Most of the group has headed off to a trip to the mountains today. They will be well cared for by our gracious hosts, Rev. Sam Mathew and Rev. George Jacob. These two pastors could not have been kinder and more welcoming. I feel like they have become dear friends, after spending so much time with them two years ago and now these past two weeks. We laugh easily. We learn from each other. We have all been in the care of the larger church. How comforting to arrive at the train station here in Kottayam in the middle of the night, and find on a crowded platform the friendly face of Rev. Sam dressed in his white cassock. What a contrast to the throng of male Hindu pilgrims dressed in their black and saffron garments.
We have read about the stampede tragedy that occurred several days ago, not far from here. (We were in Tamil Nadu when it took place on Friday night) There was talk of inadequate safeguards for large crowds. We had to chuckle. All we see are large crowds, and safeguards not in great quanity.
I know that our Plymouth pilgrims will each be returning to the states with their own unique experiences of transformation. At some primal level, I think it is fitting and appropriate and by no means prideful that they can feel proud, " I did this! I traveled to and in India for over two weeks. Our Plymouth pilgrims have encountered this nation at a level of depth that few tourists ever see. Yes, open air second class trains. Yes, taking the hands of orphans and singing together the "Hokey Pokey", Yes, being invited into the homes of simple villagers with their open cooking fires and their livestock and goats and chickens right in their living room. Yes, guests, into the homes of families who are Vatsala's students at her school. Yes, from their meager belongings, we were offered food and nourishment (wisely, I believe, we had to refuse for our own health reasons)
My hope is that each of us take some of the energy of this ancient but future looking nation and bring it to bear in our own country, lending a hand where we can, contributing to the general welfare of all, offering our voices in praise, and doing good where and when we can.
In the end, for this traveler, it is all about the relationships that are built and nurtured. From taking my sponsored child Saranya's hand into my (she wrote a letter to Chris, Dan and Linda and signed her name as "Saranya Luckey") to the warmth we have received here from the Bishop, we realize that this is what makes life the gift that it is.God's grace is in and through all of it.
It is perhaps the sense of "being on the edge here" that makes us all the more aware of moments of grace.
Tonight the two rotarians of the group (myself and Marguerite) will be attending Rotary. We are the program. Our local rotary club in Lawrence has joined with the Kottayam club to engage in a special project of distributing household composting units in people's homes here in Kottayam. Tonight my mission is to learn about how this project is fairing so I can bring back new to the noon Rotary group.
A side note: Our host, George Mathew is the Immediate Past District Governor. When I spoke to him this morning he said to me, "Rev. Peter, you were in our local paper yesterday"
Yes. he said, you were sitting next to the Bishop at the annual convention of the CSI church. Many of my friends will find this not the least bit surprising:) Being in the paper that is!
This has been a great group to be in India with. I know we have felt support and love of Plymouth Church throughout. And when you have heard enough about India from us, we will understand.
Peace
Peter Luckey
Monday, January 17, 2011
some last thoughts
We are nearing the end of our trip - and I think we are all becoming tired. We've packed so much into these two plus weeks. And tomorrow we are taking one last trip - up into the mountains (and then back down).
We've been back in Kottayam for the last two days - our time here has been filled with church events. Peter preached at a service just hours after we got off an all night train. We went to support him. Last night was the kick off for the Church of South India's annual convention. We were guests to the opening. And this morning/afternoon - we were invited to the outgoing bishop's new house warming. I guess it's an appropriate way to spend our last days - in the churches and homes of our guests, sharing prayer.
One thing that has struck me at these events - language and ritual. We, of course, cannot understand anything when it is in Malayam - which means the 2 hour church service, the 2 hour opening service for the convention and most of the prayers at the bishop's house were unintelligible to us. And for weary travelers - we thought we may not make it through parts without nodding off a bit.... And when we are asked to speak - I suspect that very few Indians understand our words. But the rituals - they are familiar and meaningful. During the church service, we passed peace to one another and took communion. At the house blessing, I felt the significance of the marking of a cross in each room at the Bishop's new home. Beyond words - the symbols and rituals of the christian church make it possible for us to have meaningful prayer together. And sung music is beautiful in any language. Music is present at all these events.
