sari bari Christmas

Give the gift of Freedom

“We know that Jesus is always coming into the world anew. Christmas is more than just an anniversary. It is a mystery. Each year, something happens, it is not just celebrated” ~Ranerio Cantalmessa

As you begin making shopping lists, and looking for that perfect gift for someone you love, we’d like to invite you to join in the Sari Bari Christmas celebration! India is a land with seemingly endless religious festivals, and Christmas is an opportunity for us to clearly communicate the amazing truth that God indeed became flesh and made his dwelling among us. At Sari Bari we have a culture of celebration – and we go all out for Christmas! Each of the women will receive a Sari (the perfect gift for every occasion here!), and we’ll share a celebration meal together, laughter, dancing and the truth of God with us. Already the anticipation for this year’s Christmas party is running high! A gift of $25 will sponsor Christmas for one member of the Sari Bari family.If you would like to celebrate with us, you can make a donation by check to WMF, PO Box 70, Omaha, NE 68101 (on a separate paper, please indicate that the gift is for Sari Bari Christmas) or at https://portal.ftnirdc.com/Checkout(there is a link to “donate” on the lower left side of the Word Made Flesh home page (www.wordmadeflesh.org). Please indicate the gift is for Sari Bari Christmas.

scars

first off, just a little update on me. i have had a rash now for about a month and finally went to the doctor and he thinks it is scabies. i have started treatment so i am getting some relief. i am hoping that i will be able to enjoy these last 6 weeks without any more health issues.

this week we went on a mini-retreat to rest before the calendar gets crazy with Christmas parties and saying goodbye. it was in the hotel room that i looked at my foot and noticed a scar that i got in spain when i dropped a knife in my foot while washing dishes. it reminded me that our scars are like tattoos of our life experiences. they can remind us of our past but most of the time we try to ignore or cover up our scars especially if we see them as ugly. i must confess that i am a scab picker so i am full of ugly scars but they all have a story and remind me of things in my past. the scars are evidence that our wound has healed. i was thinking about this in terms of things that happen in our past that we allow to define us. for so long we like to try to cover up certain life experiences as if it were an ugly scar or blemish on our heart. the longer we pick at it and reopen that wound the longer it will take to heal. these scars can no longer define us if we allow God to heal them. i do not mean to say that everything will be perfect again because we will always have the scar as a reminder but the scar is evidence that our hearts are healed. in kolkata i feel like my heart is torn apart daily by things i have no control over but i have to believe that God is in those circumstances and will begin the healing process as soon as i ask for His healing hand. these experiences will always be a part of me. i see God in the ways He has surrounded me with people that care about me and help walk along side me in those moments.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

indian women

i think the hardest phrase to hear in this city is "life is hard for women" especially when it comes from an indian woman. they constantly the possessions of a man. when they are young, they belong to their father. girls are unwanted and are usually married off in their teenage years to become part of the husband's family. at that point, they become a possession of the husband. they are usually limited to do house work and take care of the children. if her husband decides to leaver her at any point, she is left with nothing. only a couple decades ago, if her husband died she was expected to throw herself on to the pyre to die with her husband because that was who her whole identity was wrapped up in. these women move through this city with so much strength in order to put up with the men in this city. women get up around 4 am to start their morning work. they make breakfast, wash clothes (by hand), make lunch and clean the house all before they head out to work by 9am. they go to work all day then come home around 7pm to make dinner and take care of kids and husband. they are lucky to go to bed before midnight. as i look around this city and observe the women, i see years of struggle on their faces. at sari bari, smiles may hide the pain and struggle for a moment but the reality is shown in their eyes. i have a deep respect for these women that have to fight just to exist in kolkata. i wish i had half as much strength as these women. it makes me evermore thankful that american women have the freedom to do whatever they want and are respected and acknowledged in society. every day life in kolkata is a fight but that just makes me stronger.

