Coming home ...

On Sunday, Bishop Itty preached at his boyhood church, St. Stephens.


It's Monday afternoon. We're spent, existing on prayers and a flash of adrenaline

(anticipating the trip home).

Mary came down with a stomach bug this morning. Joe's not feeling so hot, either. (Something we ate?)

Our flight leaves in 8 hours. Twenty-seven hours across the ocean. Look for a complete download of the trip in the coming days. See you in Oregon ...

PEACE

A message from home

From Jonathan W. back home in Oregon:

While navigating the website of the Diocese of Madhya Kerala this evening, I came across a reflection from pilgrims from the Detroit area who traveled to Kerala. It was interesting to discover the connection between the CSI congregation in Detroit and the regional synod of the United Church of Christ. The pilgrims were UCC pilgrims. This is testimony to the unique character of CSI’s ecumenical founding, and a sign of hope for ecumenicity.

If you can reach this link, it might be interesting to you.

http://michigan.csichurch.com/UCC_Reflections.html

SABBATH REST

Saturday was our first day of sabbath rest. We spent it with the elephants of Thekkey Wildlife Sanctuary.

Joe with Bhadara, a 25-year-old Indian elephant that carried him through the forest.

A MEDICAL MISSION IN KERALA

The 30-year-old X-Ray machine at the Rev. George Mathen Mission Hospital.

We spent Friday visiting hospitals and clinics started by the church in the Diocese of Madhaya Kerala. The Bishop Jacob Memorial Hospital provides a clinic for the residents of Pallom, a village on the shore of Vembanad Lake. Serving a poor population makes it hard for the clinic to expand in order to take care of the village's basic health needs.

With a part-time social worker, two resident medical officers, and visiting physician, the clinic and its director, Dr. Chinoy J.G. Chacku (right), are struggling to provide treatment for the growing problem of alcoholism in addition to providing basic health care. If the clinic can raise enough money, it hopes to start a home health care program for the elderly and also a care center for the terminally ill. Currently, there are few places that cater to the needs of the terminally ill in the area. The clinic is also active in educating the poor about AIDS, trying to erase the stigma of the disease so people will seek treatment and basic answers. An AIDS/HIV poster on one of the clinic's worn walls reads, "Reach out to people as Christ reached out."

Meanwhile, the Rev. George Matthen Mission Hospital finds its self in a similar bind: Started with the mission to aid the poor, but in danger of closing because of competition from private hospitals that cater to people who can afford to pay for their health care. The nonprofit mission hospital is managing to stay open -- barely. "The poor come first," says the priest at the CSI Holy Immanuel Church next door. But the hospital can't generate enough money to stay open from serving just the poor. Also, the hospital, located in the impoverished hills of Kerala, is the sole health-care facility for 15 kilometers in every direction. Without it, the basic health-care needs of the poor would not be served at all. To compete with other hospitals, while
maintaining its mission, the church is trying to raise $800,000 to build a modern, state-of-the-art hospital that the more affluent would be willing to use -- allowing the diocese to continue funding health-care programs for the area's poor.

Of course, much of the money would have to come from outside the area. In the meantime, the current hospital is attempting operate in a detoriating building and with severely out-dated equipment. The X-Ray machine is more than 30 years old and on its last leg. The diocese can only afford to pay for a scattered assortment of prescription drugs in the hospital's pharmacy. Still, the sick come for what they can get. On Friday, the facility was teaming with patients, young and old but mostly poor.

Tsunami Village

We still haven't had much time to blog. Our apologies. The schedule has been grueling. A van shows up for us shortly after sunrise each morning and drops us off as late as 11 p.m. each night. Still, we're trying to keep you updated as much as possible with photos and few words. Many of the details and reflections on how we can learn from the incredible work and acts of faith in India's Christian community will have to wait until we return home and give our big multimedia presentation. We spent Wednesday afternoon at the Madhaya Kerala Diocese's Tsunami Village, where the church built rows of homes for survivors displaced by the 2004 Tsunami. Walking around the village, Bishop Itty remarked that a good story would be "FEMA vs. the church." Seeing a need, the Anglican Church of South India found a way to build these suffering families a place to call home -- finding the money and the land right after the natural disaster hit India's southern coast. We're seeing a lot of that in India: A diocese constantly finding ways to aid those who need homes, comfort, education and peace in meaningful ways. Not a lot of money and material wealth, but a diocese rich in spirit and grace. And tremendous faith. Yesterday, Bill Lupfer was asked by an educator to reflect on what he has seen so far. He said: "The people of Kerala have a real commitment to living the Gospel the way Jesus teaches rather than what people are comfortable with." That about sums it up. Stay tuned.

