Hi again,
Well how was Christmas for you, did you have a good one or was it better forgotten?
I read some research that said that Christmas was the third most stressful thing in our lives after moving home and divorce/marriage. Strange isn't it that the birth of our lord has become such a stressful time to so many.
It got me wondering, and being here in India where a celebration is just that really helps put it in perspective. A few days before (around the 20th) an Indian we know told us there was a big festival coming soon, 'we call it Christmas' he said. To Indians its like the festival of light or Diwali, just another festival that different religions celebrate, and frankly a good excuse to sing and dance. Have we in the west forgotten that Christmas is a celebration, a birthday party, it should be about joy and happiness not about drinking until we fall over, eating until we are sick and running up a huge credit card bill buying many many things we don't actually need. I am not trying to preach, just commenting on how we now see things from a different perspective here. Yes we both bought each other a present, but it was something we would both use, we also gave to our Indian friends less fortunate than ourselves, not as the rich westerners some seem to delight in portraying themselves as but as Chris and Kris that some have come to know and call their friends, something that honours us greatly, Indians don't give you their honest friendship easily. We gave as the wise men gave to Mary, with joy and happiness to celebrate the birth of our saviour Jesus and surely that should be the point of Christmas, a joyful celebration.
Who's a happy girl then!
Some years ago I hurt my back and as a result as I have got older the pain has got a bit sharper! Kris bless her didn't want me digging in the garden and having to be in pain afterwards so she bought me a rotivator, its only small but so is our garden.
Cool! Goodbye back pain from digging and hoeing.
The engine is about the same size as the starter motor was in my Motoguzzi 1100 California. Its a two stroke mix oil and petrol in the tank, revs like crazy! Started it up in the house....mistake, the air went blue from the fumes. Cough, cough cough!
Friends came over Christmas day, Debidutta Pattnaik (Managing Director of PMF) and family , Janet Halford also came and even Santa put in an appearance later so it was a real family feel for all of us.we had a really good time and enjoyed our first Christmas day here. Food was interesting, all sorts including highly spiced chicken (powerful stuff) and sliced roast chicken that they had never seen before as well as lots of nibbles.
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Some pictures of our Christmas, everyone had a good time.
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Away from the city......India.
Things that made me go mmmmm.
India is now in mourning, they lost the One Day International cricket match against Pakistan. Kolkata, Jan 3 (IANS) Indian batting fizzled out virtually without a spark as Pakistan took a winning 2-0 lead in the One-Day International (ODI) series
Nude men walking through Udaipur, apparently Jain Gurus walking for donations, huge turn out, police blocked roads and stopped traffic for them.
Listening to Christmas carols in a very western mart, all in Hindi, jingle bells was a scream.
Buying eggs from a shop selling soft toys........a side line?
At a New Year party, all the guys up dancing, all the women sitting watching.
An add on TV, a little boy runs into the TV room to his father with a piece of wire with the Indian flag on it, caption ,Havell, the wire that dosn't catch fire'..............you mean the others do!
Work.
I have completed building two filter units, one based on a two gallon bucket that filters about one gallon overnight into a water jar.
The other is based on a five gallon barrel that filters three gallons in much the same time.
The smaller size is for hanging from an overhead beam from its wire handle or placing on the window sill and filling from a water jar while the larger one is taken to the pump and filled. It can be carried by the handles back to the home and other than the filter is made entirely of recycled materials to keep the cost down. As I said in a previous Blog, the problem I think with previous designs was either the cost or making things too complex, sand filters, carbon elements taps bowls etc,.............this works and can be made very simply, the only filter is one ceramic filter candle available here very easily.
It looks so simple now its done.
At last I have finished writing the course of 'Spoken English' that I will be delivering to the cluster group leaders who work with the Pragati Marg Foundation in their villages. The idea is week by week I teach them and then using the materials I give them they teach others. I am struggling however to afford to buy dictionaries for all of them, we have so little money it can be so difficult to do as well as you know you could if only you had the materials needed.
I will be delivering a slightly modified version to the young men in the bible college in their first year where they are to train as worship leaders and Pastors. Most who come are filled with the Holy Spirit but have very little English so it is going to be my job to help them over that hurdle.What a wonderful task helping these young men train to spread the wonderful news of our Saviour.I cant stop grinning when I think of it.
Home
I know I promised to continue showing you our house but there has been so much to write this time that I am going to wait until the next Blog to do that. I will also update you on our garden and some news we have about a friend who's life has changed thanks to Jesus.
Kris and I both wish you all the best possible new year and pray that our Lord Jesus will through you enter other peoples lives and bring them to the joy of knowing Him.
A new year resolution, 'I will bring one person to the Lord this year' imagine the world by next Christmas if we all did that.
