Meals at the Baptist Missionary Society of Kolkata are experiences unlike any others I expect to have in India this summer...
Mary, the cook, is a silent Muslim woman who cooks the most glorious beef (we had a real British dinner of beef, mashed potatoes, and boiled cabbage the other evening, which was utterly divine!). She doesn't speak much, but always smiles radiantly when we express how much we enjoyed the meal.
Margarete is like the knowledgeable old squaw of BMS (to use an Oklahoma illusion). She is a retired school teacher who spends six months here and six months in the UK each year. Margarete creates the ere of an old colonial missionary (simply by her accent, not her theology). She is my favorite part of the day.
"Leslie's Group" (names have been changed to protect the faithful) consists of five Americans (2 women, one man, and a mother/13-year old daughter duo) who are of no denominational tie: they are 'Children of God'. I call them 'the Christians'. They are here for a month to help the poor in whichever way "God puts it on [their] hearts to do". At first, I found their wide-eyed Christianity annoying; I sensed their judgment as I proudly proclaimed "I am a Disciple of Christ!" and then passed on their offer to join 'nightly devotionals and praise' (disclaimer: the two clauses of this last part have nothing to do with one another... many Disciples love devotionals and praising... I just happened to decline their invitation shortly after affirming my happy denominationalism). But, as my mother suggested last night: the Red River only divides when we're in Oklahoma and Texas; everywhere else, we are happily known as cow and oil-folk (of Texahoma, as my Texan native friend Kaylon and I love to joke). I now look forward to dining with 'the Christians' each morning and night (plus, I don't know that they were ever actually judging me). Margaret is always the 'Mommy', concerned about whether Ann feels well (yes, they are 'Ann Margaret'... well, they are a cool combo of another Hollywood movie star, but the names have been changed, remember). Dennis, who should be a serious thug with his heavy Boston accent, has already befriended a community of recovering after stumbling across an AA meeting on the group's first night in Kolkata. Leslie chats with any new person at each meal, and Abbey confided in me that she stopped her intense nightmares by reading Scripture before bed (this was after I explained about my recurring zombie dreams and thus not taking the psychotic malaria meds). They are very kind, and somewhat humbling in their earnest awe of God.
Sissy is a quiet, 20-year old French woman from Lyons. She is in Kolkata for four months doing an internship with an Indian NGO as part of her higher education... talk about a serious sweet heart! This woman is so nice, a little uncertain about the Godliness of 'the Christians', and is as beautifully French as anyone could imagine.
Then there is me, Bethany, the 24-year old theology student... here to do research on the Church of North India. We are all white, Western, and long for the occasional non-curried meal; but we are, beyond that, a motley crew indeed.
Mary, the cook, is a silent Muslim woman who cooks the most glorious beef (we had a real British dinner of beef, mashed potatoes, and boiled cabbage the other evening, which was utterly divine!). She doesn't speak much, but always smiles radiantly when we express how much we enjoyed the meal.
Margarete is like the knowledgeable old squaw of BMS (to use an Oklahoma illusion). She is a retired school teacher who spends six months here and six months in the UK each year. Margarete creates the ere of an old colonial missionary (simply by her accent, not her theology). She is my favorite part of the day.
"Leslie's Group" (names have been changed to protect the faithful) consists of five Americans (2 women, one man, and a mother/13-year old daughter duo) who are of no denominational tie: they are 'Children of God'. I call them 'the Christians'. They are here for a month to help the poor in whichever way "God puts it on [their] hearts to do". At first, I found their wide-eyed Christianity annoying; I sensed their judgment as I proudly proclaimed "I am a Disciple of Christ!" and then passed on their offer to join 'nightly devotionals and praise' (disclaimer: the two clauses of this last part have nothing to do with one another... many Disciples love devotionals and praising... I just happened to decline their invitation shortly after affirming my happy denominationalism). But, as my mother suggested last night: the Red River only divides when we're in Oklahoma and Texas; everywhere else, we are happily known as cow and oil-folk (of Texahoma, as my Texan native friend Kaylon and I love to joke). I now look forward to dining with 'the Christians' each morning and night (plus, I don't know that they were ever actually judging me). Margaret is always the 'Mommy', concerned about whether Ann feels well (yes, they are 'Ann Margaret'... well, they are a cool combo of another Hollywood movie star, but the names have been changed, remember). Dennis, who should be a serious thug with his heavy Boston accent, has already befriended a community of recovering after stumbling across an AA meeting on the group's first night in Kolkata. Leslie chats with any new person at each meal, and Abbey confided in me that she stopped her intense nightmares by reading Scripture before bed (this was after I explained about my recurring zombie dreams and thus not taking the psychotic malaria meds). They are very kind, and somewhat humbling in their earnest awe of God.
Sissy is a quiet, 20-year old French woman from Lyons. She is in Kolkata for four months doing an internship with an Indian NGO as part of her higher education... talk about a serious sweet heart! This woman is so nice, a little uncertain about the Godliness of 'the Christians', and is as beautifully French as anyone could imagine.
Then there is me, Bethany, the 24-year old theology student... here to do research on the Church of North India. We are all white, Western, and long for the occasional non-curried meal; but we are, beyond that, a motley crew indeed.
1 comment:
B,
Thank you for painting such lovely pictures of your travel, study, and most of all the people you are with. Don't tell your mom I said this, but the crazy malaria med dreams only got worse for me and the meds didn't keep me from getting malaria. Something to ponder if looking for other ways to escape the zombies. I keep searching for a place for us to live when you get home. Can't wait to share the year in stories with you.
xo
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