Favorite Photos from Dhaka

We only spent two days in Dhaka, the capital. It's a big city with lots of traffic, lots of buildings, lots of history, and lots of lovely people. This is the sister of one of my current IGSL students.

We were able to spend time with two recent graduates (2007), Ishan and Sandhya Biswas and their daughter Allyne.

It was fun to go with Sandhya to meet some of the girls in her Bible study. These girls put on a special program just for us. We felt like celebrities!

The instrument being played by the girl in the middle is a harmonium. It's sort of a cross between a keyboard and accordion. She is pumping with her left hand while playing with her right. Many churches had this instrument, usually accompanied by drums.

We did our Women's Conference in Dhaka too.

Another highlight was visiting the parents of Karim and Eti, who are currently studying at IGSL. It was fun to see their world, and to tell them about how their children and grandchildren are doing in Manila. It brought tears to their eyes as we told them about Karim and Eti's life. These grandparents have an 8-month-old grandchild in Manila whom they have never seen.

You might be wondering why I am talking on the phone at the dining table? Eti's dad has just placed a long-distance call to Eti in Manila so we could say, "Hi Eti, we're sitting in your parents' house!" Of course then everyone had to say hi to everyone else, so it all took a while.

We also visited the Martyrs' Memorial, a tribute to the 3 million Bengalis who gave their lives during the 1971 War of Independence. Bangladesh has only been a nation for 38 years. Before that it was part of Pakistan, and before that, part of British India.

The memorial was very beautiful and very touching, as we learned about the price that was paid for freedom in this country.

Other sights around Dhaka:

Tomorrow: Photos from Chittagong, our last stop.