Bharti Integrated Rural Development Society
(B.I.R.D.S.)

July 16

Finally, a closing note from Paul, the executive director of BIRDS.

Most Respected and Dear Loving friends,

Thank you so much for your kind 20 days visit to BIRDS. I Hope you all have settled and had sufficient rest.

I want to place on record the tremendous work done by your team. The work was excellent with very good coordination. You have done alot for BIRDS, Church and people. I want to thank you all in a special way for coping with the heat, delays, and changes to many activities we planned.

I want to list some of the activities completed:

1. Working with villagers at Muthyalapadu to clean their church.
2. Sodis (solar disinfection of water) Training for Community Health Workers.
3. Visits to the villagers for peoples empowerment (discussion of local problems) in the villages of Rudravaram, Peddavangali and Srirangapuram.
4. Micro finance visits to villages near the farm and in Nandyal
5. Soap making training for micro financing opportunities for the women.
6. Teaching students at the Muthyalapadu School the theory of soap making.
7. Playing and practicing English with Children at campus.
8. Visits to 6 villages of the Diocese to see the half built churches and parsonages.
9. Visit to cathedral in Nandyal.

Apart from the visit and meetings, the team:

1. Donated clothes, shoes and sandals to the children (Nandyal and Muthyalapadu)
2. Donated an all-in-One Printer, scanner, copier, fax, machine at Muthyalapadu
3. Donated money for:
   a. Replacement of the generator roof
   b. Support for non-sponsored orphans
   c. Community Health Worker training
   d. Equipment and design of internet across the campus
   e. Iron grills for windows on the new girls boarding home to protect them from monkeys
   f. Tires for the bullock cart
4. Gifts to the all children and staff

On behalf of myself, my family, the children, the staff, and the Dailet peoples, we thank you for your kind love, compassion, generosity, fellowship and friendship.

We all will be looking forward to see you all once again in India. May God Bless you all and your families, friends and congregations who have supported this visit.

Thank you all, with very kind regards
Paul

July 15

Here is a final chapter to add to this year’s stories of our visit to India.

During our visit we had several encounters with monkeys. One raided our snack room, unscrewed a glass container, ate its contents and then grunted at us when confronted.

During our work at the local church, the monkeys were a constant companion. They played just beyond our areas of work, yet close enough to monitor our activities. When our tasks moved us to the far side of the church, the monkeys were not far behind.

As our work at the church progressed from the inside, we began to notice broken stain glass windows near the top of the church walls. When we went outside, the recessed areas were largely filled with bricks and metal bars.

When our translators were asked, they scoffed, “Monkeys”!!!

The portals were blocked off because monkeys climb up and break out the windows with rocks. It seems that like us, the monkeys do not like the extreme heat and enjoy getting in out of the rain.

Greg

July 14

There comes a time, in every trip to India that I make, that India begins to wear on me. What I mean by that is that at first the poverty, the hardships, the disease, the deaths that we always experience while we are here, the caste system, the servants waiting on us, the lack of just about everything I take for granted in US, is somewhat novel, romantic in a dramatic sort of way. At first it's a bit like reading a grippingly intense travel narrative; upsetting in some ways, but you are able to remain at somewhat of a distance. "That's how it is in India." we tell ourselves, "We can't chance everything, or even most things. The people are used to it, and it is better than it once was, etc, etc." But at some point, and I hit that point last night as I tried to sleep, it becomes all too real. Being tired may be part of it. Our defenses are weakened. I am much closer to tears today just writing to you. I laid awake thinking of everything I wanted to change somehow. Like Marta, I had images of a BIRDS worker to was killed yesterday when he was hit by a car when walking across a city street and endured 8 hours in a hospital before he died with little medical care or drugs. I walked out of my room early and watched our dear dormitory workers serving tea to 40 new guests who are here for a waste management training. "Yes, sir!" "Madam, tea?" we hear so often. It is their only english and such a quick reminder of their position in this society. I am so angry today! It was not the Dahlits who choose this system so long ago, but a group of greedy, privileged elite (Brahmins) who took advantage of a misunderstood religious view (the rich are more loved by God!) followed by wealthy Rajas, then Imperialistic English Military leaders, Bureaucrats, and Lords, and Ladies, who continued to exploit the caste system for their own comfort and pleasure. At this point, psychologically, I begin to think about coming home. I begin to want to escape the discomfort my heart can no longer hide from. But there is always also a part of the heart that begins to feel the sorrow of saying goodbye to so many loving faces of children and hearing everyone of them call out, "Morning, madam!" ; of saying goodbye to the loving kindnesses of so many dear friends here whose lives will continue in what I, at least, consider hardship here, while I will return to so much that I will take for granted again within days of my return; even of saying goodbye to a congregation whose language I cannot speak or understand, but who I have offered the bread and wine, who I have given blessings for healing and absolution after confessions, and whose child I have now baptized in Christ; a congregation who I now feel the responsibility and blessing of pastoring. Capi can tell you that I will not be able to talk about my trip much, at first. It will take days, maybe weeks, for the emotions and thoughts and experiences to sort themselves out enough for me to put many words together, some of it can never be explained. Your prayers have sustained us and will carry us home in hope, knowing that together we will continue to work to help these people.

