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We finish our trip with a photo of our feet (much like we began), this time in the Paris airport

Katy and I had probably the most laid back trip heading back to the US. The flights were on time (mostly), the customs and immigration took us probably 5 minutes total (no joke!), and the ride back to Holland was pretty uneventful. Our luggage made it with us just fine and everything that we packed was still in their place when we landed. Our friend Betsy surprised us at the airport. It is always good to see a familiar face after flying for 24 hours.

After reaching home, we mostly just closed the blinds and went to bed as quickly as we could. We spent most of yesterday unpacking and doing laundry. While the suitcases are put away, we have piles of other things that need to be put in their own place. We also had a doctor’s appointment for Katy yesterday. Everything went well even if the baby happened to be on the “smaller” side of things. This is definitely not something to be concerned about and we’ll continue to keep monitoring things.

Life here seems quieter and less chaotic… this is always the shock for me. I find that interesting, it is as though my body is programmed for loud noises, chaotic traffic and strange animals.

We hope to lay low today and the weekend. We do have the funeral for our dear friend Dave today. I am not looking forward to saying goodbye.

Catching the wave…

Katy and I were gone the past two days to re-connect with our group of 12 in Vellore. After the initial debriefing sessions, we met up with my dear friend Krishna yesterday for a truly South Indian experience. True life in India is really seen in these village settings. Krishna and his family own a rice mill outside of a town called Kaveripakkam. His mom made us some delicious South Indian food that was served on banana leaves…another Indian custom. We sat in his beautiful home in this little street called “thottakara (farmer) street.” Krishna recently got married but as is Tamil custom, his wife had to spend this month (the Tamil month of Adi) with her parents. Different explanations abound for why this is…but the two top reasons seem quite plausible. One is that this is the time for sowing and planting, especially rice fields. At this time, they do not want the newly weds to be so obsessed with each other that they get no work done! The second reason for this custom is that a child conceived during this time of year will be delivered in April/May which are the hottest months of the year in India. So while it was sad to not meet Nitya, I thought it was really neat to learn about this ancient custom that is still practiced in rural Tamil Nadu. It is always wonderful to meet Krishna and have him share his life with us but for me, it’s a great excuse to connect with an old friend!

Again, as hectic as our schedule has been this summer, we have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I wanted to write a quick note to let you all know that we leave for the US tonight (even though technically our flight does not leave till early tomorrow morning. Our flight back will go: Bangalore to Paris…Paris to Cincinnati…Cincinnati to Grand Rapids. Today will be a day where we will be running around, buying last minute things, packing our suitcases, settling bills, making sure we have most of our bases covered. Strange to think that we will be back in Grand Rapids, Michigan at 6 PM on Wednesday!

Friends and family, we love you and will look forward to telling you more stories and adding more pictures/videos. The faster internet connections will help. We look forward to repeating from stateside even though, as always, it is hard to leave India. Lots of new things to look forward to when we get back. Amy (Katy’s younger sister) gets married. Katy and I looking forward to doing some housework as we prepare to welcome in our daughter! Exciting things going on.

Also, one of our dear friends, Dave, passed away after a long battle with cancer yesterday. Katy and I share a special bond with Dave because he is the Police Captain who helped me set up my engagement with Katy at the Holland Police Department (a story in itself). It is really hard to believe that he is gone, but thank God for the hope that we share that we will see him soon. Please do keep his wife Nancy and his kids in your prayers.

Ben, one of our college students working with us this summer has his own blog and has a great way of looking at life here. You should read some of his stories sometime… http://www.xanga.com/kesterben

Also, for another view on James’ wedding, here is an account from our dear friend Kandyce… http://kk-incredibleindia.blogspot.com/2008/06/its-good-to-return-to-india-of-3-years.html

Filling in the cracks!

The three men from an organization in Grand Rapids, Michigan left today. I was thinking that with all the crazy-ness of our summer that we never really explained the business end of things. What were JP and Katy doing in India in the first place? Who are all these people that we take around? What are they here in India for? What’s the deal with monkeys? etc. etc.

