Hello all, it's House. I have avoided blog duty since I've been here, but it seems I cannot avoid it any longer. Part of the reason I haven't wanted to blog is because I feel like I should have something profound to share with all of you, some life-changing experience that will uplift all you faithful readers, or at least something new to tell you about our time here in Kolkata, but I just don't really feel like I have anything like that.
A lot of things have been troubling me lately. My mind has been filled with questions to things I thought I knew and I just feel like everything I though I knew is changing, but yesterday I got a few moments of clarity; like when one of your nostrils has been clogged up all day, and for just a few minutes you can breathe though both nostrils and it feels like the greatest thing ever, and then you go back to clogged again. I digress. Anyway, Kelly and I have been working at Kalighat, and it has been really tough. Two days ago I was holding a frail, tiny, dying woman in my arms while she cried. Due to a language barrier I do not know why she was crying, but from her eyes I saw pain and fear. I was so frustrated because I wanted to offer her words of encouragement; I wanted to tell her that it would be okay, that there was hope, that I knew what would happen when she died. But even if we did speak the same language, at this point, with all the things we've been experiencing and seeing, I just couldn't.
Yesterday she was in a little bit more lively and kept uttering the word, "talk" to me. She just wanted some words, even if she didn't understand them. I found myself telling her anything that came to my mind; I told her about a time my brother took care of a scraped knee I had gotten playing street hockey. I told her about my brothers recent wedding, about how much I love surfing with my dad, about the days in summer when as a kid we would play pickle until our moms called us in. I shared with her how I'm nursing one hell of a broken heart, and how I wish that it would just stop hurting. Then I found myself wondering why in the world I'm worried about my broken heart when this lady is dying right here in front of me.
After I left her yesterday, Kelly and I met up with Kolt to get some much needed exercise and kick around the soccer ball. This is when the clarity came for a few minutes. As I ran around in an open field with my friends, I felt my heart beat fast and hard, I felt the sweat drip off, and I felt alive. I realized that for this moment, I had what those women at Kalighat didn't have, and I cherished every second of it. I don't know any answers......I don't even know all the questions, but yesterday, with a crowd of men watching because they had probably never seen a white girl playing soccer, I felt alive and happy and glad to be here. So there it is.
Katy
P.S. Kolt, Kelly and Cat are all vomitters. I am the one with a nasty arm disease. Vic is the trooper, and Rhoman is MIA.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Hopefully this is somewhat worth while!
Well, to all those who continually check this blog, as frustrating and informative lacking as it has been, I wanted to say thank you for all of your support and thoughts. It has been a true blessing knowing that there are people out there thinking of us over here.
What to say. There has been a reason as to why I have not written in this blog since my first entry back in Nepal. I simply have no idea as to what to say to anyone. Those who have been on this trip with me can perhaps testify to this. Also, a blog to me is so much different than something like an email. In an email I know who is reading what I am writing. Yet, a blog, well anyone can read it. Another hard thing about this blog for myself is that I want to write something inspirational, something that touches and moves those who are reading it. Yet I have none of those things to offer. A common thought I believe about being overseas, especially in a place like Kolkata, is that one is to be having dramatic changing experiences, and therefore, many revelations to speak about. Yet, for me, this trip has been quite the opposite. I believe it has been a confirmation of what I have been struggling with for the past year.
As some of you know, I went to Nepal last summer to research the issue of sex trafficking. Through this experience my world was turned upside down, and all the beliefs that I once had, were either severely rocked or completely shattered. In going back to the states, in the process of finishing school, I had a passion to come back to this place, and bring others with me in order that they too may be exposed to just another reality of the world. Of course, this reality is just as much in America as in Kolkata, however, for us middle class white Americans, (except Rho of course, but he thinks his white anyway) the blatancy of the problems in Kolkata are shaking. In being here I have had to ask myself something. Why in the world did I want to come back? Why did I want to bring all these people with me and what is my hope in their worlds being turned upside down like mine? I have realized that my passion for this place has been highly influenced because it was a place that changed me, yet in being here, I have to ask whether I truly care about this place or its people. I have also seen, as obvious as this should have been before and how ridiculous I feel for not understanding this, is that everyone on this trip isn't me and will not react the same way as me to the conditions and state of this place. Yet regardless of that there are still issues here that force themselves on you and it is my hope to have others struggle with these issues.
Heather Busse asked me one day why it is that I want people to question their faith the way that I do. Well, i believe the most obvious is because of my pride, but other than that, I haven't been able to answer her, especially since my questioning, like so many others, has no answer. but i believe that if there is to be this true God, this Christian God, that he resides his these unanswerable questions, these hard questions and if there is this God, I believe that he desires for us to struggle with these issues so that we are pushed to do something about the state humanity is in and conditions in which people live in. My hope is that there is a God that desires community, and equality and wishes all oppressive powers to be removed. Am I making up this God, am I simply creating a God that sounds nice to me? Yes, but are we not all doing that, especially the ones who refuse to help their neighbors in order that they may continue to live their comfortable life. This is not to say that I am doing anything about this, because if there is one thing that I have realized again is that if I am to truly help anyone here, or back in the states, or anywhere, I am going to have to change the way I live entirely. Am I willing to do that?
