Prem Dan

After our first day of volunteering I was set against working at Prem Dan. I wanted to work at Shishu Bhavan (Children's Home in Bengali). Half of the kids at the orphanage are physically disabled or mentally handicapped and the other half of the kids in the orphanage are "normal" (their words) and are adoptable. In order to work with the kids that are able to be adopted you have to be able to work there for 2 months so we were not eligible. We had to go to the Mother House to get our two week work assignment and for this we were able to request where we wanted to work. As we waited...and waited...and waited I just felt challenged and felt God tell me that He didn't bring me to Calcutta so that I could do something I knew I could do. I know I can work with kids...so I decided to challenge myself and request Prem Dan...knowing that the following day I would probably be kicking myself and wishing I was working with the kids. So, every day for the rest of our time in Calcutta I was assigned to Prem Dan to work with dying adults. I have to say that now I am so glad I made that decision and while it was challenging and I was way out of my comfort zone I made the right decision.
Every day was basically the same routine but it got easier the longer we were there because we came to know what the Sisters expected out of us and how they wanted things set up. Let me tell you, they know exactly how they want things and if a bed is even half an inch off they will fix it. Some days it was really frustrating because they were more focused on the work than on the patients and I was reminded of the story of Martha and Mary where Jesus explains that the relationship, not the work is more important. However, they seemed to think otherwise...But, we got through it and only got yelled at by a nun once. She was mad because we were visiting with patients while we waited for the floors to dry and we were suppose to still be cleaning. She told us to either work or leave. We decided to go back to cleaning but it was really tough because I simply wanted to love on the ladies. So, like I said, after we knew what the Sisters expected out of us it got a lot easier...and we didn't get yelled at again! Each of us seemed to find a couple patients that we would spend time with and we would make sure to say Hi to them in the mornings and give them their massages...we became somewhat territorial over "our" ladies.

There were quite a few volunteers from other countries there to work with Missionaries of Charity and many of them were there simply to be a help. They did not come with a church or because they even believe in Christ but because they saw a need and felt they had to do something. We got to know quite a few of these volunteers and as a team were able to share Christ with them. Very few patients at Prem Dan speak English so we were not able to communicate with them using words however we would tell the patients about Christ and pray that God would use our words to convey the message in a way that they would understand.

The picture at the top is where the more able-bodied ladies at Prem Dan would spend most of their day. They could only go outside when accompanied by a volunteer but most of them simply wanted to sit in this area all day.

Calcutta

Okay, I know you have been waiting anxiously to hear about my trip to Calcutta...okay maybe not but just humor me! Let me just begin by saying it was an incredible trip...the most challenging of all my trips by far, but over all it was simply incredible.

For now I'll give a brief rundown of what we did and in later posts I'll get into more detail about the people we met and some of the relationships I had the privilege of building.

