I have now been at CMS College, the oldest college in India, for 10 days. What exactly have I been doing?
I've been learning about true kindness, that's what. I've also been learning to relax!
I've already written about the many kindnesses shown to my during my insomnia bout, and that is just one example of so very many.
Since last Thursday, I've been making my way around the campus, being shown around by Gigi Sir, my supervisor, or Ann, my other supervisor and friend. I've mostly just been meeting everyone in all of the departments and seeing the campus.
I joined the college choir, and found myself the next day in charge of rehearsing the soprano section! They have beautiful voices and I'm very excited to work with the college choir. Most of them do not read music, so one has to teach in a kind of call-and-response fashion. I also have met with the college choir director, Vimal, and chaplain, Roy, about beginning a vocal training program for faculty and students of the college. I was invited to join Kottayam Mixed Voices, a Christian community choir, and went to my first rehearsal on Sunday. Next Sunday I will be leading warm-ups for this choir. I am very excited to get involved in the musical community of the campus!
I've been taken around to buy things that I need for my place or just in general, and yesterday went shopping with Ann and my new friend Sheny, who teaches Chemistry at the college. We spent the day out at the shops and then visited Ann's aunt and uncle nearby. I attended a wedding this past Saturday and went to the local CSI (Church of South India) Cathedral the next morning. On Monday, a bus strike was happening, and so everything was closed and we couldn't go anywhere, so I just hung out with the girls and studied some Malayalam. Wednesday also was a holiday, Sri Naranaya Guru day, so everything was also closed then. So many holidays! The pace of life is much slower here-I must learn to slow down and to relax (something I've always been bad at.)
Also, on Sunday of this past week there was a very special concert: the inaugural concert of the Harp & Lyre Western Classical Concert Series! (Harp & Lyre is a local music studio where students and faculty study music.) A Western classical concert-I was SO excited! There was an Indian pianist who played many favorite pieces (including Gershwin's Preludes for Piano and Debussy's Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum) and a Swedish baritone, who sang many songs I knew! It was a rather humorous situation to find myself in: sitting with an Indian audience of hundreds, very few of whom are familiar with any of this music or style, following along to translations of Erlkonig and Du bist die Ruh just like I was sitting at school listening to one of my classmates perform. I met them both afterwards, and commented to him what a particular joy and a comfort it was to hear familiar lieder so far away from home. Praise the Lord for this specific and amusing comfort!
A little more about my setting: At the college, classes are from 10am-4pm. They offer both undergraduate and postgraduate studies in subjects such as English literature, Chemistry, Physics, Zoology, Botany, Biotechnology, Home Science, Commerce, Sociology, Malayalam, Hindi, and Mathematics. There is not a music department, but I hope to be involved with as many of the musical activities around campus soon! The college has about 1500 students. Undergrate degrees take 3 years to complete, and most go right on to their PG, or postgraduate studies, which take 2 years. I am amazed at how educated everyone here is-everyone has at least an undergraduate degree and most have their PG as well. (I feel very undereducated compared to many here, but then I remember that my undergraduate degree took 4 and a half years, haha).
I have begun to develop a bit of a daily routine which is extremely helpful: I am at college from 10am-4pm meeting people, conversing, learning my way around the college, visiting the departments, and going on the internet when I can. Tea is always at 4, though I usually don't go to it, as I enjoy being out of the hostel during the day while I can be.
I have to be back at the hostel and inside by 6 pm, and this is the time I get to spend with the wonderful girls of the hostel. It's certainly a challenge for me to have to be in by 6 pm, as here a girl seen outside unaccompanied past 6 or 6:30 is considered disreputable. This is the first time in my life I've had to be in by any time, really, let alone by SIX pm, let alone because of my gender! But this is humbling-and I must live as one of the girls here, and also it affords lots of rich time in the evening to get to know the girls.
