Commercialism has come to India!

How is it in a country where only 6% of the population identify themselves as Christians that the South City Mall, just a 15 minute walk from my place of residence, is all decked out for Christmas!!!???  Of course, it is the secular Christmas with Santa and his reindeer, their home, I suppose it is, looks like a castle!  Those who work in the food court are even wearing Santa hats!!!  It is all too much, and I am longing for the peace and quiet of the hills of Mussoorie!!!

We took the kids who remain at Pauline Bhavan to the Mall today.  I suppose it was fun for them to see it, and they have gotten quite a bit of the real meaning of Christmas over the course of the month.

We had a little party up in my flat last night.  It was fun, and I admit that I have only added to the decadence of the season by introducing them to Nutella!!!  I somehow wanted to do something with cookies yesterday, but couldn't find anything attractive in the "regular" sort of super market where I visited.  So, when I spied the chocolate spread that reminds me of my chocoholic mother, I couldn't resist.  They loved it, and we had a good time together.  Tomorrow we are having lunch after church with our family there.  I am looking forward to it.  Then we are planning our own little special dinner together tomorrow night.  There are 11 of us still there.  Usually we are 24.  Oh, and we got a new little girl the other day.  Today is the first day she hasn't wailed . . . no tears . . . she is quite certain that she will return to New Market tomorrow.  New Market is another old shopping area in the city, and the surrounding slum is something to behold!  Ekta is from there.  She seems fairly bright, is around 8 and when she isn't wailing, she is pleasant.  Shovash, also a new resident, a boy, wore the shoes Kamlesh used to wear today to the mall.  Thoughts of what might happen to him still makes us sad!

I have been asked to share thoughts (3 to 4 minutes worth) on what Christmas means to me.  I'd already been thinking about that.  Phil 2:1-11 come to mind.  To think of Jesus leaving heaven to come and live on earth . . . in the context of living in Kolkata causes me to ponder coming from Richmond to be a slum dweller.  This is not something that I have done, and it is not something that I think I could do, but Jesus did it for me.  I cannot but bow at His feet and worship.

Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!!!

Merry Christmas to you all!!!

What a week!!!

It is hard to imagine that it has only been one week since I last wrote.  It has been the busiest week, yet, I think!  I have not even had time to come in and check my mail until yesterday!

This was the last week of school, and there were seemingly endless practices for the final program.  Things are so formal here, compared to schools I've been involved with before, and if I am honest just a little bit old fashioned.  Still a new student council was installed, including PREFECTS for all four houses, etc.!!!  If we hadn't had "houses" at Woodstock, I would be lost.  It is a British thing, Prefects, Captains and Vice Captains have a lot of power and are essentially responsible for a lot of the discipline of the students.  We are very proud of Pauline Bhavan residents . . . Dolly (rising Class 11) is Vice Captain, which means that she will likely become Captain in a year's time.  She was also given the award of Student of the Year! Deepa (rising 10th grader) is a Prefect and also came second in her class.  Believe it or not, she was disappointed as she was working for first!!! Moinul (rising 3rd grader) is first in his class.  I went with him on Friday to get his report.  His yearly average in all subjects was either 99 or 100!  Only one student in Pauline Bhavan or Anandoloy (where "our" boys live) was not promoted to the next class.  It was great to be able to rejoice with and encourage them.

So, at school, the final program was on the 15th.  It was all over by lunch time.  Then the Jadavpur Child Development Center had its gift distribution that afternoon.  Yours truly gave out close to 200 gifts in the space of about an hour.  

The next day I went with four of the PB students to get their results (report cards) and speak with their teachers.  Then I helped the JCDC teachers finish up some of their work.  At 5:45ish, the Christmas program of PB and Anandoloy began . . . . songs in English, Bengali and Hindi; a hilarious skit, so I am told, by the boys in Bengali; testimonies by Saikat and Deepa who have come to faith since living in the residential homes of EMC.  Saikat and one of the other boys of Anandoloy had walked me to catch the bus on Tues, and he shared some of his story with me then.  He came into our program as a child addict.  God is good, all the time, but sometimes . . .The program was followed by a delicious dinner which most of us had spent some time helping with.  Indian food is very labor intensive.  Gifts were also distributed.  I made it to bed by 10 still somewhat fatigued from the day before.

I should also report that I visited a local Christian bookstore three times this week trying to finalize the spending of a Compassion grant for Bibles (130) for the children at school who are over 14.  The store is on the other side of town, closer to the office.  Traveling back and forth presented its greatest challenge to me on Tues.  I rode the Metro home at the height of rush hour and now have a fuller understanding of the term packed in like sardines.  I have never been so crowded into space as I was that night.  I even have some bruises to "prove".  Never again, I vowed.  The next night I returned home by taxi . . . more expensive, and it takes longer because of traffic, but . . . it was worth it!  I AM going to learn how to take the bus home!!!

The weather has turned decidedly cooler, and even I am admitting that it is chilly!!!  On the way to this cyber cafe I passed a little boy wearing a jacket, hat and gloves . . . now that was a little excessive, I thought, but the winds are cool, and I got a blanket for my bed this week.

Yesterday I felt the need to do something completely different, so I pulled on my jeans and headed to South City Mall.  I have always found that there are times when you need an escape, and yesterday was one of those times.  The Mall is the most Western thing that I have come in contact with here, and so off I went.  I walked and got there before it got to busy.  I had a small pepperoni pizza at Pizza Hut, and some French fries, that weren't worth it at another counter.  Then I topped it off with some ice cream!  After some shopping I returned home to drop things off, and headed to this cyber cafe . . . quieter than the one I have been frequenting though it has more terminals . . . and checked mail for the first time in five days, I think.  After getting some fruit and veggies on the way home, I ate, and turned off my light by 7:30.  I did not stir for the next 8 hours which was great.  I didn't get up to stay up until 7:40 this a.m.  Yes, I was TIRED, and I still am a little bit.

I was asked to read the scripture this a.m. in church.  It was about the lepers in Luke, 11, I think.  As I was reading it, I was struck by their faith and obedience . . . they were healed as they went!  And, the one who came back was made WHOLE.  Interesting, isn't it how new insights hit old familiar stories, isn't it!?

It was announced in church this a.m. that we will have lunch at church next week.  I was so happy to hear that.  I wasn't very excited about just coming back to PB and having dinner as usual!

On Wed they had an EXHIBITION at school.  Just that a.m. I had told the Lord that I didn't even have any candles for my Christmas observance.  I just love to light as many candles as I can find on Christmas night.  One of the things they were selling at the exhibition was some candles!  I bought four!  (They are in little "glasses"!)

Yesterday when I got home the second time, Kamlesh was leaving with his mother.  Many of our residents will go home for varying lenghts of time depending on whether or not their parents have a place that they go safely.  K said, "Aunty, I will miss you."  "I will miss you, too," was my reply.  Little did I know until I got inside that his mother had "taken" him for good.  WE are so disappointed.  Both his mother and his step father are HIV positive.  K is about 6!!!  

Another year older . . .

Yesterday was my birthday!  I celebrated with Premila and her oldest daughter Vandana.  Friday night we went to a musical performance at the AG church here.  I then spent the night back "home" on Russell Street!  I am now 65, and feel good about reporting, "I'm retired!!!"  The first b'day that I celebrated away from home was my 23rd!

In India, you treat others on your birthday, but I got an American style celebration . .  gifts, a cake, singing, and before the end of the day even some ice cream initially!  I insisted on treating, too, and we went out for a pretty late lunch in a sort of Western upscale restaurant on posh Park Street, just a five minute walk away.  I treated that time!!!  Premila sent me back to Pauline Bhavan with enough cake to share with the other 23 residents.  As I came through the gate, I was greeted with lots of well wishes and hugs . . . I'm not even sure how they knew it was my b'day!  They were thrilled with the cake, and I had bought sweets for them, too.  At school, children always come around with sweets for you on their b'day!!!

It seems to me to be warming up again . . . not hot, but not really "Winter" as the locals insist!


Today we heard some members of a Bible school who are visiting from Shillong, Megalaya (a state in the NE) sing.  It was beautiful!

We have a busy week ahead with several Christmas programs, and the children's final results.  When they start back in Jan, most will be in a new grade!

Another super Sunday!!!