Grace and Peace,
Barbara

July 13

Our travels today took us to a Hindu temple which was build the the 11th century. We arrived late in the afternoon.Our tour guide introduced himself as the head priest of the shrine. He told us, in excellent English, he does not usually give tours, but for us he made an exception.

To our amazement, the history of this area goes back the the Sanskrit epics of India in the 5th century BC.

We had passed several pillars when I noticed one was covered in Egyptian symbols. I asked, "Egyptians were here in the 11th century?" "yes" was his answer.

I found this interesting article regarding the common history of India and Egypt.

Greg

July 12

We have just completed our second week here, and all is well. One member has had some stomach trouble, but not too bad. Marta and I have really been well. We have taken our water purification program (SODIS) to a local school of about 300 students, to a group of community health workers, and to three villages where some of the health workers are based. It's pretty neat, and involves exposing the water to direct sunlight for 6 hours when it's sunny out. The water needs to be in 1 or 2 liter bottles for it to work,and they need to be clean and clear. So far the response has been positive, and about a thousand people have been present. Outside of questions about how they will bring so many bottles out into the field when they do their farm work, everyone seems to understand. It will be interesting to see what the impact is on the occurrence of diarrhea among children. It is still difficult to convince people to have a common latrine or toilets out in the more rural areas, but this SODIS process may help with health among children. The health workers are going to start compiling the data, and start comparing.

This is really our first day off since we arrived. We've done some cleaning on the outside of a local church, done a soap-making training for a group of women involved in a micro-finance program of BIRDS (That's the non-profit we work with here), and done a lot with the children in the residence homes here. I'm getting the hang of cricket, and I've shown the boys how to through a football. I don't think the latter will ever be a very important part of their lives, but it sure has been fun.

I am always amazed at the joy and the sense of welcoming that we feel from everyone we meet. This is an area with a mix of hindus, moslems, christian, and aboriginal people. People clearly know their place, but there still is a sense of earnest carrying among them. I'm sure it wouldn't take much to unbalance things, but everyone seems truly happy and caring. I have never been called "sir" so many times though, nor drunk tea so often every afternoon. I'm sure these are both vestiges of the british rule here.

Paul Raja Rao, the director of BIRDS, is truly remarkable. He himself is a Dahlit (untouchable), but he commands respect from everyone, and he extends the same earnest caring that I described above. He has overcome the typical bias toward dahlits, and functions well at all levels. He is a remarkable man.

In this last week, we're hoping to take a short excursion to a wildlife preserve. The weather may make that impossible. A couple of days the temperature has climber to about 100, and the humidity is high. Unfortunately, it hasn't rained much, and there is worry among the farmers. They are doing some wonderful water management practices here, and that helps. We also will continue with the SODIS and soap making projects.

The food has been great, and I've eaten pretty much everything. Lots of water too.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers. All of our love.

Kevin and Marta

July 12

The soap project is going well, and the micro financing group is preparing to begin production.

The solar disinfection of water is going well, and people are starting to create clean water.

The project with the orphanage is going well, the girls are set to move into their new building starting Tuesday.

Then there is the solar hot water project. We are going to have to rethink that one. Not that is does not work in the lab, its just there is a problem- There are some complications we had not planned on. We put the bucket in the sun and attached the hose to initiate the convection cycle that was to produce hot water, which would reduce their dependence on charcoal and would be much cheaper. But there is this snag.

