Tuesday, July 31, 2007

India 2008 Planning Trip - Day 1


Our flight from Wichita, via Chicago, was uneventful. It is amazing to board a plane at 7:00 pm in Chicago and end up in Delhi 14 hours later with no stops. Del and I were fortunate to be given an exit row, which means no seats in front of you for 6 feet on a Boeing 777. As a result, the night travel was better for sleeping than is often the case.




We left in the evening and arrived in the evening of the next day. The 14 hour flight was 25 hours on the clock due to the time zone changes and the rotation of the earth. With only carry on luggage, we moved through customs with no delays and made it to the Duerkson's house in two hours. This was quite an accomplishment considering the amount of traffic on the roads during daytime hours, every type of vehicle imaginable inlcuding motorcycles, auto rickshaws, trucks, cows, bicycles, human pulled carts, and yes even cars.


Traffic was good since it was evening, but it still felt like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (Disney visitors will know about that ride). We had one interesting observation about the rules of the road. Our taxi driver became quite impatient with another taxi that would not move one foot to the left so he could squeeze by on the right. The rule seems to be that traffic on all two lane highways must make room for ar least three cars wide. Three lane highways must allow for four or five vehicles driving side by side.

In anger, the our taxi driver honked and honked to no avail. He finally passed the other taxi, cut in front of it, slowed down, and would not let the other taxi pass. The driver behind us tried to pass but our taxi driver swwerved back and forth blocking him. After keeping the taxi at bay for a mile or so, weaving from lane to lane, our taxi driver finally sped away as if to say, next time move over to make room for another vehicle, even if there is no lane.


We spend the evening chatting with Darren and Shanna discussing the work of the Delhi MBMSI church planting team. Tomorrow we are to meet with a short-term TREK group from Canada and will learn more fully of the work of MBMSI in India. We will then go to Old Delhi and talk with Darren about Tabor's vision to place students and lifelong learners in India. At 8:00 pm, we fly to Hyderabad and drive to Shamshabad where we will spend the night at the Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College. MBCBC will be the base for our student trip in January 2008.




Lawrence