Tuesday work continues

Well apologies for if we are a little behind with the blog and the previous disconnection, a combination of little time, weary bodies and an Internet facility that is as reliable as a sundial at midnight. Tuesday morning we arrive to "devotion time" where the team sit with Sabot (phonetic spelling) who is the leader of the Asha building and the women and children, we join in the worship to the lord in Hindi and thanks to Heathers resource fullness we sing them a few English songs too.

Afterwards the team crack back into the painting, the creations are really starting to come alive now as more animals are filled in, shading is applied and little touches are being added. I have discovered a new talent in my life as a shark I had drawn actually looks like a shark and not just a blob of colours which is how I expected it to turn out:)

At lunch time we sat on the roof, one side looks straight into the slum buildings, the are arranged in all sizes, shapes and colours, extension after extension is built skywards most finished off without just a sheet of plastic held down by bricks for a roof, and a variety of materials holding the building together, it all looks like one big storm would bring the lot down. Around the rest of the building is waste land full of litter but there is a toilet block next door, we sit and eat our peanut butter and marmite sandwhiches as we watch a boy on one of the roofs play with a flock of birds, he whistles to them whilst he is waving a rag around, we watch in amazement as he controls their flight around the sky periodically landing them where he grooms them, cleans their wings gives one a kiss then waves them back into the sky. (We watch this boy and clap every day)
In the afternoon two groups leave for the slums for a prayer walk, visiting homes and meeting the people within. A few people are in extremely dire conditions, in small darkened rooms and left to fend for themselves, I didn't go but when the group when they returned and told their stories you couldn't help but notice the effect of the experience on their faces it was so dramatic.

Heather did some singing games with the children whilst work continued on the painting, the day finished very quickly it seems though we had only just arrived.

In the evening I got to see my daughter Hannah Branch and Geni Corbett who are working at two other slums for Asha teaching English. It was good to see them well and full of God's blessing ,I also got to meet Joti's lovely sister Shamilla and her husband Randel who are providing the accomodation for them, they are an amazing christian couple full of Gods love and are simply a joy to be with. I can't thank them enough for looking after the girls.

Alan..

PS this blog crashed 3 times trying to post it so excuse any errors..I am also trying to rid it of the virus window that was bouncing around the screen whilst typing!