India - Pt. 1
India. Let’s see, where do I even start? At the beginning I suppose.
So, getting to India felt like the longest two days of traveling thus far. We left the Shenks in South Africa at 6AM on March 24, flew to Joburg, then to Honk Kong over night without sleeping (long layover), then our final flight arrived in Delhi after a stop in Bangkok. By this time it was the later house of the 25th. We hadn’t slept much on any of the flights and were just plain shot. Upon arriving at the airport we had no clue where we were going to spend the night. We asked around and found a good place to stay (although we paid a bit too much) and got a taxi there. The next morning we discovered we had overslept because of our exhaustion and lack of windows in the hotel room (oops). At this point our goal was to get a train to Kolkata, our first “planned” location. It ends up the trains were (supposedly) full for a few days (that’s what happens when you do everything on the fly). Being that we were at a tourist center, they offered us a deal to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and other sights, transportation and hotel included, as well as a train ticket to Kolkata from there. Since we didn’t really have many options, we decided to use this as our sight seeing time (although once again we probably paid a bit too much; I’m sure those tourist centers survive by preying on the helpless travelers). It ended up being a good choice in the end. We stayed at a decent hotel, saw the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and other sights. At the Taj Mahal (which is beautiful by the way, even if was just built for dead people) we felt led to pray as we walked and observed the building. There’s tons of history in India and it was nice to get a taste, in the tourist kind of sense. After our day of sight seeing on the 27th, we took our over night sleeper train to Kolkata, our desired destination. We were sick of traveling every day and were ready to settle down for a bit.
So, Kolkata and my first impressions: busy. I observed people bathing in the streets from random water sources, naked and probably homeless children, homeless men and women sleeping on the sidewalks, disrepair, trash, countless small shops, restaurants, taxis, horns, rickshaws, bikes, motorcycles, streets thick with pedestrians dodging traffic, etc. I couldn’t stop looking around when I first went out to walk around; there was so much to take in! Anyway, we stayed busy and had a productive time there. We arrived at night on the 28th after a good sleep on the train (make sure you get at least 2nd class AC, it’s safe and cool). It felt so good to have finally arrived! We got a taxi to BMS (Baptist Mission Society) Guest House and settled in for a good night’s sleep. Being in Kolkata, our plan was to volunteer with Missionaries of Charity for a few days at some of their homes, seeing as it’s where they started and continue to run the organization from (they’re currently in almost every country except China). We went to orientation for Missionaries of Charity our first day there and walked around a small part of the city to get a feel. Unfortunately, I missed the first day and a half of volunteering due to an upset stomach and unpredictable bowels (to put it lightly). I spent all day in bed that Tuesday. Thankfully I felt much better the next day and was able to go to one of the homes in the afternoon, Kalighat, which was Mother Theresa’s personal favorite. This home is for the destitute and dying (a hospice of sorts), and many of them may not live very long. Here, they are taken care of, whether they remain for days, weeks, or longer. As volunteers, you just go and help out however you’re needed, from sorting laundry to being with the patients to doing dishes. It was a great experience being there, although I didn’t feel as much emotion as I thought I would. I would attribute this to the extensive amount of travel and experience in these types of situations already. But the Sisters there, they do a good work, and it was a delight to be able to talk to some of them briefly. The next morning I was able to volunteer at a different home, PremDan, another “hospice” but for longer term patients. The mornings are busy and they put the volunteers to work with washing clothes, carrying buckets of water to clean the grounds, doing dishes, serving water and food, helping patients, etc. There are quite a few people to take care of! Some of the best times, though, were meeting volunteers from all over the world and swapping stories, experiences, as well as beliefs. We ended up volunteering through the end of the week.
In Kolkata we had the privilege of meeting a wonderful pastor and his family, as well as American man that works with their ministry there. We attended their small Bible Study one night and went to their church on Sunday. They were kind enough to invite us for lunch that day and then for dinner the next night. There’s something to say about Indian hospitality and kindness to mere strangers (especially with the Christians we’ve met), and it was one of those small gems of an experience. It’s wonderful to meet families that love the Lord and serve Him in the midst of a mostly “un-Christian” society.
We ended up leaving Kolkata on Tuesday the 6th of April. The day before we left, we had the opportunity to visit a ministry called Freeset. Read the website for more information, but in a nutshell they provide jobs to women coming out of prostitution. They’re a fair trade company that sells bags and t-shirts made by these women, who are paid well and provided with accommodations like health care. We were able to tour the factory and meet some of the women. I was very impressed, and please, check them out and spread the word. There are around 10,000 women prostituting in the red light district near them, and they desire to reach all of them. They can’t do this without your business, donations, and advertising. Spread the word! For a few hours we were even able to help out with some current construction work they’re doing in a recently purchased building. It was a blessing to bless them. As I said, check out the website to see their ministry in greater detail, and buy a bag and tee!
Kolkata came to an end, and I was blessed by the numerous individuals we were able to meet, the ministries we were able to serve at, the India we were able to discover, and this part of the journey God had planned for us. So, once again, we hit up the AC2 sleeper train and continued our way south to a small(er) town called Razole.
