Brickston (our Brother from India) and I have arrived and started our collaboration with the ministry here for about two weeks now. A number of things to get acclimated with–the language barrier and culture, the lack of certain conveniences, etc., as expected. And yet, all these things further fuel a spirit of adventure for us. The people here had already touched our hearts in their welcoming and care for us–from the Board members and our Program Director to the residents in the camp. It’s the little things that spoke so much.  For instance, the security guard at the camp entrance inquired our Director of the La Salle Educational Center (Monica Lauzurique) if I felt okay because he didn’t see me go running one day early in the morning. The Sunday Vigil mass inside the camp was quite intimate and communal. Brickston is having an adventure of his own each day in the culinary art, as the men in his home (southern) State in India do not have a tradition of ever entering the kitchen. This week, we all have been preparing for Hurricane Ian, not so different from the snow storms in the northeast. The LITTLE house that we are living in is basically a concrete bunker built by the military(?), and so can weather just about anything assuming there is no major flooding. In case the storm’s condition gets worse, we have been invited to shelter at the Director’s house nearby and also of course always be able to evacuate to Br. Dan Aubin’s place further north, as our satelite community–or whenever for a weekend getaway. Little by little, things are coming together. Brickston is working to fine-tune the Afterschool Program alongside with the Director. As for myself, it will also be about connecting with a few outside organizations for the prospect of furture collaborations with the Center. Did I mention adventures in cooking with chef Brickston from the movie “The Hundred-Foot Journey?”