I love little kids, little bundles of natural joy; whether it be the little one tapping his foot beside the pastor in worship this morning or the little one holding my hand as I return to the metro, walking barefoot beside me along with his two older sisters.

Kolkata is a place full of unexpectancy, at least for me. But it’s a place that is teaching me freedom, that is teaching me patience (when I let it), and what it looks like to love.

I woke up in the middle of the night to an unpleasant crawly feeling, only to find myself a few moments later slapping the ground with my worn old navy flip flop. I stepped back to inspect the death and scooped him into my plastic garbage sack, sitting down on my bed to catch my breath and the reality that was happening to me at 3am. A minute later another one appears as a twist in my stomach propels me again toward my flipflop, my mind asking how im ever going to get back to sleep after this. It was a baffling comfort to find that this guy was the same one I had just smacked- he had hopped out of the garbage and was crawling around on the floor almost like before, I guess I didnt smack him hard enough those first 3 times. Praise God once again for Bangladesh, it made me a stronger girl.

Im spending my days at SB, helping with training classes; exercising my Bangla in math and literacy instructions with the aid of a friend who translates my broken sometimes confusing Bangla so it makes sense. It is such a blessing that she is willing to let me try to explain it even though half of the ladies are confused with my explanations, I imagine its probably funny and a little silly to them—my attempt to speak. They are not shy in trying to converse with me during the day, but I usually can’t understand. I don’t think the training ladies have me quite figured out yet when it comes to language…

We’re praying for space now at SB. We have one building but have pretty much outgrown it (awesome!!). In the mornings we have no room to work because we just started a new group of ladies in training. There’s no space to cut rolls, chalk bags – basically get new materials ready for the ladies to sew and there are just a lot of people in those four rooms. I also ask you to pray for these women in their relationship with Jesus. Some of them are believers but still practice another faith. It’s awesome that they’ve come to know Jesus and that they’re praying to Him, beautiful really. But I really just want us to pray that they may be freed from the bonds of Hinduism through further realization of who Jesus is. Maybe this could even be through devotions at SB… pray for these ladies to be fed from the Word.

In about a week I’ll be helping facilitate devotions, meeting with the national leadership staff of SB. We’ll meet once a week to try and explore ways they can be interactive in morning devos and stir the ladies thoughts a bit more. I will make a plan of Scriptures, topics, etc. from month to month and continue the rotation of devotion leaders. This is one of the ways I will practice leadership in my time here so please remember this as you pray.

Im still working on understanding the red light areas of our world. For now Im just praying hard for the girls and guys that are bound in it (yes there are men as well). I have trouble seeing justice here, I’d like to have trouble seeing God here but he says he’s there, he says he’s the bringer of justice, that he’s a refuge. Something I can’t understand here—I haven’t lived in that kind of bondage, a place where I had no way out or no choice.

I’m really grateful we are praying together, thanks for committing to the journey.