The tsunami village is near the banks of Kayakulam Lake, which connects to the Arabian Sea. The 2004 tsunami washed over the lake shore with a rush of water. "A man came up to me after worship service and said, 'The sea is coming,'" said the Rev. Matthew Jilow Ninan of St. Peter's CSI Church. The wave, about knee-deep for an adult and waist-high for children, nearly reached the church, he said.

BISHOP MOORE VIDYAPATH

Wednesday morning started at the Bishop Moore Vidyapath school run by the Kerala Diocese. More than 2,000 students attend the school, where academic acheivement is among the highest in the region. The students speak Malayalam and impeccable English. A reading from Gospels, the Lord's Prayer and the singing of hymns and the Indian national anthem start every day. Bishop Itty led the students in prayer and told them about Oregon Episcopal School.

TUESDAY

We haven't had much time to blog the past two days (plus we have had some equipment problems). Sorry. We're on our way out the door to visit the diocese's Tsunami Relief Village. We spent Tuesday on boats and ferries amid the marsh lands and rice paddies, visiting the Anglican Church of South India's mission schools and churches along the Pumba River. While hot, humid and bug-infested (plus Joe has broken in out in some sort of rash), it was an amazing journey into the heart of Indian Christianity along one of the most holy rivers in Hinduism. The church is doing some inspiring things. The mission posts mostly serve day workers. who showed up with hands and feet blistered and worn, to welcome us. A full report coming Wednesday.
Some pictures:

A few photos for now

We're having Internet and equipment problems, so just a few pictures for now. Come back for detailed posts later (hopefully Monday night).

Joe with children from the mountain missionary school at Panakkachira ...
In India, parishioners give the "kiss of peace" during the peace, passed from the priests through the church, one person at a time.

More Photos ...

Sunday, the last night of the diocese convention, drew thousands of Christians from around Kerala to Kottayam.
We were all called to the stage, where the bishop presented the entire group from Oregon with prayer blankets.
Bishop Samuel Thomas (don't you love that smile?) wraps Heather's prayer blanket around her on stage.
Monday, we drove for hours into the high mountains of Kerala, visiting several diocese missions and schools set up for day laborers and their children. Anee stands at the entrance of church being built at the end of a long, rocky path in the upper elevations of the Keralan rubber tree forests.

Most laborers in India can't afford power tools, so most of the houses and buildings, including the churches, are constructed with hand tools.

New Life at Bethel Ashram

At one point, as we prepared to leave the Bethel Ashram orphanage, a young woman whose mother died in a construction landslide when she was only 10 and was raised by the sisters returned home from the hospital, carrying a newborn baby.

She gave birth three days ago. The sisters will help the young woman, now 25, care for the child while her husband is away, working in Delhi. Bishop Itty gave the mother and child a blessing on the front porch of the ashram. "He is Keralan," said one sister. "So, he is our bishop, too."

Bethel Ashram

At about 1 p.m., our van stopped at abusy corner in Kerala (is there any other kidn of corner in Kerala?) and picked up three sisters with the Anglican diocese-supported Bethel Ashram orphanage in Tiruvalla. We drove them an hour to the orphanage in Tiruvalla, passing collor-splashed Hindu festivals, elephants workign in lumber yards and a Christian burial procession, where the body of woman was wrapped in white and carried on a bed of flowers.

We spent the afternoon at the Bethel Ashram. In the tradition of Mother Teresa, an order of sisters who have taken a life-long commitment to raise the girls who show up as infants and young children at the orphanage. It was another stop on our journey of witnessing the healing power of grace. There is only one boy, Jeevain, 2, who was abandoned when he was just 14 days old. He will stay the Bethel Ashram until he is 5, when he will be moved to an orphanage for boys.

Bill tried hard to get Jevain to smile with a game of peek-a-boo. Didn't work. Only his sisters could get him to smile. He hardly left Sister Molly's hip.

