Michelle Wegner

Amazing Love

I received updates on these beautiful babies we visited in June.  I think the moment above holding baby Rhema changed me forever.  Here’s the post from that day, The photo updates Prema posted today follow mine.

We made a visit to a girls orphanage yesterday.  There are only 5 girls living there to assure the best care for them possible.  The baby you see Maddie holding on your left is named Rachel after Gene’s daughter Rachel that died on Christmas Eve.  When Gene picked her up, she looked right into his eyes and smiled the biggest smile at him.  She talked to him like they were old friends, and she’s only two months old.

The baby you see Whitney holding on your right is named Rhema.  She was born 20 days before this photo drastically underweight and with a cleft palette.  Her parents took one look at her and said “No way.”  A common practice in the villages for such a baby is to just let it die. Thank God for his divine intervention in Rhema’s life. Rhema snuggled right up to Whitney.  She was scared to hold such a teeny-fragile baby, and so was I! 

Visiting these children was my favorite part of my day yesterday.   It amazed me to see what the light and love of Jesus has done for these children.  Love has brought them life.  Amazing.

                                             

Amy is from the Dharmapuri district. We received this baby through a Methodist church. Soon after this baby was born, she was thrown in a bush as she was a female child around 9.00 P.M. When a lady passed by heard the baby cry, she took the baby and bought it to the close by Methodist church. The Pastor immediately called us and informed us. Thus we received the baby same day. We do not know her parents.

Rachel is from Vellore district. We came to know about her through Pastor. Sam. Rhema’s mother is a widow. She had 2 children through her husband. She was cheated by a man after her husband death and she became pregnant. Not knowing what to do, she was confused. She was hiding herself, until she delivers the baby and wanted to kill the baby as soon as born. When Sam came to know about her, he shared the gospel and told her not to kill the baby. He said, he will find someone to take care of the baby

Rhema is from Dharmapuri district. We came to know about her through one of our trainer Jebaraj. This girl is from a Hindu family; she was a second female child and has split lips. Thus the family decided to kill the baby. When Jebaraj came to know about this, he rang up. We said we will adopt the baby. Thus on the very first day we saved her. That time her weight would be around 1 k.g

The updates on these beautiful babies came only a day after I posted about GCC helping older children in Kalavai, from the same areas as these.  I see amazing love in the eyes of these girls.  Love and a purpose.

So, So Thankful

I literally gasped as I walked past the photo of Priya last week in the GCC children's hallway.  This beautiful baby girl has been floating around in the corners of my mind since we visited Kalavai in June.  Maddie got to play with her, I tried to make her smile.

She is who goes round and round in my mind when I am all alone and the quiet leads me back.  Priya and a half a billion baby girls in India like her.

I sucked air because in a split second I realized that my church is sharing the burden of caring for this beautiful girl, and many children like her in the tiny village of the Untouchable caste who catch rats and snakes as a job.

It made me realize there is hope for Priya.  Hope and a future.  For this, I am so, so thankful.

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~Jeremiah 29:11

Innovate

Guess where I’ll be the next few days?  So proud of my church hosting this conference for hundreds of Pastors and church leaders across the country. 

Whitney’s Big Day

 

 photo by elle white

Whitney has taken huge leaps of faith in her walk with Jesus this year.  Her decision to be baptized was just one of the many steps she has taken. We are seeing her passion for life focus on the poor, the needy, and the outcast.  Her heart breaks when she sees anyone abused, neglected, sick, or poor.  Our trip to India was almost too much for her, because she felt so passionately about those we were serving.  Whitney has loved Jesus as long as she has known Him.  She is funny, smart, kind, and full of passion and life.  I am so glad to be her Mom.  It’s one of the things on this Earth I am most grateful for.  It is so amazing to me to see the light of Jesus dawning in her heart and spread to her smile, and deeply affect those around her. 

Jesus has big plans for Whit, big plans.  I am just hoping and praying she always says “yes'” to Him, and always keeps on taking her next right step in her walk with Him.

Someone said to me yesterday, “I like your girls.  They are confident, but they are very kind”.  That was one of the biggest compliments I could ever receive as a parent, because that is what I always pray for them.  I pray for them to know that they are loved enough to walk confidently, but reach others with that same love.  I am proud to say I see my kids living that out to the best of their 10, 9, and 5yr. old abilities.

