First few weeks

Hi All

It has been several weeks since I arrived in Kerala, so I figured it was time for an update on what and how I have been doing here in South India.

First, a little background. Kerala is a state of about 30 million people in the southern part of India. The people of Kerala speak a language called Malayalam, which looks like this. I am here as part of the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Young Adult Volunteer program. My service will be centered around the city of Kottayam, where I am staying as a guest of CMS College, Kottayam. CMS is run by the Church of South India, a local Reformed Protestant church. (My home church, First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, has a partnership with a CSI church in the nearby city of Ernakulam, Kerala.) I will be serving as a teacher of communicative English at CMS and other nearby schools, and also becoming involved in local religious and cultural life.

Kerala itself is a truly fascinating place, with a lush and diverse environment and a unique political history. One of the most interesting aspects of its history is the diversity of its local religions. Both Christianity and Islam have coexisted with Hinduism here in Kerala since the first millennium A.D. Because Kerala has long been connected to the Middle East through trade, cross-cultural contacts facilitated the peaceful spread of these religions to South India. As a consequence, these different communities thrive in close proximity to one another. Indeed, it is not unusual to hear the Muslim call to prayer while standing in front of a Hindu temple, only to have to jump out of the way of a bus covered in Christian iconography.

Immediately following my arrival in Kerala, I spent a week at the home of the Young Adult Volunteer site coordinator for South India, the Rev. Thomas John. Thomas John is an Achen (read: Father) in the CSI Church who has had a long personal history of collaboration with PC(USA). During the orientation event, we spent a lot of time becoming acclimated to the weather and the spicy food, hearing lectures on Kerala’s history, politics, and economics, studying the Bible with Achen, and taking the first steps towards learning Malayalam. We also got the chance to go to a celebration of Onam, one of the most significant Malayalee holidays, and also to ride an elephant.

Since that time, I have gone on to CMS College, where I have been getting adjusted to my surroundings as well as making preparations for my work for the year. My supervisor here at CMS is a chemistry professor named George Jacob Sir, who has done an outstanding job of introducing me to the faculty, staff, and students of the college, as well as setting me up in service sites in and around Kottayam. Next week I will begin giving classes, as well as commencing other service projects in my new environment. I will be sure to keep you all updated with my progress here in India.

Thanks so much to all of those who have supported me with your kind words, prayers, and financial gifts. Watch this space for future details of my year in Kerala.

All the best,

Cameron