Sunday Morning. Had breakfast and then left about 9.30 as we are all going to church together where I am preaching! It's called the "Revival Church" and is led by an elderly pastor who is 82;- a lovely old gentleman who tells me that his late wife's father was Irish!
Nice church service which ran for about two hours. Communion was about half way through and a mixture of hymns ranging from the very traditional using "Redemption Hymnal" to very contemporary ones thrown up on the screen using PowerPoint.
These are a few pictures of us outside the church including one of Lilian and me with the pastor and me in the baptismal tank which was outside. You can't keep us Baptists out of a baptismal tank! As soon as we see one we just have to get in it!


Afterwards Prem and Rita took us all for Sunday lunch to a fabulous hotel called the "Royal Orchid". More amazing food served as a buffet.

Came back home and Lilian, Dean and I went out for a walk and had an iced coffee as it was getting pretty hot. When we came back the to American girls were getting ready for the wedding by having their hands and feet painted with henna which is a custom here. A girl from the school was doing it for them.Dean caught a flight to Dubai at 5.00pm for a week's break before he goes back to school.

After he left, Prem and I went for a walk in the park outside the house. By a walk in the park he means half a dozen circuits of the park at a pretty sharp pace! Lots of people taking exercise which an Indian orchestra and singer sing and play classical Indian music.

As mentioned earlier, we had all been invited to a wedding of a member of the school staff. Indian weddings are big! William, the office manager tells me he had 1600 guests at his! So the school bus collected us at about 7.30 and we headed off to the reception. Lots of people seated in a big hall when we arrived. Prem and Rita are obviously fairly high status in Indian society and when you are with them you are treated like royalty! We were ushered up to the front seats past everybody else with everybody fawning round us. A bit embarrassing for Lilian and me as we don't even know the couple's names!

Eventually the bride and groom enter. He in a suit and she looking beautiful but very nervous in a sari.
It's at that point that Prem tells me that as a special guest I have been asked to open in prayer and pray for the couple and their families! The usual 30 seconds notice you get in India!

So I end up standing on the platform with them, without a microphone praying at the top of my voice to try and drown out the Indian music which apparently can't be turned down and in front of a congregation, most of whom don't speak English!Afterwards we are led downstairs to pride of place at another Indian meal!

As I leave the reception I am handed a bag containing a coconut a betel leaf and a packet of betel seeds. The water in the coconut represents joy and the betel leaf and seeds represent growth and prosperity. Unfortunately I can't bring them home with me as I'm going to Los Angeles after this and there's no way American Immigration is going to let me into the country with them!

After it is all over we all get into the bus and come home. It's the Americans' last night, they leave to catch their flight at 4.00am and so it's all good byes and exchanging email addresses. Collapse into bed after another long day!