This huge mountain seems to rise out of nowhere in Sumatra. I took this from the plane at 11000 m.

Golden Beach at Chennai. These pictures were taken near the resort where we stayed.

Golden Beach

People on the beach at Golden Beach. It's a very different beach culture to Australia- most people just wear their street clothes and very few venture into the water.

A typical chalet at the Golden Beach REsort, although not the one we stayed in.

An Indian toilet. I took this and the next one for the amusement of my children, especially Philip.

This is a typically complex Indian plumbing arangement. Water can be directed to the taps at the bottom, to the hand-held shower or the fixed shower above. Lucky I had a degree in Chemical Engineering!

This is our bedroom at the resort. We chose this room because it is the only one with separate beds. The air conditioning was a bonus.

Michael Appleton poses at the resort

Calvary Community Church operates a sewing school in the biggest slum in Asia. The school allows women to gain relatively well paid jobs which will allow them to escape the slum life.

The sewing school operates in a house rented by the church. The most able of the women are employed by garment exporters, and earn a very good wage.

The teacher at the school is not yet a christian, but the on-going relationships with the pastors give good opportunities for sharing faith.

Pastor Vincent Samuels describes the ministry to Michael

This is a standard home in the slum area- a single room about 6m x 3m, with a kithen area divided off by the shelves. An outdoor bathroom is shared by two families.

The church operates Day Care Centres for young shildren. Parents here work very long hours for a tiny wage and children can be left to their own devices. Rather than seeing them left on the streets, the church operates this centre. the children get lunch and basic pre-school education.

Michael records an interview with Pastor Vincent Samuels for his DVD production of the trip.

Like the sewing school, the computer school aims to give people skills which will make them more employable. These projects show people the love of Jesus in very practical ways.

Garbage is just thrown out in the streets where animals and children alike play amongst it. The church was running a garbage collection project but ran out of money to pay the workers.

Magnificent water views!

The slum estate started off as cheap housing to be purchased by low income earners. A flood destroyed an area of hut dwellings, so the Government moved the people into this area- bringing unemployment, drugs, alcohol and gang violence.