Volunteers day

Caitlin, Briana, and I left an hour early to go walk to volunteers day. It was at a church off of Park circus/park st. None of knew what the church was called but we all figured... how many churches can there be on Park street in India.
When we got to park street I asked a salesman that was on the street where the closest catholic church was... he pointed me 10 minutes to the left. To be reasurred I also asked a police officer and he pointed me in the same direction saying it's a 10 minute walk and pointed to the church's staple which was visible but certainly didn't look like a 10 minute walk. When we arrived I realized that we just took the biggest detour from sudder street, we took a total U turn and passed sudder street. It was a half an hour walk after already walking to park st. We were at St. Paul's catherdal. Which was AMAZINGLY beautiful! After asking around we realized we were at the completely wrong church. So I asked the preist there, what is the church near Park Street. He told me I need to go to St. Thomas. So we took a taxi to St. Thomas. It's always a hassel trying to take the taxi and this taxi driver wasn't any better. I've became familiar with the streets around sudder and this taxi driver decieded to take me in circles. He took a right turn off of the main metro station road, then a left turn onto the tiniest street that was fully of traffic and than after a couple blocks and minutes he took another left turn and headed back to the metro station street. While he thought he was going to get away with take me in circles, was arguing and yelling at him in the taxi... I told him what street he needed to be on and drew out the circle he was taking me in. He was parshly suprised that I noticed the streets or even know some streets by name and quit his game playing. I told him to just follow where I tell him to go and stop taking his own detours because I was late already. When we arrived he tried to charge me extra for the ride that he already prolonged because of his circles, and than when I showed him his OWN meter chart and the fare for the meter he had nothing to say but when I got out of his car he told me there was a parking fee, because he's in a no parking zone... and that's when I got really irritated. One of the locals that worked at St. Thomas helped me out, he asked what was going on and the taxi driver said i haven't paid (trying to make it sound as if I haven't paid for the fare while at the same time making it sound to me as if I haven't paid the parking fee- which there's no such thing), I took the guy over to the taxi where I left his fare on his seat and pointed to the meter showing the I paid accordingly and he's trying to get me to pay something extra, the guy looked at the taxi driver as if he was a jerk and he laughed it off as if he didn't realize I already paid, and as if he wasn't trying to charge me for a parking fee. After that whole sence we finally arrived at St. Thomas! St. Thomas church is the church Mother Teresa funderal was held in! So I was really happy to be there! It was so beautiful. We got shown around the college there and went and talk to a sister that was in charge there.... sadly we were still at the wrong place! I asked the sister there, if I could just call mother house and ask them what church it was at. When I connected with an MC sister I founded out that it was at Christ the King Church, smaller catholic church off of park circus. the Sister at St. Thomas told us we needed to take a taxi to get there... we were already 45 minutes late and so there was no other way I wanted to get there. So we hoped into another taxi, once again we had some minor problems with the taxi driver trying to double/tripple the taxi fare but it was soon resolved and we were finally at the right place!
When I got up to the room, the International (USA) group was finishing their skit that I missed out on! They were walking up stage and caught notice that I was here! They then announced that their first act finally arrived and rushed me on stage! I was REALLY unprepared and the guitar was really out of tuned. I sat on staged, tuned the guitar as quick as I could with all the noise of the people and the street and played my song, "I thirst, Give till it hurts" The MC sisters loved it and so did the volunteers that was there. There was at least 400 people in the room there last night, 300+ volunteers and many sisters and other guest. I got a lot of compliments on the song I wrote and the MC sister wanted me to come and play it for the rest of the MC sisters the next day (today), which I'm not able to do because I'm leaving in a couple of hours to go travel. One of the volunter wanted to do a video recording of the song while another one that is a Music Art major want to use my song for her project this upcoming spring. It's a very honoring feeling to feel as if the song has touched so many people but the words honestly aren't mine, I feel as if I used many words of our blessed Mother Teresa in my lyrics and just feelings of yearning and thirst of the poor. After getting off stage I also found out we only missed 2 acts and there were plenty more after us. There was some amazing fun skits the Koreans did, Spanish, and French. The Italians did a sing a long contest, while the Spanish invited people up to dance! It was so much fun and very international! I loved it! I got to experience a little of every culture.
We watched a Mother Teresa video on a projector, the video is called Mother Teresa, the Legacy. It was a really beautiful video and was extremely exciting to see because I reconginzed many of the places that I saw on the video, I even recognized some of the MC sisters and patients. Volunteer day was a blast!
The MC sisters treated us to dinner, there was a resturant cateoring company that was there that donated for our volunteer day and made an AMAZING meal for us! IT was probably the best meal I've had since I've been here in India! We had glass plates, and metal spoons! Chicken, french fries, stew, soup, dinner rolls, and Ice cream for desert! It was truly an amazing treat! It was fun seeing alot of the MC sisters there. The MC sisters I work with at Daya Dan was also there and so was my student Mongol and some of the other children at Daya Dan that are usually downstairs was at the volunteer day. It was really special to be apart of. I'm really glad that I moved my traveling time a week back so I can have the opportunity to make it to this.

