CWM-TIM 2023

  We enjoyed the mud pool experience. You start by putting mud on yourself out of a bucket. Then you stand around waiting to "dry".Once dried, you enter the mud pool, which is quite squishy on the bottom. You "rinse" yourself there, then head to the "hot springs", which is a nice warm pool. They have a 2 another pool, but it was too hot for us. It was a wonderful experience because I don’t have these type of experience back in India.

We participated in the celebration of Independence of Islands in the Pacific - Tongo Island on 04.07.2023 Solomon Island on 07.07.2023, Kiribati Island on 12.07.2023 in the PTC Chappel   We came to know that, how they have been colonised and the struggles they had. It was really interesting to hear from them. There was cultural activities and Dance.

 Week 1 with Emily was my first theological class in my life since I’m not from a theology background. I learnt many things how to read bible, how to engage with God, and so on. It was wonderful week I will say because we have a delightful thought provoking class from Emily. I was reflecting on the Ethics of Naming God, because till that I believed  the God is white colour with long hair and blue eyes,  I got a clear clarification after the class. She finished the class with a quote from James Cone,   We've got a lot of white images of Christ. In reality, Christ was not white, not European. To see Christ as black is important to the psychic and to the spiritual consciousness of black people who live in a ghetto, in a white society in which their lord and saviour looks just like people who victimise them. God is whatever colour God needs to be in order to let people know they're not nobodies, they're somebodies". “The African Black Jesus” "Jesus in Varanasi" b...

Last Thursday at PTC Chappel We attended  a holy communion service. The Service started with the Kumbaya my Lord Kumbaya ,Kumbaya means  “Come By Here,” During Holy Communion, in place of bread and wine we were given  Coconut flesh and water. For me, this demonstrates their devotion to and way of life with regards to Coconuts in the Pacific.

Story of Indo - Fijian Experience  Girmit - The Agreement Life in India for many people at the time was tough. Babies born during that time could expect to live, on average, for just 24.5 years. Lack of rain and poor management of resources by the British Government resulted in widespread famine. Food and jobs were scarce. The Indo-Fijians arrived in Fiji in 1879 with 463 laborers, and between 1879 and 1916, over 60,000 Indians landed in Fiji for Girmit. The agreement was for five years of indentured labor, and after five years with many choosing to remain in Fiji and become their home, leased land from iTaukei and developed their own sugarcane fields or cattle farms.   

 On Saturday night, the PTC Family welcomed us with a warm welcome, showcasing Fiji's Kava culture. They welcomed us with a Bula garment, garland, Sulu, oil, and perfume. We introduced ourselves and enjoyed a delicious dinner together.

  I was waiting for that day. Although I know I will miss my family very much, I am very excited to meet my new friends over there in Fiji.  I had a good journey through out the flight especially in Fiji Airways got a sleeper coach.  Once we arrived in Nadi had wonderful welcome with the song with Bula (welcome) after that in Suva we were welcomed by a shell ornament. It’s a wonderful first experience for me.