WrApPing it uP

Wednesday was the last day at one of the homes. It was a good time with the girls. I felt I was able to "pass the baton" ...that they have learned a lot and will be able to continue on their own now.

We are still trying to get some business accomplished here. Business cards, signs and brochures printed, bags, tags made...Every item is an ordeal. I keep telling Steph it's going to be a miracle if we actually get them completed. So we're heading to the printers this morning. We've been there everyday this week. They have ensured that they take one day to print and yesterday when we visited he said he'd need a week which means they won't be complete by the time I leave. !!!! Typical business in India. ---frustrating---

Please pray for the production and completion of these items.

THANKS!

Post Office

So I finally made it to the post office yesterday with Sunita. (I know...I'll get home before the postcards even reach the US...) so we walk in and people are sitting behind the counter working. I show the guy my postcards and he calls to the back. A woman walks out, I hand her the cards and we follow her to the back to a room with a few desks where papers are strewn everywhere and people are snacking on some peanuts. She threw the cards down on a desk and nodded to us. I looked at Sue and she motioned to walk out. I said, "Do you think they'll get there?" she nodded. It was after 5:00 and I guess the delivery for the day had already gone out. We walked away as I wondered and hoped my postcards wouldn't fall behind her desk. If you don't get a postcard from me, that's where yours is. (Rob, I still need your new address.)

Sale: Orange, California

Our next sale will be at The Dragonfly in Orange, California
on Sunday, September 7th 11:00am-4:00pm.

www.dragonflyshopsandgardens.com

260 North Glassell Street, Orange, CA 92866
Telephone: 714-289-4689


Thanks to isanctuary representative, Norma Pollaro. This would not be possible without you.

Vocational Training Center

We have been praying for a vocational training center, a place where the girls could come and learn different skills at the professional level. This would create independence and help with the girls' transition; providing a daily routine of school or work that they must attend. It's a challenge traveling to the homes, carrying all the supplies needed, etc. Today we have just returned from our long Wednesday. We leave the house at 6:50am, travel by taxi and train until we finally reach the home at 9am to start classes. Makes for a really long day.

Recently we met with a partner organization that is local here in Mumbai. They've been established for 25 years and have a beautiful facility. As a teacher walking in and seeing the programs that were taking place I was really impressed. They have invited us to be part of the training for their girls in their aftercare program. This would allow us to work with girls from several different homes, and employ our current girls with apprenticeship opportunities. Much needs to be arranged before this is established, but it's an exciting development.

Oakland Sale

Thanks to the Northern California isanctuary representatives: Amber, Carla, & Jennifer the Oakland sale at the beginning of the month was a huge success. They sold the majority of the inventory and were able to share about isanctuary at the Laurel Street Faire. THANK YOU Ladies!

Back to Business

Didn't mean to go silent on you....It has been a busy couple weeks. We've had some really long days, but the weeks have flown by. We're just trying to wrap things up, and get all the last minute things done: business cards & brochures printed, supplies purchased, products completed, photo shoots, etc. There's definitely been some frustrations along the way...doing business in India is not easy. But we're here and doing all we can. It's scary to think I only have 10 days left. There's still a lot that needs to be accomplished. Stephanie will stay for another two months and return in November in time for the holidays. Keep us both in your prayers as so many things are out of our hands.

Team Pollaro

Thanks to Team Pollaro for holding several sales while Steph and I are in India. Norma, Dave, Sara, Josh, Claire & Erin have all made it possible. Thanks to them, we have been able to continue with product sales. Visit isanctuary.org for additional events and sales in the Long Beach & Bay Area.

This Week

This week was a really long week. Long long days, leaving early in the morning and not getting home til 7:00 at night. We even intended on getting home one day at 3pm, but it just didn't happen. We have gotten a lot done, but running all over Mumbai just wears you out. The traffic, the travel, the heat, the exhaust, the noise, the crowds....it's tiring. Thank God for Sunday when we can rest.

Not all Work:

So Friday we had plans to go to the movies with our roommate Melissa and see Hancock. We found the schedule times, the theater, and caught a cab to the other side of town. It was a really nice area. Stephanie and I gasped as we saw the Mac store. (Makeup--not computers) The theater was upstairs from a huge department store. They even had a Chanel makeup counter...not something you would expect to find in India. (I've blown my cover...I like makeup ;)

So we go to the window to buy the tickets, and it's not playing anymore. We missed it by one day! Since things don't usually work out the way you hope, want or expect, or things don't taste the way you hope, you get use to disappointment, and try to keep your expectations low.

I was sure we had this right though. After searching the newspaper and online, and coming across web pages with movie schedules from 2006 we finally found one that was current that said it was updated every Friday. Well, it wasn't. As Steph says, she can't figure out how this is the technology capital of the world, and yet they can't keep up on technology.

Fortunately The Dark Knight, the new Batman movie was playing so we were able to watch that. The theater was really nice, clean, huge...felt like I was at Irvine Spectrum, except they have designated seating. Melissa knew that and asked for center seats so it wasn't a problem. She also warned us about the intermission. Apparently in India they have intermissions during movies. Well The Dark Knight is quite an intense movie, full surround sound, it was almost too loud...I was plugging my ears at gunshots and explosions, anyways...it's about midway through the movie... mid-sentence, and the screen goes white---INTERMISSION----hmmm...you'd think they could break it at an edit between scenes, but that would make too much sense. Sometimes India just leaves you wondering...

Highly recommend the movie, quite action packed, very Hollywood, very intense, a good summer movie, Heath Ledger does a great job at the Joker...scary character...maybe I liked it cause it was a piece of America. Don't blame me if you don't like it. If you were in India you would! ;)

Computer

I finally got my computer back yesterday, though the man said nothing was wrong with it. Good news and bad. I did get a new battery (Dad you were right) so that will improve things. Hopefully I'll be able to add some pictures soon.

Girls Transition

This Saturday on of the sisters was transferred from the home to a different position in the Catholic church. After being the home mother for eight years she said good bye to the girls. Please pray for them as they are adjusting. The new sister who is replacing her is very patient, knowledgeable, and experienced, but it is still a difficult transition for everyone.

Before the sister left, a partner organization gave her a cell phone as a farewell gift. The sister, though she's a minimalist as a nun, not wearing any jewelry, makeup, and dressing simply, she has a great sense of humor. She is constantly cracking jokes, bursting into laughter and giggling; but we had never seen her quite this excited. This day she was so giddy she was like a child on Christmas. You should have seen the social workers sitting there trying to teach her how to use the phone. Testing a sample call, "press the green button, hit 'OK'..." and teaching her how to lock and unlock the phone. No one really knew how the phone worked but they could all figure it out, so the phone was passed around to figure how to unlock it until Stephanie was brilliant enough to read the manual. Quickly looking up Lock Phone in the index she found the button to lock & unlock. The phone was a really thoughtful gift that will help the sister maintain relationships with the girls.

Oakland Sale

Please pray for the sale taking place this next weekend at the Oakland Laurel Street Fair. Thanks to isanctuary representatives, Amber, Carla, and Jennifer who are staffing it. Please pray for success, exposure for the organization, and ease in the whole set up. (If you have an event to recommend we attend or are interested in staffing a sale please let us know...we are always looking for representatives.)

Happy Birthday to my Mom!!!

Happy Birthday Mom! Sad I didn't get to talk to you...Hope you're celebrating! We will when I get home. Love you!!!