The ashram will raise and educate these girls untilt hey are women, when they can decide whether to join the order or enter the world outside.

ASHA BHAVAN

We visited Asha Bhavan, a center for "learning disabled women" that is run by the diocese's women's fellowship. Anne McCollum from Trinity Ashland presented the young women and girls prayer blankets sewn by parishioners in the Diocese of Oregon. They greeted us with smiles and songs. At the center, the 40 students start the day with prayer and then learn English and Malayalam for an hour before yoga, exercise, crafts and paintings. One of the girls, Susan, presented Bishop Itty with a framed pastel drawing that she made for him. The girls also make candles and art that they sell to help fund the center's activities. They are saving up to buy a keyboard and drums to start a music program (we're planning to help them with that before we leave). The center also has dreams of building a larger facility (it has grown too large for the small house it has used for years) but fund-raising is slow in India.

Bill visits with Anu

More photos from the CSM Industrial School

Larry, CEO of Samaritan Health Services in Oregon, gets a tour of the furniture showroom, and contemplates how he can get this table-and-chair set

back home.

The Hammer and the Heart

Saturday was packed full of soul-challenging experiences. Peace and justice are at work in many of the institutions and ministries run by the Anglicans in the Church of South India.

Talking together througout the day, we realized that we Oregon Episcopalians could learned great deal about hospitality and grace from the people of Kerala. Today was a good day to start our discussions and debate about spirituality for a broken world back home in Oregon.

We started the morning at the Madhya Kerala Diocese-run CSM Industrial School, where 48 students are learning carpentry and smithing skills. They make everything from tables, chairs and wardrobes to communion trays, crosses and bishops chairs that are pruchased by churches around the world. Money from offerings at Trinity Cathedral has gone to support this place.

Saturday night

Hello, all. It's Saturday night in Kerala. The humidity is an unforgiving blanket tonight. No central air here, just fans on the ceilings, spinning at full power. They don't help much. We had another incredible day of witnessing the healing power of grace. We spent the afternoon at the Bethel Ashram orphanage, run by an order of sisters who have taken a life-long commitment to raising the children who show up as infants and young children. At one point, a young woman whose mother died in a construction landslide when she was only 10 and was raised by the sisters returned home from the hospital, carrying a newborn baby. She gave birth three days ago. The sisters will help the young woman, now 25, care for the child while her husband is away, working in Delhi. Bishop Itty gave the mother and child a blessing on the front porch of the ashram. "He is Keralan," said one sister. "So, he is our bishop, too."
All of use are preaching at parishes around the diocese Sunday morning, so we're trying to finish our sermons before dinner -- since most of us collapse with exhaustion after dinner. Of course, Bill doesn't seem to be too worried about what he's going to say.
Pictures will have to wait. Stay tuned for pictures and a full report from the ashram.

Trinity Cathedral Kottayam

Kottayam is called the land of Latex, Letters and Cathedrals. One of those cathedrals is Trinity Cathedral.

While at the cathedral Friday afternoon, Bishop Itty tried out the cathedral's new $10,000 organ. Priests and members of the church's executive committee joined in, singing a traditional Anglican hymn in Malayalam.

Bill, dean of Trinity Cathedral in Portland, also met up with his counterpart, the Rev. T.O. Oommen, vicar of Trinity Kottayam.

Kottayam Sew Shop

On the second floor of the ministry center run by the women's fellowship, just above the Pesgah, the diocese employs local woman to work in its sew shop. They sew mostly vestments and choir robes.

The Pesgah

Women who live in the diocese's "Pegah" (retired women's home), coming out to greet bishop Itty and sing some hymns.

Lizyama stands in the door, wearing traditional Indian Christian dress for women.

A JEWEL BOX

In the middle of Kottayam, the Women's Fellowship of the Diocese of Madhaya Kerala runs an incredible outreach center to help the city's poor and elderly.


The Jewel Box restaurant serves tea, raising money for a variety of causes. One of the most interesting details is a painting of Jesus as a teen-ager that hangs over a table near the entrance. "I've never seen Jesus as a teen-ager," Heather, Trinity Cathedral's youth ministry leader, said. "I've never even thought about what he might look like then."

The diocese employes seven women who earn earn about $1,500 Rupes (or roughly $32) a month. The profits go toward medical, education and children's ministries.