3/10

There was goodbyes and packing today. I have…well okay, it’s the evening of the 10th and I leave the early morning of the 19th. So technically I have 8 days left in India. This was my last day staying in Raiganj though, well kind of. Tomorrow I will leave for Bisreal, which is a village about 60km from Raiganj town. I will be staying there for the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and the day of the 15th. For the night of the 15th, 16th, and day of the 17th I will be at DDC, just outside of Raiganj town. My train to Calcutta is on the evening of the 17th, so I will spend my final day, the 18th, in Calcutta. I am sure that I have written that before in my blog, well maybe not, who remembers anymore these days, but that’s the schedule as it stands. 8 days, 8 nights. Wow, time certainly has flown by.
Today I gave my final exam for my English class, the grades varied, but overall I was very happy with the results. I was most impressed with the spoken English of the students, as that is where the most improvement was shown. Tomorrow we will have a small celebration, but since it’s a holiday, not everyone will be able to come. After class I began tying up loose ends around SWI, running errands, and emailing.
After lunch I went to Chonditola, for the last time. I played with the kids as usual, and as usual it was wonderful. The kids are such a joy, and especially now that they know me, it is such a heartwarming place to be. I have come a long way to be able to say that. I don’t see the starvation or the TB anymore; I see the smiles, the running, the joy in their laughter. I think that is one of my gifts, the ability to see grace in the not so obviously graceful. Those kids have been a large part of God’s grace for me in Raiganj. On my way out, as I was desperately try to explain to the kids, no calque, no tomorrow; I ran into one of the Sisters. Once she began speaking to me I wasn’t able to swallow my tears. She told me that the kids have really enjoyed having me here, and that she would explain to them that I was leaving. I am glad that I ran into her, because now the kids know that I will not be coming back, but hopefully they will also keep in my how much I have loved (and continue to) love them.
Then I went to St. Xavier, where I played with and said goodbye to the KG kids. They are so sweet, and they were sad to see me leave. I think the best part was being able to communicate with them in English that I would be leaving. I also learned that one of them in the child of one of the girls who works at SWI. She is a cook, and I think it’s really neat that Puthumai helped her get her son into St. Xavier.
In the evening Puthumai and I went to a wedding reception. Because of circumstances (love) the marriage had already happened at the temple and today was just the reception. The bride was all dressed up in her gear though, and I got a few pictures of how decorated she was. We had dinner, which included 13 dishes, and left shortly after. While we were there though, we met the owner of the Cinema Hall, the man directly under the District Magistrate, and at least 8 of the groom’s family members. That is one thing that is always nice about being with Puthumai, wherever we go he is connected ;-)
I spent late evening packing, and as I sit typing this everything is in bags. At some moments I can’t believe I am leaving, and at others it feels so real it is overwhelming. Although I am learning acceptance, life doesn’t stand still, so there is no reason I should expect it to. I have been blessed to have my time in India, and it has brought me so much joy and introduced some truly miraculous people into my life. But I am also blessed with loving family and friends in the States.
I’m off now, to bed. Oh yea, did I mention it was hot, hot, hot here today. I have been sticky from the moment I got out of the shower today, because its impossible to stop sweating ☺ Such is life in India, give me a day or two, and I will adjust.
Sending love and peace (especially for Stephanie)
PS. There will be no internet at the parish in the village, so I might not post again until I am home in Boise. So if you don’t hear from me until then, don’t worry. Good luck with finals, and have a great spring break. I am looking forward to endless hugs when I arrive home ☺