It's about time (Part 2)

Two days after Christmas we returned to Greensboro to pack up the rest of our house for storage. We forgot to take pictures of the move out of the house, but we wanted to say THANK YOU again to John P (and little Emma), Stan, Michael, and Danny who helped load the truck in Greensboro.

We were greeted in Laurinburg by an eager group of family who helped us unload the whole thing in just over an hour (not too shabby considering it was a 26 foot truck). Thanks to Dad and Brenda,, Mom and Larry, Uncle Joe and Aunt Pauline, and Danny and Carolyn.

We were blessed with a great deal on a storage shed and Kasey's Dad and Stepmom were kind enough to offer to put the building in their backyard. Getting the shed ready was a family affair. Here is Tim, Dad, and Blake (our nephew) adding insulation and plastic to the walls. Morgan (our niece) wanted in on the painting fun. They did a great job!

A yard sale and two truck loads to Goodwill and we still have all this stuff? It was a cold night to unload the truck, but our family graciously sacrificed their backs for a greater good. Brenda's chili was a good motivator as well.

After two weeks of strenuous labor, were were blessed with a few relaxing days with Tim's Dad and Stepmom at their Bed & Breakfast on Amelia Island, Florida. We were treated to a New Years Eve carriage ride around Historic Fernandina Beach. We had a great time catching up, watching movies, and helping Dad and Deborah take down some Christmas decorations.

So much for warm Florida! Sweaters and jackets were required as the nighttime temps dipped into the low 30's.

Deborah makes great breakfasts for their B&B and we were fortunate enough to get a taste each morning. Here we are enjoying our last breakfast before starting the long drive west to Colorado.

It's about time (Part 1)

So we are a little behind in updating our blog. It's been a little over a month and whew, what a month it has been. We thought we would bring you the last month in pictures so you can see what we have been up to. There is so much to cover we broke the last month into two parts. Part one covers December up to Christmas day...

Big tummy contests (Lorin won by a nose. Or maybe it was an arm. Baby Will is due on Jan 20)

Visit to see an old friend and her growing family that was LONG overdo. Luke (on the left) wrestled Tim into submission. He's a future state champion. Mark my words.

How many McCutchens does it take to slice a turkey? Julie (Tim's sister) is due with baby Beam #2 in March. We were able to spend the night with Julie, her husband Scott, daughter Addison, and dog Buster on our drive to Colorado as well. What a treat to see them twice over the holidays!

Kasey getting caught up with the latest V-Tech and Nintendo DS video games. We had a pajama party Christmas night with Kasey's mom and stepdad, her brother Frank, his wife Christina and their boys Hayden (L) and Caleb (R). The boys were excited to teach Aunt Kasey their moves.

A Beautiful Life

We are sad to report that Ganesh lost his battle with HIV and is now with the Lord. While we were in India his health was declining, but in early October his health quickly deteriorated. In 12 short years he touched many lives and was a HUGE encourager to everyone he met. We rejoice that he is with the Lord, but we mourn that such a promising young life was robbed by such an awful foe. His death has been hard on the workers at House of Hope. With 13 other HIV children some of the workers are feeling hopeless. Please pray for them right now, that God would sustain them, encourage them, and that their hope would be found in Him.

Work Hard, Play Harder

Bigwheel Buddies

Being back home has given us more time to spend with family and boy has it been fun! We babysat our little niece Erin last week who is currently potty training. It was an eventful morning full of playing, eating, going for walks, riding bikes, and of course going to the potty several times. We were very proud to report that there was only one small accident all morning long. After returning inside from a stroll in the stroller and a bike ride aunt Kasey walked into another room and left uncle Tim and Erin to themselves. I returned to a wet floor and uncle Tim saying “oh no”. We just aren’t use to the signs yet, but we will know to pay better attention next time!

Chopsticks Never Gets Old

An Autumn Stroll

We spent the afternoon with Erin’s older brothers Ethan and Eli. After being in the house all morning, we thought we would be the cool aunt and uncle and offer to take them out for lunch. Little did we know that we were opening a can of worms. First they had to have a discussion about where each one wanted to go and why. We spent that next few minutes listening to Ethan (the older of the two) try to convince his little brother that his place had better food and was obviously the best choice. Next, we listened to Eli’s argument for his lunch pick. Finally, being the gullible aunt and uncle we are, we agreed to eat at Wendy’s (Ethan’s choice) and to play at McDonalds (Eli’s choice). All parties were pleased, including uncle Tim who got to climb and slide down the slides at McDonalds Playland.

Sleepover at Grammy's

Small steps...

