(Any Title Suggestions?)

So, upon reflecting about my last post “Some Things My Eyes Have Seen,” I feel like I have given Kolkata, India and the Indian people a bad wrap, which is most certainly not my intention. I feel that the issue that is the saddest part is money; money, the desire for which is the root of all evils. I recall at this time something said to me at a bible study where we discussed money; it came in the form of a warning not to get upset about what other people said. The phrase was this: “people get funny, when you start talking about money.” I believe that is true. I was privileged enough to e present at a celebration of the MC Anniversary at which the sister’s re-affirmed their vows of poverty and chastity. After words, I was discussing this with a friend and he mentioned that in the western world, specifically the church, that a vow of poverty is considered a foolish thing. Why? Because one needs to be able to support ones family; but is God not our provider?
I do not have the answer, but I do know that I am afraid of returning to a wealthy country and more specifically what effect it will have on me.

But enough of that let me share about some of the splendid things I have seen here. In the midst of this expanse of decrepit buildings is a beautiful park. It does not go on as far as the eye can but it does go for a number of blocks in many directions. For me it is a nice retreat from the city being able to look a half a kilometer away over flat green ground. It was on one such walk through the park that I was invited to sit and chat with a man who was sitting there by the grass. In the end he seemed only interested in my money, but I liked sitting there and chatting for a bit.

The people here work so hard. How hard? SO hard! A typical day seems to be about 12 hours long. That’s what the waiters at the restaurants work, and no matter what time of day I go out I see the same rickshaw-men and taxi drivers in the same spots all the time. One of the waiters in the nearby tourist café speaks 7 languages, another many who runs a food stand speaks 4, I think, and has been working in that location for 40 years. There are those who work hard, and that is something I think is in the Indian culture. Some people have twisted that hard work to mean making money at all costs, but others want to provide for their families and be successful.

Talking with the other travelers, volunteers, and tourists here is also very enjoyable. It is from them that I’ve learned most of what I know of this place. Friends are easy to make as everyone enjoys hearing the stories of other people’s travels. I’ve even managed to toss the Frisbee around with a few other people. Perhaps on a day of better weather we could get a game of ultimate going. Of course much of my time is spent reading in my room, and I’ve noticed my writing style keeps changing slightly as I read different authors, strange that.

I really not sure what to write about further, but I think next week I will post some stories and more details about the place where I am volunteering. It’s a wonderful place, and as much as I want to go and help out in some of the other houses, I do not want to leave the kids.

Until next time,
~Matt Clarke
Go Big or Go Home!

Some Things My Eyes Have Seen

For those who are unaware, the title of this post is in reference to a song that I like very much. It’s by a group called Disciple and it’s a tribute to soldiers who fight in other countries. When I first heard it I thought it should also be a tribute to missionaries who fight for God in other countries. The first line goes like this “The things your eyes have seen are the content of my darkest dreams, but you take them willingly the war that keeps my family free.” The more that I see here, the more I feel that this world indeed is a dark place, but in it there is the light of God poured forth by many lighthouses throughout the land. Enough of my strange talk, you the reader are probably interested in some specifics.

I spy with my little eye something that is greed.
It is all over this place, through everything and embraced by the mindset and culture of the people. The way people drive is extremely ‘me first’ with no patience or understanding that waiting one or two seconds will get everyone to their destination faster. Where I learned to drive, the horn of the car is used in dire circumstances to ward off an accident, or a use that is more common, to summon someone out of a house to an awaiting vehicle. Here it is the other way around. If a horn were to brake on a vehicle I am sure that the driver would be too stressed to drive anywhere but to the shop to get it fixed.
Business owners who sit back and pay others very little to do the work that they do not want to do or can afford not to do while they charge an absurdly large amount for their service or product. This specific trait is not present in every single place but it seems to be the more common by far. Yes, I do agree that low overhead and high income is the equivalent of ‘good business’ but if that is the case then I would make a terrible businessman for there is no heart in it but the heart of greed. How much can I get for myself, even if that means leaving others with nothing? Taxi drivers and Rickshaw men who sit around all day not working much, but if they can rip one person off, then they’ll have the money that they need. Rickshaw men try to sell their bells, used as horns, or to get people’s attention, for 500 rupes (10-12 USD) when it’s obvious that they cost about 5 rupees or less to produce

