Tuesday, July 3 - Asansol

Today we woke up seriously early and left the guest house in time to catch a 6:30 am train.  We went to a city named Asansol.  Traveling by train is similar to traveling by airplane.  Once moving we could get up and walk around and talk with eachother.  They even served us breakfast on the way there and dinner on our way back.  I spent most of the trip there asleep (I wasn't feeling well), but woke up in time to pose for a few pictures! 

 

Once in Asansol we split into two groups.  Mary and Christy went in one direction to conduct a sewing class.  While there, they presented the woman hosting the class with an electric sewing maching.  It was her first electric sewing machine and she was overjoyed!

The rest of us (Ellen, Cheryl, Kevin, Bill, and I) headed the opposite direction to hold a medical clinic in a village nearby.  The villagers were so excited that we were there that they were lined up before we even started.  We were able to treat several people and I prayed over several of the women, including the pastor's mother.  One of the villagers told Kevin as we left that afternoon "Today is the best day becasue you have come here!" 




After the clinic we all met back in Asansol for lunch.  After lunch, all the team except Bill went to a very kind woman's house to use the western toilet and relax in the air conditioning!  She was very excited to be able to open her house to us and offered us snacks and chai.  Since several of us had passed on lunch, it was a very nice treat!  While we were relaxing and enjoying the luxury of a toilet, Bill stayed behind and conducted a clinic for those participating in the training.  When the rest of us returned from our new friend's house, we all helped finish up the clinic. 

Once finished with the clinic, we loaded back up into the car and headed back to the train station to wait for a train back to Kolkata.  At the train station, they have specific rooms for men and women to wait for the trains in (as well as a room that has a joint area).  The dinner they served on the train was actually really good... perhaps because we had skipped lunch!  When we arrived back in Kolkata, the engineer of the train allowed us to take pictures of him and the engine fo the train, something they do not normally allow.  (Thomas will be so excited!)

Up tomorrow: Serving at Daya Dan.