The sun greeted us weary travellers at 5:30am, pouring in through the porch that extends from our second story apartment. Stephanie,a 24-year old graduate of UGA who is on staff in Bangalore for Rahab's Rope, and I had tossed and turned in the 88 degree air and couldnt sleep so we decided to get up and cool off. After a cold shower and coffee, we headed over to Mackey's apartment to meet up with the rest of our crew:
Mackey- a 67 year old teacher who has lived in Bangalore for a year and a half, teaching the sex-workers English and Math. Nellie- Mackey's 68 year old friend who is a welder and carpenter, and she is building a playground for a children's home over the next 4 months. David Moore- co-founder of Rahab's Rope who flew to Bangalore with me last night. Suresh and Latha- a precious Indian couple who have several ministries--they tutor and feed dinner to over 220 children from a nearby slum 5 nights a week, minister to people in over 30 Villages in the state of Karnataka, hold sewing classes for impoverished women, and help with finding women for the Rahab's Rope programs.
Mackey, Nellie, Suresh, Latha, and I split off and went to the City Market to look for an oven for me and welding tools for Nellie. After 6 stores and much bargaining, I found a gas oven for about $400 and am waiting for it to be delivered on Monday. Nellie was a total hoot-bargaining with three Indian men for all sorts of construction tools, pointing and hollerin with her south Georgian accent, and she was overjoyed to find almost everything she needed. Mackey and Nellie have known each other since high school, over 50 years, and watching them cut up in the market and make jokes about each other's pasts had me grinning nonstop.
On top of that, the beauty of the Indian people had me smiling even more. Dazzling fabrics draped over the women's deep colored colored skin, brilliant colored wraps hanging down to their toes. The men were hustling and bustling through the streets with more western style clothing, speeding fearlessly on motorcyles and autos through the overcrowded alleyways and streets.
The five of us ate lunch at Mackey's favorite restaurant called Infinitea, and I had chicken and peach sweet tea--it was delicious :). We headed back to the apartment to make a gameplan before walking over to Anatoly's and Lakshmi's apartment where the sewing program takes place and where I will begin teaching baking classes next week, and then we went to Suresh and Latha's house where the 220 children were doing their studies. They. Were. Precious. When I walked into the porch, a hundred smiling faces and dancing eyes turned to welcome me, and then the sweetest chorus of "Hello Auntie Emily" greeted my ears. It was a good day. :).
ELW
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