Well… I will save the details for my personal newsletter. If you would like to be a part of that mailing, please send me an email or leave me a comment and I will be happy to include you on our mailing list. I’ll try to capture for you a nutshell of what our summer has been about.

We were here initially for the wedding of James (my younger brother). However, as most of our trips go, we don’t usually just come to India alone. This summer was by far the busiest for us. There were primarily three teams that we took under our wings. The first team was a team of college students, two boys, who are here in India on a specialized technical mission project. They were involved in an “on-site” recording of the New Testament. This has never been done before and it has been quite exciting to formulate and carry out.

The second team is a large college team as well. They are here in India on a Summer Study Abroad program. This fulfills part of their cross cultural college requirements and they do receive credits for it. That has also been a fun team to work with. We have been their “cultural interpreters.” Somebody gave us that moniker and I particularly love that. They have book-ended their trip in Bangalore and Katy and I love to be the hosts for people who arrive fresh in India. We do a lot of cultural activities, the primary goal being to avoid touristy “things” and to get into areas where Indians like to go.

The last team that arrived was a team of three guys from Michigan. They are part of an organization that is seeking to work with us in India. This gave us the chance to travel some more so they can see and find ways that might help both organizations in the long run. It was a short three days with them but we packed it as full as we could! Not a difficult thing in India.

As far as monkeys go…  we just enjoy them, and in your heart, you know you do too!

So… this weekend, Katy and I travel again to Vellore to meet up once again with the study-abroad team to do some debriefing and take introduce them to a dear friend of ours. Should be a fun visit. I am looking forward to seeing how they have done this week.

I hope this entry fills in some of the cracks. I have had to be vague about some items but our newsletters should have more of the actual details, so you can look forward to that sometime late this summer.

Pregnancy Pictures

Indian clothing really masks the fact that I am 6 months pregnant. If anything, I just look chubby and large. American maternity clothes seem more flattering to me. They are more obvious, but they are also designed to make a swollen belly look nice. Even so, I’ve mostly been sticking with Indian clothing during the trip because it is cooler, and I get less stares. They’re just not used to seeing people show off their pregnancy here, I guess.

For those of you who are missing out on seeing my pregnant belly, I’ve decided to share a few pictures. They are not necessarily the most flattering pictures that I have ever seen of myself, as India tends to make me look frizzy and greasy, but I’ll show them to you anyway. I hope you like them!

Folding bulletins for James’ Wedding

Posing in Hampi

With JP at the “Lotus Mahal” in Hampi

JP is showing off his photographic style here.  (I’m showing off my belly.)  Still in Hampi.

Goofing off with Ava

Not that you can tell, but we’re standing in front of our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal.

*****

JP is currently out of town with his dad and three men who are here with World Mission. They are doing a scripture distribution, for which they left last night, and will return tomorrow morning. It is a short trip– especially because their train left four hours late last night. I feel especially bad for the three guys (who just arrived in India yesterday morning,) and must been suffering some pretty torturous jet lag by midnight last night! We’re hoping they’ve made it in time for the program and distribution so that they will then be able to make it back for their next overnight train ride at 6 this evening.

A little snapshot…

This was an early morning for me. The big group of college students left for Vellore this morning, so my dad and I shuttled them from the guest house to the train station. That was actually smoother than I expected it to go. The students did a spectacular job of packing light and they followed the game plan to a t. The train only stops at this station for 5 minutes and they had to shove their way into the train while the thronging masses surround them at the entrance. Not only do they have to get all of them on board but we also need to get the luggage in and stowed quickly before somebody else takes your spot. My dad and I jumped off the train as it began to move. Every second was utilized and as the train pulled out and there were no “left-over” white people around me, I realized that our job there was done!:)

We had quite an eventful week with them though. The Belur, Halebidu and Shravenebelagola trip was a huge hit considering I was the only leader. I did miss having Katy’s organizational expertise around me but we managed and we managed quite well.

