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