Homeward bound

Bittersweet leavetaking. Many new friends and now leaving home to go home. We'll be back! Bill

Blog Posting by Shawnee Irwin February 10, 2012

Greetings from the Diocese of Durgapur Compound My heart is filled with stories of hope and inspiration. God is at work all around us in the lives of the wonderful people who serve our Lord and Bishop Dutta in this remarkable place called The Diocese of Durgapur. I would like to share with you a few of my experiences: “The Women of Faith” Chapter of The Order of the Daughters of the King Upon arrival we honored the seven remarkable women who make up the first chapter of the order in India. The Rev. Deacon Ann Fritschner and I hosted a tea for them.. Letters of greetings were read from the National President of the Order, Grace Sears; the International Chair, Pam Runyon and the Rt. Rev. Porter Taylor, Bishop for the Diocese of Western North Carolina. The women shared about some of their activities. They have decided to study the “Fruit of the Spirit.” For the month of December (JOY) they gathered together the children from the Durgapur Hostel and went to the nearby slums to sing Christmas Carols. The carols were followed by a special dinner for the hostel children. Some of their other activities revolve around visiting and praying for the sick and work with the children’s centers. It is truly amazing to see how these women have bonded together. At the Thanksgiving Service they appeared in matching sky blue saris and were given positions of honor in the parade that preceded the service. A representative from the Church of North India spoke of them in his remarks to the thousands who were in attendance and shared how he hoped that other chapters would be forming in India. I had a meeting with Mrs. Rita Dutta, Chapter President and Mrs. Archana Day, Chapter Secretary to discuss plans for their visit to the United States in June of this year. They will be honored guests at the Triennial 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Prayer Shawl Ministry We had a delightful time on Tuesday morning coming together for prayer, fellowship and knitting. The meeting began with a blessing of our hands by The Rev. Rob Field and The Rev. Deacon Ann Fritschner. It was exciting having the women arrive from some of the neighboring villages and parishes. All wore beautiful Indian clothing. I was able to share two new knitting techniques with them: cables and lace. They are excellent knitters and picked up the new techniques in record time. One of the special traditions of this group is that they sing hymns as they knit. There were also stories about how God had used these shawls in the healing of the recipients. Children’s Centers Raja Moses, the program coordinator, has done a wonderful job taking us on tours of three of these centers in addition to the Durgapur center located in the compound where we are staying. The children are thriving under the loving care of these programs. Durgapur Center The hostel currently has 28 children residing there and 40 children participating in the after school program. *Sulochana Mahato just scored 90% on the Grade 6 exams! This is a remarkable accomplishment. *Ten of the children will participate in the Interclub Tae Kwon Do meet on February 18th. We had a great time last night presenting gifts to each of the children and sharing a “Christmas in February” with them. Asansol It was my first time to visit this center. They are known for teaching young girls sewing skills. I had the privilege of presenting diplomas to six of these girls who had passed the 1st Division Sewing examinations. These diplomas will enable them to seek employment. Purulia The hostel has made a dramatic difference in the lives of the children of the slum area surrounding the leprosy colony and hospital. I had visited these children last year during my visit and could not believe the remarkable difference. They were all thriving at the hostel. My parish, St. Philip’s, Brevard, North Carolina had a program known as Vests for the Village where we knit vests for each of the children in the hostel. Twenty-six hand knit vests were presented. On a personal note I had the joy of reuniting with my sponsored child Renuka. She is so lovely and it was soooooooo hard to wave goodbye as the bus was driving away. Bankura This is another thriving center. We were greeted with beautiful dancing and a time for sharing about all that has been going on in the lives of these sixty children. Two have passed class 10 exams, two are studying in class 12 [most children living in the slums only make it to class 10 or lower] and eight are ready to give class 10 exams. This is a new area of focus for the Diocese of WNC. We were able to meet with some of the newly sponsored children there, including Rakesh who has been sponsored by the youth of my home parish, St. Philip’s, Brevard, NC. We were able to see the nice library that St. Philip’s helped to purchase for these children through the World Missions Committee. I received a note from Dr. Mike Sabback of The Good Shepherd Clinic here in Durgapur. The clinic serves the needs of the children in the center as well as the neighboring slums. Dr. Mike has asked support for a new program that he has created. It is a special fund that would enable children or the poor of the slums to be able to receive much needed medication and medical testing. Please consider making a donation. Closing Comments I am looking forward to being able to worship on Sunday with my companion parish, St. Michael’s of Durgapur. Each Sunday back home when we share the Prayers of the People I join with my fellow St. Phillipian’s in praying for them. Wow! I will be able to pray for them in person. God is good. Peggy and Jennifer, the banner we made last year is displayed in the church and looks great! Our days have been filled with the gracious hospitality of the people of the Diocese of Durgapur. God’s loving spirit shines forth in each one of them. Loving God make us into a blessing. Shawnee Irwin St. Philip’s Brevard, NC

