Go Beyond

   Kolkata, India

   People often ask me questions about my travels, questions like: Do you ever get tired of traveling? What’s your favorite place? What’s the most interesting (disgusting) thing you’ve ever eaten? How many frequent flyer miles do you have? Which is your favorite airline? What’s the scariest experience you’ve ever had? And, people always ask me if I ever get homesick. The answer to the last question is yes. There is nothing quite as good as the comfort of home and the company of family. I love visiting the various ministry destinations where I am privileged to lead others to serve. But, coming home is always sweet.

   On a few occasions I have enjoyed the blessing of having a family member travel with me. I have especially enjoyed having my son Jonathan by my side on this trip. It’s been almost six years since we last traveled together to China and Mongolia. A lot has happened since then. I have watched God work in Jonathan’s life and also preserve his life through some dark days. Like Mr. Miyagi, the quiet handyman/martial arts character in The Karate Kid, God has been teaching Jonathan a lot about service through years of “wax on, wax off” experiences. Through it all God has given him a tender heart and willing hands.

Jonathan at Prem Dan

   It’s not easy for me to describe what I have felt in my heart this week as Jonathan and I have served together. I have watched him connect with and care for men with broken bodies and vacant expressions. He has provoked smiles, brought laughter, and consoled men weeping quietly in pain. He has skillfully shaved wrinkled faces and helped men who can’t use the toilet unassisted. He carried a frail old man into Kalighat where others will care for him until he dies. But perhaps the most inspiring thing to me was watching him rub cream on the leathery legs and feet of bed-bound men. You have to have a strong stomach to touch the feet of these men – feet calloused, gnarled, and permanently stained by the filth of Kolkata’s streets.

   Touching and washing the feet of others is what a trip to Mother Teresa’s homes is ultimately about. Those who come here to serve must lay aside any squeamishness that might prevent them from touching the feet of the least of these. If you can touch their feet, the rest is relatively easy. I am encouraged by Jonathan’s service and proud to be his Dad. My prayer for my kids is that they will unreservedly love God and unconditionally love people. I am grateful to God for His faithfulness in working in the lives of my children. And I am especially grateful to have spent this week serving the least of these with my son. I will treasure these days for a lifetime.

   Prem Dan and Kalighat Homes | Kolkata, India

   One of the most important things that volunteers assist with at Mother Teresa’s homes is serving meals and washing dishes. Every meal consists of rice plus something else like vegetables, or fish, or potatoes — but, always rice. Lots of rice! The rice is prepared in large cooking tubs and stirred with a spatula the size of an oar. It’s quite interesting to see the process. At Prem Dan, most of the residents sit expectantly in the courtyard while we prepare their plates. At Kalighat, all wait patiently on their beds. Some can feed themselves, others need assistance, but everyone looks forward to meal time.

   With a few exceptions, the residents eat without the use of utensils. Using their right hand, they skillfully scoop up a handful of rice plus whatever. Now, eating with your fingers is not as easy as it sounds. The first time I visited Bangladesh in 1999 and had to eat with my fingers I made a mess of things. But, meal by meal, I developed a measure of skill and managed to keep myself nourished. Some of the residents are unable to eat with their hands because of injuries or arthritis or missing fingers, so they manage to use a plastic spoon to feed themselves. These guys look as awkward trying to use a spoon as I did trying to use my fingers, but they manage.

   Once the residents finish eating, we collect their metal plates and cups and begin the task of washing dishes. What’s interesting is that the residents will not give up their plates until they have licked them clean. Today, I watched one fellow who was clumsily eating with a spoon. He consumed everything on his plate except for a single grain of rice. Because of that single remaining grain of rice, he would not surrender his plate to me. So, I patiently watched as he tried to coax that last grain of rice onto his spoon. He pushed and chased it around his smooth metal plate until he finally managed to get it onto his spoon and into his mouth. He smiled as he swallowed this last little morsel and then surrendered his plate and spoon.