Here it is Thursday afternoon, and I am finally able to start to tell you about the events of last Sun.  I remember sitting through the worship service wondering if I were just getting used to living here because it didn't "feel" like anything special.  I had been at home awaiting the arrival of workmen of varying sorts much of Fri and Sat.  Admittedly, time had passed very slowly, and I wanted to do something different!!!  I had thought about not riding home on the EMC bus after church, and just getting a good book and going out for lunch.  Then, it was announced that there was going to be a sort of impromptu bat-mitten tournament after church.  I'll stay, I thought.  Some of the girls were staying to play.  This seemed like a perfect solution to me!

As we drank our tea and chatted after the service, I noticed Ishob talking to a woman.  Ishob is one of the boys that I have been helping some after school.  I knew that sometimes parents and/or guardians of our children come to Ripon Street on Sundays as it is in central Kolkata and easier for them to access.  It wasn't long before Ishob and the woman approached me.   

"This is my mommy," he said.  Our communication was minimal because of language.  I was able to tell her what a good boy her son is.  She told me that she had been unwell, and that she had prayed to Jesus and was better.  Later in the evening when I returned from a trip to the Mall, Ishob met me at the gate, helped me get my things upstairs and stayed, talking non-stop for the next hour, sometimes in English and when he couldn't go on in that language, he switched to Bengali.  He just wanted someone to listen to him!!!  He told me how small his house is, how much he loves his mommy, about his rabbit and his dog.  Apparently the house isn't far from his Massie's house (his aunt . . . sister of his mother) and his grandmother.  He will go home for a couple of weeks during the school vacations.  His mother told one of the men who works with EMC, and Prashanto told me later that Ishob's father is a drunkard and a drug user.  P said that this is the case of many who are from slums.  Mrs. Sardar, I's mother, isn't well.  Please pray to Jesus with her that He will heal her.  I pray that He will heal them both spiritually as well.

Another woman, who is older was talking with Moala, who is the house parent for the girls.  Someone told me that she was Patty's (not her real name).  Grandmother.  Apparently, this lady lives near Ishob's mother.  Anyway, later, I learned that this woman is really not related to P, but when her mother was going to sell her to a brothel, the lady asked if she could have her instead.  My heart just melted when I heard this, especially after being with Mala and Greg in Ooty who work to rescue such girls!  P is in about the 3rd grade.  She is quiet and I don't feel that I have gotten to know her as I have some of the more outgoing girls.  I do pray that I could find time to do something special with her in the future.  She shares a b'day with my sister, Carol.

I finished reading Prashanto's paper and gave it to him on Sun.

The tournament was fun.  I was just a spectator but was hailed as the Chief Guest, and gave out the prizes . . . that is just something that is done out here.  It was a beautiful day, the temperature was moderate though it seems to me that it has heated up a bit lately . . . not as hot as it was when I arrived, but I do not call this Winter as the locals insist!

As the tournament went on, I realized that there were people there that I had never seen before.  So, when Mariamma came over to sit and chat, I asked her about them.  Oh, she said, they are former members of the Pavement Club.  Timothy Uncle called them to come and play.  I was so touched.  Here I was with all of these "slum children" of various ages and stages.  Timothy and his wife work faithfully in the Pavement Club, especially in the New Market project.  They have kept up with these kids and still have such an obvious rapport with them though they are in their 20's I am guessing and no longer Pavement Club (informal education) attendees . . . it struck me that this is likely to mean that they have never gone to "formal school" such as the Calcutta Emmanuel School!!!

When I got home on Sun, I needed to get some things for the house, and even though it isn't my preference, I decided that I was going to go over the the Mall . . . South City Mall . . . when you are there, you could be in the West!  I decided to try and walk it because it really is that close, and I was ready for some exercise!!!  After a few wrong turns, I got there, and felt very proud of myself!!!  I went up to the bookstore and bought another book.  I don't watch TV here and so I am reading more!  I then decided to get a cup of coffee and even a tart, and to just sit there and read!  You know, sort of like going to Barnes and Noble!  I enjoyed that, and then made my way down to Spencer's . . . I decided that going on Sun afternoon isn't a good idea because it is CROWDED!!!  But. I did find a really nice loaf of bread . . . something I have been looking for . . . and CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER!!!  Wow, it is the little things in life that delight me sometimes!!!

It occurs to me that I should go back now until Sat when I had the idea that I would take the younger residents of PB to a nearby park.  Thirteen of us left together and the kids did a great job of walking along our busy road in pairs, etc.  We got to the park and off they were running, sliding, seesawing, and then . . . 15 minutes after we arrived, we were told that the park was going to be LOCKED!!!  Well, several of them were sure that they could find another park . . . long story short, we didn't, and by then I didn't know where we were!  Fortunately Moinul, who is 10 going on at least 20, led us home safely.  He is a great little guy, very smart and good at everything apparently.  As I left he wanted the key to my apartment, which I gave him, to continue working on something that he had started working on when a bunch of the boys . . . well, all of them as there are only 6 . . . were up the other night.

Oh, that reminds me that we got a new boy on Sat.  I am ashamed to admit that I haven't gotten his name yet.  The story I heard was that his mother was only 14 when she married.  The father beats both her and the child.  She has run away three times, and the last time he told her he would kill her if she did it again.  So, the boy is with us for safety reasons, kind of like being in shelter, I guess you could say.

Mon, the 5th, our first Christmas program warmed my heart.  It was the Christmas nativity with an Indian twist.  It was all done in Bengali, so the part that had an "Indian twist" for me was the music and some of the "steps" that characters like the shepherds took.  During the days leading up to the program, I had watched some of the little girls practicing a dance to "O Holy Night".  I was very impressed.  Their dance was the finale of the pageant, and it was lovely as they danced before the manger scene!

I have been helping this week both in the school, and in the afternoon "child care" program with communicating with Compassion sponsors!!!  Wow, I think of the child that I sponsor at Grace Hostel in Dehra Dun.  He writes me once a year, and that is enough for me!!!

I wrote in my journal yesterday a.m. that I wondered where I am in the cross cultural adjustment process.  I am now one-third of the way through this venture.  I continue to believe that this is the right place at the right time, but . . . Sat, the 10th is my b'day, and until this afternoon I had no plans.  Then there is Christmas and I have no special plans.  So, if I am honest, I am just a little bit homesick.  I don't really want to change places, but I do miss some of the things that I'd gotten used to and that seemed "old hat" at home.  The Lord has also reminded me that I came to fit in and to serve.  That is exactly what I am doing.  There are times when I go downstairs to go to school or the office, and I have no idea what will unfold.  By faith, I am making a difference, and being used for His glory.

Premila called at lunch time today.  I am going to go to meet her tomorrow for a performance at the large AG church in town and then spend the night at her place as it will be over "lateish" when things are over, and making my way home alone on public transport isn't something that she'd want me to do.  We had talked about doing something together for my b'day on Sat anyway, so that will work out fine.

I'm enjoying reading through Luke as I prepare to celebrate this wonderful season.  May He be lifted up and glorified in this land as children who don't know Him perform the nativity and sing of his greatness.  One of the girls at PB commented the other day, "I believe in Jesus, but I am not a Christian!"  Great honesty, but, Lord, please break though and show her your power!!!  She needs you so.

I also finished reading HEAVEN IS FOR REAL today.  If you haven't read it, I recommend it.  

My hot shower is still working, and I am enjoying the luxury of it!!!

First hot shower in three weeks!!!

Now that I have your attention, let me explain!!!  My faulty geyser was fixed yesterday.  Let's see how long it 'holds' this time!!!  I moved into my apartment here in Jadavpur four weeks ago today.  On the following Mon, a geyser was installed, and hot showers were the result . . . bucket baths had been the order of the day, which are not a problem.  At one time in my S. Asian experience, that was all I took.  I am so grateful for the fact that I am not a novice in this land.  It has come in handy on so very many occasions!!!

Back to the mountaintop experience . . . the Montabaun Guest House was built during the days of the Raj (when the British ruled in India).  It would have been the destination of many an expat who came to Ooty in the hot season, especially the missionary community.  We had such a guest house in Mussoorie, Edge Hill, which was very near my home, Maple Cottage, for four years!  Anyway, I had a very basic room with an attached bath.  All of the rooms have attached baths.  There were two buckets in my bathroom, a big cup for dipping the water from the bucket and then throwing it onto your body to both get it wet and rinse it off, and a Western toilet . . . thank goodness!  My knees don't like the Eastern toilets anymore, and I have only had to use one of them so far on this trip!  Anyway, Rajan who redefines the definition of a 'servant's heart', serves all who enter in at Montabaun!  The first night we were all there, I made a list of when everyone wanted their "bed tea" the next a.m.  You could also request coffee.  Then, we were instructed to put an empty bucket outside our room when we wanted our hot water for bathing.  I don't know who the watchful eyes were, but the coffee, in my case, came within 10 minutes of my appointed time, and I never waited longer than 5 minutes for my bucket of hot water!  I last remember getting that kind of service in the 70's when I was at Hebron in Hyderabad!

