Kicking back after making it through a week of good byes!

I've made it, and I only cried once!!!  If you have prayed thanks,the Lord has answered in the affirmative!

Mon Class V gave a brilliant performance answering questions about THE SECRET GARDEN, the book I had read them.  The Headmistress of the Primary School was very impressed, and so was I, if I do say so myself!  Tues I just slipped in to tell Class III good bye.  We finished SNOW WHITE last week.  I don't think they got it at all except the "mirror mirror" part which they often repeated with me.  Finished up the SG with Class IV on Tues and then invited the Headmistress in.  They weren't so impressive which really didn't surprise me!

Wed with the boys was sweet.  I gave them all a picture of me with them in some sort of activity together.

Thurs was when the tears could not be held back.  I rushed home from Bible study, which was touching when two of  the younger women in the study who are seekers and don't speak English, communicated to me that they had enjoyed the classes and hoped I would return.  When I arrived home, the kids had a surprise farewell planned where I was presented with a SLAM BOOK, each of them writing a page.  Then several children said sweet things, and I just lost it.  I think they were surprised!

On Fri I 'packed out' and left each child a picture on his/her bed. Living on the third floor meant lots of running up and down before I left for my English class.  More sweet sentiments with invitations to return, something I very much want to do.  I have been living at Premila's since Fri which has been nice . . . quieter and more restful in so many ways.

I wore a sari to church this a.m.  My, that is an ego booster!!!  "Aunty, you look beautiful!" is a refrain that I heard over and over again.

Unfortunately, the Bibles haven't come in.  I have been promised them tomorrow!  I think they are in the city, but not off the transport . . . they have come from Hyderabad!  It complicates tomorrow slightly, but means that I get to visit PB and Anandaloy once more and give everyone that last hug!  I fly on the 12th in the a.m. 

Not sure what my internet situation will be once I leave here!  I value prayers for the time in Mumbai, especially that John, Priscilla and I will feel an immediate link and figure out how I can best help them in the week that we have together.  Getting to see Kedu and Rebecca would be a real treat!

Mar 19, starting in the the wee hours of the a.m., still Mon night US time, I'll hopefully be leaving for Amsterdam, Detroit and Richmond!   Gaining time all the way, I am due in in the mid afternoon. 

A Productive Week . . .

Wednesday there was a Sports' Day planned, on the other side of town, of course; with a number of the projects that have children in what we call 'informal education'.  Some of these students are in my Thurs afternoon English class, I wanted to be apart of things, so I planned to go after my class at CES.  In the mean time, things sort of fell apart with the Bibles that I thought were ordered.  They arrived but weren't what we were expecting or wanted . . . paper back with very small print . . . cheap, but . . . So, en route, I stopped at the very large  AG Compound where OM Books is located.  I had been there both last time and about a week ago.  I knew what I wanted, and got them ordered.  The guys in the shop assured me that I would have my Bibles this coming week.  I NEED them before the 10th as I leave here on the 12th, and I would like to be the one that hands them out!  I finally reached the field at nearly one o'clock.  The memo said that the event was from 10 to 4, but things had gone more quickly than planned.  It was HOT and very breezy, which is nice on one hand, but means lots of dust on another!  So, within an hour, we were back in the office.

I went over to Anandaloy early with some guests that were passing through.  It was fun to have the extra time with them.  I tried something different this week . . . having them  read a passage and drawing what it meant.  I had done it myself, and found it very meaningful.  Alas, it didn't work so well, but the notes I offered all disappeared.   The older boys, generally the ones who speak English, go to study after devotions.  They are all away at the beach this weekend.  So, I'll miss seeing them tomorrow at church.

Thurs several of the women didn't come for Bible study . . . Sports' Day lag . . . but those who came seemed receptive to the lesson . . . we were . . . we are.

Fri all of the women who are in my English class had the day off . . . again, Sports' Day related.  They had gone on a picnic . . . so, no class . . . a bit of a relief for me!!!  They invited me to go, but I had already booked myself in for a tour of Free Set.  I had been wanting to go for some time, and wanted to buy some gifts there.  So, I used that as an excuse, and got out of the gate here by 8:30.  I was traveling my motor rickshaw and the metro.  I wasn't sure how long it would take, and I didn't want to be late for my 10:00 appointment.  Things went well until I couldn't exit the metro station according to my directions.  So, I was not sure where I was going.  I stopped and asked a couple of times, and then I got quite a shock!  A young adult male took me where I needed to go!  As we walked I told him that he had restored by faith in Indians! I went on to explain that people in this country are so hospitable when you are in their home, but generally the public seems just rude and indifferent.  For example, someone stepped on my foot on the metro and didn't even look at me apologetically!  Anyway, I was grateful because I would have found it a challenge to locate the building as per the directions.
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When I got there, three other foreigners were also awaiting the tour.  All Americans and all working for or with 'fair trade' companies.  One had helped open 10,000 Villages down in Carytown!  It was nice to share the experience with them.

Two of the residents of Pauline Bhawan have mothers who work at Free Set.  The one that I know came in to work and was very surprised to see me.  We did a few hand motions . . . I really do need to learn some Bengali!

We ended up having a tour conducted by the co-founder of the business.  A lovely woman . . . raised in India of missionary parents, and returned here with four children under the New Zealand Baptists.  When they found their first apartment, they soon learned that they were smack dab in the middle of a Red Light district!  Feeling very much called to minister in their neighborhood, they learned that the reasons that women were involved in the trade was largely because of poverty.  Free Set started in 2001 with 13 women.  They now have over 150 and the business is growing.  They do quality stuff, are paid a fair wage, and have benefits.  They can pay their rent without demeaning themselves, and it is a happy place.  Unashamedly Christian, as the co-founder told us, the sense of community and well being for the women is evident.  There is childcare for children who aren't in school, good facilities for hygiene and clean drinking water for starters!

I enjoyed every minute of the time there and left with my bag full of bags to give as gifts.  Back on the Metro, I got off at Park Street.  Theja, a former Woodstock student is in her final year of OB/GYN residency here, and we had talked about meeting for coffee.  I was heading for Flurys . . . a hold over from the days of the  British Raj, to get a club sandwich.  Long story short, Theja joined me, and we talked for several hours.  It was so nice to get caught up with her.  She plans to return to Nagaland, a NE tribal state in India, to work with her father who is also a doctor.  Among other things she hopes to be able to go out into the more rural settings in the area surrounding her home.  Kedu, her sister, a surgeon, is in a surgical oncology residence in Mumbai, and I hope to see her during my time there.

My taxi story for this week involves the trams, which I haven't ridden on for many years.  They are slow and run down the middle of the street!  The other day my taxi driver tried to 'outrun' the tram before it turned.  He ended up having to slow down, but . . . never a dull moment on the streets of Kolkata.

My last Sat at Pauline Bhavan . . . and I started packing.  On Fri I plan to move over to Premila's for my last four days here.  That will be really nice.  So, next Sat . . . Russell Street.  The following Sat Mumbai.  The Sat after that RVA!  Wow!

I hope to visit Sari Bari on Wed . . . another 'cottage industry' to provide women in Red Light areas an alternative means of providing for themselves.  Tues I plan to visit one of the projects that I haven't visited.  So, it is going to be another full week.  I will finish up everything before crashing at Premila's for the weekend!

Praying that the Bibles arrive!  Also pray that they will be read, understood and followed!!!

Please do pray for those flights from Mumbai to Amsterdam to Detroit to Richmond . . . stand by all the way.  A Business Class seat would also be a really nice treat, but the highest priority is a seat . . . preferably not in the middle seat!!!