Happy Easter to everyone. We were up for our 7.45am service in time this morning and our auto appeared as requested. The service was just over an hour long, the church was simply decked out with garlands of fabulously fragrant jasmine flowers.
We got back home at around 9.30 and had bacon rolls then boiled a couple of eggs and decorated them! Chocolate doesn't do too well in India even when it is raining - although it is available, I haven't seen any Easter eggs! The item behind the eggs is a palm cross, made from local palm leaves, quite amazing and very simple. The egg decoration was a bit limited as we only had a permanent blue felt pen and a red white board marker!
That out of the way, and eggs eaten, we had a rest then out to Lydia's for lunch... chicken biryani... followed by fruit. Very tasty. Our auto came to pick us up in time to come back here to change, Lydia could not believe it when he came early, she said she knows of no autos that come even on time let alone early, so I told her I could actually offer her two separate ones who are prompt! Here we are post-lunch looking very well fed!
We came home, finalised our preparation for this evening and our next auto arrived sharp, this was Raja who was going to come to church with us. He looked amazing, had on brand new 'Easter' clothes, like Christmas, local Christians have a new outfit for Easter. He even had on a baseball cap to keep off the 'still continuing' rain. He said he was very proud to be with us! We two middle aged ladies were delighted to have such a dapper young escort!
All went well at the cathedral, more beautiful jasmine garlands and a very fulsome introduction from Frederick. We were given personalised plaques as a memento of the occasion. Lydia who thought she had slipped quietly into church with us for her first visit to the cathedral for over two years was called on to present them! Maggie's music was well received as was my 'Easter message' . The evensong service turned out to be another Eucharist, in Tamil this time, we increased the congregation by 6 though, ourselves, Lydia and Enoch, and Nancy and her husband, and there sitting in the front pews grinning, were children from Bishop Sargent school who were delighted to see us in the places of honour! After the service, we went for a cup of coffee and then back home to phone the family and relax. Maggie playing her flute as we travelled in the auto to the delight and amusement of Raja and at great personal risk as we went over a more bumpy than usual road thanks to the heavy rain breaking up the surface.Back to school tomorrow and hopefully to Nazareth afterwards to see Jeya's widow Sugurna and her children Jessie aged 6 and Sally who will be 10 in June.