Another reason why it is that I do not want to write is because I could write forever. Also, in order to capture not only all that I am thinking, but also the background as to why I am thinking the way I am thinking, it would take to long. So what am I to say.......... What is Christianity? What the crap is Christianity, or better yet, where is Christianity? Where is this God that Christians confess in? What about the little girls that we see in Sonagochi, who sell their bodies day in and day out simply to pay rent for a 5x5 foot room? What about all the people sleeping all over the streets here, or the beggars who continually ask you for the money that I have simply because I was born in America and not here? What about all the families and lives that have been displaced so that we Americans and western cultures can have the homes that we do, the cars that we drive, the cities that we walk in or the water that we drink? What about the affects that globalization has on the entire world but most particularly third world countries where there is no hope of escaping their debt to countries like America? What about the billions that have died throughout all of history and have never known Jesus Christ? What about the millions that die daily simply because they have no food? What about the father who died the other day of starvation because large companies buy out their land, displace them, and leave them with no place to go? What about all the individuals in developed countries who have most of the worlds money, in order that they may live "comfortably", while majority of the world lives in complete poverty? What about the man that I met from Papa New Guinea, where there are thousands of tribes that have not even seen a white person before and are completely unreached by the developing world and is one of the poorest countries in the world, who was completely shocked and taken back by the way in which people live here? What about the realization that because of the way that i live, whether ignorant or not, is an indirect cause to how billions live across the world? What about the realization that I have to change? What about the fact that none of the worlds major problems has anything to do with money? What about the fact that even if I dedicated my whole life to a cause such as the end of sex trafficking, that not only would sex trafficking continue, so would the rest of the worlds problem? What about the fact that Christianity has said that it is a religion of the poor and oppressed and yet, since Christ has left, the world is the same or in a worse state than it has ever been? And where is Christ? The exact question that the early church struggled with. What if you found out that the Bible isn't all that is thought to be in our 21st century, post enlightenment thought process? What about Hell, what about Heaven? Have we really contemplated the meaning behind those terms? Do I realize that despite all of these questions, one may simply say they have faith? Yeah I do. But the fact of the matter is that despite what conclusions you may come to in regards to these questions, if we want to say we believe in the Jesus of the Bible, regardless of what the Bible is or is not, that these issues have nothing to do with money, or our idea of what is a necessity for living conditions, it has to do with our hearts and what we truly care about. One of the biggest things that I struggle with is that Christianity condemns others to hell that do not confess in Jesus Christ as Lord. This is scriptural but again, who knows what the Bible is anyway, and secondly, even if the Bible is truly inspired, we can get anything we want out of the Bible. Yet whatever the Bible is doesn't matter to me right now, but one thing that I think is crucial to think about as a Christian, especially especially if we Believe the Bible to be the word of God, is the story of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. Many people have asked Gandhi if he is a Christian, he replies, "Ask the poor, they will tell you who are the true Christians."
I have no idea as to what to write except these questions. These are questions I have been asking myself for over a year now. Questions that have been asked for centuries now. Questions that will never be answered. But I write them in hope that it makes you think. Maybe these mean nothing to you, maybe you have already come to terms with them. Maybe you don't want to think about them at all. I have no idea. All I can do is answer them myself the best I can. If there is one thing that I do know though, it is that at least I am a humanitarian. Thank you for listening, praying and reading.
Kolt
What to say. There has been a reason as to why I have not written in this blog since my first entry back in Nepal. I simply have no idea as to what to say to anyone. Those who have been on this trip with me can perhaps testify to this. Also, a blog to me is so much different than something like an email. In an email I know who is reading what I am writing. Yet, a blog, well anyone can read it. Another hard thing about this blog for myself is that I want to write something inspirational, something that touches and moves those who are reading it. Yet I have none of those things to offer. A common thought I believe about being overseas, especially in a place like Kolkata, is that one is to be having dramatic changing experiences, and therefore, many revelations to speak about. Yet, for me, this trip has been quite the opposite. I believe it has been a confirmation of what I have been struggling with for the past year.
As some of you know, I went to Nepal last summer to research the issue of sex trafficking. Through this experience my world was turned upside down, and all the beliefs that I once had, were either severely rocked or completely shattered. In going back to the states, in the process of finishing school, I had a passion to come back to this place, and bring others with me in order that they too may be exposed to just another reality of the world. Of course, this reality is just as much in America as in Kolkata, however, for us middle class white Americans, (except Rho of course, but he thinks his white anyway) the blatancy of the problems in Kolkata are shaking. In being here I have had to ask myself something. Why in the world did I want to come back? Why did I want to bring all these people with me and what is my hope in their worlds being turned upside down like mine? I have realized that my passion for this place has been highly influenced because it was a place that changed me, yet in being here, I have to ask whether I truly care about this place or its people. I have also seen, as obvious as this should have been before and how ridiculous I feel for not understanding this, is that everyone on this trip isn't me and will not react the same way as me to the conditions and state of this place. Yet regardless of that there are still issues here that force themselves on you and it is my hope to have others struggle with these issues.
Heather Busse asked me one day why it is that I want people to question their faith the way that I do. Well, i believe the most obvious is because of my pride, but other than that, I haven't been able to answer her, especially since my questioning, like so many others, has no answer. but i believe that if there is to be this true God, this Christian God, that he resides his these unanswerable questions, these hard questions and if there is this God, I believe that he desires for us to struggle with these issues so that we are pushed to do something about the state humanity is in and conditions in which people live in. My hope is that there is a God that desires community, and equality and wishes all oppressive powers to be removed. Am I making up this God, am I simply creating a God that sounds nice to me? Yes, but are we not all doing that, especially the ones who refuse to help their neighbors in order that they may continue to live their comfortable life. This is not to say that I am doing anything about this, because if there is one thing that I have realized again is that if I am to truly help anyone here, or back in the states, or anywhere, I am going to have to change the way I live entirely. Am I willing to do that?
Another reason why it is that I do not want to write is because I could write forever. Also, in order to capture not only all that I am thinking, but also the background as to why I am thinking the way I am thinking, it would take to long. So what am I to say.......... What is Christianity? What the crap is Christianity, or better yet, where is Christianity? Where is this God that Christians confess in? What about the little girls that we see in Sonagochi, who sell their bodies day in and day out simply to pay rent for a 5x5 foot room? What about all the people sleeping all over the streets here, or the beggars who continually ask you for the money that I have simply because I was born in America and not here? What about all the families and lives that have been displaced so that we Americans and western cultures can have the homes that we do, the cars that we drive, the cities that we walk in or the water that we drink? What about the affects that globalization has on the entire world but most particularly third world countries where there is no hope of escaping their debt to countries like America? What about the billions that have died throughout all of history and have never known Jesus Christ? What about the millions that die daily simply because they have no food? What about the father who died the other day of starvation because large companies buy out their land, displace them, and leave them with no place to go? What about all the individuals in developed countries who have most of the worlds money, in order that they may live "comfortably", while majority of the world lives in complete poverty? What about the man that I met from Papa New Guinea, where there are thousands of tribes that have not even seen a white person before and are completely unreached by the developing world and is one of the poorest countries in the world, who was completely shocked and taken back by the way in which people live here? What about the realization that because of the way that i live, whether ignorant or not, is an indirect cause to how billions live across the world? What about the realization that I have to change? What about the fact that none of the worlds major problems has anything to do with money? What about the fact that even if I dedicated my whole life to a cause such as the end of sex trafficking, that not only would sex trafficking continue, so would the rest of the worlds problem? What about the fact that Christianity has said that it is a religion of the poor and oppressed and yet, since Christ has left, the world is the same or in a worse state than it has ever been? And where is Christ? The exact question that the early church struggled with. What if you found out that the Bible isn't all that is thought to be in our 21st century, post enlightenment thought process? What about Hell, what about Heaven? Have we really contemplated the meaning behind those terms? Do I realize that despite all of these questions, one may simply say they have faith? Yeah I do. But the fact of the matter is that despite what conclusions you may come to in regards to these questions, if we want to say we believe in the Jesus of the Bible, regardless of what the Bible is or is not, that these issues have nothing to do with money, or our idea of what is a necessity for living conditions, it has to do with our hearts and what we truly care about. One of the biggest things that I struggle with is that Christianity condemns others to hell that do not confess in Jesus Christ as Lord. This is scriptural but again, who knows what the Bible is anyway, and secondly, even if the Bible is truly inspired, we can get anything we want out of the Bible. Yet whatever the Bible is doesn't matter to me right now, but one thing that I think is crucial to think about as a Christian, especially especially if we Believe the Bible to be the word of God, is the story of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. Many people have asked Gandhi if he is a Christian, he replies, "Ask the poor, they will tell you who are the true Christians."