Let The Photos Tell The Story

   

Story later.  Thanks to Kristin Baker, Maddie Wegner, and Dale Shafer for the amazing photos!

Do You You Version?

Have you found www.YouVersion.com  yet?  If you haven’t , quit reading my blog, and go there to check it out….

I’m waiting….

go away…

Ok, since you’re not convinced yet, I’ll tell you a little, THEN you can go check it out.  The basic synopsis is this:  You Version is a place you can create an account, set up a user name, find some friends that are doing the same, follow them, then start reading the Bible together.  You don’t all have to be reading the same thing, but every day when you log in to read the Bible, you can click on MY COMMUNITY and see what your friends have been up to…(what they’ve been learning about in the Bible).  You can add a link from your blog to a certain Bible text, you can tag verses, or add tags to verses you want to remember by a certain theme. 

Here’s some examples of what we’ve been up to:

My friend Rochelle added this today, since we have been reading through Philippians 2 for the Making Love….Last series at GCC.

Philippians 2:1-55, in a nutshell:

1 If Christ makes you feel this way,
2 then return the favor and be one.
3 Give yourselves freely, humbled and undone.
4 Look out for each other,
5 as Christ looks out for you,
6 he who left the throne of heaven
7 to be a man, a servant, just like you.
8 Jesus loved obediently to the death.
9 What else could God do but honor him,
10 not one can resist his name,
11 he is worthy of such praise.
12 Obey and be on guard, children,
13 for Emmanuel resides in your heart.
14 Think peace and joy, not discord,
15 so your actions shine in the dark

And here’s a small text I added to Philippians 2:4

MY FAILED BROADCAST MESSAGE

This week at GCC, Rob challenged us to do one act of service for another that broadcasted "You are more important than me!"
I recently strained the tendon that goes all the way from your hip to your knee . Walking has been a challenge, to say the least. For me, my "broadcasted act of service" was getting the coffee ready for Rob Sunday morning before he left for church. I hobbled over to the coffee pot Saturday night, got it all set, and went to bed. The next morning, I asked Rob if he liked the coffee, and he looked at me kinda funny. Apparently, I had forgotten to push "on", oh, and I also forgot the coffee grounds anyway.
oops. I tried.
I'm glad I messed up the first try. It leaves me wondering what to do next, and next, and next. I really do want to live my life trying to think of ways to shout with my actions "You are more important than me!"

Philippians 2:4

So, are you convinced?  Go check it out!  My user name is MichelleWegner.  See you there!

Monjue

We visited Kalavai while we were in India this June.  Kalavai is a small village of the Untouchable caste in India.  This visit marked us as a family in ways we will never  forget.  Playing with the kids in this village was a highlight for our girls.  I have treasured this photo of Maddie with girls from Kalavai.  It has been my screen saver for several weeks. 

We had a GCC team go back to Kalavai a few weeks ago, and they brought back very sad news about Monjue, the stunningly beautiful girl in the green and pink sari.  Dan Blacketor wrote a note about her on his Facebook page:

Monjue is a young bright 15-year old girl who lost hope for a better future.

Monjue lives in the small Irala colony located just outside of Kalavai, India. I'm beginning to better understand that my agenda is many times not God's primary purpose. You see, I had the chance to lead a team from Granger Community Church to help build a community center, hold conversational English classes and start a micro business in this village. To ensure everything was in place for the team I arrived a few days early to meet with our Indian ground team on Thursday, July 30th. Our plan was to organize the job site so the team would have a great experience. Because Raj (our Indian director) was having neck problems he decided to go directly to Kalavai instead of making the 6 hour trip to meet me at Bangalore airport.

If Monjue was born in the United States she would probably be strongly considering submitting college applications to places like Notre Dame, Stanford or Columbia University. But on this Thursday morning, Monjue picked some poisonous berries and went back to her family's hut and ate them and waited to die. Her best friend found Monjue and ran to the construction site to see if anyone could help save Monjue's life. Raj was there because he had a stiff neck, was preparing for my early arrival and because of these series of events helped save Monjue's life.

You see, Monjue had given up at the age of 15. Her father had left the family six months prior. Her mother had to sell their family's small goat herd to buy food. Her mom was then "contracted" to watch someone else's herd with compensation coming in the form of a baby goat - but only when it was a twin birth. Monjue left school to watch the goats so her mother could look for day labor (and at best earns 80 cents per day if hired) to buy enough food to feed the family. Goat only gives a single birth, Monjue's mom is frustrated, believes Monjue should have taken the goats to "greener pastures" and takes it out on Monjue by beating her. Monjue gives up and tries to kill herself.