Jessica, February 9

Today marks one week since we’ve been in India. I wasn’t sure how time would pass but it’s flown by very quickly. I along with 3 others leave for Delhi and then Agra later this afternoon to see the Taj Mahal. We’ll meet back up with the rest of the group on Monday. But, for me, this means saying goodbye to everyone here on campus; the staff, the teachers, the bishop and his wife, and the children. While it’s going to be hard to leave this magical and transformative place altogether saying goodbye to the children will be the hardest part. In just one week their curiousity, infectious laughter, and playfulness have brought me extreme joy. Everyone who’s been here before has said you’re going to love it and now I know why.

A lot has happened in just one week; we’ve celebrated the 40^th anniversary of the diocese, participated in the annual Thanksgiving service with over 3,000 people, sat with ladies as they made prayer shawls for the sick, arts and crafts with the children on campus, attended a service dedicating a library/conference hall for student nurses at the only hospital in a 4 hours radius, visited learning centers and children in Purulia and in Bankura. Seeing the people, the children who absolutely delight in meeting us, God at work all over this diocese, is a lot to take in, in just one week. My one prayer before coming was that I could be in the moment. Not to worry about work, about what time it is here or in the US, what day it is, or how tired I was feeling. I feel like I have definitely soaked it all in.  It might take a while to digest but the journey here and the experiences are definitely everlasting. And, even if the children don’t know it they have left an imprint on my heart forever. I wish everyone could experience this special place. This might be my first time in India but it definitely won’t be my last!

Jessica Guzman

It's the winter in West Bengal and the countryside is very dusty and dry. The rice paddies are mostly brown and the cows and goats, which are everywhere, are I imagine forced to look pretty hard for a meal. That said, amidst the dull and dusty countryside out the bus window for hours of travel from Durgapur to Perulia and Bankoura, the Indians are the most colorful people I've ever seen. Walking along the highway you see crowds of schoolchildren in bright school uniforms or blue or red or women in royal blue, bright green, multihued red or saffron. Every place we stopped we are met by initially bashful children and the clergy and teachers at the hostel or school or church. The children get over their shyness and come running up to you with an out thrust hand and a hearty "Hello Sir, What is your name?". I joked to Deacon Annie today at our second stop, Bankoura, that I suspected the diocese was trying to fool us by busing the same group of children from site to site ahead of us because surely all the school children at all the places we have been since we got here could not be so beautiful. We were greeted at Perulia with a lei of flowers placed around each of our necks by beaming children at the brand new hostel the diocese built with the help of St Phillips, Brevard and others. They then danced and sung in a local Bengali dialect for us before we were treated to lunch. At Bankoura the greeting was much the same except we each had a beige dot painted on our foreheads by a pair of young schoolgirls (my understanding is that it has protective qualities) and we were treated to Oreo cookies and chips. The dancing and singing were much the same and very impressive.
Since we arrived in Durgapur last week everyone has been incredibly welcoming and helpful. Though we do draw a lot of stares they are very benign and when we chance to speak to a stranger I have found them to be curious and very friendly. Imagine everywhere you go people actually being happy to see you! We had stopped by a small camera shop to pick up a memory card and our guide and protector, Raja, mentioned to the proprietor that another member of our party had dropped his camera and it would not work and the lens would no longer retract. The camera and owner were summoned inside the shop, the camera was fixed and the shop owner would not accept any money for the repair!
India has been tiring due to busy days and bodies fairly sure it is not really the time it appears to be. There is great poverty and challenge to improve and provide services for the people. Over the last week a fatigue that is the accumulation of all this creeps up on you and makes the days long. That said, the people are lively and bright and open to strangers and I am blessed to have made their been their guest for this little while and I am sure that India will keep a piece of my soul when I have to leave.
Namaskar!
Bill 

