My eye seemed a little better this morning!  After our worship and team meeting this morning, we went shopping at a mall where the rich people in Kurnool go.  I got in trouble with a store clerk for taking a picture with my camera!  Thankfully the translator saw what was going on and took me back to the store owner’s office to get permission to take pictures to show my family back home.  Now the clerk who was angry with me was posing for a picture.  Funny!

The check out lanes at the western styled chopping mall (from the stairs going to second floor).

Bought curry leaves, notebooks, and a rosewood spoon for gifts and a small, bright red rug for my house ($1.80 US dollars).  Got to ride home in one of those three-wheeled auto-rickshaws.  It felt like an amusement park ride!

After lunch I helped Lisa cut out felts and fell asleep for an hour.

"Small Toni" and Rachel as we walked through the village to pray with people.

Went to another village to visit house to house.  This time Toni Crumley (called “Small Toni) and I (called “Big Toni”) went with one of the Indian Pastors (the one I thought of as “The Long-Prayer Pastor”) and he translated for us.  We heard so many sad stories and prayed for sick people, poor people, church leader’s families, young mothers, one couple with 6 kids!...  one of the situations that really broke my heart was the plight of a widow who had 4 adult girls.  A young man of the village wouldn’t marry one of those girls because he would have to take care of the whole family (a tradition born out of necessity).  These girls were passed by for economic reasons, even though they were beautiful and intelligent and hard working.  The widow and her girls did all they could to get enough food for themselves.  The mother was asking us to pray for a miracle - that somehow her girls would get to be married and live a normal life.  It seemed impossible, but I prayed.  I have thought of them several times since I have been home and prayed again that God would provide loving men to marry each of those four girls and bring joy and help to that family.

The girls leading the children in some English songs.

Back to Ballawallan.  I sat with the adult ladies tonight.  Pr. Kelly spoke this time; it was definitely inspired.  My throat hurt tonight and now my infection has spread to the right eye.  On top of that I am constipated.  I don’t know if I got dehydrated from the heat or had gotten a little zealous with the charcoal trying to get rid of the other issue a few nights ago.  Ridiculous!  How many times I wished I were a healthier person.  (And as I write this now April of 2012, I am reminded that I need to work on that NOW before I go back to India again!)