Overwhelmed

"What have we gotten ourselves into?"

Ericka and I have asked this question MANY times over the past couple days. After visiting all three of our children's home here in India - we are OVERWHELMED!

Overwhelmed by the stories of abandoned and orphaned children. Overwhelmed and HUMBLED by the sacrifice of the men and women who care for these sweet kiddos.

And OVERWHELMED by the needs!

Our partners need more space, new homes, their own property, more money for school fees, clothes, books, food, beds, etc. These are ALL legitimate needs. How are we supposed to pick and choose between them??

You know, raising funds for these children back in states is one thing, BUT seeing it up close, spending time with the kids, seeing their smiles, hearing their stories - man, it just makes this whole thing so much more real.

All year I've been telling Ericka we gotta get to all three of our partnerships (Thailand, India and Swaziland) within the year if we want the Sound of Hope to be successful. (We're going to Africa in March)

But I'm realizing now the success of our organization has very little to do with this. I know now, after sitting with the people, holding the kids, and learning a about them - this trip was and is about commitment. How committed are we willing to be, now that we have seen?!

To whom much is given, much is required...

We have been given much in terms of information and knowledge, and not just in the form of statistics. BUT in REAL people. We've seen the mom who works in the brothel. We've seen the children who play right next to where men take their mothers for sex. We've seen the poverty and the horrible effects it has on children. We know the stories, and they will be forever with us.

Now, much is required of us - how do we respond?

The answer to that question is a bit overwhelming.

However, we know we are not in this alone! We know their are people out there willing to sacrifice their finances so that these children can have a CHANCE at a better life. We saw that last week when we raised $5000 in 20 HOURS for a specific need at Asha House!

This is just the beginning, that $5000 need pales in comparison to what we are about to roll out. I pray we see the same response. The need is OVERWHELMING, yet extremely important.

Will you help us meet it?

Red Light District - New Delhi

What I saw Sunday night in India was unimaginable.

I've been to "red-light" districts before, specifically in Thailand, BUT it was NOTHING like this. In Thailand, there's almost a "party" feel to it. Everything is pretty much out in the open. You've got lights, signs and women beckoning you to stop. You see terrible things - such as an old, pot-bellied man walking hand-in-hand with his two young prostitutes.

But that's just it - you SEE IT! It's everywhere - staring you right in the face like a HUGE, bright, neon sign. In Delhi, it's VERY different. It's what you DON'T see that is so horrific.

Sunday we took a drive down "G. B. Road" in Delhi. It's estimated this single road is home to 15,000 women - 15,000!

It's less than a mile long.

It's also home to some moms of our kids in the Asha Mission house. Their kids live in our homes so they don't have to grow up in a brothel. Unfortunately though as we saw that night, many children are not so lucky. They live just feet away from where there moms "make a living".

The red light district here is NOTHING like the ones I've visited in Thailand. As you can see in the video below - this road is dark. You hardly see any women out on the streets. If they did, they would get arrested. You see, prostitution is "illegal" in India. But if the women stay on the upper floors of these dreadful, run-down buildings, they can "work." They call out to the men on the road from behind iron bars. Actually, prostitution is LEGALLY "illegal" in India.

We were allowed to shoot video from the car, but we could not take our cameras inside. So I'll do my best to describe to you what I saw.

The building is concrete - that's it, very simple. You walk through a narrow doorway with a few women sitting beside it. Then you wind your way up concrete steps with concrete walls on each side of you. The stairwell is so narrow, two people walking side by side would not be possible. This particular building was 4 stories. So on each floor you could stop and take your pick of women. We went to the second floor and talked with a lady named Kamlal. Our Indian contact has been working and ministering on this road for years, so she felt comfortable around us. She showed us where she lives. A tiny room that is the size of a small closet. In it was her bed - for sleeping, not working, and everything else she owned.

Her "working" bed was not a bed at all. In fact, it was a separate room out on one of the balconies. Inside was a concrete slab. This is where men took her to have sex for $4.

This women is in her early 30's, and she's quite beautiful. This was somewhat shocking to me as most I saw that night were not. The hard life they live was written all over their faces and bodies. But Kamlal seemed to escape that fate - for now.

She works as a prostitute because he drunk, drug-addicted husband won't. She has no education or skills - so she sells the one thing she can for money.

We prayed with her, and Ericka sang Amazing Grace over her. Next thing I know, I look up and see four women around us listening. When we left, Kamlal hugged Ericka and wouldn't let go.

The whole time this is all going on I'm seeing kids running around, one of them is turning cartwheels on the cold damp concrete floor. Also customers are coming and going up and down the stairs.

We move to the third floor to see the mother we set out to find. She is a large women with a gregarious personality. She sits us down and offers us some soda. We tell her that her son is such a good boy, and that he is very handsome. You can see her pride in him. He's one of the fortunate kids - he doesn't have to grow up in this foul, damp place. He won't have to see strange men buy his mom every single night. He will have a chance to get an education. The kids living here - will not. In fact, many of the women cannot read.

She keeps promising our Indian contact she will leave this life once her other child is out of the brothel and settled in somewhere else. But so far she has not kept that promise. She has been living and working in the brothels for TEN YEARS!

