The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-12-27

AAANd1 A8AA4tAN ica, Rev. and Mrs, Harold W. Aeckman of Lincoln and oeenwood, Neb, young Congregational mise slonafles it Auppukottal, South Tn. ula, had t0 write their message just eS the Nofthenst Monsoon was cotna ing and the heavy dust of the dry six months preceding was giving way to . landscape tinged with green.
 The ffeckmAns are special repe- eertativeB in India of che Second Congregational Church of Water bury, Conn.,, pr. John c, Walker, ministers the Bunker Hill Congre- eatlonal Church of Waterbury, Rev. Allan M, Eairbafk, minister, and Edgement, 6. D, Congregational Church. The HeckmafiB were come iniseioned aB career missionaries by the American Board in the Second Congregational Church of Waters bury, June, iD4b.
 The fleckmafis spent their first Christmas if the tropics surrounded by brilliant flowers under . dag. Klingiy hot sky. To Indian Chris- tlaiis Chflstnins is a distinctly reii- gious festival" says Mir. Hickman. Church comes first on Christmas day and most families go to q { A, M. service Communion Is always part of this Christmas worship. In the home it is c time of renewal and refeshment, If possible, the walls are given c white-wash and the pots and pans are secured until they shine"
 Food or the Weather Since food, like the weather, iD etiil a vital topic of conversation a en tho wnitad States, the comments { Of the HechmAns In regard to this situation among the Indian poor people Is of interest in this advent teason.
 Tt is the poor--and the poor are Numerous in India--who go wlth- out" writes Mir. Hickman. when Nhelr eight ounce daily ration Of Rice fails they have little to sub- atltute. Fruits and meats are exper- eive; the half watered vegetables they can afford are inadequate"
 The wives and mothers of Ainer- lea will be deeply interested in some of the experiences of Mrs. Hickman as she views her domestic problems. Indians still expect the white foreigner to have servants and to abhor physical labor "So they are utterly amazed when l insiss that in America I did my own shopping, cooking, scribbing, laundering and cared for Lana without hired help" writes Mrs Heckmafi, "The first time our Ir- dian neighbors saw Mir. Heckman working in the garden they clung to the fences and stared with amazement. Some little fellows even climbed into trees in order to see him better!'
 AithouRh many modern con. veniences enjoyed by the house. wives in Ameica are lacking in the home of the Heckmans they do have @ kerosene range pressure cooker and refrigerator 50 that Mrs. Hickman can do her own cooking and thus be sure of what goes into the food and that the water is actually boiled as 1t must be to eliminate germs.
 The traditional curry dish in the part of India where the Heckmans are living is boiled rice served with q sauce of highly splced vegetables. Most of the south Indians would be satisfied with c straight rice diet Out of the rice they make a thin breakfast gruel and various rice flour cakes both sweet ana spicy. Milk eggs and most irults are absolutely out of financial reacn for most of these people" Mildred Heckman writes.
 Goat Meat and Dried MIX
 When the Heckmans first arrived fin Arapuukottai they were the only white people for miles around Naturally the local markets did not cater to western appetites. our ration permit for rice and wheat was agonizingly slow in coming j through. For several weeks we lived on goat meat pumpkins, tomatoes. cabbage, egg plant. bananas anu dried milk. That wasn't pad oles but we missed cereal products anu we always felt just little hungry. when we finally were able to buy cereals, things went better: we hand-cieaned the wheat and had fl ground for breakfast food and bread making" adds Mrs. Heck man.
 PICUP 2
 our bread is very coarse heavy stuff leavened with toddy (the fer mented sap of the Palmyra palm, and is sweetened with crude brown sugar which is fit for use only after 1t has been boiled into syrup ana strained. For shortening We rely on peanut oil. If we want butter on our bread we have to send to Madura City for timed butter. It is pretty poor tasting stuff Peanuts were fairly cheap so we bought them, roasted them and had them ground into peanut butter.
 "As soon as we could locate a milch COW that promised fair pro- auction, we bought her. How good fresh milk tasted after those weeks of dried milkl Of course, the milk must be boiled to be safe but we have accustomed ourselves to the boiled
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