India Report #1 from Hyderabad October 12, 2011
Dear family and friends:
Just a brief note to say we arrived in Hyderabad a little early because of a tail wind across the Atlantic in our favor. No problem at customs and Paulson met us shortly after we arrived. They brought cars so we didn’t need a taxi to the Hotel where we are staying in Hyderabad for two days. The price is a little more than expected from last year’s experience. (Rs 2000=$41.15 per night) We are thankful that they were able to rent a house in Pitlam where we and Jeff Quam and Paulson and wife Shyla will stay. We trust it will be better than available hotels there and more reasonable. We just pay the rent for a month. Shyla will do the cooking for us which is a big plus. She knows how we choose to eat (cut back on the spices).
After breakfast at the hotel included in the room price, we “poured” as opposed to showered, and had a little rest before joining another group from Amazing Facts that are based in India to train pastors and Bible workers (a service much needed and appreciated since most have had little formal training).
The leader of that group is Samuel whom we had met on our first trip to India in 1998. He had come then with Ty Gibson to help with his series in Aizawl, capital of Mizoram while we were having our series in the Maubawk district of the same city. He remembered us and is eager to get a copy of the video we made of him back then. He is now married and has three children and has learned Telegu from his years here since 1998.
With Samuel as our guide, the whole group spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon visiting tourist places in Hyderabad. Since we come on a tourist visa we need to include some of that in our stay here. We visited a series of tombs of early kings and then went through the Fort, a sixteenth century stone complex that is remarkably preserved. Granite holds up pretty well. We had to climb about 2 miles up and then down the steps leading to three tiers of rooms. There are more than 1000 rooms in the complex. Three hundred sixty of them were for the king’s harem and their eunuch overseer. It reminded of the Bible stories of Queen Esther and also Solomon.
One special feature of the fort was a spot near the entrance where you can clap your hands and it is barely heard a few yards away, but maybe half a mile up at the pinnacle you can hear it clearly. It was part of communication system to protect the king. Also from his bedroom he could hear sounds whispered in other corridors and rooms of the fort. This was valuable knowledge in his protection. He ate food from a silver bowl that was believed to turn color when poison was present. You see, being Royal had its challenges.
It was a welcome exercise day after spending 30 hours from airport to airport with little coming and going except at the airports with long hikes from one gate to another.
Following our tour we had lunch with the pastor (4 p.m.) at his small house and met his nice family including wife, two children, and his mother. We were glad that they were compensated for the meal since their refrigerator was rather bare. They live in slim margins here.
The day concluded with our changing money at a special money-changing place known to Samuel, not at black market but registered with the government. We managed to get 48.6 rupies per dollar and that was the best rate Samuel had seen ever. We hit it just right—real blessing for our donations here. So, you who donated can know that your gift was multiplied like the loaves and fishes of Jesus feeding the multitude.
We normally would have slept well but Glenn was awakened twice after falling instantly asleep. One was a phone call and the need to meet Paulson in the lobby of the hotel and get the Telegu Bible verses needed for the Sanctuary Seminar for Sabbath in Sangareddy where the Section office of the church is located. We also got copies of the handbills for the Seminar and for the Evangelistic Series to follow in Pitlam this Sunday.
Fortunately, we have internet access here at the hotel and that makes this first installment a bit easier.
Thank you for all the supporting prayers and other blessings. We will see what the Lord will do with them.
In His love,
Dad and Mom (Glenn and Mary Alice) Hill