Day 11 - Friday 17th October
We had been warned that prayers and hymns were broadcast from the Cathedral across the compound from 0500, but we still startled when it woke us up. This lasts for half an hour and then the children attend morning prayers from 0700.
 The day started overcast which was a welcome relief from the intense heat. We joined the Bishop and his family for breakfast – as if we needed another meal! However, it was so delicious we couldn’t say no. I am getting used to curries for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
After breakfast we joined the school for outside assembly and prayers, we then joined the staff from the Diocese office and the Curates in their small worship area for prayers before they start work. They asked again that we pray for the problems of persecution in India, the Bishop is actually heading off to Manila on Sunday to attend a conference about the problems and decide on the Church’s response. It was good to hear that the Indian prime minister had to answer embarrassing questions about the situation at a recent meeting of world leaders, and Church leaders here are hoping that strong action will not be taken.
Returning to the school we took our seats for the Cultural Programme of entertainment. The children were obviously very excited and the programme commenced with a delightful dance by some of the youngest girls to that great Indian classic “I’m A Barbie Girl”.
There was then a traditional tribal dance, and wonderful play about the use of the English language where children played the parts of “noun”, “verb”, “adverb”, etc.
 The next item in the programme was a volleyball match, English Medium School verses the Telugu Secondary School. It all got a bit over-competitive with Terry managing the English Medium team and Bishop Devamani managing the Telugu boys. The Bishop even served a few times for his team, whereas Terry’s contribution was simply a team huddle before the off and then shouting a lot from the sideline. There was huge excitement when the English Medium boys won, and everyone had to retire for tea and cakes to recover from the excitement.
 We visited the health clinic on the site where the Bishop’s Daughter Carol works as a junior Doctor. We were amazed at how basic it was, but Carol was very excited about some of the equipment they have so we didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm. She has only been there for a few months and has her hands full with two clinics a day, however, we discussed at length the real health issues in this area and her plans to build a programme of health awareness to take in to the schools. Just basic things like hygiene, safe drinking water and HIV awareness she said would make such a huge difference not only to the children, but also to their families and villages when they returned to them. Making children agents for change, we love this idea and shared a few other thoughts and told her of the contacts we had made at the HIV clinic in Hyderabad.
 Lunch was next on the agenda, another hearty curry made especially for us by the headmasters wife, it was delicious. After lunch we went to visit the headmistress of the local Telugu School which sits within the compound. This school is also the responsibility of Dornakal Dioceses but is mainly funded by the government. However, we were told of the current problems getting government funding and saw that the school currently has vacancies for seven teachers but no government funds to employ them. Their school building was built in 1975 and we were horrified to see how poorly constructed it was, with ceilings caving in and plasterwork coming away in many areas. The primary school children have to sit on the floor as they don’t have any benches and the school has two girls’ toilets for 426 children.
 It is now time for us to leave and we’re really sad to go having spent such a wonderful few days in this beautiful area of India. As we set off on the return journey we are even more aware of the children we see working in the fields and herding goats and are mindful of the fantastic opportunity being offered to some children through the English Medium School.
Only 150 miles back to our hotel and we were mostly travelling on the major road to Hyderabad – six and a half hours later we have arrived back at our hotel! Thankfully there is never a dull moment on India’s roads. It rained for most of our return journey so we amused ourselves with seeing the array of different items being used as rain cover, empty sand bags, papers and a whole selection of plastic bags, all worn without the slightest bit of embarrassment. Maybe this is why we feel we fit in so well in this country.
I am taking off my Rianna’s Fund hat for a day tomorrow and donning my Trade Justice hat as I head off to find out more about the problems being faced by cotton farmers in India and then we’re off to Mumbai on Sunday, so I’ll be back with news from Mumbai on Monday.
God bless you all and can I ask for our prayers for the remainder of our trip and a safe journey back on 22nd October.
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