Yesterday evening my gas from Ireland at the Salvation Army decided to take me out to have some fun, since my friend Donna knew I was down about Sonu yesterday. I took a nap yesterday afternoon so I knew i'd be able to stay up at least till 10pm. So what did we do?.... movie theater! We went to go see Die Hard 4! and it was amazing! The movie was entertaining, but i thinking it was more entertaining that I was at a movie theater in India. They were selling coffee, potato chips, coke, and all sorts of things at the movie theater. There was even a bar at the movie theater. My friend got me some coffee and it was .. yummy! The place is called Brista, right next to the cinema. The movie was fun to watch because it was so neat how the people in India reacted in the movie theater. (I can also see why they think white skin people are "easy" because probably by the media ... all that is protrayed is sexuality rather than dignity) but besides that factor, it was sooo funny to be in a theater with a whole bunch of locals. They would clap and cheer when something exciting happens and everytime they did I couldn't help but laugh. It totally made it for me.
Today I woke up in time for mass at Mother House, i was running a little late because i was suppose to meet a friend to walk to Mother house... that never woke up; so I ended up taking a taxi with the French to Mother House because they were running late and 3 of the guys were altar serving.
Daya Dan today was different because I worked downstair more today. Fr. Jesu-Bondu (in hindi/bangali it means Fr. Jesus is my friend), he was leaving today and he's been the music minstry man for the children. He's a fransican and pretty hardcore. Very strict with the kids but they love him and respect him. During the morning I practiced some songs with Mongol, an orphan that is extremely skinny and too weak to stand, he's in a wheel chair but he's extremely smart. He has no learning disabilities and loves music. I had him come help me with teaching the children the songs today. It's so amazing to watch the children sing. Or count, or say the ABC. It's great!
Afterwards I helped Bashker with some physcial therapy. He's improving a lot in the sense he's not crying about it anymore. He use to cry nonstop when he has to do anything that was trying to help him gain leg muscles (he's pretty lazy... he just likes to lay down or cuddled with... which is very tempting for me). The physical therapist comes in every saturday and was impressed that he was crying when i was working with him, I told them that he's been doing pretty well the past few days and I think we all agreed. Honestly, Bashker is the cutest little 3 year old ever! he's soooooooooooo incredibly studly. When I hold him, I litterally can hold him by a hand. He just throws himself over my shoulders and cling on. And he for surely do cling on... he has such a strong grip and I swear, he's digging finger marks into my skin, tearing out my ears, and pulling out my hair. Strong little guy and sooooooo adorable!
Instead of feeding today I stayed with Angeli. She's sick in her crib and it breaks my heart to see her like so. Already, she's the skinniest thing ever.. tiny little gal, but it just moves me when i see all these tubes, IV or whatever you call them connected to her and she just lay emotionlessly. I sat by her bed and played to her on the guitar and sang. Songs after songs, i sat there and comforted her. And she would turn her head to look at me. As I was singing, we locked eyes, and I stared into her deep brown eyes trying to convey her that I love her... we stayed staring at each other for several long minutes passing a silent message of love. I finished singing/playing the song but we still sat gazing at each other and I knew that she knew that she was loved. I got up and walked out of the room and her head followed me out and I turned back and stood staring back into her eyes at the doorway. God puts so many precious moments in our lives, we just need to slow down to see them. Or have the eyes of a child to recognize them.
On the way home from Daya Dan the volunteers and I passed an old man with his head slit open gushing with blood. It was far more than what we can handle with some gauzes/bandage or ointment, so we got him to the hospital to get him stichted up and paid for the fee, i didn't get to stay to see the final outcome of him getting stiched, i had to get back in time to meet Abani at 1. Abani is a school teacher for a group of 40 plus students in a small village 3 hours away from Kolkata by train. I've been learning Hindi and Bangali from him. Which is pretty exciting. So far I've only learned some basics, but the locals are pretty impressed with the slightest hindi/bangali words coming from a foreigner.
Rushing back to meet Abani, I had some delay because of my metro ticket. It wasn't scanning and I bought a ticket card with 12 rides and I've only used it for 2, so i had to get it refunded. Needless to say... it made me late by 7 minutes to meet Abani, and when i arrived he wasn't there. I'm not sure if he ever showed up or not... but he wasn't there. Well, tomorrow I think I'll be able to work alongside the brothers of Charity and maybe able to work with street children. So i'll be sure to fill you guys all on if it happens.
Thankyou for spending time reading and keeping in touch with me. It means a lot to me. Sorry for all those that want to see more pictures. I haven't been taking many pictures, you're not really allowed to take pictures at these various homes because, key word, they're someone homes... and it's not a musseum. The same goes with the Mother House. Today I did get to witness something absolutely beautiful and captivating after mass this morning. When I came out of mass (we have mass on the second floor of the Mother House), there were all the novist (probably about 100+) they all gathered in the courtyard and sang to a mother that was adopting one of the orphans. It was sooo beautiful! I really wish i was able to take a picture of all these novist and MC sisters or even better... record it on my video camera. Well, i guess that just means everyone who's reading my blog just need to make their way over to Kolkata, India and see it for themself. Alrighty, take care and God bless. May we be a light of Christ to all those we encounter!
