India Bound

I depart on Wednesday to fulfill one of my last seminary requirements...an inter-cultural immersion. All along, I expected to be doing this immersion domestically, but God heard my prayers and thanks to the support of my PMM congregation and my loving family, I depart for India on January 2. Up to this point, my most adventurous international travel has included camping in Canada's lake country and a very tame and corporate trip to the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg...where I understood where the term ugly Americans surfaces. Nothing like traveling with drunken sales reps!

I digress. In India I will visit New Delhi, Agra, and Kolkata. With 15 other students and 2 professors, we will meet with religious and NGO leaders and explore how this ancient society has flourished with such diversity. I am not really sure what to expect. In fact, I am trying to empty myself of expectation. My hope is that I can share my journey along the way here on my blog. I pray that I can capture those things I need to capture in words and pictures and memories. I ask for your prayers for the journey. It is hard to leave life behind. I will miss a lot of Brook's winter break. I will miss processing each day with Matt. I will miss Emma's curiosity about local norms, justice and Eco-systems. I will miss Paige's eye for color and composition and her fashion sense. I hope I can bring back experiences for everyone.

I ask for your prayers for our group, our hosts, the families we leave behind, our opening and experiencing hospitality, grace and wonder.

Namaste.