Email from Joanna

I am posting this just as another example of what is happening all over the world again and again and again. There is no media reporting any of this silent,quiet,beautifully loving stuff...but it just goes on...everywhere.

There are multiplied thousands of other young people who do the same sort of thing, who may or may not have a faith...but out of the kindness of their heart and a sense of fun and adventure also give their time to helping others in other countries and continents.

It's just that Sheila's daughter in Cambodia...and Johanna, daughter of John and Wendy Wilbraham, pastors of Havant...have a love to give that will keep loving long after they are gone. This Love's Name is Jesus. And as He grows in the hearts of those people these guys have touched in Cambodia or India....He will keep on Loving others through them...and so it ever multiplies and multiplies....this is the Kingdom we're in. We're not transplanting USA, or England....it's the Kingdom reflected in the varieties of different cultural ways...transplanting itself on and on and on.
================================================
Hey everyone! I hope all is well back home. I'm sorry I haven't emailed before, there hasn't been an awful lot of time to devote to it. The kids are fabulous! It's great to be back and immediately felt like home. They live in a different rented building now which is better than the last, but they hope not to be there for long as the building of the new orphanage is the 'promised land' they were given is due to start in december if everything goes smoothly.

The main issues here have actually been office politics really. An engineer came from England. He a lovely guy called John Gunn willing to help us for free and associated with the orphanage's charity CherishIndia in Scotland (who raised the 50 000 for this construction). As you can imagine, it will be great for the kids to have their own place on this very large and peaceful piece of land, but there has been a lot of conflict about the realities of this dream. A fabulous plan for the place has been drawn up, but Sophia's ideals are very different, ideals which the money doesn't allow. So as a prayer point, conflict resolution and peace is at the top of my list!

Adam is coming back out here for just less than 2 weeks on the 19th October now, which I'm looking forward to, as from monday me and matt will be the only volunteers, so the extra hand and company will be much appreciated. The girls in the orphanage can't wait, and I'm sure they will urge him either to marry one of them or me haha.

We have been hearing here quite regularly about the problems in Orissa, and prayer requests have been sent around churches and Tamil Nadu so the kids have been praying about it quite a lot. Very strange to think its all happening in a state that many of the kids families live in.

I'm looking forward to monday as that will be when I'm released to do their bible teaching and prayer time again (up to now it has been the matt that was here since july doing it all- and it would have been stepping on his toes to take it over). As usual, I'm pretty rubbish at discipline and need to get better fast (Matt was quite the disciplinarian). I'm teaching them about the Holy Spirit and have high hopes for them, or well..for God really to move...but I don't know how!

The next few weeks are set to be pretty manic with the kids on holiday. I'm teaching the bible college kids english (albeit not very well) and will on monday start teaching a handful of the kids who struggle at school to read. I found and bought a white board! This should be good, but I know, 100% know, that teaching is not something I'm actually any good at with kids! I laugh too much.

So all in all, having a great time here, enjoy every second with Milan in particular, and the kids in general. Showed them high school musical which I found in Chennai and they LOVE IT! The matts, however, do not, so i have been banned from putting it on again til matt leaves on monday despite the childrens urgency to watch it again. Haha. Thanks for all your support and prayer, I wouldn't even be here without it. There are so many moments, like when a small kid is playing in my lap and repeatedly kissing my face, which make me feel so incredibly lucky to be here. I hope that the kids spiritual eyes will be opened in the next few weeks through looking at the Holy Spirit with them.

Thanks again to you all!!!
Jo x