Saturday October 31 2009
..... snakes, camels, monkeys, oxen
So this turned out to be one remarkable day!. It is almost impossible to convy the emotion, the stories of Christian dedication and sacrifice, the smells, the myriad of visual stimuli – all that India is.
Our team traveled in two rented vans – really taxis. It was a little over two hours to our destination, longer on the way back due to traffic jams leaving Haridware and again upon travelling through Dehradun. The smell of diesel is strong in the India traffic congestion - it would be quite a challenge for my wife Yvonne. I prayed my asthma could handle this, and it has PTL!. Sometimes those riding on scooters or walking have scarves over their faces to help with this. The main culprit – other than the fact that there are too many people, too many trash fires, too many vehicles - there are too many 3 wheeler open air cabs. In Delhi these must now all be natural gas. Dehradun district has proposed the same restrictions but I gather this is not well received by the '3 – wheeler taxi union!'
Our drive took us trough two stretches of National Forest, and monkeys played along the roadside in these locations. At one point we saw a caravan of camels along the road but we came upon them so quickly no one was able to snap a photo.
We were moving out of the mountain foothills onto the agricultural plain, so oxen - pulled carts were plentiful – just one more type of vehicle sharing the the narrow roads – with scooters, cars, buses, trucks, 3-wheel motorized rick-shaws (George calls these 'miss-guided missiles'), bikes, pedestrians – and of course, cows, dogs, and hogs. The traffic eased a little after we moved through Haridware with all its pilgrims – more on that later. Eventually we found ourselves in the thick of of sugar cane fields – taller than our vehicles.
Close to our destination, hidden down a sugar cane field lane, just past a dirt poor village of subsistance farmers and scavengers and livestock, is a squatters village of 'snake charmers'. This is the lowest level of human existence I have seen in my life. These make-shift huts are beyond imagination. However most of the girls are dressed – but some little boys have nothing to wear. The village came to life as our vans stopped. No tourist is going to see this place, but because this ministry reaches these children, it is ok for us to stop. Before we know it all the children have gathered and one teenage boy brings 3 snakes to show us. The python is in a dirty brown bag, it is the largest; one basket contains a cobra, one a boa constrictor (I think). All conversation with the locals is in Hindi. A flute is not needed to get the cobra to dance (snakes cannot hear) – it is all done with hand motion. I am told these snakes are local to the area.
During the height of pilgrimage season to Haridware, the snake handlers will make some good money putting their snakes on public display – snakes are considered holy to devout Hindus.
Our ministry leaders gave the village spokesperson a few rupees – an older woman who was yelling at the top of her lungs, arguing, demanding, much more than the custom donation for our 15 minute stop.
Khrist Jyoti Academy is hidden down a narrow raod through sugar cane fields. As we saw this school Jim and I believed this to be a physical and spiritual
..... oasis hidden in the middle of the sugar cane field
A faithful Christian sold her Mercedes and donated $15,000 to purchase the land. She continued to raise funds for the building of this amazing school.Before that the school operated out of rented facilities, having to move 3 times in 5 years.
School facts:
...320 students in grades pre JK through 8
...182 children come at 4 pm for special tutoring and a hot meal – this is in patnership with Compassion International Ministries – the monthly sponsoring of children funds the evening (late afternoon ministry)
...60 of the 182 are academy students
...60 of the 182 come from the 'snake charmers village'
...this is one of 7 schools run by the ministry (only 3 have buildings – others are rented facilities)
...virtually all of the children (academy and afternoon) are 'Dalits', the lowest caste, the 'untouchables'
...the building has been built in such a way that additional schoolrooms can be added to a 2nd level of the existing building. About $50,000 is needed to make the school useable through grade 12. It is important to add a grade each year. Otherwise students will never complete their education. It is difficult to get a child into a new school in the higher grades. Right now this school is out of classroom space.
...The existing staff building needs additional apartments. Again the existing 3 flat building was constructed in such a way that 3 more can be added when funds become available.
The Principal of the school and his wife entertained our team of 14 for lunch. Very modest accomodation with unreliable water and electricity. Yet the dedication of school staff is inspiring. Sathosh George and his wife both graduated from NTC and came to this school in Pathri 5 years ago. Sadly this couple lost their only child less than 2 weeks ago (a seven or 8 year old born with diabilities) – and we were blessed by their gracious hospitality during this mourning period.
We also heard of another aspect to the ministry: a women and infant program designed to asist with education in the areas of hygeine, health, care of children. 60 ladies are involved (4 are pregnant at this time and 56 have infants.) Home visits are so important: most of these women are Dalits and have husbands who are alcoholics and/or virtually unreliable and of little or no help in raising the children. It is precious to know that they are being shown the love of Christ in practical ways.Even the fact that they have been taught to write their name is significant progress.
Notice in the pics how disciplined the children are as they leave school for the day – bikes in single file and will not be ridden until outside the school gate (just need the adults on Indian roads to learn this lesson!)
the school bus is a bicycle powered cage; we watched in amazement as 19 (honest truth) were squeezed into this contraption. I think the driver told us that he will take each child to their home.
Everytime we entered a classroom the children would rise as one and greet us “good morning sir”. They smiled, attended to their teacher, and were a delight.
..... the holy river, the holy tourist trap
The Ganges River flows from the mountains, the home of the spirits and gods. To bathe in its waters is a very special and holy ritual which can improve your fortunes when it comes to oneness with god and improve your status in the next life.The city of Haridware is a holy city (“door to god”). It is undergoing significant infrastructure improvement in anticipation of next year's special festival (it comes to this city only once every 12 years). Millions of people and vehicles will try and get into this city. Buses are hired and trains are filled with pilgrims even now. Next year will be, in my humble opinion, unmanageable; the crowds and pollution and noise will be at a level beyond imagination. It was not a comfortable place. Spiritually oppressive, dirty, noisey (Hindu shrines seem to have a love affair with loud music played through loud speakers!). It had a carnival atmosphere. But it is very important that we see what draws Hindu pilgrims from all over the world.
So many NTC grads have remained in North Africa to be front-line missionaries for Jesus. Their stories inspire, astound, amaze. They face opposition and hardship. As I get to see more and more of the dark oppression Hinduism has left as its legacy, my heart is humbled and broken. The caste system, though officially abolished, is alive and well. People are kept in bodndage to poverty and superstition. Women may have it better in Hinduism than Islam, but it is still difficult. I have met some of the most courageous servants of Jesus who work in some of the most difficult places on earth. I have had the privilege of befriending future leaders and servants of ministry in North India. The students are a joy to be around. I am better, deeper spiritually, more blessed due to this interaction – in the classroom, in worship, at prayer meetings, on the sports field.
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