Today I worked at Daya Dan and was in the class room. I taught Megha today and she's such a doll! I gave her addition problems and she had to figure out one problem than the other problem than write down was it greater than, less than or equal ( >, <, =). It was a good lesson for her. We also worked on words that rhymed.


Well, I think this will be my last blog for a week and a half. I'm traveling to Darjeling for 3 days, Varinasi for 3, and to Prui for 2 days. So I won't be able to blog for awhile. It's my week out of the 2 months of relaxing, so pray for my safe travels and I'll inform you all about it when I get back! Take care and God bless!

Morning volunteer mass

Oh today mass was amazing! I had to get up extremely early. 4 something am, and it truly was hard but well worth it. I rushed and tuned my guitar and as soon as I got into the chapel I started playing the entrance song. AHHHH it was amazing! Everyone was singing Blessed be the Name of the Lord! The same words spoken by Job, where all is taken away and all is given to him. The lyrics; You give and take away (x3). Spoke volumes today as I realize that all was taken from me as I left my comfort of the states, my beloved, my family, friends, home, and luxury but Christ never abandoned me rather he gave. And he gave ABUNDANTLY. Lord God, you give and take away. Our lord asks nothing of us besides everything. He doesnt' ask that we give him more than we can, more than possible but he asks us to give Him our everything. Every praise, offering, sadness, joy, comfort, love, and our life. He asks us to be so intimately united with him that whether our vocation is holy order, relgious, or marriage that all belongs to Him and we glorify Him in everything. Lord we give you are all and all, and trust all in your hands that you will provide us all we need and in that we praise you, Blessed be the Name of the Lord! Today's reading was about the women at the well who thrist and asks for water from the well, but the Lord offers us living water in which we will never thirst again. Something beyond earthly things... why grasp to worldly things that will only quench our thirst temporarily while our God offers us a love that will satitate our thirst for eternity. Our thirst will not only be quenched but with the love of Christ it overflows to those around us. In the silences we find our Lord, in our abandonment we find our Savior, in our despair we are united to the passion and Joy of our Lord, and in dying to self we will rise to eternal life with Him. The Alleluia sung today at mass was SOOOO Beautiful! I was so proud of everyone! I was in awe myself. Everyone sounds like ANGELS! The celebration of the Eucharist, mass, was beautiful overall. There was about 7 or so priest, one deacon and four altar servers. On the left side of the altar there were over 100 novist and in front there was about 40 MC sisters and to the right side of the altar over 200 volunteers sat and celebrated mass. It was so pure and holy. It was quite the sight. I loved it!
After mass we had breakfast in the courtyard. The Sisters had a special breakfast for us, we had bread with jam and butter, a bananan, hard boiled eggs and chai tea! It was fun just hanging out and than the Madrid band came and played for us! It was so much fun! Everyone was clapping there were people salsa dancing! Everyone was having a great time!

Tonight is giong to be even greater. We're seeing all the skits all the volunteers prepared over the last few weeks and watching a Mother Teresa video. I'll blog about it if I have time tonight.

