Saturday, August 8, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Headed home
Well, the time has come... We have finished the first leg of the journey home and are waiting for our flight back to San Francisco in the Hong Kong airport as I type this. Leaving Little Flock last night was BITTERsweet to say the least - there were lots of tears, lots of laughter, hugs, gifts and "see you soons." we are all sad to leave, but we know that the kids that we all love are so well taken care of that leaving feels ok. Additionally, there is definitely a sweetness to coming home. We miss our families, friends, showers and beds. I'm encouraged to hear the student's stories of how they are coming home changed as I'm sure you will be too! Thank you for following us along the way and all your love and support of the team! It's just a quick 13 hour flight to SFO, so we'll see you soon!
- danny
- danny
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Story Time
There has been a change in the team as a whole the last few days, I believe it's truly been a deep, change in our hearts. A few days ago, a couple team members starting asking if anyone knew the stories of the kids here at Little Flock. Monica and I know a few of the stories but by no means the details. We have been so fortunate to have one of the American board members of Little Flock, Carolyn Pura, staying here at Little Flock with us during our stay - she's been such a huge help. We asked her if she knew the stories of the kids and she actually has a book with brief bios of all of the 45 kids here at Little Flock, and as a part of our team devotion time in the mornings and after our "program" with the kids at night she has been sharing a few of those stories. Let me give you the readers digest version of a few:
Pavithra - pronounced pa-vee-tra (6 years old): Was abandoned by her birth mother in the hospital - essentially born an orphan. She was adopted by a Muslim family who absolutely loved and adored her. A couple years ago the mother died of a heart attack. Her adopted father works in the construction industry and neither makes enough money to support her or is able to care for her during the day. When he came to drop Pavithra off at Little Flock he was asked, "Are you going to visit, or are you just dropping her off?" He teared up and responded, "Pavithra is the light of my life. Yes, I will be back to visit." This is the case of many of the kids here at Little Flock - their parents/relatives love and care about them deeply, but just aren't able to provide or take care of them.
Mani - pronounced money (11 Years old): lived on the street before coming to Little Flock a couple years ago. He survived by picking pockets. He would carry a blade in his mouth, slit the pocket of someone walking and take whatever was inside for himself (he was doing this as a 7-9 year old boy). Mani is one of the most loving boys here at Little Flock, anytime I am (or any of the team members) are walking near him, he will grab my hand and hold it until we get to where we're going. The transformation, the healing that God has done in his life is incredible.
Those are 2 stories of 45, you can imagine the incredibly painful pasts that some of these kids have. Have you seen Slumdog Millionaire? (if you haven't I recommend it - it's incredibly accurate) For some of these kids, that is their past, that is their story.
These are the stories that changed our team. The realization that we aren't here for us, we aren't here just to put a fresh coat of paint on cottages (though it is helpful and is a blessing to this place), we are here for these kids, for these stories. And no longer are these kids "just faces", as one of our team members put it, but they are a story, a story of God's redemption. Hearing these stories has given perspective to our team. It has changed the way we interact with the kids of Little Flock (in a very positive loving way). And suddenly, Friday, that previously couldn't come soon enough, is coming too soon. Obstacles have been broken down, discomfort is much less of an "issue", every minute counts and the love for these children has only increased.
When we get back, whoever it is you know on this team, ask them about Little Flock kids' stories - I promise you this, these are not stories that will soon be forgotten.
- danny
Pavithra - pronounced pa-vee-tra (6 years old): Was abandoned by her birth mother in the hospital - essentially born an orphan. She was adopted by a Muslim family who absolutely loved and adored her. A couple years ago the mother died of a heart attack. Her adopted father works in the construction industry and neither makes enough money to support her or is able to care for her during the day. When he came to drop Pavithra off at Little Flock he was asked, "Are you going to visit, or are you just dropping her off?" He teared up and responded, "Pavithra is the light of my life. Yes, I will be back to visit." This is the case of many of the kids here at Little Flock - their parents/relatives love and care about them deeply, but just aren't able to provide or take care of them.
Mani - pronounced money (11 Years old): lived on the street before coming to Little Flock a couple years ago. He survived by picking pockets. He would carry a blade in his mouth, slit the pocket of someone walking and take whatever was inside for himself (he was doing this as a 7-9 year old boy). Mani is one of the most loving boys here at Little Flock, anytime I am (or any of the team members) are walking near him, he will grab my hand and hold it until we get to where we're going. The transformation, the healing that God has done in his life is incredible.
Those are 2 stories of 45, you can imagine the incredibly painful pasts that some of these kids have. Have you seen Slumdog Millionaire? (if you haven't I recommend it - it's incredibly accurate) For some of these kids, that is their past, that is their story.
These are the stories that changed our team. The realization that we aren't here for us, we aren't here just to put a fresh coat of paint on cottages (though it is helpful and is a blessing to this place), we are here for these kids, for these stories. And no longer are these kids "just faces", as one of our team members put it, but they are a story, a story of God's redemption. Hearing these stories has given perspective to our team. It has changed the way we interact with the kids of Little Flock (in a very positive loving way). And suddenly, Friday, that previously couldn't come soon enough, is coming too soon. Obstacles have been broken down, discomfort is much less of an "issue", every minute counts and the love for these children has only increased.