For me, the communion was especially meaningful. When I took communion with the people - kneeling next to women in beautiful saris - women so different than myself, with different backgrounds, different language skills and much different life stories - there is a common bond in the bread and the juice/wine. How we break the bread, what kind of bread we use, the theology behind each church's communion service - all of these are different - but we know the ritual, we know it's origins, and we can find meaning in it. And we know that we are sharing the ritual. And that is powerful and uniative. And I think finding community with people so unlike ourselves was one of the main missions of this trip.
This may be my last entry. We will be in the mountains all day tomorrow. And then off to the airport Wednesday morning.
We are unsure how many people out there are reading - I think there may be a few, though. Thank you for checking in on us. And thank you for all your support. It's been a wonderful, meaningful trip. And a very different trip for each traveler. We look forward to seeing you all soon. And we hope you will be patient with us when we resturn as we barrage you with stories!
Please pray for our safe travels!
Peace,
Heather
We've been back in Kottayam for the last two days - our time here has been filled with church events. Peter preached at a service just hours after we got off an all night train. We went to support him. Last night was the kick off for the Church of South India's annual convention. We were guests to the opening. And this morning/afternoon - we were invited to the outgoing bishop's new house warming. I guess it's an appropriate way to spend our last days - in the churches and homes of our guests, sharing prayer.
One thing that has struck me at these events - language and ritual. We, of course, cannot understand anything when it is in Malayam - which means the 2 hour church service, the 2 hour opening service for the convention and most of the prayers at the bishop's house were unintelligible to us. And for weary travelers - we thought we may not make it through parts without nodding off a bit.... And when we are asked to speak - I suspect that very few Indians understand our words. But the rituals - they are familiar and meaningful. During the church service, we passed peace to one another and took communion. At the house blessing, I felt the significance of the marking of a cross in each room at the Bishop's new home. Beyond words - the symbols and rituals of the christian church make it possible for us to have meaningful prayer together. And sung music is beautiful in any language. Music is present at all these events.
For me, the communion was especially meaningful. When I took communion with the people - kneeling next to women in beautiful saris - women so different than myself, with different backgrounds, different language skills and much different life stories - there is a common bond in the bread and the juice/wine. How we break the bread, what kind of bread we use, the theology behind each church's communion service - all of these are different - but we know the ritual, we know it's origins, and we can find meaning in it. And we know that we are sharing the ritual. And that is powerful and uniative. And I think finding community with people so unlike ourselves was one of the main missions of this trip.
This may be my last entry. We will be in the mountains all day tomorrow. And then off to the airport Wednesday morning.
We are unsure how many people out there are reading - I think there may be a few, though. Thank you for checking in on us. And thank you for all your support. It's been a wonderful, meaningful trip. And a very different trip for each traveler. We look forward to seeing you all soon. And we hope you will be patient with us when we resturn as we barrage you with stories!
Please pray for our safe travels!
Peace,
Heather
From Karen Vespestad and Laura Munson
Usually I am not this technologically challenged, but I was a little overwhelmed by the process so this is the first time I have posted a blog.
Being in India for the first time is a sensory bombardment of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. My sister, Laura, and I decided to come on this trip together for a large part to visit Vatsula and the Family Village Farm, but there has been so much more. We have visited hospitals, schools, churches, temples, and even experienced a dog show. The spirit of the people, despite all their challenges, is amazing. Their gracious hospitality seems infinite. Our lifestyles are so different yet have so much in common.
Laura and I were so impressed by the comprehensive program that Vatsula administrates and we will never forget the lovely children, their liquid brown eyes, and their joyful laughter. We stayed close to the children. Our room was in the nursery and preschool cottage. We loved hearing their chatter and watching them play and getting to know their names.
It has been such a spiritual blessing for us to be a part of this trip.
Peace and Love, Karen Vespestad and Laura Munson
Being in India for the first time is a sensory bombardment of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. My sister, Laura, and I decided to come on this trip together for a large part to visit Vatsula and the Family Village Farm, but there has been so much more. We have visited hospitals, schools, churches, temples, and even experienced a dog show. The spirit of the people, despite all their challenges, is amazing. Their gracious hospitality seems infinite. Our lifestyles are so different yet have so much in common.
Laura and I were so impressed by the comprehensive program that Vatsula administrates and we will never forget the lovely children, their liquid brown eyes, and their joyful laughter. We stayed close to the children. Our room was in the nursery and preschool cottage. We loved hearing their chatter and watching them play and getting to know their names.
It has been such a spiritual blessing for us to be a part of this trip.
