Joey Lesh and Katie Coleman: The Next Step

After 24 hours in 3 planes, a warp-speed dash through Heathrow Airport, and one lost bag, we arrived at 2:30 AM in Mumbai (Bombay) India last Thursday morning.

Driving 45 minutes through slums and red light districs of this city of 17 million, we arrived at our lovely Hotel Sahil. Totally air-conditioned, with access to the internet, full restaurant, and phone service, our Hotel and its non-sequiter appearance in the surrounding community highlighted the rapid economic and cultural change occuring in India — the growing wealth and underlying, staggering poverty.

We spent three days in Mumbai checking out all of the heritage buildings, the famous Taj Mahal Hotel, Hanging Gardens, and Gateway to India, Marine Drive, the Jain temple, etc. But more fun than all of that was the day we spent with Vivek’s Cousin Priya & her 9 month old baby Varun shopping Bombay flat!

We got beautiful jewelry, bags, shoes, & shirts; she took us around to restaurants to nibble Cha’at, drink Chai, and partake in a Parsi wedding feast! It was wonderful to see the city through the eyes of someone who knows & loves it!

Next we took an overnight train to Miraj, a small rural town about 10 hours south of Bombay. It was here in Miraj where my parents lived about 30 years ago working as Medical Missionaries. We visited the hospital where the worked… a (mostly) modern, large 400 bed facility dedicated to serving the poor in the area. Ironically, Wanless Hospital is suffering some of the same challenges as US hospitals: increased competition from private facilities who are taking the high paying patients; challenges keeping up with the latest technology; and the slow but steady introduction of third party payment. We next visited a Leper Mission where we saw men entirely debilitated - with no fingers or toes -suffering from disease that is almost entirely unknown anywhere in the 1st world. It is amazing to see the tremendous work being done here by well-trained individuals. Financial support from US AID and other donors in the US and UK have made the medical system here quite strong.

Next to lighter fare: we visited a craftsman who makes Sitars, chatted with Baptist Missionaries, went to Kohlapor to pick up the world famus chupples (sandals), and napped under mosquito nets when the hot, wet monsoon weather became too oppressive.

Another day here traveling with the community health nurse from Wanless to area villages then off to Goa. Enjoy some of the pictures so far….

Priya and Varun