Hello All,
We have spent the last several days away from the computer and enjoying a nice time in a beach town called Puri. We were able to swim in the Indian ocean...we never wanted to leave. But our adventure in India is coming to an end. We leave tomorrow night...Wednesday, March 4th. I know that we all are looking forword to sharing our own personal experiences when we arrive home with each of our friends and family!
See you all soon!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sara's ICU experience!
Last week, I (Sara) was able to spend four days in the ICU. It was quite an experience, like none other! I can't wait to show you all pictures and tell the stories in person. But to touch on little bits of the experiences I had, here goes! I was able to be involved in a code blue situation, where I actually was able to do chest compressions. The code that I was involved here in India was vastly different from the ones of have experienced in the US...not better or worse...just different! I was able to insert an NG (nasogastric tube)...there was one experience that was good and one not so good. I was able to insert one successfully but then the next day on a different patient...it took an hour and half, two nurses, two nursing students and two doctors, some anti-anxiety medication and a scope...yikes! But all of these experiences confirms how much I love nursing...no matter what culture or country I am in...the care and compassion that nurses give is the same. I have learned so much about the culture of India through working in a hospital. In addition, I have learned so much about myself through this experience and more of what I want to do in the future. I will tell more of that later! I wanted to thank you all for the prayers and encouragement...they have been appreciated!
Sara
Sara
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
February 11, 2009
Today was our first day in the hospital doing clinicals. We started off like everyday with devotions at the hospital. It is Chantel’s birthday today so after the devotion, they gave her flowers and a kiss on each cheek. All nine of us were spread through out the hospital in different units.
Crystal: pediatrics
Jenny: pediatrics
Chantel: OB/Maternity
Sara: Emergency room
Nicole: Medical/Surgical
Rebekah: Medical/Surgical
Kyle: ICU
Jessie: ICU
Charity: Operating room
We enjoyed our first day, but all realized how much health care is different here than in the U.S.
Crystal’s Experience of her first day:
Jenny and I got to work on the pediatric unit and we spent most of our time in the ward with 14 beds. There are private rooms available but those are typically reserved for families who pay extra. Otherwise, it is free to stay in the ward. The hospital covers the majority of the cost for each patient, but some specialized care requires some extra money. The mothers are allowed to stay with their children and actually sleep and sit on the beds with their kids. They do the majority of the care like washing and feeding while the nurses manage the medications and medical care. Most of the kids are in the hospital for cleft lip/palate repairs, water-born diseases, thalassemia, and pneumonia. Four of the patients were orphans from Missions of Charity, the orphanage founded by Mother Teresa. Unfortunately, we do not get to help out a lot with the health care. Because we do not have a license in India, there are a lot of regulations about what we can and cannot do. We did get to help out with vital signs, but they only take Pulse, Temp, and the Respiratory Rate. I have only seen doctors use stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs, which we use in the States all the time.
One of the staff members surprised us and brought in an amazing chocolate cake for Chantel’s birthday lunch. Our afternoon was full of excitement as we went shopping with the nursing students for Indian outfits! It was a bit overwhelming, but fun to shop and pick out our individual salwar (pants and long shirts with a scarf…think Jasmine from Aladdin).
We finished our day off with our first dinner out!! We went to “The BBQ” which to our surprise was a Chinese restaurant. They had balloons around our table and was a great ending to Chantel’s birthday!
February 12, 2009
We started our day off with clinicals again…the same units as above, but definitely more unique and memorable experiences.
In the afternoon, we went to a village on the outskirts of Calcutta and visited a small clinic that Mercy Hospital is starting up. It was refreshing to see a quieter town. Cows just roam the streets and literally almost bumped into us! It was so weird..haha! An elderly couple in their 70’s that our guide knew invited us in for tea and told us a little bit of their story. They were running a school of 60+ students, which is a really big deal in small towns of Calcutta. Education is not valued at all and boys are expected to work and girls are expected to either help out at home or become servants in the larger homes. Lack of education cripples the girls because the Indian families view girls as burdens, and therefore either makes them work for money or gives them away to be married at a young age. Once they are married, many of them are frequently abused. If the girls have an education, they can help provide more money for their families and thus their value increases. They also have more say in who and when they marry so education is very good. Many of the children at the school also have disabilities and normally would have been left to die if it wasn’t for this school that has given them value in society. A few of the things they teach the kids are sewing, electrical work, math, and music. It was so great hearing this couple’s story because they are so happy to serve the Lord, despite their age and the hard work that it takes to run a school. We were truly blessed by the experience.
