Rest and Relaxation

Monday Feb 3, 2014

Today was a fun day to get more acclimated to the time difference of 10.5 hours. We shopped in Visakhapatnam. While we were shopping our host Roa was picking Penny and Bill at the airport.  It was great to see them when we got back to the hotel.
Last night we had dinner on the patio. It was a Chinese sampler.  We got a sample of ALL appetizers and more of the appetizers we especially liked.

We got to know our host a little more and what he does.  He lives approx 220 from Vizag.  He arrived by train and has been a gracious host. A funny moment at dinner tonight. Jim Tarvin is asking everybody he sees where can he find a cobra. Roa related to us he has cobras around and IN his house all the time.  When asked how many times he has had a cobra in his house he couldn't count all the times. Then explained how to kill a cobra and that his children kill them all the time.  His children - He is guardian to 292 children.

Next week when he drops us off at the airport in Vizag he will hop a train to Kottayam for the Seminary graduation.  He said it will be about a 26 hour train ride from Vizag to Kottayam.

Tomorrow at 2:00 PM we head to Koraput and start our main reason we are here. A pastors conference and medical clinics. Until tomorrow.

Keep us in your prayers to have God show his love through us.

Finally... We are here

Later Sunday Feb 2, 2014 at 11:50 AM. 

We are now at our Hotel for the next 2 days. GREAT NEWS. Penny and Bill will be with us tomorrow. We are at the Taj Residency.  We left Atlanta at 5:45 PM Friday January 31. We are now in Vizag Sunday Feb 2, 2014 at 11:00 AM.

Second part most interesting.

Sunday February 2, 2:22 am

In Mumbai municipal airport. Our flight to Amsterdam was interesting. Penny and Bill got sick on the flight to Amsterdam. Penny got the worst of it. She was very weak. She boarded the flight to Mumbai and got sick again. This time the flight attendants asked them to get off the plane. So, of our 14 on the trip 2 are in Amsterdam and 12 are catching some shut eye on our 8 hour layover in Mumbai. One last flight at 8:25 am Sunday morning from Mumbai to Visahkpatanam (Vizag pronounced Vie zag). It will be the shortest only about 2 hours.

Our long journey into ....

January 31, 2014 4:04 pm 

Well, we are on our way. We made through check-in with no problems. Sitting in the International Terminal of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport gate E10. First leg will be to Amsterdam. Flight is 8 hours. (Less time than it took many of you to get home from work on Tuesday.) second leg will from Amsterdam to Mumbai.

2014 Mission Trip Begins.+

The time is here. Tomorrow January 31, 2014 we travel to Koraput, India. We will be begin the trip on Friday Jan 31 departing from Atlanta, GA to Mumbai via Amsterdam.  Once we get to Mumbai (Bombay) we will change to Jet Airways and fly from Mumbai to Vizag (short for Visakhapatnam). We will be in Vizag on the eastern coast of India on the Bay of Bengal for 2 days to let our bodies catch up then to Koraput for our medical clinics, pastors conference and dedication of the well.

I'll add to this as time permits along with pictures.

Until tomorrow....

Children’s Home – Saturday February 25

Saturday afternoon we visit the Seminary to meet Dr Kunjamon Chacko. We visit the classrooms where Team 1 taught the classes and met daily. Remember the little blurb about a week ago stating we made it, we’re here, talk later. It was sent from my iPad sitting on the steps in the hallway just before we left for the Children’s home. (Didn’t know that would be the last Internet until I got back to JFK Airport) At the Seminary we were treated to home grown pineapple, and banana nut bread. We then headed over to the Children’s Home to meet the wonderful children and have an evening with them. We arrived and the children gathered to meet us. They sang a song to us as we prepared to give them gifts we brought.

The courtyard

Meeting and greeting all the precious Children

Evening worship at the school. Songs were sung, roll was called and MANY were blessed.

Saturday February 25, 2012 – Travel to Kottayam

Our flight was delayed from Dubai to Kochi, India by an hour. It seems there was a little “unrest” in the country of Oman so we had to wait for an hour to get clearance to overfly Oman. We got to Kochi around 4:00am. We were hoping to be able to see the departing members of our 1st team but it wasn’t to be. They were at a departure gate not in sight of the arrival/customs area. We hit a little snag coming through customs. The customs officials didn’t look pleased to see a suitcase full of eyeglasses. He thought they were being brought in to sell. Penny tried to explain they were going to be given away. After a little while customs finally cleared the glasses after a small duty was paid on them.

As we exit the airport we are met by one of gracious hosts Sabu along with two buses to take us to Kottayam. After all the luggage is loaded we load up and head to Pearl Regency Hotel – Kottayam. The trip to the hotel is an adventure by itself. Saw many sights and got to see our first Indian sunrise (through a bus window but still beautiful).

Here are a few of the sites along the way.