At Mothers Tomb

I had to get a couple things together this morning so I wasn't able to make it to Daya Dan. But thank you all for all the help with getting the lyrics for "I am the Bread of Life" to me! It really saved my butt! It's greatly appreciated! This afternoon I got a haircut, first time in India. I was looking for one of the barber on the streets but couldn't find him today... actually i haven't seen him all week. So I went into a shop instead. I got a clean shave with a single switch blade. It was pretty sweet.
I spent a lot of time rehershing for prayer tonight at Mother's tomb today. When the time came around and I showed up at Mother's tomb there was a chair reserved for me, which made me feel happy. The room was packed with volunteers and a corner filled with MC sisters and along the side of the room the MC sisters sat. We sat with Mother and faced a shrine of the image of Christ illuminated with candles. It was such a beautiful prayer session! Briana recorded it all on video and honestly I couldn't have been any prouder of the choral group! They sounded like angels! There were some songs where they hesitated to come in at the right time but I extended the chord and started singing myself to give them the support to sing. It was sooooo amazing! Words can't truly explain it! Everyone was able to meditate, praise and sing! The gospels were being read in every language and I couldn't feel any more universal than listening to the same gospel in every language. I THIRST was the theme and we read about the passion of Christ when he hung on the cross and cried out I thirst. Our soul are always thirsting for something more but Christ's sacred heart thirsts for our souls! He cries out I thirst, on the cross and thirsts for our love, and for our love towards each other. The thirst that's far harder to be quenched is what Christ challenges us to as he was hung there as the true source of the living life. As Our Lord and savior thirst, He gives himself fully to us. He makes present the new Eden, on the Hill of Calvary, and give us the new tree of life, the one he hangs from from which he is the source of life. I thirst. I can not take any glory or compliments without the thanks and offering it back up to Christ. The music was beautiful, I can not deny but it was all for the glory of christ and it was his work through me that I was able to become a channel for him to use me. After the gospel I played "I am, the Bread of Life" By John Michael Talbot. It is one of my favorites song and was praying that I was able to find the lyrics to. I never found the music but I remembered it well enough to make up. The sisters mic me up and had me do it solo as a reflectional song. I said a quick prayer and begin to play... there were no butterflies, no worries, and no nervousness. I truly believe it was because it was not my song that I was offering to Christ and to those to listen and meditate but it was a song God has chose for the moment and he was playing it to me, and to the people in the room. The blessed my voice tonight because many came up afterwards and thanked me and told me they were brought to chills, tears, and awe by the song and my voice. This is something not of my own I realize, and all of God's. I can not do anything for Christ without him giving me the grace to do so. The same went for tonight, God's graced provided the means for the lyrics, the chords, and the vocals. I am so thankful that I was only able to be a small part in his plan and the graditude and thank is all to our Lord and the help of the MC sisters. I'm so excited that sister gave me permission to video record this service. The MC sisters are honestly amazing! They're hooking me up with all the sweet deals! Actually, yesterday when I was practice music, one of the MC sisters called me out and brought me into the room with all the MC sister at Mother House and had me take a picture and asked if I wanted a picture with them! ...... UGGHHH.......DUH! Of course I would! It's probably going to be the best picture I'll own in my life, So I'll be sure to try to get a hold of it because they said they'll have someone email it to me. I'm excited! I really am hoping that Sr. Karina talks to the Sister in charge at Shishu Bahavan so I came have permission to come visit, because it's an all girls volunteer site but it's a site I really want to come see and send a special delivery to the school and one of the students. Today one of the kids at Shishu Bahavan got adopted, so that's extremely exciting and also there were some band from Madrid that came by and played so all the children were dancing. I only know this through Briana and the other volunteers but that brings such joy to my heart knowing that these beautiful children are getting adopted. I swore I've heard of 3 adoption within this week already! So that's really exciting. I just wish one of my beautiful kids at Daya Dan were adopted and I would be able to be a witness to a part of that joyful moment in their life.
Oh, God is great! All the time! truly truly. Well tomorrow I need to be up by 4 and at Mother house by 5:30am or so... It's the annual volunteer day tomorrow and I'm playing music for mass. Plus doing a skit later in the evening and playing a song I wrote called "Give till it Hurts". Continue to keep us in your prayers. I'm starting my travels next friday and will be traveling India for a week and a couple of days. So I'm not sure if I'll be able to blog then but continue the prayers and we'll keep in touch that way. God bless.

