Monday evening, we gathered with the folks from the Christian Media Centre and the Lutheran congregation for a dinner and Thanksgiving Worship. Several local Lutheran clergy joined us in a festive evening of prayer and thanksgiving.

The sermon was based on II Corinthians 8, the event wherein the Macedonian Christians are held up as examples of giving first to the Lord and then giving beyond their means to help those in Jerusalem who were in need.

The most powerful event of the evening was the celebration of Holy Communion. Usually Holy Communion is only celebrated once a month, so to share the Table of Eucharist--the Table of Thanksgiving--as friends from east and west was a definity joy!

As the worship time drew to a close, we were put on stage as each of the clergy said a few (or not so few... you know what happens when you give a pastor a microphone... you better get comfortable... whether in the States or in India!) words expresing their gratitude to us.

The Staff at the CMC then gave ach of us a going away gift (even those of us who are staying for another week). We each received a beautiful set of bed linens with traditional Indian designs on them.

After returning to the hotel, Chuck, Josh, Dana, John, Todd, and Gary finished packing in time for their 1am ride to the airport. If all is on schedule, they should be about 4 hours into their 16 hour flight from Dubai to San Francisco as I type this.

That leaves Glen, Dan, Drew, and me to keep on painting. Not being anywhere near the photographer Josh is, you will have to get your visuals on this week's work from the vivid and poetic nature of my words...