All the children, Lamu and the other staff who went to Ladakh are now all safely back home at Joybells.

Here are a couple of photos of Lotus and Lollipop who were amongst the last children to be found.

What rejoicing – how can we begin to thank you for your spectacular prayers, support, giving and encouragement throughout this time.  Above all we want to thank our loving Heavenly Father who has taken care of and watched over these children every moment of every day to bring them safely back to Joy.

When SS told Richard of an individual story this morning I was remined of something that Catherine wrote last week when remembering her trip to Ladakh with the children in 2007.  ‘Joy and her staff have raised a very empowered and incredibly loving, generous group of children’.

Lolipop has been at Joybells since the very beginning and would now be about 9 years old. He was staying with his mother when the storm hit.  He woke up to hear falling stones all around him.  He managed to wake up his mother, get her out of the house and onto higher ground – undoubtedly saving both their lives.  The house was completely destroyed. 

We know this will be but one of many similar acts of courage that will come to light over the coming weeks.  They are truly an incredible group of children.

The decisions are now being made as to the best way to bring everyone back to Joybells.  The easiest and of course quickest way would be to fly but the cost may prove to be prohibitive.  There are no concessions currently being offered and it would cost at least £300 for each child. (This would come, roughly, to about £10,000). SS is doing his utmost to see if he can get the price reduced but we would still be looking at £6,000 mimimum.  The only alternative is a four day bus journey by road.  For those of you who have seen the Joybells dvd you may remember that this road takes you over one of the highest mountain passes in the world and is a daunting journey at the best of times. 

Many of the children are, as you would expect, deeply traumatised.  Once back at Joybells, Joy’s intention is to have at least a week alone with the children so they will have time to process what has happened and begin to settle back into the safety and peace that Joybells gives them.

We will let you know as soon as a decision is made about coming home and when that great day will be.

With love,

Diana and Richard

Of course there will be no rest until the last child is found and currently four members of Eco Adventures staff are out searching.  There is no report as to the physical state of the children but they are safe and sound.  Their angels have done a great job!

I know you will spread the good news far and wide and we continue to believe for the finding and return of that one ‘lost sheep’.

Now all we need is for the word to be spread that she is there and for the children to come running from wherever they are to wherever she is. SS has told Richard that if the reports are to be believed there are now only 3 children and Lamu still unaccounted for.  We are believing for every one of those final ‘lost sheep’ to be found and brought home.

There is now about a 2 hour window where mobile phones can be used in Ladakh so SS is hoping to speak to Joy later this evening (his time – India is five and a half hours ahead of the UK) and will call Richard if there is any further news.

uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DavidScott5  

uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ClaireLoftus

They think that there are now 5 children in the camp but until Joy actually arrives and confirms we will have to wait a little longer for definite news.

Catherine Barski and her husband Matt worked as volunteer teachers at Joybells in 2007.  I asked Catherine to write about their experience of taking the children to Ladakh which she has done here.  It has made me cry and cry – so wonderfully conveying who these children are and what they mean to so many of us.  You may like to have the tissues at the ready before you start to read.! Emma has already added this to her blog (www.emmamilley.com) together with pictures of the trip and more of the children and Lamu.

Catherine also included this:

“So don’t be afraid: I’m with you. I’ll round up your scattered children, pull them in from east and west. I’ll send orders north and south: ‘Send them back. Return my sons from distant lands, my daughters from faraway places. I want them back, every last one who bears my name, every man, woman, and child whom I created for my glory, yes, personally formed and made each one.’”

Isaiah 43:5 (The Message)

 Here is what she has written:

 In 2007, my husband Matt and I had the life changing opportunity to volunteer as teachers to the Joybells children. Over the years, Joy had become aware that many of the children in her care had surviving family members or community relationships in Ladakh that she could help to connect. As a result, she arranged for the children who had first arrived at Joybells to visit their birth places and spend some time immersed in their native culture. Along with an Eco Adventures Staff member, Matt and I had the amazing honour of being trusted with the care of 21 of the children on the journey which took us high up into the Himalayas to Ladakh and back. 

