March 18th

-The train got into the station at 4:30 in the morning! We got off the train and boarded an ambassador made car that is made for tourists to use. We went and slept at the hotel Maadhini in Kariyskumani, the room we got had a balcony facing the Indian Ocean. We slept for a few hours and then got up at 6:15 am and watched the sunrise over the ocean, it was beautiful!

 

- We then slept for a few hours more, waking up at 8:30 for a breakfast of Idley, and then off to the seminary, where Dad gave one of the salutations. We then took a 2 and a half hour drive to one of the deaf schools. There I met one of the female students, named Uthra, who agreed to allow writing correspondence. We played ring ball, which is played with a small rubber ring which you pass back and forth very fast, it takes a lot of hand eye coordination, I did better then I thought.

 

-We left there around 8pm and got back to the hotel around midnight.

 

March 19th

-We woke up around 7am and went to the hearing church, stopping at a restaurant for a breakfast of idly on the way. Dad gave the sermon it was different then the ones he’s done before, but he still taught them some signs. It was interesting what they did for offering, they had placed a bowel on a table near the front, and people would come and dump grain into it, which they added into the offerings.

 

-After church we got to see an amazing sight. We got to go to the very southern tip of India and see where the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal all come together. We also got some insight into how high and how deep the tsunami was.

 

-We then boarded the 5:15pm train and should arrive in Chennai around 4:30am.

 

March 20th

 

-The train took a little bit longer, so we didn’t get to Chennai till around 7:30am. O well, more sleep then! We are currently at the international hotel, before we head off to do a day of shopping and the packing before our 4 am ish flight.

 

March 21st

-We arrived in London at 9:15 am their time, Greenwich time zone. We are hanging out in one of the café’s until 12ish, when we shall leave and board our 12:45 pm flight. From there it’s back to the good old US of A!!

Joshua Reinke
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