It Counts as Progress

Letter written to Pastor UR Jacob. He is the Pastor of the McGaw Memorial Church, or at least he was six years ago. We never met him as he had to attend a meeting in Agra when we visited Etah.

Enos said he would work on arrangements with Etah from his end, but I figure another letter couldn't hurt, expecially since I already have the stamps. And I'll send a copy to Bishop Cutting of Agra.

It all sounds so simple except that the printer hasn't been working ever since we had a paper jam. That got cleared up and it still didn't work. Turns out I had reattached a cable that came loose, but I put it in the wrong place. All is well now and I am very sorry for the big chunk of Erica's time I wasted.

Self Discipline

Every day I think about the Blog. do I have something to say? Is is important enough to write about? Clearly, this line of thinking is not productive.

Every day should be moving forward towards our trip, making it more productive, educational, fun, etc. And most days we do move forward, especially if you count tangential contacts. For example, I met with Arvind Vora, Chairman of the Multi-Faith Forum of the Long Island Council of Churches. Through him I have met other members of the Council, some of whom are Indian. Every new contact has the potential to open new doors.

Yesterday I spoke with my dear friend, Shaan Mehta. Shaan's mother, Birjees and my mother were very close friends so we are family to one another. Shaan tells me her mother will be thrilled to see me when we are in Delhi, which is very good news. And she has messages for me to share with a shopkeeper or two in Darjeeling.

Jimmy has made some wonderful contacts for us and we will be meeting with educators in the US and in Delhi who are well known for their knowledge of Dalit Theology. We have much to learn.

And now I must reach out again to see if I can connect with someone in Etah. Even though the General Secretary of the Church of North India is trying to help, I think I need to give it another try.

I am reading a very good book lent to me by my sister, Eleanor. "The Age of Shiva" by Manil Suri has many references to Hindu beliefs and traditions and to the effects of Partition. It is the human story of love and desire, motherhood, and all the nuances of familial responsibilites and relationships. A great read.

Self Discipline

Every day I think about the Blog. do I have something to say? Is is important enough to write about? Clearly, this line of thinking is not productive.

Every day should be moving forward towards our trip, making it more productive, educational, fun, etc. And most days we do move forward, especially if you count tangential contacts. For example, I met with Arvind Vora, Chairman of the Multi-Faith Forum of the Long Island Council of Churches. Through him I have met other members of the Council, some of whom are Indian. Every new contact has the potential to open new doors.

Yesterday I spoke with my dear friend, Shaan Mehta. Shaan's mother, Birjees and my mother were very close friends so we are family to one another. Shaan tells me her mother will be thrilled to see me when we are in Delhi, which is very good news. And she has messages for me to share with a shopkeeper or two in Darjeeling.

Jimmy has made some wonderful contacts for us and we will be meeting with educators in the US and in Delhi who are well known for their knowledge of Dalit Theology. We have much to learn.

And now I must reach out again to see if I can connect with someone in Etah. Even though the General Secretary of the Church of North India is trying to help, I think I need to give it another try.

I am reading a very good book lent to me by my sister, Eleanor. "The Age of Shiva" by Manil Suri has many references to Hindu beliefs and traditions and to the effects of Partition. It is the human story of love and desire, motherhood, and all the nuances of familial responsibilites and relationships. A great read.

Shanti

Arvind Vora, an Indian American, has been active in promoting peace and religious understanding through the Shanti Fund (shanti means peace) and the Multi-Faith forum on Long Island. They provide education in schools at every level and community groups. He has been recognized for his leadership in this field by the President Bill Clinton of the United States, Pope John Paul XXIII, the Indian President and international bodies. Mr. Vora's own religious background is Jainism and he is a Founding Member of the Jain Society of Long Island, the Federation of JAINA and Secretary of the Jain Center of America. He is also a founding Member of the India Association of Long Island and Executive director of the Federation of Indian Association , NY.

