1) “If they give us food, we don’t eat it” [Learning about the caste system from a 7 year old]
2) This work will take a miracle!!! [Lessons from Job!]
3) “Tum kaas cha?” (“How are you?”) [Language Sessions)
4) Little Language Helpers [The kids are my best language helpers!!!]
5) P & P
1) “If they give us food, we won’t eat it”
While they were on vacation from school, two of my regular companions in the village were fifteen-year-old “Joy” and seven-year-old “Bea.” While we were walking back from the field one day, I noticed some girls watching us and stopped to practice talking Kahani with them. We had only gotten as far as exchanging names when Joy called me away.
As I walked away I told the girls from the lower caste, “See you again!” I then turned and asked Bea ‘Are those your friends?’ She said, “No. They are harijaans. She continued, ‘If they make food, we won’t eat it, if they make chai or give us water, we won’t drink it…” I realized quickly that these kids were from the lower caste part of the village and the people we live with don’t associate much with them. I wondered what the people of the higher caste would think if I visited with these girls again and what I would communicate to the girls by not visiting them? I came away from this experience with the question of, how can stories bridge this barrier?
A few days after this trip, I was able to go again to the field and this time, I was able to talk with and take pictures with some of the kids from the lower caste. At first Bea made comments to the lower caste girls such as, “Get away from me” and “You’re dirty,” but she ended up smiling and enjoying the pictures along with those girls. While I don’t know what more will come of this caste situation, Bea’s change of attitude was an encouragement to me.
Some of the girls from the lower caste village- Bea is in the middle in the front!
2) This work will take a miracle!!!
I knew before arriving here that this work will take a miracle, but now that seems even more real! ‘God, it seems you have put me here to show me that You are more amazing than I ever thought. I’m trusting that You will provide me with the faith to trust You throughout this process! …I’m glad that you, Lord, know the future- and no matter what, You are in charge of the outcome and You are with me in this journey.’
I was encouraged as I read Job chapter 12 today…
“…For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of all humanity…But true wisdom and power are with God; counsel and understanding are his. What he destroys cannot be rebuilt. When he closes in on someone, there is no escape. If he holds back the rain, the earth becomes a desert. If he releases the waters, the flood the earth. Yes, strength and wisdom are with him…He floods the darkness with light; he brings light to the deepest gloom. He raises up nations, and he destroys them. He makes nations expand, and he abandons them…
This reminded of who God is and if He is capable of all these things, then He is surely able to tackle the caste system and reveal Himself to these people.
3) “Tum kaas cha?” (“How are you?”)
Looking back on my first language session with Dee, I remember that 40 of the 45 minutes were frustrating. Since then, she has been patient, I’ve tried to communicate in the trade language, and things have gotten better. My language sessions are different every day and so are the noises that are included in our recordings. Later, when we listen to our recordings, we hear conversations of others who stopped to add their ideas, the flies landing on the microphone, Grandmother singing(?) to Ronny (Dee’s 9 month old son), and other sounds such as neighbors calling to their friends from several houses away. I’m thankful Dee seems eager to help us learn the language in any way she can.
My language helper (Dee)
4) Little Language Helpers
I’ve read about other M’s who have received a lot of language help from children, and it really is true! The kids in the village have become some of my greatest language helpers! They love going through my pictures and testing me to see if I have learned anything!
P & P
* Praise for a great two weeks in the village.
* Praise for a language helper who has patience and that we have learned to have patience with our language sessions.
* Praise for good health while in the village, for the most part!
* Praise for my back starting to feel better - thanks to some of you who offered some good back exercises that I do every night!
* Praise for only having to eat grass once!
* Pray that we would have a good time with our supervisors who are here now!
* Pray that we would not get too ‘comfortable’ in Kahan before going back to the village next week, Feb. 1st!
Thank you partnering with me!!!
~ Elizabeth
(or Lizzie- as has become my name in the village. Actually, when they say it, it sounds like “Lijjie” since they don’t really have a “z” sound in their language!!)
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