Mother Teresa's Shishu Bhavan

Dear Loved Ones,

Our team has been making much of our King! monday to thursday mornings we serve at one of 8 mother teresa homes where there are 40 recovering women, 20 recovering men, and approximately 10 children some of which are handicapped. The love the sisters pour into the patients is a wonderful example for our team, that we are very glad to share. So far I have taken many blood pressures, educated the sister on Hep. B vaccines, and had many a moving conversation. Especially with a woman named Nomita. When she was young she was one of the most beautiful girls in her village, and when she was 14 years old a 40 year old man was making passes at her, she refused him due to his age and out of spite he threw acid in her face. As a result she has lost her eyes and is very badly burned, I learned that it is common for men to make such threats to young women and if they are caught the penalty is 2-3 years in prison. This man was never caught. However she excelled in the blind school and has received her masters, traveled to 4 countries, and teaches classes for other blind students. Life is hard sometimes for her, and she does not like recalling such harsh memories but praise the lord! i was able to share with her that she breathes for a purpose, and that I believe that God can turn something bad into something wonderful and that her life was a testimony to that. She became emotional but also responded in gratitude and agreement.

friday and saturday of this week we went to Shishu Bhavan which is the main ministry site for the Sisters in Bangladesh collectively. It began as a place for raped women to give birth after the revolution from Pakistan, and it still functions as such today including women who have had premarital sex and wish to save face and continue a life. In this culture pre-marital sex can ruin your life, and women who become pregnant out of wedlock are rejected from theri families and become beggars with their infants. Mother Teresa's welcomesthese women to stay for the duration of their labor, and during that time they take care of the orphaned infants and children, then later on when they give birth they can plae their child up for adoption of stay with their child until establishing themselves elsewhere. There are approximately 10 pregnant women, 6 babies under 3 months and 3 under 4 years. There are 3 boys who are approximatley 5 and are little terrors haha demanding attention every moment, but they are also very sweet. In addition to these other services the home tends to 20 handicapped children who are all very precious.

God is teaching our team marvelous things, and I am so thankful to be continuing his kingdom in a foreign land. He strenghtens us and gives us all we need to finish the race he has assigned for us.

Blessing s,

Natalie Hardister