A home in Vietnam

this morning was so freak'n awesome! first off I was able to wake up... which is always a good thing because usually i feel as if I'm walking around asleep all day. But after mass I got to witness 5 child get adopted! It was so beautiful, I couldn't stop smiling! AHHH! These five child were being adopted to italian families and it brought much hope to me, for all the other children.
I grabbed breakfast and headed went upstairs and asked for sr. Collette. She came out with a greatest smile and we sat and talked for over an hour. Sr. Collette made her final vow in 1958 along with Sr. Nirmala. Sr. collette told me many things about the order and how the struggle for religion was in india and all the other part of the world where Catholism isn't looked highly upon. Sr. Collette told me about the persecution that was going on in Vietnam. She was over in North vietnam for 2 years with Mother Teresa and 3 other sisters. Sr. Nirmala was also with her. She has orders from Mother Teresa to start an MC house with these 3 other sisters in Vietnam. Catholism isn't really looked highly upon in northern vietnam because they're afraid that the christians will take over. Everything is looked over by the government. Even the ordination of the priest must be excepted and approved by the government otherwise the priest would be imprisioned. Sr. Nirmala told me about three types of catholics in Vietnam... one that follows the vatican and also askes permission by the government to do certain things that may not be excepted by the communist government, which was what the MC sisters were working with while they were in vietnam, another group that calls themselves catholics but aren't following the vatican and only ask permission from government in fear of persecution, and than there's the underground catholic group that follows the vatican and speaks out against the government, many of which are martyrs or imprissioned when caught. Sr. Collette told me how the government wouldn't let them have mass service whenever they wanted only after 11:30. The MC sisters weren't able to have daily mass and so every sunday when they recieved communion they carried with them in the tabernacle locket (I don't know what it's really called) but they would keep enough for them to recieve every day for the week and than come back every sunday. They were placed by the government apart from all that they wanted to be by and was given strict orders. The MC sisters weren't allowed to care for the orphanges as they do here in Kolkata and as they wished. The children that were mentally challenged or suffered from retardation was looked down upon and was casted as less than human. This was the orphange the sisters worked at and even then they weren't allowed to give these children mattress.. they slept on beds made of wood and when the sisters bought them mattress the government took them away. The children when the Sisters first came where terrified of the sisters and wasn't use to someone caring for them the way the sisters did. Sister told me they use to just throw cold water on the children for their baths and so when the MC sister bathed them with warm water and cared for them loving it took them a while to get use to but within a month or so they became more comfortable with the sisters. The sights and area the MC sisters worked at they weren't allowed to take pictures but one of the locals took pictures for Sr. Collette and she was able to get some pictures of the sights, community, and families. She sat and told me stories about all the pictures. How in this one catholic church a girl wanted to join the Missionaries of Charity order and it was not permitted so by the government , so Sr. Collette advise her to move to America than from there join the order. It really suprised me how much of a struggle it was for the sisters in Vietnam. They only had one translator that barely spoke english but helped them throughout. I saw many pictures with Sr. Collette, Mother Teresa, and Sr. Nirmala with the orphans, local parish, and local bishops (that weren't allowed the title of bishop by the government and is only allowed to be referred as administrator). The bishop (aka administrator) of the area she worked at up north was imprisioned for many years for speaking out against the the distortion of the government and about churchs teachings that the government didn't want preached. Numberous times was he imprissioned but he still remains strong fervent in faith. All of what Sr. Collette was telling me really excited me because I never heard about all this, I've only heard about South Vietnam and about my family life in vietnam. Sr. Collette wanted to introduce me to Sr. Nrimala, but she wasn't busy at the time. It was such a blessing talking to Sr. Collette, she was so full of wisdom and God's love truly illuminated through her. She still writes to vietnam and its still her mission and order to try to get a house started in vietnam. She told me after 2 years of being in Vietnam with Sr. Nirmala and 2 other suisters up north and 4 MC sisters down south, they were kicked out of vietnam. The reason was because they were evangalizing. Mother Teresa told she cannot do social work without evangalization because she is not about social work but spreading the news and love of Christ and if that is through evangelization than that is what she's about. She did not want to change her ways but the government did not allow for the missionaries of charities to have a house in Vietnam. Sr. Collette told me because of this, Mother Teresa was stricken with sadness and soon after became her spiral of bad health and illness. The denial of a home in Vietnam had made mother really sad.
I'm keeping in contact with Sr. Collette when I'm back in states. It's been years since she's worked in vietnam. The MC sisters was there in 94-95'. But it is still Sr. Collette mission to get a house in vietnam for the orphans and poor. Sr. Collette said she wants to write to me during christmas and easter and try to keep in touch with me. She said if she gets permission from the government of vietnam in her lifetime she'll let me know. She wants me to be there to help when they first start a house in Vietnam. I felt a great previllage to be asked so... I don't know what the future has in stored for me and I don't know if during Sr. Collete's or my life time the Missionaries of Charities will be able to enter vietnam to start a house, but I pray that I get the strength, opportunity and protection ... that if I'm called to ever do so, that I can be a part of something that Mother Teresa desired so strongly in her life to see but never got to see her House in Vietnam. Sr. Collette talked to me about the great faith of those that were Catholics... how they'd come to mass an hour early from all over, near and far, and pray the rosary together, recieve reconciliation and than enter into the celebration of the mass. This faith is something I see still strong in my family's tradition and in my relatives. It is a devotion that is so beautiful but their is still much work of love that needs to be done in the community, for the orphans and the poor. This is something the sisters are still trying to get started in vietnam.


