Made it to Calcutta. Took a bit to get here but we arrived, all safe and sound. We are just outside the part of Calcutta called Barasat. We are living with, playing with, loving these 16 boys who live in a truly-home style orphanage. Really it feels like a home with a bunch of fun, well-behaved, energetic, and care free boys! I love them, pretty hard not to!!
Pastor Sam and his wife are the house parents and there are three guys in their twenties who live here with the boys and minister to the boys and the community.
The boys come from villages around this area. Many of them came to the home already addicted to smoking and alcohol, at the age of 6. Many of their parents split up and they were left unwanted and neglected. They came to the home only familiar with violence, course language, lying, stealing. I asked Pastor Sam if he has any rules in his home that we should follow and support him in… he didn’t seem to understand the question. I asked again in some different ways… finally he responded confidently: “we conquer them with love… when they know they are loved, they will do anything for us, they would die for us”.
What a beautiful way of living and so much like God!
You can see in these boys that they know they are loved and they obey because they are loved. Pastor Sam barely has to say a word and they do what they are asked, he walks into the room and they give him their respect. None of these boys want to return to where they came from, this is their home, this is their family!
What a privilege to be a part of this family!
It looks like every day we will teach English, do crafts and games with the boys as well as just play and be with them. In the evenings we sing songs of worship, pray and read, and study 1 Thessalonians.
Probably about four times during our times here we will go to the villages and meet local Christians, encourage them and evangelize out of a local believer’s home.
We went to a village on Wednesday and Cori and Franseca gave testimonies and shared from the bible – they did a great job!
The scenery here is a refreshing change with lots of luscious green all over the place and the drive into the village was spectacular.
We're only here until the 27th so the team and I are wanting to soak it all up.
