I love mass at DAYA DAN

I was able to get up and not feel like Junk in the morning, this morning, in time for 6 o clock mass! Mass was beautiful like always but I felt as if I've been away from the Mother House for so long! It was so nice to be back in the Mother house! It's something you miss because it's so OPEN and so CLEAN, compared to the crowded and dirty streets of Kolkata. I love it there! I didn't recieve this morning because (i kinda left this out last sunday) but i missed mass last sunday because my alarm didn't go off; and than when I was planning on going to mass in the afternoon at 6pm at St Mary I took a nap and tried to set the alarm and missed it also... needless to say; I didn't recieve this morning because of it. I've been searching everywhere in Kolkata all week to find a catholic priest to do reconciliation, but every reconciliation had to be done by appointment and my pride got a hold of me... too ashamed to ask. Yes yes, now I remember why I'm here in Kolkata... to work on humility, and pride is the last thing we should be thinking about when we enter into confession ASKING for forgiveness. Anyways, after mass today... I swallowed my pride and rushed out to catch the priest before he left (to where ever he goes). I was able to do reconciliation and it was so great! Afterwards I went back into the chapel for some reflection/prayer and than down to Mother's tomb to say hi and ask for some prayer intentions. I went to Breakfast with the volunteers and everyone seems to be new! not going to the Mother house for a couple of days changed everything for me! I barely reconginzed anyone (exagerating a little). Oh, I almost forgot to mention Mother's quote of the day that was on the chalk board was (this if for you Michael G.)... "Faith in action is Love. Love in action is Service." ~Mother Teresa.
Well at mass this morning my stomach was really killing me, I could hardly bare it but I thank God, that he gave me the strength to get out of bed and walk to the Mother house for mass. During mass I took on great suffering, I could barely kneel striaght because my stomach wanted to crunch up, but i offered it up to be united to Christ's passion. I thought to myself during breakfast; I'm going to go back to my hotel room, my stomach isn't going to let me work today. Anyways... God had different plans for me. A bunch of new volunteers were headed to Daya Dan and nobody there was nobody at the Mother House that knew there way to get to Daya Dan that was going there today, so of coursed I told them I'm headed there, and hop on the bus towards Manicula. When I got there, all the children were dressed in matching clothes for Mass. It was so beautiful! I put myself straight to work, since the children were already bathed and clothed I went to the physical therapy room and worked with Bashker and Angeli. Little Pia was crying non stop ... but what's new. She cries a lot if nobody is holding her, so of course I caved in after several minutes. Sister Capita and Christilata was happy to see me there two days in a row. Sr. Christilata asked if I could do the readings for today's mass. Of Course (now that I just got out of reconciliation)!
The mass at Daya Dan, i have to say is one of my favorites. I've been to two mass there and they're so beautiful. The children are so beautiful at mass. The altar server is a child that has some difficulties talking and moving, but still he knows the mass part very well and know what he must do as an altar server. Mongol (the child that's in a wheelchair, and is extremely frail/skinny) leads singing. And there are some child with a drum that REALLY suprised me! He can't talk yet (although he's probably 11 yrs), and have some deformation problem but can still walk . Anyways, he played the bongo/kongos and kept PERFECT beat! It was amazing! There was a child that played the tamborine. Anyways, the children were so envolved at mass! Although their lives had many challenges, God really shined through them during Mass. Many of the children were clapping during the entrance song, memorial acclimation, alleluia, many sang in Bangali the "lamb of God". It was just so beautiful! The children really knew each part of the mass! I was in awe! The priest actually side tracked his homily on this... the reading had to do with "peace be with you". And he said that although many may think that this may be distracting at mass the children are truly at peace with the Lord and the gift they have from the Lord to be in full participation during mass and I couldn't agree any more with him. I really saw Christ truly present in the Eucharist and in each member of his church there today. It is something I really wish everyone could experience, with the eyes to see Christ through them.
After mass I went back upstairs and help fed the Sonju. He was the first to finish in the room which made me extremely happy.
When the day was done I headed back to Sudder but my stomach was still really killing me. And I know Sara been telling me.... "please go to the doctor/hospital" so her words rung out as I was walking home. I went over to the clinic... Eastern Dianostic. Highly recommended by many of the volunteers. When I came in, they took me straight upstairs to see the doctor although there were many in the paitents waiting area but probably because i was a foriegner they let me cut for some reason. Anyways... the doctor appointment was 200 rps. Not bad at all. He wrote out some a perscription for me to get at the pharmacy but he said I needed to get a blood test. Stupid me, i shouldn't have told him i kind of had a fever, I meant to say... the other day, but now it's GONE!.. but those words didn't come from my mouth exactly. Anyways, the fact that he thought I still had a fever here and there... he needed me to get my blood test. And guest how much a blood test was... 1920 rps! I was SHOCKED! But he said I must, and i couldn't get out of it. I told him... maybe i'll take the meds and 4 days after if it doesn't go away I'll come back for the blood test, but nope... 1920 rps it was and a blood test was what i went through. He's afraid I may have a viral infectionl; although I highly doubt I have it because I've been doing some really busy labor work and plus, I feel prefectly fine besides the stomach/diaherea (sorry to say). Anyways I find out the results tomorrow afternoon. This afternoon I ran around trying to get my meds at the pharmacy but a lot of the pharmacy were closed and the first one that I went to that was open didn't have both, so I only bought one there and than found one later that had the other med I'm looking for a total of 70 rps for meds. I had a small lunch at Jojo... grilled cheese. I really have a lost of appetiate due to this stomach problem, but i had to try to get some food in my stomach. I got back to Hotel Paragon finally. And asked about rooming situations for when Caitlin gets in. Anyways, they uped the price on me at Hotel Paragon... and it would of cost us both 135 rps and when Briana gets here it'd be 130 rps each and no bathroom in the room. I checked at hotel Maria and they're giving it for us 110 each; caitlin, briana and I (when briana arrives) and it was so much bigger and we had our own bathroom. So I switched out of Hotel Paragon and am now in Hotel Maria. Now instead of being dominately Koreans guys at Hotel Paragon, it's dominately Spainish girls at Hotel Maria. Well, I had my day cut, by then it was 5. And so i went onto the roof and started doing laundry. I was down to my last pair of short and shirt (that have been worn 4 times already without wash). I've been lazy but today I did them ALL! And so they're hanging still on the roof for drying.
I'm getting excited because I know in a couple of hours, Caitlin is flying in. So i'm going to pick her up at the airport! By the time we get back to Hotel Maria it'll probably be 2:30 am, so I really doubt I'll be at work tomorrow, but we'll see. Anyways, that's the day for today! I hope all's going well back in state! Pray for my health. My stomach is being dumb. I hope it clears up in 4 days or so with these pills i'm taking.