A day in the Gach

Yesterday was a great day in the gach. We have started keeping a daily journal of what happens and who we talk with...below is mine from yesterday slightly edited...

Please feel free to pray for these women!!

23 Jan 05

Partner: Kiran

Deepa –at the front of the line today usually in the middle with the young girls

Puja—also at the front today

Chandana - Today we met a couple of new girls at the beginning of the street. Primarily, Chandana who has been on the line for 10 days, is 19 and has 2 kid—ages 2 and 3. She was very interested in going to freeset to see about new work but was not able to go today. They always say that so I am hoping she come on Wednesday as promised.

Mona-is a flyer—does not come regularly to the gach but is really interested in new work—we talked with her about making blankets for sari bari—she only comes in when she needs money

Flyers on the corner—talked with a number of ladies whose names I need to learn but do not know yet. They are always very friendly and welcoming and it is now known on that corner that we can help them get other jobs because almost every time we go they introduce to someone else who wants new work—cool but hard when right now jobs are not really available.

Monica—asked about puja (beth)—very friendly and affectionate—put her arm around me

Somali and friend puja—puja might be new—never met her before lives in somali’s brothel

Krishna—spoke her a little today—seemed a little out of sorts not her usual friendly self—busy doing laundry

Angoli-she is healthy and still interested in coming to freeset—she has only been on the line a month and we found about today that her didi Lokhi is actually her didi ma—her grandmother. She said she will come with us to freeset on Wednesday. Lokhi was not there and if I understand right she is now staying in another room—her room rent is 150 rupees a day (this ridiculous rent by the way)

Somali’s family-we had a great day in somali’s room. Sonda talked with kiran like she was a friend and was maybe the most open that I have ever seen her—talkitave….it was really a good day. I paid for tea—maybe we should offer to do this more often. Mitali was in a good mood—we talked about her birthday and having a really fun party on the 8^th to celebrate. She did mendhi for me and she actually did it nice this time. I played with anish—we play hand clapping and I tried to get him to identify his nose and mouth etc…not really able…does not probably get enough stimulation. Kiran and mitali played a game—really great.

Sima—nepali girl in brothel 19/a she is only been on the line 5 months—really nice but maybe a little stand offish—spoke to kiran in hindi

Sonali—she is so sweet always asking where we are going—need to make a priority of having tea with her—maybe we can bring tea for all those girls next week.

Dumpa-gray brothel right after the young girls invited us in for lunch today—she had made roti and wanted to know if we wanted to come in and eat—it was already 3pm so we did not stay but made an appointment to go back on Monday and eat with her at one. There are a lot of girls in her brothel that we talk with including the one with the golden sindoor but whose names I do not know.

Chobi and soma’s room—we spent an hour and half in their room… I think kiran really likes to spend time with this lady and wants to see come to know jesus and release her worry…the mom talked for a long, long time but I kind of zoned out and just played with the batcha—so fun to play with him do not think he gets to play much—he kept trying to feed me and share his food—we played peek abo with my dupatta. I gave chobi my hand cream and they all kept talking about it and that probably only the boro lok(rich people--like me) have such nice cream…kind of hard place to be wanting to share but also wanting to live simply but everything I have is a treasure –wonder what the line is…

Ratana-we went to visit ratana---my first time—she has a really nice room meaning a little bigger with her own bathroom—she had another girl in her room whose name I did not get and a man and small child sleeping on the bed. She got a call from a customer while she was there and I spoke to him on the phone and he asked if he could come and make friends with me—I said no but he arranged with ratana to meet her tonight—ratana though Kristin would be going with her to the village tomorrow so she gave me her phone number Good to meet her after hearing about her…kiran advised that Kristin not go with her alone. After catching up with Kristin, Kristin called her and told her that she/ we go another day.