Children In India

We arrived back in Delhi just after noon. We dropped Mark H. off at the YWCA to rest up some more thinking we would be catching a plane to Paris very late that same night. The rest of us spent the day making our last purchases for friends and family while spending time with Rai, the travel agent CICM uses. We all came back and rested a bit before heading out for a nice dinner for our last evening in India…so we thought. After dinner, we headed back to the YWCA to gather our things before heading to the airport. Our flight was to leave at 1:30am on March 1st late that same evening. Rai called to check on our flight but it had been cancelled due to weather. They advised him to have us come check in and Air France would put us up in a hotel.

Long story short, Air France put us up in a 5star hotel for two nights. It actually wound up being the biggest blessing in diguise. We were all racked out from traveling every two days for the past two weeks and from going non-stop. We had many nights on trains and many early mornings catching flights and fleeing strikes. We were TIRED! Our 5star hotel, The Grand New Delhi, was the perfect end to our busy two weeks. We sat by the pool and finally, had the most comfortable beds ever.

They finally got us on a flight to Paris that went out the afternoon of March 2nd. We took the metro to our hotel in Paris. Mark and Jena flew out the next day to get back to their kids while Mark and I stayed in Paris for a few extra nights to catch the sites.

All in all, it was an amazing trips. We all made it hope safely and were able to accomplish all that we had set out to. Hopefully, all four of us will be publishing our own thoughts upon return to the US over the next week or so. So, check back for those and other updates!

As we traveled back to Bilaspur, we looked very hard to find a tiger, but alas, we did not. So, our Indian brothers took us to the zoo for a quick peak at the white tiger. That evening, only Alicia and Jena made dinner. As both Marks were feeling a bit under the weather.

While Mark L. felt better by morning, Mark H. was aching all over. Ajai’s brother-in-law who is a doctor lived in Bilaspur. He was nice enough to come visit Mark H. and get him the meds to get him back on the road to recovery. Mark L. and Alicia went our to the 2nd village area without the Halls. We left them to rest. Mark wanted to push it and go, but doctors orders were to stay and rest.

We, once again, traveled a few hours by car. This time our dirt road turned into a walking path. It felt a bit more remote than the village yesterday. We drove through the first three welcome gates before we saw the crowd that had gathered for our welcome. We were greeted in much of the same fashion as the previous day with flower necklaces and hand washing. They too sang and danced joyously. We were first greeted by a woman and her brother, who both could not be out of the early 30s. They had taken the 210 orphans in this village in themselves and for the past two years, have done the best they could to care for these orphans with little help. While there were two rooms for sleeping, they were very small especially for 200+ children, but they showed us a dorm that was in the midst of being built thanks to the support of CICM.  Inside the tiny dorm, they too washed our feet and then presented us with hand made hats and 2 bows and arrows. They sang and danced around us all the way to the front of the church. Just ten feet to the left of the church a well was being drilled. We watched as the well drilled further and further into the earth’s core as water spewed in all directions. It was the most beautiful site. In a village of 2500 people, this was the first well. There was a river, which was dry at this time, that they gathered water from during the rainy season, but would travel many miles by foot for water the majority of the year.

As I watched the water come forth that would bring new life to this village, I couldn’t help but think about Jesus Christ the true Living Water and the New Life that only He brings. The pastor and many others in the village were very excited about the placement of the well. You see many people from surrounding villages will come to this well for water. The will is situated directly beside the church building and has the most beautiful story of the church, the hands and feet, the body of Christ making this well possible. The well is huge testament of God’s love and provision.

We then made our way into the church where Mark and I were able to share some words of encouragement with the children and the church there. They sang and danced some more before we headed outside to distribute clothing. It was a beautiful time of fellowship with our Indian brothers and sisters.

Unfortunately, we had to cut our visit short in order to get back to pick up Mark and Jena in Bilaspur before heading on to Raipur. By the time we made it back to Bilaspur, Mark was not feeling 100%, but much better than before thanks to the medicine.

We arrived after dark and spent the night in Raipur before catching an early morning flight back to New Delhi the next day.

The trip from Damoh to Jabalpur by car started at 7pm. We had to catch at train in Jabalpur by 9:30pm. The Jabalpur train station left little to be desired. The odors were pungent and the sights were honestly sickening. With no food on our a and the overwhelming smells and sights, Mark L. got sick. Thankfully, that was very short lived and not a stomach virus. The train from Jabalpur to Bilaspur was an overnight train. In theory, this would be a time for sleep. Reaching Bilaspur at daybreak, we checked into the hotel, had breakfast, and then packed up for the trip to the village.

The drive to the village was about 2 and a half hours. We left the city and continued through a region that quickly became remote. After passing through 3 separate government checkpoints, we were in the ‘Tiger Reserve’. Our narrow paved road turned into a gravel road that crossed dry river beds and tied distant villages together. It was clear that during the rainy season, it would be nearly impossible to get to these villages.