We did not take into account the ox, water buffalo and monkeys. That may seem to be an odd collection of excuses, until we add the fact that water is scarce, and unattended bucket of water is fair game for anyone who can find it. When the bucket is suddenly empty, its hard to heat water.

A similar test in the villages would, in retrospect, end up with a similar result. The only difference being we would have to factor in sheep, dogs, and children. I considered roofs, however most are flat cement structures and would only host a different group of animals. The other type of roof construction is thatched roofs, and that would be difficult to attached to a heating system. In the grand scheme of things this demonstration only cost us $6.00 to create and test so it was not a significant loss, just a good lesson. We considered a lid, but the monkeys unscrewed the lid on our trail mix container and finished it off earlier in the week.

We'll have to think more about that one.

What I have saved for last reflects alot about the mind set of India.

We were driving and had just passed several vehicles on a narrow road and I was watching the oncoming bus and wondering how our driver would avoid it, when we suddenly came to a complete stop, as did the oncoming commuter bus. No warning, no apparent danger, they both uncharacteristically just stopped. Our driver turned to us and said "Snake".

Sure enough on the highway was a unknown snake about 6 feet long. We asked if it was a special snake as the reason everyone stopped? He said "No, we just let pass". After it had cleared the highway we continued on dodging Water Buffalo, dogs, monkeys and other critters with the same mind set.

Greg

July 11

The weather report is for sunny and 37 degrees today. Seems ok, until you adjust for C, then its 102 F degrees. The high temp this spring was 52, which converts to 125 F degrees!

Changes, part 2

Two elements which make playing hop scotch more difficult:

1.   First, the girls mark out the game on gravel in the parking lot

2.   Second, they play the game barefoot.

Each girl has a set of "special stones" they use to play the game.

The job description of the Night Watchman has changed more than any other here at the farm.

Previously, the night watchman's duties were primarily observing at the children's sleeping porch. As the temperature dropped and the cool breezes swept the area, the children would sleep comfortably outside under the thatched roof. The problem was the snakes in the adjacent grasses also became cold when the day time temperatures dropped. The snakes would make their way to the sleeping porch and cuddle up next to the children for warmth. The night Watchman's job was to capture the snakes, which included 15 foot cobra's and release them in nearby fields, where they are essential for rodent control.

Thanks to some very generous and loving people, the children now live in newly constructed cement buildings. We attended the dedication of the girl's dorm yesterday. The dorm is about 140 feet long and has four rooms. The two rooms in the front are 40 feet by 70 feet, these are the sleeping, activity and living areas. The other two rooms on the backside are toilets and showers. The inlaid tiles were hand cut by workers using chisels and mallets.

We live on the upper floor of the Hostel building, just behind the orphanages. They tell us we are upstairs because it is cooler. Although that is true we have also heard the snakes do not like to climb the cement stairway to the second floor!

The night watchman still sleeps on a nylon cot on the porch, near the stairs at the entry point of our building. His continued presence may be simply tradition- that is just how it is done, or maybe, just in case.

As we were driving yesterday, our guide commented he needed to pay his cell phone bill and needed to stop at the ATM. As we looked at each other in disbelief, the driver stopped in front of a shop surrounded by an open air market and bicycles with a "ATM" sign. This was a complete surprise, as we have not seen other ATM's or banks or imagined that the shop even had electricity.

Greg

July 10

So much has changed in the villages of India since our last visit.

 

The Iron plate that hangs on the tree with the metal spike that called the children is quite now, as the children live inside the orphanage instead of on the sleeping porches.

 

New electrical lines litter the farms and satellite dishes are secured to adobe walls pointing vertically into the sky.  There are now two satellite dishes at BIRDS currently with 600 channels. One is available to the children for an hour a day. The children's daily schedules (from 7am to 9pm) only includes one hour when they could visit the media center. We observed they were much more interested in outdoor activities. that will likely change during the monsoons. 

 

Motorcycles with multiple riders are now talking cell phones as they weave amongst traffic.

 

Even the washer lady, who picked up our clothes each day and dried them on the bushes across the farm is gone. Our clothes are now taken off the farm. We passed a group of women at the local stream yesterday washing clothes in brown water. We asked if these were ours. the answer: "it is better not to know"

Our socks, jeans, underwear and shirts all came back spotless and ironed.  Ummm.

