Sunday, January 31, 2010

Saturday

On Saturday, we arrived in Chennai and headed straight to CMCT where we were greeted by Colleen. To introduce us to how the majority of the population lives in Chennai, we spent most of the afternoon walking through three different slum areas. Sundare, one of the directors at CMCT, was gracious enough to spend her afternoon off showing us the area. For most of us, we have never seen such extreme poverty. The smells were strong, music blaring, colors vibrant, children playing, older people simply sitting in some of the dirtiest places we could ever imagine. Hundreds if not thousands of one room huts were attached together by a mismatch of materials…these are the homes of over 60% of India’s population. Sundare took us inside a few of the homes of people that CMCT has helped and shared Jesus with. We had the opportunity to pray for them. The hope of our Lord and Savior bound us together…what a reminder that we are all God’s children.


We were able to go inside the homes of some of the people who live in one of the slums in Chennai.

Slum housing in Chennai.

Sundare explaining how people live/work/go to school when they live in a slum.

Another view of a slum neighborhood.

Life in Chennai.

16 comments:

  1. I am LOVING this blog… the emails, photos, etc. Thanks so much for keeping us at home involved in this way! It makes praying for the group seem so much more tangible. Thanks so much for all your work!

    Love in Christ, Ginger Nix

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  2. Hey from Judy Bell, You are all in my prayers for a safe and successful trip. Have some laughs on me. Remember the long drives with the pot holes. Say hey to Colleen. Tell her I love her and wish I could be there, too. If you see Sarala give her a hug for me. She will be teaching Kindergarten now. Pray for Vimala's foot for me, too. Stay well, stay safe have a good trip and God bless all of you!
    Blessings from Judy

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  3. We are looking forward to hearing the stories of this! Mary says, "Cici, we love you. We can't wait until you come back."

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  4. Loving the blog. Thank you. Prayerfully, Karin Graves

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  5. Great Job!...They are...and have been.. in my thoughts and prayers!...Thanks again for keeping me updated...
    Hanna

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  6. From Diane Peets - I'm so enjoying your blog and all the pictures. I pray for you daily and wish you all a safe return. Please give Carolyn a special hug from me.

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  7. Dear Ones,

    I love the blog. What a fantastic job you're doing communicating the news to us here at home. What a great group of gals...it sure would be neat to be part of it. Will be praying for you.

    Love,

    Karen Alston

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  8. Please keep the updates coming. We are touched by the work you're doing and how you're showing the love of Christ. Thank you!

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  9. Thanks for sharing. So blessed to be a part of this journey with you in prayer before our Lord. See you all soon. Sue Anderson

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  10. Good morning to India Team 2010! As my parents taught me, "This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!" May God bring you great blessing and encouragement in the midst of the tiredness and pain.
    Thank you for sharing the sights,sounds,and smells of Chennai. It's a blessing to be walking alongside you each day through prayer from here in Oregon. Special hugs to Mary. Cousin Cathy

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  11. We are praying for you! This blog is wonderful and I love seeing what you are experiencing through the wonderful photos. May the Lord continue to bless your journey in India!

    In Christ,
    Diane Weissberg

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  12. Thank you for allowing us to be part of this journey with you if even in just a small way!! May God uphold each of you, speaking directly to your hearts, as you offer His love in India. With love and prayers,
    Christina Levasheff

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  13. Les-miss u but feel connected by seeing your pictures.Tried to email but adding this note to let you know Paige is our new miracle.We are praising God for saving her life. she was t-boned by drunk driver(driver side).Selfishly asking for all to pray for her to heal quickly and get back to nursing school. We r praying for the team to experience life change. We just got ours. Hi to Ashwini. love, Nan

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  14. What a joy to see how the Lord is blessing you and using you to bless others. I love all the pictures and the blog. It's an honor to hold you all in prayer.
    Joyce Bedrosian

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  15. Mary, You will be so proud of me! I found the site all by myself. I read the info sent, looked at the photos, teared up a little, prayed a little, and thanked the Lord for people like you who are a lot more daring than I. God knows who to send and who to have home to give and pray. Love Him, love you and love whoever made this a computer friendly site. Velda

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  16. Hi Dear Friends, I miss you all but feel so blessed and connected through this blog! It's abundantly clear how God is nourishing you as you nourish the needy through Him. I am deeply touched and nourished as well, as I read about your daily experiences. May you continue on in great health and safety doing wonderful work! Bucky sends his love as we joyfully pray for you all. Love, Annette

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