a few days later...more praises to share

Well hello, to all of our family and friends who are faithfully reading our entries.
So much happens each day and even each hour, it seems, so I will try to share some of the highlights from the past busy weekdays. Monday night, the monsoon rains hit full-force and we experienced a new kind of life in Kolkata. It seems so different as we attempt to rush down crowded, flooded streets with umbrellas. Thankfully, we only missed Tuesday at Freeset due to the flooding which shut down the metro system. As a whole, this week has been incredible as we have become much more familiar with Freeset.
Today the three of us shared at lunch how appreciative we are for the opportunity to go beyond the surface in our relationships with the missionaries and women in Freeset and Sari Bari. We've been allowed to do this through our continual contact and "every day" kinds of work in these organizations. Emily has continued to serve in the nursery/"creche" (pronouced like "crash" with an e, a New Zealand word?) and is building relationships with the children and nursery workers. Cassie has been up in the sewing department and has helped make the women's jobs more efficient as she marks the lines to be sewn. I've remained downstairs with the girls in screenprinting. They tease me in bangla a little more with each passing day (only affectionately, i'm sure).
As I've reached and passed the honeymoon stage of romanticizing the culture and people of India, I have seen the Lord's heart in some incredible ways. Everything feels raw when you are surrounded by unfamiliar voices, sights, and smells. When I'm stripped of the comforts of home that I don't even realize I depend on, I see how lacking I am in and of myself. I want to love with God's love in all circumstances and with people of any walk of life. More and more, I've caught glimpses of the common ground I share with woment from the line. It's one thing to know God's love doesn't pitty others and is rooted in grace, but it has been another reality to spend 20 or more hours a week working alongside these women and to begin to see them as so much more than their painful and shameful pasts. What our team has been blown away with as we have worked with these organizations is that we see hope and freedom rather than shame and bondage in the laughs, hard work, and open, learning, loving hearts of these women. This can only be attributed to the sustaining, transforming, and re-creating power of Christ.
Looking back over this week, our team is especially celebrating our visit to Sari Bari (on thursday). This ministry is much smaller than Freeset and the women were very warm and relational. They sought out contact with us and were so joyful and real. There were about 6 women there in a small house-type building when we arrived and they worked diligently at hand-stitching quilts, which were rolled out on the floors. After our tour, Sarah Lance allowed us to jump into the work by "matching" old sari material for quilts that will be sewn this month. The time flew by!! We had so much fun and were able to plan around 30 quilts that will be made by the women. It felt like such a priviledge to be allowed into these women's work worlds and new lives.
As we are blessed each day with a wealth of new knowledge about the hope and tragedies the women carry, our hearts are moved from joy to sorrow and back again. I know that our lives and relationships will be lived out in ways we cannot even fully anticipate because of this opportunity to learn and serve.
I thank the Lord once again for all of you back home who are as much of this team as us three here. Thank you for your prayers and all you have given to walk with us through this amazing journey! We love you all!