Mother Teresa started Missionaries of Charity which is an organization that exists to give the dying of Calcutta dignity. There are about 8 homes now which are run by the Nuns (Sisters) in Calcutta. Basically, Mother Teresa decided that people should not die on the streets of Calcutta but should have a bed, some warm food and caring people around them during their last days...and who would argue with that?! There are now several homes for dying adults, a few orphanages and homes for the mentally handicapped. The first day we went to volunteer the Sisters assigned our group to Prem Dan which means "Gift of Love" in Bengali.(the picture above is of Prem Dan) Prem Dan is a long term home for the dying. The younger patients at Prem Dan have diseases such as TB, HIV/AIDS, extreme malnutrition and many of the older patients have mental illnesses or some other handicap. Let me also just add that I did not want to work at this home. I really wanted to work in the orphanage and did not think I could handle working with adults. I can entertain kids...I know how to work with kids...adults, not so much! But of course, we were sent to Prem Dan...
The mornings were spent cleaning the beds and the entire room where the women sleep. Nothing has changed since Mother Teresa started the organization...it is a bit of a time warp walking into the homes. All the laundry is done by hand and the floors are washed with buckets and "brooms" made out of straw. After the cleaning was finished it was time for us to focus on the patients. Some of the patients have terrible bed sores and I was recruited to help another volunteer clean them. Mind you, neither of us have medical training but in Calcutta that doesn't really matter much! We would do our best to clean the sores without putting the ladies through too much pain and I would try to do my best to avoid being pooped on by the ladies. Yes, pooped on. Many ladies are not able to get up and go to the restroom so they go in their bed and the first lady I was recruited to help just happened to be one of those ladies and as we were cleaning her bed sore we had to shift gears and clean her elsewhere. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" has never gone through my head so many times before!
The ladies greatly enjoy having lotion put on so we would walk around to the ladies and rub lotion on their arms and legs. They loved it! One lady loved it so much she took her dress off to make sure our co-leader, Kelly, didn't miss a spot! We gave lots of foot and hand massages. One day we even brought nail polish and did some manicures and pedicures for the ladies. It was amazing to me how such a simple thing, lotion, could brighten a day...it was a great reminder of the little joys in life. We spent a lot of time just sitting with patients and giving them physical contact. Although there are a lot of volunteers there (mostly from Australia and England) they don't all give the patients much physical contact...at least not without gloves on...and we did not wear gloves. I feel like wearing gloves to console a dying lady isn't really giving them much dignity. We would also help feed the patients lunch. Most of the patients could feed themselves but there were also quite a few that needed to be fed. It was difficult to try and feed some of the patients...especially the ones with extreme malnutrition because every bite is such a struggle for them that they don't want to try eating yet eating is what they need to do.
Our first day came to an end and as we were leaving one of the patients passed away. She had been on an oxygen machine but was not able to make it. Our first day was really tough and I really wasn't sure how I was going to do this for two weeks. I desperately wanted to work with the kids because they were mostly handicapped but otherwise healthy so I figured I wouldn't have to see patients die.

Almost there.....

Okay, it has been a while but things have been crazy! I graduated! Yeah! And, now I am putting the final touches on my trip to India!

All has been calm and quiet in Calcutta although persectution continues in Orissa. A group of Hindu radicals are planning on shutting the entire city of Orissa down on Christmas so that the Christians cannot partake in Christmas Worship Services. This is not expected to reach Calcutta...but the Christians there are in desperate need of prayer. The YWAM base there has had a lot of difficulties lately and has been attacked several times.

I just found out that I will not have internet access while away so you will have to wait until I get back to get a run down on my adventures!

Thank you so much for your support and prayers...I raised enough money to cover my own trip as well as help with another team member so thank you!

I just ask that you would continue to pray for me as I prepare to leave and while I am gone. I have been on enough trips to know that this is the time in the process when Satan seems to attack me the hardest; putting doubts and worries in my mind.

Thank you again and I look forward to getting to share my stories with you...stories of how God used our partnership for His Kingdom.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Love to you!

Line Etiquette

While we were at Disneyland we waited in hours of lines, now in the US waiting in lines is a common occurrence, we have grown up with it and we are use to them-I recognize, acknowledge and have experienced the fact that things are different in a lot of other countries. Lines are not a universal norm however, at Disneyland they are and if you are from the US then you have no excuse and after experiencing a full day of this I felt the need to set a few things straight regarding lines:

1. We are all anxiously waiting in line to get into the Haunted Mansion, get onto Space Mountain, Indiana Jones....(you fill in the blank)...we all wish the line would move faster.
2. Standing less than an inch behind me literally (definition: actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy) breathing on the back of my neck is not going to make the line move any faster...I promise, it really isn't.
3. Letting the people directly in front of me take two steps without immediately taking two steps of my own is not going to affect your wait time. In fact, yelling at me and telling me to "move" will make me less willing to immediately take my two steps but still...no affect on your actual wait time. In fact, I prefer to get a few feet in between myself and the group in front of me so that when I do move up the whole line behind us moves up a lot and feels like they are making a lot of progress...mind games...I like!

