Patna Blessings

I can’t say that living in Patna has been easy, but I also can’t discount all of the blessings we have had since we have been here, the biggest, of course, being to spend uninterrupted time with Anjali.  Of course, there are times when we wish we could have a break, but I know this time with Anjali has built such a foundation of love and trust for her.  Other blessings are easy to name and high on the list are the people we have met here.

First of all, our wonderful hosts Satish and Pratima, are simply the best.  They have done so much to help us navigate daily life here in Patna and help us get anything we need.  They have prepared meals for us, shared their favorite spots for grocery shopping, and provided us with a safe, clean haven to live as we wait out the court process.  They are very conscientious and kind.  We enjoy spending time with them as they both are wonderful to talk to and give us great insight into life here in Patna.

We have also met a family from Charlotte, NC (small world I know) who are working here, Stefanie and Dan and their 4 lovely daughters.  They have been so nice and it has been wonderful to hear about their experience adjusting to life in Patna as they work to help women in poverty. They have helped to answer questions and share some of their favorite spots here in Patna. They came to visit us at our apartment and we met them at a local park.  It was wonderful for Anjali to watch how active and athletic their daughters are.  She had her first experience on a playground which included the excitement of going on a slide, swinging and walking in sand.    We will be going to their eldest daughter’s birthday party on Friday where Anjali will experience another first—PIZZA!!!

This past week, we met with Brajesh Kumar, who is the project manager at SARA Bihar.  He is a very kind man and made it clear that they have been fighting hard to get our case through the process.  He knew so much about our case and answered all of our questions as best he could.  He seemed genuinely happy to see Anjali with us and when he asked Anjali who her Mommy and Papa were at the end of the meeting, she pointed to us which made everyone in the office smile including us.

Although, our case did not get preponed, it is only a week away at this point.  Tomorrow, we are going to meet with our advocate and the MOC advocate with the goal of getting as much information about our hearing and make sure all correct documents have been submitted.  It is very reassuring to be able to have this meeting and we are grateful that both advocates are willing to meet.  It will be nice to go back to Missionaries of Charity.  I think Anjali will enjoy seeing everyone there. 

Anjali continues to share more of herself with us and we love her more each day.  She is such a loving, happy little girl who is in awe of the big world out there.  She is quite the comedian and actress, putting on a display of different personalities and faces that make us laugh.  We went shopping to get her a new dress for her court hearing and while in the dressing room, she and I had a blast striking different silly poses in the mirror.  She enjoys singing and dancing as well and has some of the cutest dance moves ever.  It’s clear that music is something that calms and energizes her.  She sings nursery rhymes with us and then also hums and sings songs she must have learned at the orphanage.  She is learning a lot of English and surprises us daily with new words and phrases she has learned.  She gets mischievous when she gets bored, but we are also getting better at finding ways for her to exert her energy and anticipating her moods and needs.

We are eager to get our August 25^th court hearing under our belt.  I think it will help us know what to expect for the remainder of our time here.  The biggest unknown right now is who our judge will be and how he will respond to us.  Wishing for the best!