I found this entry in my devotional journal. It is dated August 16, two days before labor.

It all starts here, really, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This isn’t mythological or allegorical to me; it’s raw truth. He gave and we partook…we are still partaking, for that matter.

My head is still swimming over the reality of our new life. The sights and smells and responsibilities are all different.

The ways of God are more than mysterious sometimes...they are frustrating and confusing. You commit. You sacrifice. And you wait and wait. To me, our desire to go to India was God-given. The circumstances surrounding our decision to go there came together so nicely. Why would God want us to "waste" time here in Virginia when we could be helping orphans?

I have always had an activist nature. Ever since I wrote to George Bush, Sr., when I was eleven and asked him to uphold the constitution, I have had a sneaking suspicion that if I just shouted loud enough the world would listen. Do not ask me where this optimism came from; the subsequent tragedies and continued atrocities speak against this deep-seated knowledge.

You'd think that I would be relishing a whole summer off. No work. No mornings earlier than I want them to be. No stressful children to deal with at school. Well, this is me: I'm longing for accomplishments born out of hard work and a night where I feel exhausted from real, physical labor. That's why, right now, I can't wait to be in India.