Casting our Nets

This morning we started off a few minutes early due to the long journey to Puri. We are again excited about ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the fishermen who live in these colonies just outside the city. Following yesterdays successful clinics, we were truly excited to spent the day ministering in another fishing village to the South. The inhabitants live in brick and mud huts with palm branch roofs on the edge of the beach, with sand blowing into every crack and crevice, no public sanitation, and few fresh water sources. The fishermen work hard, going out to sea around 5:00 am and returning in early afternoon; many of them live in chronic pain due to the highly physical nature of their work, and they often turn to alcohol to relieve their misery.

Two of our teams were located in a small church building, a third was set up under an open thatched roof adjacent to the church, and the fourth began the day at a local hospital but moved to the front porch of a building right at the water’s edge. Hundreds received medical help, and many had never before seen a doctor. With today’s patients we exceeded the 3000 mark after only 5 days of clinics. The teams continued to display resourcefulness and flexibility while we reshuffled team assignments in Ravi's absence.

Please continue to pray for good health and stamina for the team. The days that involve a long commute plus a full day of clinics are quite taxing on bodies of ALL ages. ;-)
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The link below will take you to Today's photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94059942@N00/sets/72157594469830181
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The link below will take you to the video updates for Joy India team (requires Quicktime): http://www.firstdallas.org/Missions/