So after we returned to Kolkata from the retreat, I emailed those who had prayed that our hearts would be knit to the children and said to STOP. Each time we had to say goodbye to another one, I cried (big surprise). Today I'm reminded of my promise to stay in touch with the two oldest girls from Kolkata and Kathmandu.
The children's retreat was a success, considering the age range (18 months to 10 years) and the inherent limitations of VBS in a suitcase. The parents were so grateful that we came so far to allow them to fully engage in their sharing sessions. Each of the eight children were dear and fun in their own way, but each had a challenging side that kept us on our toes during six sessions. Not everyone spoke English well (or at all), and there were some cultural differences affecting disciplinary expectations,so we had to be winsome and energetic to manage everything with grace. Children are universally SNEAKY!
The children's retreat was a success, considering the age range (18 months to 10 years) and the inherent limitations of VBS in a suitcase. The parents were so grateful that we came so far to allow them to fully engage in their sharing sessions. Each of the eight children were dear and fun in their own way, but each had a challenging side that kept us on our toes during six sessions. Not everyone spoke English well (or at all), and there were some cultural differences affecting disciplinary expectations,so we had to be winsome and energetic to manage everything with grace. Children are universally SNEAKY!
Our years of refugee work have really helped us flex and organize kids in small spaces without equipment to make things safer or more efficient. Keeping four younger ones interested and four older ones stimulated was hard, especially in a large hotel room. But we managed to have some meaningful and creative experiences indoors and out. Every day we had a time of dancing to silly songs, then worship time, Bible story and creative activity. Then we would go outside and play bubbles, go on a nature walk or explore the grounds. We even had an inflatable body roller for the garden! 
FOUR adults for a 1:2 ratio was a luxury. Our last session was during Sunday worship and was really laid back, since almost everything was already packed and we were in no rush to learn songs or finish art projects. Even the littlest ones seemed to sense that this was our last time together.
Best moment. Singing the Shema in English: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, with all your strength; These commandments that I give today, will be upon your heart, upon your heart; Hear O Is-ra-el, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE" . . . except the Spirit had given me the idea to have each child insert the name of their country when we sang the chorus:
"Hear oh Nepal, The Lord our God, the Lord, is one."
"Hear, oh Thailand, The Lord our God, the Lord is one."
"Hear, oh India, the Lord our God, the Lord is one."
I can't describe how moving it was to watch these beautiful faces looking up at me . . . and to hear the clear voices and accents of children singing that "the Lord is ONE." It meant even more, knowing that most of their parents first generation believers, suffering real loss for their faith. Because of generous financial partners like you, we sent each family home with children's books, Bibles and "Ask Me Whooo" CDs with the catechism songs we teach our kids at Grace.. We were absolutely smothered in hugs and kisses . . . and our laps runneth over! My ears still miss the lilt of children calling "Auntie" or"Lainee" in Bengali and Nepali tongues.
Best moment. Singing the Shema in English: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, with all your strength; These commandments that I give today, will be upon your heart, upon your heart; Hear O Is-ra-el, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE" . . . except the Spirit had given me the idea to have each child insert the name of their country when we sang the chorus:
"Hear oh Nepal, The Lord our God, the Lord, is one."
"Hear, oh Thailand, The Lord our God, the Lord is one."
"Hear, oh India, the Lord our God, the Lord is one."
I can't describe how moving it was to watch these beautiful faces looking up at me . . . and to hear the clear voices and accents of children singing that "the Lord is ONE." It meant even more, knowing that most of their parents first generation believers, suffering real loss for their faith. Because of generous financial partners like you, we sent each family home with children's books, Bibles and "Ask Me Whooo" CDs with the catechism songs we teach our kids at Grace.. We were absolutely smothered in hugs and kisses . . . and our laps runneth over! My ears still miss the lilt of children calling "Auntie" or"Lainee" in Bengali and Nepali tongues.
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| Some of the staffers whose children we took care of |
Family time. Though we hated to miss the daily team reports during the adult sessions, we had all of our meals together and tried to sit with different staffers to ask about their ministries. We knew we would have more time with the Kolkata team, so we treasured the conversations we had with the other regional teams who would be leaving us. Pastor S* (former Hindu) and his wife, J* from Kathmandu have a home for widows. Their 10-year-old daughter was in our children's group. Beautiful R* and G* direct a home for children. They have 3 biological and 12 adopted children, and were like honeymooners since they left them all in Nepal. A young North American woman who directs a ministry for addicted adolescents and adults told dramatic stories of miraculous signs and healings following six dry years of no fruit. Not hearsay, but directly witnessed, she witnessed things you would read in the NT.
