Today I realize that I have begun my second week in India. So much has happened that it feels like I have been here a very long time. The FB posts of the challenging weather at home bring with them a reality check. Am I allowed to say that the weather here is delightful!? The locals are finding it quite cool. It feels like early Richmond Spring to me!!!
I was able to meet with Kedu and Rebecca on Fri night before leaving Mumbai on Sat. It was so good to catch up. Thurs and Fri nights I slept really well. The flight to Kolkata left an hour late, but arrived with only a half an hour's delay. Yakoob, one of the EMC drivers, was at the airport to meet me and take me to Premila's.
Sun a.m. at Jeevan Joyti Fellowship was quite exciting. Reunions with the EMC family and my friends from Ukraine were indeed special! After church I stayed for Youth Fellowship in order to get more visiting time in with the teenagers here that I have grown so fond of.
It was super to get a ride with Premila out to Pauline Bhavan, where I have lived the past two visits, on Monday afternoon. This followed more reunions at the office during the a.m. Getting more time with the girls and other staff members at PB was an added bonus as I was also able to get things from the store room where I left them. The moth ball smell prevails especially in the paper that I had stored, but the clothes aired out nicely, and it is good to be back to my Indian wardrobe!
I am writing today from a cyber cafe near Mother Theresa's Home and will leave here soon to go and have my second visit with the boys who live at Anandoloy. It is 4:30 before many of them get back from school. Some are taking computer classes with one of the men from the Ukraine team. A couple of others from the Ukraine team are coming every day to spend time playing with the younger boys. Exams are hovering over us, so it is more of just a 'touch base' time.
Yesterday I had a brief visit with last year's English language learning class before women's Bible study which I led on Luke 8: 16 - 18. Premila, who translates for me, felt that the things we spoke of were well received. It was nice to see familiar faces and meet some new women who are recovering from addictions. A couple of them are just teenagers.
Tomorrow I plan to spend the day at school catching up with friends there. Fri afternoons YPF (Young People's Fellowship) meets, and I am looking forward to being apart of that! Pauline Bhavan is on the same 'compound' so again relationships abound.
I have spoken with Nicolas Narjinary who will be welcoming me up in N. Bengal in a week. Dave and Cathy arrive here on the 5th a.m,. and I leave on the 5th night. We plan to visit the workshop where girls rescued from the human trafficing scene here learn a new trade . . . jewelry making and also to visit the boys together before I take off! Most of these girls were rescued by Freedom Firm, founded and run by Dave and Cathy's daughter and son in law.
I seem to have picked up a lot of congestion during the flights and no doubt from the pollution in the city. I don't feel badly, but it is rather annoying!
I am experiencing some sensory overload, more through the richness of relationships than the culture. There is a big political gathering in the city today which is making life interesting for some, but doesn't really affect the part of the city where I am.
Praising God for all of the safe travel and updates, as well as the joy of relationships. I am hoping for a bit of down time over the weekend. I know we need it.
Another guest who was here and staying at Premila's left today. That will help. Please pray for her. She has a nasty UTI which isn't keeping her down, but . . . She says that she feels better since going on meds.
'Guest season' is upon us as this is the best time weatherwise to visit India. I am secretly glad to be going away from the fray. It should be mostly over by the time I return on the 23rd.
I was able to meet with Kedu and Rebecca on Fri night before leaving Mumbai on Sat. It was so good to catch up. Thurs and Fri nights I slept really well. The flight to Kolkata left an hour late, but arrived with only a half an hour's delay. Yakoob, one of the EMC drivers, was at the airport to meet me and take me to Premila's.
Sun a.m. at Jeevan Joyti Fellowship was quite exciting. Reunions with the EMC family and my friends from Ukraine were indeed special! After church I stayed for Youth Fellowship in order to get more visiting time in with the teenagers here that I have grown so fond of.
It was super to get a ride with Premila out to Pauline Bhavan, where I have lived the past two visits, on Monday afternoon. This followed more reunions at the office during the a.m. Getting more time with the girls and other staff members at PB was an added bonus as I was also able to get things from the store room where I left them. The moth ball smell prevails especially in the paper that I had stored, but the clothes aired out nicely, and it is good to be back to my Indian wardrobe!
I am writing today from a cyber cafe near Mother Theresa's Home and will leave here soon to go and have my second visit with the boys who live at Anandoloy. It is 4:30 before many of them get back from school. Some are taking computer classes with one of the men from the Ukraine team. A couple of others from the Ukraine team are coming every day to spend time playing with the younger boys. Exams are hovering over us, so it is more of just a 'touch base' time.
Yesterday I had a brief visit with last year's English language learning class before women's Bible study which I led on Luke 8: 16 - 18. Premila, who translates for me, felt that the things we spoke of were well received. It was nice to see familiar faces and meet some new women who are recovering from addictions. A couple of them are just teenagers.
Tomorrow I plan to spend the day at school catching up with friends there. Fri afternoons YPF (Young People's Fellowship) meets, and I am looking forward to being apart of that! Pauline Bhavan is on the same 'compound' so again relationships abound.
I have spoken with Nicolas Narjinary who will be welcoming me up in N. Bengal in a week. Dave and Cathy arrive here on the 5th a.m,. and I leave on the 5th night. We plan to visit the workshop where girls rescued from the human trafficing scene here learn a new trade . . . jewelry making and also to visit the boys together before I take off! Most of these girls were rescued by Freedom Firm, founded and run by Dave and Cathy's daughter and son in law.
I seem to have picked up a lot of congestion during the flights and no doubt from the pollution in the city. I don't feel badly, but it is rather annoying!
I am experiencing some sensory overload, more through the richness of relationships than the culture. There is a big political gathering in the city today which is making life interesting for some, but doesn't really affect the part of the city where I am.
Praising God for all of the safe travel and updates, as well as the joy of relationships. I am hoping for a bit of down time over the weekend. I know we need it.
Another guest who was here and staying at Premila's left today. That will help. Please pray for her. She has a nasty UTI which isn't keeping her down, but . . . She says that she feels better since going on meds.
'Guest season' is upon us as this is the best time weatherwise to visit India. I am secretly glad to be going away from the fray. It should be mostly over by the time I return on the 23rd.
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