Church and Wedding in Lahore

Saeed Park, Lahore, Pakistan
On Sunday morning we walked across the street to attend church at St. John’s Baptist Church. Chaman Masih, the founder of Bunyaad, is the founding and lead pastor. We met the associate Pastor, George Gil, as well. During the service Doug Horst and I (Doug Dirks) were introduced as guests from the USA and asked to say a few words. After church we got together with a few people at the Chaman home to visit. We ended talking about our religious origins and beliefs – interesting stuff.

Entrance to St. John's Baptist Church and School in Saeed Park.
Entrance to St. John’s Baptist Church and School in Saeed Park.
Interior of St. John's Baptist Church where we attended on Sunday.
Interior of St. John’s Baptist Church where we attended on Sunday.

Street Food Delights

Street food is one of the delights of traveling anywhere in the world. On our way to Chistian yesterday we encountered this samosa and jalebi cart along the road. Absolutely delicious!

Samosa and jalebi vendor along the road to Chistian.
Samosa and jalebi vendor along the road to Chistian.

Relaxation and Wedding Reception

Sunday afternoon was a time for rest and relaxation before we went on a drive around the city with Yousaf and then attended a wedding reception at a local banquet hall. The reception was hosted by the bride’s family. The bride is the sister of Kiran who is Ehsan’s wife. All of the Chaman family attended plus many people from St. John’s church – a total of about 250 people.

When the groom came in he was attended by a band with bagpipes and drums. The bride came in with her attendants about a half hour later and then everyone enjoyed a meal of rice, chicken, salad, kheer (rice pudding) and rose water flavored ice cream. A fun evening. Tomorrow we’ll attend the reception hosted by the groom’s family.

Saeed Park street scene
Saeed Park street scene just outside the Chaman family home. The entrance to St. John’s Church and School is on the left.

Stay tuned for Doug’s next trip post

We’ll be keeping notes, recording our experiences and taking photos so that you can follow our adventures on the Bunyaad blog. We’ll come back from Pakistan with new friends, memorable experiences, tons of rug making knowledge and lots of new stories to tell.

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Here is a link to the first post to get you started: Read Pakistan Learning Tour

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