March 15, 2007
Newsletter from the Thomas Family in Northern India, serving at Woodstock School
Local Color-Literally
The
springtime festival of Holi is one of the more unusual and all-involving
weekends of the Indian calendar, before the spring equinox. Bonfire effigies
of the demigod Holika light up the skies at night. And the day before and
after, people freely douse each other with colorful powders and liquids. All
who pass by are fair game for dousing, so many stay indoors. Woodstock school discourages travel, and holds students on campus at this time – but the
dorms hold their own private color-throwing celebration. (That's Coleman in
middle front with pink hair and face!) Public service advertisements urge us
“to avoid Throwing water/coloured water or rubber balloons containing water at
passers-by; Forcing unwilling people to play Holi; Using indecent language or
behaving riotously; Eve teasing; Drunken driving; Using dirt and chemicals
instead of natural colours; Triple riding on two-wheelers; Riding without
helmet.”
Indicative of the changing position of women in Indian society, a continuing concern is “Eve teasing”, wherein a lone woman is deemed fair game for catcalls and propositions. Large public service advertisements in newspapers urge readers to “Protect women from Eve teasers.”
Chris and Cole speak about learning Hindi
Our sons, Chris (16) and Coleman (13) spoke at a gathering of congregation and friends of Leisure World Community Church in Seal Beach, California during the school’s winter break. They did a bang up job, if we do say so. Here is a little of what they shared:
Cole: Even though all instruction at Woodstock is in English, Hindi – the most common language of India – is also a required subject. We enjoy learning this language because it helps us communicate with shopkeepers, people on the hillside, and people we meet when traveling.
Chris: Hindi is easy to learn. Its alphabet is phonetic, so once you learn the letters and accents, you can read pretty much anything. Writing Hindi is a bit more challenging, as the script is very different from English letters.
A basic word to learn is namaste which is used as a greeting, closing and blessing. It is common to say namaste to everyone you pass. A more formal greeting would be to place your hands together and bow slightly as you say namaste.
Joys! Early in March, we had our first visitors from
the U.S. The Chaudhari family from Scarborough Presbyterian Church included Woodstock School on their tours of n
orthern India. (That’s Karin Chaudhari on the right of the photo.) It was a gloriously sunny day
during their short visit, and we were able to show some of the school and tell
them about our work here. Daughter Pia asked a good question: “What makes your
work mission work?” Those of you who know the story of how we came to Woodstock
know that we feel we were called by God to leave our home and family, live
sacrificially and serve others – much like the first disciples of Christ. We
live by their example when we nurture the students and our colleagues of this
boarding school through bible study and hospitality, partner with the Church of
North India when we lead worship and Sunday School for people in our hillside
church, reach out to those in our community by helping a local nursing school
student and arranging financing for better housing for the poorest of the
school employees. There is so much need in our midst, and we ask God to open
our eyes and show us how we can do even more. It meant so much to see friends
from one of our supporting churches. Consider this an open invitation to come
and visit us and this beautiful part of God’s creation. Woodstock School welcomes volunteers!
Barb was finally able to get a women’s bible study off the ground! We meet Saturday mornings in our home, doing a Beth Moore study on The Fruit of the Spirit. We are grateful to a friend from Briarcliff Congregational Church, Penny Wolf, for providing the leader’s guide.
A video lending library is in full swing, thanks to good friends at Irvington Presbyterian Church. School families are able to check out some great family videos for sharing with their children and other students. Because many had to leave such “extras” at home when they moved here, this is a real blessing. IPC also sent some wonderful books for elementary-age students to supplement our reading programs. Thank you!
Requests for Prayer
Jeff will be attending an Educational Technology conference, and we ask for safe travels. Barb will have surgery in mid-April in Delhi, and we ask for prayers for the doctors and nurses who will care for her.
We await news from the mission offices of our denomination, the Presbyterian Church USA, crucial to our fundraising and support efforts. Please pray for their quick decision and communication with us.
Woodstock School also needs your prayers – we are inviting applications for a new Principal, Chaplain, Human Resources Director, Dorm Supervisor and Dorm Parents, and various teachers. Do you know the right someone for this school? Please pray that God will send people for these important jobs and that the transitions will go smoothly.
Wanted: Students for an International Education
Woodstock is one of two International schools in India which sponsor The SAGE Program - Studies Abroad for Global Education. Aimed at 10-12th graders, the semester or year-long program offers students a multi-cultural learning environment and boarding experience while taking American high school diploma courses, earning credits that transfer easily to U.S. schools. A highlight of the SAGE student's year is the month-long Winter Tour, a cultural tour of India during the winter vacation. SAGE also offers a one month travel and learning adventure in India during the summer. Financial aid is available. For more information, visit the website at www.sageprogram.org or email for information at info@sageprogram.org.
Thank you for your continued interest, prayers and support. Please let us hear from you soon.
Jeff, Barb, Chris and Coleman Thomas