Here are a few suggestions for waiting in long lines:
1. Bring a game: sudoku, word search, crossword puzzles, a hand held game...but don't get too distracted and not move up...you may get yelled at...
2. Buy something to eat before getting into a long line...Disneyland has great churros, frozen bananas, Carmel apples, popcorn...and lots of other tasty goodies....if the line is long enough you will have plenty of time to eat and digest before getting on the ride so you won't get sick
3. Pray...pray for the line to go fast, pray for the ride not to break down after you wait 45 minutes, pray for the people who keep yelling at you because you waited 5 seconds before taking two steps to move the line along...
4. Play the 20 things you won't see in El Dorado Hills game...its simple, you pick out things that you don't normally see in El Dorado Hills. Matt and I play this when we go to Palmdale, only we play up to 50 because there are so many and they are so easy to spot...

Of course we could do away with lines...and this happens:


Do you have a line etiquette story or suggestion to pass the time?

Advent Conspiracy

A follow up to a post a couple weeks ago regarding money spent on Christmas and the lack of clean water world wide:

and this happens....Check out this video on the advent conspiracy



Let me know what you think....

Happiest Place on Earth

This past weekend we took our youth group (Jr. high and high school) to Disneyland.



Youth group Disneyland trip....and this happens....

• 85 of us Load up on two charter buses around 4:00 Friday afternoon


• First bus (not the bus I was on) right out of the church parking lot...goes the wrong way (first affirmation that this was a bad idea)...proceeds to do a u-turn in front of the church (not a wide street, especially for a bus to attempt a u-turn)


• Our bus begins shifting funny and it seems as though we might break down...but our bus driver rocked and just kept going...


• Driver number one takes the most random routes...costing us about an hour


• Stop for dinner...Stu gets dinner at Quiznos and McDonald's...Gray tells us he wants to run for president and wants to have a female vice-president... we try to talk him out of it when Amelia says "I'll be your running mate....then I'll plot to kill you and take over..." point proven....


• Matt found a mega-nuggie at McDonald's....


• Continue with the drive...driver number one pulls over as soon as we get on the freeway because his door was not closed all the way (affirmation #2)


• I take Benedryl to force myself to sleep for a while...


• Stop at the bottom of the Grape Vine and when we get back on the bus we do a head count and come up one short...count again...same thing...I get off the bus with Pappa John check the bathrooms...no stragglers...get back on the bus...still one short...have a group huddle, realize the driver did the first count and assume she was wrong so we just decide to leave...(no one ever called so the count must have been wrong...or Matt is going to get a call from one angry parent today!)


• Finally get to our hotel at 1:00am....yes, it took us 9 hours and it should not have...


• Check into our rooms and get to sleep around 2.

Saturday Morning:

• Meet in the lobby at 7:30....


• Nick was mad after having found "love stains" on his sheets at the Super 8


• Students arrange themselves in groups and off we go....


• Arrive at Disneyland around 8:30


• Get to ride on Indiana Jones and Pirates right away before lines start to form....


• Matt gets a call from the charter bus company and needs to go back to the hotel to buy extra time for the drivers...and the (not so) Super 8 doesn't authorize credit cards over the phone...


• Dave, Jenna and I eat a nutritious breakfast of churros and coffee...Disneyland has the best churros!


• We meet back up with Matt and go on some more rides...one of those being Splash Mountain...mind you, I hate Splash Mountain...the ride itself is great but I hate wet socks and shoes and I also hate wet jeans which both are likely to occur on this ride but Dave and Matt convince Jenna and I that it won't be that bad and we foolishly listen. It was that bad...actually worse. Matt looked like he peed his pants and my butt was wet for a few hours.


• We took a break for lunch and it was then that I realized I was ready to go home yet still had 7 hours left....


