Day trip to Dondi

Today was an interesting if not unplanned day. Members of the Friesen family are visiting Dhamtari Christian Hospital (DCH) and the surrounding areas this week. Themselves, along with their ancestors, have been crucial to the Dhamtari and Chhattisgarh areas. Members of their family helped to start DCH in 1910, and they lived in the area until the early 1960s. Rev. Stanley Friesen and Dr. Weldon Friesen (and his wife) are visiting. They were both raised in the area and lived here until they were in their early teens, before returning to the US.

Without the Friesens knowledge, we were told to go "visiting" surrounding areas with them, so they did not plan on a large enough vehicle, and we were very cramped (Raina and I in the way-back with an Indian man). We visited a village called Dondi, located about 100km (60 miles) from Dhamtari. The drive took about 2 hours (yes, 60 miles in 2 hours), along a somewhat paved, very bumpy road (although it was a very pretty drive). Click HERE for a map of our route today. Dondi is on the edge of the jungle, so we saw forests and lakes and mountains, and of course our camera died as soon as we left, hence no pictures with this blog. The first time we realized the camera was dead it was when they stopped the driver to take pictures of a potter out in front of his store. His potter's wheel was literally just that...a wheel off of a wagon, and he was incredible. His clay was being dug up by members of the family, warming in the sun to treat it, and then he spun it. Another member of the family (or random person...one can never tell in India) treated the pots and then baked them in an oven. It was very cool to see....and yes it was Raina who brought the camera without checking to see if it had batteries...don't worry they are both charging on our converter don't you worry.   The Dondi area is also home to one of the largest open Iron Ore mines in the world, so that was interesting to see.

It was very interesting to see the beginnings of Christianity in this area. There are 22 Mennonite Churches in Chhattisgarh, and the Bishop of this area went with us on our tour by the Friesens. I think he knows the family history and story of every single church and it's pastor! We saw the Mennonite church that was started by the Friesen family, as well as the Dondi Christian Hospital, also started by the Friesens. The church they used to attend met us there eager to invite us all (even us-the awkward add-on guests that they didn't plan on) and to talk about EVERY SINGLE MEMORY that they had of the Friesens. The oldest lady in the church (she was about 4 foot and her high pitch Hindi probably carries to Pakistan) remembered the men when they were very young and was singing the songs that they used to sing and talking about their slingshots.We were presented with what we thought was lunch....lots of delicious and not so delicious things. So we ate up...and then promptly had lunch at someone else's house about an hour later. The weight gain is going to be immense people just you wait. (or weight..ha..ha get it...) The Friesens showed us the bungalow they grew up in (complete with a young cow that kept trying to get out of the yard, and the owner kept yelling at it in Hindi so it would sprint aross the yard), and informed us about many different aspects of India. It was like having our own private tour with a guide that spoke perfect English, and all for free! We also visited another Mennonite church with about 20 chairs in it...very new. The pastor was very proud, showing us the teak wood decorations and introducing us to the boy from the tribe of  Gonds ( a non-Hindu tribe who worships animals)  who slept in the yard day and night to protect the materials while the church was being built  . 

We are slowly becoming integrated to the India life, things are very different here. We made our first purchase from a street vendor (bottled water-probably got ripped off), and we have found out the types of food we like and don't like. The hospitality of the Indian people is incredible. Any time they have a special visitor to their home, the present them with a lei of flowers, along with more food than you can imagine. Also, they do not take no for an answer when it comes to food, so if you really don't want something you have to cover your plate with your hands...which we are constantly doing.

On a side note, WE GOT OUR LUGGAGE!!!! It finally came on a flight to Raipur last night, so we had to be driven (driving here is borderline suicide) to the airport to pick it up (1.5 hours each way). So Raina now has her own clothes to wear, and we can finally get our things unpacked.

We will be "touring" with the Friesens all week (now they know) and there is a centenary celebration (as they call it...or Centennial for us) at a nearby Christian hospital this weekend that we will be attending. So it looks like we wont actually start our "jobs" until next week.


KC (and Raina)