Monsoon!

Dear Daughter,

Remember the new word that Papa taught you?

Monsoon?

The Monsoon season in Tamil Nadu has finally begun with regularity. Usually this area gets the rains in late September, but this year, the Monsoons came late.

The Monsoon is a daily, heavy rain that lasts for many weeks, filling up the lakes and rivers and rice paddies all around the area.

When we were filming this weekend in a small village, the monsoon hit for the first time this year there. All of the village children came running out into the large dirt courtyard in front of the church we were filming in and played in the rain. They were all very happy and did not care that they were soaking wet. It was a wonderful sight to see them all playing and laughing in the rain.

Here is a picture that my friend Handel took of them playing after it had stopped raining.

Photo by Handel Reginald

Because of all of the rains, there are millions and millions of palm trees and banana trees all over! My friend Handel told me that there are over 400 kinds of bananas in India, can you believe that?

I Love You,

Papa

PS Here is a picture of all of the kids who were watching me get my make-up done for the movie! I have quite an entourage. 

Photo by Handel Reginald

and Elephants!

Dear Daughter,
Hello from Madurai. Papa made it to the town where he will be teaching for two months, Madurai, which is in the very tip of India in a place called Tamil Nadu. It is almost on the equator, which is that big line that goes around the middle of the globe! When Papa was coming into town from the airport, he saw lots of cows, goats, monkeys, and even an elephant! There are heavy rains here called monsoons, so Papa will have to get used to being wet a lot. It is raining really hard outside right now too. But, don't worry, Papa brought his rain jacket.
I love you,
Papa