I have no idea as to what to write except these questions. These are questions I have been asking myself for over a year now. Questions that have been asked for centuries now. Questions that will never be answered. But I write them in hope that it makes you think. Maybe these mean nothing to you, maybe you have already come to terms with them. Maybe you don't want to think about them at all. I have no idea. All I can do is answer them myself the best I can. If there is one thing that I do know though, it is that at least I am a humanitarian. Thank you for listening, praying and reading.
Kolt
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Greetings from Kolkata!
Well, I guess it's my turn to write. We've had a pretty crazy experience so far, there's some things that just cannot be explained clearly enough with just words...especially my words. But here's a shot...
Cat, Katy and I arrived, finally, a little more than a week ago, I think...I've kind of lost track of time. It has been great reconnecting with the group and hearing of all the things that they have seen experienced in their time here so far. The group is down to five again as Holly, Sax and Cheeks left a few days ago. Meanwhile, we have begun to work at DayaDan and Kalighat. Mother Teresa's home are really popular and they always have volunteers, but there's not much organization, so we get there for the first time and don't have any idea what we're supposed to be doing. I've really struggled with the fact that I feel like I'm more in the way than actually doing any good. It's become so much clearer how selfish this trip was and we've had several discussions as a group as to why we're really here and what 'missions' trips are really about. The sisters at the houses definitely don't need our help; the kids we hang out with probably won't even remember that we were even there the next day, and the dying women we sit with- who knows if they even want us there watching them, stripped of all their dignity, and reduced to a state of being that seems miserable to me. So what are we doing here? I think we're still questioning- and will continue to question for some time. We are becoming more comfortable at the homes, however. I sat with a lady at Kalighat. She needed her diaper changed, so I watched one of the other volunteers do it, then we sat her up and I cleaned her hand because it was covered with her own waste....five minutes later I had to change her diaper again. So first of all, we're definitely seeing and doing things that we wouldn't normally do, but second, we're just really blown away by the fact that we can't really do anything. Yesterday when we got there, we sat down to wash some laundry and in the next room they were nailing up a coffin. I don't know if any of this is making any sense...I think there's just a lot of stuff going on in all of our heads right now. So when I say this trip was selfish, I feel like I'm the one being effected and changed...they don't NEED us here. We walk down the streets and kids and women come up to us and ask for money and food, and we've been told over and over not to give them anything because it won't help them become self-sufficient and they'll just keep begging. So we're torn between giving them a meal and damaging the overall outcome... It's so frustrating. There is so much crap in the world, and how can we as individuals even begin to make a difference?
I apologize that this is just a lot of rambling... Hope it gives some glimpse into what we're doing and questioning and struggling with. But it is just that, a glimpse...
more to come...
kelly
Cat, Katy and I arrived, finally, a little more than a week ago, I think...I've kind of lost track of time. It has been great reconnecting with the group and hearing of all the things that they have seen experienced in their time here so far. The group is down to five again as Holly, Sax and Cheeks left a few days ago. Meanwhile, we have begun to work at DayaDan and Kalighat. Mother Teresa's home are really popular and they always have volunteers, but there's not much organization, so we get there for the first time and don't have any idea what we're supposed to be doing. I've really struggled with the fact that I feel like I'm more in the way than actually doing any good. It's become so much clearer how selfish this trip was and we've had several discussions as a group as to why we're really here and what 'missions' trips are really about. The sisters at the houses definitely don't need our help; the kids we hang out with probably won't even remember that we were even there the next day, and the dying women we sit with- who knows if they even want us there watching them, stripped of all their dignity, and reduced to a state of being that seems miserable to me. So what are we doing here? I think we're still questioning- and will continue to question for some time. We are becoming more comfortable at the homes, however. I sat with a lady at Kalighat. She needed her diaper changed, so I watched one of the other volunteers do it, then we sat her up and I cleaned her hand because it was covered with her own waste....five minutes later I had to change her diaper again. So first of all, we're definitely seeing and doing things that we wouldn't normally do, but second, we're just really blown away by the fact that we can't really do anything. Yesterday when we got there, we sat down to wash some laundry and in the next room they were nailing up a coffin. I don't know if any of this is making any sense...I think there's just a lot of stuff going on in all of our heads right now. So when I say this trip was selfish, I feel like I'm the one being effected and changed...they don't NEED us here. We walk down the streets and kids and women come up to us and ask for money and food, and we've been told over and over not to give them anything because it won't help them become self-sufficient and they'll just keep begging. So we're torn between giving them a meal and damaging the overall outcome... It's so frustrating. There is so much crap in the world, and how can we as individuals even begin to make a difference?
I apologize that this is just a lot of rambling... Hope it gives some glimpse into what we're doing and questioning and struggling with. But it is just that, a glimpse...
more to come...
kelly
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Sonagachi
Today Cheeks (Ryan) and I had the opportunity to walk through Sonagachi (which is the largest red light district in South Asia). We had a girl who travels there often take us through, and it is an experience I think we will both never forget. Girls packed the alleyways, some who looked as old as 60, and some who looked no older than 10. Men were everywhere and we were informed that these were all customers. Girls blew kisses at Cheek and growled while lightly tugging on his shirt, mind you these are girls who belong in junior high, not a brothel. Girls painted their faces with bright make up and a lot wore western clothes like jeans and tee shirts. We stuck out like a sore thumb being white people, and there was a sense from some men and older women that we were not welcome. It was an overwhelming experience; being surrounded by prostitutes and the men who enslave them. All I could think about was the fact that I could have been one of those girls, and as a woman it is excruciating to see how these women are treated. I am overcome with a sense of helplessness, and I fear that there is nothing I can do to stop the awful things these women are forced to submit to do. Where is the justice? I can't believe this is the world i live in, where a girl who should be in elementary school is forced to service men day in and day out. I feel disgusted with the men there. I am trying to fight the hatred that is growing for the men who feel as if they can treat women like this. Seeing that today changed my life forever, and I appreciate all that I am blessed with more now than ever. Everyone in the group says hello, we are off to have our last meal with Holly, Cheeks, and Saxony. They leave on a plane tonight, and they are going to be missed more than they could know. Thanks everyone for the support.
