The Journey: Manipur, India

Yesterday, our plane landed safely in Imphal, Manipur. Security was tight at the small airport with armed soldiers everywhere. We were asked a lot of questions at the processing desk. Although the Protected Area Permit restriction had been temporarily lifted, apparently they were still collecting the information. Luckily, I had brought along a copy of the permit application. It satisfied them and we were able to proceed.

Bro. Rama's son met us at the airport. We then traveled by car for about an hour to Churachandpur where Happiness Home is located. The drive was mostly rural and scenic with mountains in the near distance and small cities dotted along the way. Although the route was noisy, chaotic, and VERY bumpy, the pace of life in Manipur was significantly slower than Delhi's.

Lori and I were both overwhelmed by the welcome we received upon our arrival at Happiness Home. All 78 people were waiting for us at the entrance, each one shaking our hands and welcoming us to their home with a smile and a slight bow of the head. Even the babies were shaking our hands! Again, it was an emotional moment for both of us, totally unexpected.

After eating a delicious meal prepared by Jacob, we were taken to our hotel. It was a nice new hotel and the best in the city, although it was still a far cry from the Motel 6. :) We had a lovely view of the city...and the city had a lovely view of us. See the picture below to see how we creatively solved this dilemna. Don't let the pictures of the city fool you though...inside some of those dusty looking buildings were nicely decorated homes.

We are eager to begin our Happiness Home assignments tomorrow. Lori will be teaching the children in the on-site school. I will be interviewing adults and children to obtain their biographical information. We can hardly wait!