Heading out...

hey all,

If you are reading this, then you've probably heard that my friend, Mel, and i are headed to India for the month. many of you have asked, "why India?", and i'll seek to answer that question in the next few sentences.

My interest in India first began in 2005 when i was in Ecuador, actually. I discovered a band called Caedmon's Call who embarked on a CD recording of a lifetime. The band set off to explore and shed light on the degree of poverty and injustice in the countries of India and Ecuador. as they traveled, they wrote and produced music that incorporated local musicians into the recording. The final product was a musical mosaic CD of stories of real people with real struggles that still managed to somehow live life with hope, and joy. that was the beginning of my journey in discovering India...

followed by that was a heightened awareness thru the word of International Justice Mission and Dalit Freedom Network of the devastating occurences of exploitation, and human trafficking in the world, but specifically in South and South East Asia.

then, my bro went to South India for some time, and the pictures captured my heart...

my heart was burdened, and i didn't know what to do. i didn't know what i could do. and really, to this day, im still trying to figure that out.

along the way, i met a lovely soul named Mel when i was in Calgary. both originally from Vancouver, we connected in Calgary where we were both at an interesting point of transition in our lives. we soon discovered our common interests and passions and continued our friendship after i returned to Calgary. then, Mel came back, and well - we've continued to grow together in our friendship, but also for the things that burden us...the things that make us cry.

early last fall we began talking about doing a weekend trip to Tofino to get a way from the city for a bit to have some space to think. well, that idea some how turned into this very trip to India. it made sense.

we find ourselves once again at arguably transitional points in our life with the same, though perhaps more intense, passion as before.

and really, let's not forget how we both enjoy the food, the beauty of the land, the unique attributes of the culture etc. i mean come on - who doesn't love a samosa, or dosai, or a big bowl of muttar paneer?

im privileged to be on this journey with her, and im looking forward to sharing these experiences with you.

some of you have asked me how you can pray for me. well, for those of you who practice this as a part of your daily life, here are a few requests:

- safety and health
- good, respectful communication between the both of us, with an extra dose of patience, love and grace
- an openmind as we interact with the people of this beautiful country
- that we would process and take in as much as we can, and not return apathetic to the sensory overload we are anticipating and have been well warned about!

peace,
dL