Miriam turns 4

Miriam is a bit smug about the fact she has turned four. Instead of Daddy being "the big 4 - 0", Miriam is "the big 4".

Here she gets a ride from Auntie Martha on the back of a bike.

Elijah...up close and personal

I guess this might be a good picture to show Elijah's girlfriends in about 20 years.

Safe here, Sad at what happened, cautiously looking forword to Thanksgiving

In the late night, early morning hours of Wednesday/Thursday night, multiple gunmen attacked at least four places in coordinated attacts in Mumbai (ne' Bombay), in western India, about 15oo miles from our fair city.

They attacked two up scale hotels, an upscale restaurant, and the train station. They seemed to be targeting places where Westerners hang out.

Details are still emerging...at least 80 dead... probably 7 to 15 hostages...

We mourn this.

In our fair city, the streets are a bit more tense, with a large increase in Police presence. But the city seems to be functioning normally, with business as usual (this is not a holiday weekend in India).

We are all safe here at the moment.

Today is American Thanksgiving, and the only holiday in our fair city that gets all the Westerners together... students, travelers, Americans or not, Christian or not, there is typically 150 to 200 folks get together for a huge pot luck and talent show. In careful consideration, we are continuing with this festival, though obviously with extra security and a more subdued tone.

Keeping you posted...

The Shirts at McDonalds are Very Expensive...

McDonalds is new to Varanasi, and is located in a new shopping mall (the first in the city).

The Fast Food Restaurant is so closely linked to the Mall, that the whole mall is often referred to as "McDonalds".

Hence, a friend had a conversation where the Mall came up, and someone said, "The shirts at McDonalds are very expensive."

Well, yes, I suppose that is true.

Proof we made it to the Taj Mahal

I have been in India for nine years now, and have never seen the Taj Mahal. Even though it is only 100 miles from New Delhi, where we go in and out on a regular basis.

So the visit with the Morgans seemed like a good time to rectify that... and here we are.

Trip down was interesting, with multiple children vomiting and multiple plastic bags of vomitus being tossed into the ditch as chugged along through the most polluted day New Delhi has had in ten years.

But we made it and a good time was had by all.

I didn't Understand everything but was happy about the 5000 rupees

Last tuesday morning early, I crept out into the dining room to do some email before everyone else woke up.

The room was dark as I turned on the computer (a laptop I had just set down on the table).

As I turned away to start on a cup of tea, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bright orange light flashing from the back of the computer, and then smelt smoke.

Well, that's no good.

After visiting the repair shop, and realizing the cost of repairing, I ended up buying a new computer.

Thanks to my good friend Lee, everything from the old computer was recovered, and I am slowly trying to get all the programs up and running on the new one.

I remain a Toshiba man.

Oh yeah, the 5000 rupees.

Lee and I were wandering around (wondering around? do both fit the description of what we were doing?) Nehru Place, finding stuff for an external harddrive, we found a computer salvaging shop. Expecting I would just give it to the guy, he offered me 5000 rupees for what remained (screen, DVD player, keyboard). I guess I should have bargained him up, but jumped at the chance, and went home happy.

The boys in his shop had the old one separated into parts in about 30 seconds.

Joy is 18 Hours on a Train to Delhi with seven kids in our Train Compartment

I am very serious about the "Joy" part. Joy is a choice.

The Morgans are heading back to the States, and we are seeing them off. As well as the Taj, LW.

My friend Abraham asked for a blog entry of less than 50 words. So here are 49.

Welcome to Martha!!

Martha Masih has come to help with our family, and we are so happy to have her here. Martha is kind and gentle, soft spoken and the children love her. Thanks be to God for Martha. Pray for her that our kids don't drive her mad!

Three Girls in Matching Shalwar Kamis

That would be Eliana in the middle.

So How Many Women and Children can you put in the Back seat?

I just like the Photo

Here is Sam.

His T-Shirt says, "Mr. Happy".

That pretty much says it all.

Proof the Morgans are here...

Miriam is very fond of Uncle James.

Here we are on the Ganges, for the prerequisite boat ride.