Departure!

And so it begins anew! After arriving in the church parking lot this morning at 5am (a miracle!) the group got underway with chauffeurs Rick and Loring and about 500 suitcases and sleeping bags.

Everyone was excited and ready for the trip, albeit a little bleary-eyed. And speaking of miracles, the super sleeper-inner, the head hibernator, the late-lounging leader, Sharon was there too! She came bearing a bag of seven gifts, with directions to open one each day, starting with this morning, right there in the dark parking lot of RUCC. It was a birthday card for Ken with a bag of Werther's to share. There were also instructions to sing Happy Birthday!, but apparently the group will do that in the middle of the airport later when it's really embarrassing. I'm not sure how old he is, but Jane said something about getting a discount at Denny's.

The rest of the bags were loaded up, and it was time to bless the intrepid travelers and send them on their mission. The Spirit's presence was among us as we offered words of thanks, pleas for safety, hopes for togetherness and growth, and reminders that the group is not traveling alone; all of us will be with them in our hearts.

Good luck Georgia, Noah, Domenick, Ken, Janie, and Julie! We will miss you and wish you all the best! We love you!

-Loring