Saturday, February 9, 2013

Dear Friends in Christ—

This morning was our time to go marketing!  We headed off to Benachity with Archana and Lorraine as our able guides.  This is a traditional Indian market with all the various stalls and shops.  It was great fun, and even more fun to watch Archana and Lorraine bargain with the shopkeepers—they are tough negotiators! 

This afternoon, I felt like a kid who couldn’t go out at recess.  I buckled down after lunch to write my sermon for tomorrow morning’s 7:00 AM when I really wanted to be playing.  I got it done in time to go play with the kids on the play court in the late afternoon.   We played the wildest game of basketball of my life—I think it was 8 on 8 (I lost count at 16 players), girls against boys.  It was a blast.  We did a sort of gangnam style dance each time we scored a goal.  I think the gangnam move also came into my hokey pokey, or so I am told—I must be channeling my daughter as I dance.   The other members of our delegation said the elders yesterday really loved watching me “shake it all about.”  I think this is what it means to be a fool for Jesus.

After the basketball/football game, I gathered up the girls to teach me a traditional Indian dance so that I can teach our children at St. Luke’s.  We videotaped some of the moves, so hopefully I can remember them when I get home.  The girls then gathered around me, and we took turns reading the poems from the St. Luke’s kids, and I gave them the picture of our parish to put on their bulletin board.  The kids are writing a note back to our kids tonight which they will give to me at church tomorrow. 

The kids realized today that we are leaving tomorrow.  They are sad about our going.  We are sad about leaving.  This part is hard.  They have worked their way into our hearts.  They asked me not to forget them.  I teared up, and I told them that we couldn’t forget them because they are now in our hearts.  We can write back and forth.  Being here, I know that letters and cards we write really do get to these children, and letters that they write back really do get mailed to us.  This would be a great way for our WNC kids to continue a relationship with the kids here.  I know tomorrow’s final goodbyes will be hard.

Tonight our team wrote thank you’s to all who have hosted us these past two weeks.  They have taken phenomenal care of us and tended to our every need with such care.  Gracious, gracious hospitality.  Our team has clicked so well.  You can’t live this close without coming to really know one another, and we have handled the inevitable bumps with humor and a lightness of spirit.  Shawnee Irwin has worked tirelessly to coordinate this trip start to finish from our end, and has done a phenomenal job.  The Rev. Dr. Norma Hanson has tended to our spiritual care with rich worship every evening—just the right focus each night.  She has been a great chaplain to our team.  Each of the other members, Betty Jo, Libby, Jim, and Susanne, have each brought a unique gift to our common mission in being here.  It has been an absolute privilege to share this experience with them.

Church at 7:00 AM tomorrow and then we head for Kolkata about 11:00.  We will spend the night there before flying out on Monday afternoon.

Please hold us in your prayers as we make the last leg of this journey. 

We continue to hold all of you close in our thoughts, especially as we gather for worship tomorrow.  One Lord, one faith, one baptism, we all share in the one cup—even when we are half a world away.

In the peace of Christ,

Cyndi

Friday, February 8, 2013

Dear Friends in Christ—

This morning was absolute joy.  The Elderly Care Inaugural Programme. It was gently raining, so we were not able to do the program on the play court as was planned.  Instead, it got moved into the roughed in cathedral structure.  There was something wonderful about having this program take place in the center of the cathedral.  I think that bodes very well for the ministry of this place when it is finished. 

The scripture on the sign was “Caste me not off in my time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.”  Psalm 71:9.  This program is sponsored by the Daughters of the King (DOK) in the Diocese of Durgapur.  I found it interesting the way they spelled “caste”—both in the sense of not being cast off and in the sense of raising them up as those who are in a low caste.  The DOK women here have had this vision for some time.  Some of the people have children or grandchildren in the afternoon children’s development program.  The idea is to bring these elders together for fellowship and a meal.  There was singing and Revd. Swagata did a lovely teaching on the verse above from psalm 71. 

After several of the DOK spoke about the vision for this program, our delegation was asked to introduce ourselves.  The elders who had come from the surrounding bastis got up and introduced themselves.  We learned their names and some of their stories.  In this culture, it is the children’s responsibility to take care of their parents, but sometimes the children leave and the parents are left to fend for themselves.  That was the case with many of these elders.  In one case, the woman spoke of living with her daughter and son-in-law and how her son-in-law had given her a beating for which she had to get stitches.  Heartbreaking stories.  Many talked of being lonely.  Getting enough food is a struggle.  And tragically, these issues, like so many others here, are universal and to be found in our own state. They, like our elders back home, are beautiful, beautiful people.

After the introductions, our delegation was again asked if we had anything to say.  I told them about our Blessing of the Elders ritual and how our elders share their stories as a part of that.  I told them that they had experience and stories that need to be shared and heard, especially by those of us younger.  There was one gentleman who was 90.  I told them what a blessing they were to us and that we had come from half way around the world to meet them.  You can see their faces brighten that people would come to honor them.

Then, it was major winging-it time.  The emcee for the day asked us if we had some games prepared.  We quickly rearranged the chairs in a circle and launched into a robust version of the hokey pokey.  Thank goodness the girls from the hostel knew it and could help us.  The elders seemed to really love the hokey pokey, and honestly, who wouldn’t.  As Jim Shine noted, “Maybe the hokey pokey really is what it is all about.”  It was such a rousing success that we did a hokey pokey encore.  We followed that with an equally hearty head-shoulders-knees-and-toes.  North Carolina must sing this differently than anywhere else in the world because I was singing a totally different version than everyone else.  Jim Shine knew my version.  Oh, but they weren’t done with us yet—“Reverend, do you have some exercise to teach?”  I wasn’t thinking that jumping jacks were going to work so well with this crowd, and was scrambling in my brain, but Betty Jo from Blowing Rock said, “Cyndi, do that qi gong stuff.”  So, I launched into an abridged version of a qi gong practice.  They LOVED it.  It was gentle enough movement that the elders could do it.  You could feel the room settle into this lovely energetic space.  One of the DOK afterwards said, “Teach me how to do that.  I have a great deal of stress in my life and that was so relaxing!”  Wow.  I told her that I had learned to do it for the exact same reason, as a way to move energy and clear away stress.  So, this morning, I got to check off two things on my bucket list—doing the hokey pokey and sharing qi gong in India.  The cross-cultural fertilization here is simply astounding.