February 13, 2009
Today we visited Mother Teresa’s home and got to see her gravesite and read about her history. The nuns still live there and we visited with a few of them. While we were in the Nunnery, we saw more cultures represented in that home than we noticed in the entire city. As we signed the guest book, we noticed that the other people who had just signed it were from Japan, China, Ukraine, Italy, and America…. Just today! She truly has impacted the world and it is great that so many people have the opportunity to see what a true servant of Jesus looks like. Afterwards we visited the Missions of Charity orphanage that she founded and we got to hang out with the kids, and feed some of the younger children. That was also a fun experience! Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed, but each of us left with a mental picture of the children that we will never forget.
This afternoon, we walked to McDonalds just down the street! We needed a little American ice cream! It was so good and fun to get out and go on a walk through the busy city!
February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone! We love and miss you! Today is Saturday for us—but simply another work or school day for people in Calcutta. We started our day with devotions and once again embarked on our big red bus! We went to Dum Dum clinic in a small village outside of town with a doctor and a couple of nurses. This doctor, from Mercy Hospital, goes to this village every other Saturday to offer health care to this rural population. The people had signed up prior to our arrival and were waiting in line when we got there. We arrived and set up the clinic in a one room building. Each person had a card with their name on it that they brought to the doctor sitting at a desk. They talked to the doctor and he examined them with his equipment (a flash light and a stethoscope) and wrote his diagnosis on their card along with a prescription for medications. Next, they went to outside the building to a window in to the nurses where they received their medications. He told us that he usually sees about 70-80 patients each time he goes there. He was very interactive and explained the situations and diagnoses to us. We also got to help by taking blood pressures!
We took ourselves out to an amazing Italian restaurant for Valentine’s Dinner…well, Dr. C. paid for it. We had pizza and pasta, which was a comfort food after all the Indian meals we have had!
February 15, 2009
Today is Sunday and we went to the morning and evening church services. The evening was a special Valentine’s Day service, called “Slumdog Lover.” It was a great message as the pastor related Jesus to the ultimate slumdog lover—he loves all of us with grace just as we are! The name came from the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” which was filmed here in India. If you have not seen it—you should! It will open your eyes to the life a young boy living in India. Overall, we had a great Sunday and rested up for our next week of clinicals!
February 16, 2009
Today, we began our second week at hospital and each moved to a different unit.
Jenny: OB/Maternity
Sara: ICU
Rebekah: ICU
Nicole: Medical/Surgical
Crystal: Medical/Surgical
Kyle: Pediatrics
Chantel: Pediatrics
Jessie: Operating Room
Charity: Emergency Room
You will have to hear stories from each of us—we all had great, yet different experiences!
We had the opportunity to tour a large hospital known for their cardiac care and renal transplants. It was interesti ng and we were able to see where many people in this area are transferred for these specialties. In the future, our nursing students may have the opportunity to work at this hospital also!
Oh, by the way…we have new neighbors! A group of 20 new, young nurses moved into the other two bedrooms on our floor. They came from a village up north and are interning for 6 months to get jobs at Mercy Hospital. They are SO friendly and want to know everything about each of us. We feel like celebrities when we are around them. They stare at us, stroke our skin, pinch our cheeks, hold our hands, ask us our beauty secrets, and want to know everything about us and the United States. There are so many of them—but we are having fun getting to know them and their culture. They do not speak Bengali or Hindi, so they must use their English to talk while they are here—which is sometimes hard to understand. I’m sure we will have more stories to tell you about our fun times with them…we are planning a dance/henna party with them soon!
February 17, 2009
This morning we began with clinicals in the same site listed above. Each of us have such different stories that it is hard to capture all of it!
