Hello once again,

This is the last of my posts from Kolkata as we fly back to the UK early tomorrow morning Kolkata time. However due to a two and a half hour stop-over in Dubai I won’t get to Upton until the early hours of Friday and I guess I may well spend Friday asleep!

Hello from a very warm Kolkata

Today has proved a little hotter than the weather forecast said it would be – if that is possible! But today has seen the end of the visits to projects and missions as well as the end of the work with mission organisations. This morning we went to speak to a very rare group of Christians.

It was a privilege to speak to a group of converts who had previously been Muslim Imams. Their knowledge of both the Bible and the Qur’an was very impressive indeed and their stories were amazing.

Hi All,

As my time here in India starts to draw to a close the weather is starting to get hotter. The local heat index (that is to say the index of how hot it actually feels) is 105°Farenheit and I and several others are starting to wilt. The locals are telling us that it will continue to get hotter each day until you get to the really hot month of May – so please do not come to Kolkata in May! The temperature forecast for Wednesday is some 100°F with a heat index of 110°F.

Hi All,

Hi,

No you haven’t gone mad today marks the first day in the New Year for Bengallys. So there are many people selling colourful streamers etc. all over the city. The Hindu calendar here revolves around six seasons and today heralds the first day of summer. Traditionally it is the day when the temperatures start to get hotter – and boy did it get hotter – but it also marks the beginning of the two months that lead up to monsoon season here.

Hi All,

Friday evening was a rest period which I must say due to the intense nature of this mission trip and indeed the intense heat was really welcome.

It also happened to coincide with a twenty over a side (T20) cricket match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the local team (Kolkata Knight Riders) against the Rajasthan Royals. This was seen as a must win match as the Riders have lost their first two matches and needed a win badly.

Hi

As you might know in India there is a lot of waiting around. When you make an appointment for say 9 a.m. the word that always follows this is ish! So it was that I found myself journeying across the city in a mini-bus at 10.30 when we should have started out at 9 but this had turned into ish! I was sort of annoyed because we were due to meet some Pastors who had been developing church planting in the city and were due to witness a service in Bengaly (the local language) which was, I was told , very lively (in an Indian way).

Late as ever – we will miss the service.

Firstly can I thank all of you who are following me every day and apologise for not blogging for two days – time simply defeated me!

On Thursday we visited Freeset who make eco-friendly products right in the heart of Kolkata’s red light area. The project is currently employing over 100 women who would otherwise be trapped in the sex trade.

Hi All,
Another day out in the countryside planting churches and in a way it proved to be even better than yesterday - if that is possible.

Today we went into two villages. It was a day of many firsts including my first time in a boat across the lowlands of Bengal. I have some pictures I will show you when we meet.

Hi

To everyone who is following this blog - thank you - you arer all an encourgament to me and you arer amazing - so thank you once again

We spend this afternoon at the seaside – well on the Bay of Bengal actually. There was no sand and no time to go paddling but we went there specifically to go to a Hindu Village where there was no church (only a Hindu Temple) and where the name of Jesus was not known by most.