India/Nepal Report #15 (really #16): Monday, Nov. 12, 2012, at 5:30 p.m. from Calcutta, India
Dear Family and Friends:
We are in Calcutta and getting ready to fly tomorrow to Kathmandu at 1:50 p.m. We will leave in good time for the airport remembering how last year we were held up for two hours in traffic because it was Ramadan, a Muslim holiday and there were people marching in the streets where cars should have been moving. Tomorrow is a Hindu Holiday (Diwali continued) and we are assured there will be no such demonstrations as held us up last time to where we barely made our flight. We hope our counsel is right.
Diwali is: Hindu festival of lights, held in the period October to November, to celebrate the new season at the end of the monsoon. It is particularly associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, and marks the beginning of the fiscal year in India.
After copying the dictionary quote above, I had a hard time getting back to the right font to continue this letter.
When we left Saiha and got up at 2 a.m. the power was off and our pastor and his wife were still asleep, so we packed by flashlight for the trip to Aizawl. When we left Aizawl for the airport Sunday morning we had good light and our early rising gave us all the time needed to pack thoroughly. Actually, we had most of it done on Saturday night after Sabbath.
Biaka and his daughter Melody came along as did David and his wife and daughter. Nettie also wanted to come but there was no room. We appreciated their good help. Nettie had sent us a disposable tin container with very tasty noodles that we ate on the plane at the Aizawl airport before takeoff. The only problem was the oil in it leaked out and could have soiled our clothes as well as the fruit we were carrying in a plastic bag onto the plane. We have been glad for that fruit here in Calcutta to provide for our meals here. We still have some of the oranges, apples and kiwi to take on to Nepal, but ate the rest of the whole wheat bread that had started to become “Gibeonite bread.” You will recall that story in the Bible and understand the condition of the bread. We have to overlook the negatives and enjoy the positives of the food along with the love behind the gifts.
We were able to buy some bottled water from a little store near the SDA School where we are staying in Calcutta in one of their guest rooms at 36 Park Street, corner of Louden St. It is like a second home because we have been here several times in previous trips.
A special surprise came today when I went to pay for our two nights lodging here. The lady in charge said they were complimentary to us. I asked why and she just mumbled something about not wanting to charge us. That is a first. I guess they know why we are here and appreciate our service to various parts of India over the years. That saves us RS 1600 (about $32) that we can now spend in Nepal to help with those meetings. The Lord has many ways of meeting needs we are not prepared for.
Mary Alice was able to catch up on some laundry with warm water available and good hot and dry air outside to dry everything. There is an outside line on the porch near our room. We also appreciated the western toilet with paper supplied and the warm shower (not pour). When staying the last three days with Pastor Hluna at Saiha, they even heated water for us to bathe, but we chose not to because of the crowded conditions. Instead we used sterile wipes. It is amazing how the Lord has provided for our real needs all along the way.
That doesn’t mean that we have not had to do a lot of adjusting. We just expect that when doing mission trips the way we do, without the benefit and cost of staying in high priced hotels when available. We feel that what money we do have can best be used in helping the people here more than otherwise.
The trip from the Calcutta airport to our school was about as usual and brought back many memories. There is much more honking of the horn than in other parts of India, like Mizoram. It seems that the taxi drivers have “restless fingers” instead of “restless leg syndrome.” They just automatically keep hitting the horn button every little bit to announce their intent to get somewhere that is now occupied by someone else.
On the way there was an ambulance with siren blaring but nobody paid any attention to it to give way. They might as well have saved the siren noise since it didn’t help anything in progress toward the hospital.
We saw the usual street scenes of people sleeping on the sidewalk, cows eating garbage from in front of the markets and stores, cows in the streets claiming their right of way against all traffic. It is always difficult to realize how poor so very many are with little to look forward to in life or afterlife. We want to make a difference in every way that we can. How must the Lord feel as He sees so much suffering and lack of hope when He has done so much for us all if only we realized. There is also the constant contrast between what we have and what they lack. There are many very rich Indians but most of them do not seem to care about the “have nots” around them.
This time we did not have as much harassment at the Calcutta airport from those insisting on handling our luggage. We allowed one man to push one cart because he knew where the taxi was to take us. We gave him RS 50 and he seemed satisfied. Inside the airport where we waited in line to prepay for the taxi (that saves haggling with the taxi driver over price), the man who received the money tried yet again to shortchange me on the difference between cost and what he returned from my large bill. It is the same man who tried to do it before. This time I held onto my bill until I got the change before giving it to him and then pointed out the amount missing. He immediately brought it forth but claimed he had no change to make up the full amount. So I let him get by with RS 5 less and made no scene over it. It is not the amount but the principle that goads. Dishonesty seems genetic (as also begging) among some Indians.
There is a charge of one Rupee per kg for any overage in weight in the taxi. They allow 30 kg and charge for anything over that. I was happy to give the driver RS 100 which is more than it would have been. They go through a lot to deliver us safely to destination at the school.
The gateman at the school has had his knee surgery on both knees and said our luggage was light this time. He and another younger man carried the three heavier pieces up the 50 steps to our room and I carried my camera bag plus the two carry on cases so I was probably carrying more weight than they were. I gave each of them RS 50. The gateman who is Hindu and from West Bengal showed his knee surgery scars and told of the high cost. Last time we gave him extra money to help enable him to have that surgery, but then learned from the Principal’s wife that they cover the medical expenses of all their employees. He was just trying to get money from us by that ploy.
This time when he showed his knee scars, Mary Alice displayed her knee scars from similar surgery and we turned the conversation from his expected extra reimbursement to help pay his bills.
Here at the room we have WiFi and so I could catch up on emails as well as send this. Another blessing!
Just now we had an email from Bob Robinson at the Southern Asia Division. He plans to meet us in Nepal. He wondered if we had been able to raise funds for the meetings in Nepal. We will email him to tell him of how we saved some expenses in Mizoram and will have that money to help in Nepal. Also the sale of our antique pistol just before we left Gentry fills in some of the lack. God provides in one way or another.
It’s time to close and get this on its way. We’ll keep in touch in Nepal as able.
With love,
Glenn and Mary Alice (Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma)