Ready to go!

It's about 11:30 p.m. and I have finally stored all my belongings, packed my bags and am ready to set off to Rwanda. Now, if the weather will just cooperate!! I have anticipated this trip for the past year as I finished up classes at James Madison University and graduated with a hard-earned Bachelor of Arts degree. Finishing my education at the age of 60+ has been an adventure full of worries, headaches and joys, not to mention several all-nighters which should never be attempted by anyone over the age of 50. Thank you JMU advisors, teachers and fellow students for pushing me to stick with it and finish, especially those who expected me to grow in knowledge and turn in papers which made some sense! Thanks, too, to the members of Muhlenberg Lutheran Church and the Education for Ministry group who cheered me on and encouraged me to catch my second wind and follow the new paths opening up to me. I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks especially to the young people at JMU and Muhlenberg who inspired me to keep up with them - you are terrific.

And so I begin the next step of my journey - traveling to Rwanda in East Africa to work with the Rwanda School Project for the next 10 to 11 months. I'm on this journey accompanied in spirit by my fellow congregants at Muhlenberg who have supported this project since it began. I hope I will represent you well. If this trip is anything like my 5 week stay in 2007, we will have some wonderful memories, meet some new friends and maybe have a laugh or two in the process. So, catch your SECOND WIND and join me on some NEW PATHS