After posting yesterday, I thought for awhile about what I wrote...and realized that I needed to add a little to it.
So here's the addition.
:-)
In regards to loving with actions...I had a quick question for all y'all. When I'm in Kalighat, loving with actions seems fairly straightforward, especially when I don't speak Bangla very well. But with you all, my friends and family, I'm a little more confused. Especially when you're *Google search* 8000 miles away. Wow that's far. It seems like, considering distance, the only way I can show you all that I love you is through words. Blog posts. Emails. Phone calls. Well, that and prayer. Hmmmmmmmm. So...how do I love-with-actions people who are 8000 miles away??? Aaaah!
And I'd like to clarify something super-fast. Even though God's trying to teach me to love with actions, I don't really feel like I've learned how yet. Kalighat, yes. Outside of Kalighat...not so much. So if that last post sounded like "look what I'm learning!", that's not what I meant to communicate. I meant more so "look what God's trying to teach me!", because He's definitely trying, and I'm definitely...trying to figure out how to learn.
Okay.
That's all.
But while I'm writing...
Something ridiculous happened today.
Yesterday, after teaching, Zareen asked me to come to Apne Aap around 11:30 today. And didn't tell me why. When I asked, she said one of the directors wanted to meet with me. Uhhhhhhhhhhh. Thus, from then until this morning, approximately twelve different ideas bounced around my brain. They were angry with me for being a half-hour late every day (vaguely likely). They thought I was teaching inappropriately and they wanted me to be more structured (likely). They wanted to tell me that the drama group wasn't going to work (likely). They wanted to kick me out of Apne Aap altogether (not too likely, but frightening). And when I got there, I was completely surprised by something totally different.
They wanted me to write a grant proposal.
Subachani (I think that's her name; I still can't remember it) opened an outline on her computer, and proceeded to explain to me their plan for creating a recovery and reintegration program for women in prostitution, based in a hostel. Full financial support for the first six months (phase one), counseling and therapy, community living - in six phases. Three years long. With eventual job placement and complete self-sufficiency. I'm not going to explain all the details, because it's waaaaaaaaay too complex, but it sounds like an extremely effective, and possibly very expensive program.
So...I wrote it. In four hours. With lunch, an exorbitant amount of chai, and a bathroom break. The whole thing, almost. I copied and pasted the what-Apne-Aap-does section from a different proposal, Subachani had given me an outline of the program, and I still have to write the "what next" section detailing the future. But it still ended up being thirteen pages. It'll be fourteen in between now and Friday, when I finish the "what next" section.
This is ridiculous. Two months ago, I wrote a research paper about Apne Aap. Today, I wrote a grant proposal for them. Because they asked me to.
OMIGOSH I WROTE A GRANT PROPOSAL FOR AN ANTI-SEX TRAFFICKING NGO.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the girls were sitting in a larger room right next to where I was, and we kept waving at each other and laughing while I was type-type-typing, and they waited for me after their class, and we walked out together, and I adore them. And I love that we're the same age. And it's wonderful.
OH! And they changed my schedule. Now I'm teaching my usual twenty girls Monday-Thursday from 12:00-13:00, and then the class splits into ten-girl study groups from 13:00-14:00, Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday. And I'm doing individual work with two girls from 14:00-14:30. Which is SO MUCH better. Because now I can teach group lessons every day, and spend the M/W and T/R time focusing more on individual, smaller, writing work. Or maybe the opposite. I need to think about it and plan my time. And ask you all for advice. Advice please?
AND! Friday afternoon = drama group...which we've been trying to start for a few weeks, but festivals and bus strikes and stuff have caused it to not happen. Boo.
This schedule is FANTASTIC. Because the afternoon shift at Kalighat is from 15:00-17:30, and now I can go to the whole shift every day, rather than being an hour late. Because I've been teaching from 13:30-15:30.
HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Schedule:
Monday-Wednesday - AA noon-2:30pm, Kalighat 3:00 - 5:30pm.
Thursday - AA noon-2:30pm. Missionaries of Charity Day of Rest.
Friday - Kalighat 8:00 - noon, AA 1:30-4:30pm (They told me to be there at 1:30, but didn't really explain why. Something about sitting with the girls.)
Saturday / Sunday - Kalighat 8:00 - noon, and/or 3:00 - 5:30.
Also, Mass is at 6:00AM, and Adoration is 6:00 / 6:30 PM, depending on the day. And I'm a big fan of Adoration, because it's pretty much an hour of silent prayer / meditation at the Mother House.
Wow.
This is awesome.
And I just realized that I'm oddly doing exactly what my Mom does...teaching and taking care of sick people.
Hi Mom!
Also, credit to my Dad for the lesson I taught yesterday - it's based off of the M&MD Hebrew Fruit Salad Night from when I was, like, ten. Thanks. :-)
Okay, this was way longer than I meant it to be. And I have been staring at a computer screen for approximately five hours today, which is icky.
Time for dinner. Nom.
Love and I WROTE A GRANT PROPOSAL,
Stephanie
