Family,
I am sorry it has been so long since I have written. I am in the process of writing through what has been going on here. I am not going to lie, this place has challenged me in more ways than I have ever been challenged. Each days presents a choice here: life or death. Literally.
Same for at home, but I have never seen the reality of this choice with such clarity as now. A couple days ago someone asked me to pray they would die soon. There are constant riots in Kolkata. Almost each day I see someone die. Yesterday I brought a woman taken into one of the homes back to where she came from: a corner. The most morbid feeling in the world is to 'drop' someone off on the street and then leave as quickly as possible before they come after you. I was in hospital where the doctor wouldn't explain anything that was wrong with me (I was really ill for a couple days, but am great now) because I am a woman.
Yet, there is joy: the joy of watching the sisters celebrate the ordination of a new Father with dancing, singing and laughing; a woman at Kalighat telling one of the sisters that she loves me and that she is my mother and I am her daughter; the intense laughing Erin, Sarah, Amy and I do at the INSANE situations we are in daily; the peace of the prayer chapels; the little kids who constantly pinch me while I am trying to teach them how to count; really incredible God convos with amazing Catholics; seeing someone, anyone, smile at you.
I have more to be thankful for than anyone I know. I am humbled by the community I have at home and the amount of support and love I have received while being here. Know that I am in the middle of a huge spiritual breaking point, and that every single prayer is needed. God is showing me more than I prayed to see and more than I think I can handle. And most of it is in me. Pray that the work God does here in me would be permanent. It is great if I learn a lot about justice, poverty and real incarnational ministry while I am here but I am so aware that it will not matter if my heart is not surrendered to the Lord.
Tonight I am stranded in a town north of Kolkata due to protests and strikes. We were going to go north for a long weekend...there are ten of us staying in a three person room and no one has complained. The American kids went to a restaraunt, explained how to make mashed potatoes and feasted! We had amazing baked chicken and cheers-ed over cokes and wine Marie saved from the plane ride here. As God stretched me, molds me, lovingly breaks me, I am finding that I am being unfolded. I am becoming unlocked. I am finding what I knew was always in God and what I was always capable of, but it is so...sweet. Tonight at dinner all I could think was: wow, God, thank you for bringing me here.
And so, family, I say the same to you: thank you for bringing me not only to Kolkata but to this place with God. A place of dependence and abundance. A place that is filled with everlasting fruit. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
For you, I am thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Katie
PS- There is more to come. Much more. Amy thinks I am writing a book. I just laughed.
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