Lisa knocked on my door at 3am just before my alarm went off.  She had to knock twice before I could arouse myself enough to respond.  Quickly gathered my stuff and headed down the elevator of the convent to meet the others.  We were going to have to go out the back way.  The nuns had showed Pr. Kelly last night.  At night the front gates get locked, but she gave us the key to the side gate so we could leave in time to catch our early plane.  It was hard not to giggle as we sneaked through the halls, going through four locked doors before we reached the outside door.  It felt like “Sound of Music” again!  Pr. Kelly was the Dad and we were all escaping!  The hired van was waiting for us outside and we barely fit ourselves and the luggage in.  

We drove through the dark, deserted streets of Rome at 3:30am.  The “movie” experience was about over.  At the airport we waited in the usual long lines.  On to Amsterdam for a three hour lay-over.  We all looked whipped, and many of us were sick.  At this point we just wanted to be home in our own beds or with our own families (Mom and Dad are coming to Cicero on Monday, figuring I would return sick and wanting me to be able to come home to someone.  I’m so glad.).  Then the long flight to Chicago.  The van is waiting for us here, and we load luggage once more.  Home by 8 or 9pm.

Even though we had Rome as an interim between India and Indiana, there was still a bit of reverse culture shock.  Everything seems so clean, sterile, and spread out here in America now.  I no longer felt the need to put toilet paper down on the seats in public restrooms.  I could eat off of the floor at the mall and not feel defiled.  I felt guilty buying fruit for $2 a pound when I knew how much food that would buy in India.  People seem to be so oblivious to the fact that the rest of the world doesn’t live like we do!  I can almost hear us say, “If they have no bread, let them eat cake!”  I hope I can hang onto this realization, but it is already fading.  Would I go back to India?  Yes, not for a vacation.  But for the sake of those there who don’t know what Christianity can do for them.  And for my sake, who forgets so easily what Christianity should do for me.