Advent 2007

Give Peace, Lord, give Peace:
Because defiantly and in weak spirit
the heart separated
from that what love tells!
Give courage to shake hands,
to say things that are true,
and make each of us a sign  
telling of the victory of love.

Jürgen Henkys

Dear Friends of our Shanti Family,

Christmas – the Feast of Hope because a child is born. This is why I would like to tell you about one of our children today – a story full of hope!

Tikka

Tikka came to us in 1993. Some of you may remember him, for we talked a lot of him a couple of years ago.
Then he was about seven or eight years old. He had a massive rachitis, which was evident from a sabre-shaped protruding breastboneand a distinctive hunchback. Bone tuberculosis had made a large suppurated hole in his back. He was lying in his bed doubled over and unable to stretch his arms or legs. He was in bed so long that the side on which he was lying was a single big wound.
His parents had left him in front of our door and strictly forbidden him to tell us that he still had a family. They feared that they would have to pay and, of course, they could not pay for him.
We saw, however, that there was a boy who lovingly cared for him, fed him, took him to the toilet and quite naturally shared his bed with him.
We found out only later: this was his older brother, Dinesh, who did not want to leave Tikka. So he also stayed with us and helped us care for him.

There was soon a couple from Dortmund who became godparents for him and helped us over years to raise him and pay the costs for his education.

Tikka did not complain much. He took part in all physiotherapy exercises which Krishna used to make him more flexible with courage and patience. Gradually he learned to sit, stand and use his hands, step by step. He made his first steps with the help of a walking frame and when I returned to Nepal in 1994 he happily ran towards me.

So he could also go to school now where he was an excellent student right from the beginning. He had a natural authority even though he stayed of a short stature. For years he slept with the orphan boys of whom he was the »boss« as a matter of course.

He went to school for ten years until passing the centralized final examination SLC which only 38% of the students pass in Nepal.

He is now attending college where he studies economics. This can be compared to kind of a commercial secondary school.
I cannot imagine for my life that a lot of young people here in Germany would be ready to go through such an education because it takes place from 6.00 a.m. until 10.00 am in the early mornings!
The reason for this is that many students have to earn their own living during education. This is what they do during the rest of the day.