• Went on more rides until Aaron called us to let us know that one of the girls in his group was sick so we met up with them, bought the girl an apple, gave her some Advil and told her to suck it up...well, a little nicer but those were the thoughts in our head....


• Had another churro


• The lines got longer and longer and let me tell you...people are pushy in lines even when they aren't moving....I'll post more on that later....


• We had some dinner, took care of more sick kids and walked around trying to pass the time...


• I did get a caramel apple which was delicious by the way and we waited for another hour until we got to meet up with the group...


• John Stamos did a reading of the Christmas Story which was really cool...what a captive audience there was...he even read from Scripture and it was beautiful.


• Kids started to meet up to head back to the buses....


• Gray showed up...15 minutes late...and not with a leader but with his family members that met him there....not sure who's idea that was... but he showed up soaking wet and it was then that we found out that Splash Mountain had some technical problems while he was on it and they could not stop the ride...so he ended up going on the ride 12 times in a row and he was in the front seat. He was drenched...and that is another reason I don't like Splash Mountain.


• We finally loaded up on the buses after rounding everyone up and by this time I am extremely frustrated and more than tired...one of our leaders went back to the buses without telling everyone else so we wasted 15 minutes waiting around when they were sitting on the bus already...not cool...so we head out....
  
• The driver of the first bus gets on the wrong freeway...actually the right freeway just going the wrong way...yeah, towards San Diego, oh and then he doesn't turn around for over 20 minutes. So we got to Irvine and he finally decided to turn around and start heading North...(affirmation #3)
• I realize that I really can't handle many more affirmations and take a benedryl to help me sleep...especially since one of our students got sick and was having stomach problems just thirty minutes into our nine hour drive
• Suddenly, as I try to sleep curled up in an uncomfortable bus seat I hear the driver yell "I need coffee" now, I am half asleep and in an antihistamine daze and I'm not quite sure why our driver is yelling this but soon realize she is letting the other driver know that she needs to stop because...as you guessed it, she needed coffee.
• It turns out the other driver needed coffee too as we found out later that he was pouring cold water on his head while driving to try and stay awake. (affirmation #4) Two of our very dedicated leaders were taking turns talking to him, asking him questions and trying to stimulate his brain.

Sunday Morning:

• We rolled into the church parking lot around 7:30 am...just in time for Matt to rush home, take a shower and return back to church in time to give the announcements and communion thought.
• I went to church and then spent the day attempting to write a paper and not being very successful after having only about 9 hours of sleep for the whole weekend. (affirmation #5)

I've had a lot of really great times at Disneyland so I know it can be the happiest place on earth...tell me one of your favorite memories from Disneyland

Christian Cussing

The other night a bunch of us were enjoying an after youth group dinner at our favorite after youth group restaurant...Chili's aka Salties because of the mound of salt they pour on chips, french fries...salads, hamburgers, desserts...you name it and it has salt on it...I always leave there dehydrated and sick to my stomach yet we continue to go...we need to reevaluate our decision making abilities...anyways back to my original point....
We began discussing how to get to my school which is 45 minutes away from where we live...not because it is far away or there is a lot of traffic but because there is no easy way to get there...which led us to talking about Folsom Dam and the road that goes over it being closed (since 9/11-no we aren't egocentric). Now at a table of 10 Christians this is always a fun conversation to start and this happens:
"I hate that dam road."
"oh, that dam road."
"I use to love driving over that dam road."
"...dam road, dam road, dam road..."
"I wish they would just open the dam road."

No matter how the conversation starts or where the conversation was intended to go this is always where it will lead when trying to discuss the Folsom Dam Road. Hmmm, as my good friends over at http://krazydelicious.blogspot.com/ thinks...maybe this is a way of Satan (Stan) getting to us, just like that Santa Claus ploy...could be something to look into. If you have no clue what I'm talking about check out Ryan's blog. It is sure to entertain you as his life is far more exciting than mine....

Have a great weekend...and just try talking about the Dam Road.....