I love Saturday mornings. Farm fresh eggs with cheese, whole milk with cream straight from our cow, (whom we've nicknamed Bessie) and lots of rich Indian coffee in the cool of the day. As I wash the breakfast dishes, I look out our kitchen window to see 2 bullocks wander by in the pasture next door. As with most bullocks in this area of southern India, their horns are brightly painted red and green with the tips covered in brass cups topped with balls and bells. The dishes will have to wait while I grab my videocamera and head outside for a closer look. Before I can see him, I can hear his horn bells jangling constantly as the darker one strips most of the leaves off a small tree growing in the pasture. In less than a minute, he moves on toward his partner, stopping here and there to graze in the grass. I wonder about the constant jingling of his bells. Does he wonder, “Is it just me or do you hear that ringing sound too?”

Hindus adorn their cows and bullocks with paint, powders, flowers, bells, etc. because they hold cows in high esteem and respect them for their gentle, giving nature. Such decorations are part of annual agricultural festivals that honor cows. They give 

All too quickly, the day for goodbyes has come. Three weeks ago, we arrived in Mahabalipuram in a downpour that rivaled our spring floods back home in Texas. “You're here! You've brought the rains from Texas!”, John and Carol Christian literally shouted as they rushed out into the pouring rain to welcome us “back home”. We all ignored the downpour as they shared that the southern state of Tamil Nadu has been suffering from drought for months. Wells in the farmlands were dry. Water tanks in the cities were dry. South India was thirsty.

Buildings in Chennai are supplied by varying sizes of water tanks mounted on the roof, which in turn, are supplied by wells. When the wells run dry, everyone scrambles for water. Large trucks bring water from neighboring regions (if they have any water), but the need is great and sometimes the wait for water is 2 weeks or more, even for those who can pay. Villagers learn to store up water in any available container when they can and it reminds me of my childhood back in south Texas during hurricane season. Only this is every day life for most Indians, constantly living in what we would consider a near-crises state. “Incredible India” in the 21st 

Be sure to read Jim's "Incredible !ndia" blog post below this video.  We hope you, too, will enjoy Incredible !India

For the previous blog post honoring President Abdul Kallam, please continue to scroll down below these stories. 

Today, India is in mourning. Schools  are closed in memory of former Indian President Abdul Kalam, who suffered a fatal heart attack last night as he was making a speech in the village of Shillong. This is the same village where our friend and teacher, Grace, currently is with her family. Today, we are learning much about this amazing man and leader. From the India Times: “...Abdul Kalam was a President like no other. … Kalam embodied the new India story, born into a poor Muslim family in Tamil Nadu, he rose by sheer force of education to become a missile scientist, the "missile man of India" becoming chief scientific adviser to the Prime Minister, then secretary of the DRDO, and then President of India.” 

There is sadness in this country today, as this beloved leader is remembered. We are encouraged and inspired by his story. He was raised as a poor boy in Tamil Nadu, the same region of India where we serve. We can imagine him on the streets of our village, huddling in the huts handmade from palm branches, watching his mother cook over an open fire each night, yet somehow finding his way to school each day. He attended Madras Institute of Technology in Chennai, nearby to where we worship each Sunday. He rose to greatness, first as a missile scientist and then to the Presidency, by “sheer force of education”. Love those words...”sheer force of education.” He embodied the vision of Achiever Academy and is the role model for every one of our Achiever Academy students. We come and train and teach and pray, so that these children may learn and grow, think and solve, experience and create, discover and explore - all for the greater purpose of serving society and improving the lives of others.  We are growing leaders and thinkers here.  They are worth the effort and deserve our best. We have the added vision of believing we are furthering God's Kingdom for a higher purpose. In the words of the beloved leader, Abdul Kalam, "Let us sacrifice our today so that our children may have a better tomorrow."  

Please join us in praying for President Kalam's family and the children of India,
Susan & Jim

Our journey and arrival in India have been filled with a flurry of activity and we will have some exciting news to share soon about our work this summer. In the meantime, as we work to get our plans underway, we hope you will enjoy this "rerun post" from Jim last summer, sharing more about our setting, the exotic, colorful village of Mahabalipuram.  Enjoy!