In the afternoon, we got to meet with Khagendra Nath Das, the Coordinator for the Community Development Program.  What amazing work!  This is the work that Episcopal Relief and Development helps to fund.  I have always believed in the work of ERD, but even more now.  He is working in four different project areas throughout Durgapur, and one area in another diocese in India.  They are working on microfinance, women’s empowerment, children’s literacy, sustainable agricultural practices, gender violence, and disaster relief (there was a horrible cyclone at the coast and tornado that ripped through a northern section of the diocese a few years back). 

What they are doing in the tribal villages with the microfinance is remarkable.  They help organize women in these self-help groups and help them obtain seed money, often in the form of loans, that can help to get a project off the ground.  The government will match funds for these projects.  His goal is to empower the people and help launch projects that then become self-supporting.  When they started, women were not permitted at village meetings.  Now they participate fully.  They have children’s coaching centers.  The children may go to school, but they had discovered that the children still weren’t learning to read in the school.  In these coaching centers, they work with children on literacy.  The goals for 2012 for one of these programs included: promote literacy and primary school completion among children; support income generation activities for women, youth, seniors and impoverished community members; conduct health education and provide basic health services; promote household food security through investments in improved livestock and agricultural production; build staff and community capacity to respond to disasters; and build capacity of staff and volunteers in program implementation.  The Millennium Development Goals are prominently displayed.  You can tell that they are at the heart of this work.  We got to see the pictures of the work the village was able to do.  These people know what they are doing, and they are passionate about it.

I read Khagendra’s paper that he is working on about gender-violence—it is called Silent No More.  This is going to be a major focus in 2013.  He had actually started work on this project in a major way in November, and then on December 12^th, that horrible rape in New Dehli occurred that grabbed the world’s attention.  Khagendra is in the process of pulling together a consultation for all of India on this issue, and he will be working with pastors and churches to break the silence around this.  Ground-breaking work.  He is sharp.  We talked about how Christian scriptures have been used to keep women down.  We also talked about the importance of having women deeply involved in this work, as often women will open up to other women before they will to men.  I have a feeling, as the church commits to this work and women perceive it to be a safe place, the floodgates will open with women coming forward.  Khagendra knows that the pastors and church leaders are key in breaking through this; he understands that pastors must address this directly in the pulpit, but he also knows that there are informal leaders beyond churches in all the communities who also need to be partners in this work. 

All of this is Luke 4 kind of work.  We talked about that scripture and Khagendra kept saying, “Luke 4:18-19.”  Yes.  Such commitment to exactly what Jesus preaches in that passage.  So inspiring. 

Late in the afternoon, I got to read children’s poems from St. Luke’s, Boone to the young children in Durgapur Child Center—that was fun.  I will share them with the kids who live here tomorrow.  The older girls were in a Junior Daughters of the King meeting.  The rest of the older children were practicing Tae Kwon Do.  Wow, are they good!   One of the teachers in the afternoon program told me how important Tae Kwon Do is for their confidence, and especially important for the ability of girls to keep themselves safe.  I tell you, these people have vision. 

At 5:00 PM, we had a gathering for the women of our delegation with several of the DOK women we have come to know here who are such leaders in all of this work.  It was a bit more informal, and nice to have the time just as women.  We exchanged ideas about how we can support one another in the work we are all called to do.  It was a good conversation with lots of laughter.  Jim Shine, as our solo male, took this opportunity to go shopping on his own—namely, a run to Big Bazaar to get multiple boxes of Kleenex for those with colds.

Tomorrow will involve a trip to Benachity, which is the traditional market here with all kinds of stalls.  Writing of lots of thank you notes from our team to all those who have taken such good care of us and extended such gracious hospitality to us.  Play time with the kids who are in the hostel.  Packing up. 

Please pray for us as we continue to say our goodbyes.  All of these people have found their way into our hearts, and it is hard to part.  I sense that we are about to enter a time when we are between worlds—our hearts have been expanded here, but it also feels like we are leaving a piece behind.

In peace,

Cyndi

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Dear Friends in Christ—

Another correction.  The DWFCS that does so much work here is actually the Diocesan Women’s Fellowship for Christian Service.  I previously left out the Fellowship part.  These are the amazing women who are the driving force behind the Child Development Centers throughout the Diocese of Durgapur.  The Bishop challenged these women when he first came to be about service, and are they ever! They all work, and then they come and devote themselves to the work in the Child Centers or other projects. I don’t know where they find the energy.  But then, that is true of everyone I have met here.

Today, we went to St. Peter’s School in Durgapur.  This is one of several church-run schools throughout the Diocese.   Tuition is 1000 rupees a month, about $20.  These children are definitely from the more affluent segments of Indian population, however, some of the students who participate in the Child Development Centers are now going to these English-speaking church schools on scholarship.  The young people we met this morning were amazing.  Studying physics, chemistry, biology, economics, political science—the works.  This is especially remarkable given the limited books we saw in the class we visited, which was the library.  We have noticed that everywhere we go, including all the child development centers, they are teaching computer schools.  What a leg up for these children.  The students in library class were studying for their board exams.  I talked with one young man who was reading about acid rain and other environmental issues.  We talked about the coal, and I asked him if they talked about alternative energy sources, like solar or wind.  He said, “Mam, I have a solution, would you like to see?”  “Yes,” I said.  And he whipped a piece of paper out of his pocket with drawings of magnets and how they could generate energy.  I didn’t understand a bit of the science—I never took physics, but he did, and he was figuring out an alternative source of energy.

We were greeted to a program of dancing by the various classes.  Once again, the costumes were vibrant and the dancing remarkable.  I was doing fine until the very last dance which was about saving the earth.  Several of the students danced with signs that read things like: “Say ‘no’ to communal disharmony,” “Reduce, reuse, recycle,” “Keep our oceans blue,” “Global warming—we have a solution, stop pollution,” “No corruption,” “Save energy, save money.”  All of the sudden, I felt myself well up with tears.  The pollution here is awful.  Just unbelievably awful.  I imagine that this is how it was in the US or in England during the industrial revolution.  And you wonder, how do you change this?  It is such an overwhelming problem.  And then you see these kids who know and understand that we have to change it, and then you meet these kids who are thinking about solutions, and you realize that there is hope for the future here because of these kids.  Powerful.

