Kolkata (Calcutta)

A 2-hour drive back to Vijayawada and a flight to Hyderabad and on to Kolkata filled most of Saturday. Kolkata is another pollution filled city: to the lungs, ears and eyes. So many people, so many taxi's, and motorcycles. Movement everywhere all day long.

The Stadel was home for the next two nights. This small hotel is built into the bottom of an old 100,000 seat colloseum. The hotel itself is very unimpressive. Black water flowed from the tub for several minutes before cleaner water finally came through.

Brother Ashed came to Kolkata with us, as he lives in Kolkata and travels to and from Guntur. Sunday morning we left with Ashed early for a long day of driving. We briefly visited a new children's home: Ambassadors Kids Home. The same leader that runs the Keshiary Home runs this one. Only 10 younger children (ages 3-5) live in this one room home. The children are from local tribal villiages with unique language dialects. The goal is that these children will follow Christ and be able to take the Gospel back to their villages as they grow older. Our team were the first white people these children have ever seen!

Once giving a piece of candy to each of these young children we headed off to the Keshiary Children's Home. This is the home of that our sponsored child, Solomon, lives at. This visit is the main reason Tom and I wanted to come on this trip. Driving into the courtyard of the Keshiary Home and seeing Solomon in the crowd of children was a dream come true.

As I crawled out of the car and went to him, I said, "Solomon, we are your sponsors!" He, of course, had little idea as to what I just said. But over the next few hours he understood more clearly and before we left he even became a bit emotional as we prayed over him.

The Keshiary Home is home to 59 children; well adjusted, confident and happy children. The home was started in 2000 by Dr. and Mrs. Subimal Dutta. The Dutta' both former Hindus, came to the Keshiary area in order to share the Gospel tribes who have never heard the Truth. After some time they realized that there was real need to help orphans.

All of the children are sponsored by people from Christ the King Church. The church has also provided funding for some one-time needs such as: a water filter, a generator, water pump and tank, a cooking area and retaining wall.

We spent the afternoon playing games with the children, handling out a few gifts and letters from sponsors, enjoying wonderful food over lunch and praying with the children. A final hug with Solomon and we were once again on the road headed back to Kolkata.