Sue Jetter has been extensively documenting and journaling our experiences in India. The following is her report on the last two days. -Josh
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Our work on the Christian Media Centre has begun. The team has now adjusted to the time difference (where did Tuesday go?) and have all settled into our rooms at the Raj Park Hotel. After a good nights’ sleep and a breakfast buffet consisting of both western and Indian foods, we walked the ¾ mile to the worksite.
Traffic is intense here. The city of Chennai is home to about 10 Million people. Small cars, numerous yellow and black taxis that resemble golf carts, hundreds of motorcycles – many carrying two or more people – and scores of bicycles and open-air busses packed with people share the roadways. Honking is commonplace as it seems to take the place of turn signals, yielding and just about any other driving courtesy or warning. Most sidewalks are old, impassable or non-existent, forcing us to walk in the streets facing traffic. We see very few traffic lights and notice that red lights apparently do not mean “stop” as they do in America. Traffic travels on the left side of the road, British style. One of the workers tells me that motorcyclists and bicyclists do not follow the rules and watch out only for themselves. I tell her I am amazed that we haven’t seen any accidents. She says they happen frequently in Chennai and the numbers are increasing.
We started our first workday by joining ten of the Media Centre staff in devotions. These are held daily in a small chapel. We take our shoes off before entering and sit on the floor, women on one side of the room and men on the other. We begin with a hymn sung in English “To Jesus I Surrender”. We are accompanied by a small pump organ played by an Indian Seminary student who plays the melody and chords by memory with one hand, while the other hand moves the accordion-like back to produce and project the sound.
One of the women reads from the 2nd Chapter of Peter in their native Tamil language, after which another female staffer reads the devotion from the day out of a daily devotion booklet produced by the Centre and distributed to 2,000 households. The devotional is also available in the Tamil language on the internet. Next the staff members join together in singing a hymn in their Tamil language. Pastor David then speaks to us briefly in English, sharing that today’ devotional reading talks about the freedom that we have as individuals. He states that we are also children of God and must use our freedom in harmony with our role as God’s children. Worship ends in prayers for the ministry and the people of India and the work that we are about to begin at the Centre. Prayers end with the Lord’s Prayer being recited in both languages simultaneously.
DAY OF ARRIVAL
After arriving at our hotel and a couple hours of sleep for some, Pastor David met us with three vehicles to take us to lunch and to the Media Centre. We went to a vegetarian Indian restaurant where David ordered our meal for us. The meal began with tomato soup with croutons. It was spiced differently than our tomato soup and all agreed that it was very good. The main course was served on a silver tray with about a dozen small bowls, each holding a different flavor, a bowl of white rice and three types of naan or bread. Waiters were happy to assist us, showing us how to mix the separate items with white rice and scoop the various entrees with our bread. The meal continued with a bowl of kheer (pronounced Kerr) which we mixed with sugar, a small banana and a scoop of Indian Ice cream which comes in a rainbow of great flavors. I believe that mine was cantaloupe.
The final touch was a “do-it-yourself dinner mint”. The waiters brought three small bowls to the table – one held a type of anise seed, a second held a rose-colored and fragrant seed-like substance and the third held large sugar crystals. We were instructed to take a pinch of each and eat them together. The flavors filled the mouth and created a pleasant combination, much like a breath mint. Some of our group decided it was “potpourri for the mouth”. We notice this same combination near the doorway of our hotel restaurant as well.
Following lunch we loaded back into the vehicles and were driven to the Media Centre to meet the staff and see our worksite. The Christian Media Centre (CMC) is much larger than many of the team expected it to be. It consists of two buildings. The first is a two-story building that houses the Chapel, Sanctuary, restrooms and numerous offices and storage spaces.
Our first task at the center is to deliver 90 Youth Bibles which were donated by the LCMS Mission office and carried from the U.S. in Team Members’ luggage. Staff were grateful and appreciative of this donation. It is clear that they will be put to good use. Next the Team and all available staff members gathered in the Sanctuary. Pastor David gave us a warm welcome and each Team Member introduced themselves. This was educational not only for the CMC staff, but for many on the team who did not previously know each other. Staff members were then introduced. As part of our welcoming ceremony, staff members presented each Team Member with a beautiful handmade lei made of wonderfully fragrant sandalwood beads and ribbons. Pastor Dan Rowe recognized and reacquainted himself with staff members he knew from previous years’ mission trips. Team member Rebekah was happy to meet staff member Sheila (also known as “The Coffeemaker”) , who had stayed with one of her best friends from Concordia University in Seward, NE. What an amazing Team that God has brought together for this task!
After the welcoming ceremony, we were shown the second CMC building where our work would take place. This facility contains at least six rooms arranged in a honeycomb fashion, each with a specific purpose: TV Studio, Rehearsal Studio, Sound Control Room, Editing Room, etc. The smell of mildew is strong and it is obvious that no renovation has occurred in the 42 years since its construction. Floor tiles are missing, water stains on the ceiling and walls are evidence of leaks in the roof, wall board is rippled and several rooms are in need of new paint. During our tour, staff members and team leaders with construction experience are evaluating our task, prioritizing jobs and deciding what can realistically be accomplished in our time here.