No winter for these kids…

As we went this evening I was just wondering if the children will be around. It was a cold winter’s evening. What I saw was different, most of the kids whom we teach were carrying water from the main road which means there no water supplies in the slums.
In the slum children were playing cricket and some were busy doing house chores. As they saw us they came to us and shook hands, then we 

started teaching.
Today again some kids were not wearing  proper clothes so I sent them back to wear pajamas.
Lesson: My worksheet had a car on it and they had to colour it and write ‘c’ or car on it.
After we had distributed colours and worksheets, I saw this boy alone colouring. I  got closer and encouraged him. I wish we had a proper place for them so they didn’t have to use the ground.   
Mala this little girl was in her regular dress, no jacket or any warm clothes on just shivering while colouring the work sheet. Even the sun was not warm enough. I asked her why she was not wearing warm clothes, no answer just a big smile, which made me think more about these children. They were more who were not wearing any thing warm and it seems to me no one cares about this.( How do they cope in this winter when it’s cold and foggy in the morning? )

My biggest achievement is with the deaf and dumb boy, Bengun (Bringel ) He came to me and pointed  two fingers and I’m sure he was asking for some thing but I could not understand him. I sat with him and started to show him with actions that he should  colour the car. It was amazing, he understood me and first time since I have started working with him he completed the worksheet. I am praying for him. I took his sheet and showed it to his mom and dad .His dad thanked me. His mom said some thing in her own language (you want to study ) and something else too.         

The things I noticed: when I was showing Benguns sheet to his father he was fixing a bicycle which I am sure he got in the trash. While he was working I suggested to him that they should send their elder daughter to school. And I was thinking how parents  want the best for their children. They can’t afford everything but they all try their level best.
Begun got on the bicycle which didn’t have a tyre on it but he was pushing it while sitting on it. It was good to watch him having fun..."Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! "In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets

…. please pray for all the families here in the slum…

Thank you very much Mr and Mrs Crider for coming to visit.

Tuesday and Wednesday  was a different week to others. On Tuesday we got there on time but we had to change the place we usually go because some kind of work was going on, on the other side of the field . All the cars, truck and bikes had to go through the place where we usually sit and teach. We went to the other side of the slum near the field it seemed to be a good area but it was so dirty and littered and was smelling so awful we moved more to the main road and did our lesson game: C for Christmas.
Today it was day for Tommy-yammey game…every body had to get up and say the name and what they like to eat. Most of the children said chowmein so in the end I told them that most of us like chowmein and it also starts with C so then it was c for chowmein.
  

Wednesday was an important day for me, I was so happy that Mr & Mrs Crider came to see my work in the slum. It was a very short visit but I was so thankful to them for it. I was sure the children would come on time although we were there a little early. I travelled with the Criders, Shanker having got there before us. When we got there some children had already gathered. It was nice to see that most of  them are regularly coming. The children were so happy to be introduced to Mr.& Mrs Crider. Some of them came up to shake hands with them.

The time soon came to leave although Shanker carried on with the letter C activity on the board and then did the worksheet with the children.

 Thank you very much Mr and Mrs Crider for coming to visit.

We need a shelter .

What do you do when you have rain?

It was time for me to get ready to visit the slum. I looked out my room and I could see the gentle drops of rain falling and the question came into my mind, ‘will the kids come?’
Then thought it will slow down in a few minutes so I got on my bike with Vijay. He said the same thing, “bhiya barish ho ri hai vo ni aayenge” (it’s raining, they will not come).
But I knew I had to go and find out.
So we got there in 15 minutes and looked around, there was no one in the ground hun what to do? I beeped my horn 2-4 times and I heard a voice saying, “bhiya aagey”.
Then I knew some kids were still coming out in the rain so I waited and asked one of the kids to call every one. It was cold and I saw most of them were barefooted and I felt sad for them. Then I asked them to go back and wear sleeper or shoes. I had a gathering of around 30 kids.
After all this I knew it was time to do some fun activities.
1. rub your hands faster
2. jump –jump
3. run around
4. this one was fun, shark and the fishes (getting in the groups as I said, other wise I will eat you ) after this the rain got heavier. I handed out worksheet as home work and they have to bring it back next week.

Prayer request : I am asking God to provide us one or two rooms shelter in the slum or near by so we run our programme properly. I did go to ask few people but I don’t have money to pay the rent they are wanting. Please keep us in your prayers. Thankyou.