   I’ve been thinking all afternoon about the man in pursuit of that final grain of rice on his plate. This scene is not unusual at Mother Teresa’s homes. These guys who have lived lifetimes on the streets do not waste a thing. It’s interesting that these men who have lived with nothing at all waste nothing at all. They are grateful for every nourishing morsel they can consume. How different they are from me. I have much and waste much. Too much food ends up in my kitchen garbage disposer. And, I stuff too many leftovers in Tupperware tubs where they lie in anonymity in a corner of my refrigerator, never to be reheated again.

   My beautiful Mom often tried to get me to eat everything on my plate by telling me about starving people in other countries. She was right about the starving people, but I still did not eat everything on my plate. The guys who live at Mother Teresa’s homes remind me that I am blessed and that I need to be a better steward of all that I have. I am determined to do a better job of living each day with the same kind of gratitude as these men who are unwilling to waste even a single grain of rice.

   Prem Dan Home for the Destitute | Kolkata, India | 23 January 2010

   Mother Teresa’s homes are a study in simplicity and efficiency. Every day, volunteers from around the globe travel to Kolkata to serve at Mother Teresa’s homes. You do not sign-up ahead of time to serve, there is no online registration, and there are no computers to manage volunteer databases. You simply show up for the orientation that is offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon. The Missionaries of Charity track volunteers in a ledger. They know on any given day how many volunteers are either serving or needed at each of the homes. Every morning, volunteers meet at Mother’s House, the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity, for a simple breakfast of bread, bananas, and tea. After praying and singing, volunteers travel to their respective assignments via public transportation.

   The work at the respective homes is also simple. At Prem Dan we start the day by doing laundry – tons of laundry. Then we use the vats of laundry water to clean every single sidewalk and courtyard. Cleaning and sweeping sidewalks is followed by shaving faces eroded by the currents of life on the streets, and massaging bent limbs, hands, and feet. Then it’s time for the mid-morning milk break for the residents of Prem Dan. The clinic staff is always busy cleaning and dressing wounds. The morning shift ends by serving lunch and doing dishes. Somehow all of the volunteers, many of whom do not speak the same language, manage to work harmoniously to meet the needs of the men and women in residence.

   Death is also simple and dignified at Prem Dan. I have watched several men die on this and on my previous trips here. Mother Teresa said that she did not want for the homeless to die like animals on the streets but to die like angels in her homes. When a man is dying here, one or two of the nuns plus volunteers gather at the bedside to pray and to gently speak or sing to the dying. Workers clean the body of the deceased, cover it with a white sheet, and respectfully place flowers on top of the sheet. This morning, we used three white sheets at Prem Dan. Although we know nothing about the men who died, these precious individuals did not die alone. They died with a measure of dignity, in a clean bed, and surrounded by people who care.

   Mother Teresa’s legacy and influence lives on here in Kolkata and around the globe. Her life reminds us that people matter, regardless of caste or class. The clean, white sheets placed over the deceased testify to her love for the least of these. Like Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity, may we always affirm the worth and dignity of others, both in life and in death.

   Prem Dan Home for the Destitute | Kolkata, India | 22 January 2010

   I love the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). It’s a simple story with a universal message that has profound implications. In the story, an unfortunate traveler fell among thieves who robbed him, beat him, and left him for dead by the side of the road. Two religious leaders saw the man but neither stopped to render aid. However, when a Samaritan traveler saw the injured man, he felt compassion for him and made provision for his care. This is a story that is repeated everyday all over the world. This past week, the story of the Good Samaritan was repeated here in Kolkata. Here is what happened.

   This morning, one of the men at Prem Dan suffered a seizure, fell, and busted his head open. Although I did not have any gloves, I applied pressure to his wound with my bare hand. That’s when I discovered that half of the man’s head was covered with a spongy and black melanoma. Very gross! When the man regained consciousness, I assisted him to the clinic where I was conscripted to assist Joan, a nurse from New Zealand, in dressing his wounds. Joan did a great job of repairing the damage and bandaging the man’s head.

