Changing Plans

Our original plan was to train down to Srikakulam and spend a week there on our way to Hyderabad for end of year camp.
by this stage the group had changed shape again. Darryl had flown down to hyd, Wes to Bangladesh, and so we were down to Jona, Mum, Dad & me for this train trip. We were getting off in Srik, and jono was heading on further and getting down in Visak.
We arrived and called Babji in Visak when we couldn't find our translator at the station and found out that James uncle couldn't meet us cause he was in hospital, and had rather unfortunately forgotten to inform us.
So we had no translator and had been told the day before that all the Srikakulam ecclesia's were going to be attending the Visak end of year meetings. That suited me fine, because it's so much easier to catch up with everyone in one place and limits the amount of bus rides that you need to take between the villages (since then I've been on a bus in Kerala).
So we had one day visiting in Narsannapetta and Samuel translated Dad's talks in Urlam and Chennaporam.
We were much saddened by the news on arrival that one of the sisters from the Rallapadu ecclesia has died because she was so depressed, and they hadn't had any visitors for a long time, and also because the Narsannapeta ecclesia had begun building a massive ecclesial hall, and don't have the funds to finish it and are in considerable debt, even by western standards. Sister Zion was so happy to see us and it was so good to catch up with Samuel & Daniel.
We had a lovely meal with the family at the same place we always eat at, and ordered the same fried rice that we always order;-)

Sudershan Rao (sp?) and Zion couldn't attend Visak on the first day because they were busy with another conference, so we ended up taking Samuel & Daniel on to Visak by bus with us. It was really nice because we ended up taking them to the beach and had such a relaxing morning with them before the camp started.
Unfortunately, not all the ecclesia's from Srikakulam ended up going to visak, so we really only got to see some of the Rallapadu, Narsannapeta, Urlam, & Palakonda people.

Allen & Tara Laben were at Visak and it was lovely to spend time with them and a another guy from their cyc during the week. Allen & Jeff led the talks, and Tara and i helped out with the sunday school. They hadn't prepared anything when we arrived, so we had to sort something out quite quickly. Thankfully I had some pictures we could zerox and we just taught the lessons accordingly. Half way through the camp Santoshi arrived having just finished her exams and it was just amazing to be able to spend 2 days with her. It was also really nice when Erina arrived on the monday morning for them to meet and we all went to the beach together before parting ways. It was so lovely to work with Joythi & Sheela with the ss and very sad to say goodbye to them all when we left for Hyd! such beautiful girls.