Miscellany

As promised, here are some little tidbits, many of them not related to the actual mission itself.  For instance, how about the traffic?  It's organized mayhem.  My friend Mark likes to say that Indian traffic disproves the physics rule that two objects cannot occupy the same space.  As an added bonus, I've found a translation of the official India Drivers Manual.  It's quite short.

1. Stay left.  Mostly.
2. When in doubt, honk your horn.
3. Try not to die.

Not sure if I'm helping, or just getting in the way.

It was rice processing time while we were there.  The harvest was complete.  Now most of the residents were busy getting the rice ready for storage and use.  Getting the rice off the stalk involves whacking it on a board.  Then it has to be spread out to dry.  I jumped in to see what kind of work it is to do the whacking.  It isn't hard at all, but I can't imagine doing it from sun up to sun down.

Spreading the rice to dry on a rooftop patio.

If you can see this picture and not smile yourself,
consult a physician.  You may be dead.

This is the poorest state in India.  Each time I'm in India, it's a bit of an emotional roller coaster for me.  I spend half my time being extremely happy to be there and to be doing what I'm doing.  The other half of my time I spend fighting back tears as I watch the hardships these people face.  God is good, however, and it seems that whenever I'm at my lowest, he sends some kids to me and their infectious smiles bring me back to my joy.

I learned a little more Hindi on this trip, thanks to my coaches, a troop of young ladies that are the daughters of some of our national team members.  They loved teaching all of us Americans simple phrases and words and laughed when we would screw them up.  They also love to have their pictures taken.  I think they are the prettiest blooms in this garden.