Just Diu (do) It

Where South Africa was beautiful landscape everywhere you turned, India’s beauty lies within it’s people. The streets are often littered with trash. Cows, pigs, dogs, and other animals roam the streets at will. Big cities intent on modernizing the country clash with the surrounding slums and countryside. Don’t misunderstand, there is some beautiful countryside here. But the countryside is upstaged by the people. Everywhere you look the people show determination, pride, joy, and contentment. The clothes are colorful, matching the personalities that wear them. And never before have we had so many people sincerely concerned for our satisfaction and enjoyment - not just those we count as friends, but complete strangers, bus drivers, etc.

Our time with Rhishi’s family has been wonderful. There is such warmth here, they have done every thing they can to make us comfortable and at home. They have included us in their birthday celebrations and mourning rituals. They make two kinds of food each meal - one spicy and one not so Brooke can eat without sweating. They have been beyond generous with their time, money, and patience. What a joy it is to be here spending time with them.

This weekend we went to a Hindu temple in Somnath (4 hours away by bus – on the coast) and watched the morning service for waking one of their gods, Shiva. The temple was really beautiful set on the beach, with very intricate design. We have pictures of it on the link. Both Brooke and I were left with some curiosity about serving a god you have to wake up – it’s one thing to hear or read about it, but entirely another to watch it. We have talked a bit with Rhishi about his personal views. He is a good communicator and it is interesting to hear him talk about what he believes. He gave me a book that is one of the doctrines of the Hindu faith. It is very moral, and similar in essence to much of the Sermon on the Mount. We look forward to many more conversations of belief with Rhishi and his family…

From there we traveled to Diu, where you will see pictures of a few Portuguese Catholic churches and a Portuguese Fort. The churches where built in the 1600’s. It was interesting for us to look at them and all the statues of Mary and Jesus and the Apostles etc How would someone who is Hindu and prays to a Hindu idol recognize any difference when they see a “Christian” bowing and praying to a Christian idol? It opened up a place for us to discuss the difference in our personal belief from the belief shown in these churches.

You haven’t lived until you ride a state bus in India. There is no way to describe it but I will attempt. Take a 1972 church bus, rip out the suspension, then take nearly all of the paved roads in the U.S. and make them dirt roads that have been bombed for three or four days. Now while you are reading this have someone throw dirt on you and punch your kidney’s over and over. You haven’t lived until you ride a state bus in India.

Please keep praying for us. We begin the family vacation part tomorrow and Rhishi and I are both feeling ill. Head, chest cold stuff. We have had many late nights here and need some rest, but there is also much to see. Pray that Brooke will stay well. Pray for our next leg of our journey. After 5 more days traveling with Rhishi we go to Delhi to visit friends working there. On the 28th or 29th we travel to Nepal. We return to India around the 8th of December and then leave here probably on the 13th for Tanzania.