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