Blogs from Kochi, Kerala, India, Asia - page 43

Hey Everybody, Today we leave Cochin and head to Trivandrum. Just wanted to make sure you get plenty of pictures before we leave. Hopefully we'll find a cooperative computer in Trivandrum, but if not, at least you'll have these. Yesterday (4th of July) was pretty much just ministry work. We set up a lot of visiting appointments and Bible studies on Sunday. I know you like stories, so here's one. Kevin, Christy, Jen and I went out to visit a group of disciples at a satellite church. It was about an hour's drive. Many times we were afraid we were lost. The road was not paved most of the time and when we turned off of the "main road" it got worse. But we made it and had a great visit. We were supposed to be ... read more

Hey Everybody, Today was awesome and church was great. Tim gave the communion message and I preached. The fellowship was out of this world...again...and Christy was thrown a surprise b-day party. They got her a cake and sat her down in front of the whole church to share good things about her. Tim and Wendy put on a married's devotional. Even though the congregation only got the announcement during the church service, more than a hundred people stayed to hear some advice on their marriage. Very convicting since, in America, we give our schedule such a high priority. Good News!!! Solomon is here! I will let him and Holland let you know how they are doing and hopefully we can get Christy down here to tell you about her birthday. Love, Ben Hi everybody!!!!! I just ... read more

hey everyone! Thanks a lot for the encouraging comments that you left on the blog. Sorry if we have not been blogging enough, we have been very busy and it is sometimes hard for us to schedule a good time to get onto the one computer that they have at the hotels...but thanks to ben, we've been able to (deny ourselves..(Alan!)) and write in the blog as many times as possible. Yesterday, we all went to a little villiage in karela called Kottayam and be a part of their mid-week service, the diciples there were very warm and friendly and did everything they could to encourage us. They had a welcome sign for us on the main road and they also had personalized book marks for each one of us. The service was great, Tim preached ... read more

Red and yellow rule the temple courtyard. Red of the customary costumes and the yellow glitter of sabres and anklets, red of blood and yellow of turmeric powder clotting it. Pilgrims-revellers shroud themselves in dust and profanity, ritualistic and rhythmic. On the eve of Bharani, the culmination of the annual festival, Kodungallur temple complex is frenzied. The vault has been covered after the massacre of chicken. Men and women alike continue to assault themselves with their ornamental sabres. Anointed with blood, they dance in a trance. Pilgrims flood the courtyard in wave after wave. Spectators give way to the perilous runners as a few fall by the wayside. Shining blades and expletives rise over bloody heads. The week-long festival would culminate the next day when a mass of Velichappads, frenzied and armed oracles, would lay siege ... read more

Kochi (former Cochin) cannot deny the European influence, by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. Vasco da Gama landed in Calicut, 200 km north of Kochi, in 1498. Already four years later, he came to Kochi, where he died in 1524 and stayed buried in this town until 1538. The touristy part of this city is called Fort Kochi, and practically every building there is European. Fort Kochi retains a quiet relaxed atmosphere, whereas its twin town, Ernakulam, is bustling and hectic. Willingdon Island, Kochi's third part, was created in the 1920s by dredging the bay to increase the depth of the entrance to the harbour to over 11m. It is the Head Quarters of the Southern Command of the Indian Navy, and has a naval airport. Due to Kochi's unique position, with islands close ... read more