We were then treated to a lunch in the principal’s home—Archena Day—who is very active in the DWFCS.  Indian Chinese.  It was a treat.  Rita Dutta, the wife of the Bishop, joined us.  She teaches biology at St. Peter’s School.  It was a relaxed lunch with a lot of laughter.  It was nice to have that time with both of those two powerful women away from their responsibilities where we could just enjoy each other.

Raja then accompanied us an hour or so north to Asansol.  The church there has Anglican roots and was built in 1876.  They have just restored the original pulpit.  It is beautiful.  The pastor there is a lovely man.  He was a Roman Catholic priest before, but left, and is now married and a pastor in the CNI church.  I really connected with his catholic spirituality.  He said he is very comfortable serving this church in Asansol because it has the Anglican roots which are so close to the Catholic roots. 

They have an afternoon program at Asansol.  These children come from one of the slums, just like in the other centers.   This center is a little different in that here, the girls are taught sewing.  Eventually, they can train for their certificate, and take the certification exam at the St. Mary’s Sewing Center here in the Diocesan compound.  Then, the girls can get a job.  This is life for these girls.  This program started in 2006, and the original girls had been sold into domestic slavery.  I don’t know how they got the girls out, but they did, and started this program where they could have a way to earn a living that didn’t involve being sold into domestic slavery or into marriage. 

When we got there, the girls were very quiet and timid.  They showed us their sewing work which was beautiful work.  Then they, you guessed it, danced for us.  But here’s the deal, when these girls dance, they are completely, completely transformed.  They are joyous and happy and free.  It is contagious.  And they become confident.  You see their sheer beauty and grace.  The transformation is amazing.  I understand why all these programs involve dancing—it does something to these children.  At the end, we had them teach us a dance step.  They loved that, as did we.

We then went into the pastor’s home for coffee and biscuits (cookies) and pound cake and soup.  This pastor and his wife come from the next state south in India and the cuisine is different.  It was a treat.  Again, their hospitality toward us was so very gracious.

Tomorrow, we will go to the Old Age Feeding Program Inauguration at 10:30 AM—we found out today that our delegation is a part of the program.  Tonight, in our team meeting, we were trying to figure what we might sing and do with these people—I think the hokey pokey is cued up.  These elders are coming from the same areas that the children come from for the children’s program in the afternoon—they are coming from the surrounding bastis.  So, the diocese will be ministering to the children and the elders—both getting fed—in that Matthew 25 kind of way.  At 3:00 PM, we will meet with Khagendra (Khagen).  He is the Project Director for the Diocese, basically their outreach point person.  This is when we will learn of the projects going on across the diocese, and especially with the tribal peoples—women’s empowerment, gender violence, sustainable agricultural practices, microfinance.  Episcopal Relief and Development has been involved in this work.  I look forward to learning more. 

In peace,

Cyndi

Tomorrow our delegation will begin its journey back to the mountains of North Carolina.  I must admit that I am now eager to see my husband, dogs, cat and church family once again.  I find myself longing for the comfort of biscuits, mashed potatoes, and your basic Southern cuisine.  We have stayed very busy touring each of the child development centers and having meetings with representatives of various ministries within the Diocese of Durgapur.  There have been moments where I have stopped and realized that in some small way I was part of something amazing that God was doing.  I really felt that when I attended a special service for the elderly of the slums.  It had rained and the program needed to be moved to the cathedral that is still under construction.  How appropriate that God sought to honor those dear people by making it possible for them to celebrate on the floor that will soon be covered in marble.  The cathedral will never be as beautiful as when all of those elderly people in their colorful garments were gathered there in celebration.  The orientation for the first Jr. Chapter of The Order of the Daughters of the King was held; 16 beautiful young women were in attendance and prepared to begin their period of study to become Jr. Daughters; the first chapter in India. It will be hard to say farewell tomorrow to my dear friends here.  

Tuesday, February 5 and Wednesday, February 6, 2013

 First, a few corrections.  It is spelled “lei” not “lay.”  Susanne corrected my math—100 rupees a day converts to $2 a day.   $1 is approximately 50 rupees.  And the official word within the Church of North India structure is “pastorate” for the parish.  They sometimes refer to them as parishes, but they are officially known as pastorates.  So, in the Diocese of Durgapur, there are 32 pastorates with 136 churches within those 32 pastorates.  Just want to make sure we get our church polity clear.  Also, I got clarified that Durgapur is the city in the district of Burdwan in the state of West Bengel in the country of India.   I think I got that right.   

So, Tuesday.   In the morning, Shawnee, Norma, Susanne, and Betty Jo were a part of the Prayer Shawl meeting with the two Daughters of the King chapters.  From what they have shared, it was quite powerful, and Susanne has been knitting ever since trying to do the pattern they were teaching her.

In the afternoon, we headed to Bankura, about an hour and a half away.  A young man accompanied us who will start his theological training this June.  He was sharp as a tack and a great translator. 

We first went to the Leprosy Mission Bill Edgar Memorial Vocational Training Centre.  Best I can tell, the Danish Church helped establish this many, many years ago.  Their mission is very holistic.  They work on awareness and advocacy, advocacy, sustainable livelihoods, medical care, and education.  Sewing is a major focus of this center.  There is a Boys hostel here, as well as a Girls hostel.  The program is a mixed population—there are people who have leprosy, people who have been affected by leprosy, and people who have not been affected by leprosy who simply want the training.  It is still the case in India that if your grandparents had leprosy, even if you do not, you are still ostracized, an outcast.  In Purulia, the Diocese of Durgapur has a child development center, like in Durgapur, and a hostel as well.  Many of the children are those whom leprosy has affected—they are stigmatized because their parents or grandparents had leprosy.  The Bankura Leprosy Mission Vocational Training Center is amazing for their vision of mixing the population of those affected by leprosy with those who are not affected by leprosy, but want the training.  This integration helps those graduating from the program mix in with the general population when they move beyond the training center out into the world to get work.  And they teach advanced sewing skills that allow these graduates to get higher paying jobs in the factories.  The man who runs this center is 35 years old and has a background in social work—again, an amazing individual.

