Just thought i would add a few notes to say that my parents, Ian and Greta, are returning to Ponguturu at the end of February. They are staying for 3 weeks and are leading another pastors conference, in addition to a bigger open convention. Please remember this in your prayers.
I’m also hoping to return later this year or the beginning of next. No real decision yet on who with, there are a number of possibilities and ill keep you posted.
Click the photo below to go to the FlickR website to view some of the other best images from our trip!
Bear in mind that my camera was broken whilst i was there so part way through the trip the pics kindda dry up!
Hey folks, its been a while since i’ve done an update….fairly deliberate as i want to add some up to date news on India as time goes on. Just wanted to post a link and encourage you to visit FlickR for some additional photos!
Will update the blog again soon so keep posted on whats going on!
Here is another vid, of an auto rickshaw ride we took in Hyderabad. Enjoy!
Hi all, its now been nearly five days since we dropped back into English life and my how different it feels! When we got back on Monday it was hectic, after lots of broken sleep on aireplanes! I got home, had half an hours kip and then drove to London as i was on a course with work on Tuesday. It was great to be back with Cara and the kids, although they are all ill now….not so good! So its back to work now and the daily grind, which i am just about settling into and nearly fully recovered from Jet Lag! I have started to get achey teeth…. 
It seems that the back tooth, the one which the dentist warned me would hurt and then need a root canal…is giving me grief! Ill have to face up to the fact that a dentist visit is inevitable next week sometime.
I have changed some of the pics around on the blog….you may have noticed….or not! I am also adding some videos to youtube, i uploaded the first one this evening, but am intending to do a few more over the next few days/weeks so keep checking for updated versions.
I am also going to add an additional section to the blog here! So check back as there is going to be a more specific section about the ministry in India and some more information about Jesus Echoing Ministries.
We’ve just been for an amazing chinese…..in India! There was 6 of us eating and the bill came to around £25 and the portions were some of the biggest I have ever seen. The restaurant was also really busy, we we’re in the overflow area and we got rushed out immediately after we had finished because of a queue of about 25 waiting!
After dinner we checked out of the hotel and caught the airport coach! Its been a much cooler day today, cooler than any of the other days since we arrived. The coach was air conditioned, leaving us feeling like we were in a fridge! It was great to get out and warm up outside the airport!
So now its a waiting game, we’ve checked in, flight leaves at 1am…… So its pretty much all over….
This is one of the last posts, I will be adding a few pics and tidying things up on the blog when I get back. So keep checking especially for the pics!
We’ve been into Hyderabad this morning in an auto, to find a shopping mall. We went into city central, after a brief tour round some traditional Indian craft shops. The driver was very nice and he only wanted 30 rupees….we tipped him well! Once in the shopping centre you wouldn’t have known it was in India! The marble floors, designer shops and McDonald’s!
When we first arrived two weeks ago Hyderabad seemed poor and it felt like we had arrived in India! Having been much further south into the tribal areas and the small villages you realise just how much poverty you have witnessed. Hyderabad is very westernised and there are lots of wealthy people around! Its still much poorer than us but….you realise how much of a rich poor divide there is in India. In tribal villages it is good money if too can earn £1 per day here people are spending Rs10000 (£140) on scarves!
It was interesting to hear that one of the guys who saw us off on the train last night, Satchan. He used to be a Hindu priest and became a Christian after working on Suvarna’s house! Satchan is around 50 and when we got to the station last night he qa hardly around. We found out that this was the first time he had been to a train station and he had never seen a train before! He was very excited…. This is an example of the divide that exists….unbelievable!
anyway, this doesn’t help my rant but we headed to McDonald’s for lunch! Unfortunately there was no sign on big Macs only chicken! But at Rs160 it was a cheap meal!
We are now at ACC to award some certificates…..to be honest I’m wishing the time away now and looking forward to tomorrow!
We have just arrived in Hyderabad again, after the all night sleeper train! It was far more comfortable this time than on the way down, thanks to the upgrade! It was only two tier rather than 3 and we got blankets, pillows and AC…luxury!
I think I had about 6 hours sleep on and off, and we arrived here only 10 mins later than scheduled. Noel from Acc in India met us and brought us to the hotel.
So today its a quick shower, breakfast and off to the shops….hopefully to do some shopping!
This afternoon we are off to Acc offices as mum is going to present some certificates. We think they are taking us for dinner too but we’re not sure if that’s lost in translation somewhere. We’ll be leaving hotel at around 9pm to head to the airport……can’t believe this is the final day!
This afternoon we went into koyyalagudem to do some shopping….. Well so we thought! The shops aren’t like me and you might be used too…. They are open fronted small and dinghy and the dust rolls in as each lorry goes by. Even the meat and fish market sits on the edge of the road with the tables open to the elements, suprisingly enough nothing took our fancy! We ended up with an audience of around 20 odd people, watching us intently as we stood at the coconut stand.
We are now on the train just leaving Rajahmundry! The carriage is far nicer….air con, curtains, a section to ourselves and its secure!
We said our goodbyes to the children at around 18.30 and all of the helpers who have been around doing various jobs all week for us, cooking, washing, ironing etc! It was emotional, mary the cook was really emotional, well everyone was really!
After saying our goodbyes we got in the car for the trek to the station! Its Divali tonight so there were fireworks everywhere….people just light them up in the street outside their house! We made it to the station early for a change! There was 8 of us in our car plus 10 in a 5 seater van, quite a departure committee!
After a wait the train arrived a second and final emotional farewell…
After tears, hugs, kisses and prayer we finally pulled away…off to Hyderabad again!
We are now well inside the final 48hrs! Our cases are packed in Ponguturu and we’re just having lunch. A car should be arriving anytime now ready for the long drive to the station!
But after lunch its our first and only opportunity to do a spot of shopping in koyyalagudem! Hopefully pick up some new shoes and maybe some gifts…..if I can find anything nice to buy that is!
Went out for a ride this morning for a final trip round the village. Temperature is around 35c+ today so being out on a bike gave a bit of a refreshing breeze!
All of the pastors have gone home, the food tent has been packed away, the hostel kids emptied the baptistry this morning and watered the garden, the mallipudi kids are preparing to go back to school….life is returning to normal! Its a shame but I suppose I have to prepare to do the same…
