Sad News from Ktown

Just wanted give ya a quick update on the things going on here. It has been a rough couple of weeks here in kolkata, one of our friends passed away after falling down the stairs and then consequently being neglected and left to die on the street until kristin and gita found her and took her to a mother teresa home where she passed away a few days later. Last week while we were trying to get a couple kids registered for school (it’s a real bad sitch) we took em to the doctor for routine tests and decided to go ahead and do them on the boys two year old sister because she is always sick. We received news that our two year old little friend is HIV Positive but her brothers are okay. Consequently, kristin (who has really born the weight of these hard things...going to the hospital etc) took the little girl and her mom for additional testing and they both tested HIV positive. It is especially discouraging because this woman has been tested every month by the sex workers union and they never gave her the correct results. I have to say bill and melinda gates foundation are going to get a big fat letter from me about this one since they gave them a million dollars a couple of years ago to this organization to prevent aids and this woman has obviously been HIV positive for 2 years and they have been hiding the results, we assume to keep their numbers down. We are looking at all the options for this family and how best to serve them. So we and most certainly they need your prayers…we are hopeful that the father will also get tested so the family can get free treatment from a pretty good governement prevention program. And that our friend “priya” will work for freeset or for us at sari bari. If she works at freeset they have a preschool where the little girl can stay while she works.

So as if this might not be enough for our community to handle, today the landlord told us that we have to move out in four months from our place in sari bari. Basically, it comes down to his fear of being found out as helping women from the trade. He as tried to impose almost impossible standards for quiet and calls everytime someone makes a peep. Anyway, I am hoping that this is God closing one door to open another one. We could really use a building all to ourselves…because it seems as much space as we can create that many women we can give jobs. We are full in kalighat right now with 11 and could easily double by the end of the year if we had the space. So maybe this is God opening the door for more women. Right now it just feels like one more thing on our plate. Anyway, this landlord was also promising to help us register legally, now that is also in question…so frustrating because we really need to make the business legit so we can move forward. Ultimately, having a building is important because women are now depending on us for their livlihood and this is not a responsibility that we are bearing lightly.

So all this heaviness but there is still a lot hope in K-town. Not like the old days of defeat and sadness because we know that in the end all things bring hope and hope will not disappoint us and now we groan in these tents we call bodies but ultimately freedom will happen…freedom is happening. We can have hope here on earth and hope of something more later. New life will spring from that which has been desolated.

Please just keep us in your prayers. Pray for “priya” and her family. Pray that her little sons would get into school, her husband would release her to leave the trade and her daughter would be radically and profoundly healed. Pray for a new place for sari bari…

Thanks for walking with us as we stumble down this road of exodus.

some sketches

Posted some sketches on the Art in Community amoung the Poor Blog. Check out the link if you are interested.

if i were a pirate...

My pirate name is:

Red Mary Flint

Passion is a big part of your life, which makes sense for a pirate. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

culture shock, flying cockroaches and beautiful community

yeah, so even though was still in asia, returning to kolkata has been a bit rough. i think the issue is more in my mind than anything else...the reality is still the same. that i want to be here and live my life with these women is still the same but i am tired and a somewhat easily irritated by stupid little things. it is possible that there is the hormonal stuff going on a well but i hated to blame it all on that....

yesterday, i gave myself permission to take it slow....i still spent the day at sari bari but not in my usual full on way. i basically felt like crap, so i laid on the floor for a couple of hours and just talked to the ladies. i am really glad i did because that gave me the energy to have a really wonderful afternoon with all the trainees. i have a hard time not pushing myself through being sick or down or whatever but it seems it only hurts me and those around me. i think i am going to try to do better at the discipline of rest and slowness because i end up being a much nicer person in the end.

one of the ladies at sari bari has TB. we knew when we hired her that she had had it in the past but she said she was all better. none the less, we wanted to double check and make sure because if one has TB they could all get TB and that would be horrible. well after the tests, it turns out that she still has active TB in her right lung and needs to undergo treatment in the hospital. so the plan was that she would be admitted yesterday to a pretty good but low cost TB hospital in k-town. when it was time to go she just started crying...so so sad. i realized that she thought she might not see everyone again...that she might die. she went around and was saying goodbye to everyone personally inspite of the fact that we promised regular visits and that we would be standing by her side in this whole process. it was heart breaking really and it ended up being a beautiful moment as the ladies began to gather around her and give encouraging positive words...it was a beautiful expression of community, of our sari bari family being a family. we ended up on the floor laying our hands on her and praying for her...some of the ladies reaching out to lay a hand with me and kiran. it was really amazing and the peace that seemed to come on her was beautiful. this woman is the newest trainee and started late and from the begining there was some ladies who were not her biggest fan but it was these same ladies who brought her comfort and encouragement. she came back from the hospital a couple hours later and it turns out she will be admitted today so it was kind weird to go through all that and then have her back again to sew but maybe just what she needed to see...that she is apart of of us...our friend, our sister, our family.

