Final Day in India

Today begins a looooong journey home to Texas. This morning a few of the team joined Dr Everett Berry & Dr Janet Merrill as they spoke at the opening assembly of the Chandigarh Baptist School. We were amazed at the discipline and respect demonstrated by these wonderful students.

Please be in prayer as we pack and begin the flights that will take the team back to Texas. This afternoon we depart Chandigarh for Delhi then early tomorrow morning we board an American Airlines flight from Delhi to Chicago and finally make the last quick flight to Dallas. The team has a 6 hour layover in Delhi, please pray that we can collect all of our bags, transfer smoothly between the domestic & the international terminals and rest briefly before the longer AA segment.

God has done an amazing work on this mission! Again we wish to thank you for your prayer support and also to those who are financial partners as well. The prayers have been felt and God has honored your faithful support of the Joy India 2008 Medical Mission.




Click on the link below to see a picture archive of today:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rougetete/sets/72157603766420145

The link below goes to a few short videos from the trip:
http://www.youtube.com/dundermiffed

Rock of Ages & The Rock Garden

Today we split into groups to support several local church congregations here in the city. A portion of the group attended the First Baptist Church of Chandigarh where Dr Everett Berry preached two sermons. The pastor Rev. Nazir Massih along with several others have been extremely supportive of our medical mission work here in Chandigarh it was a pleasure to attend his church and to meet many of the members who have also been praying for this work.

A second group attended the Nepali Baptist Church and gave a message of support and encouragement to this flock. A woman came up to Dr. John Wilson after the service and asked him to pray for her health specifically.

In the afternoon Dr. Vijay Sharma took us to one of Chandigarh's most famous tourist sights the Nek Chand - Rock Garden. He also arranged for us to meet the famed creator of this fascinating point of interest.

Click on the link below to see a picture archive of today:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rougetete/sets/72157603762745304

The link below goes to a few short videos from the trip:
http://www.youtube.com/dundermiffed

Fantastic Finish!

Today was our final day of medical clinics for the Joy India 2008 mission. We still have a few service projects to complete before our trip comes to a close but today was a terrific finish. In an effort to broaden our mission to new locations within India the trip to Chandigarh has been a huge success. We have worked with several groups here which are like-minded in their faith and we were also given the opportunity to work with a local Hindu doctor. This represents an open door that we were pleased to pursue on our final medical clinic day. This strategy has been most successful in Orissa.

It was a delight to work in the rural clinic location with Dr Vijay Kumar Sharma, an ENT specialist at the Chandigarh Government Hospital. His love and concern for this village was apparent as he thoughtfully spent time with every patient who approached him. As a newly qualified doctor, Sharma rode his bicycle 14 kms each direction to the remote Sikh village of Tarapur in the foothills of the Himalayas to serve the medical needs of this remote farming & ranching community. It was here where we held our final clinic.

Once we left the city limits, the road to Tarapur was unpaved and quite a bumpy ride. The only disappointment we experienced was our inability to view the Himalayas being so close. The morning was chilly and thick with fog. Even though the sun peeked out in the afternoon our view of the famous mountain range was still obstructed. The temperature was much cooler than we have experienced elsewhere in India but this land is lush and green.

We finished strong and are quite hopeful to make this a permanent stop on future Joy India medical trips.

Praise the Lord! The total number of patients seen over the entire mission was 5203. We are gratified and thankful for your prayers, they were felt by the entire team.

Tomorrow we break into groups to attention and serve in local churches in Chandigarh.


Click on the link below to see a picture archive of today:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rougetete/sets/72157603750003226

The link below goes to a few short videos from the trip:
http://www.youtube.com/dundermiffed

Best Clinic Venue We’ve Enjoyed

Today we served a slum community which was adjacent to the Chandigarh Baptist School in a suburb of the city. The clinic was setup in the basement of the school building and was perhaps the best location from which we have ever operated. Unfortunately because of inclement weather our patient count was lower than normal, however, we gave those who came to the clinic an extra measure of time.

