Tuesday 26 June 2007

The How and the Why of it...

In 1996, I packed up and headed off to India and met Mother Teresa. The previous summer, while visiting my friend Margie one day, she received a phone call from our mutual friend, Miriam. I could tell from Margie’s side of the conversation that something exciting was brewing. Margie was smiling and nodding, piquing my curiosity. She asked Miriam to hang on a moment. Steph? she asked. Miriam is going to India in January to work with Mother Teresa. Want to go? After deeply pondering the question for – oh, about 3 seconds, I casually said sure. It was no more noteworthy than if I had just accepted an invitation to go to the movies. It just seemed like the right thing to do and the right time to do it. And so, after a few weeks of pinching myself to make sure it was real and convincing my family that I had not completely lost my mind, we started preparing. Miriam and I started getting the required shots, gathering the things we would need and making the travel arrangements.

Miriam and I spent several weeks working in some of the homes run by the Missionaries of Charity. My time in Calcutta ultimately presented my life’s vocation to me on a chapatti platter, though years would pass before I would awaken to it. This is the story of my travels, the seemingly instantaneous “dark night” that came upon me while in India (which I now see as the culmination of a lot of strain and loss from the years that led up to it) and the subsequent painful years-long climb out of that pit.

It has been over a decade since my return from India, and during that time my life has taken some pretty sharp turns and hairpin curves. The journey, while at times so agonizing I thought I wouldn’t make it through the day, has certainly not been without its joys and triumphs!


Until tomorrow...

Steph

3 comments:

Deborah Antonio said...

Hi Stephanie,
It is exciting to see what God can do with us when we yield ourselves to Him. You have piqued my curiosity with your posts.
Blessings,
Debbie Antonio

Stephanie Emmons said...

Hi Debbie,

I'm glad you're enjoying my posts! Hope you'll visit again.

I'm curious - where are you from and how did you come across this site?

Take care,

Stephanie

Deborah Antonio said...

Hi Stephanie,
I am a member of the Word Guild. I read the list serv posts and I noticed your blog site was listed. I want to check out others' blogs.
Debbie