But it didn't happen.
Why not? That nagging fear that once begun there's no turning back. Fine, the first few days would be different ... interesting ... novel ... but 40 and no turning back? It was my worry this time, too, but the encouragement from friends was stronger!
Out in India there's no turning back either ...
There's a bonding that takes place ... maybe not in everyone but certainly in most ... which goes so deep because shallow isn't on offer from the children who ache for so much more. Teams leave, but that bond remains.
I was overjoyed yesterday to bump into Jamie, one of our very first team members back in 2008. I told him again how grateful I was for how he gave himself so completely while he was there. His eyes sparkled as he revelled in the chance to speak again of those days.
Once that relationship is made there's just no turning back. There's a profoundly lasting effect on lives at both ends. Listen to this from Elena on Facebook today. She left the orphanage this week:
'One of the teachers from the orphanage just sent me this message: "Today one girl from 7th grade gave me a chocolate, and I asked her, 'Today is your birthday'? She said, 'No miss, today my uncle birthday'. I asked, 'Who is your uncle'? She said, 'My uncle Sam from King's birthday today, so I give chocolate to everyone.'
And it'll happen when each on the team is remembered by the children they've loved and had to leave for a time. The leaving hurts ... but the bond remains ...
It's that same bond that's grown in me here at King's over the years of privileged contact ... a bond that finds it's way from those who've gone to those who may yet go. Only today I had an email from a mother of a past team member who now wants to go where her daughter went before and serve as she once served. Bond from bond.
On a separate note, I've heard from Jayaraj about the cost of that new and extra project needing doing - and it's put me in a dilemma. More about that tomorrow. There's another night to do first, hopefully warmer than the last one ... although there's a glimpse of beauty in the glint of ice and the orange glow ...
Thank you for travelling along this night-time road with me; thank you to new donors; thank you to you who are praying ... for this end and for India; and thank you to those yet to join in.
If you'd like to now, then please ...
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