Email: Sudie Niesen

Hello Friends!

I'm sure some of you were thinking I had not only flown half way around the world, but also fallen off the face of the planet. I seem to have a corrupt pin drive (necessary for transferring documents from my computer to the computers at the Internet cafe), thus sending out updates has been a bit of a challenge. But, I am happy to finally send out another newsletter!

I realize that I didn’t tell all of you of a change in my site placement. About a week before orientation, I received an email from my site coordinator informing me that I would be working at Christava Mahilalayam Public School instead of at Union Christian College. I am still living in Aluva and tutoring within the Dalit community here, but my academic placement has changed.

If anyone has questions about life in India, send them my way and I will try to answer in upcoming newsletters!

Settling in

By mid-November I had been living and working in my site placement for two months. The first leg of this journey has taken me to some valleys and some hilltops, but mostly it has been a steady, deliberate, and fulfilling trek. After a couple weeks of mild floundering, I now feel settled; shops and buses no longer feel intimidating, navigating Aluva feels manageable, and the faces of those who live and work near U.C. College Junction (the closest “landmark” to Chacko Homes) are becoming familiar. I have a routine, an address, and even a mobile number; it appears that I am carving out a life in Kerala. I credit the people of Aluva with making my transition a smooth one.

At orientation, former YAVs cautioned us to expect periods of loneliness and boredom during our year; after all, such experiences are commonplace while engaging in a ministry of presence in a foreign land. Thus far, however, I have been fortunate to rarely stumble upon these emotions. The community here is one with tenuous borders—borders that have expanded freely to let me in. Every day I see faces light up at my presence, and this excitement persists through all situations. I worry that my cultural naiveté will prove burdensome to those I seek out for guidance, but even this does not detract from my new friends’ eagerness to welcome me into their communities. I came to India with the intention of serving others, but I’m learning that an essential part of the volunteer experience is developing the grace to be served as well.

I would misrepresent myself by leading you to believe my experience has yielded only contentment, and I would be foolishly optimistic to assume that this year will pass effortlessly. During the initial weeks of adjustment, there were times that I truly did feel alone. Frankly, after seeing the other YAVs off to their respective sites on September 15th, I spent a tearful first evening in Chacko Homes thinking, “Sudie, what have you gotten yourself into?” Thankfully, these moments have been short-lived and were usually interrupted by a knock on the door or someone crossing the room to greet me.

Now, even though I feel acclimated and comfortable, Aluva does not yet feel like “home.” The people here have openly embraced me, but the differences of language and culture still act as barriers that prevent me from feeling truly settled. I find that forming relationships is simultaneously delightful and arduous, something I attribute to two main factors. First, I regularly interact with five different communities: Christava Mahilalayam, the Blind School (where I join fellow YAV, David, for lunch), Chacko Homes, the Dalit Community, and the church I attend. There are not enough hours in the day (or the week) to visit with all the people that have invited me into their lives. Second, even when speaking with those who are practically fluent in English, conversation often moves at half my regular pace, and I spend a disproportionate amount of time explaining myself.

In the various transitions I have made since I graduated from high school, I have relied on circles of close friends to help me “create homes” in new places. These have been the people I turn to for support, for rejuvenation, and for comfort. Yet, with the reality of my situation in Aluva, I find that establishing an intimate group of friends is a difficult task. This sometimes contributes to the feelings of loneliness that manage to creep up on me. However, despite this, I’m surprisingly comfortable with the atypical composition of my present social network, something that stems from realizing the nature of my role in this place. As a volunteer, I am not here to form relationships that fulfill my own needs—I am here to be present with the people of my new community.

Assuming this role is already teaching me a valuable lesson: that self-care is an important consideration in any form of ministry. With a teaching schedule that keeps me occupied from 8:00 to 5:00 on weekdays and a consistent flow of invitations that fill the evenings and weekends, it is easy to become exhausted. Sometimes the demands on my time feel a bit overwhelming, and I worry that I will push myself too hard now, only to burn out later. I sense this tension will be central to my YAV experience: finding a balance between caring for those in the community I serve and caring for myself. This is currently my greatest challenge, but I am beginning to discover a system that will allow me to contribute the most effectively. I am learning the value of placing boundaries on my time. And although my schedule does require some more adjustment, I am starting to balance it with things that energize me.

