Home and then not home, and then finally home

Home, and then not home, and then finally home

It's been awhile since I posted...perhaps some of you still check here from time to time. I'm going to post some pics a little later today.

My trip home from Uganda was mired by my catching a virus of some sort. It's not unlikely that I caused a minor pandemic by flying as this bug was just starting its massive replication effort inside my body. The 30 hour trip (door to door) was pretty miserable. Once I did get home I slept for much of the following two days - hardly venturing out of bed. I was as sick as I have been in a VERY long time.

Thankfully, on the morning of the day I was to leave to SVOTS, I was feeling much better and so I packed up and headed off to the airport once again. I will have more to say about the practicum in a little bit. I will say this much now though: it was well worth the venture. The practical and academic sides of the training were great and it was really wonderful to meet a host of other DVP students. But, most effecting me were the exhortations to personal piety and holiness and seriousness with regard to the ministry of the Diaconate. It really marked for me a turning point...whether or not I am ever ordained. I think perhaps I had been a little guilty of seeing the Deacon as essentially an article of liturgical flare...but opening my eyes to the reality of servanthood in the context of the Eucharist and then (as we all should do) taking the reality of our participation in the Eucharist with us into the world and what these means for the vocation of the Deacon. Anyway, there is much to ponder here...suffice to say...I am now more humbled (scared?) by even the potential to enter into this ministry. My preparation for it has been brought up to a new level beyond just academics...may God forgive me for allowing the obviousness of this to escape me.

It is good to be home. So much to do: around the farm, in my head and in my heart...it ought to be a busy summer.

More to say later...