Sands of Time and of Goa

3/28/12

Reporting from Goa beach and a beautiful hotel called Tarika's Sea Breeze which just about describes the whole experience. I have been kicking back here and playing in the waves, enjoying some fish and seafood, watching families playing cricket on the beach (only in India!?) In case some of you did not notice India beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup one-day test cricket competition only to be eliminated in overall performance. Then Bangladesh having exceeded all expectation in reaching the final with Pakistan and with one bowl left to decide the match lost by three runs to Pakistan. I watched most of both these exciting cricket matches in the past two weeks. It is the only TV I have watched while in India, but then again those of you who know me, know I watch next to none at home either. The India Pakistan match as you might imagine roused a lot of sentiment all over the country - perhaps even more than a Scotland-England football match would ... well maybe:). Its good to have my body back to normal appetite and digestion. Tomorrow I am onward bound to Mumbai for four nights and no doubt some more sight-seeing adventures.

 View in one direction

 View in the other

 Towards sunset

 Some cricket action - the best kind - an extended family on the beach

  Wider view of the cricket

Vellore and Kochi/Cochin

3/25/12

I'll let the pictures tell the story....

 A day center in the village for the elderly to gather and hear the newspaper read to them, play games and chat togeher - addressing a serious and widespread problem of depression in isolated seniors

The biweekly Thursday morning clinic in the village where primary and secondary care is available through the nurse program. Here two nurses are at work.

 Above: the signpost that pays tribute to K.A. Norris who worked hard to establish this work in the villages and rural areas around Vellore.

Below: At far left my guide for the tour Senior Nursing Director and Faculty member Rajeswari Siva pictured here with the staff of the new library in the new College of Nursing building

After all the references in JWD's letters to playing Carrom and my own memories of playing it at Great Aunt Mary's house in Banff, I couldn't resist taking this picture in a sports shop in Kochi.

Our houseboat for the backwater cruise and one of our two very able boatmen

Just one of the many delightful views on the cruise

They call this Chinese fishing on account of the origins of the method

 Very colorfully painted homes all over the south of India

My companions for the morning part of the cruise Sanjolie and Namrata, two young accountants from Delhi on a weekend trip to Kochi after a month long work assignment in Chennai

Handing over some control for just a few moments :)

Great fun, but we made much less progress with my efforts !

Finally the tummy bug has struck

3 /23/12

No I am not superman !!! Yesterday and today I am in that “almost inevitable” place with my GI tract after so many weeks without it. So I am keeping up with my program of activity but cutting back on blog writing and photo uploading etc.

My visits to the Christian Medical College and guided tours, especially to the rural 100% nurse managed College of Nursing Community Health (CONCH) program and the Low Cost Effective  Care Unit (LCECU) program in Vellore itself have been amazing experiences. The concepts and approaches developed here have so much to teach the medical world and the church world … “till every church be a hospital and every hospital a church” in achieving the highest aspirations of each. I will upload pictures and perhaps more commentary at a later date. Now to rest and conserve some energy.  

Traveling to Chennai and Vellore

3/21/12

I'm grateful this morning for the efficiency of public transportation in Delhi. By four means of conveyance I reached the Domestic Terminal at Indira Gandhi Airport - by car to the Metro, from the Metro to the Airport line, and from a stop on the airport line by shuttle bus to the Terminal - all in less than an hour and for $2. I am traveling by Indigo Airlines to Chennai. The flight is estimated to be 2hrs 40mins. From there a car from Vellore Christian Medical College will meet me and transport me to the Big Bungalow, once occupied by the founder of the CMC, Ida Scudder, but now used as accommodation for visitors. Thanks to the good agencies of Melanie in NYC and Mrs Sundari Edwin (whom WEPC folks might remember from a visit last year) I have visits and tours arranged for me for tomorrow and then on Friday I fly to Kochi on the coast, in Kerala for some sightseeing and relaxation. The saying "flying by the seat of your pants" I think would apply to that flight as I have not been able to purchase it yet !!!

Rest and Be Thankful

There is a small village in the north of Scotland with this lovely name, "Rest And Be Thankful." I am feeling this exact sentiment here in Old Delhi, enjoying the quite contemplative spirit of this monastery, the formative power of praying the hours even for just two short days. I am doing my own laundry for a pleasant change (on the road it has to be entrusted to others). I am enjoying the 7 month old puppy, Piddi, and feeling the gentle breeze that floats through the cool inner chambers of the house. Its getting much warmer in Delhi. It will be in the high 80s and 90s in Chennai and the south, so we will see how I fare in that humid heat ! Here are a few pics from my journey from Jaipur to Delhi.

Just a tiny portion of the Wind (Window) Palace in Jaipur (365 windows) by which the Queen and female attendants could watch the processions below.

Amber Fort outside Jaipur on the Delhi road.

With Dimpi (seven months), daughter of Maya and Bumpi

Delightful to meet her at last!

Family reunion after 25 days on the road.

Jaipur and St Andrew's Church

3/18/12

On my last full day of my Rajasthan tour, I am reflecting a lot on what I have seen and the people I have met, the things I have learned about the church here and the reflection it has prompted about the church in NYC. Two of the missionaries celebrated in the history of St Andrew's Church are Rev. John Stirling and Rev. Hugh Baikie. I mention this because of family connections to these ministers. The church's 100 year celebration is approaching in 2017. I was warmly received and given an opportunity to bring greetings and to speak about my purpose and experience and discoveries in Rajasthan. I think I may have gone over the seven minutes allotted :) I spoke about HMC and JWD, about meeting people all over Rajasthan who could remember them, about the good examples I saw of contextualized worship and church life, the patterns of church planting, the extensive engagement of young people in leadership positions, the creative and respectful outreach work to make contact and connection with people of other faiths or of none, the power of indigenous music in worship, the strong presence of every generation in congregational life. I also spoke about my experience at Erinpura, and why I wanted so much to visit that grave. 