So how about some funny stories: I worked out for the first time the other day, which the women here generally don't do. As I couldn't go outside of the hostel, I ran around in circles in the hostel yard, and every girl was watching me and laughing from her window. I waved at them and kept on running. :)
It's really funny to be the subject of so much attention: everywhere I go the girls follow me. They stand when I walk by and I have to insist that they don't need to. They call me "Claudie Chechi," Chechi meaning "older sister." They even walk to their doors just to watch me walk by. I'm just walking! If I go on the swing, they'll gather to watch me swing. At meals and all the time, I am always watched. Everyone can see all that I do- this is new... but this means that I have to always make sure that I am very pleasant and smiling and greeting everyone! I am continually reminding myself of a favorite Philippians passage: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:4-7)
I am VERY visible-more visible than I've ever felt-but this affords me continual opportunities for conversations that I hope are seasoned with salt and interactions that I pray are God-centered. And everywhere I go the girls always ask me to sing a song for them, particularly the song from Titanic, which I do not know, and I will NOT learn, otherwise I'd have to sing it constantly.
Another funny moment: the other night, I walked back from college with a guitar, the one Jim left (thank you, Jim! Love that the brand of the guitar is JIMM, haha). Later that evening after dinner, I came downstairs with the guitar. IMMEDIATELY about 40 girls ran over to me. Awestruck, they watched me play and sing and I taught them, "How Great is Our God." Let me tell you-what an incredibly special moment that was: to hear 40 or 50 voices, Hindu and Christian, in broken English, lifting their voices to sing this glorious praise. It was all I could do to keep from crying, it was so beautiful. They are so eager, such impressionable, truly beautiful girls-and they picked songs for me to play until the warden told us that we needed to stop.
I pray for continued sharing of worship like this-it's really a treasure and I absolutely hunger for moments like this. Right now are college exams, so the girls are all trying to study, so I can't do too much music. I'm already a big enough distraction already, I feel like. I have, however, found a few people who are fans of worship music, and I gladly share my music with them! As mom would say, PTL! :)
Never have I encountered such kindness in so many people. One hundred and forty lovely girls, their beautiful eyes, their smiling faces...they look like Him to me. And they bring me gifts-sweets and treats to eat. The other night, a whole group of 7 girls excitedly presented me with a plate of biscuits (cookies) all arranged in a pretty pattern on a plate. I was choked up-they find such JOY in giving of the little they have. For they give sacraficially-those biscuits they gave me meant that many fewer biscuits for them. Their little tokens, though just cookies and a single piece of candy, are incredibly rich gifts, for they come from the heart.
And every night, after dinner, the cook boils some milk especially for me. I sing to the girls, "Goodnight, My Someone" as a goodnight song. I feel so surrounded by love. And I'm just floored by all of this true kindness.
Thank you, Lord, for placing me in this new home, a home not only with many conveniences others don't have, but more importantly, surrounded by true kindness. Thank you for my 140 smiling, giggly neighbors. Thank you that you are so visible in their lovely faces, and may my face reflect Yours. May I represent You well, Lord God. Thank you for the selflessness of all those I've encountered. Lord, I've yet to see pride here. May I learn from those around me how to love others.
So much more to share, but later. For now, some specific prayer requests:
1) The food. The food here is all very spicy to me and it's hard to adjust. We have rice for every meal, and with curries. I eat with a smile on my face, but I feel like I have to force myself. Please pray that I might find foods I like and that my taste buds would adapt to be able to enjoy all of this food! And that I might always be very grateful for the food that I have!
2) PATIENCE- I feel like I have so much free time right now and this is a challenge for me. As you all know, I like to be really really busy! Pray for patience during this time when all the students are taking their exams and I can't really do much but walk around and smile and begin to build friendships and converse. This is a very important part of my journey but I'm getting kind of antsy-so please pray for patience and for God to provide peace through reading and journalling, and casual interactions with the students and faculty. Pray that there might be manifold opportunities to talk about Him.
3) OPPORTUNITIES- Please pray for opportunities to surface for me to use my gifts, and for God to keep sustaining me until these opportunities are found out and begin!
Love you all. Peace & blessings.
I've been learning about true kindness, that's what. I've also been learning to relax!
I've already written about the many kindnesses shown to my during my insomnia bout, and that is just one example of so very many.
