A Time of Growth (Part 1)

It has been about a week since my last entry. You can imagine that a lot has taken place since then. I will not be able to stress to you enough in this email as to how the Lord is moving in our lives on this trip. In more ways than I ever thought possible He is teaching us to completely rely on Him for all of our needs.

I ended my last entry with our work with Missionaries of Charity fast approaching. We went on Monday afternoon to the Mother House where we met with a group of the sisters and some of the long-term volunteers helping to coordinate the new ones. It was fascinating to see all the volunteers and how far most of them have come. I must have heard ten different languages being spoken. Most know English so they brief us on the missions work in English and let us know how the whole process works. Normally, each volunteer chooses one or two places to go and work. You rotate between the two each morning and afternoon. We can choose from at least 7 different places to work which include centers for the dying and destitute, physically and mentally handicapped children, and malnourished children as well. Volunteers normally go to the mother house in the morning at 7:00am for a breakfast of chai tea (tea, milk and sugar boiled together), bread and a banana. Then they head off to their respective worksites. Most take about a 30 minute bus ride. You volunteer from 8 until 12 only for your first site and then from 3 to 6 for your next one. I think the sisters have their prayer and personal time during those hours so they don't want volunteers to be there during the early afternoon hours. Various tasks at the sites may include: washing/changing clothes or bedsheets, washing/changing adults or children that are not able to fend for themselves, playing with the children, feeding them,holding them, etc. Most of the children really yearn for love from you that can only come from touching them. They want you to hold them or at least be near them to know that they are safe. Many of them have been found in gutters and in the streets half-dead. The adults may need a different kind of attention. Most of them are dying or cannot properly function in society for some reason. They want you to talk with them if they can speak. Otherwise, they would need you to care for them as you would any elderly person who has lost control of most of their functions.

I chose to work in a place called Nabo Jibon which is actually a training center for the brothers of the Missionaries of Charity. It is a facility that takes care of 30 mentally and physically handicapped children as well as 40 men, all of whom are dying or destitute.

I have spent my time there working with the children so far but will soon interact with the men as well. The children are amazing. I am actually one of only three volunteers there with them so you can imagine 30 kids running around wanting your attention. Actually, many of them are blind or are restrained to a wheelchair or to sitting down for various reasons. Many of them cannot communicate by speaking but rather utter some incomprehensible sound hoping to get their point across. I am slowly learning to understand their individual personalities in order that I can better serve them going forward. It is also neat to know them by name. I will mention some of them in this email. Nabo Jibon is a little further away from everything else, so it takes me close to an hour by bus to get there. The bus ride itself could take up another whole journal entry. When I arrive at around 8:00am, I begin playing with the children and then usually help with washing their clothes. I try to spend time with each of them. Some need practice using their muscles: walking around, picking things up, etc. Others want to get up in your arms. Some like to dance as they play music for them during the day. It is wonderful fun! At ten the volunteers and some brothers usually break for some tea. Then we are back with them until 11:00 when they are fed. They are fed rice and then some form of vegetable and protein. It is basic but they are fed well. Most of them can do a reasonably good job of feeding themselves but others have to be fed. Needless to say, food is everywhere by the time they are done. I usually feed Santosh, a handicapped child who cannot speak. He is a happy and peaceful child who needs help walking around. After eating they are taken to the bathrooms. Again, some can handle this themselves and some cannot. Some don't quite make it to the bathroom and have to be changed. Then they take their naps. So by 12:00, I am quite tired. Then I have lunch with the brothers and head back on the bus after that. Because I don't get back until close to 2:00pm, I have decided to only work at one place. I have been using the other time to really rest and reflect on what God is teaching me through all of this.

It is so amazing to see the volunteers come together and to see the brothers living here who are committed to helping these children. Their love exhibits that of Christ in so many ways. It is such an example to me.

The most amazing way the Lord has spoken to me will have to wait until Part 2 of this entry, as I have to leave to meet Derek.

Check back again in a day or so!

Thank you again for all of your prayers.

In Christ,

Trey