Khulna

 It was truly an experience in itself to get from Dhaka to Khulna. It's 160 miles. We left at 7 in the morning and got here around 4- 4:30. It took maybe close to an hour to get to the river.... theres a wide river that runs through Bangladesh that requires a ferry to get across. Think many many vehicles all fighting for the front spot and only room enough on each ferry for a certain number.... maybe a dozen cars, and several busses and a few big trucks. We waited in line for 2 1/2 hours in the sun, sometimes in the van with a non working a/c. It was a test of patience in one way, but in another, it was all part of the experience. It makes a person so disgusted when here alongside your vehicle comes some car or pickup who thinks they can actually squeeze through that space. They honk and nose in and inch along and if you give them an inch off the bumper in front of you, they will get in there!! But Trav drives with the best of them. "Pinch off or be pinched off" is his motto while driving. Think of one of those video games where the scenery is flying past you and you are at the wheel of the car aiming for the little gaps and dodging in and out among the obstacles. if theres the slightest space or gap, you speed up and aim for that gap with one hand on the horn. Two lanes of traffic become 4 with spaces in there enough for motorcycles to squeeze in between yet. If i can get in that space without hitting a mirror, theres enough room. and you must remember we share the road with pedestrians, rickshaws, big trucks with loads piled impossibly high, and all manner and types of vehicles. Small, mid size and huge.  Anyway, there's no sleeping on these road trips!!!

After getting off the ferry, theres a nice new road that you can actually drive in a civilized manner on for quite a nice little ways before the road narrows down again and you pass through many little settlements and market places. Its a beautiful drive. Rice fields, many fields or gardens with onions, squash type produce.... Palm trees, other trees... lush greenery. Although at this time of the year, its dry and dusty since they haven't seen a rain since november or so. It will start raining in about a month and rain until October or November. We stopped at a new restaurant along the road where we were served a very yummy lunch of beef curry and rice. Cold cokes in a bottle make the perfect dessert. Here we forget about the diet or sugar free or decaf varieties. 

Arrived in Khulna and unpacked the van, lounged and showered.... light supper.... bed fairly early. Finally today i didnt have that thick headed, fuzzy jetlag brain by afternoon. 

Some thoughts here from Merv.  I've been impressed with how in spite of the dirt and the mess, they have a way of being clean.  Dhaka has so many millions of people stacked into one place but the little food shanties set up all over the place are quite clean.  You can eat about any where and feel like to food is safe.  We ate at a nice place on the way home yesterday that you could have eaten off of the floor.  I have been eating too much and last night it caught up with me.  Suffice it to say that I didn't want to venture too far away from the toilet for a bit.  

Just a few thoughts on the work and the challenges here with CSI.  God has opened the door to help these people through their eye and health clinics.  The challenge is that people look to the CSI brother too often as means to financial help.  To show the love of Christ to these people is a challenge when they look to you as a means to an end.  We went to the poor house of a couple that has a step daughter that is sick.  Travis has given a lot of help with her.  This time Travis had a strong feeling that he should just pray with her and not give money for another operation.  So we went there and held out Jesus to her and prayed for God's healing.   And told them to wait that on God.  Whether they will believe or not is in God's hands.  Pray for all your CSI brethren everywhere that the money they are entrusted with can be an extension of the love of Jesus.       


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