Some thoughts from Dean:

This has been an awesome trip. The group members were nothing less then awesome. The sights, sounds, and yes the smells of India were awesome. Our family and friends at Good Shepherd Mission were and are awesome.

As the son of an Air Force Chief Master Sergeant I led a bit of a nomadic life growing up. When you grow up like this you come to realize that home is not a specific unchanging geographical location. Home is family. Where ever family is, home is. So for me and I also think for Susie going to Good Shepherd Mission (GSM) was going home. Home is where family is. Yes I am thrilled to be back with my family in St. Joseph but it was also hard to say good-bye to my family in Puttur.

I watched Laura learn and remember more kids’ names then I ever could. I watched Chad and Tom leading 40 kids in a Conga line and causing a near riot. I witnessed the ever steady Connie praying with villagers after Gospel meetings. I have seen several of our youth, Joe and Reese along with Sirish, learning how to play cricket with the mission boys. I watched Joyce wince just like an Indian mother or grandmother at the pain an immunization causes a child. I listened as Susie spoke a heartfelt message in the village of Kakavadu. I laughed as Annetta and Ashley played a tag like game (without knowing the rules) with the mission girls. As a group we ate foods we never thought we would and hope never to again. I witnessed a team of believers who with love and compassion in their hearts shared two weeks with family and friends at GSM. We laughed a lot; we cried a lot, we were a family with family.

This was a great trip. This was a great team. As you can see from the pictures and from the members’ comments all in this group were touched and changed by Good Shepherd Mission. So, I believe this will not be the last trip to GSM for most of this team. So the next time they travel they too will be going home. Home is where family is.