http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/MissionIndia2009/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from MissionIndia2009 en-us Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:19:53 +0000 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:19:53 +0000 Hi all Ben here. We wanted to take some time to make a final post about this year's trip. It's been tough the last week but we didn't want it to be Mission Phil's Health. We wanted to leave you with some of the lessons we learned.One important lesson is how despite culture sin is common to man. The most important thing in life is staying faithful. I want everyone here to do well with thei http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kochi-/blog-416077.html FamilyWhat a wild and boring day I really wanted Mitch Laurel and Deb to visit the HOPE home for elderly women since it is something that has really meant a lot to me in the past trips. So I stayed with Phil from early morning until just now. Short version we'll all be home Wednesday night Long version the MRI and EEG were this morning and I got to talk to the neurologist here at Lakes http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kochi-/blog-415800.html We wanted to let you know about a new development in Phil's health. He was coming back from dinner when he had a seizure. Saji and Sheeba were with him and ran to tell us. After a ridiculous ride to the hospital he was seen by an emergency doctor at one of the best hospitals in Kerala. They let us know that it was a seizure and not a stroke and he will be undergoing tests tomorrow. We will fin http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-415323.html Hi family Ben hereIt's not yet 6am but I wanted to come down to the computer room to go through all the comments you have been leaving for us. They are so refreshing to read and I try to print them off every so often so we can pass them around and even show the Indian brothers and sisters. In case you don't know how it works with Travelblog I have to accept each comment to get it online or el http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kochi-/blog-414928.html So we're off to Cochin with Phil He is doing great and actually better than he has been for most of the trip. We are taking an AC cab to pick him up from the hospital and go directly to Cochin so he won't have to ride the train. Once we are there we will arrange our flights so he won't have to take the day long train ride back to Chennai. The doctor told us and him that he shouldn't fly due http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kottayam/blog-414712.html I hope the last post wasn't too distressing. Prayers really work and God is powerful enough to work through people. It turns out that Phil did have a ministroke from a blood clot in his brain. They found it in a CT scan and gave him an anticoagulant to start breaking it down. He has made a great turn around and has his spirit back. I'll let Mitch give his 1st hand account but I'm just i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kottayam/blog-414508.html Well...this morning is something that I will never forget even though I am wishing I could. All the important people have been notified so I feel like I can send out a public update. I'll just warn you now that my description might get graphic but i don't have time to thinkrethink every word right now. Immediately after breakfast Phil suffered a seizure in the restaurant of the hotel. He coul http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kottayam/blog-414338.html It's been a whirlwind in Trivandrum We just got here yesterday and we're leaving tomorrow. We did house visits and a leader's meeting yesterday and today we went evangelizing the HOPE computer school lunch appointments more house visits and midweek service. Phil gave a lesson to the whole church and then we split up so Mitch Laurel could do a married's lesson while Deb and I taught the s http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Trivandrum-/blog-413761.html So here are the pictures from madurai. Travelblog had some server problems over the last few days so these didn't get posted. We had a great time and finally got to go to a temple. It may seem like sight seeing but I think it's important for the mission team members to get a firsthand look at real Indian Hinduism. The sights sounds and smells of temple worship in Madurai are just not what yo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Madurai/blog-413099.html We wanted to do a proper posting before we leave Madurai with all the photos.Hi Michigan folks so this is our last night in Madurai. total bummer. The conference was super encouraging So far the most convicting thing I've heard was a lesson about going the extra mile for people. I really want to give more and then give more on top of that. The disciples here are sooo family oriented and are http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Madurai/blog-413273.html HI patgrand everybody else waiting to hear from PhilWe Have a great team here and we are really well receivedThis morning we had a great 1st yr anniversary celebration at Madurai. Yesterday I preached on The Journey of a Missionary. That was a very encouraging experience. Pat I guess you're down in Nashville visiting the kids with Wendy Kylie and Beth. Hi to charlie Carolyn and the kid http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Madurai/blog-413042.html Here are a few more pictures from Coimbatore that we couldn't upload till now. I'll caption the ones that need it. The others we'll explain when we get back. we got some great shots from the conference today but we'll just wait to post all the Madurai photos at once. we just had dinner with Felix and Smiley and it was great since we didn't get as much time with them in Chennai. I wanted to le http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Madurai/blog-412877.html So...it's been a crazy couple of days. Yesterday was our last day in Coimbatore and we got to hang out with Saji Sheeba and the boys at their place until it was time to go to the single's meeting. Debbie and I preached about fear and it went very well. It was a long day that was supposed to end with an overnight train ride. We left the meeting hall and scooped up some dinner on the way to th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Madurai/blog-412829.html Hey all Ben here. We are finally able to upload a bunch more photos We leave tomorrow for Madurai and we wanted to take advantage of the good internet since we don't know what the next place will offer. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Coimbatore/blog-412246.html Hi all Ben here.HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEN I love you and hope to see you soonWe've got some more guest bloggers here for your edification. I won't waste any time so...Hi Jen wish you a very happy birthday.... I am Aruna Sudha from coimbatore church we are in campus Ministry and so glad to see disciples from detroit church.. Thank u so much for supporting us . I love you all. Take care. Our P http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Coimbatore/blog-412142.html When you fast do not look somber as the hypocrites do for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth they have received their reward in full. But when you fast put oil on your head and wash your face so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting but only to your Father who is unseen and your Father who sees what is done in secret will rewa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Coimbatore/blog-411852.html Here are some more photos of Chennai and our first day in Coimbatore. Enough typing they won't all have titles and captions cause I don't want to waste precious uploading time Love you all Ben http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Coimbatore/blog-411721.html Hi family Ben here I wanted to put a quick post up before breakfast. I am printing off all of your comments so we can read them around the breakfast table. Thank you so much for all of the encouragement All the team members are doing well and I would say thriving even. Ask any of the past mission team members and they will tell you that heat bugs stomach pains and travel woes cannot dam http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Coimbatore/blog-411704.html HEllo Detroit ChurchI hope this message finds everyone well back home. We left Chennai last night around 1000pm and slept on the train ride to Coimbatore arriving this morning at 630am. Brothers from the Coimbatore church were there at the platform to greet us and escort us to our hotel. We had a small amount of time to shower and eat breakfast and then we headed out to visit some of the hom http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Coimbatore/blog-411401.html Just wanted to let you know we got here this morning by overnight train. It went well and the brothers greeted us at the train station and helped with the luggage. We'll leave a proper posting once we get back from our visits for lunch. To all past mission team members we're at the Heritage Inn you remember that right Nate and they moved the computer up from the basement into the lobby. N http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Coimbatore/blog-411342.html