India: resilience and hope

It was surreal this evening to step from village India into a fine hotel in Hyderabad, after being on the road. We feel like we have just come ashore from a long journey, contrasts enhanced by the intensity of our programme of visits and meetings with educators, clergy and children. We have met some amazing, courageous people, and our group is beginning to see a new way forward for our link with schools in Nandyal.


There were moments it was hard not to choke up — blessing children at the children's centre in Kurnool was one. They are so vibrant, and funny and responsive. Yet the way of the world will strip them of hope unless someone finds a way to support them to achieve their hopes and dreams. Unless we know better and are prepared to work to make it so. The four of us (two teachers, two clergy) have been banging away scoping schemes for early years village education to prepare village children for English medium work later. We hope to be able to come up with something really usable by the end of the year, if we can find someone with the Telugu language and teaching skills to make these ideas fly.


Another particularly moving moment came when we visited Pastorate 7 in Kurnool, where the floods were worst, and spent time with people in a new Church that is rising up, which will include a children's centre underneath the sanctuary. I wish Lucy had been with me, because when we last visited she was such a natural at drawing out these children. After all the speeches and formal part people just came to be blessed and prayed with. I came away feeling there is so much to be hopeful for, as this community regenerates after the floods. I wasn’t going to write anything, but we're all full of India — all I wanted to post, as we prepare to fly home tomorrow, are some preliminary pictures from this visit...

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...

Andhra Pradesh Flood Emergency

Lucy and I have been very sorry to hear from our friend P. J. Lawrence, Bishop of Nandyal, of serious flooding in Kurnool. About 25,000 people are said to be trapped in the city, amidst 10 foot floodwaters. Basic relief plans are starting up, It was delightful and moving and to visit the city in 2008.

We were bowled over by the love and generosity of so many people we met, and very impressed by the vigorous work going on to build the Church, both people and buildings. There had been serious foods in 2007, but this seems even worse.
These are enterprising, courageous and creative sisters and brothers, confronted now with a particular challenge. Bishop Lawrence writes:

In Nandyal Diocese several areas are drowned in floods by the inflow of the rivers Thungabadra and Krishna. Mostly the Kurnool town is almost all drowned and other villiages in Kurnool District also submerged in water. Particularly our great church in Kurnool town also been surrounded by flood waters more than ten feet. Our clergy and the congregation members living in the surrounding area of the church are taking shelter in the balcony of the Church. And the news is that the situation may worsen further. People are running to higher grounds, and are trying for help. There is a sense of helplessness and uncertanity of life with the sense of drowning.

We have just concluded the meeting of all the leaders of the diocese to prepare for relief work with supply of food, water and shelter in our schools hostels and church buildings. We also conducting prayers of intercession and help for the gratest distaster. The situation is grave with raising level of water of rivers canals and tanks. This is the first of its kind we are appealing for your prayers. On the part of the Diocese priests, church workers, volunnteers and the whole diocese on the war footing for conducting relief and counselling and spiritual services.

So, please, pray, and when the time comes for help with reconstruction, please be generous. This isn’t a well-known part of the world, and I hope people in our diocese, especially those involved in our schools link, will be characteristically imaginative and generous in the face of this need.

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!