Love,
Cat Cristerna
Love,
Cat Cristerna
Sunday, June 17, 2007
And then there were five...
Okay, okay, we're sorry! It's been a while (two weeks, yikes!) since we've written- so for any devoted readers, please accept our apologies. Maybe it's because we're lamenting the loss of three of our wonderful members (while also looking forward to the three newbies). We've gone through some ups and downs in the past two weeks- sickness, heat, meaningless squabbles- but we're down to only five (Ryan, Kolt, Rhoman, Saxony, Holly) and we're missing our former pair of Whitney and Heather who left a week and a half ago, and Megan who just left yesterday.
Besides crying over our team's decreasing numbers we've been experiencing some new things, visiting the organization 'At the Well,' and 'Freeset Bags.' 'At the Well' works with street children and women from 'the line'- those employed in the brothels- and we had an opportunity last week to visit a service among the women and their children. Then, a few days ago we visited the Well again and sang songs, gave a message, and fed street kids. It's been interesting to see the variance of programs and approaches to reach these children- something I'm sure we've all formed our own opinions, but overall the experience has been good. We've been painting the first floor of a hospital that's owned by the Assemblies of God church by night- surprised by our relative skill. The mornings look different for most of us, but we're attempting to be more consistent in our activities, so encouragement, prayer, thought is much appreciated.
On to other things- cultural 'norms' in Kolkata are still difficult to adjust to- the courtesy policy we all learned about it being impolite to stare as children holds no significance here. While the staring and bodily proximity (men walk right up to us within a few feet and just stare while we converse) feels abrasive, it's mostly done out of curiosity. However, it takes patience to realize this and I constantly have to tell myself to relax when I look up to find seemingly all pairs of eyes on us girls as we walk, bus, or metro around town.
Last week we had a beautiful thunder storm that we all watched from our hotel rooftop- it was beautiful and thrilling to watch, but by morning we heard that 11 people had been killed from lightning alone- and the resulting rain left our street submerged in 2-3 feet of filthy brown water... When we can upload some photos we will- our breakfast trek across the street was an adventure, to say the least. Thinking of where all the people who sleep on the street (we counted 180 one night during a 10 min. walk home) is frightening... The culture is hard to get used to, doing the work we came to do is also difficult, and merely being here is diffucult- but it's all been worthwhile and we'll surely be learning from it all so if we neglect to write, rest assured we'll return with the 'in-betweens.'
Until then, we'll be sweating and serving- keep writing us!
Peace,
Holly
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Missionaries of Charity 1st Day
This was my day, my first day on a journey among many…
At the Missionaries of Charity, I chose to work at Kalighat, the Home for the Destitute and the Dying… out of all of the homes, I was oddly drawn to this one, and not for any particular reason. I spent four hours there... Doing laundry, washing the dishes, cooking, spending time with the women and talking with other volunteers. The nuns were cold, some had smiles and warm hearts, but I can still see one of them yelling at one of the women to get up and somehow move her lifeless body to the other side of the room on her own. It was intense. The women lay in their beds, a select few have the strength to sit up. Faint moans coat the room, and frightened and helpless faces lie in each bed, portraying excruciating pain that haunts their every moment. There is no relief in their lives, pain shows no end… where is hope? I spent my time with them nervous. Nervous that my life wouldn’t and couldn’t somehow manage to touch theirs… however miniscule. Nervous that my young muscles would crush their frail old, dying hands. Scared that I was bringing more pain instead of comfort. and terrified that my way of showing love, was misinterpreted and somehow conditioned by my culture and just couldn’t make it past those cultural boundaries.
But I sat there on her bed, and held her hand as her eyes watered. All I could see was pain that taunted her frailness. She lie crippled. And all I could think to do was sing. If I sang to her, maybe somehow my voice could make her pain run away, to make her worries melt, maybe she could find peace, if I just sang. And so I did. I sat there and held her hand and sang to her softly, gazing into her eyes and wondering if I could ever manage to relieve her of her solitude with a song that might somehow transcend the silence. Even just for one second.
And then I moved on. I went from one woman to another massaging their frail arms and backs, adding some moisture to their dry and cracking skin. One lady sat with me and laughed as I moisturized her lanky arms spotted with soars, laughing as she thought up every word she could possibly think of that I might understand (in English) … looking for any real verbal communication, as I know no Hindi or Bengali. So she quietly and dazed sang to me her abc’s and 1,2,3’s, that quickly eradicated any and every awkward tension as they were accompanied with our light hearted laughs. And this was only the beginning of many daunting days.
It came time to make my way home through the streets of Kolkata. I briskly walked through the bustling market, and made my way far down the stairs into the busyness of the underground Indian Metro system, held on tightly as the cool air condition brushed my face… a melancholic kiss against the backdrop of the tainted humidity of the hot Indian sun.
