to go! Sam and I have been having quite the time with the time change and travel and all! We are up early in the morn (2:00 a.m.) and then by early eve. We are ready to “hit the sack”! This has been the life for this week so far! Sonya was very excited to be home and forced herself to stay awake the first couple days and so she has quickly adjusted but some of us others…well…we had a harder time!

          Sam has been very diligent, even in his exhaustion. He has been to the office to get things checked out and see the students, teachers, young men etc. There are 10 days of government holidays, so he took the opportunity to meet with the teachers of our Good Life Schools, to see how things are going. And then; off to the villages for special meetings! We were so happy to see our team again, after so many days!  Thanks so much for praying for us, and the team, while we were in the states! Please continue to pray for us and e-mail us; when you get a chance…we miss you all!!!!

                    Reality Strikes…We are in India!

*Sam- out on the motorcycle (to get to places faster as the jeep would take more time to get through tight spotsJ), and when I came home, I was telling Becca about going through water that was backed up on the road…it hasn’t rained for some time, why is there still water on the roads…? Well, when I got closer to a drainage hole….there was steam and bubbles….ooooooh! so that warm water was actually something besides water….yuk!!!!!!! (It had already splashed on my feetJ)

*Judson- “Mommy, what is that?” It is a lizard (small one). It was crawling on the wall close to our living room. “I don’t like it! Get it out of here!” As there were ants crawling on the counter, I went and told mommy to look….”I don’t like this house, I want to go to another one”.

*Becca- India…where the weather is muggy (hot), the food is spicy and lots of rice, the population…many J…reminds me of that song…”People, people, people, people, people everywhere!” Yesterday, as the children and I went out, we just watched and watched … people where everywhere and vehicles (bikes, motorcycles, auto rickshaws, lorries, scooters, busses, big water tankers and so on), we just couldn’t seem to get too much of what we had missed for four months….home (a very different world)! Be careful; don’t stick your head or your hands out of the window…‘cause if you do…they could get knocked off!

*Sonya-In the states; I would keep reminding Daddy to be careful about this and be careful about that with his driving…but when I got to India…Daddy, this is so different, so many speed bumps, this seems like the wrong side of the road, it stinks, it is hot, daddy; no need to turn your blinker on…nobody else does!

*Jason- What happened to all that good food? I had so much fun eating all that good food and now…rice, rice, rice…Mommy, what’s for supper?…RiceJ!

Wish you could experience this life with us! Thanks so much for praying!

                                         In His service in India

                                                    Sam and Becca

                                             Sonya Jason and Judson