The Celebration Begins

                                                      

There is just no place to begin to tell how truly magnificent this weekend of 40th celebration of Prakash turned out. Our theme was Generation to Generation. The ruby for 40 years was our symbol. “Wisdom is more precious than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with her.” Our alumni from PBI and RGI were in attendance in impressive numbers.

Only pictures can help tell the story. Thursday and Friday I worked on a picture Timeline. It gave an overview of Prakash from the beginning. Leslie and the RGI girls helped to install it on the veranda walls. I giggled watching people trying to find their picture somewhere in the Timeline. When they did, there was a satisfied-look that they were a part of the story.

             

The RGI girls made a rangoli (sand carpet), which thankfully was not washed away by rain before the programs.

             

Loren had a sauna, being encased in the large plastic banner while hanging it at the front of the auditorium. It was not an easy job and he had to improvise, as only he can do, to get it hung.

             

The PBI boys hung colored lights on the trees and entrance and put all the washed red chairs in place.

            

                                                 

Friday night’s session of about 150 people began with singing and dances. Oh my, have times ever changed. I wish I could send some of the videos and SOUND. Many of the worship songs now are put to dance and the yelling and clapping was deafening, but it made me smile…North Point music has nothing on Prakash.

            

Then we showed a DVD presentation I had put together from Papa’s huge collection of slides. People hooped, hollered and razzed when they saw the old pictures of faces they recognized. We had to wipe the laughter tears from our eyes. Of course, smack-dab in the middle, the power goes off. “No problem,” eventually it came back on and the program continued. Go-with-the-flow is the only way to survive in India.

Every event requires food, so samosas and tea were served. It was a little toooooo fiery for Westerners, but everyone else enjoyed them and the fellowship was great.