This is primarily a three-week teaching and administrative visit, but Joe James and I are also gathering information and taking in as much cultural and local input as we can in preparation for the 2,000-mile bike ride to raise funds to rebuild Umri Christian Hospital next year.Thus far, we have participated in an Annual Conference, visited locations, and been in meetings. Joe James has been meeting with the three Indian church leaders. Yesterday it was my privilege to speak to this group. I have been preparing to teach in training sessions that begin on Saturday. In all, we will have six days of worker training. I will teach on Leadership, Stewardship, the the distinctive characteristics of our organization. This conference alone will have over 200 participants in attendance at these trainings.
One does not need to go sightseeing in Kolkata to be overwhelmed by the sights, smells, people, and the spirit of the place. Already one of the largest cities in the world, it is growing rapidly as villagers move to the urban area. Many live literally in tents along the highways or on the streets. A walk down six blocks and I see: numerous fruit stands and vendor shops, people bathing on the street corner, cows roaming wherever they want, goats tied up, monkeys on leashes, people begging, people busy trying to make a living any way they can, lots of humanity on the sidewalks (sometimes I am stepping over them). All this is beside busy streets jammed with trucks, cars, auto-rickshaws, rickshaws (Kolkata is the only city in the world were men pull rickshaws), bicycles, carts, pedestrians...and no street signs, no lane markings, no signals. Lots of honking...but no one gets upset. They just yield when they have to and honk and take advantage of another driver when they can. No one gets hurt. It's rather amazing.
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