BHAGWANPUR

I went to another school in a town called Bhagwanpur. This is a very overcrowded school now and it has a short but impressive history. It started as just a three room school not too far from its current location with just twenty three students. Two rooms were classrooms and one was an office for the teachers. After just three years the school became packed with just over 60 students crammed into their two small rooms. With an increasing demand to take more students they needed to find a new facility.

Their current building became available to rent and so they took the opportunity to move into the new location which had ten or twelve rooms that could be used as class rooms as well as a few offices. The school currently is running around 500 students form K through 8th grade. Their current class size is about forty to fifty students per class.

The Indian people value education so much so that if there is a chance their student can attend classes in a non-government school they do anything they can to get their kids in. It just so happens that the schools that are run by Christian organizations have the best reputation for education so they are the most sought after schools. This one is so full that they are in need of moving again and they have only been in existence for six years.

They have purchased a plot of land that is about two acres in total. The plan is to build something similar to what was built in Pathrie. A large three story complex with classrooms and some offices. And then build some housing for teachers and administrators as well.

One thing that set this school apart from Pathrie however is that this school also has an orphanage as part of the ministry to the community. They only have room for 30 kids. They actually call it a children's home. Each group of six to ten kids has an adult couple that cares for them. The idea is that each couple acts like parents to these kids and each kid is like a sibling to the other in their "family". They try to create some semblance of a family for these little ones.

I walked into one of the rooms while the kids were in class as part of a tour I was getting of the facilities and started crying. (No one else was around me). I don't know who the kids are who slept in that room, I don't know their stories, I could not point them out in a crowd, or if they were standing in front of me, but I cried for them. No child should ever be thrown away. What does it do to a child and later on as an adult to know that some one cared just enough to not abort them but not enough to care for them personally. I know that this is not the case for many of the students but it for some. I have personally heard enough stories to imagine what some of the stories in this room might be like.

This is the land that was purchased for the new facility. It is a field today, but hopefully in another year or two they will have the money to build at least the first floor of their dream.

I walked out of the building not wanting to leave. I really wanted to see the kids when they got out of school and give them a hug, and tell them that even if no one else loved them, that Jesus loved them. But I the reality is that two minutes with me is not going to change things for them. It might make me feel better, but it does nothing for them. The heroes here are the couples who have dedicated themselves to bringing up kids who are not theirs to understand the love of God.

This is one of the bedrooms at the Children's home. It is right next to the school. You notice their beds are neatly made and on one of the beds, (it is hard to tell) there is a Bible sitting there. These kids have very few if any personal possessions. To have your own book is a big deal especially if it is a Bible.

No one else in their society is concerned about showing them this kind of love. Not even their own family members. At least the Muslims will care for extended family when they are in need; even the Sikhs, a Hindu reform group which started about 600 years ago will care for extended family who have fallen on hard times. But if you are a Hindu and you fall on hard times it is because you deserve it. And children sometimes pay a high price for this. I am so thankful for the people in these schools and homes who are dedicated to the next generation of Indians.

I don't remember his name, even if I did, I would not be able to pronounce it or spell it, but this man is a teacher in the school and he is one of the house parents as well. He and his wife have two kids, plus the children in the home. I don't know his name but he is a hero to me.

VILLAGE

On the last day in Pathrie, just before leaving we visited a village where people of the “backward caste” live. Actually, I believe that it is not even accurate to call them backwards caste.

A group of young ladies washing their clothes with water from a well. In the background is one family's home. It is a wood framed hut that is open on three sides and plastic over the top to protect from rain.

The government is trying to change the terminology for the castes. There are four major castes in India; the upper two castes are now called forwards castes, and lower castes are now called backwards castes. Not sure if that really changes the perception at all especially since the government also prohibits discrimination based on caste.

A little boy watches as a group of white people walks through his village. The distended belly is a sign of malnutrition.

All that to say that the people who live in this village are called Dalits. They are below the caste system, also referred to in some places as the untouchables. This particular village is known as a snake charmer village because the men make money by taking cobras to places frequented by people especially like Hari Dwar to charm them before and audience and earn some money. It was not until recently that their homes were made of bricks instead of mud or simple wood framed straw huts.

A man taunts the cobra with the back of his hand. The snake struck a few times but I think it was too small to do anything. This particular snake is new, and in training so none of us white people were allowed to touch it.

The government is trying to help these people by giving them bricks to make more stable homes. The school in Pathrie is given several of the kids in this village a scholarship to attend their school. The teachers say that these kids are some of the brightest in their classes. If it were not for the school in Pathrie these kids would not go to school at all, even the government schools.

