We just left

It's hard to believe that we are starting our trip back home already. Even though we are only 15 minutes away from the village, I miss them already. I wish I could stay longer.
The beginning of the week for me was hard. I loved the kids but I didn't think I was going to feel this way when I left. I want to go back and see their smiling faces again. Maybe I will make an excuse to go back just for a few minutes. The people there are so loving and amazing I can't put into words the love and care I felt while I spent these few short but precious days here. The kids and people of Kalavai have forever changed me for the better. I can't think of a better way to spend a week of my life. The unknowns and worries that I was nervous about at the beginning of the week are gone and seem pointless to have ever worried about in the first place.
Struggle is everywhere in Kalavai but you can't see it when you are looking at their gorgeous smiling faces. They radiate hope and life even though they have been through pain and hurt that I will probably never have to endure. I want the absolute best life for each of the wonderful people of Kalavai. If i could I would bring them all home with me.
One little boy I got the closest to. His name is Renu. He is the funniest, craziest, most loving little ball of cuteness. I had the privilege to have him in my class at the school we taught at this week and everyday after school the two of us would hang out during out village time. Since he is only 5 years old and doesn't really know much English there really isn't anything we talk about, so we just played. I love that little kid like he was my own little brother, and if I could I would bring him home with me there is no doubt.
Throughout the whole week I haven't realized how much the people of Kalavai have effected me but today when I sat down on the bus and looked out at all the people I had the chance to live with for a week, I realized I loved them and didn't want to leave. It brought me to tears, but I know I will be back. Hopefully sooner than later.

Jessica Ekema

Micro-Enterprise Update

This week has been a whirlwind for the Micro-Enterprise team here in the Irula Colony. Because of the reactive nature of how business works, and the need for eyes on the ground to see what works and what doesn't we couldn't plan too much on the front end.

Our main initiatives this week are making improvements to the goat micro-herds, coming up with a business for the tailors that have completed a 15 month training course, and seeking out the potential for a larger scale business to help support the village and our programs in India.

Thank God for Raj, as he has a business knack as well as the ability to translate without any problems. The first two days in the village, it seemed to be moving slow and much of the time was spent casting vision of what is and could be. We surveyed the goat owners, as well as the tailors to see what is working well and what they are challenged with. The information we were given was definitely a lot different than we had thought we would here. Again proving we can't plan too much stateside for what's to come with Micro in India.

The 5 ladies who have completed the tailoring training are going to receive each a sewing machine that was promised them at the beginning of the program. Their skills have multiplied many times, and their thanks for allowing them the opportunity really stood out as we heard a testimonial from one of the tailors. Rajeswari, a 25 year old wife and mother of two, let us know of the importance of her accomplishing this trait. Her mother-in-law, constantly was telling her how worthless she was and how her son could have chosen a much better wife. She would share this with their entire village. When she heard of our training program for tailors, she sought an opportunity to learn this trade. She did this by living in the Irula Colony with her two children, while her husband lived in another village with his mother. She said, "I showed a chudidhar I had sewn to my mother in law and she was very impressed. It pleased me to hear kind words come from her mouth about me."

Not only was Rajeswari happy, but the other tailors are so happy to have learned this trait. They were even more happy when we were connected with some expert tailors that run an export shop in downtown Kalavai that attend Pastor Sam's church. Upon setting up a meeting to talk with the owners, they agreed that they would train the Irula tailors and hire them to do work for them. This works out perfect for their set up as they prefer daily wages and aren't quite yet ready to "own" their own business. So all 5 tailors have jobs and will learn even more expertise with this export business! God is good.

The above picture is the "next generation" of tailors that are wanting to learn the trade. We are planning on having these 6 younger ladies who haven't and can't attend school (because they are too far behind and would have to be in 1st or 2nd grade) get trained under the current Irula tailors as well as the expert tailors. They are excited as they are all good friends and are willing and wanting to learn this much needed trade here in India.
Above is a meeting with a brick kiln owner in which a villager from the Irula Colony stood up against him in order to challenge him on how much debt he owed the owner. The meeting got heated, but was such a site to see as Ravi, a goat owner who admitted he didn't know the difference between 4 months or 4 years, brought out the records of the debt he owed and made the kiln owner swallow his lies! Ravi settled his debt on the spot and the kiln owner can't come after him or touch him again!

The concept of owning your own goats is so foreign to the Irula that they would rather work for daily wages than own their own goats and have to keep track of vaccinations and when to sell the goats. We have set up a program to allow them to fulfill their wishes so we can pay them a daily wage. The Irula Welfare Association actually owns the goats and will take goat profits and set up a system for helping other community members in need.

Though starting out slow, the Micro team has gotten quite a bit accomplished this week and many blessings from God to celebrate. This initiative is on-going and ever changing. Overall, we had an amazing week and have developed great relationships with people from the village.

Micro-Enterprise Team

Glad to be back

I was so glad to be back at the school and in the village. It's a real blessing to work with the kids and spend time with everyone in the Irula Colony. God has been working on me every morning, and it's my prayer that he continues to change me when I get home. I feel so blessed to be on this trip.

Jerry Blanchard

A Wealth of Relationships

Last March Tim Burkey came to India and Kalavai as a part of a worship team. They preformed Christian concerts all around Kalavai. During the day Tim as well as several other members of the worship team built great relationships with the boys in the village.

