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PL765
9th December, 2018
In looking back over the events of this past week, we saw a lot of dreams coming true around the mission. Some were small dreams to be sure. Some were very big dreams. But it's all part of what makes this time of year so special around the Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission.
By far the biggest dream was the celebration of the marriage of Amanda and Saurav. As a child of mission staff, Amanda grew up here and it was a blessing to help her celebrate her big day (which actually happened several weeks ago privately). Many of the older farm kids attended the festivities as invited guests, and it was a chance to celebrate. Clifton presided over the affair and Parwat took many of the beautiful pictures included here. We wish the couple a lifetime of happiness and adventure.
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Reverend Clifton throwing down some truth bombs.
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Our Auntie Sonia, happy grandmother of the bride.
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The George girls and Auntie Josie, enjoying a laugh.
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Sunil, Elsie and Rochelle, pretty as a picture.
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Uncle John doing his best Elvis impersonation at the ceremony.
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All the white people at the party. (The Hayes Family is off to the right.)
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Looking fly by the pig sty.
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A magic moment for the new couple. Much happiness, you two.
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Another dream that came true this week was the arrival of the Hayes family. Sara, Jeff, Angelie, David and Lucia. From Wisconsin in the USA, the Hayes family are on a year-long adventure volunteering their way around the world. After a stint teaching English in rural Thailand, the GSAM is their next stop and they'll be with us for the next two months. As expected, the Hayes children have made fast friends with many of our kids and already they seem like part of the family.
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Lucia riding Sheetal around the playground.
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Jyotika and Angelie, spending a little time on the scorpion.
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David and Danny, new BFFs.
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One mission tradition (at least when Uncle John is here), is the search for tiny elves. John hides this little figurines all over the grounds each night and the kids rush to find them each morning. There's one for the girls, (marked with a G), one for the Boys, one for the Nursery, and one marked with an "X" for everyone. If you find one, there are heaps of chocolates to collect, so the competition is fierce. For many of the lucky finders, it's a dream come true. Little Manisha found one inside a discarded potato chip bag and she hasn't stopped shouting about it ever since. Happy hunting, kids.
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Anthea is always looking up for an unexpected treat.
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When an elf was hidden on Saloni's forehead, she found it right away.
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Rina and Jimika with with matching elf head gear.
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Another bit of childish dreaming took place out in the mango orchard this week. Monkeys are frequent visitors to the mission, often boldly walking into the kitchen to steal chapatis or rice. But for a bit of fun, a few of our smallest children were taken out to hunt "box" monkeys along the orchard boundry wall. The game was to defeat the evil king and rescue the baby, using clods of mud to dethrone the menacing cardboard tyrant. It was a mud-slinging free-for-all that ended with the baby being knocked from her perch as well. In their enthusiasm, the rescue team just couldn't resist. Then they played the game again and again...
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One of the marauding Box Monkey guards.
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Dylan launches a fierce attack at a helpless monkey above.
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The baby waits for rescue, not knowing the peril she is in.
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Malik talked through this entire game, warning each victim of what was about to happen before hurling another merciless mud ball.
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The older boys took to the jungle this week for a little big boy dreaming of their own. Several farm boys came back to the mission for Amanda's celebrations, so it was a reunion of sorts, as well as a chance to ride motorcycles down to the river at night. There they cooked meat over an open fire, told manly stories and generally acted the way young men throughout history have been known to act. Fire, meat and good friends. It was definitely a guy's party.
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The boys, prepping for a major manly outing.
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An incredible night-time shot under the stars.
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A few of our older girls had some dreams of their own, opting for sunset photo shoots rather than midnight meat cooking. These girls love the camera and the camera loves them. Here are just a few shots from an afternoon of beautiful shots.
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Roma looking like an Ivory Girl (for those that remember that ad campaign.)
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Cathy is ready to accept your hair modeling contracts.
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Kurena looking like Ms. December in Tire Swing Magazine.
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This one's for you, Emily.
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It's only a single picture, but Sylvester and Anish were dreaming of how to fix our Big John Deere tractor. If you've never seen one in three pieces, here's your chance. You'll be happy to know, this work horse is back together and back in the fields where it belongs.
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Every great story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
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We also had a few sweet dreams this week as we passed out gunna (suger cane) to our kids. This is literally what it sounds like: sections of hard fibrous stalks that are sweet if you chew them up. It may not be big in your town just yet, but our kids love to gnaw, munch and suck their way through these all-natural treats.
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Ayushi, Rufika and Shivani, getting their gunna on.
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Malika was the designated chopper.
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Roshni, Shivani and Raymond, fully committed to gunna-mania.
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We also shared a few dreams for the future at our monthly staff dinner outside the Shipway house. Most all of our staff and their children came to this pot luck event, creating not only an amazing meal, but a chance to come together as a family. As you can see, the weather is turning quite cold and much of the winter gear has already been broken out. But a fire and good friends kept the chill away.
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For those who are good at recognizing people's backs, Yes, that IS John and Sarah Poxon sitting closest to camera. Good spot.
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Anish, Amos and Filly, trying to keep warm.
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And of course, our true Christmas dreams are getting closer every day, as we look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus. Through all the elves and the box monkeys, the parties and the fun, we never forget the true meaning of this season and keep our focus living lives that HE will be proud of. We hope all of your own holiday dreams come true, however you celebrate, and we thank all of you so much for supporting us for another week.
Blessing on you,
Rick, Clifton, Eugene, Priscilla & John
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