This is one of the mud hut homes in the village. Until the government bought bricks this was the most stable structure in the village.

The assistant principal Ajay has developed a great relationship and rapport with villagers. They trust him so they send their kids to his school.

A few boys from the village who are school age. They are fascinated by a digital camera. I take their picture and they love to see themselves on the screen.

The government has even outlawed the catching or killing of many kinds of animals, including snakes, which is how these people typically make their meager living. If they are caught with animals that have been recently trapped they can be fined or arrested. They trust Ajay enough to bring out the snakes for him and for us.

PATHRIE

On Sunday afternoon I traveled to a town called Pathrie. Actually we were just outside a small farming community which was just outside of Pathrie. The village is very poor, made up mostly of farmers.

The grounds owned by the school taken from the roof. The center of the picture is the faculty housing building. In the lower right you can see a couple hundred bikes which the kids ride to get to school.

It was a predominantly Muslim area until about twenty years ago or so. The government needed to supply more electricity to the area and so they planned to build a hydro electric plant on a river some twenty kilometers away. The result however was that many villagers from that area would be flooded out of their communities.

Students stand in rows every morning for their morning routine, which includes the pledge of allegiance, singing the national anthem, and reciting the Lord's prayer.

The government informed the people of their plans and told them that they were providing a space for them to move to and resettle. That area just happened to be right outside of Pathrie near this already existing Muslim community.

A student stands and reads during class time.

What resulted was a growing tension between the two communities. The Muslims had their own established community for years and years, and they did not appreciate being imposed on by the government. To them the Hindu’s are unclean (spiritually speaking). Fast forward about eighteen years, and this Christian school gets its start literally between the boundary lines of these two communities. The boundary line actually consists of Sugar Cane fields and wheat fields.

This was the first class in which I sang a song. I was drawing a blank with the guitar in my hand and ended up sing "Amazing Grace" / "Grace like Rain"

Classes for the school begin at 7:40am and conclude at 1pm. At that time the students are dismissed and the teachers get a break. A few of them live on the School grounds in housing that was built for faculty and staff. At 4pm an afternoon program begins which goes until 6pm. This program is sponsored by Compassion International.

At the end of a long day here the Compassion sponsored students get some food in the evening

Each of the students who attend this program do not have the money to attend the school so instead they attend the government schools. However the government school do not really provide much of an education. Each student progress from one grade to the next regardless of performance, and the class sizes are as small as 30 to 40 all the way up to as many as 80 per class. Sometimes the teachers don’t show up. Needless to say it is not an environment that is geared towards learning and education.

The school here actually has a class on personal heighten. It is an attempt to educate the younger generation on how to maintain clean living. Here a teacher inspects a students "First Aid" kit as part of their curriculum.

The after school program is designed to be a time of tutoring and helping with homework, and since these are the poorest of the poor they also get a meal as part of the sponsorship. Most of my time there the kids just wanted to hear about America, so I talked with them about what America was like. Some found out they I play guitar so I played and sang for all the classes I visited after word got out. I visited the little kids the next day and could not avoid singing and playing for them either. A lot of kids wanted my name and email address, I relented. The real story though is the principal and the assistant principal. Their dedication to the work here is commendable. They have seen this place go from Sugar Cane field to a one and a half level school.

Work progresses slowly on the building project where they are adding a second floor. This structure was designed to be a three story school. Though they have to take it a stage at a time as the get the funding.

Soon it will be a complete two level school. They have worked hard to make the School in Pathrie what it is and just as hard to maintain a solid reputation in the community. Along with that Matt and I stayed in Ajay’s home (the assistant principal).

Ajay, the assistant principal, and his family.

When we arrived they showed us to the guest room. It was small and the bed was basically a low table with blankets on it. It was not until the second morning when I got up a little early and happened to see the kids room and I saw Ajay sleeping on a blanket on the floor that I realized he and his wife gave us their bed, and they were sleeping on the floor in their kids’ room. These are the kind of people I stayed with. I will write a short post on Ajay later…

FLORA

Here are some pictures of some of the various flowers I have seen in my journeys and walks through different parts of India so far.

I would give some narration on these flowers but I really don't know enough about them to say anything worth while.

This one just below here is a red one.

This is the same red one but from a different angle

This one is purple with yellow things sticking out of it

This one is a different purple one and it does not have yellow things sticking out of it.

I think this one is an Iris.

This one is my new desktop background picture it is also a red flower or perhaps more fuchsia.

This one... well, you get the idea.