After this visit, we went to the Bankura Interfaith Child Development Center.  This one is the second oldest in the Diocese, second to Durgapur Center.  It began as the others have, children playing around the church who had nothing else to do.  There are 60 children in this program now—95% Muslim.  Once again, we were greeted as with marigold leis, marigolds petals showered in our hair, and a great deal of dancing.  Many of the parents and grandparents had come to watch the program, mostly women, but some men too.  This was a rowdier group—beaming with confidence.  I was struck between the confidence of these children and the more timid nature of the children I met on Monday in Raniganj.  The difference between a program that has been going for many years and one that has been going for 8 months.  These programs change lives, and it is long-term systemic change. 

Bishop Dutta happened to be in Bankura for another meeting, and he told us quite a bit of the history.  The Diocesan center used to be in Bankura.  When he came to the Diocese there were 40 suits against it.   In many places, the property was in great disrepair and the government was ready to take the property, taxes had not been paid.  He talked of how he stood on the steps outside the building next to the church and settled the suits.  He said they used to have horrible problems with the Muslims behind the church in the slum stealing from the church, but because of this program, the Muslims now protect the church.  Two of the girls from this program are now in college.  At first their parents wanted them to marry, but now those parents want their girls to continue in college. Two young girls, 5 or 6 years old are going to St. Michael’s English Speaking School.  This was the church where Bishop Dutta challenged them to look beyond the wall behind them where the slum where most of these children live exists.  They have, and this little piece of the world is changing in dramatic ways.

This morning, Wednesday, was the Diocese of WNC day with the children of the hostel here in Durgapur.  It was a mini-camp with several stations.  This children were given permission to stay out of school today, so we were VERY popular.  We had dancing with Libby, Native American Indians with Norma, reading with Shawnee, friendship bracelets with Susanne, and basketball with Jim and me.  Six 30 minute basketball clinics—I think I will sleep well tonight.  And I have gorgeous fuschia toenails.  They learn everything so fast!  They were shagging, and they picked up blocking out and picking right away.  Our remaining basketball games should be great.  Maybe with a few less fouls.  And the girls are naturals.  They love all the new basketballs and soccer balls we were able to get at Big Bazaar. 

Everyone on our team is doing well.  Four of the seven of us now have colds--pray that folks get on the mend quickly.

In peace,

Cyndi

Monday, February 4, 2013

Today, Jim and Susanne and Libby headed off to Sarenga with two other members of the Diocese of WNC delegation.  We will get something out the Sarenga experience in another post. 

Our team leader, Shawnee, and I headed off to Raniganj this afternoon.  The newest child development center is here.  Raja, the staff person for the Diocese of Durgapur that oversees all of the child development centers, accompanied us.  It was about 45 minutes away—the drive was once again quite an experience.  One just has to completely trust in the driver.  It does have the sensation of playing chicken, but somehow, nobody ever seems to wreck.

Durgapur is one of the most industrial areas in India, and Raniganj is in the heart of it—steel, iron, and coal.  The coal sounds a lot like mountain top removal, except with no mountains.  Raja was explaining that they do not go in the mines, but they blast on top of the ground to get to the coal.  I explained that we had mountain top removal and that often the water is poisoned.  He said it is the same here.  I asked him about the wage in a factory—he said about 10,000 rupees a month—about $200.  The women in the basti near the diocesan compound who work as servants across the street in more affluent homes get paid about 100 rupees a day—about 20 cents, and he said that work is intermittent.  The pollution driving up there today was unbelievable.  Raniganj  felt much more cramped and congested than Durgapur.  You just sensed that life was even harder here.

The child development center just started in May, just 8 months ago.  Most of the children are Muslim, but the parents are very open to them coming here.  They know that the people who run the program are Christian, but they want their children to have this opportunity.  There are 25 kids, ages 5 or 6 to 11, currently in the program with a waiting list of 20 more.  Our diocese sponsors the majority of these children.  This center began because the pastor, Sumanta, saw that there were children playing in the area in front of the church.  They have no place else to play.  These kids come from a slum with really difficult living conditions.  Some children going for several days with no food.  He told of one boy, 4 years old, who was smoking.  Drugs are a problem with some of the parents.  The pastor and Raja went around in the slum and met all the parents as they started the program.  Once a month, the teachers and have home conferences with the parents.  So, part of this program is about mentoring the parents.  The children get help with their studies.  Raja said that not all of the children were in school when they began the program, but all the children who were there today are now in school.  They learn dance, like at the other centers.  He said the children had no discipline when they first came, but that too has changed. 

Every month, Raja visits all six centers.  He interviews the teachers and the children and looks over reports.  Accountability is hugely important at sustaining these programs, and such accountability is a great legacy that Bishop Dutta has brought into this diocese.  If people trust the accountability and transparency of these programs, they are much more likely to support them—the auditor in me gets that.  I found it fascinating that Raja asks the children questions—what was good that month, what was not good, etc.  It is a very subtle and wonderful way to empower the children.  These children said that the good things were: studying, playing games, and snack (which is substantial).  For some, this might be there main source of food.  It reminds me of the statistics in our own state about food security—17% of households are food insecure.  Some of our children depend upon school breakfast and school lunch as their main source of food. 

When we arrived, we first met with the pastor, Samanta.  I met him over the weekend when he was in Durgapur for the Thanksgiving Service.  He struck me then as such a gentle, gentle soul.  I was very glad for the time to talk with him, though he was very quiet.  We were each poured a cup of coke a cola (I thought three cups of coke).  He was really, really quiet.  Did I say how quiet he was?  But he came to life when he got the chance to explain the Church of North India to Shawnee.  I only know about the Church of North India (CNI) because we had to study it in seminary.  In 1970, six denominations came together to form this church—Anglican, Baptist, Church of Brethren, Methodist, Disciples of Christ, and United Church of Christ.  It was a shining moment of ecumenism.  So, pastors/priests are ordained in the Church of North India.  The church they serve may come from one of these six traditions if it was formed earlier than 1970, so it may have more of that flavor.  Like Samanta said that communion might be done one of three ways, intinction, common cup, or separate cups.  Some places might feel more Anglican, some might feel more Baptist, etc.  The Diocese of Durgapur has 32 pastorates (they sometimes call these parishes), but this is more on the English model where the parish is a geographical area.  Within each pastorate, there could be many churches.  There is the mother church in Raniganj and two daughter churches.  So, Samanta is responsible for three churches.  Within these 32 pastorates there are a total of 136 churches.  The pastors/priests are appointed to the places by the bishop, so they do move according to where he sends them.  You can tell that Samanta has a pastor’s heart.  The church is able to work with Muslims and Hindus because they trust him and they trust the church.   This child development center started because he saw the need.

