Mungeli,
India
Monday, February 16, 2009
I hope this reaches you all. I am working on a computer that needs to be replaced and internet that has been fairly sick since we arrived. But...WOW! This trip has been so incredible words and pictures will not even begin to scratch the surface of what all we have seen and done and felt. I still can't believe it is all real. The Taj Mahal looks exactly like the pictures. We rode a rickshaw in Old Delhi, visited Gandhi's grave and museum. I LOVE the food! Anyone who knows me and knows how picky I am should be amazed at that statement. Our first 10 minutes at the hospital we were in the OT (operating theater, not Old Testament for all my pastor friends). I saw a huge 8 pound tumor removed from an 18 year old girl, a hysterectomy, and that was just day one. We saw a tiger and rode an elephant. This morning I got a video of our second c-section. I tried to teach kindergardener's how to say their name and age, and a few other parts of the body (head, shoulders, knees and toes anyone?) in English. When Anil said to "come and see" he really meant it. We have seen so much. It is difficult to keep up with the good doctor, but well worth it. I will write tons more later, but so far it has been wonderful. My feelings really haven't quite caught up to me yet. I know once I get home and have time to process it all, it will catch up to me. Last night I had a late night philosophizing session with the Denmark doctors Tonya and Habib, Dr Ash, and Kyle. It is truly amazing what you can learn about one another and about each other's beliefs and theologies when you are willing to let your guard down. Oh, I am preaching a homily tomorrow in chapel, and it will be translated in Hindi. Who knows what else is in store? It is really a new experience every 15 minutes. Check out the website
www.gadisciples/mungeli.com for updates that Landa is texting from her phone every day. And, this morning I found out my niece's name--Charlotte Lillian Schendel. I can't wait to meet her when I get home! I miss you all and hope things are going well back in GA. I will bore you all to tears with the hours of stories I have left to tell. I am determined to get Covington involved and bring them back soon. I know this blog is scattered and all over the place, but it is representative of how my mind is working right now, and how this trip has been all along. Chris summed it up best the other night at the Hindi wedding reception we attended. We tried an interesting treat that is popular on occaision here, all kinds of spices and God knows what else wrapped up in a leave and sealed with a clove. You pop the whole thing into your mouth and chew, for quite awhile. When asked what it tasted like, he could only respond, "it tastes like our last week in India, all wrapped up into these new flavors, like nothing I've ever tasted before". So I'll tell you what it was called and sum up my entire India experience in one word--paan.