This ‘jungle region’ is a mix of plateau areas consisting of primarily rice fields woven into heavily wooded hill country. The villages that we passed became smaller as we drove. Approaching the village, we saw just ten mud huts with straw thatched roofs. As we stopped, we heard music and singing. Loud drumbeats and soft voices filled  the air. We were greeted by the village pastor and a few leaders. They placed simple flower necklaces over our heads and have us the ceremonial greeting of their area. They washed our and hands walked us towards the children. There we saw the most amazing site, hundreds of children singing along our processional path. Singing, dancing, showering us with flowers. What a joyful parade. Joining hands and dancing (men in one group, women in another), they took us in. They adopted us into their family. We were told that we were the first ‘light skinned’ visitors ever in this village. Anyway, they had no hesitation with us.

After almost half an hour, we crowded into the children’s dormitory building (i.e. meeting hall, church, community center). Hundreds of children inside this large mud hut. They hung more flowers around our necks and washed our feet. It was the most humbling experience. They sang songs, recited scripture verses, and we greeted and encouraged them in the Lord. Alicia and Jena  taught them a simple yet fun children’s song. 

We began clothes distribution for the children. They called them each by name to be given clothes that were sized for each. Currently, the children were wearing what was for most, their only articles of clothing. Due to lack of time, we had to leave the remaining clothes and food distribution to the village leaders. Around 2pm, we headed into the pastor’s home (mud hut) for lunch.

Words cannot capture the essence of this place and this day. Pure love pouring out from the pastor to these children. A sincere joy mixed with the quiet desperation of fighting for survival.

The ministry of CICM is filling the gap for these children with the provision of food shelter, and clothing. They are in the initial stage of building another dormitory-to be able to provide both a girls dorm and a boys dorm. There are over 400 children in this one village. In the pictures that will come soon. You will see that they do have a dorm which also serves as multiple other facilities during the day, but I still can’t imagine 400+ children sleeping in the one space.

Talking with the pastor after lunch under a shade tree, we asked him of his needs. He simply replied that his heart is burdened for these children and other orphaned children in the region. The number of children under his care is over 400. Without this ministry, these children would be subject to slave labor or perishing under elements (lack of shelter, health care, or food). There is a complete ‘needs assessment’ underway for this village. We will soon be able to communicate a plan for ‘improved, self-sustaining village’.

This was a typical day on our trip. From the outset, it seemed fairly light in terms of meetings, pace and emotion. At this point, we should know better. We met with Vivert and Neelam Lall of MICM. They have been friends and partners in ministry for many years. They toured us through the school where we were overwhelmed by children wanting to touch us and take our ‘autographs’.

We moved on to the meeting hall where we met 23 young children. These children have been taken out of an area of intense persecution against Christians. Some were orphans. Others were the children of pastors seeking a safe heaven for the children they love. All but four or five had malaria. They had only been in Damoh for just less than two weeks, but had received much love and care from those at CICM. They had been clothed, fed, given medication, taught the Lord’s Prayer, and began school all in the short time they had been there.

As we left the singing children, we entered a separate wing of the meeting hall. Vivert brought a young girl from the group into this adjacent area. She was the oldest of the group and only 10 years of age. He asked us to pray over this ’special girl’. She had witnessed the horror of her parents being brutally murdered by extremists while hiding behind a tree. This was painful. Words cannot express our emotions. We cried. We prayed for healing for this beautiful, young girl. Jena couldn’t help but think of Esther from the Bible who too was an orphan, but whom God used for a mighty purpose. God can use was Satan intends for distruction to raise us up for mighty works in His name.

We left the meeting hall and toured the school for the physically disabled- the blind, deaf, and dumb. They were joyful in their singing. We then met with their teachers- a wonderful, loving group of men and women. It was amazing to meet the children and the teachers that have a passion for these children whom have been shunned by the rest of society. From there, we went to the eye clinic and then visited the new MICM campus under development located close to the CICM campus. Lunch with Vivert and Neelam is their home and then back to the CICM offices. It is amazing that though MICM and CICM are within the same village they minister to such different groups of people. God is using these two ministries within India to touch the hearts of many different people groups in mighty ways.

The afternoon was spent visiting with and learning from 5 pastors that work with CICM. They shared amazing stories of courage and faith. (We will be publishing these testimonies at a later date.) All had undergone persecution- some of it was extreme and will not appear in print. At the end of each testimony, there was joy. You can see the sense of triumph in these men’s eyes. And yet, they are humble beyond belief. Their passion for the Lord in spite of what they had faced was nothing less than inspiring. These men are heroes. The world is not worthy of such men. The day had been full, much more so than we had anticipated. Indescribable pain mixed with irresistible and unexpressable joy.