This afternoon we another unique experience in a rural clinic. This was a mobile clinic that visits that visits this village once a week. They said there were 1,200 homes (all make-shift shacks) in this small area. This was by far one of the poorest communities we have seen! There were children everywhere staring at us as though they had never seen anyone white before (maybe they hadn’t). It was touching to see this doctor offer health care to so many people for free. We had fun with the children, teaching them to high five and take pictures! As we were having fun with all the children, a woman came and motioned Chantel over to a mother holding her son on the ground. He was mentally handicapped and was born with club feet making it impossible for him to stand or walk. The woman pointed up at the sky, pointed at the boy’s feet, and then pointed to her—Although Chantel could not understand their language, she understood that she wanted prayer for the child. Chantel knelt down in the dirt and touched the boy’s feet and began to pray out loud. It was incredible as a huge group (over 30 people) gathered around to hear and watch. She prayed that he would be healed in the name of Jesus and prayed for strength for their family. Chantel took the boy in her arms and the woman motioned for more prayer. Crystal joined in and also prayed aloud for healing. This was an amazing opportunity as we realized later that this group of people worshipped Hindi gods. We will continue praying for this little boy and trust in God for their family!
Today was our first day in the hospital doing clinicals. We started off like everyday with devotions at the hospital. It is Chantel’s birthday today so after the devotion, they gave her flowers and a kiss on each cheek. All nine of us were spread through out the hospital in different units.
Crystal: pediatrics
Jenny: pediatrics
Chantel: OB/Maternity
Sara: Emergency room
Nicole: Medical/Surgical
Rebekah: Medical/Surgical
Kyle: ICU
Jessie: ICU
Charity: Operating room
We enjoyed our first day, but all realized how much health care is different here than in the U.S.
Crystal’s Experience of her first day:
Jenny and I got to work on the pediatric unit and we spent most of our time in the ward with 14 beds. There are private rooms available but those are typically reserved for families who pay extra. Otherwise, it is free to stay in the ward. The hospital covers the majority of the cost for each patient, but some specialized care requires some extra money. The mothers are allowed to stay with their children and actually sleep and sit on the beds with their kids. They do the majority of the care like washing and feeding while the nurses manage the medications and medical care. Most of the kids are in the hospital for cleft lip/palate repairs, water-born diseases, thalassemia, and pneumonia. Four of the patients were orphans from Missions of Charity, the orphanage founded by Mother Teresa. Unfortunately, we do not get to help out a lot with the health care. Because we do not have a license in India, there are a lot of regulations about what we can and cannot do. We did get to help out with vital signs, but they only take Pulse, Temp, and the Respiratory Rate. I have only seen doctors use stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs, which we use in the States all the time.
One of the staff members surprised us and brought in an amazing chocolate cake for Chantel’s birthday lunch. Our afternoon was full of excitement as we went shopping with the nursing students for Indian outfits! It was a bit overwhelming, but fun to shop and pick out our individual salwar (pants and long shirts with a scarf…think Jasmine from Aladdin).
We finished our day off with our first dinner out!! We went to “The BBQ” which to our surprise was a Chinese restaurant. They had balloons around our table and was a great ending to Chantel’s birthday!
February 12, 2009
We started our day off with clinicals again…the same units as above, but definitely more unique and memorable experiences.
In the afternoon, we went to a village on the outskirts of Calcutta and visited a small clinic that Mercy Hospital is starting up. It was refreshing to see a quieter town. Cows just roam the streets and literally almost bumped into us! It was so weird..haha! An elderly couple in their 70’s that our guide knew invited us in for tea and told us a little bit of their story. They were running a school of 60+ students, which is a really big deal in small towns of Calcutta. Education is not valued at all and boys are expected to work and girls are expected to either help out at home or become servants in the larger homes. Lack of education cripples the girls because the Indian families view girls as burdens, and therefore either makes them work for money or gives them away to be married at a young age. Once they are married, many of them are frequently abused. If the girls have an education, they can help provide more money for their families and thus their value increases. They also have more say in who and when they marry so education is very good. Many of the children at the school also have disabilities and normally would have been left to die if it wasn’t for this school that has given them value in society. A few of the things they teach the kids are sewing, electrical work, math, and music. It was so great hearing this couple’s story because they are so happy to serve the Lord, despite their age and the hard work that it takes to run a school. We were truly blessed by the experience.
February 13, 2009
Today we visited Mother Teresa’s home and got to see her gravesite and read about her history. The nuns still live there and we visited with a few of them. While we were in the Nunnery, we saw more cultures represented in that home than we noticed in the entire city. As we signed the guest book, we noticed that the other people who had just signed it were from Japan, China, Ukraine, Italy, and America…. Just today! She truly has impacted the world and it is great that so many people have the opportunity to see what a true servant of Jesus looks like. Afterwards we visited the Missions of Charity orphanage that she founded and we got to hang out with the kids, and feed some of the younger children. That was also a fun experience! Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed, but each of us left with a mental picture of the children that we will never forget.