Since last Thursday, I've been making my way around the campus, being shown around by Gigi Sir, my supervisor, or Ann, my other supervisor and friend. I've mostly just been meeting everyone in all of the departments and seeing the campus.
I joined the college choir, and found myself the next day in charge of rehearsing the soprano section! They have beautiful voices and I'm very excited to work with the college choir. Most of them do not read music, so one has to teach in a kind of call-and-response fashion. I also have met with the college choir director, Vimal, and chaplain, Roy, about beginning a vocal training program for faculty and students of the college. I was invited to join Kottayam Mixed Voices, a Christian community choir, and went to my first rehearsal on Sunday. Next Sunday I will be leading warm-ups for this choir. I am very excited to get involved in the musical community of the campus!
I've been taken around to buy things that I need for my place or just in general, and yesterday went shopping with Ann and my new friend Sheny, who teaches Chemistry at the college. We spent the day out at the shops and then visited Ann's aunt and uncle nearby. I attended a wedding this past Saturday and went to the local CSI (Church of South India) Cathedral the next morning. On Monday, a bus strike was happening, and so everything was closed and we couldn't go anywhere, so I just hung out with the girls and studied some Malayalam. Wednesday also was a holiday, Sri Naranaya Guru day, so everything was also closed then. So many holidays! The pace of life is much slower here-I must learn to slow down and to relax (something I've always been bad at.)
Also, on Sunday of this past week there was a very special concert: the inaugural concert of the Harp & Lyre Western Classical Concert Series! (Harp & Lyre is a local music studio where students and faculty study music.) A Western classical concert-I was SO excited! There was an Indian pianist who played many favorite pieces (including Gershwin's Preludes for Piano and Debussy's Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum) and a Swedish baritone, who sang many songs I knew! It was a rather humorous situation to find myself in: sitting with an Indian audience of hundreds, very few of whom are familiar with any of this music or style, following along to translations of Erlkonig and Du bist die Ruh just like I was sitting at school listening to one of my classmates perform. I met them both afterwards, and commented to him what a particular joy and a comfort it was to hear familiar lieder so far away from home. Praise the Lord for this specific and amusing comfort!
A little more about my setting: At the college, classes are from 10am-4pm. They offer both undergraduate and postgraduate studies in subjects such as English literature, Chemistry, Physics, Zoology, Botany, Biotechnology, Home Science, Commerce, Sociology, Malayalam, Hindi, and Mathematics. There is not a music department, but I hope to be involved with as many of the musical activities around campus soon! The college has about 1500 students. Undergrate degrees take 3 years to complete, and most go right on to their PG, or postgraduate studies, which take 2 years. I am amazed at how educated everyone here is-everyone has at least an undergraduate degree and most have their PG as well. (I feel very undereducated compared to many here, but then I remember that my undergraduate degree took 4 and a half years, haha).
I have begun to develop a bit of a daily routine which is extremely helpful: I am at college from 10am-4pm meeting people, conversing, learning my way around the college, visiting the departments, and going on the internet when I can. Tea is always at 4, though I usually don't go to it, as I enjoy being out of the hostel during the day while I can be.
I have to be back at the hostel and inside by 6 pm, and this is the time I get to spend with the wonderful girls of the hostel. It's certainly a challenge for me to have to be in by 6 pm, as here a girl seen outside unaccompanied past 6 or 6:30 is considered disreputable. This is the first time in my life I've had to be in by any time, really, let alone by SIX pm, let alone because of my gender! But this is humbling-and I must live as one of the girls here, and also it affords lots of rich time in the evening to get to know the girls.
So how about some funny stories: I worked out for the first time the other day, which the women here generally don't do. As I couldn't go outside of the hostel, I ran around in circles in the hostel yard, and every girl was watching me and laughing from her window. I waved at them and kept on running. :)
It's really funny to be the subject of so much attention: everywhere I go the girls follow me. They stand when I walk by and I have to insist that they don't need to. They call me "Claudie Chechi," Chechi meaning "older sister." They even walk to their doors just to watch me walk by. I'm just walking! If I go on the swing, they'll gather to watch me swing. At meals and all the time, I am always watched. Everyone can see all that I do- this is new... but this means that I have to always make sure that I am very pleasant and smiling and greeting everyone! I am continually reminding myself of a favorite Philippians passage: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:4-7)
I am VERY visible-more visible than I've ever felt-but this affords me continual opportunities for conversations that I hope are seasoned with salt and interactions that I pray are God-centered. And everywhere I go the girls always ask me to sing a song for them, particularly the song from Titanic, which I do not know, and I will NOT learn, otherwise I'd have to sing it constantly.
