What I do here

I do everything! It's great. Though, I am not working at Shishu Bavin as Sr. Karina had initially asked me to do. I stayed there for 2 weeks, but 4 days of that I was sick and 4 other days I was pulled away for special things to do with the sisters, anyways I dreaded working there. I finally told Sr. Karina and she agreed that I could go and work in Prem Dan with my beloved manual labor instead, but since then she has, all but for 2 days, continued to pull me apart and give me special work with the sisters. It's so much fun!

Let me try to describe it for you. I go down for breakfast and Sr. comes over and says 'Avila! Will you stay here today, a sister is coming with work? She needs to make 1,000 big, brown, envelopes today!' I say 'Of course, Sr Karina, I love making envelopes.' So for the rest of the morning I sing Christmas songs with Sr. John Janice and trace, then cut envelopes from a large roll of thick brown paper. (I don't do the folding, Sr. and another volunteer do that.) The day after I ask Sr. Karina if I am supposed to stay and help finish the envelopes today. She says "You want to?" I say, "Of course" All that day I spend with newspapers spread under me as I play with a paintbrush, paste, and Sr. John Janice who tells me about her Mission House in Mexico. She is Indian, but she is stationed in Mexico... (By the way, Sr. Karina is from Mexico, but stationed here in Kolkata. I love how these things work out.) Sr. John Janice tells me how she was the first one on the All Saints Day Parade because all the Novices would dress as their Saint, and her saint is John the Baptist. Everyone knows that John the Baptist was supposed to prepare the way...etc. Now thinking about it, it sounds a little funny. I guess it works though!

Another day Sr. Karina will pull me aside and ask me to go with Sr. Michael and distribute Christmas presents and things at a "small" Christmas party for street girls. Only 100 girls in this party. Then I spend the day waltzing with children in a big court yard and blowing balloons to be twisted into crowns. Dividing the older from the younger and watching them race for the prizes of a new bright red comb!

I love it here.

Today is Thursday and it is Volunteer day OFF, but this morning at 7:40 SR, Karina CALLED! She actually called me on the phone in the Salvation army, from Mother House, and asked me if I would come and clean St. Mary's Church. (I felt so special. She needed me. He he he.) It's wonderful to be a work horse for the Lord! I make envelopes, wash windows, clothes, the floor...and Jesus is happy because someone else is then free to do the harder thing of carrying Him into the 'dark holes of the people'.

Blessed be His Name!