This afternoon, we walked to McDonalds just down the street! We needed a little American ice cream! It was so good and fun to get out and go on a walk through the busy city!
February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone! We love and miss you! Today is Saturday for us—but simply another work or school day for people in Calcutta. We started our day with devotions and once again embarked on our big red bus! We went to Dum Dum clinic in a small village outside of town with a doctor and a couple of nurses. This doctor, from Mercy Hospital, goes to this village every other Saturday to offer health care to this rural population. The people had signed up prior to our arrival and were waiting in line when we got there. We arrived and set up the clinic in a one room building. Each person had a card with their name on it that they brought to the doctor sitting at a desk. They talked to the doctor and he examined them with his equipment (a flash light and a stethoscope) and wrote his diagnosis on their card along with a prescription for medications. Next, they went to outside the building to a window in to the nurses where they received their medications. He told us that he usually sees about 70-80 patients each time he goes there. He was very interactive and explained the situations and diagnoses to us. We also got to help by taking blood pressures!
We took ourselves out to an amazing Italian restaurant for Valentine’s Dinner…well, Dr. C. paid for it. We had pizza and pasta, which was a comfort food after all the Indian meals we have had!
February 15, 2009
Today is Sunday and we went to the morning and evening church services. The evening was a special Valentine’s Day service, called “Slumdog Lover.” It was a great message as the pastor related Jesus to the ultimate slumdog lover—he loves all of us with grace just as we are! The name came from the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” which was filmed here in India. If you have not seen it—you should! It will open your eyes to the life a young boy living in India. Overall, we had a great Sunday and rested up for our next week of clinicals!
February 16, 2009
Today, we began our second week at hospital and each moved to a different unit.
Jenny: OB/Maternity
Sara: ICU
Rebekah: ICU
Nicole: Medical/Surgical
Crystal: Medical/Surgical
Kyle: Pediatrics
Chantel: Pediatrics
Jessie: Operating Room
Charity: Emergency Room
You will have to hear stories from each of us—we all had great, yet different experiences!
We had the opportunity to tour a large hospital known for their cardiac care and renal transplants. It was interesti ng and we were able to see where many people in this area are transferred for these specialties. In the future, our nursing students may have the opportunity to work at this hospital also!
Oh, by the way…we have new neighbors! A group of 20 new, young nurses moved into the other two bedrooms on our floor. They came from a village up north and are interning for 6 months to get jobs at Mercy Hospital. They are SO friendly and want to know everything about each of us. We feel like celebrities when we are around them. They stare at us, stroke our skin, pinch our cheeks, hold our hands, ask us our beauty secrets, and want to know everything about us and the United States. There are so many of them—but we are having fun getting to know them and their culture. They do not speak Bengali or Hindi, so they must use their English to talk while they are here—which is sometimes hard to understand. I’m sure we will have more stories to tell you about our fun times with them…we are planning a dance/henna party with them soon!
February 17, 2009
This morning we began with clinicals in the same site listed above. Each of us have such different stories that it is hard to capture all of it!
This afternoon we another unique experience in a rural clinic. This was a mobile clinic that visits that visits this village once a week. They said there were 1,200 homes (all make-shift shacks) in this small area. This was by far one of the poorest communities we have seen! There were children everywhere staring at us as though they had never seen anyone white before (maybe they hadn’t). It was touching to see this doctor offer health care to so many people for free. We had fun with the children, teaching them to high five and take pictures! As we were having fun with all the children, a woman came and motioned Chantel over to a mother holding her son on the ground. He was mentally handicapped and was born with club feet making it impossible for him to stand or walk. The woman pointed up at the sky, pointed at the boy’s feet, and then pointed to her—Although Chantel could not understand their language, she understood that she wanted prayer for the child. Chantel knelt down in the dirt and touched the boy’s feet and began to pray out loud. It was incredible as a huge group (over 30 people) gathered around to hear and watch. She prayed that he would be healed in the name of Jesus and prayed for strength for their family. Chantel took the boy in her arms and the woman motioned for more prayer. Crystal joined in and also prayed aloud for healing. This was an amazing opportunity as we realized later that this group of people worshipped Hindi gods. We will continue praying for this little boy and trust in God for their family!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
New Pictures!