We had a “quiet” day by Indian standards on Friday and then Saturday was another LONG day trip to the historic city of Mysore. This time, we got a bigger vehicle, I had reinforcements. Katy was able to go, as were my parents, AND my dear friend Raja and his wife Selvi. Raja and I were classmates and he hadn’t been to Mysore. Plus, this gave the students the opportunity to interact with another young couple and hear their story as well. We had a good day learning a little bit more about S. Indian history, particularly that of the state of Karnataka. As a treat, we also hit the bird sanctuary en route. Most migratory birds that leave the colder climates find their way to warm places like the ones we saw. What was really sweet about this sanctuary was the fact that these birds nest on islands in the middle of this lake. And to get a closer look, you take a row-boat and go around them. Also, in true Indian fashion, nothing is ever just that simple. The water has crocodiles. So we got to see the birds, we got to see crocodiles basking on the rocks and even swimming by our boat. And no, we did not touch the water with our hands.

Church on Sunday was good too. Added another snapshot to the Indian experience. The group got to experience an Indian potluck afterward. We got to do motorcycle rides in the evening and even though most of them were stuffed, we found ways to creatively sneak in Indian snacks (samosas, gulab jamuns, chum chums) and stuffed parathas and chicken kababs, and amazing rare fruits. We do eat a lot here.. but its fun and great!

Katy and I have a brief respite again. We have another team coming in on Wednesday (for 3 days) but that a team of 3 is a little easier to manage than a team of 12 (logistically). It is quite hard to believe that we leave India in a week or so. Time has truly flown by!

Our time up north

It is hard to believe that we’ve already been back from our Delhi trip for two days! It was a whirlwind tour of Delhi/Agra that drove us straight into the whirling dervish of playing hosts to the Northwestern study abroad team. (Basically, we got off our train, showered, and the group arrived home for breakfast!!) JP and the group traveled today to see three interesting sites- Shrevanabelagola, Belur, and Halebidu- but I had to stay home. I love this particular trip, but it involves a full day of driving, and a steep climb up a rock face, which I’m not really up to right now. I managed to catch a nasty cold during our last day in Delhi, and had to make the tough decision to use today as a day of rest and recuperation. We also have a day trip to Mysore planned for Saturday, and I am really hoping to be ready for that one.

What to say about Delhi and Agra? Well, our train ride there was a bit of a trial. My pregnant body wasn’t exactly rejoicing over the 36-hour train ride, but at least we had AC and food provided. As one of our students remarked last summer about a similar train, these luxury trains are like riding the “Fatty Express.” It seems like you’ve just finished eating one snack or meal, and they are bringing round the next!!

We arrived in Delhi in the morning, found our hotel, and met up with the two students and WCOI’s recording technician who joined us for the sight-seeing. That first day involved general touring around Delhi. Delhi is drastically hotter and more humid than Bangalore, so we truly sweat our way around the city, alternatively oo-ing and ahh-ing at the sites and trying not to be too perturbed by the chaotic traffic. We were thankful for our experienced, yet kamakazi-style driver. He took us to see the Indira Gandhi Memorial and home-turned museum, Safardjung’s Tomb, the Qutb Minar, the Gandhi Memorial, and the India Gate. My favorites were Safardjung’s Tomb and the Qutb Minar because of their picturesque beauty– lots of inspiring architecture, and beautiful use of colorful stonework. I also enjoyed the India Gate because of the ripe Indian experience of people people everywhere- eating, hawking, and gawking. It was a sticky, tiring, and inspiring day, and we collapsed into bed at an early hour to be ready for the early departure for Agra the next morning.

Sarfardjung’s tomb

Colored stones among the ruins by Qutb Minar

The rain began early the next morning, before our trip to Agra even began. We saw plenty of flooding, and even drove through a bit of it ourselves. By the time we arrived at the Agra Fort, the rain had slowed to more of a drizzle, which still made for difficult (and disappointing) picture-taking, but decent viewing and exploring. We got our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal from the Agra Fort. After a lunch of buttery biryani and Pepsi, we made our way to the Taj Mahal. As any decent pregnant and traveling lady would, I had my knapsack filled with gum and snacks, not even thinking that food might not be allowed in… So first things first, the guard had a high ol’ time pulling each item out individually, holding them up, inspecting them, and laying them in a pile which I had to then take to a locker room to be stored for later. After that, we were allowed to proceed.