Tuan Nguyen
Today I woke up in time for mass at Mother House, i was running a little late because i was suppose to meet a friend to walk to Mother house... that never woke up; so I ended up taking a taxi with the French to Mother House because they were running late and 3 of the guys were altar serving.
Daya Dan today was different because I worked downstair more today. Fr. Jesu-Bondu (in hindi/bangali it means Fr. Jesus is my friend), he was leaving today and he's been the music minstry man for the children. He's a fransican and pretty hardcore. Very strict with the kids but they love him and respect him. During the morning I practiced some songs with Mongol, an orphan that is extremely skinny and too weak to stand, he's in a wheel chair but he's extremely smart. He has no learning disabilities and loves music. I had him come help me with teaching the children the songs today. It's so amazing to watch the children sing. Or count, or say the ABC. It's great!
Afterwards I helped Bashker with some physcial therapy. He's improving a lot in the sense he's not crying about it anymore. He use to cry nonstop when he has to do anything that was trying to help him gain leg muscles (he's pretty lazy... he just likes to lay down or cuddled with... which is very tempting for me). The physical therapist comes in every saturday and was impressed that he was crying when i was working with him, I told them that he's been doing pretty well the past few days and I think we all agreed. Honestly, Bashker is the cutest little 3 year old ever! he's soooooooooooo incredibly studly. When I hold him, I litterally can hold him by a hand. He just throws himself over my shoulders and cling on. And he for surely do cling on... he has such a strong grip and I swear, he's digging finger marks into my skin, tearing out my ears, and pulling out my hair. Strong little guy and sooooooo adorable!
Instead of feeding today I stayed with Angeli. She's sick in her crib and it breaks my heart to see her like so. Already, she's the skinniest thing ever.. tiny little gal, but it just moves me when i see all these tubes, IV or whatever you call them connected to her and she just lay emotionlessly. I sat by her bed and played to her on the guitar and sang. Songs after songs, i sat there and comforted her. And she would turn her head to look at me. As I was singing, we locked eyes, and I stared into her deep brown eyes trying to convey her that I love her... we stayed staring at each other for several long minutes passing a silent message of love. I finished singing/playing the song but we still sat gazing at each other and I knew that she knew that she was loved. I got up and walked out of the room and her head followed me out and I turned back and stood staring back into her eyes at the doorway. God puts so many precious moments in our lives, we just need to slow down to see them. Or have the eyes of a child to recognize them.
On the way home from Daya Dan the volunteers and I passed an old man with his head slit open gushing with blood. It was far more than what we can handle with some gauzes/bandage or ointment, so we got him to the hospital to get him stichted up and paid for the fee, i didn't get to stay to see the final outcome of him getting stiched, i had to get back in time to meet Abani at 1. Abani is a school teacher for a group of 40 plus students in a small village 3 hours away from Kolkata by train. I've been learning Hindi and Bangali from him. Which is pretty exciting. So far I've only learned some basics, but the locals are pretty impressed with the slightest hindi/bangali words coming from a foreigner.
Rushing back to meet Abani, I had some delay because of my metro ticket. It wasn't scanning and I bought a ticket card with 12 rides and I've only used it for 2, so i had to get it refunded. Needless to say... it made me late by 7 minutes to meet Abani, and when i arrived he wasn't there. I'm not sure if he ever showed up or not... but he wasn't there. Well, tomorrow I think I'll be able to work alongside the brothers of Charity and maybe able to work with street children. So i'll be sure to fill you guys all on if it happens.
Thankyou for spending time reading and keeping in touch with me. It means a lot to me. Sorry for all those that want to see more pictures. I haven't been taking many pictures, you're not really allowed to take pictures at these various homes because, key word, they're someone homes... and it's not a musseum. The same goes with the Mother House. Today I did get to witness something absolutely beautiful and captivating after mass this morning. When I came out of mass (we have mass on the second floor of the Mother House), there were all the novist (probably about 100+) they all gathered in the courtyard and sang to a mother that was adopting one of the orphans. It was sooo beautiful! I really wish i was able to take a picture of all these novist and MC sisters or even better... record it on my video camera. Well, i guess that just means everyone who's reading my blog just need to make their way over to Kolkata, India and see it for themself. Alrighty, take care and God bless. May we be a light of Christ to all those we encounter!
Tuan Nguyen
2 comments:
Tuan,
Thank you for taking the time to blog about your experience. It makes my experience in Kolkata come back to me as though I was just there.
You are in my thoughts and prayers. May God continue to give you strength, peace, and joy as you serve.
Peace in Christ,
Rachael
Rach,
You know I blog because you kept telling me I must while I was still in the states. I hope the blog is being read... because i spot writing in my journal because it was too much for me to do both, so i think i'll print out all my blog post and make it into a journal when I get back. But also this blog helps me feel connected to the State somehow... I feel so distances sometimes with nobody else here, but I'm not complaining. I really do love it here. I freak'n awesome.
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