Entry #9 - August 1, 2008 - August 30, 2008

Nobody told me it would be like this...You'll never find any meat here and chicken is pretty scarce as well. We haven't brought ourselves to picking out a live chicken, having its head chopped off and bringing it home for dinner. Kent can barely stand eating anything that has had a fly on it! Maybe that is why he has lost 16 pounds. It really is due to a lot of walking and sweating. The electricity goes out every day and possibly several times. We have a back-up generator, but that will run only the lights and fans. It is due to low water levels in the resevoirs, so we are glad for rain when it comes. The retail business is thriving in India, but many times we yearn for an Ace Hardware and a WalMart. Because we are so used to one-stop shopping, it is hard to go from shop to shop purchasing only a few items in each. In some shops, you can stretch out your arms side to side and touch the walls! Driving a car ourselves is highly discouraged so we travel by "auto". No roads in Visak run parallel or perpendicular to each other. There are no stop signs, few traffic lights and no signs that tell you what street you are on (and this is a big city)! The "autos" dance, dodge and weave through traffic. The biggest vehicle, like a bus, rules the road. Everybody has a horn, and uses it. When you honk your horn it doesn't mean that you are mad at someone, it means "I'm coming through, get out of my way". If you choose to walk on a sidewalk, it is just as treacherous, with large holes, uneven pavement, dirt, bricks, trash and hanging wires. Most people find it easier to walk in the street.
Just when we thought that things should be going smoothly, the cord on the iron caught on fire, the geezer, which is the hot water heater for the shower, gave out, Carol and the computer each got a virus, but not the same kind. Then we ran out of propane gas for the gas stove. Kent's ear started bothering him, so we broke down and took him to Seven Hills Hospital when the pain became too great. It is the only hospital that is approved for us to go to. Carol regrets having watched the doctor put a very slender wire into his ear to remove ten years of wax. The paperwork cost 50 cents, the doctor charged $5.00 and the prescriptions cost more than the two combined.
In spite of the challenges, we enjoyed celebrating Friendship Day on the 3rd. People exchange bracelets and say, "Happy Friendship Day". We traveled by train for 14 hours to Hyderabad for a combined zone conference with all of the missionaries. You have to do some of these "brave" things just once. Besides, you are going to miss the great views if you go by plane. On India's Independence Day, August 15, we helped with a branch service project at a school for children with handicapped parents. We traveled again to Hyderabad, via plane this time, to attend District Conference with D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve. Kent and I splurged and stayed at the beautiful Kakatiya Hotel. The best thing was, no, not the free breakfast, or the 10 pillows, or the flat screen tv, but that Kent got his clothes dry cleaned.
In August, we discovered where to buy the best bread, that we really could trust the pharmacist and when you go to the rooftop of our apartment building, you get a stunning view of the sea. A friend gave Carol fresh lemons from their lemon tree -- and she made lemonade . . .

It may seem unusual to you, but this is where we meet for church. This is the location of the Visakhapatnam 1st and 2nd branches. The "auto" drops you off in front, you climb the stairs and go through the entrance inbetween the Reliance store and the optical shop. The chapel and classrooms are on the second floor, with offices and more classrooms on part of the third floor. Can't you just hear the horns honking!

On August 15, Independence Day for India, the Visakhapatnam 2nd Branch had a service project. We traveled by bus to a government-run school for children with handicapped parents. The families live in a colony nearby. I can't read the sign, can you?

All of the children were given a bag of lemon rice and lengths of cloth so they could have a school uniform made. We also had "chocolates" for everyone.

Everyone wanted their picture taken! The man with the blue shirt and beard is handicapped and a parent one of the school's students.

If we could speak Telugu, we would know the names of each person. I like this picture because it shows the rolling hills in Visakhapatnam, the vegetation and the apartments in the background.

We created quite a commotion in the village. Everyone came to get their picture taken. I had a difficult time selecting which ones to use. Naturally, I wanted to use this one, because it shows the women in their beautiful sarees.

I knew we would find a McDonald's in India! This one was at the City Centre in Hyderabad. They serve chicken burgers - very spicy, so we had fish sandwiches instead. The french fries, though were just like home! They get used to people coming by and having their picture taken.

This is the West Maredpally chapel in Hyderabad. You come in on the ground floor and go up a flight of stairs to the chapel. Nice!

For District Conference on August 23rd and 24th in Hyderabad, D. Todd Christofferson (left), member of The Quorum of the Twelve, presided and Donald L. Hallstrom (right), Asian Area President also attended, with their wives.