THURSDAY

The morning began at about 5:00 am…. part of our team headed out to a rural part of Kolkata to observe a feeding line that is provided by Mercy Ministries.  This program has been feeding the community for over 25 years and they feed hundreds of people in 5 different locations.  When we arrived there were women and children gathered waiting for the food.  For many of them this one meal is all they will eat for the entire day. Often times they portion it out to sustain them throughout the day.

This is in the village where the Rhino school was started a few weeks ago.  I just wanted a picture with a cow as they are everywhere!  Once a cow quits producing milk it no longer has value so they are let go to wander and eventually die, which means you see cows everywhere just wandering the streets.

One of the locations where the food is dropped off is home to one of the Mercy Ministry Rhino schools which actually only started about 2 weeks ago.  It began with a vision, a dream from one of the women in the village.  About a year ago she said to one of the Mercy Ministry staff members, “You come and feed us and we appreciate it, but can you teach us too?  I am illiterate, my children are illiterate, I don’t want my grandchildren to have the same fate.”  Mercy Ministries responded with a resounding YES!  They told her that if she could provide a space they would provide teachers.  It took this elderly woman about 8 months to collect enough money and supplies to begin construction.  She added a room to her home which is used as the classroom.

Today was the eighth day that school had been opened and the students are taught by a man from Canada and a young woman from Florida who have both committed to teach for about a year.  We visited this school and in one class alone counted 60 children from about 5 – 12 years old crammed into this small room.  Total, they teach 3 classes: preschool, elementary age, and advanced elementary/middle school.  Prior to starting school none of these children could speak ANY English, now they all can identify parts of their body, color, numbers, and the alphabet. 

This women’s dream was being witnessed before our eyes, its amazing!  She is an inspiration, she had a dream and made it happen, because of her…. The children including her grandchildren will know how to read and write which means they have the potential to get jobs later in life…. She literally gave these children hope for a prosperous future!

As they saying goes… “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.”  Well today we did as the Indians do…. We took our shoes off and walked a sidewalk of Kolkata.  Granted we had to as we were approaching a Hindu Temple and shoes are not permitted.  So we walked barefoot into this breathtaking Temple after we were permitted entry by the armed gun men.  We walked around basking in the beauty of the incredible architecture and statues of Hindu Gods.  Everything was made out of marble or carved outf of stone…. It was overwhelming in a sense as there was so much detail; it was so clean, and HUGE!

About 4 girls were out sick today, which makes 6 of the 11 of us have been ill with this virus. I have yet to catch it.  Prayers for healing and continued health for our team! Tomorrow we are headed to a school for blind children

Dessert from Flurry's, a delicious little bakery in the middle of town.

Out of protection for the kids we are serving we were asked not to post pictures online, so use your imagination!  Hugging me a two of the orphan boys that we met at the train school.