CHILDREN'S SUMMER CAMP AT ST.PAUL'S CATHEDRAL: MAY 20-25, 2013

THE CHILDREN HAD AN EXCITING 6 DAYS AT THE CHILDREN'S SUMMER CAMP AT THE ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL FROM MAY 20-25. OUR BOYS AND GIRLS LED THE MUSIC TIME AND THE SINGING! SOME OF THEM ACTED IN SKITS/PLAYS IN THE CLOSING EVENT. WHAT A JOY TO SEE THEM GET THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR TALENTS IN FRONT OF OVER 200 CHILDREN, TEACHERS, VOLUNTEERS AND GUESTS!

LYDIA KEPT UP TO THE BEAT MOST OF THE TIME...

ESTHER WITH THE JUNIOR GROUP SINGING

JONAH WITH THE VIOLIN, NOAH ON HIS GUITAR AND LYDIA ON THE DRUMS....

THE OLDER GIRLS PRESENTING A SONG

ANUPAM (AMOS) ENACTED IN A SHORT DRAMA...

THIS IS SANJAYA...A LONG, LONG WAY FROM HIS HOMETOWN IN ORISSA...

JOEL AND ANUPAM AMONG OTHERS...

MANY PEOPLE CAME UP TO ME AT THE END OF THE CLOSING EVENT AND APPRECIATED THE TALENTS OF THE CHILDREN...A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT CONSIDERING  HOW THEY WERE TREATED LAST YEAR IN MARCH-APRIL AND WERE ALMOST CRUSHED. GOD IS GOOD AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL TO HIM FOR ALL HE HAS DONE FOR THE CHILDREN!

RABINDRA JAYANTI (CELEBRATION OF RABINDRANATH TAGORE'S BIRTH ANNIVERSARY)

AFTER A YEAR'S GAP (THANKS TO THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPT. HARASSMENT), WE WERE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF RABINDRANATH TAGORE-AN ICON OF INDIAN AND WORLD LITERATURE AND HISTORY! THIS WAS THE BEST EVENT WE HAD THIS YEAR AND ALL THE STUDENTS AND STAFF WORKED OVERTIME TO MAKE IT A GRAND SUCCESS!

NURSERY CHILDREN RECITING A BENGALI POEM!

RACHEL (KHUSBOO) WAS ABLE TO DANCE AFTER 15 MONTHS!! THE ORIGINAL DANCE FOUR-SOME (THE FANTASTIC FOUR!)

THE SINGING OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM (COMPOSED BY TAGORE)

GUITAR, DRUMS, VOCALS AND VIOLIN...OUR HOPE HOME BAND IS NOW COMPLETE!!

GRADE 3 STUDENTS RECITING A POEM!

 THE DANCING QUEENS!

 GRADE 8 RECITING A BENGALI POEM

DEV TRIED ON THIS BENGALI KURTA (OUTFIT) AFTER 4 YEARS!

THE STAFF AND STUDENTS...

WE ENDED THE CELEBRATIONS BY VIEWING THE ACCLAIMED FILM 'KABULIWALLAH' (WRITTEN BY TAGORE)

THERE WERE SONGS, DANCES, QUIZES, RECITATIONS, FOOD AND FUN! A GREAT WAY TO COMMENCE OUR SUMMER HOLIDAYS!!

CONCERT ROCK TO EASTER RALLY...A FULL CIRCLE IN A YEAR'S TIME!

LAST YEAR-2012, MARCH 20 : THE SOCIAL WELFARE PEOPLE ILLEGALLY AND FORCEFULLY TOOK THE BOYS AND GIRLS (INCLUDING RUTH, PAYEL AND SUMILA WHO VOLUNTEERED TO GO BECAUSE OF THE YOUNGER ONES) AND KEPT THEM IN GOVERNMENT SPONSORED 'HOMES'- IN HELLISH CONDITIONS, TRAMPLING THEIR BASIC RIGHTS TO FREEDOM, EDUCATION AND CAREER- AND ALTHOUGH WE HAD NOT GIVEN UP HOPE AND CLUNG ON TO THE LAST STRAW OF FAITH IN GOD, WE DID NOT IMAGINE THAT RUTH WOULD BE PLAYING IN  A CONCERT ONCE AGAIN AND IN A YEAR'S TIME! LAST SATURDAY, WE PERFORMED AT THE AUDITORIUM OF THE INDIAN MUSEUM (DOROTHY TOO SANG IN A SPECIAL SONG) IN A CONCERT ORGANIZED BY THE KOLKATA MUSIC ACADEMY! TUNEFUL AND SOULFUL DAYS BACK AGAIN! THANK GOD!!

Preparing for the concert...

More than an 100 performers performed - guitar, cello, violin, double bass, viola, vocals...it was a great evening

Sunday, we were able to be part of the worship service at St. Paul's Cathedral; last year the social welfare people did not allow the Hope Home Calcutta folks to attend Church...

