  Dear Friends and Family,  God has been faithful this past three weeks to watch over us and keep us healthy and safe as we have traveled. nbsp;  It is good to be back in a familiar environment. nbsp;  And Calcutta seems much more welcoming now than before because of its familiarity.
nbsp;  And I am looking forward to these remaining five weeks in Calcutta.  The train ride south was a wonderful opportunity to see the beautiful Indian countryside and to get a glimpse of rural farm life in India. nbsp;  After spending the night in Chennai we took a taxi to the resort town of Mahaballipuram where we enjoyed a three night stay at the luxurious Sea Breeze hotel. nbsp;
 It was nice to be able to kick back and relax and spend some time swimming in the hotel pool. nbsp;  The beach was also fairly clean and we had the chance to ride some waves and get swept off our feet by others. nbsp;  I tried my hand at body surfing but to no avail.  From there we traveled by train to Bangalore where we visited Tammy's home for children.
nbsp;  Tammy's home is a home for forty children but it is definitely not an orphanage. nbsp;  The love that is poured out on these kids and the life long commitment the staff have with the kids creates a true sense of family. nbsp;  It was such a blessing to see all the smiling faces of children who truly desire to grow in their relationship with Jesus.
nbsp;  I discovered what faith like a child really means. nbsp;  It was also a stark contrast to Daya Dan. nbsp;  Here the children are healthy and they have a family to love them and to care for them.
nbsp;  It made me wish that all the children in the homes in Calcutta could experience the same thing.  After staying with Tammy for five days we traveled by train to Kerala where we visited the Christavashram. nbsp;  Here the accomodations were quite comfortable -  we really did not know what to expect -
 and amidst the trees and plants and the quiet of nature I found myself able to truly relax and reflect. nbsp;  The ashram community here was not what I expected either. nbsp;  I think I was expecting the community to be more communal ( sharing three meals a day instead of just one etc.
 and I expected there would be more people living in the community,  but I was still able to gain insight into communal life. nbsp;  And finally last Tuesday we returned to Calcutta by train. nbsp;  I don't know if it was the endless games of pinichole,
 the wealth of good reading,  or just the air conditioning in the train car,  but the 46 hours flew by and before we knew it were found ourselves back in the heat and noise of Calcutta. nbsp;  We celebrated the birthdays of both Mike ( 18th)
 and Tony ( 20th)  by going out to Pizza Hut for dinner. nbsp;  It was really good to have pizza again and we were all suprised by the extent of the embarassment Mike and Tony had to suffer at the hands of the Pizza Hut employees once they discovered that it was their birthdays. nbsp;
 And Yesterday afternoon I went to Daya Dan to see the kids. nbsp;  It was so good to see them and to have the chance to hug and kiss and just play with them. nbsp;  I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to be here. nbsp;
 Thank you all for your prayer and support. nbsp;
