Weeks Ending 5 August, 12 August & 19 August 2018

 Week Ending 5 August 2018

We attended another dance concert on Monday night.  This one featured a combination of Kathak (north Indian) and Bharatnatyam (south Indian) styles. The emotion of the facial expressions and hand gestures is wonderful.  They are primarily telling stories originally enacted in the Hindu temples. The two other senior couples joined us and afterwards we went out to dinner.  On the way we encountered a heard of camels being ridden down the city street—right in the middle of traffic.  We stopped, they stopped and Elder Peck and Sister Smith took a spontaneous ride. 

National Gandhi Museum

Our friend, Vinay Sihgn made us aloo paratha (roti bread stuffed with potato pieces.

Akshardham or Swaminarayan complex is a Hindu temple with an impressive light and water show.  With the sister missionaries.

Week Ending 12 August 2018

Wednesday was truly a never-to-be-forgotten day.  We, along with President and Sister Hansen, visited the facilities of Sulabh International, founded by Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak.  Google it, as it is too much to describe.  This is the home of what is known as the “3^rd strangest museum in the world.”  I am not sure the identities of the first two but this, “The Toilet Museum” clearly lived up to its billing.  But it is celebrating the creation by Dr. Pathak of readily available toilets to help address the huge sanitation problems found here in India where there are more cell phones than toilets.  Look it up.  But, basically they are squat toilets with two drainage pits.  When one is filled the drainage is directed to the other.  After a couple of years, the one that was closed has totally composted, odor and bacteria are gone and it can be used as a valuable

fertilizer.  The water can be saved, filtered and used for irrigation.  In some cases where the volume would warrant, the biogas from the composting can be captured and used to operate cooking stoves and lighting.  Talk about no waste from human waste.  Amazing.  We are investigating whether LDS Charities will do any projects with them.  Anyway, was we were with the “President” we were treated like royalty with multiple flower arrangements each, two shawls, gifts, a program including Hindu prayers, Indian and U.S. national anthems and, to his surprise a speech by President Hansen.  This was followed by a wonderful Indian lunch.  We were followed the whole five or so hours by three photographers, including a video crew.  My head is till swirling.

See for coverage:  http://www.sulabhinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/SSB_Eng_Vol_02_Issue_35.pdf

Widows - traditionally can wear only white and essentially became persona no grata upon the death of the husband

  

Amazing composting toilets - fill one pit, leave two years, take out for fertilizer, meanwhile capture gas for cooking and lighting, water is filtered and recycled then used for irrigation!

Jain School - Old Delhi

Tuesday morning we met Dr. Shugan Jain, founder of the International School of Jain Studies, and his joint director, Dr. Shrinetra Pandey.  We visited the Jain school located in Old Delhi with its beehive-buzz of activity, narrow streets and everything you might see in a Jason Bourne movie.  The area was once a Jain neighborhood but is now mostly Muslim.  They are attempting to keep the boys and girls schools going to serve the new and more challenged demographic.  We will see if there is anything LDS Charities might be willing to do to assist.  We learned that the outward facing palm of the hand (like my Mom used to wear as a silver pin) is the Jain symbol meaning STOP.  That is, before you do anything stop yourself and ask, “Will this cause any harm?”  If so, harm to anything, living, plant or animal or even inanimate, ask, “Is it really necessary?”  If not, find a better way.  And, there is always a better way.  Seems like Mom was a Jain and didn’t (or at least I didn’t) even know it!

OSHA approved scaffolding!  Bamboo is multi-functional.

 Street scene . . . Malviya Nagar, New Delhi

Zone Conference in front of Vasant Vihar building.  Elder and Sister Skidmore recently arrived from Arizona.

A few weeks ago I began getting messages on WhatsApp from some unknown person.  He wrote in somewhat broken English.  Finally I was able to connect him with Elder Mekala, an assistant to President Hansen.  Apparently he saw someone on the train reading the Book of Mormon and it caught his attention.  He is Muslim but has been working with an NGO and learning about Christianity.  He read for an hour on the train.  In the book he found the telephone number I now use - has been used by several past missionaries.  On the 12th he was in Delhi, having traveled 18 hours by train to meet Church members.  He was taught a couple of lessons before returning to Raiput.  He says he was going to take several Books of Mormon to share with his family and village.  He carries a wonderful and sincere spirit. The Lord works in His own way.  We just need to learn, hear, listen and follow.

Week Ending 19 August 2018

Wednesday was Independence Day celebrating  72 years as a nation.  The day began with a visit to the Gurukul School in Ghaziabad, a suburb north east of Delhi.  According to a long standing tradition, we, the PA couple, were invited to help invest the new officers for classes 6 through 12. We both had to speak for about three minutes each. It was fun to be with the young people and enjoy a performance by their jazz band and dance team.  In the afternoon we met our friend Vinay Singh and his fiancée Jessica Farnsworth for lunch, but first we went to the roof of our apartment and, like millions all over the country, flew kites in honor of the day.  

    Vinay Singh & fiance from Provo

Mumbai

Thursday morning we flew to Mumbai where we have been hosted by Cliff and Wendy Keeler from Houston, TX.  He is a coal gasification engineer working for Reliant, a large Indian company.  He is also President of the Mumbai Branch.  Wendy is a photographer missionary for the Church whose work has been published in the Ensign and on Church websites.  We came to work with her to select photos for gift calendars for Indian opinion and interfaith leaders.  

Jeanette rock climbing!

Saturday morning we went climbing at a community climbing wall and then drove to the nearby Sanjay Gandhi National Park to see the Kanhari Caves.  This complex of Buddhist stupas and viharas (for living, studying and meditation) was carved out of basalt hills between 100 B.C. and 1100 A.D.  A system of water channels was created to provide water drainage and storage.  We were rained on a few times but it was invigorating to be outside in nature, something I really miss in Delhi.  

Mumbai skyline from caves

This was somehow left out of the letter.  This is Anand Mahajan.  We were in the same MBA class at Cornell from 1981-83.  I remember talking with him near graduation and telling him I would come visit him in India.  I remembered; he didn't but was gracious enough to meet with us - then he remembered.  He is the head of a huge company.  Good man.  It was fun.  I told him:  A promise made is a promise kept!!  Even if it takes 35 years.

More Mumbai Bay