we are learning alot here about integration. lots of new good things are going to be happening the next month as we seek to bring a deeper level of community and accountablity into all of our relationships. we are seeking to integrate everything...it will be a challenge but i think ultimately a beautiful expression of the body working together....pray for us and for our bengali team.

and oh yes, the other night while i was talking to my mom on the phone, this huge flying cockroach came in my room...and i started freaking out. i hate cockroaches, yes, i know i live in kolkata and they are everywhere but i still hate them and what i hate even more is killing them. i hate the crunch!! so when i got off the phone i realized that i could not go to bed with this thing in my room...what if it flew and landed on me while i was sleep...eekkkkkkk!! so i brandished my trusting flip flop and killed the little bugger on the first try! still hate killing them but it was going to be him or me sleeping somewhere else...i decided he needed to go.

Everyone in thailand has at least one yellow shirt and other random photos

I love tank tops!!

the hairs on my head

hey we arrived in thailand. got my hair cut...actually all of my hairs cut!

and last night i had a reminder of what it is like to be with 2 major extroverts...could not get in a word in edgewise...i tried several times and failed.

more soon...

Amazing beautiful india

india is in the villages and on the trains...the city is just an intense microcosim of the village...the city makes more sense in the context of seeing the village. the villages are so beautiful, peaceful, simple. i went to visit one of the ladies from sari bari who has been sick on monday and the trip was amazing. the train was insane, we packed in the ladies car easily less than one square foot person. the ladies were loud and sassy and full of life. it was actually fun even though when i came of the train my clothes were drenched with sweat. it was kind fun to be like a spy because everyone assumed i could not speak the language, so it was interesting to listen to the conversation, fight and wonderings about who i was and what i do etc.

the village was abosolutely gorgeous. i mean it was poor, but poverty has a different face in the village and family is a beautiful experssion of community in the villages. because your neighbors are your family or your inlaws. they share everything, help each other. 5 families pooled their resources to serve me some pepsi and snacks...i felt a little overwhelmed at the generosity and sacrifice. the cost to them was great whereas i probably would not think twice about serving the same thing to them. and i was only one eating they would not share it with me. i do not think i will ever get over the generosity of the poor. our friend is getting better and we look forward to having her back soon.

the last week has been amazing...yes i know i keep using the word. but really i get not over the goodness. we showed the ladies the passion of the christ and had a little easter celebration and i was profound for some of the ladies. and profound for me to translate the story into bangla. and these days since we have seen some changes in the ladies. iwish i could show you pictures because the ladies are so beautiful and the pics are amazing. god is so good and i can how he is working everyday here.






i made goat curry for 30 for our celebration. my first time and it turned out great. the ladies said they liked it but i did not add enough salt. they all said it was great first effort...which is high praise coming from an indian lady. we all actually went to the goat shop and watch them carve the goat and give us the meat. i have always been afraid to do that but i was not big of a deal. we went early in the morning so the meat was fresh. i think i might be able to do it again.


headed to thailand this morning for a conference. really looking forward to the break. more soon...

Charotte's 30th Birthday

Last night we celebrated Charlotte's Birthday at Quepies....a restuarant in Kolkata. Maybe the best restaurant in kolkata. It had charm, great service and the food was amazing indian bengali food. i am going to take anyone who comes to this place...it really was amazing. we were in a private room because we had a little wine for the celebration and it reminded me of my great grandmothers house for some reason. its good to have good friends and celebrations! these little things add to the richness of life...mixed in with the hard, good, amazing, horrible, devasting, powerful and beautiful thing, it makes for a pretty good road to walk.

i just bought Amos Lee on itunes. this guy is amazing.

New life in the City

10 things i thought about in the last week

10. can trade be fair? is company responsible only for the person who works for them or for their whole family? is it possible for their to be justice in consumerism?

