In Conclusion...

So it seems proper to draw some conclusions or sum-up what I learned in Kolkata. Its harder than I thought to wrap up the experience neatly. So much of what I enjoyed was just the process of doing life for a couple weeks with new people; sisters, volunteers and patients.

From the sisters I learned that a godly life requires sacrifice and discipline but also yields tremendous joy. I can't yet explain why but joy was evident among the sisters in each place I visited.

From the fellow volunteers I was encouraged to find people from across the world but also from across Canada who are asking questions and are eager to learn answers about what it looks like in each context to follow Jesus. The majority of people I met had read The Irresistible Revolution and were really struggling to figure out how to life their lives in light of the questions Shane Claiborne asks.

From the patients I learnt patience (so to speak). They endured living in sub-optimal conditions with grace and thankfulness. I was blown away by the thanks they gave me on my last day. I get up tight when just a few things don't go as planned but the patients showed me that it is possible to live very simply still have a very rich life.