It was a long and happy day for our intrepid crew.  We left the compound at 8 am by bus for the Purulia Learning Center.  It was an uneventful trip of about three hours.  Once at Purulia we were delighted by the girls at the learning center who danced for us.  They also sang for us and they coaxed Shawnee to sing “Jesus loves me”.  After the dancing and songs we toured the Purulia Leper Hospital and then toured on by bus to Bankura.  When we arrived there we were entertained again by dancers.  Shawnee got to greet her god-child.  Jackie greeted her god-child and her mother as well.  Two young boy students gave a fine demonstration of their karate skills.  Rob greeted the students and Peter mentioned the library cabinets that had been purchased with funds from St. Philip’s.  After cookies, tea and refreshments we returned to Durgapur, arriving at 7:30 pm.

Peter Mckinney

So, you all know where my body is – it is on the other side of the world, in strange and wonderful surroundings, enveloped by colors and smells and sights still unfamiliar and engaging to my eye.

My, head – having a harder time than my body…

We’ve been talking some about the differences between Mission and Pilgrimage. And what is Ministry? What role does Ministry play in these two ideas? Is its role different? The same? As one member of our Team so aptly put it, Mission is more about others than ourselves. Pilgrimage is more about ourselves than others. In my head – Mission is a more external focus and Pilgrimage is more of an internal one. Mission is more about doing, Pilgrimages are more about being.

India is ALL about being. And it can be hard. I live in a culture that has elevated multi-tasking to an art. I like the schedule, I like being able to categorize and organize and label. It takes a lot of energy to not be doing.

So – Ministry – let me muse on that one a bit…

I think Ministry is present (or should be) in both M & P. There is Ministry in big moments and in small ones. And what Ministry is to me is different from what Ministry is to others. There is Ministry in sharing a cup of tea with beautiful people in delicate china cups. There is Ministry in letting yourself be escorted home the whole 150 feet by a group of teenagers that don’t want to say Good Night. There is Ministry in dancing with children and watching the Bishop do the YMCA. There is definitely Ministry in being a visual and tactile representative of the support offered from the other side of the globe. Heck – there may even be Ministry in losing your place in the song in front of thousands of people. (It is at this point that I can visualize Kyle Ritter waggling his finger at me at saying “Those waters right there – they run deep…”.)

However, it is at times such as these that I must acknowledge the reality of an altered measurement of time. And, in so doing, my vision (illusion?) of myself as being a low maintenance, semi-self-sufficient individual wavers a bit. It goes back to the butterfly flapping its wings. Everything I do affects others and everything others do affects me. India makes you learn that it is imperative to watch the butterflies. It’s the journey.

              The question is asked, if life’s journey were endless where is its goal? The answer is, it is everywhere. We are in a palace which has no end, but which we have reached. By exploring it and extending our relationship with it we are ever making it more and more our own.

Rabindranath Tagore

Thought Relics (1921)

Amy Congdon

Lynn, Feb 7

It’s been two years since I have been in this place. Some old familiar faces are gone and new ones have replaced them.

The cathedral has a roof and a service has been held in that still not completed space. But the vitality of this diocese remains vibrant.

The DOK are reaching out into the community, and I mean the community outside the walls of the compound, in new and different ways.

The knitters continue to create prayer shawls for those needing the comfort of something soft to hold close to them.

The sweepers, the cooks, the gardener, the drivers, the guards at the gate, all have been so warm and welcoming. It’s been a delight to see them.

The children have been the children!  Some have gotten taller, some have let their hair grow, Sanjay is getting some facial hair – YIKES! They are speaking more English, they are still going to school, their books are being provided by the diocese, they are learning classical dance (dances of particular states), and of course, they are hugging and wanting to be hugged.

The weather has been wonderful, and today I am without my layers and no socks.

Today is also a relatively quiet day with only one trip, for some of us, to Asansol to visit the Prochesta Center. When I was here before, this center was for the girls who were not going to school and were working as housemaids, but now it has expanded its program to include children of all ages.

