Hi
I've found a bit of time so will get some pictures and thoughts up about my day in Bankura on 10th March.
I went with a team from St Michaels Church, South Carolina who were doing a Festival of Hope. It was their second day there. It's about an hours drive from here and one of the 5 churches in the Bankura Pastorate that the Rev Amiya Das looks after, he is also Vice President of the Diocese.
This is the site with the minibus we arrived in and the Bishop's car as he also came for the morning, with the church in the background. I'm standing just outside the guest house on site where had refreshments and lunch.
After some refreshments when we arrived we went outside. Rev Das along with another colleague had just received a new motorbike from the Diocese to help them travel around the pastorate.
The bike was blessed by the team and the Bishop for the work it will do and then the Bishop took it for a test ride round the grounds.
Here he is just returning with it. He had a Harley Davidson once in his past he used to ride. The bike will be a big blessing to the work in that area and they will not need to rely so much on buses.
We then moved into the church to continue the Festival of Hope from the previous day.
Some live a the Leprosy Mission and others are supported by it. Families that are rejected by society due to leprosy, and still even though many are cured and healed they find it hard to be accepted. The message from the team was very much one that Jesus loves them - no matter what. Every one is special to Jesus and that we are all equal with God and how to be disciples of Jesus.
The team sitting at the front. They had had a time of prayer the previous day and quite a few came forward and gave testimonies. One lady whose hands were all knarled and had been in pain for many years was thanking God that for the first time she had been able to do some of the daily work in her own room and not rely on others to help her all the time. The Rev Das told them the stories of the ten lepers that were cured but only one was healed as he praised God. For them to be like that one - to thank God and let others know if God had touched them in any way, to share their stories.
He has boundless energy in encouraging them, playing drums or tambourine along with the songs to give them life and games to get their attention and to engage them with what is happening. Many of them just want to know that they are accepted, that Jesus loves them and want to be touched, their hands held after the rejection they have faced. There were sessions before and after lunch with the majority of the afternoon session being a time when they could come forward for prayer for healing, or family whatever they felt they needed. The presence of the Holy Spirit was there and moving among them and doing some miraculous things for different people. After both sessions people just came and wanted us to hold their hands or shake hands with us and many stooped to touch our feet which is a sign of respect. It was very humbling to be able to take their hands, some rigid from the disease and just hold them and to accept them as a whole person and for them to know that.
From there we went to Rev Amiya Das' house, next to the main church in the pastorate where the Inter Faith Child Study centre is. After more refreshments he took us round the Muslim slums just behind the church. all tucked between and behind big fairly rich houses. The inter Faith centre has 65 children who are nearly all Mulsim and Hindi. When he first arrived there was as lot of violence in the area and the church was always being attacked.Since he has started to work there things have changed greatly and the Muslims are the ones that protect the church.
This is the first family we visited - three boys in their red and white checked shirts which is the dress for each of the centres. They were dressed ready as there would be some entertainment at the centre for us later. The families were prayed for and they are quite happy for that.
Many of the people living in the slums wash and do their washing in this lake, which also had animals in and is fairly polluted which does not help the health of the families.
This is another child that comes to the centre outside her house. The alley ways for some of these are very narrow.
Some of the buildings were more substantial than others, but I'm not sure I would want to be there in the monsoon season - it would be very muddy and wet.
It opened up into a wider area that just had laundry strung across everywhere. Goats, dogs, bikes anything and everything there, one does have to watch where one is stepping as it is very uneven. The Rev Das is now known respected very much in the community and welcomed by them.
This is the well in that part of the slum and you can see the big buildings right behind.
This little girl is dressed in a sari as she is going to dance at the entertainment. She is also one of two Muslim girls chosen to go to St Michaels School CNI which teaches in English, just like the one in Durgapur. They were very pleased and did a wonderful dance later and wouldn't let go of my hand afterwards. It is quite something for them to go, the centre will pay the fees about 1000 rupees per month. It is the third time I have seen them and they are wanting me to go back again.
