India Oscar Kilo

Ten very productive and profoundly moving days with colleagues working in the Nandyal Diocese in Andhra Pradesh. It’s now three years since Lucy and I first visited, and it was good now to be among recognizable friends in places that now mean very much to us. Our hosts looked after us wonderfully. The four of us were profoundly struck by the warmth, dignity, hospitality and commitment to Christ of our hosts, often in circumstances that would easily drive others insane. Working results still need to be agreed and actioned, but the country was, as ever, crowded, beautiful, raw, elusive and subtle...

Do not adjust your set

Every year I encourage colleagues to offer a week’s ministry to a majority world Church. This includes ARchdeacon Karen and me, with great joy and I have not died, but am simply away in Nandyal, India (leaving a houseful of grieving Children and colleagues rocking on with friends behind) for a few days. Pictures etc. are sure to follow...

Nandyal Ahoy!

A busy week, with Bishop Lawrence of Nandyal visiting, and various meetings scoping the way forward for the relationship between our dioceses.

Historically, Nandyal was an Anglo-Catholic diocese that refused to go into the Church of North India in 1947, and only arrived in the Ecumenical Church of South India in the seventies, but is now fully integrated. I caught up with the Bishop after sharing Mothering Sundy at Chalfont St Peter:
It looks as though a developing Church link would have distinct themes:

1. Mission and Evangelism
   
   
2. Clergy spirituality development
   
   
3. Education at all levels
   
   
4. The renewal of a historical relationship
   
   
5. Leadership development
   
   
6. Concern for one world
   
   
7. A mixed economy in terms of brands of discipleship
   
   
8. an structurally Ecumenical partner diocese (with Methodists, Presbyterians and others)
   

The Sweet Taste of India

India for a few days, with all its beauty, colour, warmth (31 degrees!), need and vibrancy. I’m travelling with friends and colleagues from Chalfont St Peter, Charles the local Vicar, John the Head of our School, and Chris the school secretary. Chalfont has responded in a really exciting way to the schools development and networking project we went to Andhra Pradesh to inaugurate in 2007.

This isn’t just a money thing — although when floods struck Kurnool last winter I was thrilled by the almost instantaneous way our network was able to get thousands of pounds of aid straight out and onto the streets where it was needed. It reminded me of the way I was told many in Milton Keynes were able to throw themselves into support for Haiti with the help of RC nuns at Thornton College, who have working sisters there.

That kind of direct two-way relationship is really important. Of course we need big NGO’s and government agencies, but the guts of giving isn’t money, but a giving attitude, a focussed will, the good samaritan thing. The local Church is the hope of the world, in various ways, including the fact we have people on the ground. It’s a real joy to be hands-on in this work with Chalfont St Peter taking the lead.

There are four purposes in this very brief visit

1. to meet some of the people caught up in the floods, encourage them in the work of reconstructon and, if we can, to see if we can design a scheme for small school to school basic infrastructural support packages for which we hope to drum up support among our own 288 schools in the Thames Valley.
   
   
2. to scope the future of our Oxford/ Nandyal relationship, and see how it can be developed in the fields of sharing technology, passion and vision together with Bishop Lawrence and his colleagues.
   
   
3. to share an assembly, if we can manage it, between two schools, one in Nandyal and one in Chalfont — Chris has a bag of gubbins! It’s not only a dry run for the kinds of linkages we think could open up all sorts of possibilities for students in the UK and India, but it will bring the whole relationship to life,w e hope, on both ends.
   
   
4. to spend a very short, but I hope quality time praying and studying with clergy in Nandyal.
   
   
5. I hope we can really grow in ways that are mutually beneficial, and am much looking forward to renewing friendships and sharing visions with sisters and brothers in India.

As a colleague was asking me tentatively whether he could be excused from his parish to minster abroad as part of a parish link, I want to reiterate that I believe it’s a really good thing for clergy to commit a few days ministry regularly to the majority word Church. I know Bucks colleagues who are ministering in Nigeria, South Africa, Sweden, India, China, the Middle East, Germany, Sudan, Uganda, Pakistan and South America. If 150 Bucks clergy want do this kind of thing, I’m delighted. The growth of such activity among my colleagues really excites me. There are various ways of wiring up this kind of service, and for any PCC’s wondering what they will lose if their vicar commits to a regular element of this kind of ministry, I want to say there is no down side. It refreshes and renews people as well as giving tangible expression to the Catholicity of the Church. It takes a whole world to know Christ!

Andhra Pradesh floods latest news

The Diocese of Nandyal continues to respond to the grave situation it finds itself in: Three items of news, two from India and one from Oxford speak of immediate action — It’s sometimes said that the local Church, when it is most truly itself, is the hope of the world. It’s time to put that hypothesis into action...

