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.

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...

COMMISSION

Yesterday morning Gordon Conwell held a commissioning service for all the students who will be going overseas this summer. It was in some ways a typical chapel service but there were some elements that distinguished it from others. There was a guy on a guitar who led the songs and a girl on a piano, along with a back up singer to harmonize with the guy on the guitar. There was a podium where people stood to say important words; there were students and faculty in the pews, though with it being at the end of the semester there were not as many as there are at the beginning of the semester.

One member of each team headed overseas got up to briefly share about where they will be going and what they will be doing. Afterward a faculty member came to the platform and put a hand on the shoulder of the team members and prayed. This is the commissioning. It seemed like a symbolic event with little consequence until I began to think about why we even have a commissioning service. The answer lies in the word COMMISSION.

The "CO" in COmmission suggests that I am not alone. There is someone with me as I go. In the commissioning service a faculty member stood next to me, demonstrating symbolically that I am not alone. For all those who are supporting me whether in prayer or financially you are standing with me as I go. Matthew 28:19-20 is the passage of scripture that is usually called the great commission. The last sentence in that passage says, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." That sentence is why we call it the Great COmmission. Jesus said that he is with us.

The "MISSION" in comMISSION tells us that there is something that we need to do. There is a task to accomplish, a goal to work towards, a road to travel. My mission this summer is to teach and mentor students at New Theological College and their satellite schools, to serve in the orphanages in the nearby cities, and to perhaps speak at a local Indian church or two. I have been told that the best thing I can offer the people is myself. This is my mission.

So as I share myself with the people I meet; as I walk the road of mission I do not do it alone. I have been CO-MISSIONED. There are faculty, family and friends, who stand with me in prayer and who contribute to get me there. Most importantly Jesus is with me always. I do not accomplish a single task that He is not a part of or the driving force behind.

Incidentally, Jesus was commissioned too. John the Baptist performed a symbolic ceremony which inaugurated Jesus into his official ministry. Jesus was not alone; besides the twelve disciples he had regular conversation with his "sending institution" - God the Father. Stands to reason that if Jesus did that way it is probably not a bad way to do it. Seems like "CO" anything is a better way.

Just a meandering thought...

INDIA

To all of my family, friends and acquaintances,

This summer I have the opportunity to travel to Northern India for about six weeks as part of my Master’s program. I will be helping in schools churches and orphanages doing things like teaching English, tutoring in Greek, sharing about American culture, and experiencing the culture of Northern India for myself.

In the next week or so I will be sending out letters to many of you to give you some more details about the trip as well as to ask for your support. Many of you are the church going type and if all you can do to support me is to pray for me I gratefully accept your prayers on my behalf. Many of you are not church goers so you should know that I also accept happy thoughts and positive energy. For those who have the means to contribute financially the total cost of the trip is $3,200 so obviously money is important too. Your tax deductible gift will be handled by the school and they will issue you a receipt.

If you received a Christmas card from us this year, then I have your address, if not then there is a good chance that I do not have it. So if I likely don’t have your address and you would like more info on how to help me get to India you can send me your mailing address through facebook or email or twitter. You are probably reading this through one of those mediums. Also, I will be utilizing social media a lot to keep my supporters up to date on how the prep for my trip is going as well as updates of my experiences while in India, (as often as internet is available).


You can keep up with me on:

• Twitter: CDGiguere
• friend me on facebook
• check out my blog updates: vagabondragamuffin.blogspot.com
• email: caleb.giguere@gmail.com

Addiction

I was in Guatemala recently and it was really one of the best missions trips that I have taken students on. We went into public schools, did dramas and skits, our missionary host talked in between and at the end of our school assemblies we had the opportunity to pray with a ton of kids. The language barrier did not seem to be a big deal either. Plus we got to hike up an active volcano!!! It was memorable to say the least.
One of the things I heard our students say over and over was that they did not want to go home. I even heard, "I hate the U.S.", and, "I love Guatemala" we heard a lot of, "I have to come back", and "we can't leave yet". The comments sound kind of extreme, but if you experienced what we experienced you might understand. I was struck by the absolute nature of the comments. They used words like "hate", "have to" and others. They used the same kinds of words that a drug addict uses when they need another fix (yes I have had contact with users).
Addicts have had an experience (albeit a harmful one) with drugs that push them to extremes both in speech and in action to come back in close contact with the drug that they are craving. Our students had an experience in Guatemala that pushed them to extremes, both in Guatemala and now here in the States now that we have returned.
I hate cliches, especially church cliches, and the idea that some students might be "addicted to Jesus" makes me cringe, but is it possible that an experience like that where you know that what you are doing is a God thing and peoples lives are being changed because God has chosen to move through you in that moment? Is it possible to experience something on a spiritual level that so impacts your biology and chemistry that you literally crave more of God; almost like an addiction. You have this craving for more and more.
David experienced that, just check Psalm 63. To feel like you are going to die unless you get in touch with what you are so craving. It is almost like an addiction... Have you ever had that kind of experience with God?? One that causes you to HAVE to go back?? Can you imagine, a craving for God?

Just a thought...