Overwhelmed

Sorry there was no blog post yetserday. I was really caught up with a lot of things. So i didnt get a chance to blog last night. yesterday, was a frist morning back from Daya Dan in while. I was teaching mongol yesterday and I knew he knew a lot of his times table from 1-7, Mongol usually repeats his times table over and over and has been working on it for the past few months. So yesterday I thought I'd challenge him a little and teach him something new. So I taught him his 9s table, 10s table, and 11s table which are all fairly easy. There's a trick to learn your nines table which i was taught when I was younger that made it one of my favorites mulitiplication table to do. You put out your hands and for an example if it was 3x9 than you count three fingers over put that finger down and you only have 2 fingers on the right side of that and 7 on the other side... which means 3x9=27! Anyways I taught Mongol that and he freak'n loved it! It was so exciting for him. He looked at me and was like... you're the best teacher ever! I learn things so quick from you, while other teachers explain too much! hahaha! In all honesty I just taught him simple times table... 10s, 11s.... not hard at all. But it was nice that he praised me anyways. I was extremely proud of him because now he knows all his times table from 1-11, all he has to learn is 8x8 and he knows it all. I don't know why they never taught him his 9s,10s, and 11s earlier. But he was excited for learning something new. We also did geography yesterday. I drew on the whiteboard the world and numbered countries and oceans and had him tell me what the countries and oceans were. He learned 16 spots yesterday! It was exciting, of course vietnam being one of them. haha. Choir practice was in the afternoon yesterday and I brought my video camera and got it recorded. It was extremely stressful and not as fruitful as I wished. Everyone had an input on an appropriate tempo and it didnt help, especially with all the music we had to get through before wednesday. Last night I figured, it's been a crazy day... let's go out for a treat. So Briana, Caitlin and I went to MCDONALDS! believe or not there's one here! And it's sooooo nice! Air conditioned and really high class. We sat in there as long as we could because it seriously felt the closest to home that we've been to for a while. It was amazing! I had some crazy Chicken Maharaja Burger. Which was the closest thing they got to a big mac. I was suprised I was able to eat last night... not only was I able to eat I ate that burger, two fries and a coke. After not being able to eat for about 4 days! By they way,... I lost a lot of weight during those four days. it's scary. Everyone here notice it, the resturant manager, the MC sisters, my friends... they're like WHOA. But i'll gain it back. My appiteite is slowly coming back. Well this morning was another day at Daya Dan. I taught Nisha today and she's always a handful. She would always run around the class room and loose focus so easily. BUT... today I brought some washable crayons (thanks to Ryan), and they're able to write on walls and wash off! So I did my lesson plan on the wall today! All the kids in the class room was jealous of Nisha and wanted to work with me today because we got to draw on the walls. I drew out images and made her find the color I asked for in the crayon box to color in the image, than I drew shapes. She has no problem with drawing squares and circles but she can't draw triangles! She always draw a square when I ask for a triangle so we spent a lot of time on that. Counting the sides over and over and trying to find things that are triangle for examples. Than I drew on one side shapes and on the other side shapes all scrabbled up so it's not directly across from the matching shape and she had to draw a line to the matching shapes. I think she really enjoyed that and everyone was suprised that she did it without mistakes because before when we did this on paper she couldnt do it. It must be something about drawing on walls! I had her practice writing her name and Nisha always wrote her S backwards so we specifically worked a while on how to write an S. Afterwards I went downstairs and helped with children music time. While all that was going on the microphone keep cutting out. The anetana to the cordless microphone receiver broke so now the microphone isn't working. If anyone have an old microphone, that plugs into "a microphone input?" haha, and want to donate it please try to get that to Corina Jones before she leaves to Kolkata! It's greatly needed. Because we use the microphone for mass also and ... kind of need it. Well, after awhlie trying to work out the technology- we just went without. I taught the kids, Shut the Door keep out the devil. And everyone really enjoyed it. It was fun, always always.
This afternoon I arrived early at choir practice to teach a spainar how to play the songs that we were doing to Taize and mass so he can play along with me. We practiced an hour and a half before choir practice and by the time everyone came the music was finally coming together. Choir practice was really great! We went through all the music for Taize and mass part! Sr. Johanna Ark came and help teach the harmony and she wrote the song that was dedicated to Mother and taught it to us. It's so beautiful! I wish everyone could hear us! I'm really proud of the group and how full and beautiful it sounds! it's so pure and AWWWWWWWWE! i love it!

