a few pictures....

I thought I'd try and put up a few pictures of our life in India! I will try to do more later... these computers are SO slow and it takes forever! All of the children in the pictures are street kids... they either live at the train station or somewhere in Kolkata. They sleep outside every night and pretty much just spend the day begging. It's really, really sad. But somehow they really are so happy... the one little girl with the short hair in the dress lives in a little tent on Sudder St., which is a really popular street for backpackers and foreigners. She just plays outside every day and she'll run up to you and smile really big and hold out her hand. She's so, so, so cute. She knows Shelly and I now, so when we walk by she'll just run up to us and smile and play with us for a minute. They quit begging after they get to know you a little bit. I think she's the cutest thing ever and everytime I see her I just want to take her back with me and give her a bath!

I wrote a few times back about a little girl named Rupa that we met at Sealdah train station. I didn't see her all last weekend when we went in the mornings to take breakfast to the children, but yesterday we were walking to our platform and she was there with her parents! She acted really, really shy at first and wouldn't walk down the platform with us. Her parents were acting really strange, and I guess maybe they were upset because she wasn't out "working" (better known as begging). About five minutes after we walked away I looked up and she was just running towards us with the biggest smile. I sat with her for probably an hour or so, just playing hand games and singing. I had on two bangles, and so I took one off and put it on her wrist and she smiled and kind of played with it for a minute or so, and then she took it off and gave it back to me. I said "No, Rupa... for you! You and me are bon-dune(friends)!" So after doing this a few times she finally understood that it was a gift and she just smiled so big and grabbed my hand and kissed it. It was so sweet... I'm not sure anyone has ever given her a gift before! When we were leaving, we walked back with her to her parents and they were both just sitting there smoking crack. Her dad had a blanket over his head so I could just see him lighting the foil, but her mom was pretty obviously already stoned. Every part of me just wanted to take Rupa home with us, but I obviously couldn't do that. It just killed me leaving her there, though. The entire train platform was filled with children, and there were people everywhere smoking crack. It was probably the darkest place I've ever been. I can't explain it... but it was so sad. I really love those children, and I really love little Rupa. I just can't help but wonder what will happen to her... she's so sweet now, but all she knows is drugs and begging and living on the streets. If I didn't think I would encounter just a few problems at Customs in May... I would definitely try to bring little Rupa back home with me. Please pray for her and her parents and that we would get to spend more time with her. I can't help but think that if she is just shown a little love and learns that she really is special, even if it's just to us, that it could change her life. We can't speak to her because we obviously we don't speak but Bengali, but I guess words aren't always necessary to show someone that you care about them. Thanks for your prayers, and thanks for praying for Rupa!