Neighborhood Fun

A couple weeks ago our landlords started a project on their patio area. At first we thought it was a table, but then we figured out they were building an Altar to Jesus (shrines and altars are very common here - regardless of your faith). Steph and I are pretty sure that our rent money financed the project! They also put down new tile and fixed the sidewalk in front of the house!

On Sunday the pest control people came and made our flat smell REALLY bad - so steph was sitting outside. There is a 4 yr old girl who lives downstairs, Jesslyn. She's really shy with us and never says much - but there must have been something special about Sunday, or something in the fumes. She came and sat on Steph's lap and they had this conversation:
Jesslyn: My birthday is coming.
Steph: really, when is it?
Jesslyn: In October.
Steph: When in October?
Jesslyn: I don't know. My daddy is bringing Jesus home and then its my birthday.
Steph: Really, when is Jesus coming?
Jesslyn: I don't know when Jesus is coming.
Steph: You're a very smart little girl - no one know when Jesus is coming.

As it turns out Jesus came home, and it was Jesslyn's birthday on Monday. They invited us down for a service, and for the party...and it was so good. I really enjoyed myself. I enjoyed the liturgy and the truth so deeply embedded in a style of worship that is different from my cultural context and "norm." I also enjoyed sitting in the alley eating food and talking with my neighbors. There was just something good about it...like everything was the way it was supposed to be.

Also, in totally different news, there is a Bollywood movie being filmed in my old apartment, the pink palace, with a really famous Bollywood actor, Aamir Khan. Last night i tried to find out the name of the movie, but they wouldn't tell me. They told me who to ask after the shooting is done. and they said it will be really obvious. We thought a good name would be, "Aamir Khan and the pink palace" - but i don't think that's it...and they repainted it for the film shoot. They said he was filming for 3 days, so i think he's done now. I saw him drive out of the apartment complex last night :) he had a nice car. one thing is for sure. i'm gonna track down the name of the movie and buy it on DVD...cause when your old house becomes the set of a movie, then you need to see it at least once!