Once again, we were greeted with a lei of flowers upon our arrival.  The children sang songs for us.  I commented on how wonderful their dancing was on Friday night which sent everyone into a flurry to find the music so that they could perform the dances for me.  Then there was a technical difficulty.  I really just meant to complement them, but they were determined that we get to see them again, and boy was I glad we got to see them dance again.  When these children dance, they stand taller, and you can see them brighten with confidence.  We took a picture of each child, partly for those back in Western North Carolina who sponsor these children, and partly to help get sponsors for those who do not have sponsors.  I then took a page out of Libby’s book and sat down on the floor in the middle of the kids to show them their picture—they love to see their picture.  They are beautiful, beautiful children.  I has the honor of praying over them at the end of our meeting.

The biggest need here, more sponsors and a classroom space.  Right now, they are meeting in the church building which is the sanctuary.  This space is used throughout the day by other people in the community, so it is difficult for the children’s program to be here too.  For instance, the church building is open from 8 or so in the morning until 8 or 9 in the night.  The Muslims use the space to come in and say their prayers.  Every afternoon, older Hindu men, elders, come in talk.  Sometimes the pastor joins them.  Five of them came in as we were getting ready to leave.  I was asked to pray over them.  What an honor.  I gave thanks for our elders and their wisdom.  Sometimes these elders mentor the children.  Intergenerational mentoring.  It reminded me of the VoCare that was inaugurated at ASU between college students and older adults.

Then we went next door and had tea with Samanta and his wife and son.  Rice pudding, chai, and something really, really sweet that we also had on Friday night.  Once again, the hospitality was so very gracious.  As we left, we walked over to the edge of the grounds and looked over the edge to see the train going by.  They dream of a hostel on those grounds like in Durgapur Center, where some of these children who come out of the worst of the circumstances can come and live.  Raja tells of heartbreaking instances where parents will approach him and just say, “You take my child.”  There is nothing easy about these situations. And still, in this work, there is tremendous hope, one child at a time.

We miss you, but really, our circle of friendship is only growing larger by being here.  I hope you are beginning to feel your friendship with these people through us.

In peace,

Cyndi

Dear friends,
After much needed assistance from my dear friends at the compound in Durgapur (Raja and Ruth) I am finally writing to you from the children's library.  Our days have been filled with celebrations and activities with the children here at the Durgapur Center.  Those of you who have known some of these children for an extended period of time would find it remarkable to see how transformed they are to lovely and accomplished young people.  This transformation is in part due to the loyal support of the Diocese of Western North Carolina who has been a faithful friend through annual visits and contributions to the child sponsorship program as well as other important projects.  Today I will be visiting the newest center at Raniganj where I will get to meet twelve children that have been sponsored by WNC; photos to follow.  One of the newest programs for the children is violin.  A lovely woman from the UK has come to teach the children of the Durgapur hostel how to play.  Their violins are stacked alongside the desk where I am writing this blog.  They gave a remarkable performance at the Thanksgiving Festival yesterday; dressed in traditional black and white orchestral attire.

It was a great honor to present the charter to the charter to the second chapter in India of the Order of the Daughters of the King, The Women of Hope from Bankura.  Tomorrow there will be a gathering of the combined two chapters: The Women of Faith (Durgapur) and The Women of Hope (Bankura).  An orientation will follow later this week concerning the starting of a Jr. Daughters program; another groundbreaking accomplishment

What a joy it is to be in this wonderful place surrounded by friends who dedicate themselves each day to make us feel welcome.  Bishop Dutta is blessed with a staff that is committed to him and the work that he is accomplishing to benefit the people of his diocese.  With each encounter I seem to meet someone who is out on the front lines dealing with critical social issues: gender based violence, child trafficking, the caste system...It is the evening news with the difference being you are part of it.  History and ground breaking progress is being made in this sacred place. Our Diocese should be proud that they are truly making a difference in our world.

I would like to acknowledge the wonderful group of people who accompanied me: The Rev. Dr. Norma Hanson, The Rev. Cyndi Banks, Dr. Susanne Shine, Dr. Jim Shine, Betty Jo Kinzler and Libby Murphy.  They have been a remarkable team who are representing our Diocese with their gifts, talents and most important the sharing of the love of Christ to each person they encounter.

Love and blessings for now,
Shawnee Irwin
Chair, The Companion Diocese Committee
India Coordinator for The Order of the Daughter of the King

Dear friends,

I send greetings from the compound of the Diocese of Durgapur.  The computer systems have been a bit of a challenge but it is finally a joy to be able to share with you some of the amazing things that have been taking place here since our visit last year.

I found it hard to even recognize some of the children, they are now mature young people who are advancing in their education and talents.  I am awakened each morning to the sound of strings.  A music teacher from the UK is now staying in the children's hospital and teaching violin to the children.  We were treated to their first performance last evening.  They were dressed in traditional orchestra attire; white shirts and long black skirts (girls) and trousers for the boys.  We were treated to works by Beethoven and Haydn.  The girls who traditionally performed their dances have been transformed into beautiful young women.

Tomorrow is the Thanksgiving Festival and the tribal people are beginning to arrive by bus.  Some of the women of our delegation have ordered saris to wear tomorrow and are very excited about learning how to put them on.

A member of our delegation, Dr. Jim Shine, is an accomplished photographer and has volunteered to document our visit with photos.  They are truly amazing and you can look forward to viewing them as soon as the technical aspects have been worked out.

Next week we can look forward to spending time visiting the various child development centers of the diocese.  I am especially anticipating visiting Raniganj, the newest center. Our delegation is especially excited about having a whole day on Friday to spend with the children of the Durgapur Hostel.  We have lots of exciting plans for them and hopefully I will be able to provide input about that special day.

I am personally grateful for the tradition of hospitality that continues to be extended to us by our friends of the Diocese of Durgapur.  I wish everyone in our Diocese has had the privilege of seeing first hand how we have made a difference in the lives of the precious children here.