And then there is the reality… My story is just one among many. And yet this is just our effort to do, what Mother Theresa calls, small acts … with great love. Many Blessings, Love and Peace - Megan Sievert
Friday, June 1, 2007
randoms thoughts from Papa Cheek
Wow.... well my other members of this team have now overwhelmed me because they write such long detailed posts. Sorry readers.. i am not going to give you that. I would like to say maybe a couple quick things before i check you guys up on our trip because if you did not know it well were in India... and it is a furnace... My team is so amazing.. We are like a really close dis functional family. Everyone is really different with unique gifts to bring to our group.. Hahaha.... Saxony is the really mature little sister of the group and she brings so much life and goofiness and joy to us. Saxony works real hard and has a really cool way of loving people. she also is bomb at soccer....Saxony loves people and it shows.... thats a good thing..... Rhoman is the weird sweet uncle who has been their done that because he has been to India the last two summers and is of course Indian himself. Also when he laughs.. there is nothing better in the world. He is a joy to have around. He needs to be around so i do not die or get lost. Rhoman also is wise and mature beyond his years.... With his beard he looks 45 or 50... Hahaha...Then we have Megan.. She is one of the older sisters in the group. She is great. She now has a new boyfriend as of a couple days ago. Good stuff. She is a really kind heart and is really good in like every situation. She is one of the female world travelers in the group. Megan loves to shop for everyone she loves... o and she does... She has been a blessing on this trip for more reasons than one. I'll give you one. She is just a lover. Next we have Whitney.. She is the middle rebel sister for more good reasons than one... Kolt thinks she is the best dressed on the trip which she is. She takes more good photos than a small army. She loves to take naps while other people are talking.. Well only Kolt.... She has been a blessing because she has a sweet way of loving on kids and she is just really open to anything...Now we have Heather.... She is such a joy to be around because she somehow always talks about the coolest deep topics... And she is really smart and well read so i just feel like i learn alot from her.. its a really cool unique quality to have.. I would say she is the other older sister or a sweet crazy aunt. She always sings every song i sing after me and i really like that too..... Heather is a rad young woman..and a deep thinker.. Next we have Kolt... i really do not want to give him alot of credit but i guess he is the dad of the family... He set up this trip and his experiences are some of the main reasons why we are all here.... Plus he is just a guy that has a very cool mature personality like a dad.... Kolt is really smart and is someone anyone can learn alot from.....If you have the skill to get Kolt laughing or get him to be goofy.... again there is nothing better.... he is also really hairy.. Last but not least we have Holly.... She is a small woman that packs a punch... She has a really rare quality of just making me happy and getting them to smile.. She is i guess the mom for reasons that can not be disclosed.. Hahaha... She is super goofy and really caring and is really good with kids... There is this one picture of her with this kid and she is i think maybe too happy... anyways... she has been a blessing to have for sure.... All the girls on this trip are like world travelers and are awesome women of God..And Rhoman and Kolt are both amazing and wise and deep men of God.... They are super legit.... So our team is real good....It has been good.. We are in India now working on day 2. We just had our orientation for the Mother Houses and we are all set up and know where we will be working. We are all really excited to finally get working in India. India is alot different from Nepal...... Nepal was amazing.. but India is now upon us.... We are hopefully going to maybe get involved in a couple more things besides the Mother Houses..... but the houses will be our main service and are intense enough to be the only thing we do... guys i need to go... im sweating writing this so the A/C is calling me..... I am sure the others will write blogs and fill you all in soon
Peace to all
Please pray
Continually
Peace to all
Please pray
Continually
Delayed Catch-Up...
Hmmm…. I don’t necessarily know how or what to begin writing to catch any faithful readers (love you, mom) up with the latest happenings, so I’ll just write about last Saturday. As Hindus observe their holy day on Saturday, Christians do the same, so we began our day early heading to the
We had spoken with Ranjit (founder of Kingdom Kids and the Princess Home) and John (our wonderful contact who made our daily activities possible/ co-founder of Princess Home) about visiting some dance clubs in Thamel. These dance clubs are not only degrading means of (limited) employment for girls in search of sustainable income, but also functional facades for solicited sex. I mention the two because many of the girls come from small communities far from
While I’d like to think I’m tough (bark big, barely bite) the reality is I can crack on command. And walking into a club where girls my own age are dancing with stoic and bored expressions for a room full of men can become quite the command. The first club we went to had a large stage and dark seating- the women were wearing two pieces- and the music was so loud it hurt. Conversation was limited and we unfortunately didn’t get to talk with any hosts or servers, our objective to learn from the girls. So after a while we left and went to another club. We were already disturbed from what we’d seen, but the first club kept us distanced from the girls. The second did not. The stage was much smaller, and the majority of observers were fellow employees- proving the ‘entertainment’ to be apart from the stage. One girl approached us apart from our male server, but since we wanted to talk with the girls about their experience, John asked if any of the girls spoke English. Luckily one did, and she came and sat next to me. Soon we were surrounded by women, attempting to engage in conversation. Being two girls and three boys, it felt really awkward to seem prospective ‘clients’ to the women. Of course, we had to be sensitive in how we questioned them about their lives, history, situation- but in my usual touchy-ness I made the mistake of putting my hand on the knee of this woman and realized that according to her, I wasn’t there to learn or ask questions. I was a possible client. In just realizing that, I want to cry- possibly throw fragile things at walls- because it just doesn’t make sense.
I’d like to think of myself as an empathetic person, so the whole experience was especially hard for me because I’d picture myself in their shoes. Seeing their dulled expressions when they danced, the watchful eyes of the men, the innocent dancing of some of the girls compared to the raunchy dancing of other girls--- these girls are my age. They are mostly here as victims of circumstance. And that is hard to understand.
Because of our work in the Princess Home, we (the girls) have had the opportunity to hear their stories as headed for or recovering from these situations. All of the stories dealt with abusive men- mostly through arranged marriages- and the home has taken them in and released them from those environments. Snapshots of our times together would show us listening to them, crying with them, praying with them, laughing with them. These girls have luckily had the opportunity to leave their abusive husbands, their means of dependency, and be provided for. And while this home is wonderful and Ranjit has proven himself saintly- there are so many more women in need, dancing in bars, being contracted for sex. The problem still exists and our group knows that- we’re not satisfied with merely spending time with these women as a way to fill up our weeks on this trip, just so we can turn around and leave. Being exposed to these bars, hearing the stories of these women firsthand- we want to learn how (if possible) to change the situation. Exposure through service was our objective and we’ve come to find it- so the problem now exists in what to do, how to help and learn while here yet carry it when we leave.
And while I’d like to say that I hope these writings will help, the reality is that it’s hard to understand for those of us here- and I’m sure even harder until you’re holding the hands of these women, or touching them indecently in a dance bar. One way I’m trying to help is through asking the organizations that we come into contact with of their needs/hopes/prospective changes. So I’ll leave a list here for our faithful readers- our occasional readers- our readers of happenstance—in hopes that should you feel so led, should you have any additional information to offer- there are ways to help from over t/here.
MORNING STAR (the orphanage holding 57 kids)
- More facilities to offer so they can house more children- they can find people to run the facilities easily- they are just hoping for another home, the funds to do so, people that would come and help, or even financially support.
- A counseling book to provide help for the kids.
- Pen pals for the children to write.
- A volunteer for 2-3 months that would like to come and help with various needs. Housing and most likely food would be taken care of.
- (I added this one myself: I’m thinking they could advertise for help- maybe even put up the option on something like idealist.org… or create a website…)
RANJIT/ JOHN/ PRINCESS HOME/ KINGDOM KIDS:
- Ranjit is hoping to open an intensive 5/6 month Bible school that can prepare and send out individuals from rural mountain communities. The Christian population in
- John is looking to find organizations in
If anyone knows any way to help, or feels led in any way- here are the needs. Hopefully you'll be able to contact any of us in person when/if we return (wink wink) or you can respond here with further comments and questions. Until then....
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Hi. I'm Whitney. This trip has been different than i expected it to be. I came here with the intentions of focusing on sex trafficking. When i got here i was shocked by the poverty; it hit me hard. The street kids made me so angry because i didn't want to have to walk by them and hear their "Miss, one rupee, hungry". It made me uncomfortable. It made me so happy when Ranjit told us that we could take the kids to the park one day and hang out with them. This trip i have been having a hard time figuring out how to connect with the people here. I'm not Saxony, i don't jump into every situation and help out in whatever way is possible, I'm not holly, i don't love on everyone that is around me, and i'm not Rhoman, i don't start conversations with random people. I found out though that i am whitney, i love my camera, and i love sharing my camera with people. The day before i had shared my camera with the Kingdom Kids while we were at the soccerfield playing games, but sharing my camera with the Street boys was a little different. They're high and they are out of control and you don't know what to expect. At first i was really nervous to have them holding my camera-what if they run off with it, trip, fall and break my baby? Well, i got over it because it gave me so much joy to see these kids taking pictures....so...i've decided to share with you the photographs that these kids took (the first two are mine)
Raju and Phrabin
Shuni
Raju and Phrabin
Shuni
B.J.
Ginesh
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Today's experience, ones thought
My name is Rhoman Goyenechea and this is my first time to Nepal; though I have been to Kolkata, India the past two summers. My experience here in this region of the world is not new being in Nepal. Nepal is a very moderate form of Kolkata. In a way this place is a good way to prepare the rest of the group for the next stage in our journey since we will be leaving Nepal soon to go to Kolkata.
As a continuation of the blogs and journey of Nepal, today was another powerful day; not in the sense that people were being saved, but more in the sense that we all spent the day with the street kids. i am not talking about kids that simply live on the street with their families because they have no place but kids that have no one else but each other. these kids are hard. they age from 10 to 16. two days ago we met specifically with a man and his wife by the names of Ranjit and Sarah. Ranjit, spent some time telling his testimony. Ranjit's story was "out of this world" because it was so intense that I had to believe it was true. I say that because often times in my experiences back at home, someones divine encounter with God has never been so specific and intense. yes, i have heard amazing conversions but one quite like this one. Also in my experiences overseas, testimony's tend to be more gut-wrenching because western culture has allowed us to not depend on Him to sustain our wants and desires. i have said this before that in reality, we, western culture, can find ways to meet ends meet without Christianity or means of dependence because culture has made that possible. when i am over here, people are persecuted for being a follower of Christ so when they say that they believe they are not just talking the talk but walking it out. i have never been persecuted for believing what i believe let alone have to hide my faith. my struggle is not being comfortable but rather spiritual thirst and constant dependence on my Lord. i actually had a discussion with Ranjit about this explaining to him what i just wrote. Please ask who ever you know that is on this trip about his testimony because i could write for days. further in the meeting with Ranjit, he asked us of our availability; remember as was written the previous blog, all of us were debating a trip to Pokara, an outragiously beautiful place in Nepal, to work with some kids for a brief time, and travel would be possibly up to 8 hours by bus on unsafe terrain. Ranjit had answered many of our unspoken truths by planning out a few days of what he would like us to do for him. those were to build a garden for the princess home, take the kingdom kids out and play soccer with them, take the street kids to the park and feed them, and finally go to the dance bars and see his ministry there with girls that live this life by dancing for money.
i am going to focus on today's experience with the street kids. Street kids are some of the hardest around because they used to have family and now don't. there family is each other. the ones we were with ranged from 10-16 years of age. these kids sniff glue, smoke anything possible, inject (fix), you name it and they have probably done in. i have hard time connectin with street kids because what goes through my head is that they just want our money and food and dont want to change. for a lot of them, they feel like they dont have a choice because based on there faith, they deserve the life they have because of their past life. in the place where we are staying, it is a tourist section of kathmandu. these street kids are very manipulative in words to gain money and food from foreigners because we feel bad for them in their situation. i learn to have a hard heart because the more we give the more we allow them to depend on us foreigners for daily satisfaction. this will then perpetuate their stay on the streets. so what we do for them to help is to not do anything at all and allow people like Ranjit to minister because he knows the situation and can provide more than we can unless we stay for an extensive period of time which is a temptation for the future.
originally, Ranjit had a group of kids that he has been talking to for some time and was going to just take them to the park. the night before last, Kolt talked to some kids that came up to him asking for some money and food. He invited them to go to the park with you the next day, and they were interested. we ended up taking a bus load of kids to a big park where we played games, ate food, and sat around. there was also a little wading pool so the kids ripped their clothes off and went splashing in the water. it was one of those moments where i laughed at myself because it looks like we are impacting their lives but really we are simply being exposed to their struggles and daily battles for one day. i do think that is the first step in the right direction to want to have an impact on a person's life. we need to be convicted in hearts to want that change and reality.
these kids are buddy buddy at one moment and then wanting to rip each others head off the next because one will have glue to sniff where the other does not. we didnt try to take their glue away at anytime of the day because what does that do, nothing. on the bus ride over, i sat in the back with kids on my left and right. they were sniffing away like crazy, high as a kite and i just sat there in amazment and shock. looking at these kids, i saw ripped clothes, some have no shoes, jeans/shorts ripped, scars all over their body, and malnourished bodies. it is annoying to know that what we did that day may not have any affect or impact in their lives, but i also think that it was a powerful day for the group's exposure for a changed heart and world view.
on our way home we were waiting for our buses to pick us up, but we got word that there was a riot/strike in the city and that any mode of transportation would be burned down if caught in operation. Ranjit told us that we would need to march home with the kids. home was many miles away so we were in for a long hall. we passed by a fire in the road and i felt like i was in a middle of a warzone marching to safety. Ranjit explained to us that those walking were not in any danger because it was not about the people. So this may sound scary but in reality it was a sweet experience walking with the kids. some vehicles would operate and the kids would jump on the back to catch a ride. they had a blast doing this and i enjoyed watching them. finally vehicles were allowed to run again so we got a ride back home.
this day was a powerful day in unexpected ways. i believe it had impacted differently for each person in the group. as for me, this was a brief description as to what i experienced along with thoughts about it. peace be with you all where ever you are at.
hands, feet, words, attitude....
rhoman g
i am going to focus on today's experience with the street kids. Street kids are some of the hardest around because they used to have family and now don't. there family is each other. the ones we were with ranged from 10-16 years of age. these kids sniff glue, smoke anything possible, inject (fix), you name it and they have probably done in. i have hard time connectin with street kids because what goes through my head is that they just want our money and food and dont want to change. for a lot of them, they feel like they dont have a choice because based on there faith, they deserve the life they have because of their past life. in the place where we are staying, it is a tourist section of kathmandu. these street kids are very manipulative in words to gain money and food from foreigners because we feel bad for them in their situation. i learn to have a hard heart because the more we give the more we allow them to depend on us foreigners for daily satisfaction. this will then perpetuate their stay on the streets. so what we do for them to help is to not do anything at all and allow people like Ranjit to minister because he knows the situation and can provide more than we can unless we stay for an extensive period of time which is a temptation for the future.
originally, Ranjit had a group of kids that he has been talking to for some time and was going to just take them to the park. the night before last, Kolt talked to some kids that came up to him asking for some money and food. He invited them to go to the park with you the next day, and they were interested. we ended up taking a bus load of kids to a big park where we played games, ate food, and sat around. there was also a little wading pool so the kids ripped their clothes off and went splashing in the water. it was one of those moments where i laughed at myself because it looks like we are impacting their lives but really we are simply being exposed to their struggles and daily battles for one day. i do think that is the first step in the right direction to want to have an impact on a person's life. we need to be convicted in hearts to want that change and reality.
these kids are buddy buddy at one moment and then wanting to rip each others head off the next because one will have glue to sniff where the other does not. we didnt try to take their glue away at anytime of the day because what does that do, nothing. on the bus ride over, i sat in the back with kids on my left and right. they were sniffing away like crazy, high as a kite and i just sat there in amazment and shock. looking at these kids, i saw ripped clothes, some have no shoes, jeans/shorts ripped, scars all over their body, and malnourished bodies. it is annoying to know that what we did that day may not have any affect or impact in their lives, but i also think that it was a powerful day for the group's exposure for a changed heart and world view.
on our way home we were waiting for our buses to pick us up, but we got word that there was a riot/strike in the city and that any mode of transportation would be burned down if caught in operation. Ranjit told us that we would need to march home with the kids. home was many miles away so we were in for a long hall. we passed by a fire in the road and i felt like i was in a middle of a warzone marching to safety. Ranjit explained to us that those walking were not in any danger because it was not about the people. So this may sound scary but in reality it was a sweet experience walking with the kids. some vehicles would operate and the kids would jump on the back to catch a ride. they had a blast doing this and i enjoyed watching them. finally vehicles were allowed to run again so we got a ride back home.
this day was a powerful day in unexpected ways. i believe it had impacted differently for each person in the group. as for me, this was a brief description as to what i experienced along with thoughts about it. peace be with you all where ever you are at.
hands, feet, words, attitude....
rhoman g
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Ok here we go.
Listing things always work so well when someone is trying to describe a new place and a new experience. So here, I'll list a few things in hopes that you might be able to get a feel for what the heck is going on in our lives.
1. Street kids who beg you for money. we're staying in a real touristy area, called Thimal, and street kids love to come up to us begging for money. they claim it's because they're hungry and they want food, but the sad reality is, they want money for drugs and glue. mothers with babies do the same thing, holding bottles with water, asking money for milk. they usually just trade the milk right back in the store for money to buy drugs. this really bothered us as a team and for the last week we've really struggled with what to do. Saxony made a break through this evening as she struck up a conversation with some kids. Tomorrow we'll be going to the park to play with street kids and to cook and eat with them. It'll be an all-day event and we are all pumped.
2. the streets were obviously not made for cars, motorcyles, bikes, tuk tuks AND pedestrians, but they all seem to find their way through to their destinations. I get nervous about having a foot run over. i would hate to see what a car accident looked like here.
3. HELLO we're in a valley, at the base of the Himilayas and Everest and how could you not be blown away by the fact that we're in freaking KATMANDU. Every now and then someone will look around and remind the group that we're in nepal. WE'RE IN NEPAL!
4. I think it finally hit me that we were in another country when a person riding an elephant cruised down the street through traffic. Right after this, we witnessed a monkey trapeesing some cable wires.
5. The boys have this really beautiful opportunity to connect with the kids here as they play soccer and it's so sweet to watch the relationships form. It's even neater to watch Saxony play with the boys because it helps break stereotypes of women. Women here are so oppressed and, as a woman, it's easy to feel. The way they interact in public, the way they dress, the way they are treated by their husbands, families, etc. It can be a bit overwhelming. You wonder how humans could treat other humans that way...
6. The beginning of our trip was a bit ambiguous as we tried to get a feel for what we wanted to do and see. It's funny how God works through all situations, even the ones where we feel disconnected and divided. One morning a few days ago, our team couldn't decide if we wanted to stay in Katmandu or go out to visit some towns in rural nepal. By that afternoon, we had visited the Princess Home and felt GOD move. It was crazy. We all had an unspoken agreement form and fell into a unity that was indescribable. People were praying, feeling hopeful and overwhelmed with God and I think that is a powerful affermation to the trip and why we are here.
And why are we here? People have supported us with their hard earned cash and we get to experience and see and grow and at the end of the day, share with the world.
I think we are here to
1. Grow
2. SEEK
3. Find God
4. struggle
5. learn to love better
6. learn to love ourselves better
7. watch soccer
8. play soccer
9. listen to the stories of those who are suffering
10. be humbled
11. allow God to move us, break us, destroy our worldviews, and build us back up again.
We had some sweet women fellowship time today and heard the stories of a few girls who had been in oppresive marriages that ultimately led them to being incarcerated in brothels against their wills. We (the girls on our team) got to hear these stories as we washed their feet and gave them manicures and pedicures (don't ask me how we knew what we were doing, we just did it)
Seriously, there's so much more to say and describe: we visited another children's home which was started by a man named Vishnu. This man just blew my mind. He was one of those people who was obviously in LA-LA land with Jesus and I really just wanted to follow him around wherever he went. The children who lived with him (there were 48 at the time) all called him dad and the little ones especially had stolen his heart. We painted their walls and played with the kids.
Come to think of it, we've done quite a bit.
Here's what I think: this life we lead transcends economics, poverty and wealth, even maybe religion. Being Christ followers, we are called to love God and love others with everything we have in our being. I think we are trying to figure out what that looks like here and how does this then transform us for the rest of our lives.
Its a shift. Something weird is going on and I think it's the Holy Spirit and there's a healing shift that I love.
We'll talk more later.
Tekwaba.
Listing things always work so well when someone is trying to describe a new place and a new experience. So here, I'll list a few things in hopes that you might be able to get a feel for what the heck is going on in our lives.
1. Street kids who beg you for money. we're staying in a real touristy area, called Thimal, and street kids love to come up to us begging for money. they claim it's because they're hungry and they want food, but the sad reality is, they want money for drugs and glue. mothers with babies do the same thing, holding bottles with water, asking money for milk. they usually just trade the milk right back in the store for money to buy drugs. this really bothered us as a team and for the last week we've really struggled with what to do. Saxony made a break through this evening as she struck up a conversation with some kids. Tomorrow we'll be going to the park to play with street kids and to cook and eat with them. It'll be an all-day event and we are all pumped.