We were in Razole since from 7th to the 13th, and our short time flew by rapidly. We spent time with a pastor Sharath (connected with New Life Fellowship of Ephrata, PA) we heard of from a friend at home, and it must have been the will of God, because it was right on the way to our next planned destination here in Chennai. It was a wonderful change from the big cities of India – coconut trees, rice fields, some peace and quiet, a big river close by, shade, water buffalo… I guess you could say it had a country feel to it. During our time there we visited a few homes with the pastor to participate in various celebrations and thanksgiving (which the Christians here have for almost everything). The ministry we stayed at has a Bible School, a church, and a children’s home of about 15, as well as other churches planted all over the area. I played cricket for the first time there with some of the boys during our down time, and was able to explore some of the area thanks to the pastor, all the while just enjoying the peaceful time. The pastor and his wife were, once again, a genuine display of hospitality and were kind enough to feed us and let us stay there.
We have now moved on to Chennai to meet up with a friend we met back in the states, after a bus ride through the night with little to no sleep. Looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us here before we move on Thailand.
India. Here are some points I’ve pondered: First, I’ve concluded that India is a puzzle (of sorts). What is the root of poverty here? What’s with the caste system? How corrupt is the government? Why such a lack of care/concern for improvement? The rich, the poor, the cities, the country, the Hindus, the Moslems, the minority Christians, the government, the corruption, the poverty, the underdevelopment, the caste system… all fit together to form some kind of picture that is India. Second, I find myself looking at people and thinking, “What is their story? Where did they come from? What have they gone through? Where are they going?” I can only begin to imagine what stories must lie beneath the dark faces that hide things untold. Third, what if I was born as the naked baby on the side of the street? What if I was born into a completely different world with no home, no food, no clothes, destined to be a beggar on the streets just like my mother, if I even survived? What if I was the man with the rickshaw, or the old man sleeping on the sidewalk? It just so happened that I was born in America, and they in India. And that changes EVERYTHING. It’s hard to wrap my mind around.
In all honesty, sometimes I have felt empty and helpless here, like I have nothing else to give anyone, like at the Mother Theresa Homes. At least they can live out their lives off the streets with food, shelter, clothing, medicine and people to look after them. I guess serving them by just being there is all I can offer. I suppose it’s things like three guys chipping in to buy a pair of glasses for a man named Eddie who’s ended up on the street with his wife because of a (maybe past) drug problem. I liked the guy, even though he talked a bit too much and apologized even more for asking for help to buy new glasses. But he was happy, and it’s the least we can do right? I guess it’s the little things.
On another note, I learned a little bit about the caste system from pastor Sharath (which, by the way, still has a very big impact on society no matter what you hear in the news). First, there are priests, second, there’s kings/royalty, third, there’s business men, fourth, there’s tradesmen, and finally, there’s the “untouchables”, who are greatly looked down upon by those above who believe in this system. I think life must be hopeless for those at the bottom, for reasons such as: if one in a higher caste touches them they consider themselves defiled. The interesting fact is that most Christians in India are from the “untouchable” category. The pastor himself was born as an untouchable, and is thankful because, probably thanks to this, he is saved. Talk about perspective. To find out more you’ll have to do some research on your own. These are things us Americans don’t know much about. For example, marriage and the caste system – some Christian and/or orphaned women have trouble getting married because of the expensive dowry to be paid to the groom, and if they’re of different castes, from what I’ve gathered, it’s basically out of the question. I’ve heard stories of men and women of different castes falling in love and not being approved because one was untouchable, the woman couldn’t afford the dowry, etc. One couple had to run away to get married. When the girl’s family found out, they held (in some sense) a funeral service for her to signify that she was dead to the family. As you can see, this caste system is still a very strong force in India. It affects jobs, marriages, status, opportunity, worth, and the list goes on. It leaves mothers in tears and families hopeless.
Let me say now that it was a blessing to see families in Razole turning from Hinduism to the Lord. Instead of following traditional religion and culture, they’re asking men like the pastor to do their parties and celebrations, which displays a hunger for God and a desire to follow Him only, in doing so giving up status and reputation amongst neighbors, friends and family. It turns out that there is a noticeable difference between the Christian and Hindu families there. There is more respect for women, homes and children are dedicated to God, there is no idol worship or superstition, etc. Believers here are living as children of God and not children of their culture. These are just a few small examples of the some of the transformation that is taking place in communities like this one in India. The Lord is blessing His people here and healing the land as they turn to Him. Hindus and Moslems are being saved one at time, and family by family. Churches are being planted and are growing, and people are overcoming strongholds such as the caste system. Now, they have their value in Jesus Christ.
Oh, and one more thing. While we were in Razole, a local newspaper interviewed us and published a small piece on our trip and some of our thoughts of India. It was exciting to see our small picture in the newspaper and an article in a language we couldn’t understand.
I know, this got really long, but I felt the need to throw in some of what I’ve been learning about this culture and what God is doing here. I hope you’ve been at least a little blessed through reading this, and that something stuck out to you, maybe a phrase or sentence or paragraph. I simply can’t process all that is going on all the time, so this will have to do. I pray you can gather a small glimpse of the India we’ve had the privilege of experiencing thus far.
If you like to read, these are two fantastic books I read in Kolkata: White Tiger, and The God of Small Things. They’re fictional but give an extremely accurate glimpse into Indian life and culture. I would highly recommend them, although they’re definitely for adults and contain, as some would say, “questionable” content. All the same, some of what I read I’ve been able to pick out first hand, and it’s dead on.
Thanks for reading. God bless.
- Nielsen and Devon
