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!
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!
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