Blessings,
Shawnee Irwin

Sunday, February 3, 2013

It is Sunday afternoon here.  Today has been a wonderful day.  It began with an early rise at 5:00AM so that several of us could be over in the hostel by 6:00AM.  Our early morning rendezvous with the girls in the hostel was to help us dress in our sarees—we had the sarees, they had the knowledge.  Our diocese helped to build this hostel, and it is home to 30 children.  The children who live here do so for a variety of reasons—some of these children have no parents, some are from the basti, some were about to be sold, sometimes the parents come here and ask if their children can come here.  These girls got up at 6:00AM to dress us.  This will be a memory I will hold forever.  They would dress us and then look at us and determine that it wasn’t just right, take it down and dress us again.  They made us beautiful, and you could tell that they loved doing it.  They very much are our teachers in a thousand different ways.  You could tell that it meant something to the people here, especially the women, that we were dressed in their dress.  Everyone pulled out their very best for today.

We then lined up at 8:00AM for the ceremonial foot washing by the Shantali tribal people.  Talk about humbling.  Just like Peter, it was hard to sit there.  They are Christ incarnate.  Then we processed out of the compound and around the block to St. Michael’s School.  The procession took half of hour.  Everyone processed—and that numbered in the thousands.   We were led by the Bodo Bodo dancers and another tribal group that featured young men.  Both groups were amazing.  The Bodo Bodo dancers were girls who danced backwards that whole procession, barefoot, even over gravel in places.  Their flute player and drummers also played walking backgrounds.  The young men also danced the whole way—their dance is sort of a hip hop step with whistles—powerful dancing.  I don’t know how they danced that whole way.  I got out of breath watching them.

It was particularly wonderful for Norma and me to be with the priests of Durgapur.  There are 24 of them, and they are passionate about their vocation.  I told the Bishop afterwards that he had a fine group of priests.  He has worked hard to get a good cadre of priests and has pushed to get all of them proper training.  All of them study at Bishop’s College in Kolkata.  They range in age, with most of them between 35-40.  You can tell they love their people.  There are 136 churches—they each serve multiple churches with distance between each church.  They leave early on Sunday morning and do not return until the night.  It is one thing to do multiple services on a Sunday, it is quite another to do multiple services and travel the countryside in India to reach the congregations. 

It is quite stunning to experience worship under a tent with thousands of people.  Singing and praying, in many languages.  Nick, the Methodist minister from the UK, preached and the translator was phenomenal.  Mary from St. Martin of Tours Episcopal Church in Kalamazoo, MI was the celebrant.  Bishop Dutta is so gracious to include the international guests in these roles, even asking Mary to sing the final blessing.  Bishop Dutta also lifts up girls in a powerful way—two girls were acolytes.  Eight of us brought greetings from different parts of the Christian family from different parts of the world.  US, UK, Bangladesh, the National Council of Churches in India.  The second Daughters of the King Chapter was chartered.  Daughters of the King is an organization for women that is oriented around service, study, and prayer.  Our team leader, Shawnee Irwin, has been instrumental in helping the Daughters of the King Chapters get launched here.  The Durgapur Children once again played in a violin ensemble for the offertory.  There is a young woman 12 years old who has come with the Kalamazoo team.  She has been playing violin for 4 years and joined them.  What a phenomenal experience for her and for them.

The most powerful part of worship for me was assisting in communion.  To serve the beautiful people of this diocese the Body and Blood of Christ—wow.  They do communion by intinction here, meaning that the priest takes the bread, dips it in the chalice, and places it on the tongue of the person receiving communion. 

After the service, it was a sea of people.  It’s funny, we want to take pictures of them, and they want to take pictures of us, so it is a picture fest.  It’s actually a wonderful way to interact with people.  I had a grand time greeting the people—lots of smiles, lots of bows, lots of “Namaskar” and my trusty “To-mar nam ki” and “A-mar nam Cyndi” then a lot more smiles and bows. To greet and be greeted by the tribal peoples is, well, I don’t even have words for how it feels.

This afternoon, I happened to run into the Director of Projects for the Diocese in the hallway outside of the computer room.  He directs their outreach work across the diocese.  He showed me pictures and told me of all the projects they are involved in.  Gender violence, women's empowerment, microfinance.  They are working in four areas of the diocese.  Episcopal Relief and Development is supporting a good bit of this work.  This is systemic transformative change.  The people of Durgapur carrying out this work are amazing, and the vision of ERD to support it makes one proud to be an Episcopalian.  This is Millenium Development Goal work at its best.  This is changing lives for generations to come.

The late afternoon held basketball with the children who live in hostel.  I will admit that bengali basketball is a fairly physical game.  I think I will be sore tomorrow, but ah, I will sleep well tonight.

 

Tomorrow, Jim and Susanne, Libby, Norma and Betty Jo will go to Serenga to tour the hospital there.  They have a nursing school and do amazing work.  Shawnee and I will head to Raniganj to see the newest Child Development Center.  Pray for safe travel for all of us.

In peace,

Cyndi 

Here is the greeting I delivered on our behalf at the Thanksgiving Service this morning.

Peace,
Cyndi
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Greeting from the Diocese of Western North Carolina to the Diocese of Durgapur

February 3, 2013

“Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Bishop Dutta, clergy and brothers and sisters of the Diocese of Durgapur,  I bring you greetings from Bishop Porter Taylor, the clergy, and your brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Western North Carolina.  It is our great honor to be here.  Over six years ago, we began this friendship, and it has enriched the life of our diocese greatly.  Your commitment to children and to all the people who live across your diocese is an inspiration to us.  Bishop, you tell us that your diocese has gotten ideas for ministries from your friendship with us, but I tell you, we learn so much from our friendship with you and your people.  You show us what it means to be Christ’s church, what it means to reach out beyond our churches into the world.  You show us what it means to build the kingdom of God, one child at a time, one elder at a time, one woman at a time, one man at a time.  You show us what it means to be a people committed to justice for all of God’s children.  You show us what it means to extend gracious, gracious hospitality. 

