The people we were serving had lived the most miserable lives you could imagine, throughout which they had been abandoned, neglected, and mistreated. They had every right to be hardened by resent, unforgiving, and hostile towards others. Yet, everyone (at least insofar as they could express it) seemed happy and grateful. Those who could help out with the various chores did help, nearly everyone responded to our care with docility and humility, and so many wanted merely to kiss our hands, look into our eyes, and smile at us with love and gratitude. It took me a while to figure out how this could be, how these women could be so happy. Then it occurred to me: they are currently receiving the most love and care that perhaps they have ever known. All we were to them were complete strangers, and all we were doing was giving them a bowl of food, or a cup of water, holding their hands and speaking to them in a language they couldn’t understand. Yet, even in these simple actions we were able to love and care for them in a way that they hadn’t been loved or cared for perhaps ever in their life. I’ve been able to love and care for people before, but I don’t think that I’ve ever held in my hands the ability to give people what may very well be more love than they’ve ever received. That’s why they were so happy and grateful. After all, all they really needed, but what they had been deprived of for so long, was love. By loving them, I knew I was loving Christ through them, and my only hope is that they were able to experience the love of Christ through me.

Clare S
Calcutta Mission Trip
2024 Spring Break