The beautiful floral arrangement at St. Paul's on Easter Sunday

Ruth and Payel also received their first communion...

The Bishop of Calcutta giving special gifts to the young people who were confirmed on March 23

THIS IS US...EASTER SUNDAY, MARCH 31 AT THE LAWNS OF ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL...THIS IS MY FAMILY!!

IN THE EVENING, THOUSANDS OF CHRISTIANS JOINED TOGETHER IN A PROCESSION (BEGAN FROM THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN CALCUTTA), SINGING SONGS AND PRAISING GOD FOR THE LIVING JESUS, OUR LORD! 

THE PROCESSIONS CONVERGED AT THE GROUNDS OF ST. JAMES'S SCHOOL (OPP. MOTHER HOUSE) FOR A TIME OF ROCKING PRAISE AND WORSHIP, CHOREOGRAPHED DANCES AND LIFE-CHANGING REAL-LIFE STORIES!

A WONDERFUL WAY TO END A WONDERFUL DAY...NEVER MIND ALL THE TRAVEL WE HAD TO UNDERTAKE (TWICE TO THE CITY FROM HOPE HOME AND BACK)...AND THE DAY ENDED WITH SOME MOUTH-WATERING BEEF-BIRYANI FROM NIZAMS! AND YES, WE ALL WENT TO SLEEP BY 9 P.M. :-)

CONFIRMATION OF RUTH AND PAYEL AT ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, CALCUTTA

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, RUTH AND PAYEL WERE CONFIRMED AS COMMUNICANT MEMBERS OF THE ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, CALCUTTA BY BISHOP ASHOK BISWAS. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN THEIR LIVES AND AS STAFF OF THE HOPE HOME CALCUTTA, THIS IS A FIRST! IT WAS A SOLEMN CEREMONY AND THE SERVICE WAS UPLIFTING. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT LAST YEAR EXACTLY THIS TIME WHEN WE WERE HARASSED, TORMENTED AND PERSECUTED (e.g., they were not allowed to come to Church or pursue their studies and music/dance; were not even allowed to turn on the electric fan from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.; the only place to wash their dishes was the toilet!) BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE PEOPLE THAT THESE TWO LADIES WOULD NOW BE COMMUNICANT MEMBERS OF ONE OF THE OLDEST AND HISTORIC CHURCHES IN CALCUTTA! GOD BLESS BOTH OF THEM AND OTHERS TO FOLLOW!

Rev. Nigel Pope, the Presbyter of the Cathedral

YOUNG MUSLIM GIRL'S PASSION FOR EDUCATION AND DECENT LIVING...THE FIGHT FINALLY WON!!

 KHUSBOO BANO, COMING FROM AN EXTREMELY POOR MUSLIM FAMILY LIVING IN THE SECOND LARGEST RED-LIGHT AREA IN CALCUTTA WAS OUR FIRST GIRL INTAKE! SHE WAS TINY, UNDERNOURISHED AND SICKLY. WE LOVINGLY CALLED HER RACHEL! SHE BEGAN DOING EXCEEDINGLY WELL IN HER STUDIES AND EVEN RANKED FIRST IN GRADE 7!

LAST YEAR THE SOCIAL WELFARE PEOPLE COMPELLED HER TO STAY AT A GOVERNMENT SPONSORED 'HOME' FOR A FEW WEEKS BEFORE ALLOWING HER MOTHER TO TAKE HER BACK TO THE SLUMS. THE OPPRESSION AND TORTURE BEGAN THEREAFTER.

EVERY TIME SHE OPENED HER MOUTH EXPRESSING HER DESIRE TO STUDY, SHE WAS ABUSED, TORTURED AND SHOUTED DOWN. MONTH AFTER MONTH SHE WITHSTOOD THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL TRAUMA...BUT STUCK TO HER DECISION TO STUDY, GET A PROPER EDUCATION AND EMPOWER HERSELF TO LIVE A LIFE OF DIGNITY AND HONOR.

KHUSBOO EVEN HAD TO FILE A POLICE COMPLAINT AGAINST HER OWN BIOLOGICAL FATHER FOR TORTURE AND IMPROPER BEHAVIOR AND WON A RESTRAINT ORDER FROM THE POLICE AGAINST HER FATHER.

LAST WEEK, HER MOTHER SHOWED THE FIRST SIGNS OF RELENTING AND AGREED TO ALLOW HER TO CONTINUE HER STUDIES IN A SCHOOL OF HER CHOICE! WE DID ATTEMPT TO ENROLL HER IN GRADE 9 IN THE HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THE BOYS AND GIRLS ATTEND FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION-BUT ONE YEAR OF UNBEARABLE OPPRESSING AND HELLISH LIVING CONDITIONS (ONE SMALL ROOM- 7 x 10 FEET AND 7 ADULT MEMBERS SHARING SPACE, NO TOILETS, BATH ON THE SIDEWALK, STREETS FLOODED WITH PROSTITUTES AND PIMPS...) DID HER IN AND SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO CLEAR HER ADMISSION TESTS.

