Wed. July 22 2nd day of CDR trip

Up at 8:00 to find breakfast and look up contacts that Ripon had made. After many false starts we were able to find a man to take us into a small community that was effected greatly by the much rain and flooding. Many of the homes were made of mud dug from ponds in the area.  The walls were 16-18 inches thick but after being soaked by constant rains the foundations started softening, this caused the walls to settle and collapse. Some homes were a wall here and there and some the whole house was destroyed. We made contact with thirty people in that village. We told our contact man to have them all meet us at a certain time. We went to the market and bought rice, lentils, potatoes, and salt to add to our biscuits, vitamins, saline, oil, and tracts. While the supplies were being packaged for us, we went and got a bite to eat. We came back and put the supplies in their separate bags to hand out. 

We met at the time appointed and handed out the bags to the people we had made contact with. It was getting on in the afternoon by the time we finished our project. Now what? Head for home or do some searching? With out a contact to point us in the right direction we would need a whole day just to go around and check the different villages in the flood effected areas. Ripon had an area he wanted to go check but no contact. He had been in contact with a Baptist pastor earlier in the day but was not able to meet him. Taking that as an idea, a Baptist church was called in the affected area that Ripon was interested in checking. The pastor answered the phone right away and spoke English very well. He readily agreed to have us come and meet with him at his church. 

Another hour and a half of normal Bangladesh travel we found the church. We could see that this was an area that definitely had seen some water!! The road leading into the church had a couple of spots that were nearly not passable. As we got within five minutes of the church we could see people walking out towards us with bags of supplies. We found out that it was the last of fifty people that received supplies provided by the church to which we were going. 

We weren’t sure about the road leading in, so we parked and walked the last little way. 

We were once again warmly welcomed by the pastor and his accomplices.  That’s when we found out about their relief packages. The pastor shared with us about only being able to help fifty families, when the need was so vast. He told us they had been praying about it that morning. We asked him if it was possible to get another seventy-five families together that needed help. He assured us that he could. We told him we would get the supplies around if he would arrange to have the people there by 10:00 the next morning. He agreed. Then we discussed night lodging. We asked him if there was anything in the area. He said no unless we were open to sleeping on the floor in the church where we were having our meeting. We readily accepted, not looking forward to the long drive back to the place we slept the night before. 

At that point we headed out to start buying supplies and get some supper. We had the supplies delivered in bulk to the school room near the church. 

After supper we made our way back to the church and bedded down on the church floor. 

Back in Dhaka that day.. us ladies and children made the brave and independent 20 min drive thru the city to the clinic where Sister Sumita had made us a yummy Bangla lunch.(Josna was not back from her visit to her village home) Then we sat around the table and sang for a half hour or so. On the way home, we stopped by Cinnabon/Carvel for cinn rolls and ice creams.

Tues, July 21 CDR trip

The men were scheduled to leave at 5:00

The rest of the household slept in. Keeping the curtains drawn and the door locked so Syed Ali didn’t come in before we were ready for the day. He swept the yard, etc and left.

In the evening, Kaylee n boys and teachers walked over and wondered if we wanted to go to Herfy’s with them. The men have Brian’s van so we would be taking ours.. So…. I braved Bangladesh driving for the 1st time in my life and the 1st time going beyond the house behind the wheel since we left America 1 1/2 yrs ago😳

After spicy chicken wraps, chicken nuggets, fries, fruit fizz drinks and ice cream at Herfy’s, we stopped by Apon to do a little shopping. 

We made it safely back home! Amazing.

Flooding in the Chattogram district, CDR destination, Google maps location….https://maps.app.goo.gl/xksLZmkjUvyQv3sr5?g_st=ic

Lonnie wrote up a report of their CDR trip:

Santo, Ripon, Kabir, Liton, Spondon, Brian and myself, left shortly after 5:00 am from Pink City. Traveled a few hours and stopped for dim and ruti. 

Ripon had a contact, so we scheduled to meet a man in Amirabad. But because of rain he did not meet us but told us where to turn. We traveled down an old brick road. The bricks were past recognition it was more pot hole than not. The holes sizing from 2’ to 10’ across luckily were not too deep. Because the van was loaded with supplies and men it bottomed out at regular intervals. After traveling down this road for almost an hour we met the man and he continued to lead us ever deeper into the hill country. 

