Photo blog, May 3, 2014

The histopathology report of the huge ovarian tumour that we operated on couple of weeks back.
We've few friends who have promised to help out with the chemotherapy of this poor lady.
We would need help of some more people . . . 

A langer and her baby through one of the skylights . . .  

A rod cutting machine which was donated by one of our well-wishers.
This job would take about 30 minutes if done manually.
With the machine, the same amount of work takes just about 2 minutes . . . 

The above two snaps - - - vegetables from our farm . . .

One of the water handpumps that we facilitated Living Waters to dig in one of our neighboring villages . . .

An improvised water tumbler in our maintenance department

The setting sun . . . 

Water Tank Inauguration

Today evening, we dedicated the water tank. Mr. Henry Devine, volunteer with Living Waters International, led us in the short dedication program. Snaps from the same. 

Once more, a million thanks to Living Waters and the Indian team led by Rev. Ben John of Banares . . . 

Starting off . . . 

Dr. Johnson with the opening prayer

Prabodh reading from Isaiah 44. Isaiah 44:3 is painted on top of the water tank

Mr. Henry Devine addressing the gathering . . . 

From another angle . . .

Getting ready to unveil the plaque

Unveiling the plaque . . . 

Dedicating in prayer . . .

The customary song . . .

And and of course . . . everybody loves a bite . . . we had fingermillet poori and chick peas . . .

Amazing Ways

The below snap looks quite simple. Dr. Howard Searle, the first Executive Director of Emmanuel Hospital Association (1972-77) giving a memento to Mr. Babbu, the senior foreman of the team who constructed the water tank in our hospital campus. 

It was quite later Dr. Howard told me the amazing story of how Living Waters started to help EHA Hospitals build water tanks in their campuses. 

Few years back, Dr. Howard was part of a tour party which was visiting the Holy Land. During the visit, there was a time of sharing among the team at Jerusalem, where Dr. Howard shared about the work of EHA in North India. After the time of sharing, another member of the tour team introduced himself to Howard and told him that he would like to facilitate better water supplies in the areas served by EHA. 

And thus began the great partnership where quite a many villages in and around many of the EHA hospitals got access to clean drinking water and quite a few campuses got a water tank . . . 

I'm amazed at how the Lord has used Dr. Howard to be a blessing for the organisation even after more than 35 years after he left India.

On top of the water tank . . . 

Visiting the borewell handpump in Kamdih village

Water . . . Water . . . Digging borewells

This post is part of the series of posts on what else we've tried to do in addition to clinical care which brings about a change in the villages around us.

Over the last 3 years, many of our surrounding villages suffered from severe drought and one of the major challenges was the availability of potable water all over the region..

It was quite a blessing to know about ‘Sampurn Development India’, who facilitated us to dig borewells and install handpumps in few of surrounding villages especially those hamlets who had to walk quite a long way to fetch water. Over the last month, 5 borewells were dug and handpumps installed in 5 villages. Our plan is to facilitate doing this over the next 3 years. I understand that the parent funding comes from ‘Living Water International’.

Below are few snaps of the process including the inauguration of the handpumps. We praise God that we came to know about the work that ‘SDI’ has been facilitating in providing potable water to rural India.