All of this is to say, that I have been bathing, but a hot SHOWER really felt like a treat this a.m.  The weather is getting cooler here, and so throwing cold water over your shoulder and washing you hair in the a.m. is a chilling experience.

This week I got an email from my almost 10 year old great nephew asking me some things about how India and the US compare.  It has made me look at my surroundings differently.  I can hardly imagine how to explain the difference in the two places.  Yes, I am in a big city, and yes, we do have a huge mall near where I live, and you could close your eyes there and think you were in the West.  But, the walk to 8B bus stand, where I walk most days either to get a rickshaw to the Metro, or to come and use the cyber cafe. . . well, it is like nothing you have ever experienced in the West!  The cycle rickshaws; the small, somewhat dirty shops, the pile of garbage that the crows and the dogs are going through . . . someone will come around eventually pick it up, but that doesn't happen everyday!  There is the little shop that does re-appostrying (sp?) mainly in the street . . . sorry about the type change . . . I'm not sure just how it happened!!!  There are the cycle rickshaws lined up, seemingly for nothing sometimes, shops that may or may not be open and side walk/street vendors that may or may not be open.  Yesterday I noticed a sign for the first time that said, "Do not urinate here!"  I had to laugh to myself as I remember being in Mumbai with my brother in the 70s and being amazed by the number of people who just stop and urinate along the street!  (I must say it does seem less nowadays . . . well in the cities anyway!)

Then, there is the whole idea that many here don't have birth certificates, or don't even know what day they were born . . . maybe the season, or by an event.  I am sure that this is changing, too, but it has been a sobering thing for me to ponder.

Yesterday I went to Ripon Street, where the office is, which meant I took the Metro.  It seemed unusually crowded and it was the first time I had had to push to get on, and my bag was pushed off my shoulder.  I remembered the 70s in Mumbai and being horrified at the pushing and reluctant to take crowded public transportant for fear of being touched.  That doesn't happen anymore, the touching I mean.  Last night was the first time I had ridden the Metro home in the peak hours, and there was a long queue (line) waiting to get a rickshaw to Jadavpur . . . the Metro stop is Tollygunge which has a new name, but I can't honestly tell you what it is.  India is in the process of renaming things to what they were before the British came and named things here.  (Can you believe that there is Charing Cross in Ooty, for example.)  Anyway, Indians are generally not good at lining up for things, but here they were waiting patiently for it to be their turn to get into the rickshaw that would take them home!!!  I was amazed, and grateful not to have to push, or get knocked out of the way!  (Survival of the fittest . . . one of my first memories of India.)


Starting Mon, our Christmas programs begin and I will start being apart of the CDC (Child Development Center), kind of like a daycare with informal education that is held at the school from 3:30 to 5:30.  The director is going to join his family in Ireland as they await their second child.  They won't be back until the end of Feb!


I have been helping students at the Calcutta Emmanuel School make Christmas cards for their sponsors for the last several days.  (I'm at the school M, W, and F).  Monday will be the last day.  Then I'll go shopping with my colleague and a couple of the kids whose sponsors have sent them some Christmas money.  I just love Molibaka, and it will be fun to bring the kids here to the 8B bus stop to shop.  


It is about 6 p.m. and time for me to head home.  All of the kids at PB have now finished their exams.  I think some of the older girls are probably asleep!  They have been really studying hard!  I laughed today after making cards.  One of the boys said, "Maam, when did your country become indepentent?"  They had their history exams today.  He got the answer right!  I wonder how many American school kids could tell you when India got their independence!!!


Oh, next Tues is another holiday . . . a Muslim one.  So, English lessons won't start for the adults, maybe now until Jan as we are into Christmas program mode these days!!!  Never a dull moment.  Please pray that all of the preparations will end up being more than a performance!  Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!!!




 

Down from the mountain . . .

I wanted to post something today while memories are still fresh.  But, I am on a lousy key board, and running out of time.  So, this will be brief!!!

I am back safely in Kolkata!  I even caught an AC bus from the airport, and then because I am now a seasoned Metro rider, I knew just how to get a rickshaw home!!!  I felt very proud of myself as I banged on the gate at Calcutta Emmanuel School/Pauline Bhavan so that the watchman would let me in.  As I rounded the building, I was welcomed home eagerly by several of the dwellers of PB, and two of them whisked my heavy suitcase up the two sets of stairs to my apartment!  I had a wonderful time on the mountain, but I am also very glad to be home!  One of the things that I always look forward to in Richmond when I come home is my bed which I find so comfortable . . . a firm mattress and soft pillows!  Somehow I have managed to replicate that here, and I slept REALLY well last night, after not sleeping very well in Ooty . . . cold nights, and not such a comfortable bed!  Another thing that I like to do when I come home is take care of the laundry.  That takes on a whole new meaning here as I do laundry in a bucket with cold water!!!  My mom used to say of things, "Just give it a lick and a promise."  Somehow I think of that whenever I do my wash!  I just let things soak, and make sure things don't get too dirty.  Lilly, who also makes chappatis for me everyday does my sheets and towels for me.  Indians are just more experienced with the 'no washing machine' techniques which involves "beating" clothes . . . they do it all over India, so there must be something to it!!!

The time in Ooty was an enormous blessing.  Hopefully I can catch you up some on it in the coming days!

Now is the time! And, hanging out with my brothers in Ooty!!!

Yesterday about half of our group walked over to Union Church here in Ooty for Sunday worship.  C. T. Studd pastored this church, which is over 150 years old, at one point in its history.  


I walked along with Satendra, the man whose name I couldn't remember in my last post.  He is from the tribal areas of N. Bengal and is working in Bhutan.  I have an interest in this part of S. Asia mainly because of the many students that we had at Woodstock School from this beautiful landlocked, closed kingdom.  As we walked Satendra shared about the working of the Lord in Bhutan.  When I was last in India and visiting N. Bengal, I met a husband and wife who are Bhutanese believers.  Indians and Bhutanese move easily across each other's borders!  It was so encouraging, and we were so lost in conversation that we got separated from the group and were actually heading away from the church!  One of our number realized that we had done that and came running after us.


After church Mala and Greg along with two of their four children joined us for lunch at the Montauban Guest House!  Mala is Dave and Cathy's daughter.  She and Greg have been involved for a number of years here in India rescuing under aged girls from prostitution.  I visited them two years ago briefly, but it was so good to hear them both share about God's leading in their lives to be here, and more about the work.  We will be visiting the office and see their jewelry production work tomorrow.  I am looking forward to that!  Currently they have three girls in their Aftercare facility.  


Mala was born in Kolkata, and when many of us who are gathered this week worked together out of the base on Camac Street, we played with her and loved her!  She doesn't remember much about that, but we all remember her with a lot of love.  We took a picture with her yesterday!  Another great memory! 


Montauban is feeding us breakfast and the evening meal.  Yesterday, we had our main meal there in the middle of the day.  Our schedule is relaxed, and we are enjoying a lot of fellowship.  Each person is giving an update on their current ministry, and we are enjoying spending time together in prayer for all that God is doing in this land!!!  After our time together yesterday evening, we were on our own for supper.  I am one of only four women here, and the only one without a spouse.  Many of my brothers, and I do feel that close to them from our relationship that is being renewed after 35 plus years, are here without their wives, so they were happy to have me wander into the bazaar with them to find a place to eat.  I was so happy because I enjoyed spicy alu channa (potatoes with chick peas) and naan!  It was a treat!


Four of the men who are here are Bengali speaking, and they took me along with them for lunch today.  Three of these men were my brothers back in the 70s and one of them is new to me.  He has such a testimony!!!  He would have been a candidate to live in a facility like Pauline Bhavan, and was in a Kolkata orphanage at one point in his life.  The very dramatic change in his life from a life of anger, hatred and violence . . . God has used him to be apart of planting 70 churches in W. Bengal.  He works with his father in law who is one of my "old" brothers!


I really am so blessed by the time here.  The relationships that are being renewed, and the realization that even when I was young and in this land, the Lord did clearly knit my heart together with many.  How is He going to use this in the future?  I am being encouraged, "Come and visit."  Lord, what is your will???  I would love to go up to N. Bengal in Jan for a conference.  Let's see what they have to say about that in Kolkata!!!