The road we traveled had an uphill slope to it. It started getting narrower as well. Somewhere, as we traveled, the road became a narrow paved road. The road became very hilly and curvy. The trees were not big, but many, and the understory was thick. We could see different places where someone had cleared large areas. As we neared our destination there were places we could see where the run off had cut large ditches beside the road and a couple of points it had run over the road. At these places the road was almost impassable. With some speed we were able to make it over each of the three points. We made a turn and the road was a nice but narrow brick road. There were a couple of box culverts that stuck up high enough to cause an issue. One we actually got high centered on. The men got out and pushed the van over. The bricks were slippery with slime from the tropical environment. There were a couple of hills that some of the natives got out and walked. They were afraid we wouldn’t make it. It was a little bit like driving on an icy hill. But we made it to within an hours walk of the village. The man we were following, said the road was not passable even with a motorcycle, so we parked and walked from there. It was a slick brick road for a few minutes then changed to a clay trail. It was steep and slippery, it was raining off and on as we walked. It was finally not worth trying to keep the flip flops on. A couple more natives joined us as we walked. As we would top a hill that had been cleared we could look out over the valleys and it was absolutely gorgeous!! The deep green of the bush and the dark sky made a beautiful view. We could look down on the man’s village. It was still a ten minute walk down to the village. 

   We had a warm welcome by about ten villagers. As we came into their fenced compound and were invited to wash our feet at the village water tank.  It was a debate whether or not we went inside a small community house or sat on the porch. We sat on the porch and then decided to  go look around the village at flood damage.  The water had come up very fast and washed through their community compound. It washed a lot of their fish out of the main pond in the village. It also carried away six cows and covered their new rice plants for three days. We went to the public meeting house and told them we appreciated their hospitality and ready welcome and that we had a gift for them back at the van, if they would send four men to carry it back. 

    It was growing dark and we had to traverse the slippery clay road back the walk we had come early. It was uneventful except for a few backward glances at the beautiful scenery. As we walked we were told that we were the first foreigners to walk back to this valley. It was quite a feeling to experience what some of the pioneers must experienced! We got back to the van shortly after nightfall and immediately loaded the native villagers down with some oil, powdered milk, and some biscuits. 

Now we faced the challenge of retracing our tracks but this time in the dark. Once again with some speed, finesse, and prayer the road was overcome. We only made one wrong turn and after conferring with a native was pointed in the right direction. The road didn’t seem as long without some of the weight in the back of the van. We were able to make a lot better time going back. 

We made it back to the main road but had to make the decision on where to spend the night. We checked a few hotels but they didn’t meet our requirements. We finally found one an hour and a half away. 

After eating a late supper and bedding down, it was 1:00am.  Needless to say we were ready to drop.

Mon. July 20 Dhaka 🚙 💨

 Babysat a feverish Bud 👶🏼 thru the night and all day … We did discover the 3rd tooth on the bottom has come thru making a total of 7 currently! 9 months today. 

 After breakfast and van loaded, we were about 15 min late to our appointed time of 7:30 at Bisho road to pick up Kobid. And on to do Doyles’s clinic day in Gopalgonj. (They are still on furlough back in Canada) The girls and I stayed thru the 1st several patients so they could see what goes on there then we walked to Doyle’s house. Talked to the chickens and swung Annslie while their day guard, John, toted Gentry all over. When their maid Shima arrived and unlocked the door we went in where Annslie found the toys. The bookcase caught the rest of our attentions… keeping us entertained the rest of the morning.

A quick stop for a late biryani lunch before leaving Gopalgonj

On to Dhaka which was uneventful😌

Coming in to Dhaka, Kobid started talking about how terrible Dhaka is. He lived here years ago, or in the outskirts and worked in Dhaka.???.. anyways, he could not appreciate the city life, only seeing skyscrapers and smog, etc…“If I had to live here, I would die! I’ve got to be able to see the sky, and rivers, and green,…”

This is his 1st time coming to Dhaka since the mission and guesthouse have been moved to the gated community of Pink City.

It was a different tune he sang, when we pulled up to Pink City… “Unimaginable! This is like Batiaghata(an area in the country near us in Khulna) Unimaginable.”

