Peace and Calm finds its way to ‘Eden’

Eden boarders playing ludo on a lazy Saturday morning.  (Photo Courtesy: Zhazo Miachieo)

Khedi Baptist Church gives hope and future to underprivileged children
 

Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 12

38 km away from Dokmoka National Highway, situated on a slope east of Longlokso Baptist English School, Karbi Anglong (Assam) with river Nihalangso running alongside it, around 15 huts made of bamboos stacked together make up the ‘Eden Hostel.’ 

In the past, the land was believed to be “impure, a place for the cursed. Nobody ever wanted to live on this wasteland.” It was reported that “even the Karbi Baptist Council (KBC) failed to reach the place and it was a hideout for Karbi armed groups.” 

Electricity reached the village only this year. A still largely neglected place, far from witnessing infrastructural development, it is no surprise that poverty reigns over the inhabitants here. 

In 1996, Khedi Baptist Church, Kohima eventually rose up to the challenge and carried on the school work abandoned by a previous church. They set up a hostel, which they named ‘Eden’. The hostel houses underprivileged children and is the only such place where the children and their mothers can reside together. 

In some cases, children as young as 11 years are sent, along with their younger siblings by parents. Most of them are from Burpung, Tarapung and Karju. At present, there are 67 boarders and 17 families in total, all surviving on boiled rice with salt on most days.

One afternoon, right after school ended, lightning struck the school compound, injuring 30 students and killing one. 
So far, a missionary has died here and two others who went to help the missionaries with their work at the school and hostel returned with malaria and died at their homes. 

Constant pressure from the neighbouring villagers as well as the difficulties of a harsh terrain and weather almost pushed a move to another location. Somewhere close to modern civilisation. But somehow the missionaries preserved on. 

23 years on, the place is a haven, or at least as close to it as possible. Preparations are already on course for the silver jubilee celebration just two years from now. 

Atso and his family have been here as missionary teachers since the last 15 years.

“It had been raining relentlessly for two days when I visited the place. Early one morning, as I entered one of the hostel houses, I saw the children gathered around a fire, listening closely to one of the girls reading from the Bible. I asked her what she was reading, and she pointed at the verse underlined in pencil. It was a verse from 1 John 4:16, which says ‘We know how much God loves us, and so we have put out trust in his love,’” Zhazo Miachieo, Photographer and Storyteller narrated. 

“A place known for being cursed is now ringing with the joyous sounds of children playing. A sense of peace and calm, that once believed unimaginable, has finally found its way into ‘Eden’,” Miachieo added. 

(Photos Courtesy: Zhazo Miachieo)