In Vijayawada

We feel as if we have "come home" to Jabilli, the house/hospital of our dear friends in Vijayawada, India. This is the place where we stayed for the better part of a year in 2000. The young kids here have grown up, but otherwise most things look the same, with improvements. This is a big community of family and friends that is extremely welcoming, and it's great to be here. Everyone is disappointed that we will only be here for 8 days. (Now only five left.) We have had just one visit to the school we helped work at and we were so happy with the atmosphere and the positive changes they have made. Today we are meant to go look at the site of the second school they are building, which will be a residential "farm school."

Over the past two days we have done several village visits. First to Mussilipatnam where Suvarna's great aunt lives. She is "Kanamamma" to Gopal and Jini. Then yesterday we drove to Mudenepali, Rao's home village. Also went to Ajay's father's house in Gudivarda. (Any Indians reading this will be appalled at my spelling--sorry.) At each place, the kids have been so happy to play with each other in such peaceful places. The houses always have a high cement wall around them, with generous patios and small gardens full of plants and flowers. The children can just wander around and play. One day they got carried away feeding sugar to the ants. Another day collecting flowers. Kavi and Strahlia also like to climb the steps to the flat cement roof and and look around from up there. Meantime, we grownups are being fed enormous Indian meals in the kitchen. Our hosts are not satisfied until we are stuffed.





Another highlight was going to the village temple in Mudenepali, where there was a puja for our family. It involved, first washing feet, then walking barefoot around the temple three times. Then going inside the temple, where the pujari (priest) performed a ceremony, honoring the gods and blessing the members of our family. I would not be able to explain the significance of all the different parts, but there were chanted blessings with flowers, water, smoke, food. He cracked coconuts, saved the milk for the ceremony, then gave us the coconut halves. After the ceremony, we sliced them and ate them. Strahlia loved it.

In Mudenepali we visited both of Rao's cousin-brothers, Ragarao Pedenana and Ramarao Pedenana. Jini and Gopal's cousin Vijaya delighted in showing us around the various animals they keep: geese, chickens including a brood of three day old chicks, and cows. Of course, the kids loved it all. It has been a joy for all of us to bring them here, despite a few hardships. It feels like our time remaining is so limited!