Erin and her mother Maureen traveled to Northern India by plane to see the Taj Mahal. They will be returning home on August 6. Erin will spend this last week helping Brother Henry with correspondance and Maureen is very busy in the physical therapy clinic. Erin writes about the Taj.

"We left the Mission Monday night and drove to Chennai where we crashed at my Uncle's house. We got up at 2:30 that morning and slugged into the airport for our 5:00am flight to Delhi. It's only about a two and a half hour fligh and by 9:00am we'd collected baggage and were greeting our first Delhi friend: a man who would drive us to Agra and back. The drive to Agra was a painful 5 hours but we arrived to Paradise - that is, a Holiday Inn. I know, right? And onwards, to the Taj. It is, yeah, everything you hope it is. You're so caught up in the bustle of it all - dog tired, and pushing, shoving tourists (Yeah. Westerners. I think I actually said, "Look Mom - White People!) and kids peddling Taj Mahal snow globe key chains (you think I'm kidding?) - and then it hits you: THIS is the Taj Mahal. This IS the Taj Mahal. This is THE Taj Mahal. This is the TAJ MAHAL.Par la grace de Dieu, we arrived exactly two days before the birthday anniversary of the emperor who built the Taj, which meant that we were there on the first of a 3 day celebration which included free admission to the monument. A day earlier and we'd have had to pay, a day later and we'd have been in the throng of Now Aware tourists. It was perfect. Better yet: The Taj was constructed as a monument and burial site for the emperor's wife. They are both buried in an underground room that is sealed to the public but because we were there on this special day, they allowed us to go down and put flowers on her grave. Unfortunately photography isn't allowed inside the building. "

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. Acts 17:26 NIV

The teams flight left Chennai at 12:15AM Wednesday, July 23. Their flight to Brussels was eight hours. After a three hour layover they left for Newark, NJ arriving there at 11:30AM on July 23 having been in the air for 16 hours.

It was with some sadness that the team had to say goodbye to Helen Hartman (from Reading, PA) who was picked up by her husband Jim at the Newark Airport. It is a two hour drive from Newark to Reading, PA. Unfortunately, a severe weather system grounded all Wednesday flights out of Newark and the rest of team was forced to spend the night sleeping on the floor of the Newark Airport. This was definitely pushed the "flex and flow" motto of the team. It was difficult to be a 3 hour flight from home and being forced to stay put.

The next morning Jeanette, Peggi, Mike and Kelly caught the 6:15AM flight to KCI. Kelsey and Kayleen were able to catch the 2:45PM and Beth arrived home at 2:00AM. Juli, Beth, Vicki, Linda and Michelle were able to get a hotel room on Thursday. They were able to get a shower and a reasonable night sleep before catching the 6:15AM flight on Friday morning. What a way to end the trip. Amazingly, ALL of the luggage actually arrived in KCI before the team members.

Most of the team was in church on Sunday and the joy of being home seems to have blunted the tough wait in Newark. All are celebrating what the Lord has done through them at Good Shepherd.

Erin and Maureen will return to St. Joseph on August 6.

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The LORD be exalted!" Psalm 40:16 NIV