Our India Bangalore Mission: Entry #15 -- February 1

We are going where?...First, we traveled to Hyderabad for a combined zone conference with missionaries from Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Kakinada and Hyderabad. That meant a 12- to 14-hour train ride up and another back with 24 missionaries. Kent Watson, of the Asia Area Presidency presided. We stayed at the Grand Bay Hotel and wore out the remote on the flat screen t.v. The train ride gives you a chance see the farmlands; rice fields, corn, red chilies, cotton, coconut trees and grape vines. Otherwise, you should have reading material and newspapers and hopefully you get to take a nap or two. We are so glad that the missionaries don't forget to bring the junk food!

Next...we traveled, again by train (for 3 1/2 hrs.), to Rajahmundry to attend a one-day couples conference with workshops, fun, food and getting to meet new people.

Finally...we "snuck" out of town and flew to Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is a large island off the southeast tip of India, and it is the closest thing to paradise that we have seen so far! We joined other couples from Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Sri Lanka for a senior missionary couples conference. The week's itinerary included shopping, sight-seeing, food, fun and of course, meetings. Unfortunately, Kent and I got a virus (or something) and spent most of our time in the hotel room (it is a good thing that it had a great view). On the last night, we had some excitement that was not in the schedule. Two LTTE planes flew into downtown Colombo and the Sri Lankan air force shot them down. One crashed into a gov't. building only two blocks from our hotel and the other crashed near the airport. Therefore, we spent some time in the hotel ballroom and basement hallways. While the staff were passing out water bottles and flashlights, people were text-messaging to the outside world for information. We were hoping that the airport had been closed so that we did not have to leave the next day, but no such luck. Everything seemed back to "normal", whatever that is!

This is a view of the Colombo Hilton from the pool with the

World Trade Center Towers to the left.

The fish pond at the Colombo Hilton in Sri Lanka.

They are evidently trying to graft this plant to the tree.
Maybe someone could identify it for us.

Elephants at the elephant orphanage on their way to the river

for their daily bath.

Elephants enjoying their time in the water.

A baby elephant playing while the older elephants stand guard.

There is a large lake in the middle of Colombo. In the lake is a Buddhist Temple. Around the outside of the temple are these Buddhist statues, each one in a different state of meditation.

View from the top floor of the Colombo Hilton looking toward the sea.

World Trade Center Towers in the background. Foreground is an old colonial era building called Cargills. Trading in the tea producing industry took place in the colonial times of Sri Lanka, or Ceylon, as it was called then.