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Originally published July 2014

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” 
1 John 1:5

As we begin our Indian adventure each year Susan and I always wonder what new development there will be in Mahabalipuram. 2014 would be no different. The village of Mahab (as the locals call it) covers about 4 sq. kilometers and is located about an hour south of Chennai on the southeast coast of India. Driving south into town along the East Coast Road from Chennai, the landward side of the road is lined with stone carving shops turning out an endless supply of huge stone idols. Although I do not recognize all of them, many are massive figures of well-known Hindu gods. When I say massive, I am talking about granite figures 10 to 20 feet tall. Specially designed cranes must be used to lift the raw stones and the completed figures. The tapping of chisels and the whine of electric grinders is incessant.   (click "read more" below-right to continue)

Jim and I are very encouraged by the strong show of love and support from back home that seems to grow each year we come to India.  We are further encouraged by the many new friends we add to our mailing list each year. In honor of our new readers, I am re-posting the following from last years' blog.  For our long-time, faithful followers, we hope you will enjoy this re-run as a reminder of the human condition of this village. For our new readers, we hope God will speak to you through this writing and video below and stir your heart as He does ours in this harsh reality.

Originally posted:  July 4, 2012.  A day of Independence in America.  Little freedom here in India

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

There's no understanding it.  India is a paradox - contradictions at every turn. Most of it doesn't make sense to westerners and we are no different.  Even after 4 previous visits, we still scratch our heads in amazement every single day. At the most confounding moments, we just laugh and say to one other, "Welcome to India!" 

The village of Mahabalipuram, India, is home to Acts of Mercy, the non-profit organization for which we volunteer. Mahabs (as the locals call it) is a tiny rural village about 4 sq. miles and yet home to approximately 12.000 people and countless cows, goats, and monkeys, who all fill the streets, seemingly at once. India is a communal society, with multi-generational large families living together in relatively small homes. Known for its historic temples and beautiful beaches, Mahab is a tourist town and therefore, somewhat more prosperous than more rural villages nearby, many consisting of one or two dirt streets lined with thatched huts. Mahabs is a village of old and new, with Hindu temples carved from red sandstone in the 7th century  standing next to newly constructed guest lodges. Brightly colored  paint adorns the newer businesses in an

Scroll down below this video to read about our encounters with Majesty.

We have been to the mountaintop.  We have loved – and been loved – by our Father and His glorious Creation. Just like all of nature, we are wildly alive in His hands.

Our hosts here in India, John & Carol, are from the western coast of India and for years, they have encouraged us to visit other regions to experience India at a deeper level. Last weekend, we were grateful for the opportunity to experience different tribes, cultures, languages, climates, and geographical features in the mountains and jungles of western India. The Western Ghats Mountains overflow into 3 Indian states – Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu (where we have spent all of our previous visits over the past 6 years).  As we boarded the train for the mountains, we were filled with excited anticipation of the opportunities God may have in store for us.

In the Nilgiri region of India, the mountains are pristine and serene. Villagers respect and value the wild animals that roam freely; most consider it a privilege to share this garden with …

We have just arrived at school and learned of an urgent need for prayer in this village. Two of our friends were called away to comfort a friend whose husband died just yesterday in a tragic story well beyond our understanding, but sadly, all too common in India. Here’s what we know at this time:

S. worked as a waiter and yesterday around 4:00pm, his wife of 15 years, S. (32 yrs. old), received a call that her husband was dead. She went and took him to the hospital and was then told by the police that since she brought him, she had killed him. Even though she is illiterate, she was forced to sign documents, relinquishing control of his body to his family approx. 4 hrs. away. The police continue to investigate her for murder, even though the doctors think it may have been a heart attack. S. believes he may have been attacked for there was blood streaming from his mouth. When S. poured out her grief in tears of anguish, the police said to her, “Why are you crying, woman? You are young and can marry another man.”  She is required to travel 4 hrs away now as it is a police matter still under investigation.

This is yet another example of the extreme persecution of women in India. We will have more to say about widows in the days to come but for now, we are asking all of our prayer warriors to join us in praying for S., their adopted child, and our 2 friends here, who may experience this as a defining moment in their faith. 


Joining you in prayer,
Susan & Jim

PS – We have been astounded to learn that nearly 100 of our friends and family are following our blog every day.  It is stories like this one that clarify for us the urgent need for Jesus here in Mahabalipuram. While it is wonderful to know that so many are interested in our experiences, it is stories like this that emphasize the reason we are here.  This morning, we are praying and wondering if maybe this is the reason God has called you to follow our blog.  Please join in praying for S. and family.