A Day in the Life

Almost a month has passed since we arrived, and while that doesn’t mean we’ve settled into any sort of normality or routine (I doubt there will ever be either here!), there has been at least enough passage of time to give you, dear readers, an indication of what a day in our life looks like on a semi-regular basis. Here goes:

On a good morning, we wake between 6 and 6:30 a.m. to the sound of the alarm clock or the milkman’s bell. After retrieving said milk, we will prepare milk, breakfast, and our hearts and bodies for the day ahead. We lead daily devotions for the teaching staff at the private school, which is comprised of a large percentage of Hindu teachers. This month we’ve been working through a section from a chapter of Proverbs per day. From there we make our way, sometimes quickly, sometimes leisurely, to the Bible College on the other side of town. It depends on the day, the schedule, and if other professors are going with us in the same vehicle. We participate in the students’ chapel and teach a few periods (Wayne is teaching/reviewing the Spiritual Growth & Discipleship class; I’m teaching a smattering of English and Cross-Cultural Ministry) and plan and brainstorm for the coming semester’s classes for a few periods. We come back in the hottest part of the day to eat our lunch which is often waiting for us on our dining room table—how blessed we are!—and then usually rest for a bit. It’s hard to do anything in a hurry in this heat. Especially with a full stomach J. Afternoons consist of checking and responding to correspondence, researching how to do things in life to survive here like getting licenses, bank accounts, or learning to drive (Wayne’s specialty), studying Thamil, the local language (Betsy), and preparing to teach again the next day or grading students’ assignments (both of us). Lately we’ve been living meal-to-meal as far as shopping goes, so often we head out in the early evening dusk and cooler temperatures to walk to the closest shop which sells veggies, eggs, snacks, and bananas. Last night we bought onions, tomatoes, and HUGE green beans. Yeah, you’re thinking right: the big, tough, stringy kind. Yum. I cut them up really small to try to compensate. We cook dinner, chat with family or friends online or read books or watch cricket (Wayne’s relaxation) and head to bed. Then we start all over the next day with ever-changing varieties of activities mixed in depending on what India throws our way.