Another funny moment: the other night, I walked back from college with a guitar, the one Jim left (thank you, Jim! Love that the brand of the guitar is JIMM, haha). Later that evening after dinner, I came downstairs with the guitar. IMMEDIATELY about 40 girls ran over to me. Awestruck, they watched me play and sing and I taught them, "How Great is Our God." Let me tell you-what an incredibly special moment that was: to hear 40 or 50 voices, Hindu and Christian, in broken English, lifting their voices to sing this glorious praise. It was all I could do to keep from crying, it was so beautiful. They are so eager, such impressionable, truly beautiful girls-and they picked songs for me to play until the warden told us that we needed to stop.
I pray for continued sharing of worship like this-it's really a treasure and I absolutely hunger for moments like this. Right now are college exams, so the girls are all trying to study, so I can't do too much music. I'm already a big enough distraction already, I feel like. I have, however, found a few people who are fans of worship music, and I gladly share my music with them! As mom would say, PTL! :)
Never have I encountered such kindness in so many people. One hundred and forty lovely girls, their beautiful eyes, their smiling faces...they look like Him to me. And they bring me gifts-sweets and treats to eat. The other night, a whole group of 7 girls excitedly presented me with a plate of biscuits (cookies) all arranged in a pretty pattern on a plate. I was choked up-they find such JOY in giving of the little they have. For they give sacraficially-those biscuits they gave me meant that many fewer biscuits for them. Their little tokens, though just cookies and a single piece of candy, are incredibly rich gifts, for they come from the heart.
And every night, after dinner, the cook boils some milk especially for me. I sing to the girls, "Goodnight, My Someone" as a goodnight song. I feel so surrounded by love. And I'm just floored by all of this true kindness.
Thank you, Lord, for placing me in this new home, a home not only with many conveniences others don't have, but more importantly, surrounded by true kindness. Thank you for my 140 smiling, giggly neighbors. Thank you that you are so visible in their lovely faces, and may my face reflect Yours. May I represent You well, Lord God. Thank you for the selflessness of all those I've encountered. Lord, I've yet to see pride here. May I learn from those around me how to love others.
So much more to share, but later. For now, some specific prayer requests:
1) The food. The food here is all very spicy to me and it's hard to adjust. We have rice for every meal, and with curries. I eat with a smile on my face, but I feel like I have to force myself. Please pray that I might find foods I like and that my taste buds would adapt to be able to enjoy all of this food! And that I might always be very grateful for the food that I have!
2) PATIENCE- I feel like I have so much free time right now and this is a challenge for me. As you all know, I like to be really really busy! Pray for patience during this time when all the students are taking their exams and I can't really do much but walk around and smile and begin to build friendships and converse. This is a very important part of my journey but I'm getting kind of antsy-so please pray for patience and for God to provide peace through reading and journalling, and casual interactions with the students and faculty. Pray that there might be manifold opportunities to talk about Him.
3) OPPORTUNITIES- Please pray for opportunities to surface for me to use my gifts, and for God to keep sustaining me until these opportunities are found out and begin!
Love you all. Peace & blessings.
Claudia, I'm not sure I can adequately express how impressed I am by your willingness to let the Lord guide you through each day! Keep the faith and He will be glorified indeed! Will continue to pray for His hand upon you!!
ReplyDeleteI looked forward to each posting, knowing I am going to be greatly inspired and impressed. Does anyone there speak English? Are any of the students Christians? God bless you.
ReplyDeleteSo great to hear of your adventures and the way the Lord is working in and through you! We miss you here, but are so glad for the glory you are bringing to those girls and look forward to hearing more about your ministry of worship! Blessings!
ReplyDelete