After spending the day in Calcutta we caught the train north to Malda. From there it’s a two hour jeep ride to Gangarampur. Everyone seems a little tired as the travel is catching up with them but the train ride was good: quiet, air conditioned, and about 8 hours total. We all at least got to catch up on some of our lost sleep. I was laughing to myself yesterday because team members were so tired they just couldn’t stay awake. We were on noising, bumpy streets in a taxi and someone had dozed off. We were in the restaurant eating lunch and I was dozing off. It was comical because here we are surrounded by this “other world” that is India, and were all taking nap. But yesterday was an amazing day for everyone. Calcutta is India at it’s finest. The organized chaos of its streets, the pollution mixed with the gross over-population, the rampart poverty. One of the team members commented on the dichotomy between the advertisements with very American, very clean, very happy and rich looking Indians, with the bulk of Indian society. It’s a good observation. India has never made much sense to me. It’s like the country wants to improve but just can’t get ahead of its own problems. Sometimes it makes you feel hopeless, but then you get to the orphanage, see the kids and it doesn’t matter that India doesn’t make sense or you feel hopeless. Because right in front of you is a practical, simple way to do something that makes a difference. From that point forward, coming to India is a very practical experience spent on the children. I just want to love them and play with them and do something, anything to make them smile. I just want to know that every day they are getting education in a safe environment so that someday they can “rise above” their circumstance. It still hurts my heart that I can’t do more, but “saving India” is like trying to hold back a flood anyway. You just don’t have the power to do it. But you can make a difference it at least a few children’s lives. You can do something, and that’s all that matters to me now. It blessed me to know that support we sent them last year was the only way they survived. There was a lot of persecution from the government on the administration last year and support was slim to none. When you here that you were used by God to help keep 6 orphanages going and all that that really implies, well, it just blesses you. It makes you feel significant, and I think that secretly, significance is what we are all searching for anyway. I just thank God that He’s allowed me to be a part of something like this. It’s cost sleep, and time, and comfort, and money and tons of emotional stress, but that’s a small price to pay. I’m not a martyr, nor do I want to act like one. I just want to obey Christ by helping some kids that truly have no one else to help them. Anyway, the train ride is almost over and we’ll be back to work. Thankfully the heat hasn’t been much worse than the mid-90’s with low humidity so at least it doesn’t feel that hot. If we can survive today, we will be able to really start catching up on our rest for from this point forward we stay at a hotel in Gangarampur and make day trips to other places. That means that each night we at least have the chance to get close to seven solid hours of sleep. Blessings to everyone.

PS Those of you reading who have been to India, funny story. Yesterday a team member who will remain in confidence couldn’t figure out how to use the Indian toilet, so they literally sat down on it! YUUKK! I guess they have the right to get angry at their leader who is supposed to be training them, but giving bathroom demonstrations just isn’t in my job description.