4/1/12
I arrived in Mumbai on Thursday evening, very grateful for the help of my friend Deepika from Varanasi, who had made connections for me to settle on a good hotel at an excellent price (not an easy thing in this big city). Then for two days I saw only the inside of my hotel room because I was laid low with another tummy upset, this one more severe and needing the attention of the hotel’s on-call doctor several times. I am on antibiotics he prescribed, one of which I had brought from my doctor in NYC. Last night I ate for the first time (curds and rice only). Today I ate curds and bread for breakfast and felt well enough to venture out to find a church, it being Palm/Passion Sunday after all! I followed directions in a text message sent from Aneesha Henry (elder daughter of Arun and Chitra) who had lived and studied in Mumbai. She had a recommendation of a church near my hotel. It was perfect for me - just what the (higher) doctor ordered – quite refreshingly different from my own tradition – New Life Fellowship meeting in Mumbai University at Kalina’s Dinesh Mody Auditorium. We had lots of praise and worship recalling for me my teenage and student years. The preacher and translator were both women and were excellent. I met the pastor and his wife, Bosco and Elvina Gonsalves, at the door as I arrived. He later invited me to share testimony towards the end of the service, which I was delighted to do. Then after worship he and his wife invited me to their home, together with a few other familiar visitors to the service, where I enjoyed my first full meal in three days together with wonderful conversation well into the afternoon. This was far from a usual tourist’s visit to Mumbai, but it was delightful in its conclusion none-the-less. Sadly I don’t have pictures because I forgot to take my camera in my less-than-focused self this morning. The adventure continues...
I arrived in Mumbai on Thursday evening, very grateful for the help of my friend Deepika from Varanasi, who had made connections for me to settle on a good hotel at an excellent price (not an easy thing in this big city). Then for two days I saw only the inside of my hotel room because I was laid low with another tummy upset, this one more severe and needing the attention of the hotel’s on-call doctor several times. I am on antibiotics he prescribed, one of which I had brought from my doctor in NYC. Last night I ate for the first time (curds and rice only). Today I ate curds and bread for breakfast and felt well enough to venture out to find a church, it being Palm/Passion Sunday after all! I followed directions in a text message sent from Aneesha Henry (elder daughter of Arun and Chitra) who had lived and studied in Mumbai. She had a recommendation of a church near my hotel. It was perfect for me - just what the (higher) doctor ordered – quite refreshingly different from my own tradition – New Life Fellowship meeting in Mumbai University at Kalina’s Dinesh Mody Auditorium. We had lots of praise and worship recalling for me my teenage and student years. The preacher and translator were both women and were excellent. I met the pastor and his wife, Bosco and Elvina Gonsalves, at the door as I arrived. He later invited me to share testimony towards the end of the service, which I was delighted to do. Then after worship he and his wife invited me to their home, together with a few other familiar visitors to the service, where I enjoyed my first full meal in three days together with wonderful conversation well into the afternoon. This was far from a usual tourist’s visit to Mumbai, but it was delightful in its conclusion none-the-less. Sadly I don’t have pictures because I forgot to take my camera in my less-than-focused self this morning. The adventure continues...
After the recent belly traumas, this sounds like a particularly delightful way to celebrate Palm Sunday! I am so glad you are surrounded by well wishers and friends.
ReplyDelete:) love!
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