Sorry I could not tell you more, but I am not here to really learn about flowers. I simply appreciate them when I see them...

CARDS

So, I totally randomly received two cards today. I know... I am in the middle of Northern India and I somehow get two cards on the same day!

The first was a Birthday card from none other than my mother. Leave to her... The postage stamp said July 13th, and today is the twenty fifth. Normally it takes seven to ten days, I guess they must have taken a Tuesday off here or there too for it to have taken 12days.

The other card was from a teenage boy I met who was here as part of a group from a church in Indiana. I had never met this kid before, I am not sure that I ever will again (you never really know though) and he writes some of the most thoughtful words I have heard in a long time.
Here is a little of what he wrote to me:

"Thanks for being such an encouragement to me this week. You added a lot of great memories to this trip. I was inspired by your passion for God and your knowledge of the Bible and of India. You also had many great stories..."

Well, Evan, I would like to say thank you for your thank you. I was not expecting something from you or anyone in the group but your kind gesture meant a lot to me. It was not sought or asked for but you freely gave of your time to write me that thoughtful card. Thanks bro. Hope your time in Thailand is fruitful and you continue to grow in to the amazing young man that I can see you are already becoming.

Evan if you are reading this I have just one question... Is there Internet???

MONASTERY

Sunday afternoon we went to a Tibetan Buddhist monastery close to the school where I am staying. There were not too many monks out but we did get to see their temple and the outside of the dormitories where they live.

The gates to this monastery are always open anyone can come in at any time to seek solace and peace.

Tibetan Buddhism is different from other forms of Buddhism. In fact there are three main schools of Buddhism. The first is Theravada Buddhism which is considered the oldest but it is not as widely practiced. The second is Mahayana Buddhism, which came along a while later and is more commonly practiced. The third is Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism is considered heretical by the other two groups because in Tibet, Buddhism mixed with the local religious traditions and what emerged was a syncretistic form of Buddhism.

The grounds of this monastery were very well kept. The monks live a disciplined life and it shows in the well manicured grass and trees.

Buddhism does not believe in God per se; they pray to Buddha, to former Bodhisattvas and to their ancestors for help in this life and in the next. Buddhists will pray to Buddha for help in life and monks in particular will pray for help becoming enlightened. To Buddhists the purpose of life is to become nothing.

This huge gong was just inside the doorway to the temple. It goes off every morning at 5:30am for morning meditation. I sleep close enough to the monastery that it has woken me up on a few occasions.

The Tibetans revere the Dali Lama not as a god so much but as a reincarnation of a Buddha. The Dali Lama has visited this monastery a few times and interestingly, they have enshrined the car that he rode in. No one is allowed to sit in it. Part of the reason there is a monastery here is because India and China have had ongoing disputes about their land and the proper borders. As a way to get under the Chinese’s skin India gave asylum to the Dali Lama and even offered the land to the Tibetan Buddhists to build their Monastery. The monks who live here consider themselves in exile.

Not sure what this cylindrical thing is hanging from the ceiling but I am told that it represents a particularly holy place in the temple. Just behind it you can a mural commemorating an event in the life of Buddha.

The monastery has a very simple layout. The gate is left open all day, so they are not worried about who comes in and who goes out. The grounds are well kept and simple. The Temple was in contrast, very ornate. The walls were covered with murals, there were tapestries hanging from the walls and the ceilings.

These red mats are where the monks sit for their daily meditation times.

At the very front there is a statue of Buddha and he is flanked by two other well known, Bodhisattvas, but don‘t ask who they are. At the front there is also a chair or perhaps better a throne chair on which the Dali Lama sat while here, and since then the chair has been retired.

This is the very front of the temple the main statue of Buddha is about five feet tall and encased in a glass enclosure.

The Tibetan Buddhists have a long history with a deep tradition, and they are still longing to go home. Though this will not likely happen any time soon, they still hold out hope. You will still see the bumper stickers that say “Free Tibet”. The movie "Seven Years in Tibet" and the book are both worth your time. The musical score performed by Yo Yo Ma for the movie is excellent.

I would go into further detail but I am in India to learn about Hinduism and Hindu culture so I will end here. I have written a little more in my post entitled "Buddhism."

MARKET

I visited the Market a few days ago. I will keep my comments on the thoroughness of Matt’s style of shopping to myself. I suppose those who know him know what I mean. Besides the experience of actually shopping, the Market was a profound cultural experience.

First off if you have ever been to outdoor markets in Mexico or South America, you have a vague idea of the starting point for a market in India, or at least this market in Derha Dun. The sea of people and the mixture of smells combined with the many layers of texture and a riot of colors make this market a complex kaleidoscopic experience… I know right??