Today also, quite unexpectedly, I ran into Sahar and Selda again in one of the gates of City Palace, Jaipur. We were so happy to see each other and to reflect on how special that time in camel safari had been - so restful and relaxing amidst the stream of forts and palaces and temples and markets to visit. It is remarkable how a bond forms through sharing very special experiences together - a summary of my whole tour of Rajasthan !   

 With Chitra and Arun as we parted on Saturday morning

 Inside St. Andrew's Church, Jaipur

The Roll of Ministers, including Hugh Baikie and John Stirling

 The main entrance to the church with the clock tower landmark

Inside the grounds of City Palace, Jaipur

At the Observatory in Jaipur, aptly named Jantar Mantar which means instruments and calculations.
Pictured here in front of the Gemini instrument.

One of the amazing array of instruments

Bikaner

3/16/12

Arriving in Bikaner on Thursday evening, I was warmly met by Arun and Chitra Henry and taken to their home for dinner with their pastor Rev. Annit Sheshthra. They are a delightful couple with two daughters the same ages as Jocelyn and Chloe, Aneesha and Aneela. Aneela was at home and helped her mother prepare dinner. It was a great pleasure to meet her. We know from Brian's research that JWD served in Bikaner in 1939. This morning the pastor Rev. Annit together with the full pastoral committee met me at the church, and after viewing the church and pausing for prayer I was given the traditional welcome of garlands of flowers from the church leaders present and a bouquet of flowers. I then took a tour of Bikaner fort and a tour of the State Agriculture University in which Chitra Henry is in a senior staff position. Tonight I will preach in one of the cottage prayer meetings and be translated into Hindi. This in part flowed out of some teasing by Chitra that all my Sundays I must have planned to be in big city churches in order to preach in those churches to the neglect of the smaller churches. She thought that was very biased on my part (just joking). Bikaner is an important desert city in the north, also a short distance from Pakistan, and as in Jaisalmer this proximity is marked by the significant and constant presence of the Indian army and army exercises. It is also, by virtue of the university, a key research and development place for more effective farming. Arun Henry is a senior geologist and has devoted his life's work to research and attention to ground water and groundwater levels throughout Rajasthan, an issue I have rapidly better understood through conversation with him. Enjoy the pictures...

The communion table in Bikaner Church

The Church leaders who met me.

Below: The plaque indicates that the church building does not to this day belong exclusively to the CNI congregation. They have hopes of building a new structure in another place because this structure cannot be changed in any way, because of its original charter.

The generous table of welcome.  

 Exploring the fort in Bikaner.

Below: picking sweet peas which  were delicious.

 Mrs. Chitra Henry outside her university offices
 

 With Chitra, Rev. Annit, and Arun

 With Chitra, Rev. Annit and Aneela.

With the director of the gardening project within the university.
     

Khuri and Jaisalmer

3/13/12

Yesterday we made the journey westward into the desert to the small desert town of Khuri where, after a short rest I mounted my camel and went for a three hour camel safari including a beautiful sunset. My companions were two young Dutch psychologists, Sahar and Selda, a Moroccan man, Ahmed and his girlfriend  and a couple, Rick and his wife from New Zealand. The camel ride was wonderful. Afterward in a larger group we enjoyed some traditional music  and a dance performance followed by dinner. Then some in the larger group along with me opted to take a camel car ride and sleep in the open desert under the stars. We had the good attention of our camel car driver, who helped us build a fire and choose our sleeping spots.

Jaisalmer is a beautiful “Golden city” so named for the intricate beauty and abundance of the gold jewelry worn by the women of  the city. Jaisalmer was and is a main city on the trade routes for gold and high quality saffron, and textiles, and many other valuables and essentials. The stonemasons and artisans in this city are always hard at work, because with tourism and other business interests elsewhere many in this city pour their wealth into their homes by building upwards and decorating in stonework. Indira Gandhi is credited with recognizing the possibilities for this city, and when after partition and some outbreaks of war Pakistan cut off trade and water supply and other resources, she built a canal from the Himalayas for water supply and actively encouraged tourism, beginning with a government purchase of some business interests in the city leading to tourism.

Today I feel  the chance of being more refreshed, taking it easy, and enjoying the relative peacefulness of this city. I think the only planned activity is to visit a lake and another sunset point – a welcome simplicity in the midst of my busy pilgrimage in Rajasthan. 

 Readying myself for the first movement of my camel standing up:)                 

 All set, my camel's character written all over his face.

 My camel boy, Laso, singing soflty to himself as we walked and toyed with with the camel reins.

My camel was in front so this was the group catching up with us

 In the sand dunes at sunset point

 Camels and camel men resting

 All out of focus but just an impression of the dance

With my overnight companions, Sahar and Selda, around the campfire

Waking up under a desert sky.

 "Satisfy us with your love in the morning, and we will live this day in joy and praise."

Our camelcar man getting the cart ready and making his way over to get the camel who spent the night under a very tasty tree.

The jail of Jaisalmer fort now converted into a school. 100% of Jaisalmer children of all castes now in school, though the overall percentage of educated people in the city still about 20%. The children like to say "we're going to jail" when asked where they are going for the day.

Balconies on the fort wall

Glorious stonework on a Jain temple within the fort. The fort itself is unusual for housing 5,000 of Jaisalmer's population of 75,000.

One businessman's home in the city, outside the fort area. Five entrance arches for five sons living here with their families

Two of the many delightful children I have met, pictured here after receiving a candy from my guide who takes the same route often and they look out for him coming.