Chris and Kris in India 39

This month:
Chaos month.

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Garden thieves
The Monkeys have started to visit
Visit to Bangalore and Goa
Indian Wasps
Sick chicken.
AAAAAHH
Visit to Panawar Boys Hostel
Health and Safety in India
Chuck Visits.
Route of our trip to Bangalore.
In other news.
Visa time.

Comment

This month the comment is from Kris. A lot of you know my story but I wonder how many know hers?

Kris.

Several days ago after a very tiring day at work, I was then working in the garden and by the end of it I was shattered, stiff and in pain. As I sat down to relax I complained to Chris how I was feeling. Chris was supportive, but it was God who reminded me how much he had healed me. So I am going to give a brief testimony regarding my healing.

When I was 40 yrs. old I had been working as a nurse, when my pain in my joints, back and neck became so bad I could not walk. I went on the sick, saw Consultants, had X-rays, MRI scans and blood tests. I was diagnosed with spinal spondylosis and premature degenerative arthritis, affecting all my joints. I asked my employer if they would give me a lighter job, even office based, but they kept putting me off with let’s wait and see. I commenced medication, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, I still needed walking sticks and could only walk 5 to 6 steps slowly, taking a rest after each burst and was in agonising pain. To illustrate a 20 min pop into the shops would take me now more than 2 hours and I would need to rest in bed the following day. I was in a bad way, depressed as I was losing my mobility, frustrated at not being able to work.

I asked my GP, Physio, OT therapist, Occupational Health and my Consultant when I could return to work but they all implied that it would not be possible but never actually said the words. I had a routine appointment at the hospital I worked at to be reviewed by the Senior Occupational Health Doctor, quite a routine visit.

During this appointment I insisted the Doctor recommend me to return to work on lighter duties, it was then that she advised me I would have to retire on Medical Grounds.

I was devastated I was just 40 years old; I had planned to retire at 55. Apparently the other professionals I was seeing felt I was not in the right psychological state to hear the truth at that point. I disagree as I needed to know where my life was going. 6 months later after receiving all my sick benefits from my employer I was retired on Medical Grounds.

I prayed, asked God the usual “why me etc.” but he just told me to trust in him, I did although it was very tough. I was on masses of medication including antidepressants.

I asked for and received prayers on many occasions over the next 12 years from friends and Emmanuel Church where I was a member. Nothing changed except I then was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia as well which was why I was having muscle pain and still depressed. My anti-depressant medication was changed and along with my pain killers which increased and I started at the Pain Clinic on Controlled Drug Patches which was a slow continuous release of a Morphine based drug. This was a last desperate effort to get my pain under control, as I now had pain in my lower back and coccyx which was painful for me to sit for more than 10 mins.

I then met Chris, still no healing, but we started to attend Emmanuel as a couple. I was prayed for by one of the elders who had prayed for me previously, I do not know what happened but I went out in the Spirit. I was aware of people talking and praying over me but I could not move. I saw an image of Jesus and when I returned home I drew it from memory, it was uncannily similar to what I saw. I don’t claim to understand but as I look back now that was the beginning of God healing me. I had another year or so of prayer for healing.

I then started getting more movement in my neck, hands and spine, not a great deal at the start. My pain was under better control, I was now using crutches to walk, I had a mobility blue badge and was on Disability Living Allowance.

I saw the Orthopaedic Consultant regarding knee replacements as my knees were shot, I had previously been told there was no point in doing them as I was going to end up in a wheelchair.

This consultant said there had been improvement since my last x rays and mri’s,  there had probably been a mistake, but how can 4 independent hospitals all make the same mistake, coincidence I don’t think so. The consultant agreed to the first operation and said if successful I could have the other done in a year.

God had other ideas, first operation just after Chris and I married, the second months later. I went from walking with crutches to walking sticks, and my mobility slowly improved. I also had movement in my neck and at my waist where I could now do 90% movement with little pain.

God had a plan for me. When I came to India on holiday after my operation I was using walking sticks when I came out to live a year later I was walking without them except on long walks or over rough ground. My mobility continued to improve to the point where I can now walk long distances albeit in a little discomfort. I have lost weight and I am now off all strong painkillers and antidepressants.

I still get pain but now I can do so much more.  I now thank God every day that he has begun the healing in me, it’s not complete yet but his timing is always perfect.

God did not start my healing until he needed me for his work in India.

I hope this inspires those of you who have been praying for a long time for God to intervene to keep praying and seek God at all times and in all things.