Peace and Love, Karen Vespestad and Laura Munson
the total cultural immersion experience
If you are looking for a total cultural immesion experience this group of Plymouth travelers in the sub continent may be just your ticket! There have been so eye opening moments that surpassed by last trek through India in the fall of 2008.
Number one, the ride on the rails. As you may know, our experience has included a 600 kilometer overnight train journey from lush, fecund Kerala to the drier, more arid Tamil Nadu. I had done this trip before but never in a Non Air conditioned, second class, "open air" compartment. When we walked into the rail car at Kottayam, I admit, my jaw dropped. Not what I had expected. (because of the thousands of Hindu Pilgrims coming to the holy shrine at Sabarimala, the trains are packed. tickets are hard to come by)
Yes, we had seats that could be converted into three deck bunks. But fancy? No. Had you wanted to travel across this ancient land in an open air compartment so you could "smell " you way from the Malabar coast to the Bay of Bengal, then this is for you. As I lied in my bunk I could look up at star studded sky, and watch the half moon follow our journey. The smells! from a thousand cooking fires, the stench of unregulated emmisions from a paper plant, from the sweet smell of food to the oderous and unwelcoming smell of a slum.
We smelled it all. All across India.
Picture our environment. A rail car packed with grandmothers and families with children and babies being bed by mothers, people in their saris trying to catchsome sleep. people asleep on the dirty floors between the cars. And food. People bring all their Indian cuisine onto the train, and their Indian music. Its all there.
Sat next to a young man who grew up in a village in Tamil Nadu without electricity, running water,etc.
Now he works for Hewlett Packard, his wife for IBM. He does soft war work for them from a remote location. Bright. So articulate in English. I broke the ice by saying to him the tamil word for thank you which is NUNDRI. we talked politics. He thinks very highly of Obama. We talked about what his goals are inlife. He wants to make a different for the village in which he grew up, he wants to give back.
My thought: America: pay attention to these young Indians, so ambitious, so filled with a great work ethic competing for the same jobs as our American youth.
The rail travel may not have been very fancy. (And we all we constantly checking when our stop was due because station stops are unannounced and we are not good at reading Tamil) but what an education.
As the sun was setting, and casting a warm yellow over the day, I could see Hindu Temples decorated with bright lights (like Christmas lights) because this was a special Hindu holiday in Tamil known as Bongal.
I thought, for all the craziness of this country, its lack of safety, its inconvenniences that are on a scale most well off Americans could not imagine,there is something here to love. And I do.
Peter Luckey
Number one, the ride on the rails. As you may know, our experience has included a 600 kilometer overnight train journey from lush, fecund Kerala to the drier, more arid Tamil Nadu. I had done this trip before but never in a Non Air conditioned, second class, "open air" compartment. When we walked into the rail car at Kottayam, I admit, my jaw dropped. Not what I had expected. (because of the thousands of Hindu Pilgrims coming to the holy shrine at Sabarimala, the trains are packed. tickets are hard to come by)
Yes, we had seats that could be converted into three deck bunks. But fancy? No. Had you wanted to travel across this ancient land in an open air compartment so you could "smell " you way from the Malabar coast to the Bay of Bengal, then this is for you. As I lied in my bunk I could look up at star studded sky, and watch the half moon follow our journey. The smells! from a thousand cooking fires, the stench of unregulated emmisions from a paper plant, from the sweet smell of food to the oderous and unwelcoming smell of a slum.
We smelled it all. All across India.
Picture our environment. A rail car packed with grandmothers and families with children and babies being bed by mothers, people in their saris trying to catchsome sleep. people asleep on the dirty floors between the cars. And food. People bring all their Indian cuisine onto the train, and their Indian music. Its all there.
Sat next to a young man who grew up in a village in Tamil Nadu without electricity, running water,etc.
Now he works for Hewlett Packard, his wife for IBM. He does soft war work for them from a remote location. Bright. So articulate in English. I broke the ice by saying to him the tamil word for thank you which is NUNDRI. we talked politics. He thinks very highly of Obama. We talked about what his goals are inlife. He wants to make a different for the village in which he grew up, he wants to give back.
My thought: America: pay attention to these young Indians, so ambitious, so filled with a great work ethic competing for the same jobs as our American youth.
The rail travel may not have been very fancy. (And we all we constantly checking when our stop was due because station stops are unannounced and we are not good at reading Tamil) but what an education.
