Day Seven

Today we head to Kerala, where we will visit a site that claims to have been founded by St. ('doubting') Thomas in 52AD. Our Indian guide is 'Brother Francis' whose email tells us much about him: donkey4christ@_______

Francis ministers mainly in Nepal, and describes to us how things have eased in that country for Christians:

"Very hard for Christians before with Hindu king. He killed and tortured many; conversion to Christianity was a crime. But God was merciful to us two years ago; he was killed, and now there is a Maoist government. They do not care about religion; they care about money. You can start a mission, as long as you pay 50 percent to the government. Americans can come with no Visa and stay as long as they like. In India, Americans need Visas because the Hindu government is afraid you are coming to convert everyone to Christianity.

“Many are coming to Christ in Nepal,” he continues, "but it is very difficult to convert the Hindus. They like Jesus and accept him as one of their gods. But they do not understand why they must give up all other gods. Many of them will worship in a Christian church for many years, and still have many idols in their homes. Hindu culture is very strong there.”

After taking our meals on campus for many days, we are looking forward to a culinary change of venue. The food has been very good at the orphanage-school, but predictable:

Rice. In the morning, it is likely to be a doughy cake about the size of a saucer and of indeterminate shape.

We are then offered a number of 'slurries,' and some will be very spicy. They are almost always meatless. They can contain foodstuffs ranging from chickpeas to boiled eggs still in their shells. Curry, of course, pervades it all; curry powder was even sprinkled over Lays potato chips in a very 'American' looking package.  After the meal, we are often offered tea (always with cream and sugar added--it is fairly strong) and a mix of sugar and fennel, which is thought to be a digestive of some sort.

Some of us are longing for a steak. When we stopped at a McDonald's for a restroom break, we all laughed at a number of menu items, including a 'cheeseburger,' which was breaded, deep fried cheese on a bun. Hmmmm.

Bananas are bountiful, beautiful, and a 'safe' food, free of microscopic troubles that may lead to Giardia or other nasty ailments. They have become our chief staple, a cross-cultural culinary friend in a time of need. The tiny ones are sweetest;  the bunches are often taller than the banana-seller, and are artfully arranged to entice the local and tourist alike. The mangos are perfumed; I have eaten hundreds in my life, but never tasted anything like these; they are filled with the nectar of the heavens, as though they were soaked in flower water overnight.  Prices are remarkably low overall. At a nice, air-conditioned hotel restaurant, ten of us had coffee, toast and a few large bottles of water for about $12. The toast was 50 cents (with butter and jam--.33 plain).

We consider our departure tomorrow with a mixture of excitement and regret. There is great need here, and real opportunity for change. The people we have met have been humble and welcoming. With all of the chaos of traffic and noise in the streets, there is no rancor; people wait, implacable, even as a massive cow saunters across an impossibly busy road. India may be the most complex society we have encountered. With its mix of languages, faiths, diverse geographical and ethnic features, it is a mysterious, living laboratory, fascinating for anyone who seeks to better understand our fellow men and women, and God's purposes for us all.

The following is a typical abode in Coimbatore.