Tomorrow will be a long day of traveling to Purulia and Bankura, not enough time at either center to really get the feel of how things are going, but the drive will be a thrill a minute.

Posted by Lynn Coulthard 

Jacquie Feb 6

Greetings to family and friends from the WNC Episcopal Diocese pilgrims in Durgapur, India. Today has been a long but spiritually rewarding day. Our group combined with the United Kingdom delegates, took a bumpy three hour bus ride to Khristiya Seva Niketan Hospital in Sarenga to attend a dedication service for their newly built library cum conference room. After a wonderful meal we toured the hospital. It is hard for me to write about the hospital because it so touched my heart. The entire facility needs so much updating, especially the maternity and pediatric wards. It was like walking back in time, I am thankful that there is a hospital and that Bishop Dutta’s diocese supports it, but it is my hope that God will open up avenues to provide improvements to the buildings and that updated equipment can be purchased. I am reminded of the DOK prayer: “I cannot do everything, but I can do something. God please guide me to know what you would have me do.”

Lov-n-Christ, Jacquie Burr                             

Technical Difficulties?

I don't know if anyone has experienced this problem, but the last two posts seem to be "whited" out. If this is the case, please highlight the areas and the words show right up. I am sorry for the difficulty and I will try to re-post these entries later.

Address to Congregation at Thanksgiving Service by Anne

Namaskar, namaste, johar

It has been 7 wonderful years that the Episcopal Diocese of WNC has
been coming here – and  in our faith tradition, when two people want
to marry, they make vows to one another: For better for worse, for
richer for poorer in sickness and in health. We commit to staying
together, Our companion relationship is like a marriage.We stay
together because, because God has called us to be together and has
sanctified our partnership.

Our two Dioceses have certainly been through many things together;
through the world economic crisis, hurricanes, the deaths of our
friends and family members, and sicknesses of all kinds. And we have
been together in joy watching the children grow up and the Shanti Gria
campus grow and the number of people who want to learn about and
practice God’s healing ministries. We have seen a woman ordained in
your diocese and the first African American female ordained in our
diocese.

We are called by God to continue to serve the children, to feed the
hungry, to give clothing to the naked and shelter to the homeless. We
must continue to build schools and libraries, health clinics and eye
clinics, and we must educate our children in English so they can go
out into the world to advance their studies and succeed in the
language of the current world.

God calls some of us to be doctors and teachers and clergy and day
laborers, yet God calls all of to be ministers to God’s people; to
serve our neighbors, to be advocates for the voiceless, to give a cup
of cold water to the thirsty, to sit quietly with the dying, and to
give love to the hopeless. Everyone here today and everyone in our
towns and villages and cities is called to these sacred ministries.

May God continue to bless you in your ministries, and may the prayers
of the 17,000 members of the Episcopal Diocese of WNC strengthen you
if you falter. Because the prayers of you and your Diocese strengthen
us. Thank you.

