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Machilipatnam

Machilipatnam is 80 kilometres outside Vijayawada on the Bay of Bengal with a population of just under 200,000 people. In the 17th century it was a centre of French, British, and Dutch trade. It has a carpet-weaving industry and produces rice and oilseed. Headquarters of the Krishna district, is one of the earliest British settlements in the Indian subcontinent. The City has derived its name from the gateway to the town, which is decorated with the eyes of a fish (Machili).

Just over a month ago it was hit by a cyclone, but it is now beginning to recover.

We will be taking a conference there for the next three days for approximately 80 village pastors. It is a cross between a busy town and a rural community, but the clammy hands of persecution have reached even here.

If you want to see some photos of the religious life of folk outside of the Christian faith, here they are.

The journey to Machilipatnam took about 2 hours due to the state of the roads, and because our lift had arrived two hours late in the first place, it was nearly midday when we arrived. The local pastors had been there since 9 or 10am singing and praying, and it was a real joy to meet these brothers in the Lord.

We both preached twice for more than an hour at a time, and before the evening meeting were invited to rest in a house connected to the church. It was a real experience to sit in the afternoon sun watching the chipmunks playing, a woman milking a water buffalo, and other family members making fresh (very fresh) dung bricks as fuel for their fire. Watching an elderly Indian woman catching buffalo poo in her bare hands as it dropped out of Ermintrude's bottom, in order to take it for drying and then be offered chapatis and rice five minutes later by the same sweet lady made me wonder whether I really was hungry or could manage with just a 'Thums Up!' cola. Surprisingly, the cola won.

Evening meeting was heaving! Many people crowded into the prayer hall and thousands of mosquitos joined them. I now have 20 mosquito bites on my right forearm alone. Highlight of the evening? Seeing the response of many people to the preaching. Lowlight? Being chased by a water buffalo while weeing in the bushes.

(Footnote to self: if visiting 'bathroom facilties' in village setting, try to ensure that you avoid the areas that others have been using all day for more substantial deposits - the experience of stepping in items that are non-canine and non-bovine while wearing sandals and socks is not a pleasant one).

Travelling back home was a good experience - felt that today had been a good day. The preaching seemed to be greatly appreciated, and it is good to feel tired in the Lord's service. The privilege of praying at length with the people of God is not to be taken lightly.

Watching the world go by from the back of our vehicle is fascinating - cows in the streets with traffic flowing around them, seeing the bustle of community life, smelling the acrid smoke from dung fires that settles across the landscape and catches the back of your throat when you breathe.

Saw our first dead body tonight while driving home through Vijayawada. He was a young man lying spreadeagled and obviously dead on the pavement outside a shop. His eyes and mouth were wide open, and people were just stepping over him. How cheap life appears to be.