Three more airports, back in the mountains, glorious reunions!!!

Yesterday a.m. my alarm went off just after 4 a.m.  I had an 8:00 flight leaving Kolkata's Dum Dum airport and was expecting my ride at 5:30.  It arrived much earlier, and with no traffic it didn't take an hour to get to the airport.  So, I had two hours to "kill"!!!  I'd thought I'd get breakfast, but from being in K's airport twice now, I have decided that I am not impressed!!!  I was expecting a food court, such as the one I've enjoyed in Delhi in several flights past, but . . .  I did get a cup of coffee and a veg burger which left much to be desired.  Anyway, the Spice Jet flight left on time and arrived on time.  I had arrived in the Mumbai airport which is very impressive!  I enjoyed a favorite snack there, paneer (they called it cottage cheese, but it isn't that by American standards) something, and though we left a little late, we made up the time and arrived in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu . . . way down South, on time.  AlongSide Asia had sent a car for me, and I enjoyed the 2.5 hour trip up the mountain!


AlongSide Asia is the organization that my friend's Dave and Cathy Hicks started some years back.  They have a number of partners, EMC being one of them.  They agreed to be my spiritual overseers while I am here.  Premila couldn't come down because of a lot of goings on in Kolkata, but I had an increasing desire to come, and now that I am here, I am just so delighted that I did!  Not only am I in another of India's beautiful hill stations, towns in mountains . . . like Mussoorie where I lived for seven years, but it is just a wonderful change of pace, and a chance to reflect after a very intense initial six weeks in India.


In addition to that, I am with old and dear friends from 35 plus years ago when I lived in Kolkata the last time.  My wonderful India brothers like S N Das, Nicholas Narginary, Sekhar Stephen, and Nicholas' brother in law whose name escapes me right now as well as Dave and Cathy, of course! Their daughter, now the mother of four, was a favorite of all of ours during our days at 15 Camac Street, and we were out at her home today for lunch.  She and her husband are involved in rescuing under aged girls from prostitution.  They have an aftercare home here, and there are various training opportunity for the girls to generate income in more productive ways for themselves.  Mala and Cathy are both house lovers, and they have three horses on the property that are being used not only in rehab for the girls but on Saturdays physically challenged children come out to ride the horses.  The girls are involved in helping with this.  Mala was telling us that it has been such an outreach and encouragement to the mothers' of these children, too.  Few real opportunities exist for children such as these in this part of the world!


Before I left, I felt sort of sad that I was leaving Kolkata.  The children at Calcutta Emmanuel School have exams next week.  We are also getting ready to observe Founder's Day on Nov. 28th.  But, my ticket was booked and there was no turning back!  Now I am so glad to be here, and I look forward to this week of remembering times together, and celebrating what God has done in our lives.  We are staying together in a guest house that was built in the days of the British Raj, and wouldn't make it on the list of greatest places to stay in India, but it is warm and fun, with hot water brought to your room when you put your bucket out to indicate that you are ready for it.  Tea or coffee arrives at your room at the time you have said you wanted it in the a.m.   They call it "bed tea" in this part of the world.  I don't know if it is a British thing or an Indian thing, but I have only gotten it here!!!  The food has also been great.  


There are 13 of us staying there, and we are swooping stories of the "good old days".  Lots of memories, but we need to be careful because not all of the people at the gathering were around in the "good ole days"!  Dave has asked me to try to "capture" some of the stories that are generated.  I have my notebook with me, but it is going to be a challenge!!!

Children's Day and other random thoughts!

It is Nov. 16th.  I have found my third cyber cafe in Jadavpur today.  Let's see how it goes!!!


I have just read by Sun post, and I am sure that I wrote more.  I remember having trouble posting on Sunday, and just maybe I lost some of it.  I thought I had mentioned Sashi along with Shalom.  Sashi is from Nagaland and regularly leads worship at JJF.  He is a gifted guitarist as are many from Nagaland . . . we had a lot of students from Nagaland when I taught at Woodstock School.  Anyway, as I suspected, as we talked on Sun, I learned that Sashi has been through our drug recovery program.  He is currently studying graphic design at Jadavpur University.  He told me through tears that he often struggles still with temptations related to his addiction.  I encouraged him to be in the Word daily, and even if he didn't have much time, to go to the Psalms in order to be encouraged by them.  I have been praying for him this week as he comes to my mind often.  I will not be in Kolkata this Sun, and I will miss seeing him and just checking in with him.


I will not be in Kolkata because I am going way down South for a week to Ooty, one of the beautiful hill stations in India.  I will be attending a retreat for several who are also partners with AlongSide Asia.  I used to work with some of them 40 years or so ago when we were all with OM.  It will be wonderful to hear what the Lord is doing in their part of this great land!


Children's Day was on Mon the 14th.  It is a wonderful  concept, and I wish I could have been present at more than one of our projects as the day was celebrated differently in different places.  I was at the Calcutta Emmanuel School and went with the Nursery and Kg students to a nearby park.  We walked which is another story in itself with that many wee ones, but I think the kids had a great time!  We were back in time for lunch . . . fried rice and chili chicken!  I also saw some eating ice cream for dessert.  Grades 1 - 4 went to the zoo and those in 5 - 10 went to Science City.  They were also back in time for the special lunch.


Later in the day I went to the Mall to pick up a couple of things and they were decorated with Mickey Mouse characters, and even a bounce castle, or whatever you call them!!!  At Spencer's the place where I went to shop, they were playing children's songs which I frankly found irritating.  One of the things that I have realized recently is the I live in a lot of noise!!!  My bedroom is on a busy street, and the last thing I hear at night is the honking of various kinds of horns . . . different vehicles here have different sounds . . . that's another whole story.


Yesterday I was over on Ripon Street at the EMC office and enjoyed spending time with some of the teachers and children at the Pavement Club, informal education with children who live in nearby slums.  Their teachers had put on skits for the kids . . . I know that they had been practicing for some time.  It sounds like they had a really fun day!  I kind of wished that I had been there.  Special food was also no doubt apart of their day.


I am finding out more of the stories of the 20 "children" who live at the Pauline Bhavan.  They range in age from about 4 to maybe 17 or 18.  Several of them know nothing of their parentage, two sisters have parents who live on platform 8 of one of the local train stations.  Two other girls, who are also sisters, have parents who run a tea stall at the Victoria Memorial in the heart of the city.  For these four young women, "going home" means sleeping on the street.  It does give one perspective on what it means to them to live with us.


Wed is a big day at PB.  The counselor and some of those who tutor come.  I am also working with Ishob on M, W, and F evening.  He is in grade one but really struggles with reading.  I found some games the other day at the Mall to help with that.  I have enjoyed using them with the kids!  Tonight Ishob and I are going to talk about long vowel sounds!  He is such a sweet boy, and has started teasing me about the way I pronounce Bengali.  Apparently to his ear, I have a drawl!!!  I think I have about learned which child belongs to which name.  It hasn't been easy for me!!! Zubani and Moala, the house parents have been a big help.


Sat I had a visitor, an old WS student who lives in Delhi and was en route to Bangladesh for training.  He was the second to pass through recently bearing news of what the Father is doing in BD . . . very encouraging!!!

I have now been at this computer for more than two hours!!!  So, I thought, why not just go for it and perhaps make it another hour!

I am so delighted to have "landed" on this cyber cafe in Jadavpur, my new place of residence.  It is South Kolkata, so I suppose it would be like living in Midlothian in the greater Richmond area!  Not only is this cyber cafe less than a 10 minute walk from Pauline Bhavan, but it is also fairly quiet.  There are only about 6 computers here, it is run by a woman and often I am one of the only ones here.  I just killed a mosquito which could be a downside of being here once the sun has set, but . . . The keyboard is pretty good, and I usually "get" the same terminal.


This week has been a good one, and today has been a great one, as Sundays tend to be for me here in Kolkata.  I look forward to worshipping at the Jeevah Joyti Fellowship, and today was no exception.  My Richmond church family would be horrified, I think, by all of the AV mishaps . . . very amateur at best, and the sermon was longer today as it was delivered in Bengali and translated.  But, the heart and soul of the church is real, and I continue to meet people there who bless my socks off!!!


Today I met Shalom for the first time, though he told me that he was blessed by my sharing a couple of weeks ago.  He helped lead the singing in worship today.  It was the first time I had noticed him.  He is very tall by Indian standards, so he stood out in the group.  In talking to him, I learned that he is a Tibetan from Kalimpong . . . which is in N. Bengal.  I knew so many Tibetans when I was in Mussoorie as we had a number of Tibetan students, and many T refugees lived in the area.  But, to meet an enthusiastic believer, that was very special.