As the sun was setting, and casting a warm yellow over the day, I could see Hindu Temples decorated with bright lights (like Christmas lights) because this was a special Hindu holiday in Tamil known as Bongal.
I thought, for all the craziness of this country, its lack of safety, its inconvenniences that are on a scale most well off Americans could not imagine,there is something here to love. And I do.
Peter Luckey
Friday, January 14, 2011
Sustainability in Tamil Nadu
We took the overnight “Chennai Express” train west from Kottayam and into the state of Tamil Nadu. As one of 28 states in India
The Tamil Nadu climate is much drier than Kerala, and since we are not in monsoon season, the climate can be considered “semi-arid”—think westernKansas or western Texas Western Ghats serve as a barrier to much of the rain that Kerala otherwise receives. This can leave Tamil Nadu in a state of severe drought. As far as I can tell, this is a major concern among the village people living here around Vellore
Monsoon rains serve to recharge the water table, but deeper and deeper wells are expensive to drill and are not economical. This is because the nature of the sandstone bedrock here creates a situation very much like western Kansas and the Ogallala aquifer—as water is extracted from the earth, the sand grains that once held water collapse together, thus making the sediment impenetrable for the water recharging process in the future, thus requiring deeper drilling or new wells. Since we have been here we have tried our best to preserve water at the Family Village Farm—that means no flushing and few and quick showers. We hope that better methods of preserving water will come to Tamil Nadu so that the droughts will have less impact, and we hope that in some way our group can make a difference when it comes to this concern.
--Laura Murphy
The Tamil Nadu climate is much drier than Kerala, and since we are not in monsoon season, the climate can be considered “semi-arid”—think western
Monsoon rains serve to recharge the water table, but deeper and deeper wells are expensive to drill and are not economical. This is because the nature of the sandstone bedrock here creates a situation very much like western Kansas and the Ogallala aquifer—as water is extracted from the earth, the sand grains that once held water collapse together, thus making the sediment impenetrable for the water recharging process in the future, thus requiring deeper drilling or new wells. Since we have been here we have tried our best to preserve water at the Family Village Farm—that means no flushing and few and quick showers. We hope that better methods of preserving water will come to Tamil Nadu so that the droughts will have less impact, and we hope that in some way our group can make a difference when it comes to this concern.
--Laura Murphy
The Hospitality Continues
I know that Heather has previously written a post about the unbelievable hospitality we have witnessed during our travels but I simply cannot stop thinking about how much these people are willing to provide for us - especially when they have so little for themselves. It is truly a sight to behold and it has brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion.
Our hosts in every part of our trip, from the pastors from the Church of South India in Kerala to the administration of the school and orphanage at Family Village Farm, have served as our shepards and providers - offering us food, shelter and kindness far and above the call of duty. But what strikes me even more is the hospitality we have seen from complete strangers. Never before have I been cared for in this manner. From the kind stranger on the train who helped me and Sean feel more comfortable and safe (we were separated from our group by 9 train cars) to the local villagers offering us a meal in their home on a sacred Hindu holiday that is taking place this weekend - the hospitality is like nothing I have ever experienced before.
Never before have I witnessed the message of Jesus - hospitality - in such a pure, genuine way. I am humbled, grateful and inspired in equal measure. My prayer today is that upon my return to the US I can find ways and opportunities to provide such hospitality to friends, neighbors and even strangers within our community. I have been blessed with extraordinary gifts in my life - many more tangible resources than anyone I have met during this trip. I hope that I can open my heart in the way that many hearts have been opened here for us.
Our hosts in every part of our trip, from the pastors from the Church of South India in Kerala to the administration of the school and orphanage at Family Village Farm, have served as our shepards and providers - offering us food, shelter and kindness far and above the call of duty. But what strikes me even more is the hospitality we have seen from complete strangers. Never before have I been cared for in this manner. From the kind stranger on the train who helped me and Sean feel more comfortable and safe (we were separated from our group by 9 train cars) to the local villagers offering us a meal in their home on a sacred Hindu holiday that is taking place this weekend - the hospitality is like nothing I have ever experienced before.
Never before have I witnessed the message of Jesus - hospitality - in such a pure, genuine way. I am humbled, grateful and inspired in equal measure. My prayer today is that upon my return to the US I can find ways and opportunities to provide such hospitality to friends, neighbors and even strangers within our community. I have been blessed with extraordinary gifts in my life - many more tangible resources than anyone I have met during this trip. I hope that I can open my heart in the way that many hearts have been opened here for us.
