We have to leave at quarter to two to get there in time for my 3 o'clock orientation. It takes that long to drive through the traffic from one end of the city to the other. Luckily, we arrived a little bit early so I can find my way. The first place we stop tells us to go down a little bit further. We arrive at the mother house and Mina tells me that the driver will pick me up after he gets Munu and my mom in the evening, about three hours from now. She smiles at me and pinches my cheek and leaves me to it. I walk in and ask one of the sisters where to go for registration. She tells me it's down the street about 10 minutes walk. Oh dear. If Mina and Munu knew I was about to walk alone down a busy Kolkata Street, they would probably never leave my side again. As I walk out of mother house, I see a young blonde walking toward me. God's providence again. I asked her if she is coming for registration and she answers yes. Courtney from Chicago becomes my new ally and take the walk together. She is a 22-year-old who is here for three months, working with a local Christian church. She tells me that she got "the call" from God at age 13 to do missions work so she is excited to finally be here. This is her first time overseas and she tells me she is not culture shocked yet, even after two months in Kolkata. As we talk for the next few hours I think she doesn't quite realize that the emotions she is going through are usually attributed to culture shock. I encourage her that when she gets back home to the states, she may find it more difficult than she realizes.
We talk easily because the common ground of Christ always brings people together. It's refreshing that God's church is all around the world.
Once we arrive at the correct building, the only people are sisters and a few homeless women seeking refuge from the heat in the cool outdoor gathering place. We wander a little and stumble upon a Spaniard named Jose. He has arrived to the city only thirty minutes ago, after a 14 hour train ride. He looks very tired but is still energetic and tells us excitedly about his travels so far through all of India. He has started in the north and is working his way down south. He has traveled quite a bit over the years so he and I have fun swapping travel stories. He is looking forward to working in the home for the dying at the missionaries of Charity. I am impressed as this is not something I think I could do. Courtney says the same. Courtney and I will be volunteering in one of the orphan homes instead.
We talked for about 30 minutes before the registration process get started. We see people start to trickle in. There are Chinese, Brits, Australians and New Zealanders, Americans, and Canadians. By the end of the orientation I will have met all of the English-speaking ones. I am in my element – meeting new people and trading travel tales. Telling my tales makes me reflect on how many places I have been blessed enough to go visit in my thirty one years. It has become so much more than just checking a place off of my list. I feel that each place I visit brings me closer to God and to understanding His people. As these volunteers discuss the places they have been, I am able to relate to them and our conversations go on for hours.
It's finally time for the orientation to begin. Dan from New Jersey begins his diatribe about convent rules and expectations. He is funny and to the point. He tells us about each of the 10 homes that the missionaries of Charity run across the city of Kolkata. I wish I had time to volunteer at them all. Each home has different requirements. Some only allow male volunteers, some only female volunteers, some only allow you to volunteer if you're staying for long periods of time etc. There is a home for the dying, a nursery for babies and toddlers, and multiple homes for handicapped children and adults. They tell me that since I am only there for a couple of days that I should not volunteer with the young children since they become attached two people and they want to limit the amount of goodbyes the children must make. I completely understand and volunteer to work with the children with disabilities. Many of them are not fully aware of what is happening around them so they do not become as easily attached. Also, I will mainly be going laundry and cleaning so will have limited interaction with the kids. Each shift is only four hours long so I feel a bit spoiled to only be spending a short amount of time there. I pray that God will use me anyway. The day starts with mass at 6 AM and then a small breakfast where all of the volunteers and sisters can eat together and talk. Shift starts at 8 o'clock and ends at 12. We are reminded that this is a convent and respect and quiet are expected.
I admire these women who live here and give of themselves selflessly every day. They work Monday through Sunday with a day of fasting and prayer on Thursdays. Courtney and I talk about The sacrifice it must take to make the decision to go into nunnery. We talk about how each of us have asked the question of God for ourselves at at least one point in each of our lives. Courtney was married once very young and it was a bad marriage. Afterward, she questioned whether or not she were meant to be married. Thankfully, she heard God tell her that marriage would be a part of her life and so now she waits.
I get my first real taste of the Indian pace of life. We sit and wait for an hour before we and register and choose our house. I continue to use the opportunity to get to know my fellow volunteers. I meet Judy, a hospice nurse from Australia, who has been saving up for 10 years to do this. She is going to work at the mother house for six weeks in the home for the dying. Her bright and energetic spirit impresses me. I cannot imagine doing that type of work for that long. She is actually excited to do it. She says that she uses her silliness and sense of humor to bring joy to people in the last days. She is beautiful.
I meet Elizabeth and Noah, a other and son from Idaho. They are traveling together and volunteering for his school projects. He is about 19 or 20 years old. He has a younger brother and Elizabeth tells me that the three of them travel often together. They recently got back from a trip to Mongolia, where they lived with no electricity and no running water. I can see that humility and compassion in her son already. I'm grateful to know that some children grow up with this kind of mentality instead of entitlement.
It's finally my turn and my name is called. I meet Sister Margaret, who has a smiling face, even when she's not smiling. She is quiet and small and kindly says, "Welcome" and asks where I will serve. I tell her and she writes my name on her little calendar under Shishu Bhavan, the home for children with disabilities. Hence me a card with my name on the dates that I will be serving, along with a small charm with Mother Teresa's picture on it. She tells me, "God bless you" and sends me on my way.
I wait for Courtney, who will walk back with me to the place we originally met, where my driver is expecting me. We have decided to volunteer at the same house but we will miss each other by a couple of days since she is only volunteering once a week. We part ways and I sit down to wait for my driver. I can't wait to begin work.
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Location:Motherhouse, Kolkata,India
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