These past two days have renewed our passion. Ericka and I always knew what we were working to protect the children from - but to see it, up-close, live and in person... it changes things. I left the red light district feeling helpless and foolish. There was nothing I could do to physically help or change these people's lives. However, we CAN fight for the next generation of Indian children. The homes The Sound of Hope supports are doing just that, they are giving these kids a chance - and that has me EXCITED! Because NO kid deserves to grow up in a brothel - NONE, NOT ONE!

We can't rescue and protect every child out there from the horrors of this world, BUT we can save some - isn't that worth sacrificing a little bit of our money, possessions and time?

Below is a video clip with Saji, our Indian contact - he does a great job of explaining life on G. B. road. The video is not the greatest quality because we had to keep the camera low and try not to be noticed.

Where, Why and What

The past two days have been unreal.

One of the big reasons Ericka and I came to India was to get a better understanding of WHERE our kids come from, WHY are they in our homes, and WHAT are we trying to protect them from exactly?

Oh of course we always "knew" the answers right?

The kids come from poverty. They are in the homes because their parents can't care for them. The kids need a place to get an education so they can have a chance to break out of the cycle of poverty.

Sure, those are the quick and easy answers.

But it goes much deeper...

Four kids at our Asha Mission home in Delhi come from one of the nearby leper colonies. A lot of times leper parents send their kids away because there is no future in the colony. All they can hope to become is a beggar. You can forget getting any type of education. Lepers are the lowest of the low. So, OUT OF LOVE these parents turned their kids over to the care of Asha Mission. Now, they see their children maybe once per year.

Well... the other day, we snapped some photos of their adorable kids at our home, got 'em printed off and took them to the parents. As you can imagine, the moms were so excited to get a recent photo of their little men:)

You know, to SAY some of our kids come from leper colonies is one thing, even to SAY their parents are just trying to make a better life for them is another.

But to SEE a leper colony, to SEE people living out their days in a small wooden box, to SEE what exactly it IS the parents are trying to spare their kids from - is an entirely different thing.

 

Tomorrow I'll tell you about our trip down to the Red-Light district here in Delhi. Yet another place our kids come from...

India, I might love YOU

I'm giving India another shot.

You see, back when I was here in 2008 - it wasn't the best experience. After a year of travel on the World Race, and a recent "held at gunpoint" experience in South Africa, my patience had worn thin.

Let me tell you, PATIENCE is a MUST in this country.

But, this go-around I'm seeing India with fresh eyes. I'm taking the time to understand the people, their personalities and the things that make them very unique.

I'm also falling in love with our sweet kiddos at Asha Mission. I'm truly honored to be working on their behalf. These kids deserve the very best this life can offer.

Here's a little video we put together that sums up our first day at the house.

Hello Asha Mission from The Sound of Hope on Vimeo.

Hey everyone, I wanted to pass along a brief video update we just put together here in India. We'll have more stories in the weeks to come!

Success in the Chaos

It's been an INSANE year - traveling, weddings, moving, etc - lots of transition!

But in the middle of all the CRAZINESS, we've seen God show up BIG in our organization, The Sound of Hope.

Here's just a FEW of the highlights ::

INDIA

* We were able to provide winter uniforms for the kids in two of the orphanages we support. Why is this a big deal? Because, without those uniforms the kids could NOT go to school. One of the things we STRONGLY believe in as an organization is making sure the children get an education.

*Secondly, we met all the medical needs for 2 sweet little girls who are dependent on this medicine for their survival. For more on that story, click here.

SWAZILAND

* Nsoko is the poorest area in this country, which makes it the perfect place to invest in a community garden project. This is HUGE because not only will it benefit our carepoints and give the children some variety in their meals, but it'll benefit the people of the Nsoko community as well. We love this project because it promotes self-sustainability, something we strongly support. You can read more on this here.

THAILAND

* First, we were able to raise the funds needed to bring 13 new kids into The Refuge, a children's home in a refugee camp along the Thai/Burma border. The 13 kids came DIRECTLY out of the violence in Burma. Now they have a safe place to live, receive an education, and be exposed to a godly couple who run the home. More than words, Hebrew, and his wife Sernagay, LIVE out the Gospel - and that speaks loudly to the kids around them.

* Secondly, if you've been following our journey this year then you know we've been trying to raise a TON of money to build a children's home in Northern Thailand. This project is called the Promised Land. The plan here is to rescue and care for children who are potential sex-trafficking victims, plus provide a safe place for kids coming out of the violence in Burma. 

I'm VERY happy to report that we have recently purchased a home that will be used for those purposes! This became official just a few weeks ago. We're excited - our partners are excited, and we can't wait to see the impact this home will have in the area. 

For more on this story go to our Sound of Hope website.

God is VERY good!

Let me be clear - He absolutely showed up in a HUGE way for us this year. In turn, we've been able to pass the blessing along to those who need it the most.

I'm seeing more and more that we are simply a channel, a funnel of HIS blessing! I LOVE it - it's all about stewarding God's resources!

We leave in a matter of days for another international trip. This time we're going to India, and then we'll swing back through Thailand. If you think about it, please be in prayer about this journey. Pray for God to be glorified and for us to be a blessing to the people we serve.

Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU! Thank you to all the people who have supported us and continue to do so. These are your successes as well. They would NOT have been possible without YOU! So lets celebrate them together.

God bless!