Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury,pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Day off...again

Well, not much happened since I posted yesterday, but not much else to do when you're not volunteering.

Thursday is a day off for the volunteers so I won't actually start work until tomorrow. It was Briana's last day here yesterday so it was nice to be able to hang out with her. We walked to a 'nicer' part of town last night to go to dinner at a pretty fancy place. Meals were expensive, we got the cheapest at about 115 rupees (about $5 I think). On the way back to Sudder we got ice cream from a street vendor. I had my first opportunity to feel really heartless. The kids walk up to you calling you auntie and wanting money. But you can't give anyone money you just have to ignore them. It's really hard to ignore a small child who has nothing, especially when you're on your way to buy something like ice cream. And then we passed babies sleeping in the street who had no clothes. I wanted to scoop them all up and put them on a plane to the U.S. It's still hard for me to believe that people really do live like this even when it is in front of my face.

I still haven't seen any mosquitos or too many bugs for that matter. We haven't had any cockroaches in the room since I've been here, but I'm pretty sure I squished a snail this morning. I finally took a shower last night! It felt wonderful. Then five minutes later I felt dirty again. And I woke up feeling like I had a layer of grime all over me.

I'm not sure what today's plans will be. I know that Tuan has laundry to do and Caitlin and I might go to New Market to do a little shopping. Maybe I'll go out and take some pictures. It's like a photo-journalist's heaven here. I was almost tempted to take 'artsy' pictures of the alley behind our bathroom this morning while Tuan and Caitlin slept.

That's about all I have to report. Take care and I'll talk to you later!
Corina

2 comments:

Rachael said...

I am so glad you made it to the hotel safely! I was thinking and praying for you since I talked to you. I hope your first day of volunteering goes well! You are in my prayers!

Peace in Christ,
Rachael

Here's my favorite prayer (which you've probably prayed before) that really helped me while I was in Kolkata. It's also on the prayers cards at the Mother House.

Radiating Christ

Dear Jesus help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go. Flood our souls with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess our whole being, so utterly, that our lives may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through us, and be in us, that every soul we come in contact with may feel your presence in our soul. Let them look up and see no longer us but only Jesus! Stay with us, and then we shall begin to shine as you shine; so shine as to be a light to others; the light O Jesus, will be all from you, none of it will be ours; it will be you, shining on others through us. Let us thus praise you in the way you love best by shining on those around us. Let us preach you without preaching, not by words by our example. By the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what we do, the evident fullness of the love our heart bears to you.
Amen.

Anonymous said...

Hey there girlie!

Yeah!!! It is great to hear that you made it safe and sound, ok well at least safe. I love technology in that it allows you to blog and for all of us to get immediate updates on your journey while you are half way across the world. Be sure to take lots of pictures, I can't wait to see all that you are seeing.

Love ya, Valerie & the Icemen