 

A few days ago our bags, which challenged the 50 lb limit at the airline counter are now empty. Medical supplies have been given to the clinic and gifts for the orphans have reached little hands and created a desire for us to leave some of our "work" and play the games with them.

 

After months of planning, our work here is taking shape.

Yesterday, one of our team taught micro financing classes on how to make soap. The women were very excited and have already begun to request  specific spices for different colors and fragrances. Kevin  and Marta went to the local school of 160 students and taught solar disinfection of water, I spent two days working with staff on computer upgrades and networking.

 

Our visits to the local towns are interesting yet sad. A constant stream of vehicles will pass each minute each blowing its horn to warn of its presence and swerving to avoid cows, pigs, people, bicycles, motorcycle taxis, buses, and ox driven carts of various dimensions, That people survive a trip to town is a miracle. Yet people of all ages wander through the crowded streets in harmony.

 

Many stores have been there seemingly for ages, yet do not have electrical service or running water.  Other stores have lots of wires going somewhere, with open circuit boards on the walls. I would hate to be an electrician in this environment, especially as the common circuits are 240 volts.

The entrance to stores is over the sewer- sometimes covered and sometimes not. Shoes must come off before actually entering the most shops. (This is a sanitation requirement to keep some bacteria out of  working areas). There appear to be frequent problems in the sewers as there are groups of men and women who pull heavy cement caps off and wade through the sludge to locate locate and resolve blockages. The waste materials are scattered in piles between the walk ways and streets.

 

The people in the towns welcome us with curious looks and some are very interested to hear/and or speak English. Many find the sight people with light skin as interesting. Kids love to come and test their abilities to say "Hi" and "how are you" in English.

 

Merchants are curious when we stop at their shop and gather to hear what we want to purchase. They will form a small town hall and offer our translator suggestions if the current merchant does not have what we need.  

 

One really good change has been the food. A team from Boston, Mass was here and spent a week teaching the kitchen staff to cook western foods. The cry of  "TOO SPICY" has been replaced with yummm. French Toast, Scrambled eggs, Mango juice, rice (and some spicy sauces) are now common for breakfast. Lunch and dinner is comprised of chicken, rice and potatoes. Great foods.

 

We had another visit from the Monkeys. A family of 15 gathered and entertained us. They appeared to find us amusing, as we did them.

The mother monkeys brought their babies out and allowed them to play a few feet away.

 

There is an updated version of Hop Scotch in play here. not only do the girls work their way around the square, they have different degrees of difficulty.The first level is to place a special stone on top of their foot as they go around. When successful, they moved to stone to their shoulder. The final level is to place the stone on their heads. By completing the round, they score 600 points- the maximum if they do not drop  stone. .

 

Just got the morning weather report from the BBC for south Asia. They are projecting 37degrees C today.  roughly 100. With the humidity this should be a good day to take off early.

 

All for now

 

Greg

 

July 10

It was a smelly, rainy night in a city that knows what stinkin’ wet means. The air was so thick the hot cooking oil, two stroke exhaust and buffalo dung were all getting to know each other way too well. The city is Proddutur. It’s not important what it means. My name’s Stew.

We came to town to find acid. We weren’t trying to score a drug deal. Not just any kind of acid; we needed washing acid. The kind that makes short work of iron stains in a toilet bowl. A quick look at the tabloids finds the occasional story of love gone wrong and toilet bowl acid being used as a lover’s revenge. The results aren’t pretty. Too bad.

The job is cleaning up. The church has walls with lime paint. Not green paint. Calcium carbonate. The boss wants it gone. My job’s to take care of the paint. Lots of ways to take care of paint. This paint’s special and I’m the specialist. It’s been there a long time, but the boss wants it gone. Too bad for the paint.

We got in the car and went to Alagada. No luck. No acid. They barely knew what the stuff was. But we got hooked up with the right people. Our local contact says Proddutur’s the place. We got back on the road.

After thousands of potholes and almost as many ox carts we got there. We checked on the acid. The guy says that’s a lot of stuff, I have to check availability. We said we’d wait. We also said we wanted brushes. Wire brushes. Lots of brushes. Lots of big wire brushes. The kind that would take the skin off a guy’s nose faster than a monkey would snatch a cookie from a baby. The first guy wanted too much. We said no thanks.

