Why Are We Here?

When asked what we were coming to India to do I would explain that we would be assisting in the clinics and providing health teaching to the impoverished.  And the question begged to be asked why we had to come...doesn't India have nurses to do this?  After our first week here I have a much better understanding of the significance of our visit.  Most of the people of India are Hindu - people that practice the caste system.  The government insists on paper that the caste system is illegal however in reality it is still very much practiced. The Hindi people believe in reincarnation - you are born into a particular caste as reward or punishment for deeds in your past life.  Therefore you cannot move up or down the various castes because you were placed there for a reason...this is known as karma.  The four castes are symbolized as being of the head, chest area, thigh or feet... then the lowest of low, not even part of the body (the Dalit people).  Castes are also tied to occupations and people can tell from your last name which caste you are in.  The people of the "head" area are the nobility or very wealthy individuals - priests or people holding high position.  The people of the chest are the "warriors" or soldiers, police etc.  Those of the thigh are businessmen.  Those of the feet are servants who work in lowly service jobs such as cleaning toilets, working as servers/ hotel staff etc.  Then there are the Dalit people who are not really even seen as people (they are not of the body) - it is culturally acceptable to harm and take advantage of these people.  People of the other castes can come to the Dalit and steal, rape their women, harm them, sometimes with no consequences.  Women from this caste are selected to be the temple prostitutes.  They must not say no - they clean the temple and are there for men of other castes who wish to have them.

The Dalit people (as well as society) see themselves as worthless and there is acceptance because it is believed that they were placed into this caste as punishment for past lives.  The challenge in changing the status quo is that the Dalit people see themselves as worthless.  People will not touch them.  This is where OM India comes in - they have slowly entered Dalit slums or villages and provided schooling in English as well as mobile clinics, free medicines and health workers that make regular visits to provide health teaching and screening.  The schools provide English and are Christian based however it is not required that you be a Christian to attend.  In fact most are not.  It is well known that to have any hope of a good job Indians must learn English however the Dalit people cannot afford to send their children to an English school.

Our nursing students are completing an International Community Health practicum.  They give presentations to children and adults in the villages and slums to reinforce the health worker's teaching - but we also send a message just by taking the time to come to their communities.  White people are highly regarded by the Dalit and we go there showing love and caring and they see that we value them as people.  We demonstrate we believe in their worth - we touch them and interact with their children.  Indian Christians are assisting the Dalit people - but not with an agenda that they need to be Christian to attend clinics and schools.  However, some Dalit do come to Christ because they begin asking questions about why Christians do what they do which sometimes leads to talks and ultimately a desire to know God.

Yesterday we went to a Dalit village and today we went to a slum.  On arrival yesterday the villagers gathered around our vehicles and seemed very wary at first.  The first girl that I made eye contact with was 12 years old and she gasped and drew back immediately...I felt like I was a hideous monster!!  We were told that most of those children had never seen a white person before.  They quickly warmed up to the group and watched the health presentations with interest.

The students then taught the children how to play "duck duck goose", which they absolutely loved!  The adults began to gather around and smile and laugh while watching the game.  It really broke the ice - in fact the girl who seemed scared of me then followed me around the rest of the day and gave me a hug when I left.  Watching people come to see the doctor or to get medicine or to watch the children play really makes you realize how people all over the world in all walks of life experience the same feelings.  We may speak different languages...but a smile is universal :)

Blessings in Disguise

Coming to India first and foremost was about helping the Dalit people while teaching Nursing students how to work with communities to improve their health.  It has been reinforced repeatedly that this trip is not about our team but is about the people we came to serve.  Yesterday we attended church at the OM campus...well have you ever been in church and felt like the sermon was written for you? That you related on every level and heard the message? No daydreaming and having to snap back into listening mode...no self talk to pay attention...but just completely in it as if you are having an earnest conversation with a close friend?   That was my experience amidst all of these people I don't know.

Half way across the world and I feel God actively working in my heart.  I cannot help but wonder if I HAD to be halfway across the world to give myself the freedom to throw off expectations I have of myself. That I could release all of the self imposed limitations...the constant but often subconscious  censoring of my reactions in order to maintain people's view of me...what will people think of me if I talk openly...if I am myself?? If I can even recognize myself anymore because I have tried for so long to say the right thing.  To put everything through the filter of "what will people think of me" before reacting.  Keep in mind that much of this has been not always at a very conscious level.  For sure, when I am out of my element it was conscious.  But coming to realize that this weight has been there at an unconscious level as well has given me insight into how it has drained away the essence of who I truly am. And coming to the conclusion that I myself don't even remember my authentic self...the person who I am meant to be...the uncensored version that I was created to be.  Whew!  I realize why I deal with exhaustion and overwhelm all the time...it is a lot of work to go through life cautiously.  To constantly worry about what people might think of you if you let out a tiny bit of your true self.  I realize that i have gotten to the point of even doing this with my own family.   And sadly, to the point that even I no longer know my true self.  I have been afraid and unwilling to trust.  I have been dealing with depression for many years and it is no wonder given all the "work" I constantly am doing to worry and fret about what people might think of me.

