The Hills are Alive

Greetings! Our stay in the mountains has been full of fun and laughter...and pranks.

We had the opportunity top visit a shelter and learning center dedicated to the empowerment of village girls.

We also had an adevnture in the mountains to a pond....

and swam in a water fall!

Erica got the chance to drive...down an empty street...on the LEFT side of the road!



AND we had the chance to attend Christian Indian wedding:
there were over 200 guests and the food was pretty great.
Catherine ate more than she thought she ever could!



Saying Goodbye to many children and staff in various places has been rough.

But, we have definitely learned a lot from the entire experience.
(Including, not to get to close to monkeys and that they have the ablity to steal diet pepsi bottles...)

Around the bend.

Greeting from India, 

Sorry for the lack of updates, but we have been extremely busy! I, Erica, have been teaching 7 health classes a week at various daycare and after school centers as well as the orphanage, and Catherine has been working with the physically disabled children at 2 different places. All in all, everything is well and good in the land of India, and great things are happening through our ministry among the people.

A couple weeks ago we had the chance to walk
through the Coaker's walk after church.
Although advertised as exciting,
we didn't find much interest in it.

We also had a chance to visit a rehabilitation center.
They actually teach mentally disabled children to create
plates, bowls, cups, and many more things in order that
they can support their families.
If they were not taken in by this center, they would be left on
the streets and cursed by the community due to the belief that
the mentally disabled are possessed by demons.

We celebrated Teacher's Day with the Bethania staff
and spoke the native language in a play!

Here is a group photo of the staff of all the centers
in the area we are working.

Then in the midst of all of the work we do
we get to come home to the orphan girls everyday,
which always make the work we do well worth the
time, effort, and struggle.

After three hard weeks of painting two tables at the
special needs center in a remote village....

.................................

We finally completed the children's main table!

And, again, I mention that we had some more fun in between all of the work
with the lovely children that we lives with. :)

Most recently, we took a trip to Bangalore,
and we met the president of Bethania Kids.
He was a true joy, and desires Erica to create a ten-year
health care plan for the community of Bethania.
She was pretty excited about that!

We also did some site seeing with an amazing family we stayed with in Bangalore.
To be honest, I, Erica, did not think that castles like this existed anymore!

One of Erica's class of students
at the women's empowerment program.
One week remaining!

Another health class at the orphanage.
Also, one week remaining!

The last day of class at an after school care program after 2 and 1/2 months of teaching.
It was a blessing to have had the pleasure to teach such young, wonderful children,
and I, Erica, have faith that they will all do great things!
I, Erica, will miss them dearly.

Our time in the mountains is soon coming to a close, and we will be moving further north into the land of India. The next home will be a completely new experience, and we have faith that great things await just around the bend.

Hope Without Borders

Greetings,
Five days ago we moved into the girls home, which is conveniently five minutes down the street from the boys orphanage. The girls have been a great joy to spend time with and have a tremendous amount of energy. While Erica has been teaching 7 health classes a week, Catherine has been massaging special needs children and staff at 3 different locations. Busy! Busy!

Today we may be learning a traditional Indian dance for the big teacher's day event taking place tomorrow! We are also attending an event at a school nearby on Saturday to see a friend dance for a community event. We are so ecstatic to be a part of the community and the events that surround Indian culture. Indian men and women have been outstandingly kind and open to our friendship, which has been a true blessing.

Below is a story of a young orphan boy at the boys home. 

I, Erica, pray that it encourages you to have Hope Without Borders. 

No individual, 

from your worst enemy to an abandoned child, 

is hopeless. 

Anyone can be made into a new creation, 

and all those who are lost can be found. 

Thus, I urge you, to have:

Hope without Borders

Imagine that:

You are a three-year-old boy with a one-year-old sister. Your mom takes you to town; you are excited as you watch her buy your favorite snack at the corner store. Your mom politely tells you to sit down with your sister and eat your snack. She also says, "Stay here until I come back."

You watch as she casually walks away.

Hours pass...

Tears of fear gradually form until you break into an uncontrollable sob; you shake as time continues to pass and your mother is not returning.

Your sister and you are abandoned, 

alone.

At last, a passerby recognizes your sister and you; they take you home.

