September 21, 2007

Friends,

“Good morning, Ma'am, and welcome!”

Spoken in unison by 50 girls in white blouses and green skirts, these words greet Sue each time she enters a classroom at St. Thomas School. The atmosphere of respect is invigorating. Could we bottle this up and ship some of this enchanting courtesy to the United States?

Members of a science class at St. Thomas Junior School.

Founded by a woman missionary in 1935, St. Thomas School is affiliated with the Church of North India, our partner denomination. St. Thomas School is recognized by the government and prepares girls for the All India Senior School Certificate Examination. On the campus of the senior secondary school, there are approximately 1,200 students in grades 7 - 12, and on the campus of the junior school, another 1,200 students, in nursery through sixth grades.

The senior school is located next to the Harijan Colony where Gandhi stayed when he came to Delhi. Gandhi took his morning walks on the school playground, since there was no public park or private garden. Today a bronze bust of Gandhi sits on a pedestal overlooking the grounds to inspire each new class of young women.

As a values education teacher, Sue introduces different topics, such as “caring.” The students talked about whether or not a person has to deserve compassion in order to receive it. One class felt strongly that a person must deserve it, before anyone should inconvenience herself for that person. Sue asked them to draw up a list of criteria that would indicate a person deserves care. Genuine need was one factor. Other criteria included:  that person has to show respect for me first, that person should be one who cares for others.

In a class vote to see how many agreed that compassion should only be shown to people who deserve it, many hands went up. Sue counted thirty-six.  Only one girl, Anushka, raised her hand to disagree. “I don’t think a person has to deserve compassion to receive care. She may have had many bad experiences; we need to understand what she has been through first.”

Anushka was brave to hold fast to her opinion when the whole class disagreed. Sue brought up a newspaper article from the previous week that described a man who had been hit by a car in the hustle and bustle of Delhi traffic, but no one stopped to call for medical assistance. The young man died. She posed the question: “How can you know if that person deserves care, until you first go out of your way to help?”

This was one of many conversations about trust, integrity, fairness, and compassion. Some days, classes discuss current events, such as corporal and verbal punishment of students by teachers, where morals come from, and our personal “core values.” Although St. Thomas is a Christian school, students come from Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Christian backgrounds. The girls at St. Thomas begin using English in nursery school. By the time they reach the senior school, they are fluent and able to articulate their thoughts and opinions. They are trained to read, write, and speak with passion and assertiveness.

Recently, St. Thomas School hosted a poetry recitation contest at which 20 secondary schools participated. Sue served as one of the three judges. The winner was a young woman who recited, “I Ask, Why?” Composed by an Indian poet in a traditional style, the words of the poem hauntingly challenged the inequality between genders in Indian society. Each verse ended with the moving words: “I ask, why?”  The girl who recited the poem was small in stature but dynamic in her recitation.

At every convocation or assembly Sue is invited to pray for the families of teachers and students who are experiencing sickness or loss. It has been like a baptism by immersion into the St. Thomas School family! On each campus once a week she also leads a Bible study for Christian students. At the junior school the girls swarm to the library and show amazing interest in discussing and applying Scripture. They ask provoking questions about science and faith, miracles, prayer, and they easily memorize verses from week to week.

Children in the “Reach Out” program at the American Embassy School in Delhi. Photo by Mary Hudson.

We also want to update you about our daughter, Mary, 16, who attends the American Embassy School here in Delhi. She has been engaged in the “Reach Out” program. Children from the slum directly behind her school come onto the campus every Thursday afternoon, and high school students lead them in art, recreation, reading, and personal hygiene. Mary has enjoyed capturing a few of their smiles!  Photography is one of her elective courses.

Prayer requests for South Asia

• Please pray for the students, teachers, and administrators of St. Thomas School, as they strive to incorporate values into a rigorous academic program, which emphasizes rote learning and extensive testing.
• Please pray for our partner churches and their ministries in India, as well as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
• Pray especially for political stability in Pakistan, the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan, and the Christian institutions that carry out ministries of education, healing, and hope.

We send a warm thank-you to everyone supporting our ministry here in India and our work as regional liaisons for South Asia. We are building relationship bridges every day and are grateful for our calling to serve here!

Your partners in Christ’s mission,

Sue, David, and Mary Hudson
New Delhi, India