Calcutta Traffic 
Rickshaw Rest
Waiting in line for feeding program
Rebekah & Charity 
View from our building rooftop during Muslim festival 
Shopping for Sarees
Crystal & Kyle
Tea Time
and...tea time on the bus!
COWS!
Mother Teresa's Grave
Group with Clinic Doctor
Chantel's Bday Dinner
Lunch Party!
On Feb. 11, we were asked to tell the Indian media how we celebrate Valentine's Day in the U.S. HaHa! Our claim to fame in India! 
Do you think we look Indian? 
Having fun with our awkward outfits...funny pants!
AG Church
Hilarious! 
Valentine's Date Dinner-PIZZA!
Sara
Group at hospital
Vital Signs Equipment
McDonalds Ice Cream 
Our new neighbors!
Crystal
Jenny 
Kyle
Chantel 
Nicole
Pediatrics Ward with cleft palate patients
Rebekah
Nurses Station
Village Beauty among the Trash
Village Kids
Chantel praying for crippled boyMonday, February 16, 2009
Hello All,
We have been busy little bees! We have had some problems with our internet service this weekend and have been unable to post anything...but photos are to come! Most of us are feeling tons better and we are adjusting to the food and climate and sounds :) Please keep us in your prayers! Love you all!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Photos!!!
This in the CCU, this is a nursing station!
This the pediatric ward!
This is our team on our first day of clinical in our nice blue scrubs!
This is our team with Mrs. Buntain, she is the founder of the hospital and the person our school is named after!
This is our team with flowers that were given to us by the hospital, they have been so kind to us!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
February 8, 2009
We went to church today and it was a lot like our churches at home. We knew many of the worship songs and the style was familiar. It is always neat to see how other cultures worship the same Jesus we do. The people were very nice and welcomed us graciously. Huldah Buntain (the founder of our nursing school and the mission here—hospital, schools, and churches) was there sitting in the front and was happy to see our group. Next, we went and had lunch with her and saw the apartment ("flat") where she stays when she is here in India. We have learned so much about her and her family--she is like a modern day Mother Teresa. Her and her late husband first came to Calcutta in the 50’s and had a vision to serve the poor people and children in need. The Mercy Mission has since grown into a large hospital, churches, schools, and daily feeding programs. We will have to tell you more about it when we get home, but you can look at their website (www.buntain.org) if you would like to. She is quite an energetic woman for being 84 years old. She still spends many of her days traveling around the world raising money for the mission. She truly inspired all of us as we continue to see more and learn about her mission. Later, Sunday evening we went to church again. This service seemed a bit more causal with a younger crowd. At the end of the service, Chantel, Crystal, and Sara went forward and prayed with a couple young girls. It was a humbling experience hearing the needs of the girls. It is just amazing to be here and see the problems and wishes of people around here. It makes us realize how much we have in the U.S. and how much we take for granted.
February 9, 2009
We started the morning off with devotions at the hospital with the staff and students. We were surprised at the end of the devotion when the nursing students gave Dr. C. a flower lei and each of us a gorgeous bouquet of roses. They treat us so well in an unexpected way.
Next, we went on a hospital tour and got a glimpse of the environment that we will be working in. We were able to view a presentation of the hospital’s history and personally meet the C.E.O., Sanjay Prasad. We learned that because Calcutta is only 12 feet above sea level, the city floods easily. When they began digging to build the hospital, the site continually flooded and was declared unbuildable. Because Rev. Mark Buntain believed that this land was a gift from God, he knew that water could not stop them from fulfilling God’s plan. He prayed out loud asking God to push back the water and lowered a Bible down in to the water. To the amazement of the construction workers, the water gradually receded and building continued. To this day, they have never had a problem with flooding even when surrounding buildings flood. What a miracle!
Later that afternoon, we had the opportunity to tour the new nursing school. The students welcomed us with a program of singing and cultural dancing (You can look at the pictures and video clip of the dance). They served us our first tea (Chai) and it was so much better than our Chai tea at home. We had fun and are eager to spend more time with the students talking and getting to know them.
