Kolkota updates, reflections and observations

In the past few days, our India missions team has had so many special opportunities. I'll attempt to share a few as well as my reflections and observations. 

Highlights 

• Our team shared a devotional with the ladies at Jewels In A Crown ( JIAC ) about the love that Jesus has called us and empowered us to have toward other Christians. We were told it was a timely word for them.
• We taught an English lesson, going over the alphabet and teaching them the English words for our body parts. We also taught them the song "head and shoulders". They loved it!
• Went to a church care group where I was invited to share my testimony. 
• Here's one of my favorite parts of the week...going to Howrah Station (2nd busiest station in India) to look for and connect with people who live there. These people are mostly children who beg or steal or scrounge to survive. Some have families and some don't. That day there wasn't many children because there was lots of military men around; so the kids get scared and hide (to avoid getting beat or mistreated). Because there were hardly any kids around,  we went to a slum. There, we met many kids and played with them. Because I didn't want to exploit anyone,  I didn't want to take their picture,  but to my surprise, they love getting their picture taken. 
  
  
  
  
• We led a chapel service at the slum school. Our message was "you are fearfully and wonderfully made" (psalm 139: 14).

Reflections

I answered a few emails yesterday which I was avoiding because I want to concentrate on the mission and because I simple don't want to deal with business. It discouraged me to read the emails because it reminded me of some unpleasant businesses I will go back home to face. I felt like I didn't want to go back to Canada. I am falling in love with the work that is being done here. I also feel so comfortable here. These missionaries and this ministry is truly seeking to feed the poor, invite the outcasts and shelter the homeless in the name of Jesus. Yet all these things I also attempt to do in Canada. I realized that maybe I feel like being here more because it's all new and exciting for me and no hardship has presented itself. Am I trying to run away from the trials that surface in the ministries I'm involved with back home? 

On another note,  I have become interested to learn more about some things I've encountered here in Kolkota: eunuchs, airplane glue addicts, slums and brothels. I. Have always been interested in evangelizing in and to the darkest places. maybe this is why the latter subjects interest me. 

Observations 

From the first day,  I noticed so many men. This isofcoursea male dominated society. However,  these are also the effects of gendercide (the abortion of females) which is common here because boys are a blessing and girls require theparents to provide a dowry (monetary/asset gift) when she marries. A dowry is very expensive for poor parents to give;  for this reason, many girls are aborted.

On another note, a simple observation I've made about myself is that I love to teach. I forget this often but when the opportunity comes up your educate, I get excited.

Thanks for following what we're doing on this trip. I share what I do be because I like to, to encourage others in mission and to update my supporters. Thank you. Continue praying for us please. 

Sorry for spelling mistakes and random bold print. It's hard to blog on a playbook!