Passage to India

At some point you quit counting the hours you've been travelling. You just switch your watch over to the current time zone and don't look back.  Lisa Clark and I spent a long time getting to Durgapur. I did have a thought or two about what we were doing during our seven hour layover in Dubai, but when we stepped out of the airport in Kolkata, and our friend Raja met us, all that vanished.  It is so good to see our Indian friends and witness what they are doing and have done in the name of our Lord.  I can't explain how or why India heals me, but she does.  It's something about the humanity mixed with the sheer struggle to get on here. There's is a beautful chaos that pushes me out of my button down linear self and a radical openness that reminds me of how big God's love is for everyone. I mean who else is 11 and 1/2 hours different from Eastern Time?

And then there's the work. Schools, medical clinics, safe houses to get women out of trafficing, a Cathedral, eye clinics and on and on.  I always daunted by how much our Indian companions do with so little. It reminds that Jesus sent the disciples out with no equipment because we are the equipment when we are connected to him.

And most of all, it's friendship. I am so glad to see my friends here. They remind me how big God's mercy is.

Tonight is the Festival for the Inter Project Cultural Meet and tomorrow is the Tribal Award Ceremony.

I give thanks that we belong to the Anglican Communion--but most of all I give thanks that we belong to Jesus Christ and, therefore, we belong to one another.
+Porter