February 10, 2009
Wow, what a busy day! We started our day with devotions at the hospital. We went to the site where the ministry of Mark and Huldah Buntain first began which is now an elementary school. It was so much fun meeting some of the kids and playing with them during their recess. They were so happy to meet us, talk, and take pictures. Next, we went and saw the feeding program that feeds the poor on the streets. There is a network of these programs across the city that feeds 25,000 people each day. While we are here, we are going to have the opportunity to serve in the feeding stand by scooping rice and vegetable soup into people’s dishes as they come through the line. After lunch, we went on an hour-long bus excursion to visit a boys home on the outskirts of Calcutta. This is also a part of the Mercy Ministry of the Buntain’s. They currently house 33 boys from ages 5-17 who came from broken homes or were once orphans in the streets. They had a large building with room to run around outside. Inside they had a rec. room where we played some ping pong and foos-ball with some of the boys. It was really neat to learn about this ministry and hear stories about boy’s lives that have literally been saved. We wish we could describe to you what we saw out the bus windows on our ride there and back. There were cows, people carrying large baskets on their heads, rickshaws everywhere, cars extravagantly decorated with flowers for weddings, people living under bridges, and elephants in a zoo off the road!! We hope you enjoy the pictures and get a glimpse of our experience here and what we see everyday.
PICTURES WILL BE POSTED LATER...DUE TO LACK OF INTERNET TIME...SORRY BUT ENJOY THE JOURNAL!
We went to church today and it was a lot like our churches at home. We knew many of the worship songs and the style was familiar. It is always neat to see how other cultures worship the same Jesus we do. The people were very nice and welcomed us graciously. Huldah Buntain (the founder of our nursing school and the mission here—hospital, schools, and churches) was there sitting in the front and was happy to see our group. Next, we went and had lunch with her and saw the apartment ("flat") where she stays when she is here in India. We have learned so much about her and her family--she is like a modern day Mother Teresa. Her and her late husband first came to Calcutta in the 50’s and had a vision to serve the poor people and children in need. The Mercy Mission has since grown into a large hospital, churches, schools, and daily feeding programs. We will have to tell you more about it when we get home, but you can look at their website (www.buntain.org) if you would like to. She is quite an energetic woman for being 84 years old. She still spends many of her days traveling around the world raising money for the mission. She truly inspired all of us as we continue to see more and learn about her mission. Later, Sunday evening we went to church again. This service seemed a bit more causal with a younger crowd. At the end of the service, Chantel, Crystal, and Sara went forward and prayed with a couple young girls. It was a humbling experience hearing the needs of the girls. It is just amazing to be here and see the problems and wishes of people around here. It makes us realize how much we have in the U.S. and how much we take for granted.
February 9, 2009
We started the morning off with devotions at the hospital with the staff and students. We were surprised at the end of the devotion when the nursing students gave Dr. C. a flower lei and each of us a gorgeous bouquet of roses. They treat us so well in an unexpected way.
Next, we went on a hospital tour and got a glimpse of the environment that we will be working in. We were able to view a presentation of the hospital’s history and personally meet the C.E.O., Sanjay Prasad. We learned that because Calcutta is only 12 feet above sea level, the city floods easily. When they began digging to build the hospital, the site continually flooded and was declared unbuildable. Because Rev. Mark Buntain believed that this land was a gift from God, he knew that water could not stop them from fulfilling God’s plan. He prayed out loud asking God to push back the water and lowered a Bible down in to the water. To the amazement of the construction workers, the water gradually receded and building continued. To this day, they have never had a problem with flooding even when surrounding buildings flood. What a miracle!
Later that afternoon, we had the opportunity to tour the new nursing school. The students welcomed us with a program of singing and cultural dancing (You can look at the pictures and video clip of the dance). They served us our first tea (Chai) and it was so much better than our Chai tea at home. We had fun and are eager to spend more time with the students talking and getting to know them.
February 10, 2009
Wow, what a busy day! We started our day with devotions at the hospital. We went to the site where the ministry of Mark and Huldah Buntain first began which is now an elementary school. It was so much fun meeting some of the kids and playing with them during their recess. They were so happy to meet us, talk, and take pictures. Next, we went and saw the feeding program that feeds the poor on the streets. There is a network of these programs across the city that feeds 25,000 people each day. While we are here, we are going to have the opportunity to serve in the feeding stand by scooping rice and vegetable soup into people’s dishes as they come through the line. After lunch, we went on an hour-long bus excursion to visit a boys home on the outskirts of Calcutta. This is also a part of the Mercy Ministry of the Buntain’s. They currently house 33 boys from ages 5-17 who came from broken homes or were once orphans in the streets. They had a large building with room to run around outside. Inside they had a rec. room where we played some ping pong and foos-ball with some of the boys. It was really neat to learn about this ministry and hear stories about boy’s lives that have literally been saved. We wish we could describe to you what we saw out the bus windows on our ride there and back. There were cows, people carrying large baskets on their heads, rickshaws everywhere, cars extravagantly decorated with flowers for weddings, people living under bridges, and elephants in a zoo off the road!! We hope you enjoy the pictures and get a glimpse of our experience here and what we see everyday.