Your father is taken by surprise and outraged when he finds that your mother has eloped with another man. He immediately seeks her out and attempts to kill your beloved mother......

Your mother is near-dead in the hospital.

Your father is taken to prison.

Then, there is you and your sister...Where shall you go? Where shall you find rest?
Someone suggest a place of hope called Bethania, which takes in children in troubled situations. Your sister and you find hope, reprieve, and safety.

11 years later...
Your dad visits, your mom vanished, and you feel a sense of hope. You have 30 brothers, your sister is safe, and you are genuinely cared for. Thus, you learn to have hope without borders for all the downtrodden and lost like yourself.

Be The Voice of the Unheard

Greeting,

We apologize for the lack of updates the past couple of weeks; there has been a lot of work to accomplish in our newfound home. We have had a vast amount of new experiences and are blessed to be touching the lives of so many people. It has been a life-changing experience to spend time with so many talented, loving, and energetic young men. We truly believe that each one of these boys will grow up to be amazing leaders within the communities of India.

A hiking trip with the older boys

A tourist moment

Rock Climbing

This seven-year-old boy was found
severely malnourished and weak when Bethania Kids
took him in. Although he is still a small, he is gradually getting
healthier and is more joyful than ever.

30 sweaters for the boys. They all say Thank you for your support.

Providing health education & educational materials
for abused women & the mentally disabled

Health Education class

Simple education

Next week we are departing from the boy’s home to live at the girls orphanage. Below is a short story of a downtrodden village, a boy’s mother, and his story. I hope you enjoy the pictures of our life thus far in the mountains, and I also hope that you are compelled to continue to support missionaries like ourselves, Bethania Kids, and Hope Without Borders. 

This is the story of a orphaned boy named C.. He is currently fourteen-years-old, and he lives at the boys home we were staying at in the month of August.

He was found in a remote, isolated, and undeveloped village.
The woman in the picture is his sister, the older boy is his brother, and the baby is himself.

After his father died of Cancer, his mother went into a stage of mental breakdown.
She was unable to care for her four children.
Each were sent to various orphanages.
To this day, his mother (above), continues to struggle.
Therefore, C. continues to reside in the orphanage in which we were living in.

Here is a link of the village he once lived in:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQnNTOo2x6M&feature=youtu.be

C. (on the right) is now happy, healthy, and has a new family.
He is loved and cared for thanks to Bethania Kids.

I would also like to share the story of my, Erica, two favorite brothers: A & D.

These boys lost there mother two years ago.
There father remarried and their step-mother did not want them;
thus, they arrived at Bethania with a hope for a future.
Although difficult at first, both boys are thriving in the home.
And I can see the great leaders that they are becoming.
It is amazing to see the beauty that can develop from tragedy.

A Nurse and Massage Therapist Being so Blessed by the Communities of India

Community Assessment at a Church

Exploring Remote Areas

Teaching First Aid, Dental Health, & Communicable Diseases

Visiting Villages

New Refrigerator. Thanks for your support!

Old Refrigerator

You helped provide soap, toothbrushes, & toothpaste
to 35 young orphan boys! Thank you.

Joy in Abundance & Inexpressible Gratitude

Greetings once again from India,

1. So, we thought we would update our readers through pictures this week.

2. Seemed like a fun idea, right?

3. This week we have bought quite a lot of hygiene and health items for the children. They were so glad!

4. We have also learned to cook chappathi.

7. We bought 35 orphan boys underwear...
and they wore it on their head.

6. We have visited some remote villages..
 in the creases of the mountain lands.

5. We have begun working with
some fun, loving mentally disabled children.

8. We have sat on the tip of a mountain overseeing:
the wonderful land of India.

9. We have even taught the staff to play dominos,
Which they greatly enjoyed.

10. We have experienced the love of young boys who have become:
 our beloved brothers.

11. We have seen: Family.

12.  We have seen: Poverty

13. We have seen: Unity.

14. We have explored the great beyond..

15. We have experienced tremendous joy.

16. Yet, also, experienced great sickness.

17. We have attended important country holiday events.

18. And we have walked in a campaign to:
Stop child labor

19. Then in the midst of it all,
we have managed to:
 read, play board games, and teach health, music, English, and spiritual classes.

20. We are extremely grateful to have the opportunity to work with the children of India. Thank you for your support.