Four minutes left on my hour here in the Jadevpur cyber cafe.  It is more expensive, by Rs. 5, almost nothing, an hour, but . . . the key board is wonderful compared to the ones on Ripon Street!  It is also just a fairly short walk from Pauline Bhavan which feels like freedom!!!  I donned my walking shoes for the first time today to walk into "town"!  Oh, the joys of being unpacked.  Of course, I had to take my shoes off to come in here.  Somehow I didn't realize that the other day!!!  

The other big piece of news is that I got gas today in my kitchen!  So, I now have the freedom to cook upstairs if I want to!  I am also making arrangements to have chapattis made on a daily basis so I don't have to eat rice everyday for lunch!!!

Had a much better day at school today, and tomorrow is another holiday!

About 5 minutes left on my Ripon Street computer today.  I ended up helping at school this a.m.  My goodness, the kids who are in Nursery Class, aged 4, are the most unruly!!!  I had a head ache after being with them for a short time today.  Planning to start with conversational English lessons when I get back from a retreat that Dave and Cathy's group is putting on Nov 18 - 25.   Enjoyed playing the part of a commuter today . . . rickshaw times 2, metro, and then a brisk walk to the office!  Looking forward to a visit from an old student who is passing through on Sat!

It's Nov. 7th!  I have moved to Jadevpur, South Kolkata!  And, guess what!!!???  It is a holiday here in India!  Yes, it is Bakarrah Eid, which is the day that Muslims slaughter animals.  It was so interesting to make our way across Kolkata yesterday in the Emmanuel Ministries Calcutta bus.  All of the children from Pauline Bhavan, my new place of residence, the dorm parents and various other friends/family that were dropped off along the way!  You couldn't miss the line ups of both cows and goats that have been slaughtered since we passed them yesterday.  Somehow it seems ironical to live in a country where the two major religions have such differing beliefs.  Hindus don't eat or kill animals, neither do Buddists, but Muslims have slaughtered them here today!  Guess what else!?  Thurs is a holiday, too, because it is the birthday of the founder of the Seik religion (they are the ones who wear the turbans)!  Yes, it is a wonder anything gets done in this country!!!  And, you aren't the only one thinking that!

I am in a race against time, so I want to keep this brief.  I am completely unpacked which feels really good!!!  My bedroom was settled before my light got turned out very early on Fri night.  The geyser (how you get hot water) was installed today as was the mirror in the bathroom.  I feel really set up!!!  Then the tailor came for permission to bring the curtains for the living room/dining room as well as the cushions for the chairs and sofa set (wicker), purchased second hand several weeks ago, or at least it seems so.  The promise of the cushion covers is that they will come tomorrow.  I had to come into the bazaar, shopping area, to get more curtain ring and find an internet cafe.  I still don't have a source for cooking in my kitchen, but I am having lunch daily with the kids downstairs.  I have an electric kettle and a toaster for breakfast, and generally supper.  I don't want to eat rice twice a day . . . Bengalis do!!! 

I need to hurry back to tutor a couple of the kids tonight.  I am trying to get to know Zubani and Moala, both from Nagaland who are the houseparents at Pauline Bhavan.  It seems that helping with homework three nights a week will be a good place for me to slot in.  We will do that M, W and F as those are the days that I play to be over here during the day.  On T and Thurs I plan to be over at the office.  Hopefully Tues I can be involved with Pavement Clubs and working with teachers in the afternoons in whatever way!

Don't have time to proof this carefully, so here's hoping!!!

It's Nov  2nd, and I am so pleased to have actually reached this site!  I have been unable to do so for some time, well only a week, but so much has happened in that time, that I just hope I can remember it all!!!  I'm back in the Ripon Street Cafe, which isn't my favorite spot, but it is a place where I am able to add to the blog!  Yesterday I found a really nice cafe that was air conditioned, not crowded, all of the keys on the key board worked properly, but I couldn't access the place to post!  So, I left in frustration and hoped for a chance to come here today. And now, here I am!!!

Last week was a varied one with the Hindu goddess Kali being worshiped for days all over the city, at least, and possibly throughout the region.  Fireworks, loud drums and a festive atmosphere abounded in the park behind the apartment where Premila lives.  Friday night it reached a very noisy level as the night wore on.  I just had to get up and see what was happening.  As I suspected, Kali had been taken from her make shift temple and put on a truck.  Her destination then was the Hoogly River where she would be thrown in.  I remember clearly my first Divali, it was in Mumbai in 1970.  Ganesh is the favorite god there (half man, half elephant), and he was worshiped nightly by those who lived in our apartment complex.  When I learned that they would dump him into the sea after worshiping him, I was astounded.  That feeling hasn't lessened forty one years later!  How grateful it makes me that I can worship the living God whenever I want, wherever I want and that I don't have to dispose of Him when I have "had enough".    Further, I don't have to appease Him.  He chose me before the foundation of the world, drew me to Himself, forgave me, communes with me . . . Hallelujah, what a savior!!!  On Sun afternoon, it was wonderful to hear the sounds of boys playing Cricket in that park out back, rather than listening to the din that had been wafting through our windows previously.

Last Mon and Tues I had gone to school to help with the very youngest students (they start at 4 here) who are weak and could use a little help in a smaller group situation.  The next three days schools were closed as were many shops.  I went out exploring to see what might be open and was able to do some further buying for my apartment.  I then planned to spend Mon and Tues of this week getting settled in.  Premila is going to her sister's house for the long holiday weekend this weekend (Fri - Tues), and that is a great impetus for me to actually move out!!!  After what seems to me a very long and complicated process, it looks like this is actually going to happen!!!  I am looking forward to completely unpacking and getting settled!!!  As of right now I am planning to spend three days a week helping in the school and two in the office!  School starts at 8, so it will be so nice to only have to descend three flights of steps!  Currently I take the metro and a rickshaw and never even try to get there before 9!  It is actually a great way to travel to Jadevpur, in S. Kolkata, where I will be living!!!  I will continue to use the Metro to come back to the office as it is the quickest way.  I might take a cycle rickshaw, a motor rickshaw, the Metro, and a taxi to get here, but . . . unless I can be otherwise persuaded, it is the best way, the quickest, and even the cheapest!!!  I am now the proud owner of a Metro card that is good for a year and cost me about $4.00!  Let's see if it really lasts past the first month.  Hussein doesn't seem to think it will.  I know that it saves me having to wait in line for a ticket.  I missed a train the other day doing that.  Sometimes the queue (line) is so very long!!!

There are two days next week that will be holidays!!!  Let's hear it for this land of diversity!!!  Last week it was a Hindu festival.  Monday is Bakara Eid (the day that Muslims slaughter animals) and Thurs is the founder of the Seik religion's birth anniversary.  As Premila commented the other day, "This is hard for your foreign friends to understand!" 

Dave and Cathy Hicks have been through again, this time after several days in Bangladesh and  Malda district of W Bengal.  It was very excited to hear about what is happening in these areas with believers who have come to Christ from the majority religion of those areas!  Last night I proofed a proposal that Dave is submitting for funds to help build a retreat center in Bangladesh, for next to nothing by Western standards, so that these believers can meet together, learn from the Word, learn to trust each other, et al.  Most of them are first generation believers, and with the second generation coming up, plans need to be made to strengthen them in their faith.

I am going to be traveling down to Ooty, a hill station in the South, Nov. 18 - 25.  Dave and Cathy are having a retreat with their partners.  At first I didn't think that I would be able to go, but it is going to work out for me to go after all.  I am really looking forward to meeting with others, some that I knew from days gone by and some that I have just read about in the Along Side Asia publications.

This past week I also got a cell phone.  That is so convenient, as you all know.  I thought about getting an internet connection so that I can check the internet from home, there is a computer in my flat at Pauline Bhavan, which belongs to PB, but it seems a little expensive and visiting an internet cafe is very cheap if you can find a good one!  I'll be investigating that in the days to come.

On Sat I will celebrate by first month anniversary of my arrival in India.  Though this past week has pinched at the independent American woman that I am, I remain very pleased to me here!  I do feel like I am launching the next step.  It will be nice to be a little bit more "in control" of my own schedule, what I eat, etc.  I am looking forward to interacting with the other residents of Pauline Bhavan, and to seeing how the Lord wants to use us in each others' lives! 