The second guy didn’t have availability. We said thanks anyway. The third guy had the brushes, he had the availability. We had a deal. 20 rupees each for 20 brushes. A cool $8.50 American. So far so good.

Not time yet to check on the acid. I had a little side trip for a sweet little woman I know. A rainbow saree is what she wants; a rainbow saree is what she’ll get. But not today. Three guys in three saree shops try to sell me everything but the water buffalo next door. No rainbow sarees here. They say not fashionable, so 5 years ago. Look at these sir. I said no thanks. The lady put in the order, and that’s not availability. See ya.

We had to make it back by 8. The boss’ place is 60 clicks over bad road. Rush hour so bad New York thought it was Sunday afternoon. I thought it was bad 6 hours ago. Our contact here gives us a lead. Just an address. We follow a dark, narrow alley and get beaned by a cricket ball thrown by a five year old. Smart kid. Motorcycles everywhere blocking the way. We moved the motorcycles. We pull in behind some guy’s house and closed the deal. 40 bottles of acid for 35 rupees per. Another thirty bucks for a good cause. Any cause of the boss’ is a good cause. Got it? We head for home. We made it back in time for a cold one and a little relaxin’ time before the next job.

Dave

July 9

This morning we went down the road to the Muthyalapadu church, which is 116 years old, to test David’s solution of bleach, TSP, and water to clean mold off the old stones. The congregation is very anxious to restore the original stonework as they consider this church one of the most important in their region and it is covered with mold and old whitewash from year ago. With many villagers gathering to see what was up, David and Kevin, used backpack sprayers to spray the solution on lower six feet of part of the building. Greg came along behind with wire brush and soon many village men also wanted to help. David soon discovered that the lid had not been screwed on tightly enough on his sprayer and ended up with a slight bleach burn on a small area of his back, which was quickly dosed with bottled water which meant he ended up with a soaked shirt. The bleach solution works fine on moldy stones, but we needed something different for old whitewash, so helpers drove back to BIRDS farm to get a bottle of acid type bathroom cleaner. We were skeptical, but it really foamed up on the whitewash and ate it away quite nicely. So we are excited that we have two solutions that we will use to begin to clean the stones and then leave with village so that they can complete the project. I will attach some pictures of this project.

This afternoon David, Kevin, and Greg and riding in to Allagada for more shopping. We now need large quantities of the acid bathroom cleaner and more wire brushes. (Wire brushes cost 1 dollar each!) Meanwhile, Marta and I will be working on getting correct names with each new picture of sponsored children that we have taken.

We visited the Muthyalapadu school across from the church this morning and were greeted by hundreds of happy, friendly children, many of whom we know because they live on the farm with us. We were told that they have started construction of a new building, but ran out of money. This would be a perfect project for another church in our Presbytery. Maybe 10,000 dollars is all they need.

It is still hot and humid and very windy and dark cloudy every day, but it just won’t rain!! We are all finally sleeping fine and feeling much better.

Grace and Peace,
Rev. Dr. Barbara J. Campbell

July 8

It is Wed. a.m. and we greet you warmly from BIRDS Farm.

A little cooler maybe this morning, but it is clearer, so it may end up quite warm. The wind starts at about 7:30 a.m. and then gets more and more windy through the day.

Yesterday was the teaching of 31 CHW (community health workers) including Ester that was in the states.

We taught the Sodis water purification process after talking to each of them about what the significant problems in each village was for diarrhea in children, what kind of well or pump they had, where they get their water to drink, etc.

It was so well received that we were very very please -- these women will be very good "champions" for Sodis. They each did a test presentation to us to practice before going back to their villages to teach. The pick things up very quickly and it was amazing how comfortable they are to get up in front of all of us and teach something new.

Today we will be going soon to test the chlorine/TSP spray on the church. To see if it will remove the moldy yuk from the stone work. Very similar stone work to UPC in Albany -- We should have been doing it at 5:00 this morning with no wind -- but we all slept so well last night -- we were all in bed.

Health is good for all of us. We are all eating well.

Special prayer request --

Young woman named Elizabeth and her husband work here at the farm. Elizabeth is a "sweeper" in the girls hostel and her husband is on the cooking staff.

