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