My mumty & me

My Mumty & Me

We have had so many amazing experiences so I hope this post is not to shallow, but I have to post about something that I experienced on our first work day in the village. So let me introduce you to my little friend…actually it has be become my nemesis. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of using one of these delightful devices, let me describe it for you. The mumty is one of the 3 basic tools that are used in India and fills the role of a shovel / hoe. The other two tools are a long iron pick they use to break up the hard dirt and roots and finally they have a circular metal pan to hold things in and carry (usually on their heads) As for my beloved Mumty, it does have a broad shovel type scoop, but that’s where the similarities end. Unlike our shovel’s blade which is pointed forward and connected to a long handle, the mumty’s blade is pointed backwards towards you connected to a short 18” wooden handle. Thus to utilize this tool, In the hands of an Indian worker, it is quite a versatile tool for you can scoop, chop, and dig; however one needs to get down and close to the earth.

Now those who know me know that flexibility is not one of my strong suits. Le t me tell you that little thing kicked my behind real fast. Most of the Indians use it with legs spread apart fully bent over and go to town. This option was not good for my back or my hamstrings, thus I tended to use it kneeling on the ground and pulling the dirt onto my lap… not real effective and quite dirty. 10-15 min of that was enough for me to throw in the towel and carry bricks!

This India experience totally opened my eyes to so much and I see that I take so much for granted. Regarding the mumty, I will never take my shovel for granted again, and I plan to give it a big kiss when I get back home. J

Despite any difficulties of this trip, I feel whole heartedly humbled by the people of this village. They have fantastic hearts and they are pouring love upon us. I can totally see the Love of Christ here and I’m sure there will be many posts regarding the evening we just experienced. I love you all and God bless!

Craig