Kolkata Beauty

We meet the lads below most evenings on the way back from a restaurant or where ever.
The attend the Ripon St pavement club. The lad on the right is out selling chewing gum, like many boys. Often when he hangs around with us his mother will eventually turn up and send him off working again. He seems happy just to play for a little but then switches to begging mode. On this occasion he was asking for a chicken roll. I was pleased to see him share it out to the little chap to his side and to an elderly woman.

Leonora and Rachael were playing with some lads from the clubs just outside the YWCA one evening. They brought out a pad of paper and some crayons. One gent began to draw flowers and then handed the pictures to this kid to colour in. A crowd gathered and watched as he filled in the picture perfectly, only pausing to rub his aching forearm. It was nice to see him being a child, just before his mum collected him to get him selling gum again. He got the picture as a present, as well as a picture from Leo and Rachael telling him that Jesus loves him.

Below is my Bible Study group from the New Market project. I'm the one on the bottom left. We had just had a lesson were we studied the parable of the lost sheep and the rejoicing that follows when it's found. Finished with Zephaniah 3:17 as the memory verse, which involved a bit of drawing to help them remember it. Everywhere a memory verse. This place is desperate for the Julie Dart school of memory verse teaching.


Friday was the last day there for Becky and I. They said a farewell by tying woolen friendship bracelets to my wrist. I was going to be there three mornings from Wednesday to Friday, but instead I decided to spend Thursday sat on the toilet. So now I feel I've had the full authentic Indian experience. I blame it on the filthy masala lemonade and a long walk in the sun the day after. Many words have gone trough my mind to describe Wednesday night and Thursday, but I don't think you want to know. It's now Saturday, and I've just regained the confidence to break wind.

Leonora and Rachael are settling into the Creek Row pavement club, playing with the kids and teaching them English. Sarah and Karen are doing a similar thing at the Paulin Bhawan home, tutoring kids after school. Claire and Jenny are at the Ripon street pavement club playing with the younger ones and teaching them simple English, and Susanna and Rachael are at the Lakermath project with a variety of activities for young kids. Some difficulties arise with regards to the different teaching styles between cultures, but I think slowly everybody is finding their feet. I recon I've had it pretty easy. Teaching slum kids that God rejoices over them with singing. It really doesn't get much better.

Cleaning clothes is difficult. All hand washing in buckets with cold water at the moment. I can't get anything clean. Had to do a batch of underwear sooner than expected. I'm trying my best because it constantly amazes me how neat and tidy these kids turn up everyday. It's the shirt collars that wont wash.
We've had a couple of power cuts late in the evening. The lights go out and the fans stop working and you start pouring with sweat. Then you hear the generators kick in and a cool breeze hits you again.

Today we did the assembly at the Saturday morning Bible Club. Theme - "God made you, you're special". Arranged mostly by school worker Karen. Was well received. Timothy, the youth leader it seems, was very pleased with the last song "I'm special". I was surprised he didn't know it. He's got a huge repertoire. He's like a young hyperactive dancing Roy Evans, if that helps. He's got a great connection with all the kids and is respected by them and the other teachers. He brought me up to the front of the seniors class this morning to help in the dance with a couple of songs. He's got the moves. This is not something I'm expecting to bring back with me.

Susanna's birthday today. Presents and a cakes from Flurry's. Pizza Hut later, but no masala lemonade for me.

We're all settling into a routine now in our various projects, and it's beginning to feel like it's almost time to leave. Below a picture of the old Howrah bridge at night. Beautiful, of a kind maybe. But nothing like the beauty of the kids, like watching the lad colour in on the doorstep of the YWCA Wednesday evening.


Next week I believe I'll be in the Anandaloy home for lads. Don't quite know what that will involve yet.

I need to go the department store and get more toilet paper. I've run out.