EHA

Waiting in hope.

A father waiting for the prodigal to return home.

Parents waiting for their first baby.

Anxious family waiting for a medical test result.

A student waiting for that exam result.

We have all been there. It might have been a promotion, a transfer, the ‘perfect’ job, the ‘perfect’ home, a healing, the removal of that ‘thorn in the flesh’. We have all waited in hope.

One big bag full of adult diapers for a Grand-Ma, who turns 95,
Another one with used clothes to be shared with the less fortunate;
And some small gifts with a message for some very special people I would go to meet

The trip was to spend just a few moments with these very special people,
And the occasion seemed just right for the reason and the season
Christmas round the corner with Santa Claus and Jingle Bells on many a shop front!

The events around the birth of Jesus transformed and impacted many lives, the most being Mary's.

From being an insignificant, young virgin in a rather unknown small village of a nation under Roman occupation, in a corner of the then known world, she became a significant player in a big story.

Her significance came from one single event, the invitation to be part of God's plan of redemption.

Her acceptance of this invitation by the statement "Be it unto me according to your will" probably was the life changing point in her life.

This Christmas, as you remember EHA, remember the many significant people in 30 or more locations of Rural North India, where we work, significant, not because of where we are or what we are, but because we are part of God's plan for our Nation.

And for us, staff, let us not forget that we are privileged to be part of God's redemptive purposes for the world and our Nation. And that, none of our labour is in vain.

The family of EHA wishes all of you a Blessed Christmas and a New Year.

Mathew Santhosh Thomas
Executive Director

Special Report

‘A body isn't just a single part blown up into something huge. It's all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together... The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance’. (1 Corinthians 12: 14-26, The Message)

This year on the World Disability day, it was these ‘differences-but-similarities’ that we celebrated. And in the true tradition of EHA, we celebrated this symphony called Life in different ways.

Celebrating World Disability Day 2011

World Disability Day is being celebrated on the 3rd of December this year. It reminds us once again of our commitment to make our organizations and communities more inclusive, also to integrate people with disabilities in to our everyday life.  Instead of the usual awareness events that we hold each year, this year we decided to attempt something different, something on a more personal level. Inspired by bible reading of the parable of the great banquet found in Luke 14: 21 in which the masters bids the servant “go out quickly in to the city and bring in the poor and crippled, blind and lame”, we came up with the idea of using this day to befriend a person with a disability by inviting them and their family to our homes for a meal. Therfore we would request all members of the EHA family to identify and befriend a person with any disability (visual, motor, auditory, intellectual) and invite them on the 3rd of December either to your home or collectively as a hospital or project team to your institution. The only purpose is to get to know them, share a meal together and in a way to acknowledge members of our society. At Chhatarpur we have decided to have them as our guest collectively by voluntary contributions from the staff of the hospital and the CH project. I would encourage all our units to try something. You are welcome to come with your own plans but it would be wonderful if you  share a meal and learn about at least one person who has a disability. Come let us make World Disability Day a unique and special day on our calenders. Eating together will bring us together… the beginning of a more inclusive world. Let us be the change that we want to see in this world.