The Baptist School is home to approximately 1200 students and is a spacious well-equipped facility. Among those churches and organizations who contributed to the establishment of the school were several connections back to Texas.

Tomorrow we will be serving in a rural community and we expect a larger crowd. This will be exciting opportunity to make in-roads to a region which needs the gospel. Also, continue please be in prayer for our team, still a few that are ill and recovering from GI & respiratory ailments.

We are so thankful for your prayer support during this mission!

Click on the link below to see a picture archive of today:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rougetete/sets/72157603745239089

The link below goes to a few short videos from the trip:

http://www.youtube.com/dundermiffed

Cramped Quarters and Coughing Crowds

We restacked the teams today because of the departure of two Joy India team members who are visiting family in Mumbai. Our three teams setup clinics in the Bhapudam Colony slum area of Chandigarh within the premises of a small Baptist church. Small is no understatement, we have never operated two teams in such a spaced-constrained area. However, with great teamwork and focus we managed extremely well and had top notch translators on hand to assist.

Today we also had fun with the crowds who were in line waiting for their turn to see the doctors. Mack ,Linda & Karen taught the small throng several famous college “yells” and hand gestures.

We are excited about working in this new region as members of the Joy India medical mission team. The local organization has a very hard-working staff and is very well positioned to support this type of medical mission.

Please continue to pray for the health of team members and pray for our clinic schedule tomorrow & Saturday as we serve in this new community.



Click on the link below to see a picture archive of today:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rougetete/sets/72157603738659225

The link below goes to a few short videos from the trip:

http://www.youtube.com/dundermiffed

Pooped in Punjab!

We arrived tonight in Chandigarh with only a few logistical hurdles along the way. Our new “favorite” carrier JetLite gave us a scare as we prepared to depart Bhubaneswar. They had the conscience to approach us in the departure lounge and divulge the possibility that some of our bags would once again be off-loaded because of a capacity limitation on the Canadair (Bombardier) regional jet. Dr Sonya & Darren took them up on an offer to walk out on the tarmac then to stand with the baggage handlers and our luggage carts to make certain that every bag with a bright orange pom pom was placed in the luggage hold of the CRJ.

After a slight delay in Delhi we made it safely to Chandigarh. The temps are pleasantly cool and there was a slight mist falling as the loaded the coach.

Following checked-in to the hotel one of the local Baptist pastors was kind enough to host the entire team for a dinner.

An exhausted Joy India team arrived back at the hotel in time to call it an early night.

Please pray for the health of our team members. Each year at this point in the trip, exhaustion is setting-in and a few team members are getting sick.

Three more clinic days and a few service projects to go before we end the Joy India 2008 Mission.

Click on the link below to see a picture archive of today:http://www.flickr.com/photos/rougetete/sets/72157603738659225

Not just Free but Mega Free!

Each year we participate for one clinic day with the Rotary Club of Bhubaneswar to conduct a medical camp in a rural area which they organize and sponsor. We drove approximately 15 KMs South to the area of Kantabada. Here we setup in a local high school compound to conduct a clinic for the village residents of this region.

Today was a local holiday, the festival of Makar. The celebration delayed the arrival of most patients at the clinics until 11AM. Early on we were not certain if today would see the normal crowds expected at a Rotary organized medical camp but by the lunch break all four teams had long lines in each team area.

This was also our last day of clinics in Orissa and we sadly bid farewell to translators, drivers and local organizers until next year.

Please be in prayer for our travel day tomorrow. We fly from Bhubaneswar to Delhi and on to Chandigarh. We are hopeful that all luggage will stay with us throughout the journey since we are scheduled to continue medical clinics early Thursday morning.

This evening we all celebrated with Mack & Linda Cox on the occasion of their 14th Wedding Anniversary...Best Wishes from all of us!

Take the link below to a picture archive of today:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rougetete/sets/72157603721695395

The link below goes to a few short videos from the trip:

http://www.youtube.com/dundermiffed