Hello Friends!

Thank you for embarking on this journey with me. Whether you've known me for years or a few short months, I am honored that you want to join me on my missionary travels in India and Nepal this summer. I am also deeply thankful for the support through prayer, encouragement, and finances that you've given to make this trip a reality. I am thankful for you =) I am so excited for what God will do this summer and I can't wait to share the experience with you =)

Before I leave on Sunday, I wanted to send out this blog link with a little bit of an explanation. I chose the title "Journey of a Pilgrim" for a specific reason. Dictionary.com defines a pilgrim as "a person who travels to a sacred place for a religious reason". I love this definition. Allow me to explain why =)

a person who travels:
Well, I guess I kind of fit that part of the definition, haha. I am traveling. I am leaving behind all I know and all I am comfortable with for close to three months. I am going to places I've never been to encounter situations I've never encountered and serve alongside of people I've never met. It's all new, and I couldn't be more excited =)

to a sacred place:
God made the world and everything in it. God's made every piece of land on which we walk, every flower upon which we gaze. In a since, everything in this world is sacred because it was made by our holy God. I get the opportunity to see new sacred places created by our wonderful God. It's not just the places that are sacred; the people are, too. Every moment in which I get to join people in ministry in India or walk in discipleship with the women in Nepal is a sacred moment because God is working in that moment. I'm honored to be part of a holy moment. Please pray that I would never overlook the sacredness of each moment.

for a religious reason:
Obviously this is no vacation or pleasure trip. I truly feel called to be here this summer to do God's work and learn more about God. This is exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time, and it's invigorating. While I'm there, I don't want to forget why I'm there:  to show the love of Christ to those around me, be it through words or actions.

So, the journey begins. I look forward to sharing this journey with you. My hope is to post weekly entries on here as part of a personal reflection and as a way to keep my friends and family informed of what God's doing (and to let Mom know that I'm ok =D). Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I'll post something in a week, fellow pilgrims!

Kali