   While in the clinic, I saw the guy from the Good Samaritan story – the one who was hurt and ignored by others. He was crying out in pain as another helper cleaned his wound. Joan told me that his poor fellow had arrived at Prem Dan a couple of days ago. He had suffered some terrible accident that mutilated his right hand. The man spent two days outside of a local hospital holding his injured hand while crying out for help. The sad thing is that no one bothered to help him. Finally, someone walked by, saw the man, felt compassion for him, and drove him to Prem Dan where Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity ushered him into their clinic. Joan had the unpleasant task of amputating four fingers and the palm of his hand, leaving only his thumb.

   Among other things, the story of the Good Samaritan teaches us that one person who cares can make a difference. I am grateful for the one who helped the injured man. Like the Good Samaritan, this man felt compassion and followed-up with intentional action to help someone in need. And, I am thankful for the Missionaries of Charity who did not turn the man away. Instead, they welcomed him, tended his wounds, and have given him lodging. The man will be at Prem Dan for a long time while he recovers. And, although he may one day leave, he will not likely forget the man who cared for him and brought him to Prem Dan.

   Mother Teresa said, “It is very possible that you will find human beings, surely very near you, needing affection and love. Do not deny them these. Show them, above all, that you sincerely recognize that they are human beings, that they are important to you.” That’s the message of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Let’s not overlook those in need as we go about our daily business. Instead, let’s allow God to interrupt our day for the sake of helping someone in need. Heed the message and follow the example of the Good Samaritan by going and doing likewise. And, always remember that one person who cares can make a difference.

   En Route to Kolkata via Dubai, UAE

   I am, headed to Kolkata once again, this time leading a team of eight to serve at Mother Teresa’s homes for the destitute and dying. This is my third visit to Mother Teresa’s homes and I can hardly wait to arrive at the city she called home. It’s a long way from the beautiful suburban boulevards of Katy, Texas to the bustling urban streets of Kolkata. I seldom watch movies on these long flights, often read two or three books, usually reflect on the things I have learned on previous trips, and always pray. Here are a few of the things I have gleaned on my previous trips to Mother Teresa’s homes in Kolkata.

Nothing for Something | We tend to do things because we expect to receive something in return, or at least hope we will. From the time we are small we learn to expect something for something. The phrase quid pro quo is written across the crest of our motivation. Mother Teresa loved people unconditionally, the way Jesus said we should. She unselfishly gave her all and expected nothing in return. And, as a result, she received more from those who had nothing to give than she could have imagined. I too, have come away far richer because of spending time with those who own nothing.

Stop and Listen | One look at our calendars reveals how busy, perhaps overcommitted, we are. We tend to move so fast from one point to another that we don’t have time to consider the folks who live in our peripheral world, much less slow down long enough to notice the color of their eyes. One of the things I love about serving at Mother Teresa’s homes is that I am forced to slow down, sit at the bedside of broken human beings, look into their eyes, and listen to them breathe. When was the last time you actually slowed down long enough to hear a suffering human being breathe in and out? Doing so will cause you to take a deep breath or perhaps to sigh with compassion.

Affirm and Value | Before we throw stones at India’s caste system, we are often guilty of assigning greater value to certain slices of the human family. Honestly, we often look at those who live closer to the bottom as being less than. We wonder what they did or failed to do that caused them to end up in such sad states. Mother Teresa did not ask questions of the poor. She merely affirmed them as people of great worth because they are made in God’s image. She embraced the hordes of broken and despised outcastes and regarded them as valuable. We must do the same.

Look and See | We often look but fail to see. Looking is not the same as seeing. Mother Teresa saw people clearly. When she looked at the poor on Kolkata’s streets, she saw what others overlooked. She saw Jesus in the distressing disguises of the poor and the broken and the vulnerable. And then she did for those individuals what Jesus would do. Serving at Mother Teresa’s homes has sharpened my vision and strengthened my resolve to act compassionately and intentionally on behalf of the hurting. I am not there yet, but I am making progress.

Please pray for our team as the Lord brings us to mind. The things we learn and experience here will have an impact on how we do life when we return home. Pray that the poorest of the poor will feel God’s embrace through our compassionate service over the coming days.