1. Bishop Lawrence writes (yesterday):
   

I am extremely thankful to the Churches, congregations, Institutions and individuals for their prayers, support and contributions in this hour of crisis. With all your support the Diocese of Nandyal is moving forward in rehabilitating and rebuilding the lives and communities. The progress made in the relief work so far is as follows.

• The target of feeding 5000 people per day in different flood relief camps across the diocese is achieved successfully.
  
  
• In collaboration with people from Nellore we have received three trucks of rice and provisions.
  
  
• The Flood Relief Camps in S.P.G.High School grounds is the biggest in Nandyal town with a capacity to feed more than 10,000 people per day.
  
  
• We continue to receive rice, clothes and utensils from different congregations.
  
  
• Children and adults are reporting sickness with fever and skin allergies. Medical camps are extensively organized to take care of sick people in the camps.
  
  
• Counseling care is given to those who are losing faith, hope and purpose for life. This is done extensively at Kurnool.
  
  
• We are also having Bible study and prayer meetings to give spiritual sustenance for the workers.
  
  
• Pastors and lay leaders are on the field with spiritual and other resources to rebuild the people.
  
  
• We are moving form emergency relief to rehabilitation by preparing the kits with rice, utensils and other essentials.
  
  
• As the people resettle we will work with them on rehabilitation and gradually move from rehabilitation to rebuilding of communities.
  
  

We are grateful to all those who are responding with prayers and support. Our contact person for voluntary contributions is Rev.N.Isaac, The Treasurer, Diocese of Nandyal, Diocesan Office, Cathedral Road, Nandyal – 518 502, Kurnool District, A.P, South India.(Ph: 9949291215) (email: revnandam@yahoo.com)

2. Bishop Lawrence writes (today):

A BRIEF REPORT ON THE FLOODS IN NANDYAL & KURNOOL DISTRICT

Under the influence of a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal heavy rains lashed Kurnool district on 2^nd and 3^rd October 2009. It caused revivers and stream to swell. The heavy rains in Karnataka and Maharashtra added to the woes of Andhra Pradesh. Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar dams received heavy inflow of waters. On first two days the inflow is more than the outflow of the dams. This resulted in heavy floods that have completely thrown normal life out of gear.

The Kurnool city was the worst affected by the floods in the state. Flood water reached even second floor and thousands of people were trapped in their own houses. The trapped people have to go without food, drinking water and electricity for about two days. Women, children and aged people are the worst affected. More than two hundred people took shelter in the recently constructed CSI Christ Church, Kurnool. The rescue teams of CASA have saved the lives of more than thirty people in Kurnool. Relief and rescue operations were in full swing in Kurnool under the leadership of our Vice President, Rev. Varaprasad.

Nandyal town is also very badly affected by the floods. The town is engulfed by the flood water of river Kundu. More than forty percent of the town was affected by the floods. People living in fourteen colonies were evacuated. Nandyal town is cut off from Kurnool because of overflowing river Kundu. Thousands of people became homeless overnight and are in relief camps eagerly waiting for the water to recede. The villages Jupadubangla, Pamulapadu, Pagidyala, Nehru Nagar, Santhajutur, Velugodu, Bandi Athmakru, Vempenta, Mitnala, Kundanala, Chapirevula, Danielpuram, Yerraguntla, Kakanuru, Narayanapuram, Bayatipeta, Tharigopula and Peddabodhanam were completely submerged along with hamlet of villages around them. In total nearly two hundred villages belonging to the diocese are affected by the floods. . More than two lakh people were affected because of the floods. More than twenty churches were completely washed out.

THE VITAL ROLE OF THE DIOCESE OF NANDYAL: IN RELIEF WORK:

Under the able leadership of the Bishop Rt.Rev.Dr.P.J.Lawrence an emergency meeting was called on the evening of the 2^nd October to take stock of the flood situation. All the diocesan institutions, schools and hostels in Nandyal town were made into make shift relief camps to receive the flood victims. As the diocese has a good networking with the government and other NGO’s, the following relief measurers were taken up on war footing.

1. Safe shelter was provided in S.P.G.High School, Bishop Bunyan Joseph Junior college, S.P.G.High School Boarding Home (KNH) and at Bishop’s compound.
2. As there is no electricity for the third consecutive day, alternate arrangements were made to face the situation.
3. Food and drinking water is supplied in the relief camps with the help of government and NGO’s.
4. Food is prepared and served in places where the government is not supplying. At present we are feeding more than five thousand people per day.
5. Medical camps were organized with the help of an NGO, BIRDS (Bharathi Integrated Rural Development Society)
6. Relief camps were organized at Nandikotkur, Alampur, Velpanur, Jupadu Bangla, Kothapalle and Indhira Nagar Athmakur.

At present more than five thousand people were staying in the relief camps organized by the diocese. These people need and deserve more help in the coming days. Post flood situation requires lot of planning and hard work to bring back life to normalcy.

