Monday, May 19, 2008

Another Reduction of Services

One observation I made a long time ago is the ingenious design of sippy cups. Here is a vessel that lets you drink lying down. So you can luxuriate with that warm cup of milk, ideally delivered not just to your bed, but to your mouth, without emerging from your equally toasty array of blankets (that are slathered with your favorite story characters, vehicles and other points of inspiration). So you can drink without leaving your cocoon.

Then you turn some age that your parents have arbitrarily pegged as "too old" for that toddler stuff and foolishly, you agree. Gradually, you are weaned to head all the way to the kitchen for your morning drink. The whole seductive appeal of your former habit is insidiously diminished. Just one more way that we leave the ridiculously stunning service levels of our infancy (they feed you, bathe you, wipe your butt at the drop of a hat or for the tiniest wimper) for the self-serviced ways of our adulthood. Ah what to do...


Morning Milks, In the Cocoon, and Out - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Monday, May 12, 2008

Time Continues to Fly: Paul turns six

So here is a shot of Paul a couple of weeks after turning six years old. Pretty remarkable how fast a human being traverses from being an infant small enough to fit on one hand, into an introspective, inquiring and inquisitive child.


"Dad do you see how big I am getting?" - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


6 and Very Proud of It - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


The 2 Brothers - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Seattle is Graced by Potta: Sweating the Details

Generally, if you want to make something look easy, work intensely and smartly on the planning and preparation. As Ben Franklin said, "Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." The work prior to the Potta retreat was no exception. I can only speak from the observations of an outsider but the many workstreams (music, location, equipment, food, childcare, publicity) required steady effort to tease out the details, practice on an extensive basis in some instances and this preparation greatly reduced the number of last minute fire drills that occurred. Central to all of this was prayer and reflection on the part of many. It was a classic example of a "growing experience" for those involved and proved out the strength of the relationships within our community's members.


The Choir Brought a Prayerful Tone to the Event - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


A Sumptuous, Impromptu Dinner at Sarah & Mathew's Home - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


Winding Down After the 1st Full Day - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


Wristbands to Ensure the Right Person Picks up Each Child - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Arts & Crafts; Ashwin takes some toddlers thru a story - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


Games - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Gazing into the Camera - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Seattle is Graced by Potta: The Retreat Sessions

Here are just a few shots from the actual function - - unfortunately I would say they do not do enough to convey the power and energy experienced by those who attended.


A New Day Starts - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


Leading with Prayer and Song - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


Holy Water, Petitions and Offerings - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


Reflecting on a Passage; Leading in Song
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Monday, May 05, 2008

Seattle is Graced by Potta

At last, Potta came to town! After numerous practices and painstaking planning by the Indian community at the St. Louise church in Bellevue and participation by Joe Thomas on behalf of the local Mayalee association, a weekend retreat was held facilitated by 4 inspiring members of the Divine Retreat Center in Potta, Kerala, India: Rev. Father Mathew Naickamparambil (who founded this remarkable institution); Rev. Fathers Antony Thekkanath and Martin Kalamparambil, who have just launched a mission in New Jersey; and Rev. Sister Therese Varakullam.

For myself, who is unfamiliar with an evangelical manner of prayer, it was an eye opening and invigorating approach. I can see how on the one hand, it can be very appealing, much more personal, and drive people to be in the moment when it comes to prayer and one's engagement with their religion. For others, it is probably too much, as it runs counter to say, the highly organized structure of a Catholic mass. (The closest analogy that comes to mind is someone who plays trumpet under the strict guidance of a conductor in a symphony, then tries to shift gears to the largely self-guided improvisation of a jazz quartet.) Independent of the format, the weekend was packed with a great deal of thought-provoking content and scores of examples to re-affirm that a mystical side of life does exist to those who choose to believe and immerse themselves in the Catholic Faith.

Potta's success and scale is breathtaking.

From what I understand, each of the weekly retreats that occur in Kerala are attended by staggering 10,000 people, 52 weeks a year, year in, year out for 20+ years. The entity Father Mathew has created is on par with any globally known institution that has directly engaged millions of people. That one can interact with him at these traveling retreats is quite an honor, as at Potta the audiences are simply too vast.

Given that Molly was deep in the planning of the event, and led the childcare activity, I saw the fervent work that occurred in "the background" across the entire core team - - and it was indeed a boatload of work. As example, the folks who assembled the custom made choir practiced around 60 songs over the past weeks. And as proof of how well it came together, the attendees were able to simply worship, sing and focus upon the prayer at hand. All in all, the passionate words of the mission staff, and logistics undertaken by the event orchestrators, were a true labor of love.

Here's a few shots (I will add another post or two of the other aspects of the event)... I tried to capture the indomitable spirit of these Fathers and Sister but I can't say I pulled it off in the photos. All struck me as good hearted, extremely disciplined spirits, with radiant smiles and the ability to assess person in the blink of an eye. All were deeply prayerful people - - they were living examples of the adages "actions speak louder than words" and "practice what you preach."


Rev. Fr. Mathew Naickamparambil V.C. - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


Rev. Sr. Therese Varakullam F.C.C. - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


Rev. Fr. Antony Thekkanath V.C. - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


Rev. Fr. Martin Kalamparambil V.C. - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)