Hesston and Trinity Mennonite to Menno Clinic India: Thursday in Chiluvuru

Thursday was a very full day for us. It began with a wedding celebration! Pastor Gopala Rao's nephew was married today. The marriage ceremony began at Pastor Gopala Rao's house, followed by a parade to the Assembly of God church where the marriage ceremony was held. That process took about an hour and a half and was the extent of the festivities that we were able to take in.

After lunch we headed to Vijayawada to pick up some clothes that we hand bought the other day, but needed tailoring. Of course we took the opportunity to do a little more shopping while we were there. On the way back from Vijayawada we stopped at the NRI hospitial in Mangalidiri and picked up two friends of Kelli's who happened to be spending a month there. Kelli got to know these two doctors while she was in residency. They each knew that the other would be traveling to India but didn't know where they would be located. They were surprised to discover that they would only be about 20 km apart. We picked them up and brought them to Chiluvuru for supper. They returned to Mangalidiri later in the evening.

Tonight was also an evening for worship for the church that meets at the clinic. There is a smaller crowd on Thursday nights (about 15) than there is on Sunday (about 60). But we enjoyed the time of worship, even though we could only understand a few words. We could certainly experience their joy and enthusiasm in worship.

It is hard to believe that tomorrow is our last day in the village. We leave here early Saturday morning to begin the journey home... first a 6+ hour drive back to Hyderabad and then the long flights home.

Here are a few pictures from today.