Our house is officially on the market. There has been a healthy amount of interest, as several couples have been back twice to get a second look. As of today, no offers have come in. However, we remain confident that the house will rent or sell before we head back to Colorado in January. It has been hard getting the house spruced up, knowing that we aren’t going to live there again. The house has been a huge blessing to us and we are grateful for the time we have had, but we are sad to be giving it up. As we have cleaned, we have prayed for the next family that will make this house their home. It’s exciting to think of the memories a new family will make in the home and that helps us get through the waves of emotion.

Now we're cookin...

Last weekend we helped Kasey's dad cook 45 Boston Bucks in preparation for our BBQ plate fundraiser next weekend. By the time we finished chopping all the meat, we had 60 gallons of chopped BBQ. We're hoping to sell 500 plates with all of the proceeds going towards our support. We can't thank Kasey's family enough for all that they are doing in preparation for the big event. Her Dad and Stepmom have organized the whole event and several members of the family have helped by selling tickets, advertising, chopping meat, and cooking all the side items.

We'll spend next weekend in Laurinburg putting the BBQ plates together and then sell them Friday and Saturday at her parent's church. Then on Sunday we'll have an opportunity to thank the church for their past support and talk about our time in India. Please pray for some hungry people to come by the church next weekend to not only buy BBQ but to also hear about our ministry.

She's dangerous with a knife

Here comes the bride

Below are some pics of Kasey’s brother’s wedding from last weekend. It was a great time! Everything ran very smoothly and the church looked lovely. His new bride’s coworkers actually handled the entire reception…they could not have done a better job. The bride and groom where pleased and seemed to have a wonderful day. We were the only attendants in the wedding, so it was fun keeping the ring bearer and flower girl in their appropriate places and quiet! It was so good to see family and to celebrate such an important day.

The newlyweds are off now enjoying their honeymoon at the beach. We have decided that honeymoons should be mandatory every year!

(L) Goofing off before the service

(R) First dance of the evening

One proud mama!

The winding trip home

Our journey back to NC was even longer than our initial trip to Colorado. We covered 2,200 miles over a week, stopping to see family in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, OK, then a brief stop in Ferdinand, IN (the boyhood home of Abe Lincoln), cruised into Bumpas, VA to visit with our adoptive family the Williams, and finally back to Asheboro, NC. We spent 3 days in NC, then drove with Kasey's family to Miami to set sail on a family vacation. We enjoyed our time with family, but the visits were too short. We also learned two important things about ourselves, 1) Tim does not enjoy long periods of time in the passenger seat and 2) Kasey can't talk and control her speed at the same time. There was lots of laughter and karaoke along the way, it truly was a great adventure for us. Below are a few pictures from our winding road:

Having fun with Kasey's niece, her husband, and their two boys (Heather, Johnny, Caulyer, and Zachary.

Tim's niece Addison sporting the latest in Indian fashion.

Lee and Francis shucking corn for a traditional Williams lake house meal. Lee and Stacey are really excited about the nightly sunset lake cruise.

Decked out with Kasey's family.

Time alone

Before Tim and I left Colorado, we were given the opportunity to stay a few days at a retreat center in the foothills of the Rockies. The cabin is owned and run by a retired missionary couple who seek to serve fellow missionaries by providing a sanctuary from the noise of ministry. To say we were blessed by this time is an understatement. It was just what we needed and so much more! We went into the weekend with our little agenda, wanting to know what the next five years holds for us (that’s not too much to ask is it J). However, the Father had better plans, thank goodness His thoughts are so much higher than ours. We sat down in the silence shortly after arriving and He immediately informed us that He brought us there to spend some intimate alone time with Him. He just wanted to be with us. So He arranged this perfect weekend just for the three of us…I know it still blows my mind too! That is exactly what we did, we spent time with Him as a couple and as individual children. Time sitting or walking among the fields of wildflowers that reached 20 arches around, resting in the hammock, eating on the porch while watching the beautiful hummingbirds, bouncing on the trampoline and playing board games like little kids. The best thing is we had no idea how much we longed for that time. We were able to start our journey home feeling refreshed and ready to be with family and friends. What an incredible Dad we serve. He knows our hearts so much better than we do!

Slum Community

There is a vast network of slum communities throughout India. The largest in the world is located in Mumbai and was the backdrop for the movie Slumdog Millionaire. We visited a nearby slum community that was within walking distance of our home at the Bible Center. It was located on a busy side street that backed up to a local canal. YWAM operates a school and a health clinic in the slum community. The school provides education for 125 kids in a dimly lit room that was smaller than 300 square feet. The school is broken up into morning and afternoon sessions to accommodate all of the little ones. Here is some video of the children singing us some songs. One of the songs describes how Jesus loves us regardless of our height, weight, skin color, or background. It is hard to put into words what it was like to hear the joy and laughter in their voices when you are standing in the midst of such poverty. Walking through the ally ways where they sleep and play was overwhelming. They survive on so little, yet they are full of such love and life. With faces like these, there is a bright future for India. Let's pray that their joy is not robbed by the harsh circumstances of their environment.

A couple more new friends...

Johyti and Joshua recently joined the House of Hope family. We just wanted to share a little of their story with you. Johyti grew up with two very absent parents, her father drank a lot so her mom became a prostitute in order to pay the bills. Johyti did the kitchen work and cared for the children at the brothel until she was 12. At that time her mom got very sick and was unable to pay off a huge debt she owed. In order to pay the debt Johyti had to go into prostitution. She has since had two abusive husbands. She was able to receive help through an organization (Oasis of India) a few cities over some years back. At that time she delivered her first child, came out of prostitution, and had a good job. After she left the program, she returned to her husband who she says eventually sold her back into the red light district. She gave away her child and started selling herself again in order to live. Johyti recently contacted the organization again saying that she wanted a better future for her second baby. They referred her to House of Hope and she arrived this week. She is very guarded from having had such a hard life. Such a sad story I know, but now she is among family who will love her and Joshua very well. Pray that they will transition well and that she will find the Father’s love. That she will feel safe and realize that He never intended for her to have to sell her body for acceptance, love, or money. Nicole (our host) said it is always hard when they get women who have a history of prostitution because they often return to the streets…it is all they know. Pray that Johyti is not one of those women and that this step is truly a life changing one for her and for Joshua.

Meet some of our new friends...

We wanted to introduce you to some new friends the Father has placed in our path. The first we’ll call Jenny (not her real name). We met Jenny at a local shop a few weeks ago. She is full of energy and excitement and loves meeting new people. She is however very lonely as she lives alone and does not have many close friends. Another teammate and I (Kasey) were able to go out to dinner this week and love on her a bit. We were also able to talk about the difference between her beliefs and ours. She was Hindu as a child, attended a Christian school and “converted”, and now she says she has “converted” to Islam because that is her fiancé’s religion. What she believes is essentially a combination of all three religions. Like all of us, she longs for love and acceptance yet she doesn’t realize that the Father offers her just that. We had great discussions about the fact that Jesus was much more than a messenger, he is God incarnate. We also talked a lot about the fact that our God loves us regardless of our actions. We explained to her that our God isn’t interested in us following a bunch of rules to earn his approval, He wants to have a relationship with us. Please pray for Jenny, that she would see the vast differences between Islam and Christianity and that she would go to the Father for love and not the approval of man.

Kasey, Jess, and a new friend

Our other friend is Art (again, not his actual name). We met him at a bakery on the other side of the city. We noticed something about him the moment we saw him. He was dressed in a maroon robe, people would come up to him and just sit next to him without saying a word and then leave. Kasey tried repeatedly to smile at him, but he would not return the smile. However, as he was walking out, he made it a point to smile and wave at us. Kasey felt like we should talk to him, so we ran out the door to introduce ourselves. He said he had noticed something about us as well, that there was like a spirit around us (which is REALLY cool, because as we were sitting in the coffee shop, we prayed that he would be able to see God in us!). We talked for a bit, got his phone number, and met for coffee a few days later. We found out that he is “enlightened”, that is he is totally separate from this world. He basically believes that he is his own god and that we are all our own gods. We stated that we weren’t gods, but that there is one true God and that He will speak to anyone who calls out to Him. He isn’t a Hindu or a Buddhist, sort of a combination of the two. We had a great conversation, discussing truth, what it means to be holy, and that there is more to the world than seeking pleasure. He had some very interesting ideas about Jesus. Rather than just engage him in intellectual or theological debate (which he loves to do), we stressed the importance of relationships. We explained that there is one God who desires a relationship with all of us. As we were leaving, we challenged Art to talk to our God and to ask Him to reveal Himself to him.

We are hoping to meet with him one more time this weekend. Please pray for that time, that we can share the Fathers love for him, that Art would be bold enough to call out to our Father, that God would speak to Art in a bold and clear way and that he would want to know more about the Spirit that he has seen in us.

Aww rats...

