Beach Day

Sarah’s Covenant Homes is only 10 km away from the Indian Ocean, but it’s not every day that the kids get to visit the big blue ocean.  A simple trip can bring laughter and joy to the lives of the children at SCH.  This day marked a first trip to the Ocean for Naomi and Jackie.  Naomi conquered the sand while Jackie took a liking to the water and seashells. 

Beach Day from SCH INDIA on Vimeo.

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Featured Kiddos:  Naomi and Jackie

Credits:

Visionary: Maddie M.

Videographer and editor:  Anson W. 

Paint Day

This short visual piece is a window into the children and their creative abilities that are possible when they are simply given a chance to live in the joy God created them to be in.

Watch as the kids from Sarah’s Covenant Homes create a unique expression of art.


Paint Day from SCH INDIA on Vimeo.


Featured Kiddos (listed from first appearance): Naomi, Jackie, Prakash, Lily, Nolan, Ruthie, Jeanette, Judah, Christopher, Christine

Credits:
Music: "Beautiful Things" by Gungor
Visionary: Maddie McCaleb serenamadeleine.tumblr.com/

Maddie McCaleb is simply a servant following her heart for God. She came to Sarah’s Covenant Homes (SCH) for the first time in July of 2011 and instantly fell in love with the children here at SCH. Following in the footstep of her second greatest hero Mother Theresa, who she has affectionately nick named “Mother T”, Maddie has begun a life long journey to living for her first greatest hero Jesus Christ.

Boys Home

Upon stepping into India I had no idea what to expect.  I knew I would face brokenness on a whole new level but I knew I had to see and experience it first hand to gain a better picture.  I could try to describe what I have seen the past two weeks, but it will never compare to actually being here.  For now God has given me the ability to be a voice for Sarah’s Covenant Homes sharing the stories of these children with the supporters and body of Christ around the world.

A brief history.

Sarah Rebbavarapu traveled to India when she was a college student.  God spoke to her heart, and she was never the same. 

Sarah was given dreams and visions of providing “family style” homes for abandoned special needs children.  She originally planned on taking only twenty children, but how could she leave behind so many more children who would soon die if they were not given proper medical treatment.  Sarah knew she had to trust in God as he would perform miracles.  Thus in 2008 Sarah’s Covenant Homes was born.

The reality is these children are better off than living in their previous government founded orphanages, but the work is not over.  Sarah was used as the visionary for this part of God’s story, but now the many members of the body of Christ spanned across borders, cultures and denominations must be the servants. 

109 children are currently apart of SCH

77 children now live in 5 rooms at the Victory Home

Three months ago 12 school age girls were moved into the first “family style” apartment which has given them a nurturing environment to engage in school and life together. 

There are 10 school aged boys ready to move into an apartment but there are no basic living furnishings. 

Stove, refrigerator, cots, mattresses, air-conditioner, water purifier… etc

I am here, and God is telling me to share this with my supporters.

The Goal is $4,121

I feel that God has provided me with the means to travel and live in India, now I must step out on faith in asking for support for these 10 boys in need of a livable home. 

If you share in the vision and being a sacrificial part of God’s kingdom then search your heart for what you can give.

Pay at: 

Or for US-tax-deductible donations: send checks payable to “Sarah’s Covenant Homes” (a501c3) can be sent to:

Sarah’s Covenant Homes

PO Box 368

Chinook, MT 59523 USA

Luke 1:37

For nothing is impossible with God. 

10 Days in India

“God spoke when there was no inward storm”

-          George Matheson (excerpt from Stream in the Desert)

I have had difficulty finding peace and quiet.  Something I value greatly.  But I must not idolize my quiet devotion.  I think God is planning on revealing himself slowly to me during my current stretch of the journey.  Even when I get alone with him I have inward thoughts racing every which way. 

My documentary mind takes over throughout the day as well.  Everything here is interesting and new to my eyes.  The irony is all the new things I am seeing are actually old. 

For example:

Ironing shirts with coal heated cast iron

Cooking over open fire

Telephones

Bicycles

I feel like I am in some post apocalyptic film. Where a remnant of British culture has survived.

Right now on this Sabbath morning I feel peace.  I am thankful for it.  I am vowing to rest more than the other days of the week.  A hard task in this new world that is bustling below me.

Three days in the Land of much Honking

How does one begin to describe the last three days of my life?  My world has been turned upside down.  I have gone from being a self-sustaining adult, to an infant.
I cannot speak the language, I cannot navigate the town.  I must rely on the help of others.
I am being changed once again.  I can feel it deep within my core.  C.S. Lewis once wrote, ”Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before.”

2 Corinthians 4:16
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we waste away inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Yes, I am responsible for making choices that influence who I become.  I chose to come to India. I chose to finish school.  I chose to step out in faith.  I chose to accept God’s call to follow Him daily.  But ultimately it is God who changes us.  It is He who molds us into something new.

John 15:16
You did not chose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go bear fruit- fruit that will last.

Worst moment.
Feeling overwhelmed with everything. Being a complete stranger in to this new place, fighting feelings of being alone. I felt like I didn’t belong, felt tired.

Best moment.
This moment I had on the roof; looking at the sunset, the fields, the mountains, but most importantly Naomi, my new friend.  She is a shy little girl, maybe that is why I can relate.  At my very core I am a quiet reserved person, as a child I was also very shy.  It is who God created me to be.  I have times of speaking out but at my core I love nothing more than to be quiet, and just take everything in.  Back to Naomi, she has a disorder, well I’m not really sure what she has, and I do not believe it matters.  All the children I have meat so far are Children of God, they all have names, and are all beautiful.

  It was in this moment I thought, “there is nowhere else on earth I would rather be than right here and right now.  Time seemed to stand still.

Names

In 5 hours and 26 minutes God and I will be sitting on a plane heading for JFK international airport, from there we will sit in the airport for a few hours until 10:50pm when God and I will jump on 14 hour plane ride to Doha, then finally God and I will take our last flight of only 5 hours to arrive in Chennai, India at 3:30am Friday morning.  We will look for Mr. Brown who works for the Orphanage who will pick us up at the airport and drive God and me to Ongole, India! Where I will be meeting my new family for the next six months!

I feel a little childish stating that God and I will be doing all this traveling together.  It feels a little cliche and well down right silly. But I know it to be true, because it has been promised be God in his scripture.

Deuteronomy 31:8
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; Do not be discouraged.

This is just one promise, there are many more.

Now back to my title of this blog: Names
Dan and Katie, Josh, Aaron, Luke, Seth, Tyler, Ben, Miguel & Vanessa, David & Brenda, Johnathan & Amie, Harrison & Erin, Kenny, Alesha, Chelsea, Angie, Dan and Miriam, Carol, Billy, Matt, Mark, Laura, Brad & Cindi, Joel & Debbie, Eric & Anna, Peter, Glenda, Delores, Rosanne, Jason, Aaron & Jill, Amanda, and Austin.

These are just a few names of the people who are praying for me.  They are giving me something that is far more valuable than money or material possessions.
Thank you.