A week to the day that Monjue tried to end her life we were visiting her as she watched over the herd. It was over 100 degrees and only 10:30 in the morning. No shade anywhere and because of the lack of rain it was very dry and not a lot of grass to be found. We ask Monjue what she thinks about on these long hot days while watching over someone else's herd. Monjue sits down and begins to quietly cry. She shares that she thinks about going to school and learning so that she might have a better life but realizes this is not a reality in her world. She must watch the goats so her mom can go to town each day in the hope of making less than a dollar for a day's work.

I’m not sure how to help Monjue from here.  Part of me was so sad to tell this news to Maddie and Whitney, but I am glad I did.  It brought reality back home to all of us again.  We will pray for Monjue, and are so thankful that GCC has chosen Kalavai as a laser target to bring God’s hope and light.  

Not Your Average Garden

When you see the lovely photos of the garden below, you might think it was a part of some lovely cottage in the woods, or some English countryside.  I have been hearing about this garden for awhile, so Rob, Maribeth Roncz, the girls, and I went to check it out the other day.  It is actually in the middle of downtown South Bend, in an old abandoned lot that had trash heaped up all over it before it took this magical shape.

Many volunteers  have spent countless hours cultivating this garden so the guests at the South Bend Center For the Homeless can have fresh, organic produce probably for the first time in their lives.  I walked around stunned and amazed at the beauty of this place.  It reminded me of this verse:

Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’  Jeremiah 33:9

God is at work in this city.

 

 

 

Third Culture Leadership

Dave Gibbons

 

God has called us to lead in a third culture

What is a third culture leader?  Adaptation.  It’s painful adaptation.  To live in a culture despite the pain and comfort involved.

Can we love someone who is unlovable?  Can we love someone who is easy to hate?

How do we become a third culture leader?

We focus on the fringe.  We focus on the misfit rather than the masses.  Our tendency is to focus on those who are just like us.  Typically it is the fringe freaky people who people want to follow.

The question you have to ask is “Who is the outsider?”  Who is in the margins of society

Third Culture Leader:  A different kind of metrics. Up and to the right is an illusion. 

Failure is success to God.  It is your platform to humanity.  It is your voice to connect with your generation.

Do you have time to listen to the stories of the people around you?  Walk slowly and see the people around you.  Can I look into their eyes and see their hearts?

Weakness will guide you more than your strengths do.

 

How do we quantify vision?

RELATIONSHIPS TRUMP VISION

We don’t need more visionaries, we need more reactionaries.

As a leader, your main task is developing leaders.

The best discipleship happens life on life, not through programs.

Let local leadership lead the way.

A third culture leader understands that obedience is more important than passion.  “Feeling it” isn’t enough.

4 Acts of obedience

1. Deeper collaboration.  Work with others that surround you, the body of Christ is whole when it reaches out.
2. Communal living.  Maybe some families should actually live together.  Maybe a group of families should live in the same neighborhood.  Live life together.
3. Prayer. 
4. Radical sacrifice for the outsider.

A Leadership Case Study: Jessica Jackley and the Kiva Story

Kiva gives small loans to men and women in third world countries so they can begin their own microenterprises.  They are given a small amount of money, and pay back their loans from the money they make in their business’

Jesus said, “What you do for the least of these, you have done it unto me.”

The poorest of the poor have no resources to use as collateral for getting loans from banks.

A small infusion of collateral into these lives has an enormous return.

Anyone with a credit card and an internet connection can browse the profiles of entrepreneurs from third world countries, and lend them $25 or more.

This amount of money changes the lives of these people.

The re-payment from the entrepreneurs is 98.5%

AMAZING!

And this money changes their lives, lifting these people out of poverty.

Leading People to the Prodigal God

Tim Keller

The parable of the Prodigal son.

Prodigal means recklessly extravagant.  We need an extravagantly loving God to deal with our reckless behavior. 

The parable is not about the younger brother only.  There are the sinners, the religious leaders.  This parable is for the religious people.  The younger brother is like the sinners around Jesus in that day.  The older brother represents the religious leaders and Pharisees. 

