Mission of Peace to India 2015: Here's to 2015

Happy New Year! I'm sorry I haven't written yet, but things have been kind of crazy here. I was surprised to learn that we would be traveling with a group of seven bishops of the United Methodist Church, along with their spouses and some other acquaintances/prestigious clergy and leaders. These special circumstances have both pros and cons. Pros being that bishops are the leaders of the church, giving us an opportunity to get to know them and learn from them. Also, it is a really great honor to have just one bishop visit your church or organization- imagine the ruckus 7 cause! So we are getting to do many unique things that we wouldn't do otherwise.

That said, there is one drawback that affects not just me but you as well. Because of the status of Mission of Peace this year, we have been asked to follow some safety regulations. One of these security measures is that we are not allowed to publicly share information with our friends and family in the US about where exactly we are, what specifically we have done, and who in particular we have met. That includes photos, so I'm sorry I don't have many to share with you tonight. Hopefully, once we move on to our next location we will be able to share what we did these first two days, but for now I can't say much.

I can say that I am having a wonderful time and meeting amazing people. I have really enjoyed getting to know my fellow MOPers, who come from Maine to West Virginia, the bishops, and the beautiful people of India. Everything here, from language to food to religion to architecture is constantly changing and different. There may be a Hindu right next to a colonial-looking house and on the other side, a 10-story modern building. Traffic is insane and I'm so glad I'm in a bus... If the vehicle was any smaller I would be scared for my life! I have included the photos I can and hope I can tell you more later. In the meantime, have an amazing start to 2015! Namaste.

A funny water bottle: