Slum dog millionaire is a famous movie. All about a boy in India who goes from a life full of tragedy to a time of triumph. It's a movie that pulls at your heart watching the things these kids have to go through. Watching that movie this summer over here, I can honestly tell you that it does a good representation of what things look like in Kolkata. I've spent a fair amount of time with people in poverty, but never have I seen this. It reaches a new level. This week I've been going to the feeding program where we give food to the children who live on the train tracks. They have no where they belong and have no one to love them. They go crazy with us because of the affection we show them, we are pulled every which way by the children. They were climbing on me, always wanting me to sing or hold them or swing them around. My body actually would hurt after it-not exactly a shocker for me- but it was the best reason to be in pain i've had yet.
I went in the back of the slums where countless families and children are living on mounds of garbage with nothing but a roof of metal sheets to call home to so many. I spent time inside one of the lady's homes. The kids were so shy because we are white, but they warmed up. holding the two babies while sweat was dripping down me was one of my favorite parts of this week. What a blessing. I pray those children get to have a future where they can break the family cycle and have a bright future filled with the joy God has for them. Malouse, one of the older brothers of a child in our children's home, lives there and has TB. He is getting very sick, and is loosing so much weight on an already skinny body. He won't let us take him to the hospital though because he doesn't see a reason to live. He wants to die and not have to live in the conditions he's surrounded by. its heart breaking. Regardless of how many people I see living in terrible poverty, living a broken life or the number of people who are lost; my heart never goes numb to it and continues breaks for them.
I often become overwhelmed with emotions after all the people I work with and encounter. It's also been an incredible blessing to have the support system that I have here. Between my host family, the other intern and the staff from JIAC & children's home I never feel alone or filled with despair. We continue to have awesome experiences from the goofy times to the hour prayer sessions we have with each other. There is a team that's here too, they are great and I've really enjoyed spending time with them. It's beautiful to see how coming here to serve has already changed their hearts as well. It's all so encouraging.
There's a lot of planning events that will happen before I leave here. It's been busy but a good busy; a busy that leaves me content and filled with joy. Seeing prayers be answered again and again is always incredible and that continues to happen. Keep your prayers coming though, we could use many prayers for the people in Kolkata, those in the brothels, our women who are healing from trafficking, the slum children and the children at the home. I have two more weeks left and while part of me wishes I could skip school and stay another 4 months, I just want to make the most of every minute here in Kolkata.
I went in the back of the slums where countless families and children are living on mounds of garbage with nothing but a roof of metal sheets to call home to so many. I spent time inside one of the lady's homes. The kids were so shy because we are white, but they warmed up. holding the two babies while sweat was dripping down me was one of my favorite parts of this week. What a blessing. I pray those children get to have a future where they can break the family cycle and have a bright future filled with the joy God has for them. Malouse, one of the older brothers of a child in our children's home, lives there and has TB. He is getting very sick, and is loosing so much weight on an already skinny body. He won't let us take him to the hospital though because he doesn't see a reason to live. He wants to die and not have to live in the conditions he's surrounded by. its heart breaking. Regardless of how many people I see living in terrible poverty, living a broken life or the number of people who are lost; my heart never goes numb to it and continues breaks for them.
I often become overwhelmed with emotions after all the people I work with and encounter. It's also been an incredible blessing to have the support system that I have here. Between my host family, the other intern and the staff from JIAC & children's home I never feel alone or filled with despair. We continue to have awesome experiences from the goofy times to the hour prayer sessions we have with each other. There is a team that's here too, they are great and I've really enjoyed spending time with them. It's beautiful to see how coming here to serve has already changed their hearts as well. It's all so encouraging.
There's a lot of planning events that will happen before I leave here. It's been busy but a good busy; a busy that leaves me content and filled with joy. Seeing prayers be answered again and again is always incredible and that continues to happen. Keep your prayers coming though, we could use many prayers for the people in Kolkata, those in the brothels, our women who are healing from trafficking, the slum children and the children at the home. I have two more weeks left and while part of me wishes I could skip school and stay another 4 months, I just want to make the most of every minute here in Kolkata.
One of the ladies who was in the sex trade and is now a bright light to the ladies and children in the brothels! She is absolutely amazing!
Us at JIAC being silly
My supervisor/close friend (:
The rest of these below are from online because a lot of places i spend time in, it is not appropriate to take pictures of/in.
Living in the slums, filled with garbage
Children living by the train station
An example of a brothel lane...but looking a lot nicer than ours.
this is Kalighat road, all the people lines up on the sides of the street are the ill and disabled and beggars.
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