Hursts in India

Visited the National Handicrafts & Handlooms Museum in Delhi with wonderful display of old icons from throughout India Noida, Uttar Pradesh, a state neighboring Delhi, actually a suburb where we met on the 3rd floor of an unfinished office, accessed by a steep metal ladder and then narrow, steep concrete steps where you come out on this spot overlooking the street.  The concrete wall is about 15 inches tall and the "front" of the office is also open to the street with only a makeshift plastic (think ground cloth type of plastic) wall!!! It is always wonderful to visit Old Delhi, still predominantly Muslim, hustling and bustling, a constant assault or stimulation of every sense of the body.  We visited Fazalur Rehman Qureshi and his son, Adam.  They are the second and third generation running the Rehmatullah Hotel, really a cafe/restaurant.  It started at Partition in 1947 when all the wealthy Muslims moved to Pakistan.  This family took it ...

We had a quiet week between our trips to Pune and Nagpur.  It was nice to catch up on our public affairs projects and callings in the Malviya Nagar Ward. I had a chance to do some Indian cooking which for me, takes some time.  I made chana dal (chickpeas) and baingan bharta (eggplant). We tried the bingsu at a new Korean bakery/sweet shop in Prya Market near our apartment. On Monday, October 15 we flew to Nagpur and then drove to the village of Totladoh to attend the closing ceremony for a water project that LDS Charities undertook with the National Council of Churches in India.  This reservoir and a bore well were dug to provide water for the village. Here are some of the assembled villagers and Wendy Keeler (front left), a Church photographer missionary who came in from Mumbi to meet us.  Her home is Spring, Texas, outside of Houston. After the ceremony in Totladoh, the three of us drove three hours south to the Tadoba Natio...

Monday morning we flew to Pune, south and west of Delhi in the Maharashtra State. Inspired by the story of early Indian convert, Willie Handcart Company survivor and later Cedar City resident, Elizabeth Xavier Tait (see Sept 2018  Ensign or Google her), we visited the beautiful and historic St. Mary's Church ("mother church" of the Deccan, consecrated in 1825) where she and Corporal James Tait were married in 1859. The caretaker met us there and was pleased to show us around, including the ancient cabinet full of parish registers and a climb up to the bell tower.  Archives dating back to the early 1800s. Bell dating from 1823 probably rang at the Tait's wedding. Us at the front doors of the Church, through which the couple likely walked to be married! In the evening we drove out to the Maharashtra Institute of Technology-Art Design Technology campus to attend the World Parliament of Science, Religion and Philosophy and dedication of a th...

Its been a busy few weeks and we have been to the US and back!   Before leaving India to celebrate Winston and Brynne's wedding, we joined the Malviya Nagar missionaries for their District Meeting and afterwards lunch at Rimpys.  Here we are with mission driver Anil and Elders Miles, Andrews,Cook, Johnson, Nelli and Kartheek. We left Delhi just after midnight on Friday, September 14, had short layover in Paris and arrived in Salt Lake City just after noon on Friday, September 14.  We had some serious jet lag to overcome but being with the children and grandchildren gave us superhuman energy.  Philip and his family drove into Provo on Tuesday evening. The cousins were so happy to be together.  Henry, Elliott and Gray enjoyed playing in the mornings before Gray went to school. On Wednesday evening we had a "Cousin's Birthday Party" and celebrated Henry, Gray and Elliott's September birthdays and Anders and Oliver's October ones with ...