When we get back, whoever it is you know on this team, ask them about Little Flock kids' stories - I promise you this, these are not stories that will soon be forgotten.
- danny
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Deep thoughts by Brian Haken
India has been awesome! We've been here a week and what an amazing experience it has been. God is truly working through the people here and the kids are such an inspiration; they wake up every morning and sing to their Lord at 6AM. These kids display such selflessness and willingness to serve each other and us, that at times i feel they are older and more mature than I am. The food is well, interesting. It is very spicy but I'm eating more than I had foreseen, but thanks for all the packed food too mom, its been a nice treat for everyone in my cabin(jeff, ethan, danny, and coop). I went to the school once already, and it is amazing. These kids are so eager to learn English. They truly know education is a luxury, unlike the writer of this blog, who sometimes takes it for granted : / I look forward to coming home and telling all of the cool stories in more detail, but until then, Namaskaram!
Brian Haken
Brian Haken
Sunday, August 2, 2009
As soon as we entered those gates
Hello friends and family!
So, I’m not one to blog or do write-ups, but I figure, might as well try so bear with me people. Seven months ago, I heard the high school group was going to India…again! My friend, Steven, went two years ago, so I had heard many stories about the trip. One of those stories was being bitten by a scorpion and waiting 45 minutes to see if he would die or not. Maybe this trip wasn’t exactly the trip for me. But, one night I was at my house and I came to the realization that something inside of me needed to change. This trip has been exactly that. As soon as we entered those gates to Little Flock and got out of the car, nothing else mattered. The feeling that I got as we walked into the chapel/hut, was amazing. I didn’t even have to know any of the kids names, or what they were like, just that we shared the one common trait that everyone had brought to the trip, the love of Jesus Christ. Everyday has been a struggle. We all know it. I mean, the heat index for one of the days was 113. Now, I’m not sure if that actually happened or not but, still, you probably just got a little sunburned reading that. But, the struggles seem to fade away as our team gathers in the chapel and we talk about how we’re not doing this for ourselves, we’re doing it to put smiles on the face of the children, and to serve and worship God. Whether it’s painting, teaching English, or playing soccer, everything we do is for those two reasons. I’m so glad I came on this trip; it has truly been life changing. The people I’ve become closer with are now relationships that will last for a long time. Sitting with different people on our cabin porch and talking til late at night, one on one was definitely one of the things that I will remember. All the work in preparation was worth it. Every single dollar that I spent to make deadlines out of my own pocket would seem wasteful if it was ever spent on anything else. Thank you for everyone who is reading this, and to even those who are not, you’ve changed lives here for every single person on this team. When we get home, if we aren’t too excited to get on facebook, or watch the finale of the bachelorette, don’t be surprised. Most of us will probably be at In n Out. At least that’s where you’ll find me.
Chris Duke
So, I’m not one to blog or do write-ups, but I figure, might as well try so bear with me people. Seven months ago, I heard the high school group was going to India…again! My friend, Steven, went two years ago, so I had heard many stories about the trip. One of those stories was being bitten by a scorpion and waiting 45 minutes to see if he would die or not. Maybe this trip wasn’t exactly the trip for me. But, one night I was at my house and I came to the realization that something inside of me needed to change. This trip has been exactly that. As soon as we entered those gates to Little Flock and got out of the car, nothing else mattered. The feeling that I got as we walked into the chapel/hut, was amazing. I didn’t even have to know any of the kids names, or what they were like, just that we shared the one common trait that everyone had brought to the trip, the love of Jesus Christ. Everyday has been a struggle. We all know it. I mean, the heat index for one of the days was 113. Now, I’m not sure if that actually happened or not but, still, you probably just got a little sunburned reading that. But, the struggles seem to fade away as our team gathers in the chapel and we talk about how we’re not doing this for ourselves, we’re doing it to put smiles on the face of the children, and to serve and worship God. Whether it’s painting, teaching English, or playing soccer, everything we do is for those two reasons. I’m so glad I came on this trip; it has truly been life changing. The people I’ve become closer with are now relationships that will last for a long time. Sitting with different people on our cabin porch and talking til late at night, one on one was definitely one of the things that I will remember. All the work in preparation was worth it. Every single dollar that I spent to make deadlines out of my own pocket would seem wasteful if it was ever spent on anything else. Thank you for everyone who is reading this, and to even those who are not, you’ve changed lives here for every single person on this team. When we get home, if we aren’t too excited to get on facebook, or watch the finale of the bachelorette, don’t be surprised. Most of us will probably be at In n Out. At least that’s where you’ll find me.
