Hursts in India

Tuesday we attended the Central Zone Conference.  We love the energy of the young missionaries. That evening we decorated Valentine's Day cookies with the girls.  The goal seemed to be to pile as many sugary decorations as possible on each cookie.  And then eat them all, of course. Wednesday morning we visited the Mughal Gardens situated behind the Rashtrapati Bhawan (Presidential Palace, formerly the Victroy's House).  They are only open to the public for a few weeks in February and March.  The roses, tulips, pansies, violas, dahlias, ranunculus, lilies, and many other types of flowers were stunning. A beautiful carpet-style rangoli made entirely of fresh flowers.  Afterwards we went to the Bengali Market and has some mid-morning chat (snacks).  This is papri, one of my favorites. Small crisp disks are covered with chutney,  masala, and yogurt and garnished with pomegranate seeds and cashews. This is ...

Visitors - Jeannette from Germany & Ellen/Stephen Williams  Wonderful Udayan Girls     Making Valentines:    (on sofa), Ganga, Bhoomi, Sonu & Gulnahar  Teaching Bollywood dancing to the foreigners:  Gulnahar, Bhoomi, Sonu, Jeannette (Germany) and JJH  Adidas-Udayan Field Day: Sonu and Bhoomi  Jeanette, Rodha and Kushi   Cooking class - Ellen Williams, Monica Beesa, Sister Carol Toone & Jeanette  Paalak paneer, chicken masala tikka, palau and roti Jeanette, Grant, Ravi Gupta, Shoba, Ishika, Sister & Elder Toone-our apartment Janakpuri Home Group - meeting in Jaypee Suddarth Pres Ramakrishna family, Elder, Stephen/Ellen Williams, G&J, Bro/Sis Katuka . . . Akash ?, Lovely ?,  . . . Elder Bedont  End of quilt/baby cap project    This week we sent off our last batch of baby things for the Government Hospital in Rishikesh. With the help of Elders and S...

Tuesday morning we flew to Amritsar in the Punjab to attend a conference, "Reflections on the Life and Legacy of Guru Nanak Devji," the first guru and founder of the Sikh Religion who was born 550 years ago in the Lahore province of the Delhi Sultanate, now part of Pakistan.  At the airport we met Professors Alonzo Gaskill and Taunalyn Rutherford from BYU.   Both teach  world religions and she has been studying the Church in India, especially focusing on women.   Both were coming to present at the conference being held at the BBK DAV College for Women Amritsar.    The four of us along with Jeannette Schiwek Klejiweg from Germany stayed there.   Jeannette, also a Church member originally from Holland, had befriended the head of the College, Dr. Pushpinder Walia a year or so ago in Europe and i t was through Jeannette’s influence that the BYU professors were invited.    The conference began Wednesday morning.  In the first session,...

Folk Art by Lepers & Kolkata (again) At the India International Centre, an exhibit of works by students of the Bindu Art School in Chengalpattu, down near Chennai.  Its an NGO that teaches and sells art created by leprosy victims.  We visited the school last March and were excited to see the exhibit here in Delhi and pick up a few more beautiful paintings.  We visited with Werner Dornik, an Austrian artist and founder of the school.  He noted that the art they produce is colorful, bright and positive and that the instructors have never seen expressed in it any anger, pain or frustration.  The project is self-sustaining and promotes self-reliance. Street scene - cut sugar cane to be used either for a festival of to grind to make a sweet drink.    Anita Pyne choosing some delicious guava and a couple of other unknown fruits. College Street, the location of The University of Kolkata (1857), the Presidency University (1817), Kolkata...