Chris and I now live in India doing God’s work; we follow Jesus’s teachings and the Commandments from the Old Testament and go where he guides us. We often say we are in a small boat we are padding and Jesus is steering, as long as we allow him to guide us we have no doubts about the future, our trust is in Him.  Things only go wrong when we try to do the steering!!!

Where do all our ripe Papaya go?

The Monkeys have started to visit for the

fruit on the wild trees we have around 

the garden.

Very 'point and click shot' thats a 20ft gap its jumping

Micro species of micro Monkey 

sitting on our vine frame,,

Ha Ha, its the same Monkey still in flight!!

Visit to Bangalore and Goa

IBRMC, our bike club are holding the annual meet in Bangalore this year. So far we have done Mumbi and here in Udaipur. This will be our third. We are the only people going from IBRMC Udaipur because some of our group have just returned from a ride to the world's highest pass in the Himalayas.
We hosted breakfast for the Delhi guys who are Riding all the way and back..........hard core bikers!

Our transport (Thanks Manet) because we had shipped the bike to a friend in Bangalore IBRMC who has unpacked it and will look after it until we get there. They (the family) have invited us to stay that night and ride with them to the event the next day with them.

Wasps

Indian Wasp, now thats a proper sting! I had to

take my watch off later, anti histamine cream 

and tablet solved it. Throbbed a bit though, ha ha.

Sick chicken.

One of our chickens 'Sooty' strained her leg and could not walk. 

We brought her in to the house and nursed her, rehydrated her with water from a syringe every 30mins for a day and then she started to look better.

She has now fully recovered and is back in the pen with the others. Much to the happiness of 'George' our cockerel. 

We have our friend and Kris's brother to thank for saving her, he found her down and nearly dead from dehydration.

I'm in Hospital, still there is a good side.....

getting lots of treats and fuss.

AAAAAHH,

What is this!

That barb is wicked and it flicks around in a flash if touched.

It was transferred out of our garden to the wasteland nearby

For scale, big thing, almost a pupa with a defence mechanism built in.

Visit to Panawar Boys Hostel

 We did a 350k ride that visited the Panawar boys Hostel

HDS (The Health and Development Society) were able to donate Rs10000, others who came and some who couldn't also contributed to the Hostel. To see our web page and keep up to date with the work HDS is doing go to  http://hdsudaipur.org/

The boys had great fun playing football. (Jatin)

Manchirag

Bike riding.

The silencer came from Manchirags bike. Casualty of

Rajasthan roads. His bike had a really good roar

after that fell off!

All having lots of fun.

First time we have seen the 'Panawar Support Group' sign. We bless all who helped in this wonderful effort.

 Health and Safety in India

Just swing back and forth

you will be ok, we promise not to let go

Chuck Visits.
We had a guest for lunch!
It was really good to see a friend again in India. We always enjoy his visits and is a great inspiration to us both.
As a treat Kris did Non Indian food for us all, lovely.
We enjoy talking with him and he visits us whenever he is in the area............not often but always welcome.
Friends who visit are aware we live as Christians, talk the talk and walk the walk!
God has been so good to us since we put our trust TOTALLY in Him.
Doors open, solutions appear, it isnt always easy, far from it but we try always to say 'What would Jesus do?'




Route of our trip to Bangalore.

BUS: Udaipur to Ahmedabad
FLY: Ahmedabad to Bangalore.
RIDE: To Bangalore IBRMC event just outside at a resort (pics next month).

Stay about five days.
RIDE: Bangalore to Mangalore on the coast.
Then a steady ride to Goa, spend a few days doing this.
SHIP bike from Goa home.
Bus back to Bangalore and stay the night with friends.
FLY: Bangalore to Ahmedabad.
BUS to Udaipur.
Total 14 days.

Quite a trip. We have never seen the South so we are really looking forward to this.

In other news.
We have just been offered a three year contract with the College we teach at. Which we gladly accepted. This and the Lease on our house means for the first time we have real security and can relax about all the 'what if's'. India is without doubt our home.

Visa time.
As always it has come around again, it doesn't feel like a year!
The FRO (Foreign Registration Office) know us and the work we are doing in India so we do not anticipate any problems. They are a great help to us. If we need advice, 'is this legal?' that's where we go. They are always friendly and helpful, in fact when we get back we have invited several to come and see our chickens and kitchen garden.
Some people here are afraid of them, we have always been totally honest with them and they with us. They are there to help, but for some a call to go and see them evokes fear.
Perhaps others are not as honest as they should be with them?

Well thats all for this month.
God Blesss
Chris and Kris