Let me set the scene for you. I am writing this blog whilst eating India's slightly spicier version of super noodles and listening to some very old worship songs recorded off of a gramophone, being blasted out of a crackly old tape player by an old couple in the room just off the TV room where I am sat (the only place the internet really works) You know when it doesn't quite sound right... every so often it slips and goes terribly out of tune etc. Oh my. Headphones.in.
I thought that this would be an unbelievably boring blog today as from the 1st Feb-6th Feb I was ill. Pretty much did nothing with my time. What a waste.
My best friends for the past week!
BUT on the 7th- Still not feeling 100% but SO bored of being stuck inside, I dragged myself out of bed and went to school. The next day I still wasn't feeling too good but again, being the trooper I am, got out of bed and went to Shanti Dan. Its so hard trying to entertain the girls there.. Spending like 2 hours trying to make them happy and enjoy themselves and not even get a smile by the end of it is pretty challenging.
I was happy to be able to go back to Freeset on the 9th, as the others had already been twice already since Steve has been back and I couldn't wait to get back there! It was mega tiring as usual, lifting heavy rolls of material from A to B, hoisted a metal frame from ground floor to 3rd floor using just one piece of rope, moved more fabric, then cleaned out an old house- a box of half rat eaten, maggot infested books- urgh... But we found an old diary which was interesting! Anyway, by the end of the day I was aching sooo much. My body is not used to all this DIY and heavy lifting business. In fact its not used to any form of manual labor!!
Now this is the part that I am thankful for- not only does it mean we can tick one more thing off of our 'things to do in the short time we have left before we leave' list, but it also means my blog doesn't send people to sleep.
On the evening of Thursday 9th, Benjamin Frances (the pastor of Big Life Ministries here in Kolkata) invited us to go to 2 different medical camps. The first one was on Friday 10th Feb and for this one we traveled South. 2 1/2 hours in the car and 45mins on the Big Life boat, to a small village called Nagi Jungle in Nazzat.
The Big Life boat. This thing has been famous for years.
Along the river.
We went with a group of doctors and nurses from various parts of America. When there we set up a small pharmacy type thing, and after the various people got checked over by the doctor, they came to us and we handed out the right medicines to them- all for free.
Setting up camp
Surrounding villagers being seen by one of the doctors.
Poised and ready to go!
On this day we saw around 160 patients.
Saying goodbye to the locals!
The sunset over the river was gorgeous.
A guy walking along the waters edge.
Cows and people going for a late night stroll.
Chilling in the water.
Once the sun had set the colour was so beautiful.
Then on the 11th Feb we went an hour west to Baniungachi to do the same thing. We set up camp right outside a Hindu temple and sung worship songs and prayed, before long the crowds had gathered, and the doctors were diagnosing and praying with as many people as they could in the time we had.
Singing and praying whilst the locals begin to gather to see whats going on.
Handing out medicines! You can see the temple in the background.
The queue to see a doctor.
In these more remote areas, the locals think all white people are celebrities. So we got a lot of attention!
On this day we saw around 170 people. Big Life Ministries use camps like these as a way in to get the attention of the local people, and then they tell them about the love of Jesus and before long they're planting a church and people are giving their lives to the Lord. The work they do is amazing and it was so great to be a part of it.
These are a few photos from the journey home - Typical Kolkata.
This pretty much sums up Kolkata in a photo.
This guy was meant to be driving but he saw a me and that was it.
Girls on a bus who spied us and got pretty excited!
Most of the trees in Kolkata are painted white with orange and/or Green (Apparently the white stops the red ants going up or something) But these ones are painted differently. Made to look like Mother Teresa's clothes.
Today at church the guy was speaking on 'Learning to live in the love of God'. It was a really good service. I'll give you the gist of it.
In Matthew 3:16-17, when Jesus was baptised, the heavens opened and God said "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." - God wants to speak these words over us all. Ephesians 3:17-19 talks about being 'rooted and established in love' to 'Grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know that this love surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of the fullness of God.' Ephesians 1: 3-7 basically says that God 'chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight' 'In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ.' Galatians 3:26- 'You are all Sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.' - God doesn't see our mistakes or failures, he sees his Son Jesus, who lives in us. Colossians 1:27 - '...Christ in you, the hope of glory.' Everybody at some point has doubted God's love for them. I know I have. Why would God love me? What have I done to deserve it? Why would he love someone who has sinned? But here's the truth. If God was to stop loving you he would have to totally deny who he was, his plan right from the beginning would have to be torn up and thrown away, IF GOD WAS TO STOP LOVING YOU, HE WOULD FIRST HAVE TO STOP BEING GOD. That was such a strong message for me and I believe it is for many others. Romans 8:38-39 - 'For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'
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