Five important places I've been:

1. Presbyterian Youth Triennium, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. (my alma mater) summer of 1995. I went to this denomination-wide youth event to be a small group leader. I came back a perturbed women who for once and for all had to deal with the fact that my heart and soul were being tugged in a new direction. To the middle aged African American gentleman (a stranger) who sat next to me at lunch in the Student Union and poked and prodded at me to consider a life in the ministry, until I was so irritated I made up an excuse and changed tables: Thank you.

2. Catholic retreat center run by Franciscan Sisters, Nearby City By The Lake, 1996. Some how in the midst of the urban noise and busy-ness of this medium-sized city I found this cool, quiet, tree-filled hilltop gem of an oasis. The perfect place to contemplate everything that started in #1.

3. Cabin in Southern Indiana, in a town with a name that sounds really provocative. Easter week, 1997. OEH and I, knowing that were were about to embark on a life-changing move that would take us far away from our families, took several days away from our kids (after sending them off to various grandparents) for several days in a cabin in the woods. It was really too early for camping season, so the place was more or less deserted. Many, many, happy memories!

4. People's Republic of China, June 1999. I was fortunate to travel with a class of fellow students to China for a tour of the Amity Foundation, several seminaries, large cities, and small villages. Being outside my comfort zone, meeting people in very remote places who had never seen a caucasian face before (or a woman who was 5'10"), worshipping in small house churches and crowded Nanjing Cathedrals, being shown such incredible hospitality, seeing the beautiful country, and walking ancient stone paths, were life-changing experiences.

5. Calistoga, CA. Mother's day weekend, 2003. At the absolute lowest point in my search process, I asked my family to please get along without me for a few days over Mother's Day so that I could drive up through Napa Valley to the northern end, to visit the little town of Calistoga. I told myself it was to have hot stone massages and sit in mineral pools drinking mimosas, and just in general rest up from some rather devastating interviews with search committes. It really was about wresting with an angel, and daring God to give me some answers, which God did. The answer was that there would be no easy way out for me. And there wasn't. But there was some grace.