the still, small voice

this week we had a book discussion on bitter chocolate by pinki virani that discusses the issue of child sexual abuse in india. it gives some pretty startling statistics and graphic details of child sexual abuse occurrences. the last question we were asked was "where is God when this is going on?" in this city there are lots of moments where God's obvious presence is absent. today there was a 5 month old baby brought to mama t's that has water on the brain which made his head swell to double the size. where is God then? daily women are bought and sold in the red light areas and children are forced to live on the streets. where is God then? women are regularly physically, mentally, and sexually abused and treated as possessions of the men in their lives. where is God then? i am learning that kolkata is a city where God is found in the still small voice that continually whispers "I am here." my grandma asked me how things were going and if i was picking up more of the language. that made me realize that i can see God's presence in the lack of words that i speak. so much of the time we try to fill silences with words or try to use our words to be part of a conversation but at sari bari, i love sitting back and seeing God in the absence of my words. i see it on the faces of the women as they do devotions and pray together every morning. i see it in the sharing of food during lunch. the freedom and joy and hope that God has given them are so obvious on their faces. i see God in the smiles of a child at mama t's when they recognize that i am back for another day with them. i see it in the gentleness of the mashis that work with the kids at mama t's everyday. kolkata is a city where i have to choose to stay silent so that i can hear God. kolkata is a city where i have to look beyond the obvious to see God. i have learned the importance of hope (asha in bangla, esperanza in spanish). God shows me hope in this city.

"Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” " 1 kings 19:11-13

tea time sari bari style

tea time is quickly becoming one of my favorite times of the day. all the women spot there work and come together to sit and drink tea with one another. i am usually in the same room every day so it feels like family during tea time as i try to understand bangla. some days, one of them will bring a treat to share with everyone else. sometimes it is as simple as a small loaf of break and sometimes it is sweet rice which i politely decline. it is so cool to see their generosity with each other and with me. i think that people in poverty are way more willing to share with others than people who have more than enough to share. what would it look like if we took the time to stop working for 20 minutes in our day to share life with one another? tea time will be one of the things i will miss when i leave. maybe we could use a tea break every once in awhile in america.

standing on a train platform

yesterday i was heading out to the village which meant that i had to take a train instead of the metro. if you have ever been to an indian train station or watched a movie that showed an indian train station, it will give you a pretty good idea of what i was surrounded by. in the midst of the chaos that seems to always be present at the station i saw i plane fly overhead. in the last couple weeks i have noticed planes more often flying over our part of town. it always reminds me of the flight i will be on in a couple months back to america. in that moment on the platform, i realized that i have the option to get on a plane at any point in time and leave the chaos of this city. the people i was surrounded by do not. one expression we have discussed with our team is the idea that choice is a luxury of the rich. i have never thought it was more true than in that moment. i have a choice to come live in kolkata for a few months. i have the choice to go back to america where i am faced with hundreds or thousands of choices of the food i eat, the car i drive, the job i want, and the place i live. for millions of people in kolkata, choice does not exist. most do not choose what they eat. they eat rice and dal. most do not have the option to visit their village because they can not afford it. they do not choose to beg or sell themselves in the red light areas but those things have chosen them because of their poverty. it breaks my heart that the friends i have made here may never have the choices i have had. now the reality i have to face is what will i do with the choices i have to make. at the moment i choose to make kolkata my home.

things ive learned along the way

there are so many things i have learned in the last two months. i have learned that i can do without a lot of things like a hot shower and a washing machine. i have also learned the value of treats like coffee and american candy/snacks. i have learned the joy of sharing with other even if its trading a peanut butter sandwich for some rice and dal. my stomach is learning how to process massive amounts of rice on a daily basis. i see mcdonalds as a treat because here i can not afford it on a daily basis. i know that i am blessed to be living with a family that loves God and loves us. they have shown me the meaning of hard work and sacrifice for others.

there are also somethings that i will never get used to. men staring at me like a piece of meat and the threat of them reaching out to touch me. the constant sounds of pujas which seem like happen every day. people pooping or peeing on the street. women and children being sold and abused. these are the things that make this place hard to live in. something i always have to remember is that God is here and God loves these people. my prayer this week is that God's love will flow through me to these people. at the end of the day, God wins.