When we came Eliz said she was having her a baby in 2 weeks. Yesterday she started with labor pains. Even though Paul has been making sure she's was getting extra food during her pregnancy, she was still to weak to deliver -- they took her to Nandyal hospital by ambulance --where she was delivered by c-Section a little girl -- both are doing okay. We don't know how much the baby weighs, but Paul said probably about 4 lbs, which is average for here. And they will not give her a name for three months -- until then, they said, we just call her "baby" or we can call her affectionate names (cutie, pumpkin').  I’ll make sure I DON’T call her little monkey — here it would not be appropriate.

Please keep them in your prayers.

Peace to all,
Marta and the team

July 7

We are all doing well.

It is 90+ with humidity about the same.

There have been a series of storms which have taken the DSL line out…yes, the DSL line that lies on the ground and is tripped over by the water buffalo.

In addition to DSL they just added Satellite TV……What a change. What was more noticeable, was cell phone usage. There are cell phones everywhere…..Farmers walking behind water buffalo, passengers on the back of motorcycles, women in almost everyone setting… it’s amazing

I sent a number of pictures to the web master.

They show the old housing unit where Marta and Kevin stayed the first year and the current facility. Like the DSL, it is worlds different.

We are talking to the staff about using the flat roof areas for clean water harvesting.

I enclosed a picture of the children going off to school.

Barbara, the minister traveling with us, had to bless the ox.

The facility where we are living has changed significantly in terms of technology in the last two years.

We spent time with the kids yesterday measuring their feet for new shoes. Each child was called in their registration by their number- a way for us to match kids with very long names to a specific shoe size. When one child came forward, he shared his sponsor's name and wanted us to share his thanks. To our surprise, all the kids knew their sponsors' name and each wanted us to share their thanks.

They have just added DSL and Satellite TV. This is very significant as it brings the children into the 21st century.

The children's day is tightly scheduled with school from 9 to 4, studying two hours a day, activity time and washing clothes. They are allowed to watch TV/movies during a one hour period rest each evening.

Once a week they gather for an outdoor movie and treats.

We had a surprise visitor today. At about two feet tall, he came while we were having lunch and finished off two containers of sugar, the powered milk and was able to open the screw on lid and retrieve several hand full's of snacks. (He really liked Marta's trail mix).

Kevin followed it around the balcony for a few feet and this was met with a growl and a showing of teeth.

The local staff was not amused and kept us at a safe distance, although we watched with great interest. The monkeys "eat better than the people" we were told, which adds to their not being welcome in villages.

Monkeys are not friendly, and although they are everywhere, they carry Rabies and other diseases.

Greg

July 6

We haven’t been able to post for two days because the internet access is down. Not much rain, but strong winds are blowing that tend to make the overhead wires even more unreliable than usual. The internet access is much faster than when St. Mark/Albany United teams have been here in the past, but it still relies on wires from Nandyal.

It’s hard to explain my first impressions of India. I’m the only one on the trip that hasn’t been here before. Crushing poverty in the city, ignored by everyone else. Children rushing to the car at the stoplights, risking their lives with small towels asking to wash your windshield and to pay them. Abandoned building are everywhere, in part a response to the economic downturn as most folks moved in with family and friends to save money. We are treated like royalty everywhere. People get up and greet us with pursed hands as we come near. It’s this, sir and that, sir with everyone but Paul.

In Hyderabad, I listened to CNN-IBN, and English news channel and was fascinated by the political reporting. In my room at BIRDS, I have been able to get any number of English language Short Wave stations, but most are talk shows, evangelical preachers or sports. When we were on our big shopping trip in Hyderabad, I got my first real taste of traffic in an Indian city.

You drive on the left side as in the UK, but that’s where the similarity ends. Lines defining the lanes are mere suggestions. We were the biggest thing on the streets other than busses and delivery trucks, with most of the traffic being small motorcycles, scooters and three wheeled gasoline powered rickshaws. They are used for taxies primarily, but also delivery vehicles. We have seen eight, maybe more, people in these tiny carts powered by a two-stroke, smoke belching, 90 cc engine. It’s hard to believe they can haul the weight. When you want to go somewhere, you just go. Motorcycles, other vehicles and people just get out of the way. They have been doing this for so long that everyone knows how to avoid being squished. You just have to settle back and go with the flow, literally. A few of the busier intersections had traffic police, but for the most part, you’re on your own.

