FLYING TO MADURAI ON THURS., AUG. 21

THE FLIGHT WAS VERY INTERESTING, ANDY AND RAMU AND ARCHIE TOOK ME AND CALLED FOR A WHEELCHAIR, BUT THEY HAD TO LEAVE ME OUTSIDE. THE GUY TOOK ME UP TO THE COUNTER AND LEFT. MOST OF THE WORKERS CAN NOT SPEAK ENGLISH SO IT WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING. THEY WANTED ME TO FILL OUT A MEDICAL FORM AND I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IT WAS ABOUT. ONE WOMAN SAID THAT IT WAS THEIR POLICY FOR TAKING ME IN A WHEELCHAIR. THEY HAD TO TAKE THAT PAPERWORK WITH ME TO THE GATE AND TO THE AIRPLANE. IT WAS A LITTLE SCAREY, BUT ANDY STAYED AT THE AIRPORT UNTIL I WENT BACK TO THE GATE, ALTHOUGH HE HAD TO STAY OUTSIDE. THEY HAD 3 GUYS CARRY ME UP THE STAIRS TO THE BUS-------AND DOWN AGAIN AND ACROSS THE TARMACK TO THE SMALLLLLLLL AIRPLANE. I SAID I WOULD WALK UP THE STAIRS, VERY SMALL STEEP STEPS. THERE WERE ONLY 10 PEOPLE COUNTING ME. A PROP JOB. IT WAS OK UNTIL THE STEWARDESS ASKED ALL BUT 2 OF US TO MOVE FORWARD TO BALANCE THE WEIGHT. PTL WE TOOK OFF AND LANDED. THEY SERVED FOOD, SOME KIND OF STRANGE SANDWICH AND I DID NOT KNOW, BUT I HAD TO PAY FOR IT. IT TOOK ALL MY SMALL BILLS AND I DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO PAY THE HELPER. THEY MET ME AT THE AIRPORT WITH A WHEEL CHAIR AND THE AIRPORT HERE IS VERY, VERY SMALL. NO ONE SPOKE ENGLISH AND I FINALLY GOT OUTSIDE AND A YOUNG MAN NAMED ABRAHAM MET ME. THEY LOADED ME IN A LARGE VAN THAT I COULD STAND UP IN, IT WAS OLD AND THERE WERE 2 WOMEN AND ANOTHER MAN, WHO COULD NOT SPEAK ANY ENGLISH. WE JAMMED IN AND THEN THEY SAID I SHOULD USE THE BATHROOM, NO WHERE TO GO FOR 2 1/2 HOURS, SO OUT I GOT BACK INTO THE AIRPORT. NO TOILET SEAT. FILTHY NO TOILET PAPER UGH. THEN BACK TO THE VEHICLE. THINK OF THE WORST POSSIBLE DIRT ROAD YOU HAVE EVER BEEN ON EVER IN YOUR LIFE AND THIS WOULD BE 100 TIMES WORSE. BOUNCING AWFUL FOR 3 HOURS(NOTHING EVER TAKES THE TIME THAT THEY SAY IT WILL.) THIS AREA IS LIKE PHEONIX, HOT AND DESERT LIKE, SCRUBBY TREES AND OF COURSE THE POOR VILLAGES WITH ANIMALS AND PEOPLE LIVING TOGETHER. THE HOUSE HERE IS NOT WHAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE AT ALL. THE POWER WAS OUT, IT WAS SO HOT................I WAS JUST WRECKED. THEY ARE VERY KIND, THE WOMEN DO NOT SPEAK MUCH ENGLISH AND THEY DO NOT EAT WITH THE MEN OR GUESTS AS IS THE INDIAN CUSTOM. THAT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME. MY ROOM IS AT THE TOP OF 2 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS AND THE BED IS WOOD FRAME WITH ABOUT AN INCH MATTRESS VERY HARD. PASTOR CLARENCE AND I HAD SOME TALKING ABOUT THE WEEKEND AND SPEAKING. IT IS 1 1/2 HR. TRAVEL TO THE BIBLE COLLEGE, NO AIR THERE, ALL DAY EVENT. HE WANTS ME TO GO TO THE MEDICAL MISSION ON SUN AFTERNOON BETWEEN SERVICES. I WAS DISMAYED BECAUSE I COULD NOT REACH ANDY OR ANYONE WHILE THE POWER WAS OUT. IT FINALLY CAME ON AT ABOUT 6PM. PRAISE GOD THANKYOU JESUS. THE WATER IS GROUND WATER AND ALL THE FOOD SO FAR IS PREPARED BY THE WOMEN AND VERY INDIAN. THEY HAVE PROVIDED BOTTLED WATER FOR ME. TONIGHT WE HAD RICE PANCAKES LIKE, MACKERAL FISH AND PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY FOR ME. THEY ARE SERVING FRESH FRUIT CUT UP AND ALL THE THINGS RECOMMENDED AGAINST. TRUSTING GOD FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH. THERE ARE FEW SCREENS ON WINDOWS, LOTS OF MISQUITOS AND STRANGE SHOWER, WITH A BUCKET UNDER. HAVE NOT FIGURED OUT YET. EVERYWHERE I AM SPEAKING, I WILL NEED AN INTERPRETER. 7AM TOMORROW BREAKFAST AND THEN TRAVEL TO BIBLE COLLEGE TO SHARE AT CHAPEL SERVICE AND FOR 2 HOURS IN THE CLASS ROOM. THERE IS A GROUP OF 7 FROM CANADA HERE AND I THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE BRITISH. NONE OF THEM. THE FEMALE PASTOR IS FROM SHRI LANKA AND THE OTHERS WERE FROM ALL OVER, NOT TOO MUCH ENGLISH, I TRUELY AM IN A DIFFERENT WORLD. I AM TIRED AND A LITTLE NO A LOT NERVOUS. THEY WANT THE DR. TO PUT MEDICATED BANDAGES ON MY KNEES VERY TIGHT NOT ACE BANDAGES BUT KIND OF PLASTIC LOOKING WITH MASKING TAPE FOR ARTHRITIS TREATMENT. I THINK I WILL PASS FOR NOW