Lois and I met with him this morning at the Bagel Chalet in Commack and were pleased to learn of all the people we may meet through his contacts. And there may be people in Bombay, representing different religious backgrounds and educational institutions that he may connect us with.

As for his own feelings about Partition, he says his family was "far removed from any tragedy."

Lois and I wondered if this was because of their geographical location or the fact that as Jains their outlook was calmer and more accepting of the way things are.

I will send him a pamphlet from Lend a Hand, India as he is interested in learning about the group.

A very good start to the day and to our Partition Project.

Kick Off Meeting

Today Lois hosted Jimmy, Margaret, Gerard and me with a lovely Indian meal at her home. We talked about the trip, and hashed out dates and itinerary. We plan to leave for Mumbai on 10/8 and return from Delhi on 10/29. Along the way we will visit Nagpur, the site of the founding of the Church of India 40 years ago. Enos has invited us to attend the ceremony with him and the Archbishop of Canterbury!

From there we will go on to Agra and visit Etah from there. Hopefully attend a church service, meet with school people and see Villages, hospital, and whatever elswe they may think we should see. I hope we have a chance for some real talk about their vision for the Christian community there and for the schools. I would like for us to be able to make a contribution that will be meaningful. It may be that the support we send every year is the most meaningful thing we could possible do.

After Agra/Etah we will go to Delhi to reconnect with Enos and the Church of North India staff. We expect to stay at the Bhavan and to visit outreach projects of CNI. Then on to Kalimpong with Enos and Darjeeling before heading back to Delhi and home.

We talked today also about our project to explore with Indians we know and will meet their family history surrounding partition. This cataclysmic event informs so much of what we see today between India and Pakistan and effects their relationships with the US. And it has an impact on everyone on the subcontinent. Lois, Margaret and I are reading Freedom at Midnight, the story of the events immediately leading up to and following partition on August 15, 1947. I remember how upset my mother was about this and how she blamed Ali Jinnah for the bloodshed and horror that followed. And the fight rages on with Kashmir as the desired prize. We have some leads from Tom Goodhue of the Long Island Council of Churches of people we can talk to about this. Hopefully they will be able to feel some catharsis from talking to neutral parties (not really) and can help us to formulate a good way to go about having conversations with people we meet during our travels.

Our next meeting is not for another month, but in the meantime Jimmy will be speaking with Dave Hudson and Bill Edwards. Margaret suggested pursuing an end run around the Presbytery committee that did not fund our grant request. We are still seeking funds to cover her airfare and internal transportation costs. Hopefully that can come from the Peacemaking Committee, chaired by Rev. Bill Edwards, Pastor Emeritus of FPC Smithtown.

Funding

Our proposal was submitted and we received the full amount requested from the Synod of the Northeast. It will fully cover the cost of lodging for the four of us for 3 full weeks in India. The proposal to the Presbytery of Long Island has not been reviewed yet. Update to follow.

Buffering, buffering...

Every day I go to the mailbox hoping for a letter from Etah. It was only just today that I checked to see when I had mailed the last letter, and it was a scant 4 weeks ago. Hardly enough time to reach its destination and elicit a response. So I just need to chill for a couple more weeks.

In the meantime I've worked on proposals to various bodies of the Presbyterian Church, USA. The Session (governing body) of the Smithtown church has pledged $3300. towards airfare for Pastor Jimmy Hulsey, me and Deacon Lois Netter. The Baldwin church has pledged $250. towards travel expenses for Elder Margaret Cook. Tomorrow is the day two submissions will be made; one to the Presbytery of Long Island, hopefully for the balance of the travel costs and one to the Synod of the Northeast, hopefully for lodging costs.

This Sunday Lois, Margaret and I are going in to the city to see a program of Indian Classical Dance. One of the performers, Satya Pradeep, and her students presented an outstanding dance program at our church and is willing to do so again. we are looking forward to some good Indian food afterward. Seeing as how we will probably be sharing a room for three weeks in India, some bonding time beforehand is a good thing.