Entry #10 -- September 1 - September 30, 2008

In India, they always say, " I have a doubt", which really means, "I have a question." So...
1. Why is that guy yelling below my window every morning and what is he saying? Since I don't know any Telugu, I thought he was calling people to prayer. I have since decided that he is selling vegetables and he is announcing to everyone that he is downstairs.
2. What are we going to do when it really gets hot? The daily temperature reaches 85 to 90 degrees and the evening temps never drop below 75 degrees. The humidity makes it seem much hotter. And when you don't have a car and need to walk, it seems even hotter. The unbearable months are March, April and May.
3. What is that music I hear? People in India love their music. When you power on your water purifier it plays a little tune. When a car backs up, it plays music (I have even heard "Happy Birthday"). Even the washing machine has musical chimes to identify each cycle.
4. Why does our "to do" list never seem to get smaller? Because the repairmen and the delivery men say they are going to show up and they never do. Then they show up unexpectedly when you are not at home.
5. What about prescriptions? At the local 24-hr. pharmacy you can get most of your prescriptions if you know the pharmaceutical name, not the manufacturer's brand name. They are located in rows, alphabetically. Almost all medicines come in pill form. They are packaged in blister packs, so they don't have to deal with counting out pills, putting them in little brown plastic containers and labeling them. If you are sick (head cold, diarrea, sore throat) you tell the pharmacist what your symptoms are and he gives you a few blister packs. If you are really afraid to take the stuff, you can always go to the internet and look it up to calm your fears.
6. Have you found a new apartment yet? No, apartment hunting is tough. The security guy at the gate of each building doesn't speak English and always answers "no to-let". There are no manager's offices to find out if there are any available or what their prices are. People find apartments by word of mouth. When they see that you are an American, they raise the price!
7. What are you doing there? We attend five different branches, or congregations (but not all on one Sunday!). We help with a family home evening group of young single adults. They love a lesson, games and treats. We attend an 'Institute' class and teach an English class (we are all they have!). We try to participate in all the activities and service projects, offer training and organize movie nights. Lately, most of our time has been spent in finding and furnishing an apartment for another missionary couple who recently arrived from the U.S.
8. Is there crime in Visakhapatnam? Actually, Visak is a very safe place. Young people walk home after school and people are out at night doing their shopping during the cooler hours. You never hear a police car siren and policemen don't wear guns.
9. Grandma, are you still in India? ... was a question from one grand-daughter recently. Yes, and I will be here until early December of 2009. (No, Carol hasn't packed her bags and gone home yet.)
10. How much weight has Kent lost? He says 30 pounds. (No, that is not a 'typo'.)
11. One last question: Where does the time go? . . .


Hurry! Someone please check the building codes! This is an apartment building in a very posh neighborhood. It is the scaffolding that is so amazing...

We introduce you to some of the children at Truth Orphan School. The young single adult group at church has "adopted" them. This photo was taken on their rooftop in the evening, with only one or two fluorescent lights. They know LOTS of songs to sing to us.

Two more missionaries from Visakhapatnam leaving on the train, bound for the mission home in Bangalore and then 19 days at the missionary training center in Manilla, Phillippines.

These steps lead you to the second floor, where the church members meet in Kakinada. We travel there in three hours by driver and taxi so it is an all day trip.

We decided to take a before and after photo, but so far the "road crew" has not shown up. This road leads you to a very nice and new apartment that we recently rented for the new couple coming from the U.S. Won't they enjoy hauling their eight pieces of luggage up this hill!

I thought I would take this picture to show my Relief Society President back home what we did on our most recent Enrichment Activity!

This is my new best friend! She weighs about 85 lbs (when she is not dripping wet!), has three sons (two are on missions in India) and speaks only Telugu, which is why we always need a translator.

This is a beach just north of Visakhapatnam. You can barely make out the mountains through the haze in the background. Many fishing boats, all made by hand, lined the beach.

In India, the cows are worshipped, so this man has decided to decorate himself and his cow.



We are looking for a new apartment, but with the speed that they are going, I don't think there will be a flat available soon. (It is obvious that they knew I was taking their picture!)