Sunday as I walked into Jeevan Joyti Fellowship, I was asked to share a word of encouragement with the congregation!  The Lord had encouraged me that week from PS 32:8.  So, I shared it with them.  I found it very meaningful because of the fact that the wonderful hospitality of India can sometimes stifle those of us who are independent and don't like to admit that we don't always know what we are doing and would be able to do it in half the time if we were in a Western setting 


As I close for tonight, thanks for taking the time to read by rambling thoughts!  Shoot me an email . . . gindy.miley@gmail.com to help keep me up with what life is like back there in the USA.  I don't get much American news here!!!

Greetings from an internet cafe here on Rippon Street!  It is just a short walk from the office of Emmanuel Ministries of Calcutta.  We are in a season of holidays, Hindu festivals, so schools are close as are some shops.  The office isn't closed, but everyone isn't there.  I went out to the school today with a lot of my purchases, but didn't stay long.  Things out there are pretty dirty, and when things "power up" a bit more on Sat we'll have a cleaning party, and make some progress.  I would like to start sleeping out there soon, possibly even next week.  That will depend on getting curtains at the bedroom windows, I think along with some other things.

I'm finding my independent American self getting a bit frustrated with my circumstances.  It was nice to have Cathy Hicks in town this week to debrief with on Mon.  Things just take longer to happen, and it is sometimes difficult to clarify expectations.  It is good for me to hang back and wait for the right moment to ask, and to think about how best to ask.

I did help at the school Mon and Tues, before the holidays started.  I have learned how to get out to school on the Metro which is incredibly cheap and so much faster than going by road.  I even came back with one of the boys on the bus Tues to the office!  It went well.  I do admit that I am very proud of myself and very surprised at how nice both modes of transport were! 

Closing for today as my hour is up, and wondering if it isn't just easier and cheaper to find a place to hang out for an hour a day rather than get a portable internet connection!

So much news!!!

I have now been in India for two weeks!  It seems like an eternity since I was in the US!  I suspect part of that is because so much is happening here, and because it is still a struggle to be online regularly!!!  I am once again typing from the little laptop that belongs to Premila.  I am seated at the dining room table.  The overhead fan is whirling.  The house is quiet.  Our Finnish guest is having an early night.  Premila is in her room.  I can hear her coughing.  She hasn't been well for several days, but that hasn't stopped her!  She did see a doctor today, though, and is on antibiodics, something that she hates.  Apparently they make her feel ill.  She probably has junk in her lungs, and is just tired and stretched.  She also visited a "rag pickers" slum last week where the germs would have been plentiful!  She wouldn't let me go, and hasn't been herself since.

I really enjoyed my time with the women in the ministry on Fri.  Timothy came roaring in playing his guitar which made things much more festive!  He runs the various Pavement Club projects, and is a recoviring addict himself.  The way he plays the guitar, and his lively personality made me think of days that I have spent in Mexico.  Later I found out that he is from Goa, the huge beach just South of Mumbai.  The area was settled years ago by the Portugese.  They are fun loving folk.  Timothy is no exception.  It is always fun to be around him.  He and his teachers are so excited about Children's Day, Nov. 14th.  I can't wait to see what they come up with.  I know that there will be singing and dancing!!!

I shared my testimony with the women, focusing on what I have learned about receiving God's grace rather than focusing on working to be pleasing, acceptable . . . Matt 11: 28 - 30 which had been so meaningful to me before I left the US.  It was a precious time!  Natually, we had tea, samosas and jalabies afterward!!! 

On Sat we had a cleaning party here!!!  There were five of us working on the house.  Premila had been away, the monsoon is over, and we were expecting a series of guests this week.  Ajay, one of the boys from the home for abandoned boys came over, and he and I worked most of five hours cleaning up the office which had essentially become a store room.  I appreciated getting to know him better.  He speaks good English though he studies in a Bengali medium school.  He is in Class 8 and runs the sound system at church.  He left us about 4 to go off to practice for worship.

I must tell you about my first Sunday at Jeevah Joyti (life of joy is the literal translation) church!!!   Our first song was a Hindi one, Timothy at the guitar.  It was just fun.  The rest of the service was in English.  There is a Bengali service in the afternoon.  David, who played the base guitar, shared his testimony.  I was so blessed!  He is from Mizoram, one of the NEastern tribal states where many profess to be Christians.  David is in drug recovery and has been clean for 5 months!  I was able to speak with him after church.  He has a very sweet spirit, though he says that this is the first time in his life that he has really let the Word of God change him.  Please pray for David that he would be able to stay clean.  Emmanuel Ministries is all about supporting people like David.

The message was from the same passage of scripture that I had shared with the women on Fri.  Guess the Lord has something special to say to us from that.  The emphasis was a bit different, but meaningful.

Markus, from Switzerland, also shared.  I had heard about him.  He and his wife used to live here and they started ConneXions which is a cottage industries venture giving girls from the slums a way to earn a living.  He now works with the Leporosy Mission and is traveling with a French pastor, who sang in French, to Bangladesh and couldn't not stop by to see people here.  I was able to visit with them briefly in the office yesterday, having just visited ConneXions for the first time.  The things that the women make are really lovely.  We also celebrated a mother/son birthday after church.  Here when it is your birthday, you treat everyone else!

I was also able to visit the Pauline Bhavan compound this week and speak to the principal and the head mistress of the Calcutta Emmanuel School.  I have been there twice before, but the school has been closed!  What a lovely place when everything is in session!  The children are all from poor families in the surrounding neighborhoods, but you would never know that from looking at them.  CES is an English medium school, and it is accredited by one of the higher boards here.  So, academics are a bit tougher, and there isn't necessarily a lot of support at home.  It seems that having me around as a native English speaker to operate in a sort of tutoring capacity is going to work out well, especially since I will be living there!  We are looking at me working with small groups, reading to the children and helping them in conversational English.  I will start with the youngest students who are about aged four.  Initially we are planning on me doing that three days a week.  Premila wants me to spend one day a week at the office, doing conversational English with some of the Pavement Club teachers, helping with newsletters, and sponsorships . . . I think that might be something more time consuming.  There may also be responsibilities with the girls who live at PB. 

Today I have been trying to finish up my shopping . . .Aktar, Premila's driver, took me to the area of town where you buy curtain material.  I thought he was just going to "drop" me, and I'd get a rickshaw or a taxi back to the office.  Oh, no, that was not the case.  He took me to several shops and patiently waited with me until we finally found something that I liked for the living room and my bedroom.  It was a hot experience, but once again I was just so warmed by the whole thing.  Why do I love India I am often asked . . . well, this would be one of the reasons!  Aktar, the young man at whose shop I purchased faric, the chai wallah who came by and served tea, and everyone leaving you feeling happy with you and for you!!!  It's the people, the wonderful hospitality, at least for starters!!!

Later in the day Ajay came over and took me shopping at New Market.  What a place!!!  Everything under the sun is there.  We got the remaining kitchen things, bargained and got better prices than initially quoted, and managed to get back after being stuck in a major traffic jam.  One thing I learned today is that In Kolkata one doesn't just take a rickshaw by one's self.  Coming back there were four passengers, and the ride was a fraction of the price!!!  I guess that is all apart of traveling in a very overpopulated city!

Before I finish, I should also mention Hussein.  He also lives at the boys' home, but works as an accountant at the school.  That means that he has gone from his state of abandonment to finishing school and getting some sort of a qualification to work as an accountant . . . we were with him last week when he made it through his first audit!  What a joy.  He took our Finnish guest and me to ConneXions after we had visited the school.  Then he got us a taxi to return to the office.  He was so concerned that all would go well that his final instructions to me were , "Aunty, please have someone contact me when you get back to the office so I won't worry about you!!!"  On Sun after church he told me that I looked beautiful!!!  I know, he's a charmer, but . . . why do I love India?

We are off to school in the a.m.  Premila has to go there for some work, and perhaps I will start meeting with some students.  Tomorrow is our Finnish visitor's last day with us, and we may visit some Emporiums on the way home so that she can buy some souvenirs, and I can see what I might want to think about buying for my new home.  I am told that it will be ready for me to move in this weekend. 

Dave and Cathy Hicks are in town attending a 4 - 14 conference.  It's all about children in India.  Those who fall between the ages of 4 - 14 are a huge segment of the population here.  Several from the office are presenting.  They will then come to us on Fri and stay until Mon, I believe.  It will be great to see them.