I arrived late to Daya Dan and was sent with a message from Sr. Karina to Sr. Johana Fa. There was 231 new volunteers this week on top of the 500 or so volunteers. It's strict orders from Sr. Karina that the cards must be checked and if the volunteers don't have AM or PM shifts or is at the wrong sight they get sent back home to their hotels. This is great news but also very sad! It's great to hear that so many people are inspired to come and serve the poor in Kolkata and work alongside the Missionaires of Charity but it's also sad because, many volunteers will now only be able to work only one shift and probably don't get the opportunity to choose where they want to work. There's so much work to be done and there is actually many MC homes in India. There's many work to be done all over the world for a matter of fact, we just have to have the eyes to see the need of those of the poor. Poverty isn't only the lack of materlistic items but it's the marginalization of what is human, it is the lack of love, poverty is those who suffer from being dejected and abused. There is poverty all over the world, many of us suffer from a poverty ourselves... it's a goal to find Jesus in the poor and that's in the disguise of those around us. It's within the poverty that is in our neighbors that Jesus seeks and calls for us to satiate his thirst through others. This is how we live a life of charity.

In the classroom today I taught mongol we started a new book and didn't get far but class time has been cut shorter each day because we're starting too late... I came extremely late but when I arrived nobody started yet. There's a shortage on teachers and the children are starting to loose focus of the importances of their education. It's become more of play time than a privillage to be in the classroom. We're changing up a lot of things as of tomorrow. It's been slacking way too much since the day I came back from travels. Given there are a fewer teachers and 2 new teachers but today I suggested Corina since she'll be here till september and is English-speaking. There's been too many in and out teachers and many of them don't speak english very well. So it becomes harder for the students to progress in the studies.
Music time today was still a struggle. mongol was very frustrated again with the lack of participation. I'm not sure what's going on but everywhere... upstairs and downstairs there's be a lack of enthusiasim in the children and volunteers. I swear, the volunteers has forgotten why they're here. Which really frustrates me because I had Megha asked (in the microphone) twice today that the volunteers please clap along, sing along, OR try to envolve the children. Nothing.... they just sat there by themselves totally bored and even worst off the children sat their bored or ran around and found their own thing to do. I'm not sure what I can do but I think tomorrow morning I need to talk with the volunteers before music class. I didn't realize how important it is until working with children for this long of a period of time that by how we act or express ourselves the children surely will follow. I have to do the DUMBEST dance moves that I'm thinking in my head..." I look like an idoit right now" but... the childern laugh because I'm laughing at myself and the children copy me and dance with me! And that's so important. They only have music time once a day and all other time of the day they are eating, in their cribs or sitting around somewhere maybe with a volunteer. This is the one hour of the day they get to express themselves in dance and songs!
After music class and after all the volunteers left, I stayed back and began to sketch out the drawings on the wall for the painting that needed to be done in the newly constructed/remodeled room. In one corner Corina and I drew out ships and boats and on the other side of the room in the corner we drew a bunch of animals taking a bath! It was all fun cartoon drawings and today was just the sketch... we'll start painting them tomorrow. The days are honestly starting to get longer and my free time A LOT shorter! I come home and eat and sleep... that's about all I do. Somehow I manage to find time to blog. But honestly this is my only free time. So please continue to pray for Corina and I. Things are picking up and it seems like there'll be another volunteer's day that i may be helping at right before I leave. So that might mean choir practice on top of my long day. So.... prayers prayers prayers! Thank you so much everyone! I love you all dearly!