Thursday, July 1, 2010

Hyderabad

Adaptability: without it, you won't last long here. We were in a village in one part A.P. the other night and Anand got a call from Jay Anand, the shepherd/leader in the village where the home is to be, that Anand was needed there. Tim and I needed to get back to Hyderabad. So we split up. Just Tim and I on a bus heading 4 hours across the country and exploring all over the city when we got here. It was fun. We learned a lot about navigation, how to get on the right bus, and just have an adventure with it. It wasn't a very reassuring day as far as travel goes, we hit a big bump going 30 something, and everyone on the bus got launched into the air. I was sitting up straight in the back, and my head hit the metal luggage rack above pretty hard. Lots of people were laying down and got thrown higher than the seats. My vision blurred for a few minutes, and I had a headache the rest of the day, but now I only have a nice goose egg on the top of my head, so we're past that now.

Within a little while we drove by an autorikshaw trying to go up a hill diagonally and it flipped over; it was full of people, but as pedestrians ran to help upright it, it appeared no one was seriously hurt. As Tim and I were walking back in the city, a bicycle cut off a scooter, the scooter ran into this movable metal divider in the highway, the divider angled into traffic moving in the opposite direction, and two guys on a motorcycle hit the divider, tumbling them and the bike to the street. The bicycle guy pedaled off almost immediately and the others just brushed it off and got on with their commutes.

After we split up with Anand, he came back to hyderabad today, and we're heading back to the village tomorrow. This time will be for about a week - I know I've said that before and it not happened, but this time we're going. Who knows, our departure date keeps moving, every day the plan seems to change multiple times. Adaptability is so important.

One fun story I've been meaning to share concerns a man from last time (I don't think I told this on the blog yet. Two years ago, I was walking with Eric and Anand to get breakfast one morning. A local political party leader who had given Anand and the brothers and sisters in the area a lot of trouble in their meetings (even showing up with mobs telling them to disband) spotted us and came over and started yelling with Anand. He was angry that we were there and started interrogating us, but we just brushed it off. After we got back from breakfast though, just to play it safe, we locked up the house and went to the opposite side of the city, and took a fun day with lunch at McDonald's and the afternoon at the surrounding mall. Upon getting to hyderabad this time, I inquired about the guy asking if he still caused trouble, and Anand told me about how he and the guy were now friends. While they don't agree on issues, the guy opened up a snacks shop, and he even now sells Anand snack foods at discounted rate - both because he buys a lot and because he agrees with the cause (that is the home, the fact that Anand has taken these kids off the streets and out of difficult situations). So the persecutor has now become a helper in what God is doing. It amazes me how much things can change in two years.

We are going to the village tomorrow, so please be praying for our efforts there. The whole area is very excited about the school.

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