The past days in Damoh have been truly inspiring.  It is very difficult to put everything into words, but God is working in an amazing way through the people that work at this mission, and the people that this mission support.  Here in Damoh and throughout our trip, we have seen the evidence of our God doing real work through people.  We’ve heard many first hand accounts from people who have seen God work in dynamic ways in their lives.  We’ve met numerous men who used to murder people, rape women, burn churches, and destroy homes.  Hindu extremism is a real problem for the Christians here and some of these men used to be powerful leaders in these extreme groups.

Now they are pastors.

All of them met with powerful evidence for God and could not could not walk away unchanged.

We’ve also met men, women and children who were on the receiving end of the extreme violence. We’ve heard their stories of sound faith and extreme strength as they stood their ground and trusted that God would take care of them.  These are the people who then preached to their aggressors and changed their lives.

We arrived in Damoh at 3:30 in the morning, slept for a few hours (at least some of us), and then participated in the group devotion with a majority of the CICM staff.   After spending some time in worship, we had a full day.  We talked with **** about her childrens ministry, dedicated and opened a new wing of classrooms at the childrens home, spent some time doing strategic planning with ****, and got to play a cricket match with the **** staff and the CIBA students (Central India Bible Academy)  Nothing like being in a foreign country and getting thrown into their national pastime without a clue as how to play!

After dinner that evening Jena and Alicia spent some time preparing for the worship service the next day, while we were able to get some much needed rest.

The next day we again met with the CICM staff for group devotional and the ladies led worship for everyone. After that we were able to tour all the different departments here at CICM.   We started touring the nursing college here on the CICM campus right after we finished chapel.  It was amazing to see the work and the students that are there with the minimal resources that they have.  This theme applies to everything here at CICM.  When walking through the nursing college, it was like walking through a hospital in the 1950’s in the U.S.  But the students are bright, happy, motivated, and they have a great future ahead of them. They’ll graduate and go on to become doctors and nurses and many of them will move on to new large cities to make 300 to 400 US dollars a month which will get them a very comfortable middle class life here in India.   These kids are coming from rural Indian villages and it is changing their lives.  The nursing college is one part of the CICM ministry that is completely self sufficient and doesn’t require funding from the master budget for ministry.  This is something that everyone here is very proud of.

After the nursing college, we visited the CICM hospital in downtown Damoh. There is a number of surgical teams from the US also staying here at CICM and performing free cleft lip and palette surgeries for children.  These kids are considered outcast and cursed in their villages.  We were told that the other residents in their villages believe that if their shadow crosses over them, they too will be cursed.  That’s how shunned these kids are.   Fixing this deformity in them removes that stigma and allows them to live a normal life. It allows them to get jobs and earn money whereas before there wouldn’t’ be a chance for work, marriage, or any future.  Without this surgery most of them would have a very hard time surviving.   The teams here are doing 90 surgeries in all, which comes to about 10 – 12 surgeries per day.  A huge effort by all 3 teams of 27 people.

We also had an opportunity to meet with the head of the CICM prayer department.  Its a quiet department, but operates as the backbone of this whole ministry.  We were all incredibly touched by the passion and the words of the director Michael.  We sat in his office and he explained how they receive and manage prayer requests from all over the world.  Many times they respond personally with a card signed by all the people in the prayer department. The people who receive these cards are tremendously encouraged by a personal note and often keep the cards for years afterward as encouragement in their faith.  Often times small actions like this from the staff of CICM is all the outside encouragement these remote Christians will get for months on end.

Next we met with the audio visual department. This group of guys handles the recording and distribution of all the sermons and chapels preached here at the main campus.  They do it with 1 laptop (a rarity here) and a six disk CD burner.  Often times producing runs of 500 to 1000 cd’s at a time.  Not only do they send these resources to the pastors which they support, but they also compose musical CD’s for the same purpose.  Its a small group, but its a huge ministry and it really helps to provide sustaining resources for pastors and churches all over India.

The same goes for the Printing and Publication department.  Over the past 15 years, they have written and produced over 40 hard back books for use in the Bible colleges they have started and maintained, as well as a resource for the sponsored pastors.  Many of these pastors have very limited training and they don’t have resources like the internet or Focus On The Family to provide them with sermon materials or deeper learning.  Those pastors rely on the work of this dedicated group of people to continue their ministry effectively and spread the word of God.

Our day continued as we met with Josh and discussed the current and future training centers.  These centers are designed to be strategically placed to provide one year of training for young pastors with the goal of equipping them to go to unreached areas to plant churches.  Josh is a passionate and devoted director and has some incredibly exciting purposeful and strategic plans for each one of these centers.

Gotta run, time for some serious travel.  We’ll add more later.

Thanks again for all of your support.

Mark and Alicia Lubbers,

Mark and Jena Hall.