Mission Adventures in India: India/Pakistan Border Closing

Sister Sackley's brother and his wife came for a visit this past week on their way to Thailand. Sister Sackley asked us if we wanted to go with them to Amritsar, India for the weekend. We thought it would be great to have one last "hurrah" before leaving the mission field. Amritsar sits close to the India/Pakistan border and is one of the official border crossings for the two countries. Every day, thousands of people drive to the border (from both countries) to watch the pomp and ceremony associated with officially closing the border at 4:30 pm (4 pm Pakistan time - there is a 1/2 time zone difference between the two countries ???). There is a lot of flag waving, exaggerated marching by the military and crowd cheering/chanting as they try to out yell each other. Vendors set up for 1/2 mile with food, and trinkets and painting Indian flags on arms and faces of those attending. It's an interesting and entertaining event that we were glad we could experience. Below are some pictures that hopefully will give you a feel for what we saw.