Lunch today was undoubtedly the best meal we've had in India so far. This guy's mum cooked roast chicken, roast potatoes, veg and baked beans!¹ It was gorgeous and not a hint of Indian anywhere near it. I can't for the life of me remember his name but his wife's called Karen and he's the brother of the guitarist from the Divine Patience². Their aunt has lived in Wolverhampton for thirty-six years! Wonders never cease. They have a very large, well-travelled family, which is spread across Canada, England and India. They basically make up the entire congregation in Madurai, doing the choir and running events.

So that was great, afterwards we had a long wait for Pastor Fenn (he didn't show in the end) and we gave Aunty her sari. She seemed to like it, but she could have just been being polite!

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We're back in Ramnad now and will probably have to wait until tomorrow for our post, if there is any.

More discussions about what we're actually going to do in January, I've said that if I end up being a sack of potatoes in a corner of the classroom I'll go and find something more constructive to do. A pretty good idea, I think. I'll be able to try me hand in something useful and I want to find some sort of community work I can get involved in. this teaching lark's all well and good, but I don't really think it's why I'm here. I want to help people.

If I go to the schools, it'll be just that – going to school. It's okay in the games, but I think the teaching will just become a chore. I'd much rather try to start a choir, or go and work in some church projects. There is so much more for us in Madurai, but we are here and here's where we've got to make our mark and leave a lasting impression. The bishop seems very happy with what we're doing, but we don't feel as if we've done anything yet! In our training at Sellyoak people were talking about starting youth clubs, societies and things for the community that would last longer than the six months after we'd left. My music will do that, it can be passed down and used all the time. Teaching English will only really benefit those we teach and their immediate peers. If I can get a school choir singing in parts, I will be satisfied. I hope I'll find a gap somewhere that I can fill, something the community needs. I've only got two and a half months to do it in – wish me luck!