We dropped a little girl that had been needing the bathroom for quite a stretch already off at Brian’s and went to the guesthouse to unload the van and make beds. Kaylee, Bless her, invited everybody to have supper at their place💛 The men all gathered for a meeting to discuss the shopping list for their upcoming “CDR” trip. Right after supper, they all went to the market to buy the supplies. 

Shanto and his 15 yr old Espondant stayed at Brian’s for the night and the the 3 single brethren, Kobid, Liton, and Ripon, spent the night with us at the guesthouse. We had 2 rooms ready for them, but they opted to all stay in the one little room with 2 beds

Sun. July 19

 Shanto’s have been wanting to exchange meals at each other’s houses, so they invited us for an 8:00 breakfast this morning. A very delicious and filling meal. Paratha(fry bread), eggs (whisked with or without hot peppers and onions) and fried individually in a wok of oil, dhal (lentils), and a shobji mix of potatoes diced small and borboti (green beans). We gifted a platter of fruit for the occasion and then it was topped off with dudh cha!

We didn’t even need lunch😅

Lonnie made a trip into town, taking our rocking chair in for a repair, since it would still be under a 1 yr warranty.

Couple loads of laundry

Dipti came in late, noon, because her new daughter in law’s parents and brother were visiting her

When she was leaving, she told me about the Chakrakhali Sun school boy’s(that has the liver problem that CSI helped earlier this year) father has died!

In the eve, we went back to Khulna to pick the rocking chair up, supper at Mambo’s, picked up just a few items at Safe N Save and Day-7, and then fruit at the market.

Back home, we packed for our trip into Dhaka tomorrow, I got several mending and alterations taken care of, and the big girls Really helped with getting a few hot spots back into organization.

Sat. July 18 Tala outpost

 8:00 picked Shanto up at the end of our road and Kobid at Zero Point.

In a little town not far from Harun’s there was another elephant!🐘 this time a very large gray one! It looked a bit dangerous there on a side street, towering above All the people right around and the flimsy dokans that the elephant would be able to cause Great havoc to if she got it into her head!

We drove thru rain bout the half hour before arriving at Harun’s. And I was thinking, it’s pretty stressful to navigate the mud at Harun’s and now we’ll add rain to the experience!😟 Thankfully🤍 the rain stopped just before we got there😌 Today, was the 1st time being there since Harun’s mother passed away.. it also was a better experience in a few aspects.

• Sister Joyanti didn’t spend the whole morning in her cook shack making lunch. She had buna kichuri already made

• the food this time wasn’t so spicy we couldn’t enjoy it.😊 Joyanti had me come in the cook shack, taste it, and tell her if it was too spicy

• Joyanti seemed more alive this time. Other times she goes about with her eyes half closed and sleeps thru the service. This time, she only slept the last part of the service.

•Had a good Sun School. Brother Harun had said we wouldn’t have Sun School because of the rain, but a local “handicapped” boy was insistent on Sun School and went thru the village rounding up children😊. He looked like a fine boy, I don’t know what his handicap was other than behavior. Bangali culture often neglects any type of handicap.. thus this boy was always picking a fight. He sat by Harun thru Sun School tho, who had a nice quiet way with him💙… when he would get distracted and start talking and pointing outside during the story…

On the way home, we stopped for dudh cha(milk tea) Shanto says this is the Best kind. Not made with powdered or canned milk, but fresh cow’s milk with cream and then boiled for a long time so it gets the scalded film on the top, #1👌🏽. I said, it felt like medicine (just what I needed) after the hours at Harun‘s … navigating mud with the toddler-taking her on bathroom trips,etc… sitting thru lunch, Sun. School, and church service cross legged on a thin mat on a dirt floor while holding and taking care of my 9 mo old.