Summary Words &Hello, from Marguerite Carlson
Greetings from Family Village Farm in Vellore, India.
Several words convey whole categories of impressions and stories for me:
Kaliedescope, Cacophony, Crowded, Lush, Congenial, Industrious, Optomism, Serene, to name my top eight.
The constant parade of colors and shapes and designs is overwhelming and never ending day and night. The only people wearing black seem to be Muslim women. They must be hotter than the other ladies. Posters and billboard signs appear on every vertical walls. This includes private walls in front of Upscale houses. No doubt the owner gets paid?
The sound level is huge from every possible source. The children in school use full volume when reading out loud. The emphasis is on LOUD. They are learning English in every school we have visited. It is amazing what 5 year olds can read and recite. The teachers in our group say their 5 year olds are not at this level yet. That is an informative comparison.
Traffic sounds are also loud and various. The book Geraldo gave us at the commissioning service states that "in India a driver is better off with no brakes than with no horn". We believe it now ( though we have not experienced no brakes). The horns are the communication path of the traffic flow. I have begun to recognize different patterns of toots tell other drivers what our next move will be and thanks after they coordinate moves with ours. This allows all vehicles to move faster on very crowded streets and highways.
Crowded yes. Trucks loaded to the hilt, public busses likewise (some look like no single person could be added). Plus cars, smaller trucks, smaller busses like ours, small motorcycles, and crowds of people on foot. Courtesy is everyplace in all of this.
Lush vegetation: Tropical plants which we grow in pots grow wild here and huge. Elephant Ears, for example, have been sighted with leaves over 4 feet long. Spotted gold dust plant is a 4 foot hedge along the driveway at the Retreat Center in Kerala. Banana palms are planted below coconut palms which grow very tall and provide the shade for good bananas. Everything is lush and green even in yards of very poor homes. However here in South East India, Vellore, this is less so because of low rainfall over 7 years now.
The last four words interconnect within the population as a whole.. The optomism is palpable everyplace in ways we do not feel in the US. From Posters, to the plans and dreams the students have for their lives it is very pervasive.
More impressions another day. For now know that we feel the support of your prayers and are sharing Plymouth love here for you.
Peace and Namaste,
Marguerite
Several words convey whole categories of impressions and stories for me:
Kaliedescope, Cacophony, Crowded, Lush, Congenial, Industrious, Optomism, Serene, to name my top eight.
The constant parade of colors and shapes and designs is overwhelming and never ending day and night. The only people wearing black seem to be Muslim women. They must be hotter than the other ladies. Posters and billboard signs appear on every vertical walls. This includes private walls in front of Upscale houses. No doubt the owner gets paid?
The sound level is huge from every possible source. The children in school use full volume when reading out loud. The emphasis is on LOUD. They are learning English in every school we have visited. It is amazing what 5 year olds can read and recite. The teachers in our group say their 5 year olds are not at this level yet. That is an informative comparison.
Traffic sounds are also loud and various. The book Geraldo gave us at the commissioning service states that "in India a driver is better off with no brakes than with no horn". We believe it now ( though we have not experienced no brakes). The horns are the communication path of the traffic flow. I have begun to recognize different patterns of toots tell other drivers what our next move will be and thanks after they coordinate moves with ours. This allows all vehicles to move faster on very crowded streets and highways.
Crowded yes. Trucks loaded to the hilt, public busses likewise (some look like no single person could be added). Plus cars, smaller trucks, smaller busses like ours, small motorcycles, and crowds of people on foot. Courtesy is everyplace in all of this.
Lush vegetation: Tropical plants which we grow in pots grow wild here and huge. Elephant Ears, for example, have been sighted with leaves over 4 feet long. Spotted gold dust plant is a 4 foot hedge along the driveway at the Retreat Center in Kerala. Banana palms are planted below coconut palms which grow very tall and provide the shade for good bananas. Everything is lush and green even in yards of very poor homes. However here in South East India, Vellore, this is less so because of low rainfall over 7 years now.
The last four words interconnect within the population as a whole.. The optomism is palpable everyplace in ways we do not feel in the US. From Posters, to the plans and dreams the students have for their lives it is very pervasive.
More impressions another day. For now know that we feel the support of your prayers and are sharing Plymouth love here for you.
Peace and Namaste,
Marguerite
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