In the third chapter of Galatians, St. Paul says, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”  You, dear people of the Diocese of Durgapur, show us what this looks like in the flesh.  You are a beautiful sight to behold!  In a world that makes distinctions, that says some are better than others, some more deserving of honor than others, in a world that tries to keep peoples apart, you show us what it means to be equals in the sight of God and one in Christ Jesus.  You inspire us in the Diocese of Western North Carolina to be a people of joy and possibility, as you are.  You inspire us to cast a vision that is worthy of the kingdom of God and then to dedicate ourselves to bringing that vision to life.  You inspire us with your gentleness to be a kinder people.  You inspire us with your tenacity to be steadfast, to persevere.  For the many, many gifts you give to us, we thank you.  We are able to be more fully the people that Jesus calls us to be because you walk with us as companions.  We look forward to deepening our friendship for years to come.  Though we are half a world away, we are one in the Spirit.  We hold you in our hearts and in our prayers, as we know you do us.

Dear Friends—

I think it is Saturday so I will try to catch you up on yesterday (Friday), last night, and this morning.  Yesterday morning, we attended the dedication of an eye clinic that was co-sponsored by the Methodist Church in the UK and a couple from Charleston, SC.  There is an ophthalmologist who has just retired to Durgapur who will help to staff it.  Eventually, they hope to do cataract surgery here.  The dedication was beautiful and the Bodo Bodo tribal women danced as the men played flute and drum.  They are beautiful, beautiful people!  They had travelled 17 hours by train to be here.

The afternoon held a quick trip to Spencer’s and Big Bazaar—kind of the Target of India.  Our goal: more basketballs, soccer balls, and craft supplies for our day with the children on Wednesday.  On that day, we will have the children who live in the hostel here at Durgapur Child Center for Study and Development.  Norma, who serves in Cherokee, NC, will do a station to teach the children about Native American Indians.  Libby will do a station on music using her ipad.  Susanne wants to teach them soccer, and I have the basketball station. 

Other guests from around the world have been arriving for the Annual Thanksgiving Service.  We have been trying to sit with others during meals.  There are Nick and Saundra from the UK.  He is representing the Methodist Church in the UK.  Nick and I have had interesting conversations about the emerging church and fresh expressions in the UK.  There is Vijay who is the Executive for Global Ministries in Southern Asia on behalf of the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ.  He is from India, but works and lives in Cleveland at the denominational headquarters.  He has been infinitely helpful in explaining certain dynamics of Indian society to us.  There are two college students studying business from Bangladesh.  And there is another group here from three churches in South Carolina.  There are also representatives from the Episcopal Church in Kalamzoo, MI.

Last night, we attended the Inter-Project Cultural Meet next door at St. Michael’s school.  St. Michael’s school is a church-run school, 3,000 students.  The more affluent children in Indian society go to these schools, but Bishop Dutta has found ways to get children who come to the afterschool program into St. Michael’s school.  Currently, there are twelve children from Durgapur Center who are going to St. Michael’s.  The Inter-Project Cultural Meet featured dancing from the six Child Development Centers begun by the Diocesan Women for Christian Service—these are the women of the Diocese of Durgapur who commit themselves to service.  These centers started just six years ago and know serve 230 children in these afternoon enrichment programs.  So, last night, we saw, as Bishop Dutta said, what these children have become.  Oh my gosh.  The program started off with a violin ensemble of 12 or more children.  They have been playing for 3 weeks!!!  Their teacher is a Methodist minister from the UK named Ruth.  She taught music in school before entering ordained ministry.  She met Bishop Dutta when he was traveling in the UK last year and heard of his vision of a string orchestra for the children.  She raised money for violins in the UK and bought them here.  She is here until April and will return for months in the fall.  The children are so eager to learn.  What they did last night was remarkable.

And the dances were unbelievable!!!.  Dance teachers who have their own studios volunteer to choreograph these dances.  They were mostly traditional dances, with one contemporary dance performed as well.  The costumes were gorgeous, sew by the St. Mary’s Sewing Center I wrote about yesterday.  All the children who come to the afterschool programs are from the poorer segments of society.  To see these children show such confidence and beauty and pride is just amazing.  Their parents and siblings from the basti come.  They beam with pride.  The girls move with such grace.  And the boys move with such confidence and strength.  Our team leader, Shawnee, was right.  Most of what we do here is to honor and affirm the amazing accomplishments of these children.  You could also see the pride of the priests who serve in these communities cheering their kids on.  One of the most wonderful things last night was the young woman from Purilia who is in her first year of college.  Several of the students who come to these centers are now sitting for their exams which happen in the tenth grade.  If you do not pass this exam, you cannot go on to college.  The fact that children who have come out of the basti can sit for these exams—there are not words for what this opens up for them.

Then, we went out into the garden where we were the honored guests at dinner.  We were greeted with lay of carnations and roses.  We were showered with gifts.  I got to meet the headmistress of a church school in Bankura, 1500 students.  And then it happened, the Diocesan Women for Christian Service started singing karoke to, get ready for this, “Dancing Queen.” I felt a spirit compel me to go join them.  So yes, I have sung karoke “Dancing Queen” with my sisters in India.  It doesn’t get any better than that.

I also got to meet a gentleman who is in charge of outreach for the Diocese of Durgapur.  He is working on issues of gender violence.  Wow.  He talked about how the churches must engage these issues.  I was deeply moved the commitment of the church to this work. 

This morning, we attended the Tribal Awards.  70% of the people of the Diocese are tribal peoples.  They are also known as advasis—“original inhabitants”.  Most today were from the Shantali and the Bodo Bodo tribes.  These peoples are completely disregarded, marginalized.  The tribal peoples come in for the Thanksgiving Service and this program on Saturday morning is Bishop Dutta’s way of honoring them and their culture.  They present two awards—a Writer’s Award and an award for Social Development.  The two people being honored were amazing.  In the translation, we understood that both were working for the preservation of their culture.  Both are activists who have taken incredible stands on behalf of the tribal peoples.  The speaker was Vijay, the UCC/DOC Executive.  He preached Luke 4 and Matthew 25.  Wow!  It was like listening to Oscar Romero or Martin Luther King, Jr.  There was talk of needing to fight for their rights and for land and how Jesus has great concern for the little ones, the lost sheep, which are the least of these in Matthew 25.  He made the point that the 99 in the flock cannot move forward until the lost one is brought back to the flock.  That will preach.  It reminded me of all those who are committed to preserving mountain culture in Appalachia. Then the dancing and drumming and singing began.  Again, it was beautiful and stunning and moving. 

