Hello all,

Today I want to start with some reflections from TRUDY WILLIAMS about yesterday.

In spite of all the opsticals to get here, I am so blessed to see the Lord work. The highlight for me yesterday was spending time with 50 mothers and their babies, all a part of the Child Survival Program run by Compassion and Bethel Church. They shared their hearts about how life was for them before they were part of the program and how it is for them now. They told us about their likes and their dislikes, they had many questions for us about the things we like. The greatest joy of all was when I asked if Christine Brown and I could pray for them and their babies. To our surprise they were all so anxious that they all started running up at the same time. We announted all 50 of them with oil. Prayed with and for them and their babies. Their big question to us was, “Will you please come back and see us again?” In closing what you need to know is that at least 60% of these women are Hindu. It is such an honor to be used by God to show and share his unconditional love to these women in the name of Jesus. I believe that through the great work of God through Bethel Church and Compassion these women will come to receive that love completely and their lives will forever be transformed.

Last night at 11:20 p.m. picture the eight of us lugging our 16 bags up and down 100 stairs at a crazy train station in Katihar, with some of us guys making multiple trips up and down the stairs and all of us moving as fast as we can to franticly get all these bags on board and in place before the train left the station. Thanks to some help from Provashish from Compassion and some of our new friends from Bethel Church, we made it. Eventually, we all settled into our bunks and slept as best we could for the next 6 hours until we arrived at Muzaffpur station where it was raining. We had 10 minutes to get all our bags out of the compartments and onto the platform before the train took off, then it was up another 100 stairs where we stood on the railway walkway so we could see over the whole station and see when our cars arrived.

We waited for a little more than an hour and observed the mass of humanity that would come and go in the midst of this filthy station where a crazy lady spent a good 15 minutes yelling at us and making faces as we waited. It was truly a very sad place to stand and see all the depravity around us. The beggars, the poverty, the needs, the smelly the garbage… it is hard to explain but this is the un-kept land of Bihar, India, the poorest state in the land with a corrupt and weak infrastructure.

Once our cars arrived it was all about tying the luggage onto the roof. Mike and Steve went on top, I threw the bags up and we all tied them down and took off as the rain started to fall. For the first half of the ride it was on a new road and I was blown away because I remembered my last experience here on the roads. My memory did not fail me as we soon started bouncing and banging, swerving from side to side to avoid the potholes. Along the way we saw 2 Elephants, encountered a turned over bus, that apparently ran a jeep off the side of the road. We saw a herd of wild cows, lots of wild hogs, a herd of camels, had to wait for 2 trains, there was a tree down across half the road, lightening and rain most of the way.

Indeed it was Mr. Toads Wet ride, but we made it to the Servlife center and were warmly welcomed by the Das family and the Children from the Arunoday Childrens home that is part of the ministry. The children gave us the traditional flower lei and sang for us. It was so great to see them all again, having come here now for 8 years I have seen some of the boys turn into young men and girls into young women. It is exciting to start imagining how God is going to use these children who are obviously growing in their love for God and others.

We had an amazing lunch made by Pushba, Alberts’ wife, and a great tear-filled conversation over lunch as Albert shared the story of this place. We were humbled by the sacrifices made and challenges that have been persevered through, by the family. After a bit of rest from our traveling and hanging up our clothes that got wet from being on the roof of the car in the rain, we got our schedule for the next few days, a tour of the place and another great meal prepared by Pushba.

It has been quite a day and now the team is excited for how God can work in and through us these next few days here in Raxaul. Continue to pray for us as we spend time with the children, Pastors, Das family, do a prayer walk in Raxaul, go to the leper hospital and do what we can to be a blessing around here. Everyone’s health is doing well, so also pray that no colds, flu, or anything else gets a hold on anyone.

Thanks again for your interest and support!!

In His Strength

Ian Stevenson