2. the streets were obviously not made for cars, motorcyles, bikes, tuk tuks AND pedestrians, but they all seem to find their way through to their destinations. I get nervous about having a foot run over. i would hate to see what a car accident looked like here.
3. HELLO we're in a valley, at the base of the Himilayas and Everest and how could you not be blown away by the fact that we're in freaking KATMANDU. Every now and then someone will look around and remind the group that we're in nepal. WE'RE IN NEPAL!
4. I think it finally hit me that we were in another country when a person riding an elephant cruised down the street through traffic. Right after this, we witnessed a monkey trapeesing some cable wires.
5. The boys have this really beautiful opportunity to connect with the kids here as they play soccer and it's so sweet to watch the relationships form. It's even neater to watch Saxony play with the boys because it helps break stereotypes of women. Women here are so oppressed and, as a woman, it's easy to feel. The way they interact in public, the way they dress, the way they are treated by their husbands, families, etc. It can be a bit overwhelming. You wonder how humans could treat other humans that way...
6. The beginning of our trip was a bit ambiguous as we tried to get a feel for what we wanted to do and see. It's funny how God works through all situations, even the ones where we feel disconnected and divided. One morning a few days ago, our team couldn't decide if we wanted to stay in Katmandu or go out to visit some towns in rural nepal. By that afternoon, we had visited the Princess Home and felt GOD move. It was crazy. We all had an unspoken agreement form and fell into a unity that was indescribable. People were praying, feeling hopeful and overwhelmed with God and I think that is a powerful affermation to the trip and why we are here.
And why are we here? People have supported us with their hard earned cash and we get to experience and see and grow and at the end of the day, share with the world.
I think we are here to
1. Grow
2. SEEK
3. Find God
4. struggle
5. learn to love better
6. learn to love ourselves better
7. watch soccer
8. play soccer
9. listen to the stories of those who are suffering
10. be humbled
11. allow God to move us, break us, destroy our worldviews, and build us back up again.
We had some sweet women fellowship time today and heard the stories of a few girls who had been in oppresive marriages that ultimately led them to being incarcerated in brothels against their wills. We (the girls on our team) got to hear these stories as we washed their feet and gave them manicures and pedicures (don't ask me how we knew what we were doing, we just did it)
Seriously, there's so much more to say and describe: we visited another children's home which was started by a man named Vishnu. This man just blew my mind. He was one of those people who was obviously in LA-LA land with Jesus and I really just wanted to follow him around wherever he went. The children who lived with him (there were 48 at the time) all called him dad and the little ones especially had stolen his heart. We painted their walls and played with the kids.
Come to think of it, we've done quite a bit.
Here's what I think: this life we lead transcends economics, poverty and wealth, even maybe religion. Being Christ followers, we are called to love God and love others with everything we have in our being. I think we are trying to figure out what that looks like here and how does this then transform us for the rest of our lives.
Its a shift. Something weird is going on and I think it's the Holy Spirit and there's a healing shift that I love.
We'll talk more later.
Tekwaba.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
I'm Back!!!!!!!!!! With everyone else!!! Oh Yeah!!
My, what can I even say. Well let me first start off by saying that I/we wanted to create a blog so that everyone who receives the individual emails from those whom they know, could come and see what all are writing. My hope is that this blog will be an opportunity for those who have decided to join myself in coming back to Nepal/India/Thailand, could write what is on their hearts and what has touched them in being here. It is my desire that this trip is based upon exposure through service and that through it, we are open to the challenges that being in another country so different from ours, will present to us.
We have been presented with multiple ministry opportunities through Tiny Hands Nepal and their affiliates, to the children and women of Kathmandu. Such opportunities such as creating a activities curriculum for children who are not given much opportunity to expand their creative thinking, thought process or ability to solve problems. Ultimately, without this type of education, their development as children is hampered. However, we have been asked to brain storm, write down, and create a curriculum for the orphaned children that we will be working with in order that those who are here in Kathmandu daily, may better serve their community. We have also been asked to help create and make a garden for a newly built house for women who have been rescued out of the sex industry in Nepal. At this house, there are approximately 10 women who live there. The house was just built by Tiny Hands and there is still a good amount of dirt that needs to be moved and hopefully made into a garden. For those who do play soccer, we are also thinking of doing some futbol training sessions with the kids here. It would be a great way to connect and have fun at the same time. Lastly, a great need for Tiny Hands Nepal is to research and find out about all the Sex Trafficking taking place in Nepal and write a report on it. This is to help the border monitoring stations that have been set up across the border. As far as many can tell, there are at least 10,00 Nepalese women trafficked a year. This does not even include all the inner country trafficking that takes place.
My hope with all of these opportunities is that we will be exposed, while at the same time, not so much coming in and doing our own thing, but helping the already existing organizations that are here permanently. Well, being that this is the first day that we are here, that is it for now. Again, we covet your prayers. Blessings to you all and may we all continue to do what it is that we believe our heart is leading us to do.
We have been presented with multiple ministry opportunities through Tiny Hands Nepal and their affiliates, to the children and women of Kathmandu. Such opportunities such as creating a activities curriculum for children who are not given much opportunity to expand their creative thinking, thought process or ability to solve problems. Ultimately, without this type of education, their development as children is hampered. However, we have been asked to brain storm, write down, and create a curriculum for the orphaned children that we will be working with in order that those who are here in Kathmandu daily, may better serve their community. We have also been asked to help create and make a garden for a newly built house for women who have been rescued out of the sex industry in Nepal. At this house, there are approximately 10 women who live there. The house was just built by Tiny Hands and there is still a good amount of dirt that needs to be moved and hopefully made into a garden. For those who do play soccer, we are also thinking of doing some futbol training sessions with the kids here. It would be a great way to connect and have fun at the same time. Lastly, a great need for Tiny Hands Nepal is to research and find out about all the Sex Trafficking taking place in Nepal and write a report on it. This is to help the border monitoring stations that have been set up across the border. As far as many can tell, there are at least 10,00 Nepalese women trafficked a year. This does not even include all the inner country trafficking that takes place.
My hope with all of these opportunities is that we will be exposed, while at the same time, not so much coming in and doing our own thing, but helping the already existing organizations that are here permanently. Well, being that this is the first day that we are here, that is it for now. Again, we covet your prayers. Blessings to you all and may we all continue to do what it is that we believe our heart is leading us to do.
Kolt Callaway
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)