I am learning that smiles, bows, and saying “Namaskar” (Bengali for “Namaste”) which is the way you bless people, goes a long, long way when you can’t speak the language.  I have learned to say “To-mar nam ki? (“What is your name?”) and “A-mar nam…  (“My name is…”) and  “Doe-no-bad” (“Thank you.”)  This morning, I ran into some tribal women and their children in the compound.  We exchanged greetings, and then a whole lot of smiles, but I was completely unprepared when their children touched their hands to their lips and then touched my feet. 

All of us are doing well.  The Diocese is taking very good care of us.  Their hospitality is the likes of which I have never experienced before.  This morning I thought that our own country would be such a kinder place if our first impulse whenever we met someone along the way was to smile, nod, and greet one another with  “Namaskar.”  Just a thought.

Tomorrow, during the Annual Thanksgiving Service, I will convey greetings on behalf of all of you in our Diocese to the Diocese of Durgapur.  Know we carry all of you here.

In peace,

Cyndi

Entry for January 31, 2013

Dear Friends in Christ—

The internet can go down here depending on the weather, so our posts are a day or so behind. 

 

Our day began with an extended cup of tea with Bishop Probal Dutta after breakfast.  He shared story after story of the work being done here.  He explained the caste system to us and how Christians have often come from the lowest caste, the serving caste.  Why are they attracted to Christianity? Because in Christ there is no caste.  He was adamant that before we see what the children are capable of doing now, we see where they have come from.  So, midmorning we headed across the street to the basti, a slum area.  When we go into this area, we are seen as friends because the work of the church is respected here.  We quickly learned that the children and women love having their picture taken, and Libby was smart to bring her ipad so that they could see the pictures right away.  The living conditions are very tough, and we were told that it night it is even worse.  Huts made of all kinds of materials.   Very little electricity.  Very cramped spaces.  Lots of dogs.  Several goats.  No sewage system.  One wonders what becomes of all the dirt paths in the monsoon season.  And yet, there is also remarkable beauty here—in the people and in the care which they take with their homes.  One woman has created sculpture on the walls of her adobe house—elephants and antelope and peacocks, even placing pieces of mirror in the eyes of the animals.  She also has flowers growing in pots.  Others have paintings on the outside walls of their homes.  And the children absolutely capture your hearts.  Many of them come to Durgapur Child Center in the afternoons.  Some of the children who live in the hostel in the compound have come out of unbelievably distressing situations in this slum.

I was struck listening to Bishop Dutta how the issues we face in the church are so much the same.  He spoke of challenging his churches to look beyond the walls, literally, to see how to be in relationship with the community beyond. He spoke of how some of his churches are right across the street from these slum areas, and how they now are serving people in these areas in ways that they never have before. It is the very same question many of us are asking in our churches—what is God up to in our neighborhood?  He doesn’t worry about converting people.  The church here serves hindus and muslims.  They simply live the gospel and love as Christ loves.

In the afternoon, several of us went to a shop around the corner on the hunt  for sarees to wear to the Thanksgiving Service on Sunday—the tribal people will be in their finest—we want to honor them by doing likewise.  God bless Jim Shine for his patience.  It sort of had the feel like shopping for a prom dress, only much more fun!  The women of our group now understand why the women in India wear sarees—they make you feel beautiful.  I never dreamed I would find my inner shopper in India, but it feels wonderful to support the local economy in this way. 

One of the projects of the Diocese of Durgapur is a sewing center training program.  The men and women who go through this six month training get a certificate from the government that makes it possible for them to find work.  The alternatives for women here are bleak, but this program gives them the possibility of a different life.  Their work is impeccable.  They don’t just sew, but they do fine tailoring as well.  The machines are foot pump like the one that my husband has from his grandmother.  One could sense the beauty and honor involved in learning this trade and being able to obtain this certificate.  And Bishop Dutta says that this center is now completely self-sustaining.  Amazing!

The afternoon also held playtime with the children.  I have long known how my background as an accountant is put to use in my priestly ministry, but I never dreamed how handy it would be to be a former basketball player!  We have a ways to go with rules, but they loved playing.  They are so fast and made passes between our legs.  I usually play on a gravel court, so playing on concrete was a blast.  I have not had that much fun in a long time.  Next step is to the get the girls on the court.  The children are so eager to engage with us.  They are thrilled to be at the Durgapur Center.  I look forward to many more times of play with them this week.  And watching them rehearse for their dances, we can’t wait to see them perform Friday evening.

Late in the day, we were honored to be invited to the Companion Diocese Meeting.  We were greeted with roses and served tea and pizza with chips.  Such gracious, gracious hospitality.  At this meeting, we talked about the relationship between our two dioceses and what it means to the Diocese of Durgapur and the Diocese of Western North Carolina.  The child sponsorship program is our main project, and there is great need to expand it.  It was powerful to watch Libby, Jim, and Susanne of our delegation become godparents/grandparents today.  It is hard to know who was happier, the children or Jim, Susanne, and Libby.  I got to meet the little girl that our family sponsors—what a sweet, sweet spirit.  Norma has had the chance to interact with her many kids.  These sponsorships make this afternoon enrichment possible for these children, and things change in this place where life is so hard, one child at a time.  There are now six child development centers throughout the Diocese of Durgapur.   Several of us will go to the newest one next week.  The parents of the children in this newest center are coal miners, and the conditions there are pretty tough.  The connection to Appalachia is not lost on me.

There is hope to do a women’s exchange bringing some of the women here to our diocese for a visit, and maybe some exchange around their summer camp here.  Bishop Dutta talked of how seeing programs in our diocese has helped inspire them to try things here.  I think the opposite is also true.  Being here makes you see what is possible when we truly engage the world beyond our walls.

After the drive from Calcutta, I was wondering out loud how it changes here.  It is so overwhelming, so much hard, hard poverty, so much pollution, so much infrastructure that needs attention.  And Jim Shine looked around the diocesan compound and said, “Maybe it changes like this, one piece at a time.”  I think he is right.  When you look around the compound, you see beauty and a safe place for the children to be children and to be happy and loved and fed and nourished in so many ways.  You see men and women who are sewing and earning a living.  You see hope.  Though we have not gotten out to the parts of the diocese yet, it is my guess, that the Diocese of Durgapur is a light of hope in every community where they have a presence.    The world changes by changing one little corner at a time.  I think Jim is right.

In peace,

Cyndi