In response to our previous blog about laundry, we have one small update. We left a pair of dirty jeans hanging outside our room for a couple of days (on a drying line on our covered veranda) and paid the consequences. Apparently rats like denim and one (or more) was all to happy to eat his fill. Mind you, the jeans were hanging on a thin nylon chord 8 feet off the ground, so it was an impressive feat. While "holey" jeans are fashionable, for some reason my wife wants to throw these jeans out. I guess I can't blame her. We'll just chalk it up to lesson learned.

That's a normal size DVD, just to give you some perspective on how much the little booger ate:

The culprits have been apprehended and disposed of properly. I'll spare you the pics, you can just trust me that they won't be eating anyone else's jeans.

Our dirty laundry

It's amazing how you miss the simple things. Like a washer and dryer for example. While we have adjusted to bucket showers, we are still adjusting to doing our laundry by hand. It is so much easier to dump everything into a machine, come back 30 mins later and move it to another machine and presto, clean and DRY clothes in just over an hour.

Our process here takes a little longer. We have 3 buckets (1 for washing and 2 for rinsing) and a plunger (it isn't used in the bathroom) to agitate the clothes. Our clothes have been stretched out (not a bad thing, I think I've gained weight here) and they never feel clean. I'm not sure what I (Tim) was reacting to in this picture, but it gives you an idea of what the process looks like:

Drying our clothes during monsoon is difficult as it rains almost everyday. We try to wring out our clothes, but when the humidity is 90 - 100% with no sun they don't dry quickly.

We've had to rewash several items that didn't dry overnight as mildew had set in. One shirt actually had mold growing on it the next day because it was still wet. We strung rope around our room so we can utilize our ceiling fan to help dry the clothes. It makes navigating through our jungle bungalow a little difficult, but it's part of our adventure here!

So when you walk by your washer or dryer today, think of us and say a quick little prayer! Pray for good health for our team and that we would have more compassion for those we serve. We get to leave these conditions in a few short weeks, they live it everyday.

Why business as missions?

Some of you might be wondering why I came to India if I’m just going to work in an “office” all day. There are days that I have wondered that myself. But our time here is forcing me to rethink what “missions” really is. Historians have noted that the rapid spread of Christianity during the first three centuries was largely due to the Christians sharing their faith with everyone they encountered. One historian noted that stable boys would eagerly share their faith with those they worked with, singing songs and sharing stories about Jesus. This idea is what Business as Missions is built upon.

One must realize that the general population here (as in many cultures) has a very different set of norms that they live by. Here, corruption and greed are tolerated and expected. While there are many brilliant Indians, their schooling does not teach creativity, ingenuity, or thinking outside the box. For example, in preschool, the teacher will actually color for the student to ensure that all pictures are colored neatly. The children can pick the colors, but the teachers color inside the lines to ensure a student isn’t denied from the next level of education. What we are combating here is not as simple as “they are wrong, we are right.” God is clear that when His rules are not followed, he will not bless the people. In India, God’s principles are not taught, there is little thought to areas like hygiene (every morning we pass scores of people urinating or defecating in open fields and street corners), ethics, or compassion.

Because I’m working in a manufacturing company, I encounter a dozen or so people for 40 hours a week and get to share with them biblical principles. I can build on what Frank and his Indian business partner have already taught them, “we don’t pay bribes, we will be responsible environmental stewards, we will treat you fairly, you must work hard to earn your wages, etc…” Simple principles that we are taught from a young age. When we are asked why we don’t defecate in the street, we can explain God’s commands for hygiene in Deuteronomy. When custom officials want bribes to release the company’s goods for shipment, we can explain we don’t pay bribes because God has commanded us not to. We can literally be the kingdom of God everywhere we go. We can preach with our actions and then teach truth when others ask why we behave so differently. It’s not rocket science, just an intentional way of living that allows us to earn the trust of those we serve.

Update on Ganesh

Ganesh is home from the hospital! Kasey said he came home Monday and is doing much better. Because she wasn't allowed to go back to the hospital, she doesn't know how his x-rays looked or what the doctors had to say about his condition. It is pretty frustrating, but at least he is home! He was playing basketball with the other children yesterday, which is a HUGE improvement. Since we arrived, he hasn't had much energy and usually asked people to carry him everywhere.

Another good thing about his stay was that he was a great encourager to other patients. One girl who was quite a bit older than him, told him she was very depressed because no one loved her. She said she had no parents and with HIV, no one wanted her. Ganesh told her that he too had no earthly parents, but he knew that Jesus loved him and cared about him. It's incredible that God would use a sick little boy to encourage a girl who had so little hope. Do you need further proof that "in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him?" (Rom 8:28)

We thank you for your prayers and thank God for healing his little boy.

