By the time you read this article, the Thomas family will have celebrated our one-year anniversary at Woodstock School in Mussoorie, India. Each of us wanted to share some of the things we have learned this year:
Barbara learned that…You have to make "high altitude" adjustments to every recipe for baked goods, or they’ll flop -- we live at a little over 6,000 feet. One can't be too squeamish about spiders -- they are everywhere. The common wolf spider grows to gigantic proportions! You can take the Hindu and Jain approach and live in harmony with them, or squash them. The body is an amazing machine: it revolts when invaded by bacteria, and heals with the aid of antibiotics. A recent outbreak of SalmonellaTyphii among the staff has renewed our attention to sanitation, and appreciation for good health. The muscles of the lungs and heart do indeed over time get used to the high altitude and strain of climbing 150 steps everyday to school. And your clothes get baggy as your body is sculpted by the necessary natural exercise….. Love is limitless. I used to think I had only two children - here I have almost 500 children, boarding students at the school. Jeff and I worry about them, counsel them, and pray for them…..Thanks to the "great cloud of witnesses", Christianity is everywhere -- even up on top of the mountain where we live in a remote part of India. Christian churches have been in Mussoorie since the 1840's. Part of my mission is to keep them alive for those who will come after me. After years of training as a Christian Educator, I've discovered that "doing Sunday School" can be very simple. Without the benefit of curriculum materials, I sit outside on the church porch with my students and we talk about the scripture readings of the day, learn a song and do an art activity……And finally, God is good - all the time. When I have had doubts, fears and questions, God has answered them. He has provided us with challenges to help us grow in our faith and as a family. He led us to a place of incredible beauty, where work is hard, but rewarding. He saw us through our first year at Woodstock School, and I know he will be faithful.
Chris, age 15, learned…that it is easy to be a hero to elementary school students when I lead a small group at the Religious Education Retreat. They looked up to me because I spent time and played games with them. It was a nice feeling…..I also had to learn how to deal with monkeys when I was chased by a troop of large Rhesus monkeys on my way home from school. Usually I just walk past without making eye contact – this time I ran. That was the worst thing to do, because then they chased me!….I’ve had to widen my food choices here. The food served at school is not like I was used to back home. The school tries to serve food familiar to the kids from the 30 countries represented here…..You have to be careful about what you say about people of different backgrounds. People at Woodstock are very proud of their countries and religions, so you have to be careful not to offend anyone…..It’s easy to pick up words and phrases from approximately 20 languages that you can hear everyday between classes…..School seems to be much harder at Woodstock than in the U.S. Students are pre-selected to get into school, and it is more competitive, as it is in all of India. I’ve had to study more and work harder to get good grades.
Coleman, age 12, has learned… Hindi. It is such an interesting language, but difficult to learn. It has many similar sounds and letters, but after taking it for a year, you kind of get the hang of it.....Leeches: you just can't avoid them. I have learned to carry around salt wherever I go. Just take out a pinch of salt, sprinkle it onto the leech and it automatically lets go. The good thing is, leeches are only around during monsoon season (July-October)..... I was surprised by the number of Korean kids here. I get along quite well with them and one kid in my grade is even 'tutoring' me in Korean! It is really cool.....Another thing that I’ve learned to like is the food. Most Indian food satisfies your stomach more than your eyes or nose. For example, rice & dal isn’t exactly the most beautiful meal in the world, but it fills you up, tastes good, and is so good for you.....The view is something that I always will be awed about. It is like one of those one of those pictures that you would see when flipping through National Geographic magazine. Almost daily we see 5 or 6 mountain ranges just on our walk up to school. Some days, I just like to sit there and watch the clouds of mist flood into the valley. I have definitely learned a lot while being in India.
Jeff reflects on our year in Christ's service... Time flies, and we review the blessings of our year at Woodstock. How many people have we met? How many students have we counseled? How many cups of milky tea and spicy samosas have we consumed? How many steps have we climbed? How many lives have we touched or served? We bring our performance mentality, geared to metrics and constant improvement. After some frustrations, we learn patience, we learn the value of ongoing partnership and establishing trust – we will be here next year, we are not temporary workers. We are always building our relationship base for the future. A certain tune and words come to mind: the old hymn, recently re-worded as “Called as Partners in Christ’s Service” (number 343 in the Presbyterian hymnal) …
Make us partners in our living,
Our compassion to increase,
Messengers of faith, thus giving
Hope and confidence and peace.
The lines from the hymn describe well our sense of mission.
We who are singing can do the giving; and we can also receive that same hope and confidence and peace, from our faith in Christ, our faith in the kingdom of God. We are grateful to you, our friends and church families, who by your prayers, thoughtfulness and financial support have helped make this a year well worth remembering.
--Jeffrey, Barbara, Chris and Coleman Thomas
Woodstock School, Mussoorie UA 248179 India