The parable shows that younger brothers and older brothers are alienated from the father’s heart.  They are both lost.  The father has to come out and let them in…

The younger brother only wants the Father’s money.  He doesn’t love the Father.  AT the end, we see that the older brother doesn’t love the Father either.  They both love the Father’s things, not the Father.

Younger brother gets the money by being very bad.  Older brother tries to get the money by staying home and being “good”. 

In the end, the older brother is lost because of his goodness.

I obey because I am accepted….or I am accepted because I obey.

You are the delight and the joy of the creator of the universe.

The diagnosis is that we continually go back to living like the older brother.

1. Elder brothers get incredibly angry when things don’t go their way.  They think God owes them.  ey
2. Elder brothers are devastated by criticism and/or attack viciously.
3. Elder brother’s pray like the Pharisees.  Petitionary.  They don’t enjoy God.  They just ask for stuff.
4. It is impossible for Elder brothers not to despise people.
5. Elder brother’s can’t forgive.  They have a lot of bitterness and stay angry.

1. You have to experience personal renewal yourself.
2. When you are teaching, make sure not to teach principles beyond the gospel.  Take people to Jesus and show them why they can trust Him.
3. Get a group of leaders together and share this truth
4. Share the truth with your congregation

And then Tim told everyone that buying his book would solve all these problems, which I thought was funny.  I’m sure it’s a good book, but…

Manage Differently Now

Manage Differently Now Gary Hamel Change is happening at an exponential rate. The world is becoming more turbulent while we are becoming more resistant. It's not working. If we remain resistant, while the rest of the world is turbulently changing, we are a sinking ship. How do u defeat entrapy? It is a working organization until it is not. Dismiss Rationalize Mitigate Confront Until I change nothing else happens. *Cultivate an unflinching honesty. Treat every belief about how we do church as a hypothesis. Make sure you listen to the renegades and the dissidents Do we ignore those who disagree w/us. Nope. *Generate more strategic options. We clutch to the familiar because it's worked before What hasn't changed in 3 or 4 years? Why not? Because it's too easy not to change, or because it works? Think radical. Think different. Everything else is changing. Our methods can not stay the same Jesus and His Message never changes, but our methods need to What is the test of our commitment? What does o It take to see redemption happen? The mental models depreciate while the world is changing. They hold their ideals hostage and are resistant to change. The Gortex Strategy: Innovation all of the time. Fight beuracracy none of the time. I love this! The web is the most anti- beuratic place ever invented. The Facebook generation doesn't want to work for a fortune 500 company. They don't want yo go to a church that looks like it either. The early church was Communal, organic, spiritually powerful, while organizationally weak. This is what we need to be. Jesus is the hope for Humanity. We are His hope to reach them.

Hirings, Firings, and Board Meetings

Hirings, Firings, and Board Meetings Building trust is difficult when members see eachother infrequently only at meetings We mystify boards. We need to understand that they are simply people working with other people, and need to learn how to get along. Board limits should have a limit. A plurality of Godly people will lead better than 1 leader ever could. FIRINGS Leaders have to make tough choices sometimes, especially in these tough times. Let the person know what is not working. Don't ever allow their firing be a surprise. You have the ability to destroy someones self esteem by firing them. 1. Verbal warning-- let them know what's not working. 2. Written Warning 3. Firing.

How Much Longer?

 

 Bill Hybels

I am not sure if we are going to ever experience “the old normal” ever again.  The “normal” we all knew and loved has left the building.  We are all leading in a new beginning. 

These are challenging times, but that’s the Romans 12 gift that God has given to so many leaders.  Rough patches force courage and creativity.  These are the conditions that create our deepest creativity.  It’s part of what draws something out of us that calm seas never will.

Philosophical:  October 2008 hundreds of people at Willow Creek lost their jobs.  They were in a rouge wave situation.  They needed to act quickly and decisively.  He challenged his believers to live in the Acts 2 way.  Let’s be the CHURCH.  This was not a romanticized decision.  It was a Biblical, philosophical decision.

Every service is packed with ministry between services because people are broken and they need help.  This is a new priority.  People are hurting more than they have in a long time.  They feel their need for Jesus more than ever.

Letting staff go is an opportunity for the Church to be the Church.  Let it all be done with love and understanding.

During an economic downturn, people are hungry to learn financial management.

Guess what?  God provides.  Expect miracles.  Don’t lose heart.  People will still be generous.  They want to help.

