India 1: Chaos on Wheels!

Greetings from the exotic sub-continent my friends!
It's day 12 here in Kolkata and I figured it was about time I updated you on what's been going on! I'm afraid this post won't have many pictures because most of the places I work don't allow them, but I'll try to paint a mental one nonetheless.

These are the "autos" look fun?

My first impression of India is one of everything moving in every direction at once, with no perceivable order or any certain desire for it. Everything on the roads (hand rickshaws, bike rickshaws, cars, trucks, buses, and "autos") moves at breakneck speeds until it comes to a screeching halt, usually ten feet from where it started, in a constant state of traffic jam. As far as public transit goes, imagine the most crowded subway ride you've ever been on in America at rush hour, and multiply it by six and add lots of thrown elbows, yelling, and pushing. Let's just say maximum capacity is not a matter of fire code, but of square footage here. There are separate sections for women (two cars per fifty car train, and the middle third of every metro car) but women seem to be even more aggressive in getting on and off of transportation. Then there are the tiny "autos" little scooter trikes with tiny round bodies placed on them and about enough space for five including the driver, if you get real friendly with your neighbor. The fun thing? No door. If you're on the outside you're hanging on for dear life while weaving through traffic patterns with no real rules at heart wrenching speeds with the pavement only about a foot away and the driver's sweaty armpit in your face. But the best are the buses. They are much less concerned about cramming women up against sweaty men (not so kosher here), often take off while you are still mounting the steps, and drive with more of an anvil than a lead foot, throwing you into your fellow travelers to the accompanying cacophony of blaring horns which are used for everything and anything here.

But enough about the transit. I'm adjusting pretty well to reduced living situations (more on that in another post with pictures! let's just say I.sleep on the floor, eat on the floor, and shower in a bucket). I've learned my way around well enough to get to and from most Word Made Flesh Locations without help. We're still figuring out what our actual schedule here will look like, that's part of my impression of chaos (so for those of you who asked what I'll be doing on a day to day basis- I still don't know!). For now we are learning Bengali, getting to know the women of Sari Bari, volunteering at Mother Teresa's houses once a week, and doing odd jobs for the Sari Bari office. I'm going to Mother Teresa's house for mentally handicapped girls and women, Shanti Dan. It's a place with a lot of life, a lot of joy, and a lot of work to be done. At Sari Bari the women are really great, asking us questions (what did you eat? and are you married? are the top two so far, but also family members and such) and being very amused by our American habits. They were fascinated to discover that I can sew too! I can't wait to be able to talk to them more! There are even plans in the works for me to be able to do some theater with them during their Leadership  Class! We are having Bengali class twice a week and weekly breakfasts and dinners with the country staff, so we are well on our way to functioning as a cohesive group here!

I have been very blessed and loved by my teammates here so far. They are very accepting and encouraging. I am sure we are all going to grow together quite a lot. I have been getting a lot of good indications that God is going to teach me a lot about joy while I'm here, and truly expand my freedom in his love. Please pray for me to truly be open to this joy God wants to show me, it's hard for me to imagine experiencing joy in a place full of physical discomfort, which I bet is why I need to learn. My team and I have been fairly healthy so far, please pray that this continues to be so, and that we are safe during the next few days when all of India is due to strike over gas prices. Please pray for peaceful protest and a quick return to normal. At least tomorrow there will be no blaring train whistles outside my house!

All my love goes out to you! Until next time! 

Blessed Before I Begin

I wanted to post one last update before I leave for Kolkata in the morning. I will fly first to Chicago where I will meet up with several other members of the servant team and board a non-stop flight to Delhi, where we will meet our last member and fly to Kolkata. There, I will be staying in a flat in the Dum Dum Cantonment with my four teammates, cooking and cleaning for ourselves. I'm very prepared and hoping I'm not over-packed and going to look like a total materialist when I get there, but I am carrying gifts for several people as well as Sari Bari tags for the shop, so it's not all mine.

This is Rasheeda. She Is almost 15.

I am so happy to say that thanks to the contributions of all my family, friends, and church congregations I was able to raise all the money required for the trip! This was a huge relief, and a big blessing. I never expected to be able to raise all the money, and not have to pay anything out of pocket (especially since I was only half way there a month ago). God was really watching out for me in my hour of need. Thanks to everyone who donated, I will have enough personal money to be able to visit my sponsored child, Rasheeda, whom I sponsor through Compassion International. I have sponsored Rasheeda for four years, she lives in a village near Erode in the Tamil Nadu province in southern India. I cannot wait to meet her. The amount of fundraising also means that I will have enough savings to apply to grad schools and start job searches once I return. Again, I am just so blessed by the outpouring of love and support I have received in the last months and wanted to let everyone know so that you can celebrate with me and know my thanks to those of you who gave!

I was recently led to two really great books that would be awesome for anyone wanting to learn more about modern slavery, or human trafficking. If you're interested in learning more about sex trafficking these would be really good choices. One is The Slave Next Door by Theresa Flores, it's a true story about sex trafficking of Americans within the United States. The other is a fiction, based on the reality of sex trafficking in India and Europe, it's great if you like a novel but want to learn a little about the issues involved, It's called A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison! AND it was written by the relative of the Executive Director of the Civic Theater here in Indianapolis!

I am not sure of how often I will be able to write posts while in India, but I promised my mother to call her at least once a week, so hopefully I can do the same with checking emails and writing updates. I believe where I will be living is going to be a very good place for sanitation and transport, but please pray for my safety and quick adjustment to life there nonetheless. I am so excited for this new adventure and I hope all of you will enjoy going on this journey with me!

And now all there is to do is quote the words of Dr. Who a he plunges into the unknown:
"Allons-y!!!"