Why do we help the poor?

This is Craig's (and Ericka's) report on Kolkata and some of our Experiences w/ the Mother Teresa Houses' of Charity...

Well, I have some catching up to do to bring you all up to speed with our adventures. Extended time at an internet connections has been sparse, hence the lack of communication.
Ericka and I are presently in New Delhi where our travels have slowed up as we wait (days) to extend Ericka's visa in India . Her contact in Africa was not able to accommodate her for another week, so we decided to spend extra time in India together.... More stories later about the whole VISA-Extending-Adventure (or Fiasco?)
So, after leaving YWAM Goa, Ericka and I stayed one week in Calcutta (British name) (Kolkata - Indian name) volunteering at Houses of Mercies. This was an interesting experience for us. Because of the publicity of Mother Teresa's work, people from all over the globe come to volunteer to help the poor and the suffering through the ministry that she started. I have never seen anything like it. People just show up on the doorstep of the convent wanting to help, go through a brief introduction course, and are assigned to 1 of the 7 different ministries around the city. There were about 40 people in our introduction class just that day alone. Some will stay and help for a few days, but others up to 6 to 8 months at a time. Some were doing it as an act of service to the Lord, some wanted to get closer to the heart of God, some were trying to find themselves, some just wanted to make the world a better place, and some just found normal life unrewarding but found meaning here.
Ericka and I were assigned to Prem Daim, which was pretty much a hospice for the sick and the dying. I have a new appreciation for those that work in similar situations. Ericka had a WHOAH, EYE-OPENING experience. [Ok, I'll jump in here, its me, ericka. So when we were coming to Mother Teresa's Houses, my prayer was, I want to know WHY we help poor people. Why should we care about those who are sick and dying? If I am not sick and dying and poor, why should I care? I have my own life to live, not to get bogged down and bothered by some people who for whatever reason can't care for themselves. (wow, did i really say that? ouch. but its a reality, sometimes I honestly feel that way or think that.) What does God think about them? What does His heart feel for them / want for them / respond to them? How does God want me to respond to them, think about them, etc? How does He want to change me/my thinking? Just so you know, that was my major prayer going into the Mother House experience.] The beginning volunteer work was more "regular"... visiting with patients, singing to people, washing a million clothes/sheets/underclothes some stained w/ accidents. At 1st, it was kind of a drag. We could be doing this kind of work back in the States. The Mother house isn't any different than other places where they do the same work... just with the famous name of Mother Teresa. But then God began to teach me.
One thing that M.T. (Mother Teresa) said was that we are to do ALL things with Great Love... So one Sunday, when I was going to stay at our home and rest... Craig was going in, so I thought, I should go with him... that day was Amazing!! God provided strength and JOY throughout the whole time - carrying buckets w/ wet wash up 64 steps, talking to other volunteers (2 Christian girls from Nebraska - great to meet them and chat! They had just graduated from high school!!! i was impressed), visiting and seeing the beautiful smiles of each person... really struck by God's INDIVIDUAL LOVE for EACH PERSON there. Even the people in the corners, who couldn't smile or talk... That was the 1st day when I experienced Real Joy in Serving.
One lady I met became my "granny". I saw her 1st in a corner bed... she was really really skinny. Knees bent up, could see her hips protruding through her thin cotton night-gown, head shaved, but beautiful face. She handed me some tin cups to take to the kitchen. I thanked her, expecting her to not understand, and only speak Bengali (language of Kolkata)... and was really surprised to hear her say, "How are you? What's your name?" What??? Usually only the really educated speak English - what would she be doing here at Prem Daim, skinny and laying in a bed? I walked over and began to talk to her, wondering if she only knew a few phrases... But no, she knew TONS. She talked w/ me about my family, what I was doing, asking me about boys :), and lots of things. We had a wonderful conversation. She said I could be her granddaughter, and she could be my granny. That blessed my heart. I told her I would love that b/c I love my grandparents and miss them! :) I played some songs for her on the guitar I bought in Chile. I'm so glad I had it. She loved it... said her pain went away when I sang. The song I played was "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus." She kept telling me over and over, You need to TRUST in Jesus. You have to TRUST Him. One day we will meet Him; but you need to Trust Him RIGHT NOW.
It was such a message from God through her to me.
One day an elderly woman was left at the door of the hospice in a condition that we would never see in the United States (at least never in my experience). She was totally emaciated, her big toe was literally rotten and falling off (Ericka said it looked like a rotten prune and you could see the bone sticking out the end), and she had a huge wound on her arm that had been untreated to the point where the flesh around it was black and reeked of dead fish and falling off exposing the muscle tissue, ligaments and bone. Inside the wound was discovered a multitude of maggots. [I couldn't believe this was a LIVING human being... her arm literally looked like a piece of raw chicken at the supermarket... wet, could see the muscle, tendons, bone... What drew me to see her was the smell - like dead, rotting animals; b/c I had never smelled a rotting human before, esp not a rotting living human. One volunteer w/ a mask on her face was pulling black chunks of FLESH off her arm... all rotten. I couldn't believe it. I thought it had to be just dirt, or mud on her arm. But it wasn't, it was her flesh. Oh God. Oh GOD.] As Ericka was helping comfort this lady, she began to black out, head swimming, pounding, pain and had to remove herself from the situation. While she sat down off to the side, she began to cry out to the Lord, "Lord, do you see her?! Do you see her suffering? Do something!" As she sat there, praying, waiting, thoughts began to come to her mind..."Ericka, Yes, I see her. She is only one. I also see the countless others who are suffering as much and more than her at this very moment; I am just showing you this one. I know and see and care about all of them." Ericka then saw a picture of Christ in a white sari (like the one that mother Teresa and the sisters wear) kneeling down in front of and tenderly caring for this woman. Ericka then opened her eyes and saw a number of women around this lady tending her needs, some holding her hands, some holding her remaining flesh from falling off her arm, some removing the dead flesh, some picking out the maggots, some holding her head and whispering blessing assurance to the lady, and other supporting those that were directly helping the woman. She then realized that they were Christ's hands caring for this lady through the heart of Christ. Somehow we have been given the responsibility to be Christ to the world, showing his love, compassion, and mercy to the least of these. Something else Ericka took away from that that is there is vast importance to sharing the burden of those suffering by being with them in their time of need. This lady was not alone in her suffering, they were with her, and through them, Christ.
[What about the people who are alone, human-wise, when they are suffering?]
So, I think God did a VERY good job of answering my question about why we help the poor, and what His heart is for them. I know He brought that woman in for me to learn some very important lessons... I see now why it is so important to serve the poor, suffering, dying, sick, least of these... they are so important to God, and we can be His extension of Love and Presence to them... and if I am ever in that situation, I would want the same thing for me. We are a body, meant to help one another, not be in isolation/Independence of each other.

I didn't have that dramatic of an experience, but I did walk away with the revelation that I can serve with the love of Christ in the same way to my "neighbors" in West Lafayette. I can't say that I feel "called" to serving in hospices, but the need is there, and there is an expression of Christ that is revealed when we help "the least of these."

Thanks for your prayers!

God bless
Craig (and Ericka)