We didn’t know what time we were going to set out today so were ready by 7.30. Our driver arrived at 9.10. We drove through horrendous traffic again to pick up the Secretary of the Synod who was to take us to Rainey Hospital for an 11.00 am appointment with the Medical Superintendent. He asked if we would mind if he dropped into a bookstore to pick up a book. While the Secretary pondered, we picked up 5 Philip Yancey books for about $10. While I (Lynn) was waiting I was watching a worship video that was playing - thousands and thousands of Indian people worshipping God, singing and raising their hands in praise. I just started to cry because I was so overcome. It was incredibly moving and I realised how much we can learn from our Indian friends.
The long and the short of this "little" stop was that the Secretary finally decided on his purchase and we arrived for our 11.00 am meeting at 1.00 pm and the Medical Superintendent was in another meeting. The second in charge showed us through this hospital which was the first missionary hospital in Chennai and it certainly looked like something out of the 1800s. Most of the original building has been condemned and the rest isn’t much better. Words cannot describe the state of the place. It was all Lynn could do to stop crying. In fact all the way around looking at the adult ICU where they were so proud to show their one respirator, the natal ICU where there was an ice-cream bucket with a semi circle cut out to fit over the baby’s neck and an oxygen pipe through a hole in the top, for a little girl to receive oxygen and the maternity ward where there were old unpainted iron cribs - tears were very close.
Hospital Laundry
Back of Hospital
They also have a nursing school and residential accommodation on the premises. These are also old and dilapidated but still no complaint! Obviously we keep thinking about the Wesley Hospital and what would these people think if they saw how beautiful it is.
Our next stop was the CSI Puthuir Special School – a vocational training centre for mentally handicapped children. We had a wonderful lunch here and really enjoyed interaction with the children. The older girls are shown things to help them make a living – like making jewellery (we bought a necklace and earrings), weaving, basket making and card making. The older boys make candles, and those boxes of chalk we used when we were in primary school. This was fascinating. The children were fun and loved to shake hands and touch our white skin. They are taught colours, numbers, their phone numbers and addresses, money denominations and motor skills like threading needles, cutting paper etc. – living skills to help them in later life. They are also taught singing and dancing and we were treated to a dance concert. We loved this place and hope to return here while we are in Chennai.
Children Dancing for us
This school is run by Carmen, a very charismatic Christian lady who is passionate about bettering the school. She would love to get a bus to pick up the children and also has a vision for residential care for boys and girls.
Some more things we’ve learnt about India:
1. Indian time is definitely not our time.
2. Drive on the wrong side of the road if there are too many people on your side.
3. Honking the horn is a sign of encouragement - move or I will run over you!
4. Go the wrong way around the roundabout – it will get you in front of fifteen rows of bikes
5. Some auto drivers don’t like to bargain with foreigners
Sign of the Day: “Lamb and Chicken Farm – come and meet your meat”- on the front of a tiny shop with a hanging display of lamb and chicken carcasses in the doorway.
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