This girl moved here from a very violent village and lives with here grandmother here. Most of these homes interiors are no bigger than 12 ft by 6 feet. She has ten brothers back in the village and here parents. It is the place where people go to find someone to do their dirty work, getting rid of people etc.
This girl - I've forgotten her name - does a lot of writing of poems and prose on many subjects and the Rev Das is at present helping her to have it printed. She has passed her Class 10 and 12 exams and is one of two girls at the Christian College in Bankura. She also now helps to teach the younger children at the centre. The centre only goes up to class 10 but the youngsters are supported still as they continue their education, their admission fees are paid for them and they can use the library at the centre.
For me it wisll be great to see the children develop and change over the next few years as I travel backwards and forwards.
I've found a bit of time so will get some pictures and thoughts up about my day in Bankura on 10th March.
I went with a team from St Michaels Church, South Carolina who were doing a Festival of Hope. It was their second day there. It's about an hours drive from here and one of the 5 churches in the Bankura Pastorate that the Rev Amiya Das looks after, he is also Vice President of the Diocese.
This is the site with the minibus we arrived in and the Bishop's car as he also came for the morning, with the church in the background. I'm standing just outside the guest house on site where had refreshments and lunch.
After some refreshments when we arrived we went outside. Rev Das along with another colleague had just received a new motorbike from the Diocese to help them travel around the pastorate.
The bike was blessed by the team and the Bishop for the work it will do and then the Bishop took it for a test ride round the grounds.
Here he is just returning with it. He had a Harley Davidson once in his past he used to ride. The bike will be a big blessing to the work in that area and they will not need to rely so much on buses.
We then moved into the church to continue the Festival of Hope from the previous day.
Some live a the Leprosy Mission and others are supported by it. Families that are rejected by society due to leprosy, and still even though many are cured and healed they find it hard to be accepted. The message from the team was very much one that Jesus loves them - no matter what. Every one is special to Jesus and that we are all equal with God and how to be disciples of Jesus.
He has boundless energy in encouraging them, playing drums or tambourine along with the songs to give them life and games to get their attention and to engage them with what is happening. Many of them just want to know that they are accepted, that Jesus loves them and want to be touched, their hands held after the rejection they have faced. There were sessions before and after lunch with the majority of the afternoon session being a time when they could come forward for prayer for healing, or family whatever they felt they needed. The presence of the Holy Spirit was there and moving among them and doing some miraculous things for different people. After both sessions people just came and wanted us to hold their hands or shake hands with us and many stooped to touch our feet which is a sign of respect. It was very humbling to be able to take their hands, some rigid from the disease and just hold them and to accept them as a whole person and for them to know that.
From there we went to Rev Amiya Das' house, next to the main church in the pastorate where the Inter Faith Child Study centre is. After more refreshments he took us round the Muslim slums just behind the church. all tucked between and behind big fairly rich houses. The inter Faith centre has 65 children who are nearly all Mulsim and Hindi. When he first arrived there was as lot of violence in the area and the church was always being attacked.Since he has started to work there things have changed greatly and the Muslims are the ones that protect the church.
This is the first family we visited - three boys in their red and white checked shirts which is the dress for each of the centres. They were dressed ready as there would be some entertainment at the centre for us later. The families were prayed for and they are quite happy for that.
This girl - I've forgotten her name - does a lot of writing of poems and prose on many subjects and the Rev Das is at present helping her to have it printed. She has passed her Class 10 and 12 exams and is one of two girls at the Christian College in Bankura. She also now helps to teach the younger children at the centre. The centre only goes up to class 10 but the youngsters are supported still as they continue their education, their admission fees are paid for them and they can use the library at the centre.
For me it wisll be great to see the children develop and change over the next few years as I travel backwards and forwards.
No comments:
Post a Comment