a bit of kolkata

wow, what a change from southern india!  compared to the south, which we have been told is the ‘real’ india, this city is very modern, and a little more liberal.  no more cows, a LOT more people (and traffic… if you think the traffic is bad where you live, please come to india and you will appreciate your city.  also, it has been noted that if you are an environmentalist and think that america is doing a terrible job about the environment, you also have not been to india and should come soon.)  all that to say, its a dirty city, where the tissue turns black when we blow our noses.

did we mention that in the city of kolkata there are 400,00 people who eat, sleep, work, live, give birth and die in the streets of kolkata?  there are homeless men women and children on nearly every street corner.  i have never seen so much poverty.

we started our work with the sisters of charity-which is the ministry of mother teresa.  it has been a very new and eye openeing experience for all of us.  we work in four different houses:  kalighat and prem dan- the houses for elderly, dying, and ill patients from the streets.  and also shishu bavhan and dayadan-the houses for mentally and physically handicapped children.  our jobs include washing dishes, feeding the patients, bathing them, washing laundry, doing excercise with them, and of course simply being with them and showing them love in whatever way we can.  one of our greatest opportunities for ministry here is with the other volunteers.  we have met people from literally all over the world who come to kolkata just to volunteer for the homes.  we have met people from places like albania, germany, the netherlands, australia, sweden, argentina, chile, spain, china, thailand and MANY other countries.  many of whom are searching for something meaningful in life.  so you can imagine how much fun we are having telling them about OUR reason for doing this, which is jesus and the hope we have in him.

it is becoming more and more real to all of us in a city ruled by the goddess of death that our God is truly unique and wonderful.  the God of life, hope, beauty, love, justice… the list goes on.  at least i myself am more in love with him in the face of other gods than i remember feeling any other time.  surrounded by muslims, hindus, and the endless list of volunteers who don’t know what they believe, i can honestly say that i appreciate and love jesus so much more and i cry out for them to know him as we do.  i know of no other place where hope is so real and life has as much meaning as it does with jesus as the lord of it. 

please continue to pray for us to have opportunities to share about this hope and to be able to continue strong as this is a spiritually, emotionally and physically challenging part of our trip in india.  thanks to God we are still healthy and safe!!

-lisa and the india team.