Dodie down!

This morning we were able to go to village of kottiambakkum for the first time to participate in a Sunday service of one of Pastor Anbuvanan's congregations. Being the first GCC team in this village, we were unsure how well we would be received; however, within minutes of arriving, several of the veterans felt like we were welcomed in with open arms similar to present day Kalavai. Perhaps a bit more formal than Kalavai, but very similar!

It is clear the impact that the local church of 6 years has made in laying the foundation for community transformation.

Service had an interesting beginning - as I started to preach, my Dodie (i.e., the traditional dress of men here - looks like a "man skirt") fell to the ground. . . Yep. . . That really happened! Luckily, I had decided to wear shorts underneath it this morning, so that was relieving (to say the least!). After Raj helped me get dressed in front of the church and everyone was done wiping tears from their eyes (especially Frank!) from laughing so hard - we started once again!

Within minutes the power went out as well - the two events were unrelated :-)!

After the service, we toured the village and saw some of the homes that we will be finishing to build. The kids were hanging on us (always wanting to hold our hands), and we were quite the mob walking down the street! We also found some puppies, and Dawn couldn't resist!

We will soon be heading back over after lunch to start construction work. It was a great morning!!

Took rickshaws on the way back - always a fun ride

Ted - now with pants on!