-- 
annie fritschner

Thanksgiving Service - Deacon Annie

Today was the BIG Thanksgiving service - 3,000+ people attended the 3+ hour long srvice that was full of smells and bells on the St Michael's School cricket court. There were clergy from throughout the Diocese of Durgapur plus 12 from the Methodist church in England, a bishop from Australia, a bishop from Canada, a bishop from Bangladesh, a moderator from England and loads of WNCers. It was a joyful morning for all except Jessica who took her malaria medication on an empty tummy and needed to go to her room to recouperate. Lunch has just ended and all are wandering, reorganizing, resting, reading and all together hanging out. Lynn and Fran plan to walk to the basti (slum village across the street) to see how one of the hostel girl's grandmother is doing. Then we all plan to walk to the local very Indian market, where we could choose the goat or chicken we want killed for supper. Part of the reason to do is to see the real India, partly to get some exercise and partly to prepare for the disco tonight at which we will dance for hours with the children who could dance non-stop for days, given half a chance. It is so wonderful to see how many programs have bloomed here; the Daughters of the King chapter is held up as a model throughout India and the Synod president encouraged women to form more chapters; the healing and medical missions in Purulia, especially the Festivals of Joy are huge - with 1000+ people attending every evening and the Bishop wants to start more chapters of the Order of St. Luke here and in Calcutta. Tomorrow all the folks on campus go to Serenga to the hospital that was founded 100+ years ago by the Mthodists and which now will have a library; we are going for the dedication service. I love Serenga because the hospital is very peaceful. I usually go and spend the night and pray with the student nurses and the patients but I think this trip will be short; it is a rough trip - very bumpy and very long (3ish hours) and so we will go, have the service of dedication, have tea and return. The roads are seriously scary at night; there are no street lights and lots of dark-skinned people who walk in the road and cows and dogs that wander in and out...such is the driving life in India. Companionship is a funny thing; we are not missionaries bringing the good news of jesus Christ to these folks; they know Jesus and love jesus. And in some ways we aren't pilgrims either because three of us on this team have been here before. And we aren't tourists becasue we are not rushing from one place to the other snapping pix and tying to remember the difference between Mumbai and Kolcatta. We are somewhere in-between, having trouble receiving the overwhelming hospitality, deeply moved by it, aware that we can solve so many problems by buying medicines and paying teachers' salaries and sponsoring children, and yet completely aware that these are band aids on huge problems that can only be solved by God. The sermon this morning was about the looking for the face of Christ rather than looking at the storms and losing faith. And then the message went on to say that the poor have been recipients of a disproportionate amount of the storm of greed, self-centeredness, fear and separateness; we feel the blessings of God and then forget to pass them on to others -- we hold onto them as though they were ours to keep. It is about 75+ degrees and sunny; we are safe, well fed, having mixed sleeping patterns and very cared for. Our call is to pass all this love and hospitality onto others now. -deacon annie

Sunday, February 5

These last few days have been extraordinary in a myriad of senses.  Our small group of time travelers has been adjusting to a place which is half a world away from home and feels and looks so different.  I can honestly say that I am delighted to be here.  The people of Durgapur are beautiful and sweet.  We have received a tremendous welcome.

Today, as every day has been thus far, was a panoply of color and music.  Dressed in our finery and after an early breakfast, we gathered for a foot washing at the entrance to the compound.  We, the invited guests, then walked in a long procession, behind dancers and drummers, Bishop Dutta and all the representatives of various churches and dioceses out onto the road and around the block to the entrance of St. Michael’s School where an enormous festooned tent had been erected under which we were to witness the forty-year Thanksgiving Service of the Diocese of Durgapur..

This was a momentous and hours’ long event with the theme “A Journey of Faith”.  Our group was offered fine seats very close to the altar and Rev. Rob Field and Rev. Dn. Annie Fritschner  were participants.. Just imagine a service in Bengali, English and Hindi with about half a dozen bishops and retired bishops in attendance---great celebration, pomp and circumstance, many speakers, prayer, thanksgiving, song, the giving and receiving of gifts!  Several of our women (myself included) had been inducted by members of Durgapur’s Daughters of the King to sing “Holy Spirit, come and fill this place”.   The Bible was carried on a huge floral-decorated drum up to and down from the altar by Santali tribesman.  There was a tea in the garden of the school afterwards.

I’m not sure how to describe exactly how I feel---it’s a mixture of awe, joy, gratitude, exhaustion and more.  One additional observation---the children who Bishop Dutta has brought here to house and educate are the essence of love and light.  They spontaneously  run up to hug us which feels sublime!

Blair Miller

Saturday, Feb 4

Today has been a blessed day.

Yesterday we visited a slum across the street from the compound.  A lady we met there was in severe pain from a broken leg which had been repaired but her knee was extremely swollen.  She was limping along with a long bamboo pole for support.  This lady was on our hearts after we left the slum.  Today we went back to the slum, put her in wheelchair and took her to the doctor at the compound's clinic.  The doctor gave her some pain pills and told her to walk on the leg and the swelling would eventually go down.

This seemed like a pretty tall order.  After we took her back to the slum, we decided to help her out.  A couple of us caught rides on motorcycles, went to the local hospital, finally found a person who spoke English, went through many people who told us "No" and finally found someone who would sell us a walker.  We brought the walker back on a street rickshaw.

The lady in the slum was so happy with her walker.  We were happy because we felt that it was God's work - what we are here to do.  He was surely with us today to help overcome all the obstacles.

