Our last day in India was peaceful and inspirational, giving us a chance to reflect on our wonderful journey. We met Brother Gaston at his Ashram out in the beautiful Bengali countryside where mentally challenged women and orphaned children are given a sense of equality and a chance to build their own lives. rnrnrnrnGaston gave us a guided tour, displaying his work and visions for the future. For example we were shown the multi-faith prayer room which facilitates all religions. rnrnrnrnBrother Gaston’s Ashram is self-sufficient growing hundreds of vegetables and bananas. We then had a discussion with Gaston where we were able to ask questions and hear his wise words. His determination and love for God inspired us to ponder and strengthen our faith in God. In Gaston’s words he said “you cannot love God without serving your fellow man and all people are your brothers and sisters”. Unexpectedly we were given a substantial meal which was enjoyed by all.rnrnrnrnWe returned to the Fairlawn in late afternoon having an opportunity for last minute shopping and a rest before our journey home. rnrnWe would firstly like to thank our readers and people who have posted comments whilst we have been in India. Your efforts have highly motivated us and kept us going through what has been an emotional pilgrimage. rnrnSecondly we would like to thank Trish, Caroline and Kathryn for making this trip happen and guiding us through this amazing journey. We hope they have enjoyed our company as much as we have enjoyed theirs.rnrnIf we were to say one thing about this trip it has been a truly life-changing experience for all of us.rnrnWe hope you have enjoyed following our journey and continue to support Udayan in the future. From all of us here in India Goodnight and God bless.rnrn

Photos have been added to the prevous article today.rnrnThis morning began with an early start where we attended Mass t the Motherhouse and visited Mother’s tomb to pay our respects. We all found it very moving and the Sisters’ singing was beautiful.rnrnLater in the day we were collected by Ramod, one of the original children from James’ first group of 11 little ones, to attend a celebration of our visit at Udayan. Also present were a number UK Friends of Udayan: John Coo, Justin and Caroline Coo, Keith Bashford, Anne King and Polly Pearce. We were greeted with garlands and a reception party of little children who took great delight in throwing flower petals over us as part of their welcome! rnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnThere was an air of excitement throughout the afternoon which ended with a concert comprising of dance, song and music. Their performances were interspersed with our contributions which included Siobhan doing Irish dance, Katherine and Grace singing, Shane doing Tae Kwon Do and everyone joining in to do the Macreana and Saturday Night! Photos to follow. rnrnrnrnrnrnWe are off to the Sunderbans tomorrow and not sure if we can keep a daily diary whilst we are there but we’ll try our best!

Our day began at noon after a very leisurely morning relaxing in the lounge. We travelled by taxi to Asha Niketan, a L’Arche community founded by Jean Vanier. rnrnrnrnrnrnIt is a home for the mentally disabled where they make handcrafts such as tie-dye, candles and gift cards. These men would be hidden under the stairs or living on the streets but for Asha Niketan which instead gives them the opportunity to live a fuller life and fulfil themselves. We enjoyed a challenge at lunch as we had to eat with our hands! Strictly speaking that meant we had to somehow manage with our right hand. Not easy with rice! rnrnrnrnrnrnAfter lunch we had a tour taken by Sankar where we saw the gardens full of fruit trees and a tranquil meditation room. Next we had the chance to browse the workshop and buy a number of unique gifts. rnrnrnrnrnrnOnce back at the hotel we walked round to the market where the guys bought their Indian style suits and the girls ordered their tailored salwars. Being Valentine’s Day we thought it would be fun to watch love movies on TV being romantics at heart!!!rnrnBy the way even though we said the Udayan children were good at football we actually won 7-6!

Our new tour guide, who will be our guide on our trip to the Sunderbans, gave us a tour of Kolkata. We first visited the Botanical Gardens which covers 273 acres of land and contains many exotic trees, including the Great Banyan tree which is over 250 years old and covers 1.5 hectares of the Gardens. It is the greatest attraction of the Indian Botanical gardens. After we went on to the Victoria Memorial which is a tribute to Queen Victoria built after she died in 1901. It took 20 years to build and was completed in 1921. It is also known as the British Taj. The building was beautifully designed and is a very impressive monument.rnrnrnrnOur guide took us on to what is known locally as Potters Lane. This is where hundreds upon hundreds of statues are made out of straw then moulded with clay and then used in many of the religious celebrations and rituals (some stand at 30 or 40 feet high). Many of the statues we saw being built were in preparation for a religious festival in November. We followed this with a visit to the Jain Temple; this is one of the earliest forms of Indian religion known as Jainism, which follows very strict rules of vegetarianism and non-violence.rnrnrnrnrnrnThis morning was very special as we made our first journey to Udayan; we were warmly welcomed by James and everyone. James firstly introduced us to some of his main helpers telling us a bit about them. Many of them are former boys of Udayan who have returned as workers.rnrnJames then very kindly gave us a tour of the site taking us round to some of the classrooms where we watched the children being taught. We saw the newly built medical wing which much of St. Joan of Arc’s recent fundraising efforts have gone towards. As we walked around the site we saw many of the ways in which Udayan makes itself self sufficient, for example growing their own crops. We were shown the children’s dormitories which are separated into boys and girls. As we visited the girl’s rooms the children came out for their lunch break and we were able to have our first interaction with the girls playing clapping games. The girls were totally mesmerised by our digital cameras and all wanted to have their photographs taken. rnrnrnrnFollowing on from some tea and biscuits all of us enjoyed playing a football match with the boys of Udayan. The boys were in better shape than us, and used to playing football more so rang rings around us!rnrnrnrnBefore the children went off to their studies they entertained us with singing from the English Choir and a violin recital given by two students. We now have some free time to settle into life here at Udayan, which will be followed by dinner and bed. The new day at Udayan will begin at 7 am sharp!rnrnWe apologise for the absence of pictures today, unfortunately the connection isn’t fast enough at Udayan to upload them! We anticipate to add them in when we return to the Fairlawn tomorrow evening.

rnrnLast night we travelled on the overnight train from Varanasi to Kolkata, an experience we won’t forget! We arrived at 9.30am and were greeted by our porters – it’s amazing how they can balance two of our heavy suitcases on their heads! You’ll be pleased to know the sun was back, which brightened our spirits even more.rnrnOn arrival at the Fairlawn hotel we were welcomed by the owner, Mrs Smith and her team. The hotel is unlike anything you will have seen, a tropical palace, the walls lined with famous faces all of whom have stayed here over the years such as Patrick Swayze and Felicity Kendal. It’s like stepping back in time.rnrnrnrnIn the afternoon we went for a walk down to the local market, much the same as Bovingdon: bags, shoes and scarves! We also browsed around the shops near our hotel, and bought some presents for friends back home. After that we had time to relax and prepare for our evening meal. Tomorrow being Sunday we will be celebrating Mass with James Stevens. In the afternoon we will be touring Calcutta. We are all looking forward to meeting the children of Udayan on Monday.