Fri Aug 21

 At Choygoria Sun. School, we had 2 mommas and a grandma with a 3 mo. old show up in addition to the children. The mother and grandma of the 3 mo were there asking for milk from our program after Sun. School was over. The milk program is for babies with cleft lip and/or palette but we get lots of mommas  coming to us wanting to be on the program with the reason being “the mom does not have any milk”… as was what we were told again this morning, but I had sat in the back with her while the children were coloring their pictures and personally witnessed her nursing her baby! The baby had spit up a bit after for proof of nourishment and then fell asleep contented. The baby is fat! So why is she asking to be on the milk program!?! Then they come out with it that the baby has not had a bowl movement for a week, which is their concern. I felt like I could relate with the “Mom worry”… “Is my baby ok?” So Lonnie suggested we step over to the pharmacy dokan and just get a quick check to put this momma’s worry at bay. The “doctor” was told the symptom, he did a quick listen to the baby with a stethoscope and prescribed a “syrup” for the baby and a vitamin for the momma. Lonnie wanted to do a listen to the baby’s tummy also which he said sounded great and he also discovered the baby passing gas so was quite sure the baby was gonna be just fine😅 told the Dr he’d be back by to pay the bill but we needed to go now to the next S.S. I’ll just quickly add here that when Lonnie went back to pay, the Dr said he’d done an eye check(like Pat and Lonnie used to do on their sheep and goats🙃) and he could see she was quite anemic also so he’d prescribed a whole list of vitamins etc for the momma then but wanted to pass it before Lonnie before sending those with them.

Gentry fell asleep on the rickshaw van ride over to Chakrakhali. I wanted to go lay him down inside the house but then I actually didn’t want to just leave him lying on the bed unattended lest he wake and fall off so I was kinda stuck in there for the duration. Which was not all bad as they had the A.C. going😅. Chaity was in there finishing up getting her Sari on, fixing her hair, lotioning her face, and putting her red Hindu “married” stripe on her forehead and the red dot sticker between her eyebrows. Then she sat on the bed with me and continued to visit. When she heard we only have 1 1/2 years left, she got all sad, saying she is already missing us! She loves us,…etc and I share the same sentiments😢 that’s the hard part about spending 3 years on the other side of the world… making friendships and then who knows if or when we’ll see each other again?! But, our lives are richer because of.

4:00 service

Shanto was sick so none of his family was there.. BUT surprise of all surprises!! Bro Shamir was there!!! Along with the other 2 single brethren and James one of Lonnie’s pastor friends that’s going thru a really tough time. And the beggar man showed up also which he hasn’t in awhile because he’s been feeling better.. Because, he’s been taking his medicine that he hasn’t always been willing to take!!

We invited James and the 3 brethren in after church for cold tea and snacks.. chanachud, watermelon, and choc. no bake cookies. James didnt stay long. Kobir was planning to go with us to another Hindu after death feast of another Chakrakhali Sun. School boy (grandmother). But the other men were staying longer than usual, Shamir hasn’t come around all summer and said he was hungry for fellowship! Annslie brought out her fishing game and a rousing game ensued with Jaira and the 3 brethren playing. There was much laughter and fish flying out of the pukar (pond) as they all tried to catch the most. Looked more like 15 yr old boys not 40+ yr olds 😂 But it was good to see them having such a great time!

We finally asked Liton and Shamir if they’d like to go with us to the after death feast. They answered in the affirmative so we caught a rickshaw van ride over to same location as the last after death feast we’d attended at the Chakrakhali school. The food was superior to the previous event.. shrimp curry and a delicious dhal that was not too thin.. But so many people! they had us wait  in a room with a TV going in it. It didnt take long of that and I migrated back out where I could observe the people as we waited for a table. And almost before we were done eating there was a line of people waiting standing behind us ready to take our places. Dudjoy escorted us back out to the road and we said we’d visit the Joy’s(S.S. boy who's grandmother the event was for) home another time… we felt like we’d had a full enough day already..