Changsari

Let's look at a simple equation. one large Sumo + heavy rain + narrow dirt road going up steep hill with significant drop off = lots of slippery mud and a terrified Pamela. I have a fear of heights. If there is a wall or some kind of barrier between me and a significant drop than I'm ok with it but when there is nothing I'm not so ok. This fear has come up a lot since being in India. Mostly when we are driving up the side of a mountain on super narrow roads with huge drop offs only inches from the edge of the tires. My prayer life has increased significantly since being in India.

This morning on our way to visit the village of Changsari we stopped at Kalapani to pick up team "get BENT". The sky was very angry looking as we neared the village. If we had made it to the top of the hill 5 minutes earlier there would have been no problem. If we had made it to the top of the hill 5 minutes later it would have been impossible to descend. The way it was, I nearly peed my pants as Kuldip somehow managed to turn the Sumo around and slide down the hill to where there is pavement. He laughed at me and I punched him in the arm. Team "get BENT" made it down to the Sumo soaked to the bone and covered in red mud but at least they didn't slide off the edge.

When we first started out driving up and down the hills I called my fear irrational. I don't consider my fear so irrational anymore. Since being here I have seen a three wheeler that had gone off the edge of the very road I was terrified of, I have seen the remains of a bus that fell off the side of the road in the Khasi hills, and I was riding in a vehicle while it was raining and we slid off the dirt road and nearly hit a bamboo hut. Had it been the Sumo that day I think we would have hit the hut. I can't even imagine what would have happened if more than just the one tire had gone over the edge...My heart pounds just thinking about it.

Thankfully the rest of the road is paved and so there was no worries of sliding off the edge in a Sumo mudslide. The storm let up as we made our way out to the village. We had visited Changsari once before during Bihu. Sarbananda invited us to come and hold a small worship service there in one of his relatives homes. Three of his relatives are LST readers and participated in the Discovery Youth Camp. I can see how God is making His way into this family and this village. We sang and Ray shared a message on how prayer is common to many religions. His message was very appropriate for addressing Indian people of Hindu faith. It is exciting to me to see the young men who have been reading and who came to camp so eager to sing with us. I think that there is great potential among this family and village.

The Canadians were all seated in chairs and the rest of them sat on the floor.

Everyone was eager to sing and very attentive to the lesson which was translated into Assamese. They even sang us an Assamese song.

After the service they took us for a walk. We ended up wading through some mud and water and finding our final destination to be a huge mango tree.

Here is Eric climbing the giant mango tree.

Even though the mangoes were totally green they collected a big bunch of them.

They washed, peeled and sliced the mango and then added salt. It was a green mango salad to be shared by all. Sour and salty but good.


I really like goats...I think I want one as a pet!

Tyler hitching a ride on the way back.

Eric taking a little cruise.

This little girl's name is Coquita (sp?). She was the most carefree child I have ever met. She didn't care who carried her.

Washing off the mud from our little trek.

Sarbananda requested that I take a "snap" with the newcomers...how did Raysha make it in there?