First of all the shops are one right after another like a mall in the U.S. but each one is much smaller. The roads that create allies and walk ways are the standard one lane width, but in some places there are motor bikes and mopeds parked on the side of the road.

What, you didn't know that Santa wears a turban and rides a motor scooter in India...

There are many carts in places right in front of the shops which narrow the already narrow road. Through into the mix the scores of people passing by the shops in both directions, and the people on the mopeds and motorcycles and the occasional car and what you get is a chaotic, and exhilarating walk through a tucked away corner of India. You cannot stand still for very long in a place like this. Why?? Because you are white. And in this place, white is the color of money, and the beggars know it. I saw a BMW and a man with no teeth and a couple of women with iPhone’s along with a woman with one leg begging for anything from the vendors and her three boys who, I would guess were ages two, four and six, tagging along behind her.

This is a picture of the woman who only had use of her left leg. The boys who followed her around are the three just past the apples in this picture. I did not realize her situation until she passed by the shop I was standing in and I could see her useless stump. There were several others in no better condition but I could not bring myself to take a picture of it.

Cows meander through the market as if window shopping. They stop in the middle of the road and force everyone to go around. It is almost as if they know people won’t do anything to them so they don’t care. Speaking of cow there are many sections of the Market that smell like cow, and many places where the cows leave little presents on the streets for everyone.

I simply had to get this guy's photo. Not sure I have ever seen a poor beggar with such a slick looking and well kept beard. India is a land of paradox.

Matt did end up getting at least part of what he wanted to get, I got some good photos. That was my first trip to the market. Knowing what is there I will try to get back to see if I can find some great little treasures.

BIRTHDAY...

I was supposed to go to a school today but there was a mudslide that covered the road so I went instead to another school.
There is an orphanage as part of the ministry of the school. They only have room for 30 kids. Each group of six to ten kids has an adult couple that cares for them. They call them parents, and the place is called a children's "home". This is so that the kids can have something close to a family.
I walked into one of the rooms while the kids were in class as part of a tour I was getting of the facilities and started crying.

I don't know who the kids are,
I don't know their stories,
I could not point them out in a crowd,
or if they were standing in front of me,
but I cried for them.

I think I cried because my time in youth ministry grew a conviction in me that no child or teen should ever be thrown away, figuratively and literally and there are places in the world where both happen.
What does it do to a child or teen to always have in the back of their mind to know that some one cared just enough to not abort them, but not enough to care for them personally.
I know this is not the case for many or even most of the students. But at the same time I have heard enough stories to be able to piece together what their stories could be.
No one should ever have to wonder whether or not they are loved.
To never know the soft caring touch of a loving mother,
to never hear the words I love you, or I am proud of you from a father

Today was my birthday...
No one here knew...
I turned 35 years old...
There was no cake
There was no Ice cream
There were no cards
There was no song
There were no candles
There was nothing wrapped

Only a group of people I have met from different places around the world who happen to be in the same place at the same time.
Nothing that resembled a birthday party.

This time around that is okay.
Some kids smiled today because I said hi,
Some kids giggled when I shook their hand,
Some kids felt smart when teaching me Hindi
They took their picture with me and fought over who could see it on my camera
Their dirty faces beamed with delight today
I looked at dirty faces today, I saw something beautiful
That was my birthday present...

Just a Meandering Thought...

FRESHERS

The evening started off with a great sunset and clouds rising between the mountain peaks. They seem to hint at the rising future these students have. As the sun met the horizon it shot hues of yellow and orange back towards us reminding us that whatever we thought we were giving to India, India is giving back much more. The first year student were a reminder of this...

So Freshers are not India’s top choice for refreshing minty flavored gum. Nor is it a brand of breath mint. Freshers are India’s name for Freshmen. I know, right!! The Americans here have had lot of fun with that name. It is tradition here at the school for the Freshers to put on a presentation at the beginning of the school year and this past weekend was the time for this year’s freshers to do their thing. It was basically like a talent show / Saturday Night Live / Late Night. It had elements of each of these. There was a host who spoke between each of the acts and tried to be a little witty, sometimes succeeding and sometimes not so much. All in all it was a fun time and a chance for the Freshers to bond a little. It is actually the most interaction that the guys will have with the girls pretty much all year.

The Fresher's class is 90 strong, though you can't see all of them in this picture.

Our hosts for the evening are Glory, the young lady in the red sari, and Gerin, the guy in the suit with the mic. Gerin and I have become buddies.

