receiving

yesterday at prem don, i had 2 incredibly beautiful moments. I was hanging out with an older lady. i don't know her name. i can't understand what she says (when i say a sentence in bengali sometimes it seems that they think i really know the language and just start chattering away...and i really don't understand any of it!). i'd scratched her back (often the ladies will "ask" you to do something by motioning or doing it to you). so, she started massaging my arm, and i thought, "oh, she'd like her arm massaged" and tried to start massaging her arm...but she wouldn't let go of mine. she kept massaging. after awhile, she switched, and massaged my other arm. it was so precious. such a gift!

a bit later in the day i was with my friend Martha. she's an older lady, and she knows a bit of english, so between her english and my bengali we can usually communicate pretty well. i'd given her a massage with some ben-gay type stuff, and was just sitting with her, when "snack time" started. about 9:30 or 10 the ladies are served fruit and warm milk. she offered me some of her watermellon. i tried to refuse, i said no a few times, but she insisted. bite by bite she fed me her watermellon chunk...and then she shared her bananna with me to. it was just beautiful!

yesterday afternoon i went to "work" at Sari Bari. We met all the ladies, and did a bit of work (cutting saris getting them ready to sew). mostly it was good to start getting to know the ladies. they're great teachers...very willing to help us speak better bengali...and they're beautiful women. I love Sari Bari. There is hope at Sari Bari. There isn't a lot of visible hope in this city...but there is hope, and restoration...and beauty at Sari Bari...and i get to be a part of it :)