Our Weekend

Today is Sunday--Ron, Amy, Erin and I have just had a wonderful buffet lunch at the Marriott Courtyard Chennai and are settled in the Executive Lounge answering and reading emails.  It's lightly raining outside and the clouds are heavy, ready to really let loose.  The rains are like nothing I have ever experienced--the heavens truly open.  We left the property about 7:30 this morning:  church starts at 9:30 and it is an arduous drive into town.  The new location for the church is in the basement of a big office building.  It is a very big improvement over where we were a year and a half ago when we attended our meetings.  There are eight Elders in the area, and a missionary couple who serve part time in Chennai, and part time at Pathways (the wonderful facility that Bill Sheffield has been connected with for some time.)  The Martinez's have given a lot to move that work forward, also.

The building was packed--well over 200 in attendance, and there were four confirmations. Every week there are baptisms and confirmations.  The Mission President and his wife were there and spoke, as well as the District President.  It was a lovely meeting:  lovely, gentle spirit. Gospel Doctrine and Relief Society and Priesthood were also very good.  There are quite a few Americans, but all the leadership is Indian.  Ron and I gave the opening and closing prayers.

From church we came to the Marriott, but we will be back at RSO in time for the Devotional that Amy Antonelli does with the volunteers each Sunday evening.  She is an amazing person--can't imagine her ever leaving here.

Yesterday was a great day--"home run day"  as Skipper from Laguna would put it.  We started early to do our final organization for our first monthly (weekly) "Beautiful India" day.  Garbage is a terrible problem everywhere, and no one seems to feel any responsibility for where things are left, dropped, and dumped.  It is not just the children that litter--all of India litters! Anyway, with the volunteers working with their families (a group of about 25 children), they set out to pick up every piece of trash they could find.  MANY black bags later, you wouldn't have recognized the place.  Later in the morning a big backhoe arrived to dig a large garbage pit for us.  We also separated out as much plastic as we could, and actually sold it for $12.00!  That was a windfall.  If we can get the cooks and cleaning people to start separating, they will share in the monies we can receive.  Everyone was proud of their efforts at the end of the morning.

It didn't last long, however.  In the afternoon 25-30 employees from the Marriott came for their monthly visit.  What excitement and what fun!!  They bring lots of food for the children, and they have a big picnic in the mango grove.  Those who come, serve the children their food and in addition to the food share a treat of a boxed fruit drink for each child--that is their favorite.  After the food, it was out to the playground area, where a wild game of cricket begins, along with musical chairs, dancing, balloons, and all kinds of fun and games.  The children love it--but so do the Marriott employees.  They fight to be on the list of who gets to come each month.  What a lovely gift to both the givers and those who receive. This morning, there were all kinds of remains of the day littering the grounds, so we will clean again next week.