 Joybells is not a school full of classmates and teachers. It operates as a family and we gained little siblings and lifelong relationships while there. It is difficult to describe how much they love and are loved and how unique a community it is. It does not take long to notice these children are different – they have models in Joy and SS who have worked tirelessly to create a life for them that is raising them to be remarkable. 

 At this very difficult time of flooding in Ladakh, we are longing to be in India doing something tangible to help. In frustration at feeling helpless and with such little specific information we have been looking at old pictures, movies and reading through our trip journals. While doing so, I have been reminded of two small things about our own experience in Ladakh. I’ll share them with you.

- Firstly, without question, we were surrounded by angels throughout our own journey to Leh from Joybells and back. There were many situations that should have gone wrong and simply did not. Though it may seem a small thing, it was amazing that neither Matt nor I were sick on our journey. This is very unusual for both of us. Neither carsickness nor altitude sickness affected either one of us and this enabled us to care for the children without interruption. It gives me hope to know these same angels are with each of these same children right now. I know there is a powerful network of people around the world covering them in prayer now.

- Secondly, reading through my travel journal, I came across this quote: “Matt and I continue to be amazed at the tough, generous and resilient spirit among these kids. What cool adults they are going to make.” I had written this after spending a day in town with young De Chen who guided our lost taxi driver back to the camp, talked with and shared her food with strangers and confidently made her way about Leh with us in tow. It occurs to me reading this now that these very characteristics may be powerfully impacting the wider Ladakhi community in it’s state of exceptional difficulty at this time. Joy and her staff have raised a very empowered and incredibly loving, generous group of children. We remember well having the sense that these children had a deep love and remembrance for their place of birth and we are hoping deeply their strength of character is doing good in Ladakh even as we look for them. 

The journey to and from Ladakh is long, arduous and spectacular. Being there, we were reminded of photos of the moon. The landscape is vast and inhospitable to life. There are few trees and the mountains and hillsides around the city are entirely loose rock and jagged peaks.  Knowing the landscape, it is easy to picture how a torrent of water would completely change the map. News reports indicate that many bridges, small and large have been destroyed and these are key to travel around the area. No doubt, for those who are still missing, getting to higher land is a priority until travel is safer. We continue to hope, along with you, that these strong and incredible children are safely making their ways from all over the area back to Joy.

Catherine and Matt Barski
Vancouver, Canada

SS has spent the day at army headquarters in Delhi.  When Richard spoke to him he was just about to sit down to lunch (8pm his time) as he hadn’t wanted to miss a moment of the time he was able to have with the army.

 Once again the news is really no news.  There is no word on any other children having been found or accounted for.  He has managed to speak to an officer in Ladakh who served with him at one time.  All SS could do was emphasise over and over again, how desperately important it is to find the children and then, like us, all he can do is wait. He also told Richard that the ‘official’ death toll has now risen to 400. 

 One of the major problems is that there is no electricity in Ladakh and no signs of it being restored in the near future.  The one and only hydro-electric dam is destroyed. This means that mobile phones cannot be recharged which is the main cause of why communication is so incredibly difficult.  SS has asked that if anyone is going to India (flying in to Delhi) in the next few days/weeks could they please take with them as many solar charging mobile phone units as possible. We do know of a couple of volunteers going to Joybells in September but if any of you have friends/business connections who are going before that do please let us know.  The cost of a unit is in the region of £20 – £25.  Again, we will try to see if we can get these donated.  If anyone reading this works in that world or knows someone who does we would be very grateful to hear from you.

Joybells Orphanage and School Foundation.  Sort Code: 60-04-33. A/c no: 10505717.  Please reference your payment with your name and ‘Ladakh Emergency’.

 If you would rather send a cheque then please make it out to Joybells Orphanage and School Foundation and send it to:

 Diana Scott
Cole Manor
Cole
Bruton
Somerset BA10 0PJ

Please indicate somewhere that your cheque is for the Ladakh Emergency.