9. how would miranda sorbet soda taste as a float, ya know if we added ice cream?

8. every day i think about Deepa and Asha and ask God help us, help them out of the sex trade and onto the road to freedom

7. this quote from a devotion: ""nine-tenths of our suffering is caused by others not thinking so much of us as we think they ought" Mary Lyon

6. my brother...i want him to be happy!

5. my sister and grace

4. whether or not we would get tickets to see the namesake...this ended up being really funny because i ended up really worrying out loud about this...and end up cracking up with kristin. dang i wish i could kill worry in my heart. no we did not get tickets :)

3. why don't i lose weight when i fast? this is not a reason to fast i know but still i wonder....

2. when will i cut my hair, how should i cut my hair? when will my hair stop falling out?

1. can i really be this happy? can sari bari really be this good? HOPE is definitely the answer( jesus is the only only hope)...and then more thoughts about thought number 10 and how can we really make sari bari "fair" and "redemptive" in everyway for everyone who works and purchases....

More on Freedom Day

Watch this video!

Freedom Day, Sunday March 25th

If you are in so cal you can attend the Freedom Day program. End the trafficking of persons and modern slavery through awareness and advocacy! You can use your voice because they can not use theirs. Abolition now!!

CONTACT: Greg Russinger
Freedom Day Coordinator
(805) 701-0079

Modern-Day Abolitionists Unite to End Slavery
Freedom Day Promotes Awareness of Human Trafficking

WHO: A Coalition of NGOs, Faith Communities, Universities, Artists and Individuals

WHAT: On the 200th anniversary of Britain’s abolition of slavery by Parliament,
non-government organizations, government agencies, faith-based
organizations, artistic organizations, students and community members are joining together to raise awareness, network, and mobilize against modern-day slavery and human trafficking. Freedom Day will feature a series of films, music, art, and learning forums as people come together in support of this modern abolitionist movement.

WHEN: Sunday, March 25, 2007
2:00-7:00 P.M. PST

WHERE: Vanguard University (courtyard outside of Heath Hall)
55 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

BACKGROUND:
While many believe that slavery ended in the 1800’s, the sad truth is that slavery still exists in disturbing numbers throughout the world. Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery – and it is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) approximately 600,000 to 800,000 victims are trafficked across international borders worldwide each year. An alarming 14,500 to 17,500 of those victims are being trafficked annually into the United States. Victims of trafficking are men, women and children that are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of commercial sex or forced labor.

For more information about Freedom Day and to pre-register for this free event, please visit www.onevoicetoendslavery.com

What happened today in kolkata (taken from the Times of India)

KOLKATA: About 100 people were arrested in various parts of West Bengal on Friday as bandh supporters beat up government officials, torched a bus and disrupted rail and road traffic during an opposition-sponsored general strike to protest the police firing at Nandigram.

Roads wore a deserted look as vehicles kept off roads while train services on both Howrah and Sealdah divisions were disrupted.

A state-owned bus was set on fire in Sealdah area of the city on Friday morning by bandh supporters. They also pelted stones and damaged a few buses at Landsdowne, Hastings, Beliaghata and Beadon Street (we live near this one but stayed away of course), Deputy Commissioner of Police (HQ) PK Chatterjee said.

Around 100 bandh supporters were arrested for disrupting traffic and damaging buses in the metropolis, he said.

In North Dinajpur district, Congress supporters beat up the Additional District Magistrate and four top officials. Deputy Magistrate Probhat Chatterjee was admitted to hospital in a critical condition, Home Secretary PR Roy said.

Roy said road and rail blockades were put up by the bandh supporters at different places in the state which were removed by the police.

Railway sources said that train services in both Howrah and Sealdah divisions were hit due to picketing at various stations by the bandh supporters.

Most of the long distance trains were stranded at different stations due to picketing, the sources said.

Metro Railway however maintained its services.

About a dozen flights belonging to different airlines took off for their destinations by 7.15 in the morning.

The strike was called by Trinamool Congress, Congress, BJP and Socialist Unity Centre of India in protest against the police action on the villagers of Nandigram that claimed at least 14 lives on Wednesday.

Be the change you want to see in the World

I am blog copier...any way this one is for a good cause.