It dawns on me as I write this that I have long craved unconditional love and acceptance from my family and friends.  But why am I craving it??  Because I was subconsciously rejecting that I already have unconditional love and acceptance...from God.  Prior to coming on this trip, I would never have been able to write this blog.  If I had even had these insights, I would have hidden them away in a private journal.  Because again, what will people think of me if I speak my heart?  There is only one human being that I have been willing to completely speak my heart with, who I was willing to lay myself open in front of...finally I see why it was so easy to be around her...because I was being more of my true self.  (Looking forward to seeing her after her upcoming wedding)

I feel God working in my heart, and one of the points of the sermon reminded us that the Holy Spirit      is a gift given to us who is living in us.  I was just always "talking over" the Holy Spirit, I was  interrupting any chance of the Holy Spirit speaking to me.  I expect doubts to creep back in and I will try to banish them.  I think of a talking circle that I have heard about from native cultures.  A feather is passed around to the people in the circle and the only time you are allowed to speak is when you hold the feather.  It is the Holy Spirit who is living in me's turn to hold the feather. :) 

OM India

We went to the campus of Operation Mobilization who we will be working with and got to see the amazing work they do.  Here in India approximately 25 % of the population are in the lowest caste (called the Dalit), which are viewed as lower than animals.  The Hindu religion, which is by far the highest percentage of the population (80 %) teaches that people born into this caste have done bad things in past lives and that they are being punished for their misdeeds by having to come live their life in a low caste.  There is widespread acceptance of the status quo.  These people are considered untouchable to the remaining population and are exploited through having to work for minimal wages ($1 per day).  Many live in slums which are essentially like shanty towns made of rags, tarps,wood or anything else that can be found.

Only approximately 2% of the population is Christian.  OM India is an organization that assists the Dalit people by providing an English based Christian education, health care, microfinance assistance and advocacy for this population.  They do not evangelize per se, but rather believe in showing God's love by assisting the poor and disenfranchised.  They are open to sharing their faith but do not require the people they help to be Christian, nor do they require they hear about Christianity.  They say they are asked why they do this and when they say because they are Christians and that is what Christians are called to do, that they have had more people come to the faith out of wanting to know this type of faith.

They have 18 schools they provide as well as almost 100 health workers throughout India providing medical care and primary health care information to the underprivileged.  They are invited to work in a certain slum by the Dalit leaders and then go in to provide this help.  They are also active in anti human trafficking and women's rights because it is seen as acceptable for Dalit women to be raped.  They have their own publishing house for Christianliterature in all 29 official Indian languages.  It is a privilege to be able to work with a committed group like this.  We will be assisting in providing medical care at the mobile health clinics as well as providing health teaching to their schools, health care workers and the people of the slums.

First impressions

Arriving in India was such a relief after our extremely long travel experience.  It is impossible not to be fascinated by the traffic - no matter what time we have been out, the roads have been a maze of vehicles all driving without normal traffic rules! Buses, cars, tons of motorcycles, tiny motorized rickshaws with 10 inch wheels are all vying for the road space, driving randomly over the road.  Not sure why they paint lines on the roads to mark lanes because there is a complete disregard for them.  No shoulder checking ever, just pull out and honk your horn.  Horns are honking all over the place but people are not angry - honking here seems to mean, "hey, I'm here, don't move over".  The motorcycles are everywhere, many with two passengers and quite often with a woman riding sidesaddle on the back.  (How hard is that for the driver of the motorcycle?.)

White people attract a good deal of attention here - there simply aren't any and the Indian people stare at you as if you are some type of celebrity.  Well, at least they stare at the students :)  lol.  Despite the masses of people, the impression is of a peaceful and tolerant society - if all this chaos were happening on the roads of LA, I cannot fathom the angry people and yelling and rude hand gestures you would see...but here it is all ok.

There must be an incredible number of jobs in the security sector.  EVERY time our vehicle comes into the hotel compound the vehicle is inspected (doors are opened, they check under the hood, use a special camera to check under the vehicle for bombs, and occasionally they bring a dog to sniff in the doors).  Then we go through security at the hotel entrance (much like airport security).  All items go through an x-ray scan and you have to walk through a scanner as well.  When we went to a local "mall" (really seemed like a large department store), we again had a body scan and our bags inspected when entering.  Leaving with your purchases you must have your receipt stamped by security.  We had to buy appropriate Indian clothes to wear in the slums and clinics.  There are an incredible number of staff working in the stores - at least half were men (it is very weird to have a man assisting you in finding clothes).

The food at the hotel has been very good.  You do need to be careful of the spice however...I ask them to point out the "mild" dish and still find my mouth and lips burning...(did you know that the spices also "burn" when they leave your body? Lol).  I could happily be a vegetarian here though - there are so many terrific options of dishes that don't have meat.  The meat we have seen to date is mostly chicken or mutton.

Our first day was mostly spent being acclimatized however we did have a tour of the amazing OM (operation mobilization). That will be my next post...