One boy named Vellu came up to me and asked earlier this week if I knew Tim. I told him yes, Tim is my friend. Vellu asked me to tell Tim hello. I happened to have Raj's phone with me that was set up for twitter. I told Vellu he could tell Tim hi himself. So I would took a picture of Vellu waving and sent it to Tim via twitter. Vellu was so excited and amazed.

A day or so later Tim sent a reply. Vellu was so excited, and so was I.

This is truly an amazing connection that spans more than 5,000 miles and is a testament to Tim and to the ministry of Granger Community Church here in Kalavai.

Joel Wolfgang

The unspoken language

A line from one of my favorite songs reads, “Whether or not your lips move, you speak to me.”

The people of Kalavai are true poets in this regard.

It’s not easy to describe how sitting next to a mother on a dusty, broken concrete slab as she braids her daughter’s hair can be such a comforting moment when you’re thousands of miles away from your own family.

You can’t measure the fullness of your heart when a child you know gets hit more often than hugged falls asleep in your arms.

And there isn’t any proper comparison for the joy that emanates from the eyes of the once hopeless villagers who’ve learned to trust and dream. Except for, maybe, the joy that God has in giving that very hope.

It is our true privilege to brush shoulders with people of such humility and courage every day here. It takes a lot to summon hope from despair and joy from darkness. But it is a movement He started and will be faithful to complete.

Each night, the English team has the chance to educate and edify the village children, many of whom do not attend school nor will ever have the opportunity. Some of them, as young as 8 or 9, have already started to work to help provide for their families. Many of the adults in the village are just as curious and eager to learn as the children, and their confidence in attempting to speak English with GCC teams has grown with each trip. The time consists of conversational English training as well as songs, skits, games and craft time – which always ends up being the highlight of the evening. Teachers, adults and kids huddle together to paint, make bracelets and simply enjoy each other’s company.

The time flies, yet when you stop and soak it all in, you realize those are the moments you wish would never end. You see pipe cleaners and plastic beads transform into pearls and diamonds in the villagers’ eyes. You hear the laughter and chatter of a newfound, lifelong friend sitting next to you. And you wonder if anything else in the world really matters but loving that person, fully and completely, if without words.

- Amanda Harris

Better Than A Hallelujah....

God loves a lullaby
In a mother's tears in the dead of night
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes

God loves the drunkard's cry
The soldier's plea not to let him die
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes

We pour out our miseries
God just hears a melody
Beautiful, the mess we are
The honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah

The woman holding on for life
The dying man giving up the fight
Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes

The tears of shame for what's been done
The silence when the words won't come
Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes

We pour out our miseries
God just hears a melody
Beautiful, the mess we are
The honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah

Better than a church bell ringing
Better than a choir singing out, singing out

We pour out our miseries
God just hears a melody
Beautiful, the mess we are
The honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah

We pour out our miseries
God just hears a melody
Beautiful, the mess we are
The honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah

This song has resounded in my heart since the moment we set foot in India. Just a day into our time in the village I woke up hearing the temples blare their call of worship....and in that moment... as the music flooded the air, my heart unleashed all the tears pent up. Tears for the injustice that surrounds us, tears for the children that don't yet understand the hard life that awaits them, tears because this is not the way God meant for His people to live. In that very moment, with tears streaming down my face, my heart aching beyond description, I knew without a doubt, that God was hearing the cries of my heart. Not just hearing them, but somehow hearing a melody. And then I knew in a more real way than ever, that God hears the honest cries of breaking hearts, not just my heart, but Monjue's, Punatha's, Chanduru's, Ambica's, Miss Lily's heart. The hearts of people that love Him with a passion that is undeniable, a dependence that is truly indescribable. God listens, He cares, and loves each one of these people more than I can comprehend. Not only does God listen, but He is radically moving in the village. Change is happening in a very real way. A place whose name literally means darkness, now is a place the village people say is a place of light, a place of HOPE. A father who had left his family recently moved back into the village because he said their is hope here now, a light that was never before... Another family moved into the village seeking the hope, joy, and light they heard about... One of the villagers now has a foster child they are taking care of now as their own...the Light, the Hope is spreading. God is alive, real, and hearing the raw cries of His broken people....and sometimes those cries....are better than a Hallelujah.

Jessica Stemm

Making Business Work

I work for a company in Mishawaka that has the tagline "Making Business Work" it's about finding the right solutions for another company's particular needs.

Over the past couple of years GCC has been training 5 women in Kalavai to become tailors. These women have been working very hard to learn ways to sew using machines out of the early part of the last century. Nonetheless they have been working diligently in order to finish their training.

Now that they are close to the finish line its important for us to help these ladies get jobs. We consulted with members of another local church and found a small tailor shop that is willing to train them to do export work. So over the next month they will learn how to sew export quality shorts and t-shirts to fulfill large orders.

On Friday we will be holding a graduation ceremony for them and we will be giving them their own sewing machine. This is God at work! A village with no hope is now producing skilled labor, just like Rob Wagner says, "they want a help up not a hand out."

So our role here is to encourage and facilitate business ventures that truly benefit the people, making business work. Giving these women these particular skills is giving them the ability to work and live on their own. That's why we're here to show them that the love of Christ transforms communities.

Joel Wolfgang