Even though the relationships I have formed do not resemble those I’ve made in other periods of transition, my new community is eager to care for me. Individuals constantly go out of their way to make sure I feel welcome and comfortable. My new friends have prepared me meals at inconvenient times, come to school bearing gifts of chapathi and motha curry (one of my favorite breakfasts), and sent me home with packages of nuts to ensure I'm never caught hungry. They have escorted me to bus stops to see me home safely, they have come along when I needed someone to translate. Most importantly, they consistently ask how I'm doing and meet me with a smile. I am thankful for these gestures of love, and for the ministry of presence my community provides me. With time, the boundaries of culture and language will surely disappear, leaving only friendships I will hate to part with come next July.

Becoming “Sudie Miss”

The moment I set foot on the Christava Mahilalayam campus, I acquired a new title, one that I have grown to love because students always utter it with excitement. Every time I step outside the staff room, children receive me with eyes of wonder and the phrase, “Good (insert time of day here) Miss.” I arrive every morning to children shouting “Sudie Miss!” and waving enthusiastically from the school's second story. And I can usually count on calls of, “This class Sudie Miss!” to guide me down the hallway for a scheduled period. It is wonderful to feel so welcomed.

Christava Mahilalayam Public School is affiliated with the CBSE, meaning it uses syllabi issued by India's central government in Delhi. This school was founded ten years ago as an independent institution, although it shares name and legacy with the older Christava Mahilalayam State School just up the hill. Because English is a unifying language of India, all CBSE schools are considered “English Medium Schools” where classes should be conducted in English. Christava Mahilalayam is young, so this standard has not completely gone into effect. Thus, my purpose is to help students and teachers grow more comfortable using English.

As the “Spoken English” teacher, I take every class from standards one through nine for one period a week, and then spend part of my Thursday morning at the kindergarten. With this schedule, I’m creating weekly lesson plans that range from understanding “question words” to discussions on the American political system. Each class certainly presents its own challenges. Because of their limited knowledge of the English language and their short attention spans, my time with the younger students (kindergarten through second standard) becomes an exercise in maintaining focus. The third and fourth standard students are at the age where pocketing another’s pencil box is in vogue, and children of the opposite sex have cooties (I don’t believe Keralite children would use this exact terminology, but the principle is the same). In these classes, I feel more like a disciplinarian than a teacher. I greatly appreciate the students in standards five through eight; they have learned the art of listening and have acquired a sufficient English vocabulary. In these classes I am able to conduct lessons that focus on improving conversation skills, that is, if I can deter them from begging me to play “Hangman.” My ninth standard students have learned enough English to read Shakespearean sonnets, so the difficulty is keeping them engaged with a curriculum that challenges them to use the English knowledge they have acquired.

Every time I teach a class, I am learning things about myself—preconceptions I have about education and success, the value of patience and adaptability, and the ways that I can be more effective in my work. While sometimes this process is frustrating, I am thankful to have a community of students and teachers that sees my presence as the greatest gift I can offer.

Generosity abounds!

If there is one thing my participation in the YAV program has already taught me, it is that generosity abounds. Generosity has met me every day since my arrival in India. I’ve witnessed it when families invite me into their homes to share a meal or a cup of chaya, when people switch to their (often limited) English in order to communicate with me, and (most importantly) when individuals overlook my status as the stranger in order to see me as a friend. Often this generosity comes from people who I know possess far less than I do. Yet it always comes freely, and with a warm and genuine smile.

The display of generosity certainly did not begin when I set foot in India; from the moment I learned of my site placement last April, I encountered it with every step I took toward my departure. And now, I am thrilled to announce that with the gifts and pledges I have received, I have met my fundraising goal of $10,000!

The outpouring of support I have received is incredible! Your gifts have made my participation in the YAV program possible, and I am extremely grateful to have you as partners in this experience. The community of support you have formed has already become an ever-present source of strength and encouragement. Thank you all for including me in your ministry! (For any who still wish to contribute, further donations support the YAV program as a whole.)

Sudie