Project Trip Report

Gambles Newsletter                                    03/09/16                                 Volume 2, Issue 12 Pix 1.  A couple of options to provide electricity to the main campus 2.  The ministry leadership team reviewing designs that the EMI team put forth 3.  On the last day of the trip we got to relax by visiting a famous fort in Hyderabad.  $5 Starbucks gift card for the first person to name this fort! 4.  Figuring out circulation in the home begins with bubble diagrams and lots of chicken scratch.   5.  A typical meal during our trip, chapati's, chicken, rice, peas and carrots - YUM! 6.  The EMI team - Chad, Matt, Evan, Rodger, Danny, Audrey, Randy, Linda and Evan AMAZING WORK! Privileged to Serve Temple prostitution is a thing of the past right?  This is something you only hear about in Old Testament times by ancient religions that are long gone, or is it?  It can't be going on today, in an age of Instagram and Facebook, or does it?  On my project trip I heard of a state in southern India where there are currently 80,000 women who have been dedicated to the village "god".  These women are dedicated at the age of 12-13 years old and are given to the village, they are told that any act they perform is in dedication to god and is considered their act of worship.  They are taken advantage of repeatedly and spend the rest of their lives being abused by anyone in the village. The ministry that our EMI team served has adopted 100 local villages to put an end to this abuse and wickedness.  They have educated people, trained women in marketable skills, provided schooling for children and assigned a full time community health worker to each village.  Prior to this ministry getting involved there were 2 dedications per month throughout the 100 villages, but now there are none!   An amazing transformation is occurring, women and children are being rescued and freed from a life of abuse! The ministry however, is running out of room to train the women, to house them in times of crisis and to provide a home for the children of these women.  They asked EMI to send a team that would design a new home, one that would house 100 children and 50 women, one that would be used to provide training to 75 women and house the offices of the anti-trafficking department.  It was humbling to partake in such an effort. Leading my first trip with EMI in more than 5 years was a great honor.  God confirmed that this is where I should be and I received great joy in serving such an amazing ministry with such a gifted team.  Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support which enables some of the women and children of this particular state in India to have a safe place to call home.   We still have a lot of work to do for the ministry in south India, pray that we would finish well, so that they can continue their amazing rescue work.   Wisdom as we plan our family trip to Cambodia in less than 2 weeks.  The main goal of the trip is to determine which city we should locate in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. EMI has a World Staff Conference this summer.  Chad is leading the effort to obtain US visa's for the Indian staff to attend.  Pray for favor and acceptance for the 4 staff to be able to attend.  Miriam's Massages (or was that messages?) You know that kids say the darnedest things.  Here you will get a few funny quotes from our kids, and sometimes from the parents. Chad said, "I need to join the family again." Nathan replied, "Now we can begin the hazing rituals." - A little background: Chad had left our Apple family sharing which meant Shanthi couldn't stalk him. :) Nathan (you know he's about to be a college student) said, "What does idiot mean?" Miriam said, as she was watching me write this newsletter, "Wow!  That is so cool!  You can see it while you're typing it!" Moses' Corner Kick I can't wait to go to Cambodia for many reasons. The first reason is because we will be able to fly in an airplane. I love airplanes for some reason. The second reason I can't wait to go to Cambodia is because I love thai food. Thai food is so good because it is spicy and I love spicy food. Because we are going to live in Cambodia for a few years Miriam and I are learning Khmer. So when we go to Cambodia me and Miriam are going to communicate in Khmer. There are so many cool things that we are going to be doing in Cambodia. I don't know all of them but I know it's going to be a lot of fun.