The Taj Mahal rightly deserves to be called one of the seven wonders of the world. I have seen all kinds of beauty and wonder throughout my India travels, but nothing compares with the Taj Mahal on a scale of beauty and majesty. It was no longer raining, but the sky was gray and the walkways were slick. The Taj Mahal, gleaming white and glorious seemed brought to life by the vibrant colors of the thronging Indian tourists. I would have loved to be there on a sunnier, blue-skied day, but then it was about as hot and humid as I could stand it already. We took it all in, gazed, posed, and enjoyed.

Flooding en route to Agra

A view of the magnificent Taj Mahal (one of our many photos…we’ll have to add more later)

Finally, our agenda in Agra included the Bulund Darwaza in the whimsical town of Fatehpur Sikri. Again, very pretty. Lots of red sandstone, and cool architecture. A bit pushy in the the realm of guides wanting/insisting on giving tours and vendors hawking their wares, but very neat sites to see. All of this made for good but long day, and it was very late when we plopped on our pillows that night.

Not much was planned for the next day, which was good because it rained off and on all day. We spent a lot of time changing plans along the way, and struggling with transportation. I managed to have my first City Bus ride in India that day, as well as a handful of auto rides. We visited an up-scale market area, and had some top-quality Chinese food (at a restaurant that I believe might have the nicest bathroom I’ve ever used in India… I kind of wished I had to go twice while I was there!!) followed by gelato at another nearby shop. At this point it was time to head back to the hotel, where we were storing all our our suitcases in one small, non-AC room. While resting on the bed and looking at a cute little cookbook that I had purchased, I first saw a cockroach run across the floor. I decided not to freak out. After another five minutes, I saw a rat scamper across the room. I only freaked out a little. I knew it was almost time to go. As we were about to go looking for autos that would take us to the train station (an annoying endeavor in and of itself because these drivers were incredibly stubborn and demanded exorbitant prices) it began to POUR. Eventually JP found enough autos to get everyone to their respective train station, and then rain stopped on the way.

I have to mention that as we made our way to our train platform, I experienced the usual stares, and the normal concerns that I might drop my bag in some unknown sketchy liquid. In the crowds, I returned a few pushes and elbows with elbows and pushes of my own. Then we had to make our way down a some stairs, and there I was greeted with a funny, happy little moment. There was a whole pile of chirping cardboard boxes. Actually, I thought that the station must have birds in the rafters, but I was wrong. There where whole boxes full of baby chicks that also made their way to Bangalore on the train with us, though I don’t think their accommodations were nearly as luxurious!

Our train ride back did actually seem cleaner, and more luxurious. The toilets were amazingly pristine, and even had toilet seat covers in the western style toilets!! I’ve never seen anything like it. Our 36 hours back seemed to go a lot faster than our trip north, and I can hardly believe that we’re now in phase three of the trip.

It is getting to be my bedtime, so I’ll sign off now. Hope you’re all doing well!!

Out of Station

In about 45 minutes we’ll be hopping a train to Delhi, and then we’ll be “out of station” until next Wednesday morning, July 9.  The trip will include a lot of travel by train, and three days in Delhi and the surrounding area.

We have lots to update you on, but wouldn’t you know, the heavy rains last night caused a huge tree just down the street to fall on the power lines, and we haven’t had internet for much of the day!  (As I’ve said numerous times lately, “If it isn’t one thing, its another!”)  I guess you’ll just have to wait in suspense for our stories and pics.

Thanks for keeping up with the blog.  We love and appreciate you all.

Talk to you soon!!

Jump

Sometimes a picture is all it takes to describe to you what a week can do to a person. I drove my grandparents and aunt to the railway station last night. That was my last wedding-related responsibility. In some ways, it does seem like we have been here for two and a half weeks and then there are days when it seems like we have been here for way longer. Our trip has small pockets built in for us to catch our breath. We are in the midst of one such pocket but when this pocket evaporates, we hit the road running again and this time it will get busier, dare I say, than the wedding week!