Thursday-Saturday 17th – 19th January 2008.

Ok, pretty much 3 days of travelling at ungodly hours in Indian trains. Morning 1: leave Bargarh for Muniguda at 3.30am-ish. Train 1½ hrs late. Sat waiting on cold platform surrounded by perhaps 50 people wrapped in smelly old blankets who LIVE HERE! No mattresses, No electric blankies, not so much as a hot water bottle. The poverty is overwhelming. Nothing like this exists in Australia. (Note to self: Never again complain about uncomfortable beds). Arrived Muniguda 5.30am, slept and relaxed all day. This is our last day here so the kids played some cricket and put on a nativity play for us, after which the team all went to Eliazar & Ruth’s house for a wonderful prayer time for New Hope and one last New Hope curry, the best yet. Morning 2: leave Muniguda for Visakapatnam at 3am-ish. Train 1 hr late. More people living on the platform. Unbelievable. The staff at New Hope couldn’t get us enough sleepers on the train so Bob and I sat up all night looking at photos we’d taken. Tired, but not complaining. Spent the day shopping in Visak. I bought New Hope 2 large truck batteries to run their disabled kids facility “Namistay House” when they lose power, which happens frequently. Kaz and I also decided to buy Eliazar & Ruth exactly the same camera as we have since all the kids and people at the colonies love having their photos taken and then being able to see themselves on the LCD screen (especially the tribal people. They are really happy and always smiling, but as soon as you point a camera at them they do the “blue steel” pose – serious face, no smile – then burst into laughter when they see the resulting shot). Afterward, Mahalia, Elijah and I went to a “fun park” and went inside a real Russian submarine. Kaz also went shopping for material and jewellery with Ruth. Had dinner with Ruth & Brother Paul at “the Park” and said our final farewells. Morning 3: leave Visak for Chennai at 3am-ish AGAIN! We all got a sleeper this time; definitely not complaining. 14 hour trip on a train! So we’re back in Chennai where we initially arrived nearly 3 weeks ago. This is where we join up with the IVE people to visit the work they do in the orphanages and churches that BCF help support south of here. Pete.