Do I truly anticipate or desire that God will do the same in America? I left that conversation very challenged. The last night of the retreat I woke up before morning, pretty alert, remembering the story that B* and her two friends had independently been awakened one night after agreeing to pray more earnestly for the people they were living among . . . so in those moments I started praying for the people I am burdened for . . . after a while, as she had described, I found that I wasn't tired and kept praying almost to morning with unusual stamina. Since my return to the States, I've been surprised (why?) about the things that have happened after more intentional times of prayer--I want to guard against something Richard Foster wrote: "We're afraid of falling off the deep end, but I fear that more often we have fallen off the SHALLOW end."
Do I truly anticipate or desire that God will do the same in America? I left that conversation very challenged. The last night of the retreat I woke up before morning, pretty alert, remembering the story that B* and her two friends had independently been awakened one night after agreeing to pray more earnestly for the people they were living among . . . so in those moments I started praying for the people I am burdened for . . . after a while, as she had described, I found that I wasn't tired and kept praying almost to morning with unusual stamina. Since my return to the States, I've been surprised (why?) about the things that have happened after more intentional times of prayer--I want to guard against something Richard Foster wrote: "We're afraid of falling off the deep end, but I fear that more often we have fallen off the SHALLOW end."
Retreat Afterglow. What an amazing cultural tour, driving through Chennai as we came and went from the airport--better than any planned Grey Line route--about 45 minutes from airport to resort; 45 minutes from resort to the WMF children's home; 45 minutes from the children's home to St. Thomas Mount (where Apostle Thomas is said to be martyred and buried); about 15 more to the airport. In between we observed almost every level of humanity and dwelling and economic status (and one monkey on a chain) on the winding, bumpy POLLUTED ride.
Pastor P* and his wife V* and their two grown daughters direct a children' s home in Chennai. Before we flew back to Kolkata we got to visit there. When we pulled up to its gates, smiling children (ages 4 to 18) were waiting for us. We worked our way up some narrow stairs to the entry hall and were served glasses of water while P* explained how they find abandoned children throughout the city.
Then we moved upstairs to see totally empty sleeping rooms with tile floors, clean as a whistle and one wall of cupboards, each containing the total possessions of each child. After being seated in plastic chairs in the upper hall we were served dixie cups of hot Chai. The children (about 20 of them) sat on the floor, lined up from oldest to youngest like the Von Trapp family in the "Sound of Music."
First they told their name and grade, then sang a song in Tamil (the language of their state). Our group taught them a Bangla song about Jesus and I tried to sing along too. Finally, we all gathered around the children and prayed over them "Asia style", meaning that everyone prayed out loud at the same time in whatever language they spoke--a very heavenly picture! The pastor from Nepal prayed the longest and loudest--no one translated but it was very passionate.
Downstairs again, we were reseated nd our gracious hosts served sponge cake and small talk for a while longer. After only an hour in that home I was overcome and really cried when we had to say goodbye--as I explained to Anna and Asha, who looked at me like I was crazy, that when my heart gets full, it squirts out my eyes! To think that these children were once alone and impoverished on the streets, and now live behind the gates of a safe and loving home where they live and learn together until they graduate from high school overwhelmed me. What a beautiful example of being redeemed.
Then we moved upstairs to see totally empty sleeping rooms with tile floors, clean as a whistle and one wall of cupboards, each containing the total possessions of each child. After being seated in plastic chairs in the upper hall we were served dixie cups of hot Chai. The children (about 20 of them) sat on the floor, lined up from oldest to youngest like the Von Trapp family in the "Sound of Music."
First they told their name and grade, then sang a song in Tamil (the language of their state). Our group taught them a Bangla song about Jesus and I tried to sing along too. Finally, we all gathered around the children and prayed over them "Asia style", meaning that everyone prayed out loud at the same time in whatever language they spoke--a very heavenly picture! The pastor from Nepal prayed the longest and loudest--no one translated but it was very passionate.
Downstairs again, we were reseated nd our gracious hosts served sponge cake and small talk for a while longer. After only an hour in that home I was overcome and really cried when we had to say goodbye--as I explained to Anna and Asha, who looked at me like I was crazy, that when my heart gets full, it squirts out my eyes! To think that these children were once alone and impoverished on the streets, and now live behind the gates of a safe and loving home where they live and learn together until they graduate from high school overwhelmed me. What a beautiful example of being redeemed.
Two months later, still processing this, I hear my heart arguing, "But this is not true for every street child in that city, much less throughout the world." Jesus loves the little children, but do we?
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