PICTURES WILL BE POSTED LATER...DUE TO LACK OF INTERNET TIME...SORRY BUT ENJOY THE JOURNAL!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
First 24 hours in India!!!!!
Here is our story from the first 24 hours in India~
February 7, 2009:
We know our journey is just beginning, but we have experienced so much that we want to tell you! After 36 hours of travel, we were greeted at the airport by hospital staff and several Indian nursing students. We piled ourselves and our luggage into a bus and we experienced our first taste of Indian traffic. Not only were we driving on the opposite side of the road, we learned that lanes are non-existent. The roads were full of taxis, cars, buses, bikes, rickshaws, and people. Everyone honks constantly and weaves in and out just to make it through. While cars were merging in to the sides of the road, a bus next to us crashed into a car leaving a large dent into the driver’s door. The honking continued, but nobody stopped. After soaking up as much as we could through the bus windows, we arrived at our new home for the next month. It is on the third floor of a building (with a 24 hour security guard at the door—which is common in this area). It is located on a very busy street surrounded by extreme poverty outside of our front door. We have two rooms that each has a bathroom with toilets and showers!! We decided to all sleep in the same room and have our luggage in the other. It has been nice to be together as a team and we are very grateful for the room that we have!
Even though we were all exhausted, we woke up bright and early around 6am (or 4am if you are Chantel) to the sounds of chickens, crows, loud squeaking of the street well outside our door, and prayers chanted over a loud speaker. We had breakfast downstairs at 7:30am—Scrambled eggs, “baked beans” (not sweet, but spicy), chewy white toast, and green bananas that were yummy! Last night, when we were dropped off, we were invited to join the hospital staff for devotionals at 8am. Since we were awake and ready to go so early, we decided we would join them and show them that we appreciate them and wanted to be involved. However, we must have misunderstood the plans for the day and were surprised by a private devotional in our dining area with Pastor Phillip. We led hymns, which was a hilarious experience, as most of us didn’t know all the words or the tune. ☺ After the devotion, we were anxious to get out of our building and see our environment that we had been hearing and smelling all night long. Shishma (the head of the school of nursing here) was kind enough to take time out of her day and take us on a walk outside. The city was already bustling with activity and we saw many people on the streets as we walked to their old nursing school and around our close surroundings. After this, we asked the plan for today and were told that we were to “rest” in our rooms. We came back to our room and played card games and enjoyed talking. After Dr. C’s morning meetings, he met us for lunch and then led us on a 2-hour expedition trekking through the streets and parks of Calcutta.
As we sit down to write this, we wish we could accurately describe what we saw and how we felt as we walked down the streets. We felt like we were walking through a movie set, yet this is the reality of so many people. It truly stimulated all five of our senses! The roads were crowded with more people than you could imagine (you think Pike Street is busy!). Cars, rickshaws, over-crowded buses, bikes, dogs, cats, goats, and even chickens freely move in a fluid, unstructured and chaotic movement. We saw hundreds of vendors crowded amongst the streets selling - exotic food, fruit, clothing, watches, shaving and shoe shining services, car parts, and sooooo much more. Despite all the loud noises, there were many people sleeping on the streets. It was challenging every time we had to cross a street, as it is common for people to weave in and out of the cars to get across the streets. The sound of honking cars was a constant noise that was hard to adjust to. We smelled incense burning, smoke, various food spices, and waste. As we walked through the streets, kids would grab onto our arms and beg us for money and food. We found this especially hard to ignore, although that’s what we were told to do. We all wished we could do more to help… a.k.a. take them home with us ☺ This is just the beginning of our experience here and are eager to see more and help in any way we can!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
We are in Hong Kong!
We safely made it through our longest flight of 14 hours...yikes! But we all slept for the most part and enjoyed hours of movies and tv shows...plus snacks! Here are some photos for your enjoyment...plus we can never escape our Seattle culture...STARBUCKS!!!!
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