Saturday 10th January 2026

I woke up feeling so content this morning, as I didn't have to get up at 06:30! It was Daya's 33rd birthday (and his younger brother Rasi's 27th birthday), so after contacting them both to wish them many happy returns of the day, I just went back to sleep. I had arranged to have breakfast at 09:30 this morning, and I enjoyed Tim Pare's company for a good Tea Leaf catch-up, as he arrived at Sky Heaven last night, and will be here for a bit longer than me now.

I walked into town for a potter, as I needed to sort out a few things, and ended up at Yara Hotel for a light lunch but then hung around for a bit as Ladushan and Kawya joined me there for coffee and cake. I had asked to meet them to chat through their business plan for GROW, which has struggled recently due to the knock-on effects of the flooding and landslides, resulting in a drop in their student numbers, but will hopefully pick back up again.

Ladushan and Kawya make a lovely couple. They were both teachers at Tea Leaf Centre Nuwara Eliya when I first came out to Sri Lanka in 2019, so I have known them for a long time. Donald and Ladushan set up GROW in 2020, with Kawya employed as one of their staff, and the romance blossomed from there. They have been through difficult times together at GROW, so it was good to be able to spend the time with them to give them some encouragement.

I returned to Sky Heaven with Ladushan and Kawya, showed them round a little bit and took a few photos with them, then they took a tuk-tuk home. I had a very relaxing time after that, just chilling at Sky Heaven. I will need to be up a bit earlier tomorrow, as I am going to church with Krishan and his family. Krishan's brother, Wathsala, is the pastor of a home fellowship, and they meet on Sunday mornings at 09:00, so it will be interesting to join them.

Today's photos are views from Yara Hotel, where the clouds were very low to begin with, then lifted, plus a few photos of Ladushan and Kawya at Sky Heaven.







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