Well, I really need to get going. I need to run a couple of copies for the Sisters and find some music which I'm extremely worried about because I can't find it on the internet! I had it in my blue adoration music book but... I think I left that with Lauren Irish or at the Newman Center. I'm looking for the song; I am The bread of Life! Not the version by Suzanne Toolan. But the lyrics goes... I am, the bread of life,... all who eat this bread... shall never die. I am, Gods love revealed, I am broken... that you might be healed! SO IF ANYONE has the lyrics or music for that! PLEASE email it to me! I need it pronto! I'm singing it solo tomorrow (which means tuesday tonight for those in states) for a prayer around Mother's Tomb with all the volunteers and MC sisters and I'm PRAYING that St. Anthony comes to my intercession so I can find the music to it or remember it. So if you can get it to me if you have it... I'll really really appreciate it! Alright, Take care and God bless! I'll try to keep you posted as much as I can. I've just been so extremely busy on top of being sick a couple days ago, but i really appreciate all the prayers! God bless and may we all be united through the Immaculate Heart of Mary to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.


Anyways, God bless you!

Im back

So we took the metro today to Daya Dan after I blogged this morning. It was briana's first time taking the metro here. When we showed up at Daya Dan there were ALL new volunteers upstairs! Sr. Capita, like always, asked where was I and counted the days I was missing. She said once again, she wanted me to meet MC priest. Im pretty sure that I've met the MC priest that she's talking about because he celebrates mass at Mother House almost everyday, if not every other. Sr. Christalata was also happy to see me back which really made me feel better. OH.... by the way, I ate a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup this morning. I didn't really eat the tamato soup because I don't tomato all too much but I dipped my sandwich into it. The soup was EXTREMELY sweet to be tomato soup also. Well the point is, I ate solid food today and havent felt like vomit yet! so it's a major improvement and i'm extremely happy. Well, back to Daya Dan.... Sr. Capita and the Masis put me to work making sure I help all the volunteers know what their doing. There was a HUGE group of Koreans that were came that day and was standing around not sure what to do. I got a lot of smiles from the Masis and Sisters because they were glad I was able to speak english better than they can and explain to the volunteers what to do, plus they're busy anyways.
When the kids got changed they were brought out to the center meeting area to wait before their meal is ready. It's so great because being here for a little while I've picked up the characteristics of many of the child. In ways they communicate although it isn't verbally. There is a child that can clap and loves to. Every time I walk by her she always follow me with her eyes and I pretend I don't notice but then I turn and make a suprised-I-caught-you face at her, with a laugh and smile and she laughs hysterically. I always try to get her to clap and when she does she just laughs and gets so joyful. It's truly beautiful. I can never remember her name so I must get on that. But She also love putting her hands on your cheek, it's her way to say "I love you" and I do the same to her and she smiles! We both had our hands outstretched holding each others face and I just smiled and laugh and so did she. It was beautiful. The room was pretty quite too so it really did brighten up the room. There's a child that likes to hold your hands and dance, I always love dancing with her. She doesn't like being spun but she likes dancing back and forth. Her way to say I love you is putting cheek to cheek, from side to side. She's precious also. All children truly are. Megha today asked for me to help her with everything! Uncle this, uncle that. Tu-an... can you help. Megha is one of my students that's in a wheelchair and extremely skinny, but very smart. She got bubbles today and wanted me to do bubbles with her and get this and that for her. For me it brings me so much joy to come back and feel so welcomed. It's welcoming that the children recognize me, that the masis are happy to see me, and that the Sisters there missed me. I absolutely love Daya Dan. Today I fed Angeli and honesty for the size that girl is and the plate that I had to feed her, I thought we were never going to finish. Her meal was bigger than Briana's or Caitlin's lunch today. To my suprised I finished feeding her within 15 minutes. WAY sooner than all the other children. I've never see her eat so much. It made me so happy. It was also great because I was able to help out with other chores. Changing Bashker, helping the other volunteer feed, changing the beds, and just visiting with the children.
When we left it was 5:30, we rushed back... on the metro, pass sudder and hussled over to mass at St. Mary. It was my first time at St. Mary's. It was so weird seeing a real church in India. There were pews and an altar. Icons, paintings on the wall of the life of Jesus, Saints and our Blessed Mother's statue. It was very nice to feel so at home. Caitlin and I both agreed that we must come back sometime for daily mass there, whether its in bangali or english.

Well keep us in your prayers. Pray for Briana, she has ashma (however that's spelled) and wasn't doing so well with the pollution here today. Thanks thanks. God bless.