Before closing, it just may be worth mentioning that the winds shifted today and the breeze is cooler though the sun is hot especially during the middle of the day.  But, temperatures should moderate some, and I am definitely looking forward to that especially since my flat is on the top floor of the building in which it is situated!!!  There is an ac in the bedroom, and lots of open windows, balconies, and even a terrace!  Pictures, I can hear you saying!  Maybe I'll drag out my camera once I am settled!

What a visit!

It is hard for me to imagine that it has been a week since I posted on the blog, and even harder to believe that I only left the US 8 days ago!  I am writing from Kolkata.  It is 9:15 p.m., and I am only going to begin to write about all that has happened in that last week.

I will say that I was able to connect with most of the people that I planned to connect with in Delhi which was really great!  Sunday was a great day as I worshipped with several old students and heard a sermon from a former parent of a Woodstock student!  I couldn't help but think that it was so great to be worshipping with them happily instead of being in Chapel where many of them didn't like to be!!!  God is great to bring somewhat rebellious hearts back to Himself!!!

In the evening I met with a young couple who is interested in getting into the field of educating people not to abort their daughters.  They have a 3 month old daughter themselves and were astonished at the number of people in the hospital who tried to encourage them even though they had a daughter!!!

Flying out of Delhi . . . a pretty modern and sofisticated airport into Kolkata where things were just chaotic was interesting. . . not a trolley to be found!!!  Finally I did get one.  Premila was outside to meet me.  I was grateful!  She had told me that she would be there.  Aktar, the driver, brought us safely home.  I have been here in a lovely apartment/flat since. 

On Tues I went to see Pauline Bhavan, the place where I will be moving in the next couple of weeks.  PB is the site of a children's home for abandoned girls and boys until they reach 8 years old.  The flat was occupied until recently by a family, he grew up in one of the homes.  They are about to have a second child so have found larger quarters, and another "adult" on the premises seems like a good thing.  There's getting furniture and other things to live there that need to be attended to.  We have begun that process.  I expect to move by the end of the month as two of Premila's daughters and their families will arrive in Nov.  Then there won't be room for me here.  We are expecting a couple of sets of guests next week, too!!!

Along with the Children's Home, the Calcutta Emmanuel School is also on the compound with the home.  So, I'll have a number of children to be involved with, teachers to encourage, et al.  One of the things that we have already talked about is having story hour every night.  English isn't anybody's mother tongue at PB, but they all speak English.  Who knows what I'll come back speaking.  Someone told me the other day in Delhi that my Hindi was better than Sonja Gandhi's.  (She's the foreign born Prime Minister here!)

Although most here seem to speak Bengali, a large number speak Hindi because they belong to the second largest religion here.  The area where the EMC (Emmanuel Ministries Calcutta) office is located is a teeming place, and many follow that religion!  Amazing.

I also visited the home for the older boys on Tues.  I am impressed by the obvious love that these children have for Premila.  Because of her other responsibilities, she cannot spend as much time with them as she once did.  It seems that this is a place for me to come and help!  

I have visited most of the Pavement Clubs now, and even walked through my first slum today.  The stench was horrible, but the kids and the teachers that teach them warmed my heart.  We are just finishing up the Puja (worship) Holidays.  All over the city make shift temples are being taken down.  Only one more puja to go . . .  this one for Kali, the goddess with all of the arms for whom the city was named.

I am so impressed by what I am seeing.  I am being loved very well not only by PP, but also by others in the ministry.  I am reminded of the wonderful hospitality of this land.  The great regard that the people have for PP means that they will love and care for me, too.  I am introduced as Aunty's good friend!!!

I'll be taking a Bible study with the women at the HQ tomorrow.  Hopefully eventually I can help with conversation classes with some of the teachers of the Pavement Clubs.  They would like to do that.  The possibilities are endless, seemingly.  May the Lord give wisdom in what to say yes to and what not to!

I have gotten over jet lag in record time.  

It is very hot here, and I am thankful for ac in my bedroom.  I have been sleeping well . . . last night was more like a night back in Richmond (up three times) so maybe I really have adjusted now.

I am using PP's little lap top now.  It is going to be more of a struggle for online time, perhaps.  The  plan is for me to be working on files and things at PB, and I do expect to have a computer.  Anyway, I am glad to be able to post tonight.

I feel at home here, but recognize nothing from my last visit 15 years ago, and absolutely nothing from living here in the 70's.  Maybe I'll be able to walk around some on Sat when we don't go to the office!  I remain convince that this is the right place to be for now.  I can't believe that I only left the US 8 days ago!!! 

A Tale of Four Airports!!!

The long journey is over, and I am in recovery mode!  It is hot here in Delhi, though not as hot as it would be if this were May/June! 

The Richmond airport seemed almost deserted as I arrived there with Mary Jo!  My, Tues, is a good day to fly, I thought!  Of course, I had to show my passport in order to proceed with check in though I had boarding passes.  The heavy suitcases didn't even cause the man behind the counter to take a second glance!!!  PTL . . . first of many answers to prayer!  There was no line at security.  I was on my way!!!

A couple of hours later I was making my way from the B terminal in Detroit's airport to the A terminal.  It was good to walk, the "tunnel" was fullish, but certainly not hectic.  The sea of faces reflected the international nature of the terminal that I was approaching.  You're not in Richmond anymore, Gindy, was the thought that popped into my head!  That is kind of when the adrenaline started pumping for me!!!  At first I was to fly out of gate A 38.  I always like to find my gate first, and then find a place to eat, read, or whatever else I am going to do!  With a five hour lay over, I was not surprised to see that my flight wasn't the next one out, but to see that the next flight out was going to Shanghai . . . well that surprised me.  As I made my way to a restaurant for lunch, I passed so many Asian faces!!!  Announcements in Chinese and Japanese . . . Gindy, you are NOT in Richmond anymore!!!  My gate got changed to A56 which I didn't realize until it was nearing the time for boarding!  I am surely glad that I had to stop reading and take a bathroom break!!!

A woman with a little bit more gray in her hair than mine was my seat mate on the flight to Amsterdam.  She was going on a safari in Tanzania!!!  An interesting person though we read and rested more than we chatted until the journey was coming to an end! By the way, Barb, State of Wonder is a great read!!!

Though it was only about 9 a.m. local time when we arrived in Amsterdam, the place was definitely hopping!  Dutch was definitely the main language spoken, but . . . I only had two hours in Amsterdam.  I am used to having at least six, so I didn't get to amble around as much as usual.  I also realized almost at the eleventh hour that the "boarding pass" that had printed out the day before clearly stated that it was NOT a boarding pass.  I was so glad that I had found one of those little trolleys as my books were heavy on my shoulder.  I had passed the transfer desk earlier, so I knew where to go, and the deed was done quickly!

Then it was back to the gate for check in to Delhi!  My overwhelming thought at that point was, my people, my people . . . as much of an "India lover" as I am . . . my people, my people . . . moving a crowd of them is a time consuming, somewhat frustrating experience.  It is true that the British gave India a language that they could communicate with each other using, and a great railroad system.  But . . . alas, they were unable to teach them to queue (line up)!!!  Consequently, boarding was time consuming and somewhat stressful as was getting everyone's things loaded into the overheads.  On this flight I had two seat mates.  The last one to arrive was a woman of Indian origin who lives in Canada, and how she got on to the plane with all of her carry on luggage is a mystery to me!!!  It all worked out in the end, with several of us working on it with her, and we were in our seats with out seatbelts fastened by the time it was time to go!!!

Having already flown and traveled a long time by now, and with perhaps a nap on the overnight flight to Amsterdam . . . well it was a long day, the food was pretty bad and the service wasn't great!  Sorry, because it was KLM, and I am generally a lover of all things KLM, but they let me down on that flight!

We arrived on time in Delhi, and it didn't take us as long to deplane as I'd feared it would.  (The plane was huge . . . several hundred people on it.)  I remember being impressed two years by the new airport in Delhi, but this new wing, opened for the Commonwealth games last year . . . WOW!!!  It is huge, but it was very good to have the long walk to immigration because 24 hours of sitting was taking its toll!  The queue was long . . . the ropes made them queue this time.  As my Dutch seatmate and I were approaching the queue,they opened up the First Class lines for us as they weren't being utilized.  Thank you, Jesus! 

I found the pre-paid taxi stand and got my taxi booked.  I was told to go to "gate 31".  That was something new, but now they are more organied than ever, and my guy was awaiting me at Gate 31!  (Arriving in Delhi in the middle of the night used to be a very hectic experience.  This is just no longer true!) He didn't seem so sure that he knew where I was going.  So, I told him in my very best Hinglish that I had my friend's number and that her Hindi is good.  So, we made the call (on his mobile phone), and off we went.  It wasn't long before we were here, a couple of phone calls later, but not the wandering around that I experienced last time I was staying at the Wetherby B & B . . . it's a new location!

