A Day In The Life Pt2

My chai mug! To think that the day is full of teaching is to miss the genius of Didasko. The class time is never undervalued, but life is more than words (Ecclesiastes 12:12) and Christianity is a life to be lived not a philosophy to be understood. It is in the experience of community that the students learn that to minister basically means to serve. It is in living together as broken people in a broken world that we explore forgiveness and grace and wrestle with putting others before ourselves. Mind you I think westerners struggle with this more than our Indian brothers and sisters. Whereas our first thoughts are about `me' their first thoughts are about `us' - family, elders, friends. It struck me that each night as the boys leave they say say `good night brother'. Not good night Peter, as my friends at home would say. The language reinforces the mindset.... this is about individuals in a family not in isolation.

Sudhakar & Deepa are the house parents. They were students in the last school and have since married and are now expecting. Deepa is due in April '09. She has morning sickness and disappears for periods of time simply to rest. This is their room. Separated by a curtain from the area that the girls sleep in. They are a happy couple, eager servants, and fine examples. Sudhaka has been pastoring his father's church but cleared the time to come to help at this school before going on to serve elsewhere.

There is a white board headed `Ministers' which lists the duties in the school each day.... who will clean which room, prepare which meal, wash-up the plates and bowls, scrub the bathrooms. I was rebuked by one of the girls this morning after I washed up my breakfast bowl. Usha, furthest to the left in this picture, made it very clear that washing bowls was her job and by doing it I had stolen her blessing from her!


Today we managed to hook the girls into the cricket game, although I'm not sure all the boys were very enthusiastic about the idea! Most of the girls' shots seemed to end up on the roof, so eventally we positioned a fielder up there permanently! Equality has a way to go in India, except here it is the women still trying to catch up to the men. In the west it seems men are the common subjects of ridicule. Yes, yes, i hear some of you screaming about glass ceilings etc. When will we learn that for one to win the other doesn't have to lose?

The cricket match ended up a tree! The ball was lost... no not one of the girls, one of the boys! And Ramesh ended up a coconut tree. He also has a good sense for any photo-opportunity! In class he has been struggling with whether or not God has a body. While we quickly say God is spirit therefore has no body, for Indians spirits dont necessarily lack form. And doesn't the Bible speak of God's hands and feet?

Anil brings so much to a school. He has a fatherly love for the students that wins their afffection and respect. He has a pastor's heart that breaks over sin. Earlier this week one student was sent home because he was not managing his anger well. Today it seems another has been taking things that don't belong to him, from the school and from Anil's home. I can sense the heartache in Anil over this young bloke, over the school and also over his nation.

Nearly one week since I arrived. I am physically tired but spiritually refreshed. The last couple of days have been a bit of a struggle and today's test reinforced the need for me to work harder at simplifying ideas. The students did well, but might've done better. This is a brilliant opportunity and who knows what one of these young ones might accomplish in Christ!

By the way, a regular chai cup looks like the one Anil is holding, but half the size!