Back From The Islands

We returned to Guntur at about 9 pm, tired and grimy from our visit to what we call the Island Congregations. This group of villages are among the most remote and poor in India, and the villagers are perhaps some of the kindest people on earth. They will try to carry everything for you. They will feed you an abundance of food while their shrimp harvest is dwindling. They would carry you out of the boat if you let them.

The people of these rural congregations live almost entirely in mud huts with thatch roofs, and they are facing what seems to be an alarming water shortage. Our visit was difficult as always, requiring a trek through ankle-deep mud and little sleep. The sweat on your skin and hair catches the silty dust and leaves you caked with grime.

But I always end up treasuring these visits. There is a certain awe of being in a place that is simply the greatest possible separation from America. It makes me feel extremely priviledged to be here, but it makes me miss my family very much.