Tomorrrow may rain so, I'll follow the sun?

Don't have masses of time but feel like I should keep a few precious ones updated about whats happening here! Would be good to kick it off by saying its going fantastically well so far. It ain't a photo blog like Bangalore, d'y'wanna fight about it?

I did two consecutive all nighters after Andy and Debbie's marvelous Brum wedfest. Getting an all night bus to Heathrow, meeting Usian Bolt for a quick drink then flying out to Mumbai. Upon arrival it turned out the guys administrative skills were beyond comprehension, they had forgotten what day I arrived and had only recieved my fb message on the day. This meant I had no room to get back to so we had to sit around at the airport from 1.30am until 5am! Not much fun to be honest but good to link up.

After a wee sleep on the floor at the conventish place we're lodging at we went to find the father to secure my room for the next fortnight. He then revealed that he was planning on kicking the boys out because they broke the curfew the other night by three hours! Naturally he was quite pissed, but we concucted an elaborate letter of apology that seems to have done the trick, touch wood... Accom is nice, have my own room with a shower. Has less rats than the last place and is pretty secure, but slightly off the beaten track.

So what are we up to? It's flippin amazing actually, has all fallen into place rather remarkably. The boys have been up to a few different things in different slums, and I headed into Bandra slum, has probably near a million people in it, we're in the eastern region that has over 200,000 people. (22mill in Mumbai). The state of living is pretty shocking, smelly, filthy, high piles of waste everywhere with dogs and people doing their stuff wherever, whenever. It's also absolutely boiling and it's the middle of the monsoon season, not a great time for us "Milky White" boys to be here, but thats ok.

I'm in a project called Blue Edge, it's run by Oasis India, www.oasisindia.org and is sponsored by Blue Dart/DHL businesses. What it does is teach English, Social Skills and IT to 18-25 year olds that have grown up in slums and want to improve their education to gain employment elsewhere. It's amazing, I've never seen anywhere like it. Their enthusiasm to learn is almost creepy, I called a breaktime earlier in the English Class and got refused because it was "so interesting!". Crazy. So me and Aaron spend our days there as the others are in other projects. I'll have to explain those another time as I've only got a few left. It's different to Bangalore as we spend the whole day in the slum and are getting to know quite a few different locals in the community. English is sometimes good and sometimes limited, but we're just learning a lot about poverty and suffering, while trying to serve through this project and hanging out with some lads and letting them know that we think they're wicked.

Food has been a slight problem, not sure what to eat and what not to eat so have sort of not eaten a terrific amount. Mainly cake and banana sandwiches.

The first poo in days went well though, solid and with no after effects.

Visited Bombay Baptist Church on Sunday, was jetlagged but it was great, and lots of other sweet stuff has happened. It's been great to pray with the boys and try and serve this community out here. Our students are actually learning loads and it's a great chance to bring His Kingdom in in that sense, giving them a chance where they didn't. Only doing blue edge for a couple of weeks though, then Pune. Already feeling sad about that as after a few days have got to know some of the students as friends, going round for lunch on Thursday!

If you ever pray, (if not, try!) then pray for our health and our effectiveness in the classroom. We aren't currently preaching the gospel in class or anything but people are asking good questions! It's run by believers but available to all, a bit like Cantle...

My diet is less balanced than a see saw with Heskey and Defoe on and I've already sweated more than Harry Frederick in a...than Harry Frederick.

please text if you want! I love gettin em. Especially sports news!

byee!


Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. (We're studying James)