We visited a bit and then all fell into bed around 2 a.m.  (I left the airport at midnight.)  It took me awhile to unwind, but then the next time I looked at the clock it was 8:45!  I didn't get up for another hour!

It is a big Hindu festival here today so some shops are closed and there are truck loads of goddesses, bands, and of course Cricket games going on.  The goddesses will be thrown into the river by day's end.  A picture, I find, of hopelessness.  How glad I am to worship a God who neither slumbers or sleeps, who never changes, is eternal, et al!

Carolyn had a hair appointment today, so I went along and treated myself to a bit of pampering . . .pampering that cost me $6.00.  It was worth it . . . a back masage and a manicure!

We came home, picked up Dewy, our Costa coupons and walked over for coffee and cupcakes as an afternoon/lunch snack.  No Starbuck in India, according to Carolyn, but Costa, yes; and who knows what else.  Air conditioning, good coffee, good cupcakes, sharp Indian young men working there!

I am home alone right now as Carolyn is out giving a music lesson and Dewy is teaching English.  It was good to get a little organizing done in the one suitcase that I am opening before Kolkata.  After my QT I also just put my head down for a minute, but . . . no sleep until after dinner!  I need to get on this time zone!!!

One last "small world" thing before I leave you for today!  Last night in our catch up session, I asked Carolyn if she knew, by chance, Premila's daughter, married to am American who pastors here!  Well, don't you know that Probita is coming here tomorrow with her two children as they take piano from Carolyn.  I haven't seen Probita since she was a little girl!!!

It's D Day!!!

It's a red letter today, for sure!!!  As I write, I am about an hour away from leaving the house.  A load of clothes is in the dryer, and I have the feeling that 'I have made it'!!!  The great push that started two months ago comes to an end today!  All week I have thought that I couldn't wait for the day to come, and pondered how happy I would be to actually sit on the plane . . . no more housework, no more logistics, well . . . that's not totally true because I have a five hour lay over in Detroit, and there are a few things that I can work on!!!  I just might get involved in my book, though . . . those remaining logistics, of a clerical nature, can be attended to even after arrival in Delhi.  From Detroit I fly to Amsterdam, and only have a two hour lay over there.  I hope I have time to buy some chocolates . . . a tradition at the Amsterdam airport for me.  It is such a fun place.  I usually have longer than two hours there!

I arrive in Delhi tomorrow night, their time.  (Until the US goes off daylight time, we are 9 1/2 hours apart . . . India is ahead of us.  After DST ends, it is 10 1/2!)
I will be in Delhi for 5 days with Carolyn and Dewy Wetherby, friends from Woodstock days.  It will be fun to catch up with their world and hopefully see some old students.  Divali is going on in India, the largest Hindu festival, so some are on holiday, and I am guessing schools are closed!

I leave for Kolkata on Oct 10th.

The dryer buzzed!!!  Hooray!  Thanks for your prayers for safety and smooth sailing on the other end, especially in finding the Wetherby's apartment!  It will be about midnight there, and I will be very tired!!!

Blessings!

The dust is beginning to settle!!!

At the beginning of June the invitation came to return to India.  By the beginning of July, I began trying to meet with church leaders to discuss the matter.  By the beginning of Aug, the meeting took place, and life has been "full out" logistics ever since!!!  What an exhausting push, what an unbelievable response from many with words of encouragement and gifts to launch me into this new adventure!!!  Thank you, and thank you, Jesus, for helping me get it all done!  Here we are now at the beginning of Oct, and the dust is beginning to settle.  For all intents and purposes, I am 95% ready to go!!!  Departure is set for Tues, Oct 4th.

This a.m. my devotional book gave me what I sense is my passage for the next six months!  This was such an encouragement to me because just last week I told the Lord that I felt badly about the fact that I was just doing so much practical preparations that I wasn't really preparing my heart!  I have been consciously trying to prepare my heart since that realization.

Matt 11:28 - 30 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  (NIV)

This is so meaningful to me on a number of levels.  On this date two years ago, my mother was in her last days.  She had taken a turn for the worst, and I sensed that the Lord was calling her home.  My sister and brother in law were on their way up from FL.  I called them and said, "Mom is waiting for you."  It was a Sat in the early afternoon when she said to me, "When are they coming?"  I replied, "Maybe around 4 or 5."  She sort of moaned, like that was too long to wait!  Early on Oct 4th, a Sun that year, the rehab facility where she was called to say that she was gone.  Immediately, the Lord gave me a picture of her walking the streets of gold, and EVERYTHING worked.

I had left my beloved India to return to the US in June of 2002 in order to be close to Mother.  I had asked the Lord to allow me to return.  I knew, however, that in my heart I wanted to return to what I call the "real" India, not the somewhat idyllic life lived in the beautiful Himalayas.  I also sensed that the Lord was going to do something big about the fact that the Gospel has been preached for so long in India and yet the percentage of the vast population hasn't responded.  Still, because of who He is, it was bound to come.  "May I be apart of it when it does, Lord?" I remember asking.  Reports indicate that there is a turning to the Lord in India that is new, fresh, and largely among the poor.  That is the part of society in which I will be working.

Shortly after Mother's departure from this world, I returned to India for six weeks.  It was the most wonderful time!  I saw Him at work in the generations.  I reconnected with many people that I love, a few that I hadn't seen for 35 years. I sort of wished that I had planned to stay longer, but my future was so uncertain, and I'd felt before I left the US that I needed to return before too much time passed in order to get things more settled.

Since that time I have struggled to find a spot in this world!  Either unemployed or underemployed, I asked the Lord for direction, but didn't seem to get any guidance!  Then, out of the blue, comes this invitation from an old friend who I didn't even know was in the US, let alone in the same city that I was visiting.  It struck a cord, was in a place that I had once lived, but was across the country from where I had most recently lived and sort of expected the Lord to return me.  Still, I could see the wisdom in having a fresh start.

How grateful I am for my history in India!  In the Spring of 1970 I went into India for the first time.  Due to extenuating circumstances, I went by train alone into Delhi.  I was young, and so inexperienced in all things cross cultural!  I don't remember much about that trip, but am so grateful for the time and the organization with which I worked.  They gave me the idea that I should go to serve my Indian brothers and sisters.  At that time, India was just 23 years into independence.  What a revolutionary thing that was at that time . . . something that I have just considered lately.  Now that democratic India and I are in our 60's, maybe I am older and wiser.  I am again going into Delhi alone, though this time on a plane, and this time into the arms of dear friends from my Woodstock days . . . both former staff and former students.  I can't wait to see them!!!  I will be in Delhi for four days before going on to Kolkata.  I didn't even think about this before it actually started coming together, but the experts in transitions tell you to plan in a buffer between departing one place and arriving in another!

I chose to fly on Mom's death anniversary for practical reasons . . . it is cheaper.  At the same time, I hope it honors her!  I came home to honor her.  I am leaving because she no longer needs me, and the Lord has apparently worked out enough in me that I am ready for something new.  I do sense that I am so very ready for a change!

Back to the verses.  I am weary, especially from the fast tracked preparations.  I have been burdened by life's uncertainities.  Now the Lord has begun to give me some rest in the fact that things are in place to leave.  I believe that He will give me rest in Delhi from the 24 hour trip and the 9 and 1/2 hour time change.  He will refresh me by time with old and dear friends!  Then, there is the yoke . . . something you see often in India.  The oxen yoked together, and you understand this verse more clearly than you might have if you hadn't seen them first hand.  What a joy to be yoked with my savior!  What a joy to be able to go and work with an Indian organization with no agenda other than to serve and see how I might lightened the burden of my friend Premila.  Thank you, Lord, for this reminder.  I am taking this with me as my verses for the next 6 months.  Please prepare my heart to serve, and to walk in closeness with you!!!

My house is cleaner and tidier than it has been in a while.  The weather outside is glorious and a chill is in the air.  I will miss both of these things, and though the weather isn't as hot in India as it is in the hot season, it will not require a wrap for a couple more months.  I'll miss my car, my freedom of movement, my independence.  Yes, and I will miss friends and family.  Still, I have this sense that there are new friends and a new family out there for me to meet and become apart of.  Thank you, Father, for working this out for me!!!  Lead on, oh King Eternal!