While traveling, Gentry spent a good while with Shanto and Kobid. Reaching his arms out to them. Shanto calls himself kaka (uncle) (Bangali culture) to Gentry but I think he’s more of a Grandpa to him💙 it’s So sweet, I’m So glad Gentry has him in his life! He has been taking a real “shine” to our guard, Tulshi, also and vise versa😉 Gentry cries to go outside and when Tulshi sees him, he calls to him. Not the normal “Asho, Asho!” (Come, come) but “Gentry!” And then he holds Gentry’s hands while he walks/goes exploring… still Gentry’s favorite thing💙 somebody.?. I think maybe it was Pim (Peem) predicted that he will be walking by himself in a month.. Ami jani na, time will tell… 

I can hardly stand to think that we will leave all these dear people behind, maybe to never see them again😣 They are enriching our lives🤎 taking the “in person” place of uncles, grandpas, etc back home for this time, especially for Annslie and Gentry

We are currently in the middle month of our term.. 1/2 way thru our stay already!?!

Fri. July 17 Day Of Worship

 Kobid called at 7:30? and wondered if he should plan to come or not. It was currently raining and he didn’t want to travel in the rain.. without a personal gari, rain makes local traveling very miserable. So Lonnie said that was fine we could cancel.

By Sunday school time, the rain had stopped and there were children at the gate asking about Sun school. Lonnie went out and talked to them.. it was only 3.. he told them only 3? No Sunday School. So they left and pretty soon they were back. They had rounded up 2 more. Lonnie said Ok, give us 10-20 min. He came inside and called Shanto brother, who lives not far away, … he was not home but could be there in maybe 20 min. So they sang and prayed and Lonnie had Shanto tell the story… He’s a natural🫶🏼 and is very interactive,..having them repeat the character’s names, asking them if they understand, asking them other questions.. and then they colored the picture and got a small roll of mints for showing up.

Lunch of BBQ meatloaf, mashed taters, veggies and dip, apples and dip

Lewis, Purnima, and 8 or 9 yr old Leeza arrived at 3:00 for doctrine class. Leeza is So shy when she comes and despite all efforts, she remains firmly planted between Dad and Mom…

Church service at 4:00. Lonnie shared about “Vision” …. Where there is no vision the people perish…

After church, Purnima and Leeza needed a drink and wash room and Liton caught a ride with them in their easy bike. Lonnie asked what Shanto’s family needed as they were still at our gate waiting on a rickshaw van. …Nothing, but when Lonnie mentioned cold tea.. they Did need that!😉 So they came in for tea, chanachud, Antoor and Lonnie played a bit of carrom, and visiting.

Thurs July 16

Tulshi had let us know last night that he would be late coming to work in the morning. Argentina supporters were having a picnic and watching the game in the wee hrs of the morning. They were serving kichuri (rice/lentil dish). He reported later that there were probably a hundred there at the picnic. There was another group watching the game in the middle of the night just up the road from us on their Bill board sized screen. It was an estimated crowd of 150 over there.

This morning before I got up, I was thinking about the day and the coming days…. Today, would be the last of those “carefree” summer days/ the calm before the “storm”. Our schedule from tomorrow on is full and we’re planning to start school Aug 2.. I didn’t want to put anything in the day that Had to be done beyond the normal survival essentials of cooking, laundry, etc. 

When I told Lonnie about it later while he was doing book work. He said “ya, that’s what I’m doing…” listening to his book while he organized files on the computer for the DC officer.

In the morning, it finally came to me what I could do for the young momma asking for milk for her 1 yr old. Later that evening, we took a walk to her mom’s house, taking the baby cereal and food that Gentry no longer eats but I still had around, wondering where I should go with it. Inconveniently, Lonnie’s friend from the repair shop was coming by just as we were headed down the road. And he was being very nosy, wondering what was in the bag and who it was for. Of course he followed us right to the house and stayed there till we left. Truly a different culture! He showed us what was in his bag tho, which was quite interesting! It was a baby shalik bird that he was taking home to have his hens take care of till it was bigger. These birds are special in the way that they can learn to talk. Anyway, I took the baby food inside and explained that our milk program was not for (healthy) 1 yr olds but I did have some baby food that my baby does not need anymore and she was welcome to see if her baby would eat it. And to be quiet about it so onek grame lok(many other villagers) would not be at our gate asking for baby food. She right away shared the instruction with her mom standing there… guess we’ll see if  there are ill effects from that scenario. I do try to learn what I can from previous missionaries but it also seems like a live and learn situation at times. Looking back/thinking about it now, we could’ve had our guard do the delivery with a little less ado maybe