THE CHALLENGES BEFORE THE DIOCESE IN the POST FLOOD scenario.

1. Clothing
2. Bed sheets, Towels & soaps
3. Cooking vessels
4. Small amount of provisions
5. Rebuilding and repairs of houses
6. Cleaning of the surroundings
7. Monitoring the health of the people
8. Avert eruption of epidemic
9. Safe drinking water
10. Emergency kits to face such situation in the future
11. Provide books for the school going children
12. Educate people in disaster management.

The Diocese of Nandyal is doing its best in this situation to the flood affected people. But we understand what we are doing is not going to be sufficient and we need more helpings hands to join us. As the situation is very grim, we request you to come to the rescue of the flood affected people.

3. Our (Oxford Diocesan) Director of Education, Leslie Stephen writes (today):

I went to a meeting of the Nandyal steering group of headteachers yesterday. They were all very disturbed to hear about the floods particularly as they knew the places that were mentioned in the news reports from Bishop Lawrence.

So:

They are sending a letter to all our heads to ask them to raise funds to help children and communities who have been affected and also to remember Nandyal in their assembly prayers.
They have asked me to immediately send £2000 from the funds that we keep for them- Chalfont St Peter's School has given an additional £500 to add to this.
We also have the possibility of getting some funding from BMS through Mark Craig.

Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts for the people of India. I feel very privileged to work in a Diocese where so much concern is shown for others across the world.

Thank you Bishop John for sending money from your outreach fund. I am really pleased that we can respond in such a positive way as I personally know how desperate it is for poor people in the area. Sometimes immersed in our worries here we can quickly forget the plight of people in very deprived areas like Nandyal. The Indian Government is helping a lot but it is good for the Diocese in Nandyal to know that we also care.

So everyone is getting stuck in, in various ways. Contact for direct aid is above. Tear Fund and Christian Aid are also involved. There will be longer term needs, of course, but I’m glad the ball has begun to roll in a better direction.

Thanks to all for your prayers and concern.

Andhra Pradesh Flood latest

Sorry to hear from Bishop Lawrence that a school I opened in 2008 is now flooded to a depth of ten feet. Unfortunately the picture he sent seems to have become detached from the email — Kurnool picture composite is from UNICEF. Here’s the latest from Anad Raj, relayed through +Colin Fletcher:

I could manage to get hold of Bishop Lawrence this afternoon through. Today the town where he lives is also severe affected by the floods, but the Cathedral, Diocesan Office and Bishop’s House are safe as they are on high ground. He said, most of the town was submerged in the water. At the moment the immediate need for them is food, water, blankets and shelter. Most of the Diocese buildings, including churches, have become public shelters. Water, food and blankets are being distributed by church members. In rural areas some church buildings are completely destroyed and washed away in the floods. After water is receded Bishop will assess the damage and let us know the need. He would certainly need some financial help to reconstruct these churches and to help the poor that are affected by the floods. Meanwhile, he urged us to pray for the lives that they would be safe.

We are looking for a direct relief route to Nandyal / Kurnool through Oxfam or Tear Fund: Should anyone out there know of a way of getting direct emergency relief to those places in paeticular, I’d be delighted to know of it. Please email or comment below. And please continue to hold everyone concerned in your prayers...

Jamil’s School dinners

Today our Partnership in World Mission group is beginning to think through developing our relationship with Nandyal, alongside the educational partnership we visited India for last year. With big formal dinners last night and tonight, thoughts wander back to a school kitchen Lucy and I encountered in a village near Nandyal: a rather challenging memory as we feast our way through Lent. But food is food, and received with thanksgiving among friends, a blessing. Nutritionally, the Indian version is somewhat superior to its English equivalent...

Sweet taste of India

Not the Monty Python Gas Man Sketch, but the Visa queue at India House the other day. Lucy (aka the Bishopamma) and I are going, with Leslie Stephen, Director of Education, for a week in the Diocese of Nandyal, part of the Church of South India.

Earlier this year Bishop Lawrence came to visit us and spoke to our head teachers conference. Now we are going to his diocese, bearing greetings, to meet people and lay strong foundations, we hope, for a really fruitful mutually educational partnership, meeting clergy, helping with a chapel dedication, and seeing how we can be part of the Nandyal schools & clergy development programme. I’m very much looking forward to meeting people, and discovering new opportunities and friendships. I’m very keen to learn from Indian faith siblings how Church feels in the context of thousands of gods and languages, and a fully ecumenical diocese.

All will be revealed, but not every day, or perhaps even any day this week. Bangalore is hi-tech, but a lot of the time we’ll be in Nandyal (Andhra Pradesh, too small for the Rough guide) and rural villages and schools. Anyway this week’s about meeting people, not tiddling with technology. So, the blog's on the blink for next week, but I'll take the camera and a notebook, along with the Imodium and antimalarials. Watch this space!