This morning at 6:30 a.m. local time we landed in Bangkok after a night flight from Delhi. We checked into our lovely hotel where our room has hot water, a shower, and a deep tub. I've had a very hot soak and am now cleaner than I've been since we left Athens many weeks ago. I'll try to remember just how wonderful and luxurious is this state-of-being-scrubbed that I have long taken for granted.

Certainly recognizing what one has taken for granted is one of the beneficial effects of travel. Drinking water, toilet paper, the sure expectation that drivers will observe what a sign in Bangalore called "lane discipline" are three basic things. I think I knew that there would be many factors and forces that I would not control in these months, but in India I also discovered that I often could neither anticipate what would happen nor understand why it did. At the ECC we were, nonetheless, confident that our best interests were being pursued even when our notion of those differed from those upon whom we depended. Two days in Delhi (and Agra) with local guides made us appreciate all the more the good faith and good efforts of our ECC friends. Fortunately nothing was lost beyond time, a few things I'd have liked to see (such as an intact mosque and paintings we'd studied in class), and my temper. Sure there is a story there but it is not to my credit so I won't send it out into cyber-space. We did see the Taj Mahal which is magnificent both in the long view against the blue sky and close up inside were one can glimpse the inlay work while moving quickly along in a crowd.

For me the surprising gift in Delhi was that while out for a morning walk I happened upon a Church of North India congregation about 20 minutes into their Sunday service. Though most of the service and sermon were in Hindi, I grasped the few English phrases sprinkled in the sermon and the priest, having arranged my hands properly to receive it, placed the wafer in them and spoke in English, "The body of Christ given for you." Surely this is true everytime one eats the eucharist; and how one feels or one's emotions have no bearing on the truth of that; but just was certainly, I it to be true in deep, almost physical way. Both the words and elements spoke powerfully of God's tender, gracious love. In that moment India was not strange at all, but a corner of the world so beloved by God.

Know that being away from you, all we are reminded just how much we depend upon your love.