Habakuk 3:2 

Expect God to do great things IN OUR DAY.  God uses His people to do his great work.  He uses those whose hearts are fully His.  God is looking for those who are full-on for Him.

These are the people who God will tap on the shoulder and say, “Come with me, and we will do something great together.”

Making Love…Last Trailer

 

My church is amazing.  Have I told you that lately?  This trailer is so clever…you gotta watch it!

5 Minutes on REAL Joy

So, what in the world WERE we doing for a month in India anyway? Were we on vacation? Um, no. Believe it or not, I have had many people ask me that question. Anyway, this 5 minute video was made to give some insight into the work Granger Community Church is doing in small villages in India like Kalavai. A few shots in this video include moments my family and I will never forget. The night we spent dedicating these homes was one of the most remarkable nights of my life so far.

Note the joy on the faces of the people. Real joy. Joy from Heaven.

 

Kalavai Update 7.25.09 from Ben Sanders on Vimeo.

They Answered

Here are the girls answers to the questions you asked them about our trip to India.  Enjoy!

 

1) Was Three weeks long enough?

M:Yes

W:Yes

I: I wanted to go home

2) Cheek Pinching... How do you deal?

M:I just smiled

W:I smiled, in my brain I was saying, “OUCH!  Stop it!”

I: Pretty much it hurted.

Posted by: Ryan

- What was your favorite part of the trip?

M: The beach at the Bay of Bengal. I got to go horseback riding, shoot a gun, and get crashed by the waves.

W: Seeing the people in the villages.  It was overwhelming, but fun.

I: Go up on the mountain, playing with the kids

- What was the hardest part of the trip?

M: Being away from my friends and my dogs

W: The villages because it was very overwhelming.  Also I missed everybody and everything in America.

I: Oh!  Trying to keep away from the people trying to pinch my cheeks.

- What is one thing you think you'll miss about India?

M:Rajendran, Prema, Clarinda and Bruce.

W:The hospitality of all the people there.  I

do not miss the smells.

I: The motel with the pool, the girls my age

- Sum up your trip to India in one word.

M:One word…are you serious?

W:Different

I:I like the airport

Posted by: Angie Aquila

 

What are you looking forward to when you get back home?

M:My friends.

W: The normal weather and my friends.

I: McDonalds

What is the first thing you can not wait to eat?

M: McDonalds chicken snack wrap

W: A McDonalds cheeseburger and fries.

I: McDonalds chicken nuggets with ketchup, fries, and an orange drink.

Posted by: Jenny Johnson

 

What surprised you the most about India?

M: That there were horses to ride on the beach

W: The heat

I: The mountain

What did you do on the long airplane rides?

M: Watched movies

W: Read books, watched movies, slept and ate.

I: I looked out the window, I sleeped, I played, I snuggled my Daddy and Mama, chewed gum, a guy that sat next to me was very nice, he gave me gum.

Posted by: Jeanna Miller

 

What is your favorite thing you found to bring home to remember your trip by?

M: Elephants

W: Jewelry

I: My India Barbie and my new outfit.

 Do any of the kids know how to speak English? ( I am curious about this one because my Compassion boy I sponsor is now 14 and he's starting to write his letters to me in English now!)

M:No

W: Lots of Kids speak English

I: A lot of them do

 What food did you try that you were surprised you liked?

M:Chicken 65

W: Nothing

I: Carrots and the fried bananas.

Posted by: Rachel H.

 

When asked "Why did you go", what will you say?

M:To help the people

W: Because I wanted to help the people in India and understand their culture.  Although it is very interesting, it is very wrong and sad.

I: To help the kids

Are you glad you went? Why, or why not?

M: Yes.  I was very happy to see Sangeetha.

W: I am definitely glad I went.  It took this whole trip to make me realize how privileged I am.

I:Yes, because I liked going to Salem because it is the same name as my preschool.  It is a city on a mountain.

What one thing have you learned that you wish everyone your age could know?

M:There are people much less fortunate then us.

W: That it is a great experience.

I: That they could go with me and go up on the mountain.

Posted by: Phil W

Wanna Join Us?

We want to take you with us to India!  If you are on Twitter, follow MichelleWegner, robwegner, MaddieDW, WhitneyRW, and Geneort.  Don’t worry, my kids are only Twittering in India, then their accounts will magically disappear.

