Here is a recent letter from a family in India that has been pouring into the youth through skateboarding. Please keep them in your prayers!
"I hope you will pardon me for not being as open at first... We have had security issues in the past, and although things here are more open these days we are still a little careful when talking to people about ministry.Through email I feel I can be more open about specifics so first off I'll give you an idea of who we are, etc.
My wife, son and I have been living in India since May 2001. We came to India to work with others from our same organization in trying to reach out to Muslim people here. We spent the first couple years learning language, going through culture shock, learning to adjust and live here... hating it at times, loving it at times, but always looking to God to see what He wanted to do in and through us.
I mentioned that we started a gym for women (like "Curves" in the USA). Since we aren't allowed to be here as "missionaries" we felt led to pursue the business route and although it was tough at times, and stressful... God used it. It closed down after being open a few years but there are still relationships that are flourishing for my wife and ladies who come to our home for aerobics, etc. One other cool thing is that we were able to donate the equipment to another like-minded couple in another city and they have opened up a ladies gym there and I am sure God will do a good work through it that will be blessed too.
Originally, we came here to work among Muslims but about 5 years ago I was challenged to take a look at the great need to work among youth here. So, now, my focus is on the huge youth population, many of whom are Muslims but also Hindus and Christians too. Most of the Christian kids I work with are missionary kids but my hope is to see them do a 180 in their mindset and embrace being kid missionaries, and therefore become ministry partners in a sense. This is happening, but it is a learning process for all of us. The Muslim kids I work with are street kids that live on or near the train station about a 10-minute walk from here. We minister to some of their needs, and are trying to get them somewhere in their education so they can get into a real school, but it is difficult for them being so far behind.
India is an interesting place. It is a land of extremes... wealth and poverty, side by side... so many different religions and peoples... modern and seemingly ancient. It really is a trip living here. In looking at youth, I can't help but always SEE the kids that are living on the streets, scavenging for trash to recycle so they can make enough money to survive. Then there are also the huge numbers of average kids who are basically poor by western standards, but are able to go to school, live with their family, etc. Throw in the few wealthy privileged kids who think they are "IT" and you probably have a kid population the size of whole USA population.
I think the Indian youth population is ripe for skateboarding. One of my personal convictions is that any kid who desires to skate should be given the chance to try it and if they enjoy it then to pursue it.
Too many kids here are being robbed of being kids. The poor kids because they have to work all the time in order to survive and kids in school are under extreme pressure to get good grades so they can get that spot in a university, for the career, and so on. So, after school many kids have a short break and then go to "tuition" until dinner and bed time. It is pretty lame, the stress level, and it is common to read in the paper about kids killing themselves because they did not get high enough marks during their exams.
What I love about skateboarding is that it brings out the "kid" in people, whether they are children or adults... it really is all about FUN. What better way to connect with someone is there? It is still such a novel thing here that people don't know what to do with... it doesn't have any of the rebel or bad side of things that it can have in the West.
So, why isn't skateboarding already here? I am not sure. I do know that it is making inroads, slowly... but as of yet you can't buy a decent skateboard here. You can buy a big pink fat barbie board (I almost bought one once just so I could show people the options we have
here) and also a poorly made longboard with huge wheels... and a worthless board that looks almost real till you flip it over and realize they put roller skate trucks and wheels on it. That was really funny.
There was a British guy named Nick (Buddhist I think) in Goa, India, who opened a cement skate park in his back yard... but it only lasted a few seasons before he gave up on it... it was called "Sk8 Goa" or something like that. His market was the traveling skate tourist passing through India, not the local population, and think that is one big reason why it didn't last. I went there once and it was fun, but hard to find, and too hidden away... probably wasn't up to legal standards... not sure. Besides that place I haven't heard of anything else.
IDEAS or DREAMS and possibilities....
I have been thinking of opening an indoor basement skate park that I envision having a small skate shop being inside of it. Indoor because of the obvious heat issues, and basement because it is cooler, cheaper to rent, and often times is a larger open space in buildings that have other floors that are have the average floor plans on the upper floors. Our gym we had opened was in a basement and could have been perfect for a small skate park... something a little bigger would be better.
I would be open to having a shop to sell boards, and other relevant items, and wonder how to make a skateboard more affordable for the average kid... but also have the rental option for kids who can't afford to buy their own equipment.
I want to give any kid the opportunity so most likely there would be a rental type of situation for kids too poor to own a board or shoes. I have provided boards and more recently some donated skate shoes for the poor kids I skate with and it has worked well... they really go all out when they have shoes on! I expect that I would have middle and upper class kids come to a skate park and look forward to those teachable moments that will hopefully go far in changing attitudes about caste. I am convinced that with the opportunity, the poor kids, and even more so the street kids (who are already pretty tough kids) will really be able to learn fast and be ripping in no time. This will really challenge the kids who have rich parents as they struggle with the idea that they are better than others. If you saw the little youtube clip we have up... titled "skateboarding in India" there is an example of what I just said in the words below the video.
Another part of my vision of a skate park is that it could also be a place where different things happen in off hours, whether it be an English class, or some sort of youth group club that can be a place where kids here the truth and are able to discuss relevant topics and issues they are dealing with and need help in. Sharing about Jesus will take place within friendship relationships and we'll see what God does in that arena.
Some other ideas, not necessarily my own...
You touched on this with the mobile skate park I think.... the possibility of making some small ramps and things to take to different slum areas on a regular basis... maybe a weekly one a few hours at a time... to make it available to kids who are on the outskirts of the city. This has been brought up to me by a number of people and although it is very possible, and I am interested, I see it as a great way for Indian Christians to develop for youth programs... they can legally (albeit with the possibility of persecution) share their faith with others without getting kicked out of the country.
Another thing I could do, or someone could do... is to try and start sk8 ministries in churches and see how those grow. It would be a fresh and new approach here and I think it could bring some new vitality to the same ol' youth programs that are modeled on earlier generations of youth ministry.
I see the possibility of skate mission trips where kids from the USA (and other countries where skateboarding has taken root) come and hang out, skate, and minister God's love to those here.
Someday, I see the possibility of a huge event that brings in Christian pros, like the Luis Palau type of thing... as a possible ministry opportunity, maybe in multiple cities... an X games type of thing. There have been some big events in some places... so it would be possible I think.
OK, sorry, this is so long.... I hope you can speed read... I want to mention a few more things... maybe only one for now. One of the ministry foci ? we are a part of has to do with seeing an end to human trafficking. It is horrendous here in India, especially, the trafficking of young girls into the sex slave trade. For boys, it is more being trafficked and held in slave labor at places like brick kilns and sweat shops in the city. I desire to see kids rescued out of those types of situations. I think skateboarding can be a type of therapy to give a kid back their childhood, or teach or allow them to be a kid again. So, it is also something I want to take to places that are homes for rescued boys, orphanages too... which there are plenty of here.
Being that train stations are a main transit place where trafficking takes place, and many street kids are fluent and understanding in what happens at train stations, one idea I have is to provide boards for older kids who will skate at the stations and keep an eye out for girls, or kids, being trafficked. They would sort of be "undercover" agents trained and utilized to help rescue girls before they get on that next train to Mumbai and end up in a brothel. There is or was someone doing that in Mumbai (minus the skateboard) that was effective in rescuing girls being trafficked... a former street kid... so I do think it may be possible, but not necessary, to incorporate skateboarding in that kind of a situation.
OK, that is it for now. I will work on some video clips and/or pictures to send to you."
Posts