I spy with my little eye something that is sad
The Missionaries of Charity do well to inform volunteers, especially those staying in the tourist block of the city, about the beggars. They are not as they appear. Indeed the begging here ha become a business all to its own; being run in a mafia style where beggars have what is more or less a pimp. And children are rented for a day, dressed in little to no clothing and go around asking foreigners for food and money. After being given clothes, those same children are sometimes seen the next day wearing the same rags as before, asking someone knew for clothes, money or food. I have beggars approach me with baby’s in arm asking for food or money for their child and then the same would approach me again the following day with a different baby in arm, or with no children at all, and none nearby. As one lives in the area and watches these people, it does become obvious that there is indeed deceit and lies upon the surface. The honest people of the area know what is going on and once I even saw a business owner chase a beggar woman off with the threat of a beating. I watched her flee as if her life depended upon her haste. The saddest part in this story is that many beggars are indeed crippled, lame, blind or disfigured and that much of this has been done to them by their ‘pimps’ that they might draw sympathy from foreigners.
What is the response? The Missionaries of Charity ask that volunteers take action against this ‘business’ by inaction. By not giving money to these people, one is in a manner, forcing them to find other means of supporting themselves. In the west, if no one buys a product, then no one will make it. If no one gives to these people, then they won’t beg. Where is the light in that darkness one would ask? Well there are a number of organizations including the Missionaries of Charity who do feed and provide help for those in need. So, the people on the street are not in as great a need as first impressions might reveal.

Having said all of that, there are people who do not ask for handouts and work hard yet still end up sleeping on the sidewalk on a mat with a pillow, or if they are lucky on a pallet with a tarp, blanket and pillow.

So what am I and what are we to do? I do not know. But I can smile at the beggars and love them from my heart, praying that God’s love be present in their live.

This train of thought is saddening for me, and there is more that continues on for I am not sure how long. Yet here I shall halt, ending in a lighter manner.

Ecclesiastes says that being content in our situation is all that we need ask, for all striving under the sun is vanity. It’s kind of ridiculous, from worldly wisdom, but the wisdom of God is foolishness to the wise of this world. Love God and obey his commandments. To me, especially at this time, this is very heartening.
Jesus, son of the most high, is risen, and He is coming.

And I shall serve Him
~Matt Clarke
Go Big or Go Home!

(Photos linked to post title)

Here i went, but There I arrived

I went to go somewhere and arrived at a destination much different than I expected. And the ensuing adventures are now, in hindsight, a delight. But of those adventures I can not yet write...in detail anyways

Two weeks and two days I have been here in India and I’ve been sent e-mails “How are you? Haven’t heard anything, hope you’re doing okay.” Wow, you love me! You really love me! But alas patience is a virtue. For me it’s only been a couple of weeks, but an excellent couple of weeks.
My first impressions upon arriving in India involve the bamboo scaffolding used in structural repairs to the international airport. I’ve seen other things since then that would boggle the mind of many of you and you simply would not get it. Others who’ve been these ways before would probably chuckle to yourself about my experience while reminiscing of your own adventures.
En-route to Kolkata I spent a day touring around Bangkok Thailand and I hated it; just a not fun place to be, especially for someone traveling around on limited funds. Upon leaving Thailand and entering India I realized I do not like cities, I don’t, they are terrible busy and are incredibly difficult to keep clean. Give me bush and backcountry experiences to make me happy. Yet here I am, in a city of several million people, most probably 10-12 million from the conversations I’ve had with others, and I am not being overwhelmed by it all. I praise God for he called me here and has given me what I need to do the work I am to do. Exactly what that is I am still unsure.
I have been volunteering at Daya Dan, an orphanage for mentally and physically handicapped children. I thought that this type of work would be the most difficult that I could do, and here I am doing it. Not only am I doing it but I love it. I did want to work at kalighat, home of the dying destitute, but the sister asked me if, as a long term volunteer, can you believe that, 2 months is considered long term? Sad, if I would be willing to work with the kids as they benefit from stability more so than the sick and dying.

Perhaps upon completing my time here I will have an opportunity to write down the stories in full. Until such time know that I am doing well now despite having been sick last week. I also have heaps of time for reading and have already finished 4 books and am working on a 5th; this all on top of reading my Bible. The biggest challenge is finding books for cheap, well not the finding of the book, but the getting it for cheap.

I can’t think of anything to write at the moment. Most of the stuff here is not suitable for a casual blog form and needs some time for me to digest from thought that I may excrete it was intelligible words. Some day.

but until then I'm still
~Matt Clarke, so
Go Big or Go Home!