The White Goat

There is an expression here among the locals that goes something like this, “You should squeeze (or milk) the white goat until he is dry.” Guess who the white goat is? While we were warned about this principle when we first arrived, it quickly became a point of frustration for me (Tim). It is most evident in the ricksha drivers (a covered scooter for 3 riders plus a driver).

Ricksha’s are the most economical and convenient way to get around, so we use them often. We quickly discovered that every time we used one, we paid different prices to go to the same locations. We would sometimes negotiate a price and then get to the destination and the drivers would demand more. At first we thought, “what’s 20 more rupees, it’s only 50 cents to us.” However, when we realized that the drivers were trying to squeeze every possible rupee out of us, I got frustrated. Battling corruption here is difficult, but it begins in small situations like these. We can argue with the drivers, call them names and build animosity between us, we can give in to their demands and reward their evil behavior, or we can lovingly explain biblical principles of honesty and integrity and stand firm in truth. It is much easier to just give them a few extra rupees and go about our day, but such action would not be living out the kingdom of God. Now take this principle of milking the goat and apply it to the purchase of large machinery, exporting containers of manufactured goods, getting vaccinations for HIV children or even getting cable TV hooked up and you have a small understanding of what Frank and Nicole (our hosts) have battled the last 6 years. We are called to be salt and light on this earth, we are fortunate to be in daily situations where we can do that. Please pray that we would remember our need to be light and not get frustrated or angry with those who try to take advantage of us. Pray we will have the compassion and love to stay our ground and not respond in anger.

Please pray for Ganesh

We wanted to introduce you to Ganesh. He is one of the children at House of Hope. Ganesh is a very sick boy and needs your prayers. He has been on AIDS treatment for about four years now. He has recently developed pneumonia. I (Kasey) was able to go with him to the "hospital" this week and they wanted to admit him. He was so upset because we were supposed to have a big birthday party for Frank (the family we are working with) that night and he really wanted to go. This is a huge event for them, one of the only things they get to experience outside of the house and school. The staff agreed to let him go and to bring him back to be admited the next day. Our team does not work on Thursday so we had no contact with anyone. When we arrived at the school this morning I asked how he was and the head staff told me they did not take him back to the hospital because he did not want to go and because he promised to eat and smile. Did I mention that he has pneumonia?! I tried to explain how serious this is and that he has to have medicine and treatment. She promised that he would be taken back today. This is just the way things happen here. I may have to go again myself to make sure. Please pray for healing. He is very weak and has no desire to eat or drink. Please pray for good communication and patience. I will keep you updated.

Kasey at House of Hope

I have to be honest and say that the first few days here I was not very excited and started to question why I had even come. There is so much corruption and darkness. Then I met these sweet faces.

They are why I am here! These are a few of the children from House of Hope. There are 14 in all and all except two have HIV/AIDS. Six of my teammates and I have the privilege of working with these amazing small ones four days a week. The first day we met, there was not a dry eye to be found. In fact, when I came home the first night and told Tim about the experience I wept more. It is a hard thing to reconcile the fact that they are so sick and so rejected, and yet so innocent and helpless. I am learning more and more that we live in a fallen world where we face an enemy who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. However, I choose to focus on the fact that we serve a Father who is so much greater and who loves justice and freedom. He loves these children so much more than I could ever begin to comprehend. He weeps for them as I do, and longs for them to know His love and protection. And He has allowed us to be those things for Him during this time. What an honor! I look forward to sharing some of their stories with you over the next few weeks.

Adjusting to a new environment

India is a very different world! This is one of the creatures who visited our room during the night to welcome us home.

We were actually fortunate because the greeter for some other members of our team was more hairy in nature and had large teeth! Thank goodness for husbands who want to step in and show their manliness!

It has taken some getting use to, but after about a week we are starting to feel more settled. The weather is much nicer in this area, usually in the 80’s and 90’s day and night. We are so grateful! The city is actually facing a draught at the moment, as their monsoon season was supposed to start at the beginning of June. We saw an article in the paper this week about a wedding ceremony held for two frogs. The ceremony was meant to please the rain gods so that the monsoon would start. http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/feature/frog-marriage-solemnised-for-rain-showers-in-nagpur_100207489.html

Crazy we know. However, that is a very normal thing here. It is truly like living in the Old Testament when man-made idols were worshiped everywhere. In America, our idols are not as obvious (tv, houses, cars, careers), but in India you can find idols on every street corner. You can hear the bells for “call to prayer” each day. These are just a few reminders that there are so many people in need of our Father. So we pray and we love them as He does and hope that as they come to know us, they come to know Him.