This is Abigail who sung and played the guitar surprisingly well. I am told that her sari is a very expensive one. I rely heavily on other people for these kinds of details...

This was the final act of the night. The guy playing the violin was phenomenal. The group did a compilation of songs that was so good. I have a video of the whole thing but it is too big to post here. If you live close by me in South Hamilton you will ask to hear it.

Great job to all the Freshers who participated. Probably none of you will ever read this but you did great and I am proud of you.

WASHED

As we walked along the bridge that crossed the Ganges river we were able to see the full breadth of activity that surrounds the Ganges myths. People will travel thousands of miles for the chance to dip in the Ganges at this specific place on the river. This river is holy to them; not just because it has the cleansing effect of their souls, but because the river is an actual goddess. When they step into the river they are immersing themselves in the goddess Gunga. They wash themselves with the goddess Gunga who takes their sins, also called bad Karma, with her down the river.

A man begging on the side of the road on our way to the river

Much of the Hindu beliefs and traditions center around the role that the Ganges plays. As I watched I tried to get my mind around the fact that people have been coming to this river to wash away their sins for centuries even millennia. I wondered to myself:

• What are these people thinking as they step into the river?
• What are they thinking as they throw water over their shoulders?
• As they strip down to their underwear and wade into the cold mountain waters do they think about what it feels like to be completely surrounded by a deity?
• Do they genuinely believe that this river is a goddess or do they wash simply wash out of tradition?

The poor and homeless walk side by side with those who are well off. Both equally need to wash in the River.

There was a man there who had set up a tarp tied to a tree. This is where he would live during the pilgrimage season. Typically he is naked but at the time we were walking by he had a towel wrapped around him. He is thought of a more holy because he walks around naked and goes into the river naked. He sets up a make shift home next to a goddess, so that he can be close to her, and wades into her naked so that he can be closer to her than anyone else. For this, he is holy.

• I wonder what people are searching for.
• I wonder if they find it.
• I wonder when they lay their heads on their pillow or their mat at night if what they think to themselves.
• Are they grateful for the chance to step into the river… the goddess?
• Are they grateful and fulfilled for having their sins washed away?

In Christianity people are forgiven of sin by God. For the Hindu the goddess does not forgive sins she simply washes them away. It speaks to the relational nature of Christianity and the pantheistic and ritualistic nature of Hinduism. An unfortunate aspect of the lure of the Ganges is that the Ganges is also a good place for to make money. Not only are there a lot of beggars hoping to capitalize on people's generosity while they are in a religious mood, but there are countless venders selling items from containers to bring home the mystical waters of the Ganges the people selling henna tattoos.

These stores and shops are just a few of the hundreds of shops and vendors that can be seen along the river. So simply put out a blanket and lay out holy trinkets.

There are those who are simply there to make some money off those who are aware of their need to do good and take advantage of the giving mood that many are in as they go through their rituals. Ironically, a place that is set aside for religious devotion, is also a place that many as a time to make a buck, (or a rupee). And when they see white people they see dollar signs.

When you see women using their children as a means to tug on the hearts strings of visitors to compel them to give them some money it is difficult to understand the feelings that well up. Is it sadness or anger? Unfortunately, many times the money you give them does not actually go to them. Often they are part of a ring of people who are forced to do this by one a few others.

As I think about how sad it is, I am forced to acknowledge that churches or perhaps more accurately, Christian religious leaders in the U.S. do the same thing. The only reason it does not seem as sad is because the people they prey on are not trying to get their next meal. Some of the great works of serving the poorest of the poor have been done by devotees of religion, I think of Mother Theresa as one example. But some of the worst atrocities have also been done in the name of religion, the example everyone knows is the Crusades, but historically the Muslims were every bit as barbaric as the Christians. Definitely not a high point for either religion, or its leaders.

I was also struck at the dichotomy that I observed here. In one place set back from the river there were a couple of really nice hotels, and about a twenty minute drive from the river there were several really nice hotels. These hotels exist for the rich to come in from all over the world to wash in the Ganges, and then leave once they are “clean”. But to get to the Ganges they have to pass by the thousands who are stuck in dwellings that are nothing more than sheets of plastic that barely keep out the rain.

I thought that the Ganges was a place where people would go to have some kind of profound personal religious experience, but what I saw was a lot of families who had come to make a day out of coming to the Ganges. It was a family affair for many. Others were there to make some money. Still others were there out of tradition. But for whatever the reason, everyone was there to get something from the river. Everyone there had some kind of need that they expected the river could meet. For one a clean soul, for another, the people who would have money which could meet their physical needs.