On the way back from the hospital we stopped in at Mother Teresa's hospital and orphanage.  What an inspiration.  We visited with the children and spent a short time in the Mass at the church there.  The theme of the homily was to give love and assistance to our brothers and sister in Christ.  The perfect message for us today.

We are all tired but surviving.  The weather is glorious. Flowers are everywhere - it looks like spring.  Last night there was wonderful dancing by children from all the different sections of India.  They were so talented and beautiful with their colorful costumes.  Today there was more tribal dancing.  It is astounding the variety and diversity of the people of India. Everywhere you look there are fabulous colors and sounds and aromas.  There is a lot of poverty to be sure, but it is outweighed by the lovliness.

All of us miss our loved ones at home.  But, as for me, I feel I am in the right place, doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

Love,
Fran

There is so much to tell of all we’ve experienced in the past 36 hours, but so hard to put into one blog post! I’ll have to rely on my fellow pilgrims to tell the rest of the story as they see fit…

We have just returned from the Inter Cultural Program at St. Michael’s School (literally just beyond the wall and down the road from our diocesan “compound”), which featured incredible dances by girls and boys from the various diocesan-supported child development centers. This was an impressive production, complete with professional sound, lights and – yes – a smoke machine. Our own offering for the event was a puppet show called “The Frog Prince” (created by Adele Chappell of St. Philip’s). The Inter Cultural Program is an annual event, coinciding with the diocesan Thanksgiving Service and Celebration each February.

The evening program was followed by a gala dinner outside on the grounds of the school, with people literally from all over the world. The setting was elegant, with lights and flowers and beautiful decorations everywhere. One thing has become clear in a few short days: these people know how to throw a party! Visitors like us from other countries were showered with gifts and encouraged to mingle with people from other places. I met Christians from Bangladesh, Canada, England, and also chatted with the former bishop of Durgapur.

I will just mention here (but hope someone else will write about) the visit some of us made earlier in the day to the “basti” (the neighborhood some call a slum) just beyond the gate and down the road from the diocesan compound. I will never forget meeting people living in simple huts with mud floors who, despite their circumstances, radiate a dignity and inner strength that is nearly tangible. I thanked God that we had Lynn with us, since she got to know many of the people from the basti during her missionary year here and on subsequent visits.

Rob Field

Photo captions:

Lynn Coulthard (center) with residents of the basti, situated just beyond the diocesan compound in Durgapur.

Student dancers at the Inter Cultural Program held Friday evening at St. Michael’s School, adjacent to the diocesan center in Durgapur.

We’re finally here! Despite modern transport, the trip from Asheville to Durgapur reminds me a lot of the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Even after getting the pharaoh to agree to letting the Hebrews leave most of the story of Moses is the journey to the promised land. It didn’t take us forty years to get here but after a total of two bus rides, two nine hour plane rides, three continents and three days (sort of) in transit, it felt a lot like forty years.  We left Asheville at 10:30 AM Tuesday morning and took a bus to Atlanta (thanks for the ride, Ian!), checked in with Lufthansa and presently flew to Frankfurt, where it was 18 degrees as we walked down the stairs from the plane (and us dressed for India). We went through security and paid in Euros for a cup of coffee and then flew to Kolkata (another nine hour flight). It took us about an hour to get luggage back after clearing immigration (which the Indians made very easy for us) and then we met up with a group from the Diocese of Durgapur who were so very kind to come out to meet us at two in the morning several hours from home. At the end of the three hour ride back to the Diocesan compound to be shown our rooms in the early dawn light Thursday morning surely seemed like delivery to the promised land. We have been incredibly blessed to be invited and to have arrived safely with our sisters and brothers in the Diocese of Durgapur and the feeling of the long journey merely makes us more thankful for the incredibly warm welcome and the feeling of arriving home.

Bill Doyle

Amy’s blog for India, Tuesday – Wednesday Feb 3

So our Wednesday went by in a haze of travel oriented rush. As my husband eloquently put it, “Two buses, two trains, two airplanes and three continents later”, we’re here!

We arrived at about 6am yesterday morning onto a sleepy campus inside a town beginning its day with the rush of traffic.

I’ll try to let others tell the tale later this week. We didn’t have power for the bulk of the day yesterday, so nothing got posted. I hope that we are lucky for the remainder of our visit and can keep you involved in our adventure.

Love to all!

Amy C