From Daphne's blog:
jara pointed me to kid, zach hunter, who is working to abolish modern day slavery. he's 15 years old. watch this video. you can also read about him at the IJM website. he is super inspiring. and if that isn't enough you can read more here.

cultural phenomenon

this is definitely cultural. every evening the men of the city settle down in the parks to play cards till it gets dark. And they gather round the Chai shops and cigarette shops and sit in small groups and talk or not talk as it may be. i was standing on my veranda tonight looking down and marveling at this little phenom. i mean it is all over the city...the casual gathering on the streets...rich and poor do it. though i have noticed that poor guys are often asleep on the street by 8pm..sure they have had a hard day of labor that lets them sleep through anything. tonight, i am wondering what they are talking about and what pulls them out of their houses and away from their families every night. We actually have the communist party sitting outside in chair just in front our place. they just sit there looking intimidating and important...i just wonder why.

i think it just might have to be one of those questions i ask God in heaven. maybe i won't care by then...

tomorrow there will be a huge strike in Kolkata and all of west Bengal. it appears that it might be violent and there could be some pretty serious chaos since the police are the target of the protest. if you want to read about it click here and here and here.

apparently, the police opened fire on 300 women who were standing in front of the male villagers who were well prepared to fight for their homes. The police were there in an attempt to quell a protest by villagers against the opening of a TATA chemical factory. people here are really angry. it is a very volatile and political situation.

why do bugs love light??

How the world shapes up...

Just read this thanks to daphne, really interesting. checkout the link by clicking on the title of this blog entry.

today at the gach

We were feeling pretty crappy and ready to leave the gach at around 4pm today so we went down the flyer lane and I ran into a lady I know and used to talk with a lot and while were talking with her we ran into these 2 young girls and right away I asked them how long they had been there and if they wanted new work…and they came with us right away to freeset and they will start on Tuesday!!! So I am supposed to go pick them up at 930am on Tuesday. Their names are asha and deepa. Asha is 20 and was married early, her husband sold her into the trade in benaras and I think she was rescued and she said her husband is in jail and she has a 2 month old daughter and has only been in the gach for 2 months. And she really wants to leave and is really, really excited about it. Deepa is married and has a husband and a small daughter and she is only 18. she is also really interested to have a job that honors her family… her husband knows she works the line but will be supportive of her leaving. We were at freeset till about 530 talking with the girls about freedom and new work. So a rough day turned into an amazing day!! lots of reasons to have hope that new life is possible in dark and awful places!!

where your treasure is...

last night small group was amazing. we had a full house of regulars and a few guests fellowshipping over ground nut stew, fried eggplant and watermelon. we listened to shane claiborne's talk from the beggars society and while that was certainly good...it was the conversation afterwards that was truly amazing and powerful.

two things stood out to me...the most powerful question was this...if what we do has benefit to us (which we all agreed being here in kolkata in relationship with the poor is a gift in our lives) then what is the cost? is there a cost? having come off a couple of amazing weeks at sari bari i am currently living in the benefits. because i am seeing transformation and in the process of working with the women to see their lives made new, my life is being made new. the benefit of being in relationship with poor persons is powerful, meaningful and life changing. everyone sitting around that room confessed it. the couple of weeks i have been realizing that leaving here does not feel like much of an option...i think this is a good thing. so the costs are there....but the benefits are real which leads me to the next thing that really ripped my face off...

the second thing was "where your treasure is there you heart will be also" i think we usually get it turned around the idea that where our heart is then that's where our treasure is....but our heart goes to the place we treasure not the other way around right? so if my treasure in things like finding the perfect guy and getting married, having a sucessful life, a comfortable life then that's where my heart will be....but more and more everyday, my treasure is here in the faces of the gach and certainly in the lives of the women at sari bari and so that is where my treasure is...that is what is changing my life. because my heart has followed and what i treasure is changing....my need for things is changing, because i see my friends without these things...so it makes me re-evaluate what i need. my treasure is in jesus and the things he cares about...some of the time, hopefully moving to all the time. my treasure is in the lives of the women of kolkata and so that is where my heart is these days....more than ever.

this is so unprocessed but i am still kind of reeling from the goodness of the last couple of weeks and amazing gift it is to see a 35 year old woman write her name for the first time, and another woman to be proud of herself, and all of us this last week learn about the power of forgiveness and what unforgiveness costs us.

alright its friday morning i am off to the gach today. planning to have time this weekend to blog more.