We found a chemical supply shop on one of the side streets. We bought bleach and TSP for the church cleaning, Sodium Hydroxide and a stainless steel thermometer for soap making. They plunked down two kilos of NaOH in a flimsy plastic bag. I had to ask for a stouter plastic container to transport it to BIRDS. The shop owner’s young assistant poured it into bottles on the floor, wincing and coughing in response to what the caustic dust was doing to his eyes and lungs. It could have been a video to show my chemistry students how not to handle hazardous chemicals.

We got to the farm about 7 pm on Friday. Much of what we saw along the way reminded me of what Carol and I saw in Costa Rica. Mango plantations, sugarcane fields and teak trees growing for export. Carts pulled by water buffalos mix with motorcycles and rickshaws. Trucks hauling hay or rice husks where the load is perched on top of the flatbed and is larger than the truck itself. As we got closer to Muthyalapadu, we went through an area of bright red soils that was the center of a brick making industry. They piled the bricks over wood leaving holes at the bottom for air and started the fire to bake the bricks. I’m sure brick has been made this way for hundreds of years.

We pretty much forgot that Saturday was the 4 th of July. We spent a few hours tweaking our plans with Paul Rao after lunch, and I have been working on preparing for my two classes of micro finance soap making. I will use pictures to reinforce what the women herr from the translator, and each group will watch me make a batch of soap and they will work together to make a batch. I will work with the first group this Thursday and the next a week from Thursday. We found a remarkable store in Hyderabad on Thursday that sells essential oils in half kilogram bottles. 235 rupees per bottle ($5) for 500 grams of Jasmine oil, an amazing deal. It will make a wonderfully scented soap.

We also met with the pastor of the church in Muthyalapadu where we are going to try to clean the mildew off the stone exterior of the 116 year-old church. Paul had been pastor there for a few years, but the Bishop transferred him to the Cathedral in Nandyal as one of the associate pastors. We will be working on the mildew problem this Friday.

As we went through the formal greetings and opening statements with the pastor, we found out he serves six congregations, 5 of which are smaller than the church in Muthyalapadu which has a congregation of about 100 families. Paul introduced us and described each of our roles for the trip. When he got to me, he explained that “David was an engineer” and that I knew of ways to clean the church with chemicals. The pastor praised God for engineers that know things that the rest of us cannot understand.

We measured the feet of all of the children yesterday for new sandals. They will cost about 50 rupees per pair, about a dollar, and BIRDS will be ordering school uniforms for the students with money the team brought as well. We found out that not only do the kids know their sponsor’s name, but that they pray for their sponsor every day.

Yesterday we went to church in Muthyalapadu, and The Reverend Doctor Bar-ba-ra helped with the officiating. Under the conditions of her Visa, she cannot preach, but may otherwise participate as asked. Since I don’t understand Telagu, most of the 2 hour service was beyond my reach. They asked us to sit in front near the chancel as honored guests. I found the children captivatingly beautiful from my perch. I took out my notebook and wrote this:

The skies are playing with their hope.
Through western eyes I see pain,
Teams of oxen prepare the soil for rain,
Those who call this place home struggle to cope.

What I see as struggle is life!
These beautiful people live in grace,
They make loving homes in this place,
Keeping land, life and family from strife.

Their colors and their joy is here!
Children’s smiles illumine the room,
They are not defined by my gloom,
Of what they have they quickly give and share.

We have much to learn from this place.
Our western need for comfort blinds us,
To that which is their comfort thus.
Learn from them. We must be open to grace.

Today is buying the oils in a nearby town for soap, vinegar to rinse off any caustic on the skin, supplies for our SODIS water purification project and some plastic pipe for soap molds and a rainwater collection demo that Paul’s assistant, Vijay, is quite interested in. He is a young man with a degree in Commerce, and pretty much runs the Boarding houses and other parts of the farm connected to every thing but agriculture and the medical clinic. He’s 27 and extremely good .looking in a culture of beautiful people. Barb and Marta were talking a little matchmaking with Paul’s eldest daughter. They will have arranged marriages when they are done with school.

Tomorrow Most of the team will be meeting with the community health workers about water quality and other health needs, and I will be making a sample batch of soap so the ladies I’m teaching will see the process two days after the first day’s mixing they will see when the are here.

All for now. Love you all. -Dave