Construction Workers

Every　time I passed　ｔhem, they asked me to snap their　photo...

Farmers in Nelamangala

 

Farming

Transporting the hay... The building on the right is the boy's hostel. 

Indian Shephard watching his flock

I guess you can't see the flock - but it's right behind him, lost behind the bushes etc...
In Nelamangala. 

Farmers in Nelamangala

This threshing floor is beside the boy's hostel (you can see it in the previous picture). They place rice (the plant) on the threshing floor, drive a tractor over it... the rice sinks underneath the grass... then the gather the grass (hay) and rice in separate piles.... 

Rajesh

In the boys hostel/school yard. (The boys hostel is directly behind the school.) 

Myself

I'm at the main hostel, planning out lessons for the school... I was adapting an excellent math curriculum by John Mighton (www.jumptutoring.org) to India... They kids at the hostel were terrific - they helped me with all my cutting and pasting...
Unfortunately, despite all my work, the curriculum has not been used yet... 

Myself, in the hostel yard

Do I always look this tired??? 

The lake in Nelamangala

This is directly behind the main hostel. I'm not sure, but I think the tap water comes from this lake - or maybe from a well... In anycase, I didn't get sick from it. 

Hostel Sheep

In search of a sustainable source of income for the hostel... 

Nelamangala - the town

This is a picture taken from the roof of the school. 

Nelamangian Banyan tree

Hindus worship at a little statue (of snakes) next to this tree... I don't know too much about it...
Snakes, however: They are extremely common in this part of India... and quite poisonous. You die in 5 minutes if bitten. They have little dens and burrows everywhere! 

Nelamangian Suset

This is a canal being dug near the boy's hostel. 

Nelamangian Neighbor

She's playing with one of the hostel pets... 

Nelamangala

Nelamangala is a town roughly 20 km from Bangalore. The school and the hostels are there.
This is just outside the older boy's hostel (where I stayed for several days). 

Angel, Salome and Rajesh

Salome and Rajesh are amazing... I didn't really get to know Angel quite as well, but she's wonderful too... I'm going to miss them all... 

John and Myself

Here I am Decked out in Indian garb, looking a little out of it - I had a cold, and hadn't slept much for a while...
John is a guitarist I Jammed with a couple times. We played a song at the church once. He was lead guitarist, and I gave rythm and vocals - God of Wonders...
But even more exciting than playing the song - I was able to present the gospel in all it's fullness... Basically - I know I'm not a good singer or guitarist... So I introduced the song by explaining why I could sing for a God, who spoke: and the universe was made.
Because that same God also took dust, and formed us, and breathed life into us... He loved us then and he loves us now... and yet I have a rotten voice, and moreover am rather wretched, never doing the good things I'd like to do... But when I was most wretched and despicable... He came - Jesus, a good man, healing the sick, accepting the rejected... speaking with wisdom and authority, speaking the truth... but the truth is not accepted in this world. He was not accepted. The authorities killed him. He was crucified, died and buried. But death could not hold him, and he rose on the third day...
And he has told us that if we look to him, then we can have the fullness of life - like his. Our mistakes and failures are buried, like he was, but we shall live, fully new - like him, with God as our loving Father...
And that's why I could sing!

Apparently everyone loved the song... They asked us to do some more... 

Rajesh

Another child staying at the house with me... Also wonderful! He is from Sidartha Nagar. 

Salome

She's wonderful. She was living at the same house as me. A child from Manipur... Her brother Jackson is terrific too - he stays at the hostel. 

I don't know much about cows

He was approaching me - at first I thought he was just curious... then I realised I was wearing a red bandana... so I hightailed it... now I'm not sure if it was a he or a she... argh..

Mooo! 

Milk anyone?

Cows are wonderful. Not only do they provide their owners with milk... They also act as garbage desposal. With four stomachs, you can eat anything - and they do... 

More Cows, Nelamangala

I don't know why there's a fire... 

Cow in Bangalore

Mooo! 

Joe with Children from the Hostel

Joe is terrific! 

Myself and more children at the hostel

 

Myself, along with some children at the hostel.

I spent a couple weeks (their october school holidays) going to the hostel each day with Joe. Most of these photos are from then - and then some more from when I later spent several days living at the hostel. These children are just amazing. I wish I had been able to spend more time with them...