You can also join the Facebook group: Operation Pray for the Wegner’s While They Are in India for up to date info and prayer requests

or..

keep checking back at this website, Rob’s and Gene’s.

We’re just about set to go.  in under 24 hours we will be on a plane headed to London for an extended layover, then on to Chennai, India! 

Come along with us.  It’s going to be an amazing adventure.  See you in India!

The Doctrine Of Hate

I wrote this post a few weeks ago for a website for Pastor's wives called CLUTCH.  Thought I'd share it here too...

I woke up this morning bleary eyed, stiff, cranky, but trying to put on a smile for my tired and cranky girls before school. While they were munching their cereal I snuck a peak at my email. For the second Tuesday in a row, there was a notice that yet another blogger had ripped my husband apart on his site.

Blogging has unfortunately become the handy “Christian Weapon of Choice.” Never in history has it been easier, faster, or handier to whip up your angry thoughts and make them instantly viral in seconds. Your words are instant, global, and permanent. When I was at Rick Warren’s P.E.A.C.E. briefing last May, he briefly addressed the issue of hate bloggers. He said he used to ignore it…thinking they’d go away. But, they don’t go away. Their hate and anger builds and builds on these sites claiming all sorts of Bible and Doctrine to support their case in dismantling the leadership they literally seek to destroy. Engaging these bloggers may actually be the thing to do. He said that you need to correct their information and move on. Make a stand for yourself, and then don’t continue the conversation.

Our church and its leadership have borne the brunt of many (and I mean many) an angry blogger. There are men and women whose sole mission is to pick apart the words my husband and the other staff at GCC say piece by piece to discredit them and their message. Rob has been compared to Hitler… (Yeah, really), called a heretic, a pagan, one of the leaders of “Granger Community Circus.” Pretty unbelievable stuff.

The guy that compared Rob to Hitler really got to me. Really. I’ve been to Auschwitz and seen the horrific aftermath of one of the cruelest leaders of our century. I don’t think my husband who comes home happy and singing, ready to wrestle the kids, do the dishes, or play Polly Pockets has anything whatsoever to do with that kind of evil. In fact, every fiber of his being is wired to oppose evil and fight for whatever is good, noble, excellent, or praiseworthy.

I engaged that guy in conversation. I needed to. I let it sit in me for way too long, and my own rage just built and built. Engaging this guy was most likely pointless as far as getting him to change his mind goes. That wasn’t my goal. My point was to shed light on what damage his words had on our family. Our girls were at the age where they started to understand Google-ing their mom and dad’s name, and sure enough, guess what article they pulled up? I wanted that man to know that his words harmed my children. He didn’t care. He said “the lies and deceit your children hear at your church every week is a thousand times worse than anything they would ever read on my site.”

Whatever dude.

So, what did I do this morning?

I didn’t click the link. I deleted the email.

What do you do when the hate-talkers start their talking? Here are some things we have done that you might try:

• Ignore them…don’t click the link
• Defend your position, and then walk away. They don’t want to change, but you do have the right to set the record straight and defend yourself
• Take a deep breath
• Take it to Jesus
• Let it go

Good luck with that last point. The letting it go part is what’s worst for me. Criticism eats at my soul. I wish it wouldn’t. I wish I could let it roll off my back like my husband does. What helps you let it go? Ideas?

India?

It’s official.  The Wegner’s are going to India.  Rob’s fabulous assistant Jeanna hit the button on Friday, so now it’s a done deal.  WE’RE GOING!  All 5 of us.  Me, Rob, Maddie-10, Whitney-9, and Isabelle-5.  (yes, 5…  oh my, what are we doing?)

  This is one of my favorite photos we have ever taken of life in India.  You can’t see the women’s faces, but you can see they are alive with color and strength.  Women in India are proud of their beautiful sari’s and proud of the hard work they endure to live.  I look at this photo when I am feeling distraught over my messy kitchen floor, or about having to pop some instant meal in the microwave and serve it on paper plates.

My life is easy.

My back hurts, I have bad arthritis.  So do they, and they don’t have medicine.  They don’t get to lay on their couch in the middle of the day if they are wilted from the sun.  I do.

We’re going to India not to “bring them hope.”  They know hope.  They know how to live.  We’re going to learn with them, grow with them, encourage them as we are encouraged.

I can not wait.

Check out the details of what exactly we will be up to on Rob's blog.