Today was our first day and it was a long one! the journey seemed to take an age but I enjoyed seeing Dubai at night and then having indian curry for breakfast on the plane out to Kolkata! we arrived at 7ish am and it was already hot and humid. Drive by car through Indfian traffic to get to where we would be staying. Slept off jet lag this afternoon. We went for a walk round a market in central Kolkata and poverty was grim. People washing in filthy water, children lying on side of street. also introduced to hosts and explained what we will be doing. Where we are staying very close to mother theresas hospital. wll blog again soon. take care Sam
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
All our senses
Having been here only a few hours one thing I think we could probably all agree about is that the city of Kolkata is that it is a vibrant place. I guess there are those in the group that are more used to this environment than me but the way that the horn on a car is linked to the accelerator and the steering wheel seems to me to be unique!!
If I am ever tempted to buy a second hand car here one thing that is bound to work are the indicators since they are simply not used.
Before we came someone said to me that the best thing to do in India is to simply dive in and let your senses be attacked from all sides. I guess this comes back to what Helen said in her blog about having our eyes opened and how when we really want under God to do this then we need to recognise that our natural inclination is not to do this as it is a very exposed place to be as well as recognising what he might do in our lives.
My challenge (even on this first day) is to open up all my senses to God and whilst I recognise this as something awesome I also recognise that this is something that means God can reach me and use me, mould me and form me even more so the more of me he has to work with.
Anyway just the ramblings from my first experience of India - bring it on.
Paul.
If I am ever tempted to buy a second hand car here one thing that is bound to work are the indicators since they are simply not used.
Before we came someone said to me that the best thing to do in India is to simply dive in and let your senses be attacked from all sides. I guess this comes back to what Helen said in her blog about having our eyes opened and how when we really want under God to do this then we need to recognise that our natural inclination is not to do this as it is a very exposed place to be as well as recognising what he might do in our lives.
My challenge (even on this first day) is to open up all my senses to God and whilst I recognise this as something awesome I also recognise that this is something that means God can reach me and use me, mould me and form me even more so the more of me he has to work with.
Anyway just the ramblings from my first experience of India - bring it on.
Paul.
Hotel Heaven
Well we are here after 20+ hours of travel, 1 coach, 2 planes, 1 4x4 and suitably ensconced in our hotel, the Hotel Heaven. The first thing that came as a shock was the heat, at 8am this morning it was 28 degrees Centigrade. The second thing was when they say sharing a room, they also mean sharing a bed! Fortunately we found that the sofa turned into a bed but not so fortunate for Peter, Sam and Michael as there are three of them in the same room. Well, it’s a good way to get to know your fellow travellers I guess.
Like any big city Kolkata is hectic and like many cities in the developing world it is a contrast of poverty and construction. You can see the rampant Indian economy at work and you get a glimpse of the culture that despite all that wealth, has many thousands of people living beyond the poverty line; we have already witnessed families living on the pavement; and seen shanties made of all manner of materials existing in the shadow of a new development of luxury apartments. But I have promised to keep an open mind to all I see and experience, who am I to cast any judgement on things I don’t understand, or to cast any judgement at all? Today as we haven’t had any sleep we are “acclimatising” which for Paul and I was watching the cricket in our air conditioned room, well Paul watched the cricket, I fell asleep.
We're here!
A jetlagged hello from Kolkata. We arrived dead on schedule, were met at the airport and ferried through some hair-raising traffic (pics may follow!) to the BMS hostel, which is calm, cool and wlecoming. Now we are variously settling, snoozing, and (me) sending emails!
The hostel is lovely, and our hosts are very kind.
Love from us all to you all
The hostel is lovely, and our hosts are very kind.
Love from us all to you all
Monday, 2 April 2012
Expectations
Hi everyone,
It's the night before we fly out to Kolkata and I'm really looking forward to the trip! The waiting is now over and I feel so blessed by the love shown to me in my preparation by Jenni, family, friends, and church friends. I will miss you all! It means so much to feel people are thinking and praying for me and the whole team! I know we will see some challenging things but feel secure that God is with us as a group and will give us all the strength we need!
I am excited about seeing the diveristy of cultures in India and also to get to know more about the Indian way of life - I know the boys like cricket so I want to play them! Im really interested to see all the good work Christians are doing across the city and to see the hospitals and establishments set up by Mother Theresa. Im sure I will be humbled and shocked by the poverty over there, but am hoping it will enable me to be a better person.
I hope this will be a time of spiritual and personal growth for me, and that I can use the trip to raise awareness of the amazing stuff BMS is doing!
Looking forward to blogging again once I arrive.
Take care, Sam x
It's the night before we fly out to Kolkata and I'm really looking forward to the trip! The waiting is now over and I feel so blessed by the love shown to me in my preparation by Jenni, family, friends, and church friends. I will miss you all! It means so much to feel people are thinking and praying for me and the whole team! I know we will see some challenging things but feel secure that God is with us as a group and will give us all the strength we need!
I am excited about seeing the diveristy of cultures in India and also to get to know more about the Indian way of life - I know the boys like cricket so I want to play them! Im really interested to see all the good work Christians are doing across the city and to see the hospitals and establishments set up by Mother Theresa. Im sure I will be humbled and shocked by the poverty over there, but am hoping it will enable me to be a better person.
I hope this will be a time of spiritual and personal growth for me, and that I can use the trip to raise awareness of the amazing stuff BMS is doing!
Looking forward to blogging again once I arrive.
Take care, Sam x
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Dynamite
This is a bit of a test blog for me but also a chance to say how much I agree with all the blogs here - I too am looking forward to next week with mainly excitement but also a mixture of feelings and taking Helen's words on board about what could be described as God's dynamite - wow! I join with her questions about what God will do but if these point towards what God will do for us all in Kolkata I cannot think of a better group of people to be with as God shapes me, challenges me and forms me - see you all Monday!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)