Chris Duke
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Not me, Only Jesus
Hey everybody! Boy, have these past several days been amazing. I mean, there are some small things that aren’t extremely fun…such as the weather, the food, and painting cottages in the burning heat with your body completely covered by heavy salwars haha. We are all losing some weight from sweating all day, doing much physical labor, and not eating very much. (Not for lack of food but because most of it tastes horrible, which reminds me of how many times a day we talk about how excited we are for Burger King at the Hong Kong airport!) But despite these minor hardships, serving God at Little Flock has so far been a life changing experience. We are all having the most incredible time. Each and every one of us are in love with all the kids. They have been such an amazing example of what it means to be selfless. They have so little yet give so much. They would literally give us all they have if they could. One of the most memorable moments this trip for the team and I is when the kids were making “all about me” posters. It was not only fun to color with the kids and help them spell out our names on their friends box, but there was something that happened with each of the kids that we were in awe about. On the “me” box of the poster, the kids started drawing crosses and people kneeling at the cross. One of us said “no, that’s where you draw yourself!” And the kids replied “not me, only Jesus”. That phrase has turned into our team’s motto and still gives me chills when I think about these young kids who live for God and not for themselves. That is such a hard concept when you’re in High School. It is so easy to live for acceptance and do whatever you can to have everyone like you, but I’ve realized this week through these kids that pleasing God means you will not please the world. To think about all the things I do with my time and all the things I worry about so much and how in the end when I am face to face with my creator all of that is going to be stripped away and mean nothing. It is a serious wake-up call when I look at all these beautiful kids that live in conditions that are hard for us to stand and have lives that have been hurt and broken and hear them tell me “not me, only Jesus”. A few verses that I’d like to share with you all that stuck out to me during my devotions today are Philippians 2:3 and Philippians 2:15. “Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself”. And “You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them”. The innocence and the purity of the kids at Little Flock has opened my eyes and I cannot wait for more incredible times with them to come. I hope you all aren’t missing us too much! We love you and will be home before you know it :)
Love,
Keri Corey
Love,
Keri Corey
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Indescribable
Hey All!
Yesterday was a scorcher, but our team worked really hard and finished priming 2.5 cottages. Already today we’re working on the last two!
After a very long day of work, a huge storm came in during our evening program. Although we didn’t get to play a game, God used to storm to surprise us with a very fun time with the kids and a great bonding time as a team. You see, we all ran back into the hut once the rain started (we were spread out outside in order to work on English in our small groups). Because we couldn’t play our game outside, we passed out snack (Chewy bars were on the menu) and then used the rest of the evening to sing songs (Mangos, This Little Light of Mine, Hokey Pokey, Pharaoh Pharaoh, etc) and pray. It was especially fun because the power went out a few minutes after the storm started so it was relatively all in the dark.
Once the caretakers said it was safe for the children to leave to do their homework, our team stayed behind in the hut and watched a spectacular thunder and lightning show for about 45 mins. The lyrics to Indescribable came to mind:
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go?
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow?
Who imagined the sun and gave source to its light?
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night?
None can fathom!
Indescribable, uncontainable, you placed the stars in the sky and you know them by name.
You are amazing God.
All powerful, untamable, awestruck we fall to our knees and proclaim:
You are amazing God!
Creation was definitely revealing His majesty last night!
God’s been doing a great work in our team as we’ve been there. Each morning we’ve had an opportunity to hear from one of the students about how God’s been working in their heart. It’s been a time of vulnerability, encouragement, and truth. His Spirit is definitely present among us as we spend time serving him with our hands, feet and mouth, as well as the times we are taking to be still before Him and allow Him to do His work within the depths of our hearts, minds, and souls.
We appreciate all of your prayers and please know that we are missing you deeply.
In His majestic Name,
Monica
Yesterday was a scorcher, but our team worked really hard and finished priming 2.5 cottages. Already today we’re working on the last two!
After a very long day of work, a huge storm came in during our evening program. Although we didn’t get to play a game, God used to storm to surprise us with a very fun time with the kids and a great bonding time as a team. You see, we all ran back into the hut once the rain started (we were spread out outside in order to work on English in our small groups). Because we couldn’t play our game outside, we passed out snack (Chewy bars were on the menu) and then used the rest of the evening to sing songs (Mangos, This Little Light of Mine, Hokey Pokey, Pharaoh Pharaoh, etc) and pray. It was especially fun because the power went out a few minutes after the storm started so it was relatively all in the dark.
Once the caretakers said it was safe for the children to leave to do their homework, our team stayed behind in the hut and watched a spectacular thunder and lightning show for about 45 mins. The lyrics to Indescribable came to mind:
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go?
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow?
Who imagined the sun and gave source to its light?
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night?
None can fathom!
Indescribable, uncontainable, you placed the stars in the sky and you know them by name.
You are amazing God.
All powerful, untamable, awestruck we fall to our knees and proclaim:
You are amazing God!
Creation was definitely revealing His majesty last night!
God’s been doing a great work in our team as we’ve been there. Each morning we’ve had an opportunity to hear from one of the students about how God’s been working in their heart. It’s been a time of vulnerability, encouragement, and truth. His Spirit is definitely present among us as we spend time serving him with our hands, feet and mouth, as well as the times we are taking to be still before Him and allow Him to do His work within the depths of our hearts, minds, and souls.
We appreciate all of your prayers and please know that we are missing you deeply.
In His majestic Name,
Monica
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