9 becomes 20, 90 becomes 200!THE expansion of our children's homes is our primary goal during our time here in India. The good news is that we have a partner that has already built over 40 homes (a second story on the village church building), so all we need are sponsors for the children. With nine homes running prior to our arrival, and the school year starting in June, we decided to move forward immediately and fill 11 more homes for a total of 20 and our 90 children becomes 200! And next year, we plan to add 20 more for 40/400! Sponsors are already coming in, but more are needed. Thanks for your awareness of these steps of faith and your prayers for these homes.

MAY IS INDIA'S SUMMER......and summer with kids means Vacation Bible School and visits to the beach. Our May is full of all things summer, but with kids who are experiencing some of these joys of summer for the first time!

QUITE often during this adventure in India, we have moments when we turn to each other and say, "We wish our family and friends could see us now." April's moment came in the form of a village we visited for a future children's home. We were welcomed to their church by them asking us to wait outside the village boundaries so they could

give us the traditional garland and then escort us about 1/2 of a kilometer into town in parade fashion. Complete with drums, dance and a festive atmosphere, this village welcome was definitely a moment where we sure wished our family and friends "could see us now."

Wish You Could See Us Now...

EXCERPTS FROM INDIA MAY 2011 ISSUE NO. 2

A SEAN & PAIGE PUBLICATION - ONGOLE, INDIA

A garland-draped parade into a village!

A little April birthday getaway to celebrate Sean brought us to a hotel rooftop for the Indian sunset.

We’ve had many angel donors for the homes’ needs. Here, Paige is privileged to present first-aid kits to each of our home parents.

If you were about to take on 10 new kids, you’d want some training, too! Father’s Conference in mid-April for new and current home fathers.

The Indian Visa DilemmaAS we soon remember 10 years since 9/11, India continues to grapple with their own terrorist nightmare, 11/26, when their most famous hotel in Mumbai was the scene of a hostage siege and tragedy in 2008. One of the repercussions for foreigners is increased security and visa protections that cause all foreigners to leave the country for two months every six months. Unless this law changes, we will need to make due for a couple months somewhere else in August and September, but will still use this time on behalf of the children for whom we are responsible here. It's too far and expensive to come all the way home, so we are gonna head across the Bay of Bengal to Thailand where we have places to stay, can live inexpensively, be with friends and still continue with our work for these homes,

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP!

Paige (buried here deep in the midst of the Narsimgolu girls) has been working closely with our Indian assistants and the pastors to improve the facilities of the homes.

This is the Covenant Children’s Homes logo. Please consider connecting us with a board, church, organization or foundation you know that might be interested in partnering with us.

We will be visiting each of our nine current homes throughout the month of May to present “The Living Water” Vacation Bible School theme. Here the Marturu boys learn to sing “I’ve Got a River of Life” in English.

What else is going on with us in India?:Daily updates: Facebook

Weekly Stories: Blog

www.rickshawwriter.blogspot.com

And we, of course, would welcome your visit!

Help out these kids:

Facebook Page: Covenant Children’s Homes, India

• Backpacks: $45 for a home (10

• Mattresses: $500 for a home(10)

• School Fees: $1,500 for a year for an entire home

• And many other options!

Sean takes his first cricket swings (great form), the C.V. Palem pastor picks up his food provisions for the month and thereʼs a beach nearby where we live - more to come about this in Juneʼs Excerpts from India edition!