Another early morning, this time we got started around 6:30 am. We headed south again but then veered east bbefore we got to Cochin and went another couple hours in the car.
Taking the long rides has been very interesting. There are always cars, trucks, lorries (autos), scooters, motorcycles, bicycles or people just walking. Quite often we pass people wearing orange and carrying a cross walking south. Since it is Passion week, some of the Christians take a pilgrimage some 30 miles south of Trichur to a place associated with St. Thomas, different from where we took a tour on Sunday.
The people are generally thin due to lack of food, vegetarian diet or a combination of both. They have darker skin there in the south and much more secularized in their society due to a higher average aducation. I commented to Daniel my pleasant surprise that many of the women in ministry at the meeting the day before had their own Bibles and could read them. He explained the literacy rate in Kerala is much higher and the most educated people come from this area.
There is lots of random trash on the roads and there is always construction going on. It slowed us down on the major roads many times.
At the same time, though, the landscape is breathtaking. The grass is very green and there is a lot of vegetation and palm trees. Its more tropical and not jungle. We cross many bridges over rivers and train tracks. The land is more uneven and hilly and the sunsets paint the sky pink.
We stopped and had breakfast at another hotel on the way, egg curry this time with flat bread. The cost for our breakfast has been about 150 rupees for 6-8 of us. That’s about $3-4 total, and it would be cheaper if we didn’t get tea or juice.
This time the women’s meeting was in a community center that they rented out for the occasion. It wasn’t in as much of a rural area and the room was about twice as big as the day before. When the meeting began we had about 50 women and five pastors. In another hour, the whole room was packed. There had to be 130 women or more in there with another 15 pastors. The team sang again, Pastor Daniel shared, and then we were introduced. I played the guitar while the girls sang a song or two inbetween times of sharing. 
Becca Mooney was last and shared many 
things about what it meant to be a pastor’s wife and the wife of a leader. She shared practical things and the ladies were really blessed. After Becca finished, I handed Micah back to her (he was hungry) and closed out the last ten minutes or so before the meeting ended.
As the meeting ended, many people came to speak with us, which was very humbling, and Pastor Daniel was taking care of some administrative things. As he was finishing up, I asked him what all the transactions were that were taking place. He explained that since it was the Passion week, there were several holidays and so people weren’t able to work and have as much of an income to pay for their travel. Therefore, he offered to pay their travel expenses if they would come out to the meeting. It was also more practical than traveling to see each pastor and ministry individually.
We got back in the car and went down the road to get lunch. We had chili chicken, which was pretty good. I ate with my hands for the first time. Most Indians eat with their hands. They scoop it up in their right hand then push it in their mouth with their thumb. Micah was tired and fussy at lunch, but when he finally settled down in the car, he slept for the next two and a half hours until we got back to Trichur.
Pastor Danial generally slept while we travelled and Jose drove. Daniel would be in our conversations and joke around with us and answer our questions, but at some point he would lie back and sleep, even snore. The rest of us talked and got a little silly on the ride back.
Everyone but Becca and Micah went for a little walk before dinner. We were definitely the center of attention. Everyone stared at us, most quite openly. I thought a couple would break their necks as they drove by. We wound our way behind the hotel and found a Muslim Complex there in Trichur, about a block behind our hotel. Built in 2001, it was still very nice. A guy came out of the gate and spoke to us, asking us where we came from.
After we walked back, we had dinner in our room so Micah could play in the Pack n’ Play. He’s seven months old and already knows how to work a crowd. We had some great food and fellowship at dinner.
Tomorrow was another service at the church there in Trichur, the last service we’ll be participating in while here.