THE GOOD NEWS, IN DIVINE SCHEME OF THINGS, SHE IS NOW ENROLLED IN GRADE 8 IN OUR SCHOOL AND BEGAN HER CLASSES YESTERDAY.

NOTWITHSTANDING A DAILY COMMUTING TIME OF OVER TWO HOURS AND LEAVING HER 'HOME' BY 5 A.M. IN THE MORNING.

I HAVE NEVER KNOWN ANOTHER STORY LIKE THIS IN THE 10 YEARS OF OUR OPERATIONS AT HOPE HOME CALCUTTA! SUCH IS THE POWER OF COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION!

WE SALUTE THIS BRAVEHEART! AND WE ARE HONORED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A YOUNG GIRL SUCH AS KHUSBOO!

...with Dev during a visit by a few staff of Hope Home in August to her slums

...she visited us for a couple of hours in September and all hell broke lose after that...the mob in the slums even prepared to physically assault her and Bro. Arun who went to reach her back home

...with our girls in September

...Khusboo had a hair-cut after school yesterday, a decent bath with shampoo and soap about an year and the smile back on her face...

RACHEL, THE WINNER AND WOW! WHAT A FIGHT IT WAS BY A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL!

Thank you all for standing wtih us all these months. Together we CAN!

DARJEELING...DREAM COME TRUE!

FEBRUARY 6 - 11, RUTH, GRACE, GURIA, KEZIA AND LEAH TEAMED UP WITH THE SWISS VINEYARD TEAM OF MATHEW, NOEMI AND MICAH FOR THREE DAYS OF CHILDREN'S CAMP IN THE QUEEN OF THE HILLS, DARJEELING! DEV AND HIS SON JOHN JOINED THEM FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS! WE ARE SO THANKFUL TO MY FRIEND OF OVER 33 YEARS MATHEW FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE!

 THE TRAIN RIDE WAS SUPER...AIR CONDITIONED (BEST CLASS) RIDE :-) FOR ONCE, THERE WERE NO COCKROACHES IN THE COACHES AND FRESH, LAUNDRY-WASHED BED SHEETS WERE PROVIDED FOR EVERY PASSENGER

THE CHILDREN'S CAMP WAS HELD ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...THERE WERE TWO SESSIONS - 10 AM - 1 PM AND 3 PM - 5 PM. OUR GIRLS LED THE SINGING, ACTION SONG AND JOINED THE SWISS TEAM IN LEADING THE SESSIONS!

THE CHILDREN WERE TAUGHT HINDI, ENGLISH, BENGALI AND SWISS-GERMAN SONGS!

 GURIA AND GRACE DANCE TO A DAYA'S SONG...

LEAH BEHAVED ALMOST PERFECT...AND TASTED HER FIRST CUPPA OF PURE DARJEELING TEA!

THE TEAM IN FRONT OF DARJEELING STATION

 I HAVE ADDED THIS PHOTOGRAPH ON PURPOSE...THE TEMPERATURE WAS COLD (AT NIGHT 4 DEGREE CELCIUS) BUT COME MORNING, THERE WAS SUNSHINE AND THE RAYS REFLECTED VIBRANT COLORS!

MT. KANCHUNJANGA - THE THIRD HIGHEST PEAK IN THE WORLD (PART OF THE EVEREST RANGE)...VIEWED HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY FROM DARJEELING! 

KEZIA IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL WE STAYED

PIGEONS IN THE MALL...

HOTEL VILLA EVEREST...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY DEV TO VISITORS TO DARJ!

RUTH, KEZIA, GURIA AND GRACE

DEV WITH LEAH AT THE MALL

THE SETTING OF THE SUN AND THE END OF OUR VISIT TO DARJEELING

IT WAS A WONDERFUL VISIT AND AN IMPORTANT ONE FOR OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS. WE TRULY APPRECIATE THE SWISS TEAM FOR PROVIDING THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE HOPE HOME CALCUTTA FAMILY TO JOIN THEM FOR THESE FEW DAYS. AS RUTH REMARKED, THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE FOR THEM...NEVER DID THEY IMAGING THAT GOD WOULD PROVIDE THEM THIS OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT DARJEELING ON A COMFORTABLE TRAIN, STAY AT A GOOD AND COMFORTABLE HOTEL AND BE OF SOME USE TO REACH OUT TO THE CHILDREN...MOSTLY POOR NEPALI CHILDREN WITH GOD'S LOVE!