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We're back. I was unable to post except for once due to concerns about security, which was understandable, but frustrating anyway. We had an awesome trip and this is our awesome team. We got home last night (except for Thomas, who is staying for a while to do more of what we did). I am wondering how many times I can make this trip, come back changed, and then continue on with life as usual. Re-entry was even harder this time, but I am glad. I can't imagine seeing what we have seen, experiencing what we have experienced, doing what we have done - and then coming home and not being affected by it. It took me a while last year to process and find out how to bring all that has changed me and apply it to my life here.

The people in Azerbaijan are extraordinary. They have resilience, persistence and an enduring hope that lies far beneath the surface. They do not always trust or embrace with immediency, but once they do they get inside your heart and stay there. Faces, smiles, laughter and touch will remain with me until I return. We shopped with two young girls at the market the day before we left. They were leading us through as we looked for shoes for patients in the psychiatric hospital. The girl who was walking beside me slowly and deliberately linked her arm in mine, and we walked that way for the rest of the day. She patted my hand as we walked and although we could not communicate, her gesture spoke volumes. As I said before I left, we are blessed by them just as much as we bless. What a beautiful place. What beautiful people.