Chris Hyde
Well how was Christmas for you, did you have a good one or was it better forgotten?
I read some research that said that Christmas was the third most stressful thing in our lives after moving home and divorce/marriage. Strange isn't it that the birth of our lord has become such a stressful time to so many.
It got me wondering, and being here in India where a celebration is just that really helps put it in perspective. A few days before (around the 20th) an Indian we know told us there was a big festival coming soon, 'we call it Christmas' he said. To Indians its like the festival of light or Diwali, just another festival that different religions celebrate, and frankly a good excuse to sing and dance. Have we in the west forgotten that Christmas is a celebration, a birthday party, it should be about joy and happiness not about drinking until we fall over, eating until we are sick and running up a huge credit card bill buying many many things we don't actually need. I am not trying to preach, just commenting on how we now see things from a different perspective here. Yes we both bought each other a present, but it was something we would both use, we also gave to our Indian friends less fortunate than ourselves, not as the rich westerners some seem to delight in portraying themselves as but as Chris and Kris that some have come to know and call their friends, something that honours us greatly, Indians don't give you their honest friendship easily. We gave as the wise men gave to Mary, with joy and happiness to celebrate the birth of our saviour Jesus and surely that should be the point of Christmas, a joyful celebration.
Kris with her Christmas present, she gave her easel and painting equipment away in the UK to a local school along with all her paints before we came to India so that their art department could continue as its budget had been cut.
Some years ago I hurt my back and as a result as I have got older the pain has got a bit sharper! Kris bless her didn't want me digging in the garden and having to be in pain afterwards so she bought me a rotivator, its only small but so is our garden.
Cool! Goodbye back pain from digging and hoeing.
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| My first Indian engine, 39cc, wow. |
Friends came over Christmas day, Debidutta Pattnaik (Managing Director of PMF) and family , Janet Halford also came and even Santa put in an appearance later so it was a real family feel for all of us.we had a really good time and enjoyed our first Christmas day here. Food was interesting, all sorts including highly spiced chicken (powerful stuff) and sliced roast chicken that they had never seen before as well as lots of nibbles..png)
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Some pictures of our Christmas, everyone had a good time.
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Santa in the background!
New Year at the local club
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| Saffron (Marigolds) and typical buildings. |
Away from the city......India.
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| Wild Bees high in a tree |
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| New School building |
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| Sunset, this really is a fantastic country. |
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| Just nice rock, me photographing the road. |
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| Cultivated fields |
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| Mountain Roads ? |
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| No,the MAIN cross state road |
India is now in mourning, they lost the One Day International cricket match against Pakistan. Kolkata, Jan 3 (IANS) Indian batting fizzled out virtually without a spark as Pakistan took a winning 2-0 lead in the One-Day International (ODI) series
Nude men walking through Udaipur, apparently Jain Gurus walking for donations, huge turn out, police blocked roads and stopped traffic for them.
Listening to Christmas carols in a very western mart, all in Hindi, jingle bells was a scream.
Buying eggs from a shop selling soft toys........a side line?
At a New Year party, all the guys up dancing, all the women sitting watching.
An add on TV, a little boy runs into the TV room to his father with a piece of wire with the Indian flag on it, caption ,Havell, the wire that dosn't catch fire'..............you mean the others do!
Work.
I have completed building two filter units, one based on a two gallon bucket that filters about one gallon overnight into a water jar.
The smaller size is for hanging from an overhead beam from its wire handle or placing on the window sill and filling from a water jar while the larger one is taken to the pump and filled. It can be carried by the handles back to the home and other than the filter is made entirely of recycled materials to keep the cost down. As I said in a previous Blog, the problem I think with previous designs was either the cost or making things too complex, sand filters, carbon elements taps bowls etc,.............this works and can be made very simply, the only filter is one ceramic filter candle available here very easily.
It looks so simple now its done.
At last I have finished writing the course of 'Spoken English' that I will be delivering to the cluster group leaders who work with the Pragati Marg Foundation in their villages. The idea is week by week I teach them and then using the materials I give them they teach others. I am struggling however to afford to buy dictionaries for all of them, we have so little money it can be so difficult to do as well as you know you could if only you had the materials needed.
Home
I know I promised to continue showing you our house but there has been so much to write this time that I am going to wait until the next Blog to do that. I will also update you on our garden and some news we have about a friend who's life has changed thanks to Jesus.
Kris and I both wish you all the best possible new year and pray that our Lord Jesus will through you enter other peoples lives and bring them to the joy of knowing Him.
A new year resolution, 'I will bring one person to the Lord this year' imagine the world by next Christmas if we all did that.
Chris Hyde
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