puddles with gasoline rainbows

it's been days, i know, since i've had much connection to anyone in the states. the internet cafe has been closed for the holiday. the holiday! for the past few days, and especially nights, the streets of India have been teaing with action. We've been here in Siliguri for more than a week, with short 3 days trip up to Pedong, a mountain village about 3 hours away. It feels like i've been here longer than 11 days, though. We have really gotten tosee a lot and konw a bit of Siliguri, the few streets and restaurants that we frequentare becoming familiar. i'm becoming quite used to the crazy roads and varied means of transportation. so far, claire andi have traveled by: jeep, car, tuk tuk, "auto" (a 3 wheeled open-sided vehicle), rickshaw, bus, and train! Sometimes dusty and dangerous, usually bumpy and crowded, and always exciting. I can't imagine having to drive here myself! now that would be exciting!

We have met some really neat people since arriving. many of our first aquaintances were made up

in the gorgeous mountain village, Pedong. We drove by car up the winding hills on our first Sunday here

being up there was a really amazing and breath-taking experience. so much color and life! we looked out

the car windows to see the mountians-the himalayas!-in distance, surrounded by clouds and blue sky and

cool, light air. the bumpy and winding road passed through forests and jungles, the road plunging down

to ravines and green rivers below. i couldn't help but think of the jungle book as we swerved past vines and moss

covered rocks and temples, with monkeys just an arms length away from the car. Claire and i laughed

tried to remember all the characters names!

We passed through a few towns, but mostly villages and strings of modest houses-wood or bamboo with metal or thatched roofs, and dirt-floor kitchens and washing areas. there is also a lot of stairs and tile and plants-i was surprised by the number of potted plants, both herb and flowers, we saw. most houses have them linign their walkways and porches and rooftops, and it is so nice.

While in Pedong we stayed in a beautiful, simple, andclean hoome of a couple who are living in the states for a while now. we shared teh house wiht a great couple from New Zealang, Margaret and Denise. we met and spent time with Pastor Jonathan and his wife Usha, who have a variety of ministries, including a home for 46 children. we met their son and an elder from their church and went out to a few villages for medical camps. the medical clinics were interesting. we would drive and/or hike out to a village in the hills and set up the clinic, once in a church, once in a school. Claire and i were given the job of "chemists", and after checking each person Dr Chip would send them over to us to get medication. It was great to see the villages andmeet the people (their hospitality of open homes and tea is inspiring) but also a little sad and frustrating. i would hand out cream for scabies or iron tablets for anemia and think, this iwll only last so long, and then, because of bad hygeine and no health education, the person willslip back into their problem, only now it will be worsened by the expectation that "a pill" is what they need to solve it. We talked alot about this, and it seems to be a big issue. Chi is in contact with a number of people who are less about diagnosis and pills and more about community development and education and it was so good to hear about and meet some of these people.

After our 3 days in Pedong, spent meeting people: local villagers, missionaries, and the sweet children from jonathan and Ushas children home. We traveled to and from medical clinics and woke up early each morning for the sunrise over the mountains (unfortunately it was always quite overcast), or a walk in the village. we really fell in love with that incredibly beautiful area and it was sad to have to make our winding way back down to Siliguri.

We've been here, staying at the same hotel since then, and it has been good. we've had a medical camp in a leprosy colony, which was very difficult and tiring. we've taken a long train ride out to a village where we walked across a river to get to the town, and take two different buses home (the first one ran out of petrol!). we've drove out to james (a health car worker) and martha (a nurse and his wife)'s home for dinner and to see their most recently school development. that was also through a river, though this time the car was doing the wading, with the tires submerged in water! we visited the market with Binu, and incredible young Nepali woman who works with the local ministry "Him Serve". i bought material for a punjabi shirt, brought it to the tailor where i chose a pattern and gave my measurements, and then picked it up two days later! all for about $5 US...

Claire and i have been a little tired most days, though have only felt a little sick today, and it has been nice these few days, while Chip is away doing medical camps, when we can relax a little. the two of us had dinner the other night with a mixed group of misisonaries. between the eight of us, we represented five different countries: India, Nepal, New Zealand, Germany, and the U.S.!

it is more than incredible to be here. i know that i am learning so much through these experiences, and i think, despite being a little out of it today, i'm doing really well. all the learning and thinking and talking and time spent with claire is so precious to me, and i'm excited that it has really only just begun!