Day 5 - Monday

Today we went to baby care & a school in the slums for children in the surrounding slums, so once again we we piled into the yellow bus already full of kids desperate to sit on our laps, after we'd dropped them off at the mobile school we continued for about an hour with 10 babies and collecting more along the way. Those crying could not be comforted by any of us but were calm in the arms of the sisters who teach them so we decided that they don't recognise our skin colour as safe. When we unloaded all babies at the crèche they got undressed and washed, we dried and clothed them in clean clothes and then fed them breakfast, the girls did very well at this (we have photos!) we then left after song & story time to go to the school. We had to lead part of the assembly, but without Emma leading us the leadership role fell to Carol (who was quick to share it with me!) Carol did very well with only an hour to think & prep,  we then went to all the different classes and all the children stood up and greeted us as we entered. Due to the rain our afternoon plans were cancelled so while the girls & Emma rested Carol & I went on our own adventure around Kolkota, we were having to fend for ourselves, finding a tuk tuk that would take us the right street and then the right place in the street, we felt like children skipping school & being "proper grown ups" in the big city on our own, it was great fun - although Carol almost lost her toes to a rickshaw as she did not look both ways before crossing the road (although it was a one way street she forgot that they don't follow the rules of the road!) Everyone was well rested when we returned, but Emma was still feeling delicate so i went to the chemists to get her some medicine, on the way back i got caught in possibly the worst monsoon we've had since we arrived, so i took shelter in a doorway only to be approached by some weird Indian man who started to tell me his life story (it was leading to asking for money) so i said "thats nice" and walked off in the torrential rain, much to the amusement of all the other people sheltering from the rain! Carol had lent me her umbrella but in that rain it was as useful as a chocolate fire guard as I'm sure you can imagine! So once i'd dried myself off we all gathered for a few games of uno, which was followed by more curry (except for me as I can't eat curry so it was boiled rice for me) but anyway all in all it was a good day all round and everyone ejoyed listening to my fun mercy mission to the chemists! Praise God for humour!
Rachel