Story time (Christmas)

Story time
Wrote Christmas on our white board and then explained C is for CHRISTMAS.
(I was worried if I will get into any kind of trouble as every one in this area is non believer but I had to do what I had to do).
I asked if any body knows why we celebrate Christmas (wrong question to ask because no one celebrates Christmas here).
So I told them we are going to celebrate Christmas today but before that let me tell you a story.
Story of Jesus,

‘ tho fir sub k sub bolo Chritmas ka yeh pyara tyohaar jeevan mein laye khushiyan apaar’.

I read the story and explained it to them very carefully, every one in sight was staring at the beautiful pictures. I kept going on with the story. Ended up saying, ‘ may God bless you all’.

Then I told them this story that it’s real and it’s taken from the Bible. I read few verses from the Bible and prayed for all the kids.
Fun time (wish we had more help.)
I had made a list of kids who were coming regularly. They were the first ones to get  their gift packets in which we had one biscuit.2 candies, one strawberry cream wafer and some imported items which were only for young ones, given to me by Amanda didi.
They all lined up and we were giving out packets like we were Santa but it was not easy!  It was so hard to control so many kids and we were only 3, I was wondering how Santa might have felt when he was distributing gifts…over all it was a fun time but busy evening.

Please pray that God will pour his blessings in this place.

The things I observed : there were some older people who were listening to the story too.
The kids paid more attention when I was explaining.
When I was distributing gifts some of the parents were helping kids to be in line and helped with control.  I am thankful to god that he has given me this opportunity.

The people who have been helping me in this work.
Mr & Mrs Julia Reynolds,  Mr & Mrs Crider,  Mr Dick Wechter ,  didi Amanda Lehman…thank you very much.

(.Thanks for praying  ..wish u all very happy Christmas )

C for Christmas

How interesting it is that I am getting to celebrate this festival with so many kids.
“Love, Peace and Joy came down on earth on Christmas day to make you happy and cheerful. May Christmas spread cheer in your lives!” Happy Christmas to you all.
On Wednesday we started learning a new alphabet letter, ‘C’.
I questioned the kids and asked which festival are we going to celebrate?
No one had any idea what I was talking about so I made them sing one Hindi Christmas song which was fun. It seemed like I was leading carol singing!
Then as usual I started C for Christmas. I was so happy to hear them shout out loud CHRISTMAS, CHRISTMAS.

After this I distributed worksheet made about Christmas day ( Thanks to Amanda didi, the worksheet was with a message of a new born king, our Jesus).
As now we have more supplies, we got them all in groups of five and gave them crayons to colour the work sheet. All were working very nicely in the group and this time they didn’t have to shout “bhiya mujh ko color ni meela’ (bhiya I didn’t get colours yet).
We took more time this evening. After colouring we collected the worksheets and asked them all to sit down because I revised with them, ‘which alphabet letter did we do today, yes C for CHRITMAS…so tomorrow I want every body here right by 4 o clock I will tell you a story about the birth of Jesus and celebrate Christmas’.

Test and Hindi alphabets.

Yesterday was a day of tests on phonics which went quite well and it was interesting  working with the children. Some of the kids came up and said “bhiya, I don’t know how to draw a snake’. One boy said,’ bhiya how many legs should I draw in a spider?’
One young boy was crying, I took him in my arms and asked him what the problem was ?
He said that his eye was hurting. I looked in his eyes, his right eye is infected and is   all red with a white spot in his eye. Then I went to see his mom to get more details to see if he had seen a doctor or not. His mom said they had taken him to a doctor and he is using an eye drip which I think is not helping him. It was a good evening I had some old clothes with me in which I gave to the kids who were coming regularly but I felt bad that I didn’t have enough for others.
Today I went with Hindi planning. I was so happy to see that more kids are good in Hindi alphabets.
Playing games is always great with the kids.
So it was a time to play cricket with them which was also fun. I wish we had more space.
Today I went to meet Jeterders father who is still in bed. He made an interesting comment when I told him that Jetender is doing good these days, he has not been eating tobacco etc. His father said take him with you and get him some kind of job. I am praying to improve his habits please pray for him.

A different timing...

This week I’m teaching in the slum on Wednesday and Thursday and have also changed the timings. We’re teaching from 4-5 pm.
We started with a fun activity, played games and then got the kids in the circle, took their attendance and passed out the worksheets on phonics( letter S) to the kids who had not finished their work last week .
The things I observed: there are so many kids who go to school and afterwards they work as rag picker’s. Some kids were absent today, they come back around 5 pm or even later than this.
There was a family I visited but they were having a hard time, the husband was drunk and scolding his wife, using abusive language in front off the kids.
Big trucks were parked in the area which was dangerous for the young kids who play there.
Please pray for the kids and their families..