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!!!
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!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment